All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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The Niwot Cougars made the 3-hour trip to Battle Mountain High School on Friday, Sept. 23, upsetting the Huskies in their Homecoming game as they beat them, 42-13. The defense played a huge role in the victory, and the offense didn't shy away from the scoreboard. The game started slowly with both offenses failing to get a first down for a combined seven drives. It ended up being Battle Mountain that got the first first-down as they strung together some short plays with two longer rushes that...
The House Blend Band, created by Old Oak Coffeehouse owners Michael Tomich and his wife, Patty Machen, closed out the summer concert season on a beautiful summer night in downtown Niwot with another stellar performance featuring family members, guest artists, and the baristas who work at Old Oak. A crowd of several hundred people, young and old, brought lawn chairs and enjoyed the music, together with the spaghetti house special from Old Oak on a warm evening, where the threat of rain resulted...
The last concert of the Rock & Rails 2022 season opened with the amazing blues sound of Nalani playing the upright bass. Her throaty vocals, accompanied by her bass, made folks want to get up and dance. Nalani's giant smile and big voice kept the crowd's enthusiastic attention as rain threatened to dampen the event. Nalani, also known as Nalani DeMarco Clisset, grew up on Third Avenue in Niwot, and is a graduate of Niwot High School. Her mother, Satir DeMarco, books all of the music for Rock &...
When Gina Piffarerio first joined 4H, she likely didn't expect to find herself one day at the Westminster Dog Show. This past June, that's just where she and her rottweiler found themselves at the prestigious event in New York. Piffarerio and TCB's Professor Minerva McGonagall, better known as Maggie, competed for the title of best of breed at the 2022 Westminster Dog Show. It was a tight competition with 30 dogs all scrambling to win in five different categories, but Piffarerio and Maggie held...
Last Saturday's Niwot High School girl's softball double-header was something of a "wildcat" contest as the Cougars battled the Lyons Lions and the Peak to Peak Pumas. Junior Jenna Hobson and Maddie Stimack shared pitching duties both days with Hobson starting and Stimack coming on in relief. Scoring began early in the first game, with shortstop Autumn Rutherford singling to reach base before she was brought home with the first run. After catching up at the bottom of the first inning, the Lions...
This Friday, July 29, the Colorado Rockies face the LA Dodgers at Coors Field in Denver, and the Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band is scheduled to perform the National Anthem to open the game. Since its founding on July 4, 2005, at the dedication of the bandstand at Whistle Stop Park, the band has always had its collective eye on interesting local venues. The band is a regular at Niwot events, including the 4th of July celebration, the "Why Not Niwot?" Juried Art Show, Enchanted...
Left Hand Water district has released its annual water quality report and methods for homeowners to reduce their water consumption for the environment. Water contamination is often caused by agricultural livestock operations, septic systems, sewage treatment plants, oil and gas production, gas stations, synthetic or volatile organic chemicals, and urban storm-water runoff that may contain pesticides, herbicides, salts, and metals. Fortunately, there were no treatment technique violations or maximum contaminant level violations found in the...
Garden lovers, assemble! This week’s eco-friendly topic is on pollinators, as June is National Pollinator Month. In recent news, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill into law to protect pollinators in Colorado. SB22-199 will require the executive director of the department of natural resources to conduct a study regarding the challenges native pollinators face. The law also requires the executive director to develop education and outreach programming to improve pollinator populations. There are more than 950 native species and 250 b...
Not unlike other local businesses and attractions, Chief Niwot is the namesake for the Left Hand Grange as the Arapaho word for "left-hand" is Ni-wot. What is interesting about the building known as the Left Hand Grange Hall is its rich history. The local Grange organization, known as Left Hand Grange No. 9, initially operated out of the Batchelder School House southwest of Niwot, and received its charter on January 24, 1874. It is currently the oldest active Grange in Colorado. The Granger...
Ron Ivory and his group One on One are a staple of performance venues like Nissi's and Colorado's outdoor community summer concerts. Fans appreciate the blend of Motown, classic soul and old school R&B the musicians offer, and audiences get up out of their seats for covers of classics from The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Al Greene and more. Ron talked to us about how this blend keeps audiences moving while at the same time moves them so that their night becomes something more than what they might...
