All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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The "Future of Local Journalism" series concludes with a reflection on the unique role the Left Hand Valley Courier (Courier) plays in supporting and enhancing our community. This final article recaps earlier insights and includes my personal perspectives as a Courier reporter on why the Niwot-Gunbarrel area is a more vibrant, friendly, and informed community due to the Courier than it otherwise would be. This article also encourages us all to help strengthen the Courier's financial footing and...
Ok. You have probably heard the phrase, "The power of the written word." Somehow putting words on paper packs a punch. The law clearly recognizes the impact of and the difference between the written word and the spoken word when they made "slander" (a spoken defamatory statement) and "libel" (a written defamatory statement) two distinct bad acts. Libel has historically been treated as the more egregious of the two, and it is not hard to see why. Writing something down gives it a bit of...
The Left Hand Valley Courier, a cornerstone of local journalism in Boulder County for 27 years, has completed its transition to non-profit status. Building on its legacy of serving the Niwot and Gunbarrel communities, the publication's new 501(c)(3) designation strengthens its commitment to community-focused journalism. This organizational shift positions the Courier to enhance its coverage of local news while ensuring its long-term sustainability through tax-deductible donations and grant...
How did the Left Hand Valley Courier get here? The Left Hand Valley Courier was founded in November 1996, by seven residents of Niwot and Gunbarrel, who each contributed $50 toward start-up costs. With little journalism experience, the founders sought to fill a growing lack of coverage of happenings in Niwot and Gunbarrel by the daily newspapers in Boulder and Longmont. It took four months to create the first Courier issue, which was published on April 1, 1997, by Karen Copperberg, Ron Goodman,...
For the past two years, the Left Hand Valley Courier found a way to survive, barely, by borrowing money to pay the bills, with several key staff members deferring any compensation for 10-hour-plus work weeks. In an era of news deserts in Colorado and across the nation—areas without any local newspapers—newspapers must adapt, or die. Like other small businesses struggling to survive, the Courier owners decided to create a non-profit educational corporation, and donated the newspaper to the non-profit. The transfer took effect January 1, 202...
The Left Hand Valley Courier (Courier), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dealing with the same issues that the journalism industry, particularly local journalism, is grappling with across the country. This article is the third in a series of reports on the current journalism business climate, the history and contributions of the Courier, why local journalism remains an important asset in community-building, and ways in which its business model can be strengthened. The Left Hand Valley...
Nine months came and went. The Left Hand Valley Courier became a non-profit corporation in late 2023, and filed an application with the IRS to be recognized as a Section 501(c)(3) charitable education organization, on January 31, 2024, and waited. Finally, after months of waiting, on Oct. 29, 2024 the IRS approval letter, dated Oct. 11, 2024, arrived, granting the Left Hand Valley Courier the ability to seek tax deductible donations and grants from organizations devoted to preserving local journalism. The IRS determination letter allows the...
On Oct. 28, the Left Hand Valley Courier was notified that the IRS recognizes the Courier as a Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization, allowing the Courier to seek tax deductible donations and grants to support local journalism. Watch the Courier for details....
The Left Hand Valley Courier, a nonprofit organization, is dealing with the same issues that the journalism industry, particularly local journalism, is grappling with across the country. This article is the second in a series of reports on the current journalism business climate, the history and contributions of the Courier, why local journalism remains an important asset in community-building, and ways in which its business model can be strengthened. The Left Hand Valley Courier (Courier)...
The Left Hand Valley Courier (Courier), a nonprofit organization, is dealing with the same issues that the journalism industry, particularly local journalism, is grappling with across the country. This article is the first in a series of reports on the current journalism business climate, the history and contributions of the Courier, why local journalism remains an important asset in community-building, and ways in which its business model can be strengthened. There was a time when cities and co...
The Colorado Press Association announced that three Left Hand Valley Courier journalists have been honored with 2023 Colorado Better New Media Contest awards. Deborah Cameron, Vicky Dorvee, and Elise S. Marylander are the recipients of awards recognizing excellence in local journalism. Awards are made by class based on newspaper circulation and are judged by out-of-state journalists. The winning articles, placement, and categories will be announced at the awards ceremony during the Colorado...