The Memorial Day kickoff to summer calls for a barbeque, friends, and outdoor lounging. To add to your gatherings, local Niwot chefs from La Musette at The Wheel House and Cimmini's restaurants have provided us with recipes from some of their favorite lighter, fresher foods. Both of these take a little prep but they have fresh, bright and interesting flavors anyone would enjoy. If you don't make them for this Memorial Day weekend, keep the recipes nearby for later in the summer when it's too...
Inkberry Books came through with yet another fascinating story. Justin Courter's The Heart of it All is a little bit mid-life-crisis, a little rebellious and extremely engaging. We first meet narrator John Ritter shortly after he's moved back to Cincinnati, or "Cincinasty," as he calls it, in order to help his grandmother who has Alzheimer's. But this homecoming is more difficult than he perhaps expected-in addition to taking care of his grandmother, he works for a crook of an old "friend," is...
The Big Tom Colony sounds like a rock band (remember Big Head Todd?) or maybe a nudist camp, but it's actually a colony of feral cats named for Abo's Pizza businessman Tom Smathers, or "Big Tom '' as he is locally known. Niwot residents have known Big Tom for 24 years as the former owner of Abo's in Niwot. Nowadays you can catch a glimpse of Smathers running his outdoor catering business or Abo's Pizza in North Boulder. His catering business, Abo's Special Events & Catering, provides pizza from...
Attention, all bird lovers! There has been an outbreak of a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) that has now spread to wild birds in 30 U.S. states. According to recent data collected in April, the most susceptible to the flu are poultry, waterfowl, raptors, and vultures. The flu has been detected in commercial flocks, backyard flocks, and wild birds in Colorado. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is very low risk of infection for the general human population. Symptoms of the flu that may appear...
Spring has sprung! And with it you're likely to be headed out on all the local trails the area has to offer. If you're a cyclist, now is the time to make sure your bike is ready to go, and you've brushed up on riding safety essentials. Maintenance Fernando Tapia, Master Mechanic at Niwot Wheel Works, says that if your bike hasn't been used over the winter, it's a good idea to get a tuneup. "Get air in the tires, lube on the chain and ensure that everything is in good working order." If this...
I didn't have my glasses on, and thought maybe the brown bump on the edge of my dog Stering's eye was a growth that sprouted quickly. I'd seen bumps like that on other dogs. I went about my day, but puzzled over it. How could I miss something like that when I look into Sterling's sweet brown eyes all the time? Better get out the glasses. Eww! It was alive! A tick had latched on to the corner of his eye. I was horrified that I let it go for even a couple hours. But it truly never occurred to me t...
Good morning, Courier readers! April 22nd is a special day to celebrate our nurturing, Mother Earth. And while tackling climate change might seem daunting at times, we mustn’t give up hope. So, without further ado, here is a comprehensive list of all things you can do to turn your climate anxiety into climate action! At home and other individual actions: *Switch to a more eco-friendly search engine like Ecosia. Ecosia plants trees for every 45 searches you make on the web. It’s the world’s largest not-for-profit search engine and is endor...
A double play sealed a come-from-behind victory for Niwot over Northridge April 19, with the Cougars posting a hard-fought 8-7 win. Niwot took the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning with a four-run rally to put the Cougars on top by a run. Northridge got the tying run to second base with no outs, but a heads-up play by first baseman Jack Brooker on a bunt retired the runner at third base as Brooker fired to third-baseman Spencer Olson who applied the tag for the first out. With a runner on...
Residents of Niwot and Gunbarrel, long overlooked by the powers that be in Longmont and Boulder, have begun to do something about it. The LOBO Trail, which reputedly runs from Longmont to Boulder and back, and seemingly uphill both ways, was named for LOngmont and BOulder. But you can't actually get all the way to Boulder from Longmont on a trail, as sections are incomplete as the "trail" makes its way through south Gunbarrel. You can get from Longmont all the way to Niwot, and from Niwot to...
Niwot's Casey Grothus is heading to California next month to give a presentation at the corporate headquarters of a major tech company in Silicon Valley. It's something he never imagined as a child with autism. "I worried all the time that it would be hard to get a job. Absolutely," Grothus said. "Members of the autism community have such a high unemployment rate and underemployment rate that it was a real concern of mine." He had reason to worry. About two-thirds of people with autism don't...
The blinker is the most misused item in a vehicle. It's a great tool to have when trying to communicate with fellow drivers. What an invention – a system that lets others know what you're thinking and you don't have to utter one word or make any other sound. So why are so many drivers afraid to let others know what they are going to do? I know there aren't that many shy drivers out there because I've seen a lot of them. They use the horn for everything. Tapping it to say hi, letting someone k...
Our clocks have sprung forward, longer days are upon us and warmer weather is on the horizon. Of course, we should be prepared to get blasted with more cold days and hopefully some snow, but we are well on our way to the spring gardening season. What does this look like for you and your outdoor spaces? Are you itching to get out and start clearing and cleaning up your garden beds in preparation for things to green up? If so, I can relate, but I'm here to say, don't do it! It's important to know...
If you've dined at Raza Fresa in Niwot (or Ajuua! as it was formerly known) during the last 17 years, chances are good that you've been served by Kelly Paquette. Paquette began her career in the food service industry as manager of a Burger Chef restaurant. "It was my first job out of high school," the Platteville, Colo. native said. "When I had children, it became too many hours." Paquette then began a 12-year stint as a waitress at Colacci's, an Italian restaurant in Longmont. After the...
Tony Engel is the new coach in charge of the Niwot High School girls volleyball program, but he is not new to the team. Engel was introduced to parents and players by NHS athletic director Joe Brown on March 2, but many in attendance were already familiar with the former assistant coach, who moved into the head coaching position after six-year veteran Daisha Agho resigned last fall to take an administrative position at Berthoud High School. Engel noted that the program had made much progress...
A group of school children sits or stands at the front of the class, one apart from the rest. One, or perhaps a few adults sit at a table facing the children with a crowd of parents and students behind them. It's the spelling bee. Since at least 2018, Sunset Middle School has hosted the event with varying levels of participation, this year, there was a record number of 18 participants and according to co-hosters Tanya Gaurmer (language) and Katie Silverberg (special education), it was "a huge...
The Colorado League of Charter Schools has named two Flagstaff Academy Charter School teachers as finalists for the 2022 Charter School "Educator of the Year" award. Flagstaff Academy elementary school science resource teacher Stacy Wolff, and sixth-grade language arts teacher Leha Moskoff are two of eight finalists. Wolff is in her 11th year at Flagstaff Academy Charter School as the kindergarten through fifth grade science resource teacher. Wolff teaches an inquiry-based, hands-on science lab...
^%$# happens. We all know it, and a good Plan B is the best defense. Say your child wants to have an outdoor swim birthday party – in July. You’d still better have a back up plan, because while it won’t snow in the Front Range, you must consider the chances of hail and lightning with the accompanying hurricane force winds and tornado warnings. Planning a wedding and you think you have the vendors all lined up? You’d be advised to have a Plan B for that too, because you never know when the florist might wig out and end up living in a van, down b...
The beginning of February finally brought the Arctic chill typical of a Colorado winter. With temperatures dropping below zero and highs barely above freezing, you could be forgiven if you traded your normal exercise routine for sitting by a blazing fire and sipping hot chocolate. We won't judge. But if you are feeling motivated, the ice, snow, and cold temperatures don't have to stop you from getting in your daily exercise. If you aren't inclined to hit the gym, you can still safely get outside...
Sofiya Ivanova has always been creative, dabbling in creative writing and songwriting, but poetry is what really captures her interest. "It feels holy," she said, almost wistfully, describing the writing process as something akin to flying, or an out of body experience. "Art," and poetry specifically, she said, "Is the way positive energy can be channeled." For Ivanova, poetry has been present throughout her life–whether she was trying to make sense of a Lyme Disease diagnosis or make sense o...