The newspaper you are reading is now published by a newly formed nonprofit corporation, known as Left Hand Valley Courier. For over 26 years, the Left Hand Valley Courier newspaper was published by a Colorado limited liability company, known as Lefthand Valley Publishing, LLC. Effective with the Jan. 3, 2024, online edition, the weekly newspaper, both online and in print every four weeks, is now owned and published by Left Hand Valley Courier. Left Hand Valley Courier has applied for...
Hi! I'm Camryn Bell. I am a student at Niwot High School, and I have always had a love of writing. I've been a part of the Niwot community my entire life and I love everything about it. I have two brothers, two dogs, and one sister-in-law (my brother has a lovely girlfriend as well). My mom, Alyson Bell, is by far the most inspiring person I have ever met. I'm passionate about a lot of things, writing being one of them, of course. I also enjoy theater, music, sports (specifically horseback...
As of January 1, 2024, the Left Hand Valley Courier will be owned and published by a Colorado nonprofit corporation. In an effort to continue to bring local news to residents and businesses of the Niwot-Gunbarrel area, the owners of Lefthand Valley Publishing, LLC, publisher of the Left Hand Valley Courier newspaper for over 26 years, have made plans to transfer the newspaper to a newly formed nonprofit corporation known as Left Hand Valley Courier. The new format will allow the Courier to seek public support from readers who realize the...
More than 20 years after he graduated from Niwot High School, Phillip Yates can still be found roaming around Niwot. Now, he's usually spotted with a camera, taking photos along the way. Yates enjoys the community and he enjoys the outdoors-which is perfect for him since he's the Senior Communications Manager for the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks Department. After graduating from Niwot High School in 1999, Yates attended the University of Colorado Boulder where he studied...
It was 2010, and after her Niwot High School graduation and a summer slinging burgers, Catherine "Katie" Marylander began her first semester at the University of Colorado Boulder, as an undeclared student. After hearing some of her peers talking about applying for the School of Journalism (now the College of Media, Communication and Information) the Niwot High School grad was struck with inspiration-advertising seemed like the perfect way to combine a passion for writing with tangible business...
The past year has been especially challenging for the Left Hand Valley Courier, but we’ve emerged stronger than ever. On April 1, 2022, we celebrated 25 years as your local newspaper - providing news coverage you can’t get anywhere else. Within two weeks, we experienced the loss of four key staff members - senior editors Mary Wolbach Lopert and Karen Copperberg retired after 25 years, editor Joceyln Rowley took a full-time position with a Loveland newspaper, and we mourned the unexpected death of advertising director Ann Whitehill. We app...
The past year has been especially challenging for the Left Hand Valley Courier, but we’ve emerged stronger than ever. On April 1, 2022, we celebrated 25 years as your local newspaper - providing news coverage you can’t get anywhere else. Within two weeks, we experienced the loss of four key staff members - senior editors Mary Wolbach Lopert and Karen Copperberg retired after 25 years, editor Joceyln Rowley took a full-time position with a Loveland newspaper, and we mourned the unexpected death of advertising director Ann Whitehill. We app...
Born and raised in Colorado, I spent much of my childhood reading, crafting stories and consuming a ton of media-books, film, radio, you name it. At Niwot High School, a stint as an extemporaneous speaker (we had to write seven-minute speeches without the internet) sparked an interest in journalism. I followed this spark at CU, where I majored in communication and minored in both journalism and Spanish. After graduating CU, I stumbled across a reporter's position with the Courier and this...
I am a writer, public speaker and social entrepreneur who moved last year to Colorado from Boston with my husband Tim O'Neill, a retired attorney. I am also a mother of two daughters and grand-mother – "Yiayia" as we say in Greek – to five. I started my journalism career at the Boston Globe, where I was part of a team of 30 editors, reporters and photographers awarded the Pulitzer prize gold medal for coverage of Boston's school desegregation crisis. I was assigned later by the Globe as a for...
One of the functions of our local community journalism is to report on governmental actions which may impact the Niwot and Gunbarrel communities. The Left Hand Valley Courier regularly monitors Boulder County government meeting schedules and agendas, and as a result, learned of a meeting among Boulder County Commissioners and legislators that was described as “not open to members of the public.” Since such closed meetings are prohibited by Colorado law, the Left Hand Courier contacted the county commissioners’ office and the notice was changed....