With five individual state championships and a Class 4A record to her name, there isn't much territory left for standout Mary Codevilla to conquer in high school swimming. But she still has lofty goals for her senior season, and not just in the pool. "Since I've already committed this year, it's just about fun," the fourth-year varsity and Notre Dame-bound swimmer said between events at a recent meet. "It's about being a good leader to the team, and passing down the knowledge that I've gained...
We live in an age of instant communication. Need to talk to a friend halfway around the world? Between instant messaging, texting and twittering no problemo. But for those of us who live in a small town, how much has all this technology really changed things? I contend, not much. People have always talked whether it was around the pickle barrel in the general store, on a party line or over the backyard fence. If there's a juicy piece of gossip, you know that it's going to spread in a nano...
We have watched the scenes from Colorado Springs (Waldo Canyon Fire in June of 2012) and California where wildfires reached into our towns and cities destroying hundreds of homes in a matter of hours. Most Front Range inhabitants would never have thought that it would happen so close to home. Our idea that wildfires are confined to forested areas and during summer has been challenged and is no longer the norm. We need to be prepared and able to recover should the unthinkable happen. Our...
As 2021 draws to a close, we look ahead to 2022 with hopes for a big (and better) year. However, few people likely have the same definition of a Big Year as local author and birding expert, John Vanderpoel. In May, Vanderpoel published his book "Full Chase Mode: Big Year of Birding in North America" which follows the 365 days he spent chasing a birding record in 2011, in an endeavor known in the birding world as a "Big Year." For birders, doing a Big Year is a kind of bucket list project. For...
Behind any community event in Niwot, there is an unsung army of volunteers, handling details and logistics that most attendees overlook. Among them is the Niwot road crew, a group that has been dedicated to keeping the town's parades and festivals pedestrian-friendly since 2014. "We started with seven, and it blossomed from there," Dick Piland said of the group he founded as Niwot Community Association president nearly a decade ago. "It was amazing. We had people calling up insisting they get...
When I was small there was a catchy little ditty about an echo. Little sir echo, How do you do? Hello (hello) Hello (hello) ...which has now given me an earworm. But never mind. Several weeks ago, I was on a stroll with my good friend Glinda. As we often do, we walked through the underpass for Niwot Road. We always enjoy all the glorious mural paintings down there, and Glinda let out a lovely expletive, which showed her appreciation for the magnificent artwork. As she spoke, there it was, a...
As the Christmas carol goes, it's beginning to look a lot like ... well ... not exactly Christmas. Or at least not a wintery December, as Niwot has yet to see any significant snow accumulation this season.. That, along with unseasonably warm temperatures, has residents wondering if winter will ever show up. And while Colorado's warm weather and dry conditions could easily change at the drop of a hat (as the saying goes, if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes) the longer-term consequenc...
Families in search of a live Christmas tree have their pick of options, but each December many find themselves at Creekside Nursery's Christmas Tree lot at 95th Street and Niwot Road. "We draw new people every year, but we've also had a lot of repeat customers, some even from out of state." said co-owner and Niwot High graduate Shannon Von Eschen, who spoke between helping shoppers at the end of a busy weekend day. The lot provides a range of both Colorado native varieties as well as those from...
On a chilly Thursday night, the courtyard behind Front Range Community College's (FRCC) classroom building was dark and still. But voices could be heard; behind a massive tree, a white dome hid, and in it, a group of students and community members learned about the stars. "The college needs to be connected to the community," said Anthony Smith, an astronomy professor at FRCC, and host of that night's event. "That's why I'm really happy we're finally actually doing some PR and some outreach. I...
One day in 2012, a group of moms got together for lunch. All of them had gone to college, and all were part of PEO International, which seeks to help women with their higher education goals. With children of their own, many of whom would soon graduate high school, these mothers wondered how they would best be able to help them. Inspired, they began an annual Q&A event that included counselors, parents of students who had graduated, students who were now in college, and there was one aim–how d...
Let the merriment begin! On Friday, Nov. 26, the 2021 holiday season officially got underway in Niwot with the 21st annual Enchanted Evening. Hundreds of revelers packed 2nd Avenue and Cottonwood Square, looking for bargains or just some festive fun. Click here to see more photos from Niwot's Enchanted Evening...
The Niwot boys basketball team didn't see much success during the abbreviated 2020-21 season, but the "hard lessons" they learned during the 1-13 campaign should pay off in a much improved 2021-22, third-year head coach Clayton Wittrock said. "The fact that we are bringing in a more experienced group is big for us," Wittrock said. "I think you coach a team differently when they've been in those tough situations and faced some pressure ... I'm excited to see us be able to go have a decent...
Celebrating the dark days of winter includes bringing in a few houseplants, and stores are filled with holiday foliage. Pick up a poinsettia - they're a treat for the eyes - then look at some of the other festive indoor plants. Small pines, aromatic mini-trees, and flowering cacti are the perfect touch for your décor. When the tag says, "Place in bright indirect light," it means closely in front of, but not touching, an east or west facing window or one foot away from a south facing window....
The Niwot and Gunbarrel areas have their share of exceptionally talented chefs, some of whom have just opened or expanded restaurants in the past year. Each has expressed appreciation for working out of this community and serving those who live here. As a thank you, they've provided some of their favorite recipes as a gift for readers who might want to try something new for their Thanksgiving meal. Potato Jurasien Pie from Christine Carr of TipTop Pies This recipe is not only decadent and...
October 2021 marked the one year anniversary for the Little Shops at Niwot (7960 Niwot Rd., Suite D-15), a unique small business collaboration that began life last year as the Little Holiday Shops at Niwot. And though the storefront has rebranded and moved across the shopping center, the business, which functions as a type of co-op for local artists and vendors, has continued to see success. "When you think about it, there were a lot of pop-up vendors who lost their opportunity to do farmer's...
As predicted, the nationally-ranked Niwot girls cross country team ran away with the title after a historically dominating performance at the 2021 Class 4A state championships, held Oct. 30 at the Norris Penrose Events Center in Colorado Springs. All seven of Niwot's competitors finished in the top 16, and five of them finished in the top 10. That added up to just 20 points in the final standings, a record low across all classifications. But almost no one predicted that unheralded Eva Klingbeil...
Liz Gould, proprietor of boutique shop Little Bird on 2nd Avenue in Niwot, reported the theft of several large rings from the store's jewelry display case last week. The rings were displayed on a rolled velvet bar that held six or seven rings. "They were all on one display, so someone just picked it up and walked away with it," Gould said. "They were sizes 10 to 12, which usually fit men. We have no idea who did this. Our jewelry cases have been open for the last two years since it is so much...
In September 2020, Niwot distance runner Eva Klingbeil was on the cusp of a breakout season when she suffered an injury that ended her racing year prematurely. For the first time since joining the varsity as a freshman, she would be on the sidelines for the Class 4A regional and state championships, instead of helping Niwot win the titles. That was "really hard," Klingbeil acknowledged, so she was determined not to let history repeat itself during her senior season. "I definitely have gotten a...
Victoria Keen, Deborah Read Fowler, and Dawn Server were busy bees getting together one humming hive of a festival on August 28th. The first ever Niwot Honey Bee Harvest Festival was buzzing with activities from a speaker series to a spelling bee, informational tables to retail booths, free bee antennas to candle making classes. All of the themed moving parts made for a fabulous new festival that will live on, and for that the Courier honors these three women's creativity and hard work with a...
What do the technology industry and education field have in common? According to Natalie Abshier, both require active listening and negotiation. She believes that her experience as both a business owner and manager will make her a unique candidate for the SVVSD Board of Education. She is currently running for the District F area, which includes Mead and much of Longmont. "I'm a long-time resident in the SVVSD community, and have seen this area grow," said Abshier. "I understand the importance...
Behind a title-winning performance from LiChen Liao at No. 2 singles, the Niwot boys tennis team finished third overall at the 2021 Class 4A state tennis championships, held at Pueblo's City Park on Oct. 14-16. Liao efficiently dispatched his three early round opponents in straight sets, before facing Owen Duffy of George Washington in the Saturday morning final. There, the sophomore said, he let Duffy do most of the work. "The way my opponent played today fit my game more, because he was...