Approximately 30 people gathered in the auditorium at the Longmont Museum for the second installment of the Media Matters series on Oct. 30. This segment, titled "Media Matters Part II: The Local Scene," was a followup to a panel on Oct. 9. That program featured panelists with experience working for larger newspapers who looked at how journalism has changed in recent years, and included Maria Karagianis, former reporter for the Boston Globe who now writes for the Courier. Part two focused on...
Tim Waters, a Longmont city councilman, hosts a podcast called "The Backstory." On Oct. 9, Waters took his show on the road to the auditorium at the Longmont Museum, where a crowd of 50, including Niwot historian and former Courier columnist Anne Dyni, attended in person, in addition to an online audience. The topic was the future of journalism in the age of social media, and Waters assembled an impressive panel of journalists, including Dana Coffield, co-founder of the Colorado Sun, Melissa...
Local journalism has been hit hard by consolidation, social media, and the pandemic. Longmont city councilman Tim Waters is moderating a two-part series on the past, present, and future of journalism, reporting and accountability. The first presentation, entitled "The Big Picture," will take place at the Longmont Museum on Sunday, Oct. 9, at 3 p.m., featuring Left Hand Valley Courier reporter Maria Karagianis, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist for the Boston Globe before she retired and moved...
"Late November back in '96...' (to paraphrase an old Four Seasons song - December, 1963), seven of us got together to talk about creating a newspaper in the Niwot-Gunbarrel area. In alphabetical order - Karen Copperberg, Ron Goodman, Selene {Luna) Hall, Lori Lindemann, Mary Wolbach Lopert, Vicki Maurer and Bruce (Biff) Warren. None of us had any real newspaper experience beyond our high school years. We reached out to several people to see if they were interested in joining us, but in the end,...
We're in the home stretch of the holiday shopping season, and for those of you with a few names left to check off your gift list, be sure to consider one of the dozens of unique items from the artists, growers and crafters that call Niwot and Gunbarrel home. Gas up and grab a gift When you fill 'er up at the Niwot Conoco in the Cottonwood Shopping Center, don't just drive off - go inside where you'll find a treasure trove of charming gifts for your loved ones. You'll be stunned by the corner of...
We're in the home stretch of the holiday shopping season, and for those of you with a few names left to check off your gift list, be sure to consider one of the dozens of unique items from the artists, authors and crafters that call Niwot and Gunbarrel home. Niwot in watercolor Niwot's historic downtown is a frequent subject of resident and renowned artist Jane Langdon, whose graceful style evokes warmth and nostalgia. Recently, her wintry depiction of 2nd Avenue was featured on the Niwot...
Whether you read the Nov. 4 issue of the Left Hand Valley Courier on our website or in our print edition, you will notice some big changes. While the pandemic had forced us to stop weekly printing for several months, we recognized that we needed to enhance the Courier's website to attract new subscribers to help us through this crisis. We were fortunate enough to receive a Facebook Journalism Grant that recognized the importance of community journalism. These funds helped us subsidize advertisin...
In 2020, the public receives news from an enormous number of electronic as well as traditional sources. The information onslaught is relentless, can be frustratingly inaccurate, and isn't always able to portray what occurs in a localized area. Local journalists have an important role to fill in this kind of potentially confusing environment. Community newspapers such as the Left Hand Valley Courier tell stories about businesses, schools, parks, open spaces, neighborhoods, local infrastructure,...
As part of the Facebook Grant supporting local journalism, the Left Hand Valley Courier has received funds to subsidize subscriptions to the Courier based on financial need. Additional funds have been dedicated to assisting subscribers with technical issues related to online access. If you or someone you know needs financial or technical assistance for an online subscription to the Courier, please call Ann Whitehill at 303-652-0282 or send an email to [email protected]....
The limited printed edition of the May 20, 2020 issue of the Left Hand Valley Courier is brought to you by our faithful advertisers and a grant which supports local journalism. A limited number of print copies are available from our advertisers, in Courier boxes and at the Niwot Market. We are grateful to our advertisers and those who have subscribed online-they make it possible for the Courier to bring you local news and important information during the COVID19 pandemic. The more subscribers...
The Left Hand Valley Courier has been selected to receive the Facebook Journalism Project COVID-19 US Local News Relief Grant. For more information about the grant and how Facebook is helping newsrooms across the county, visit https://www.facebook.com/journalismproject/programs/grants/coronavirus-local-news-relief-fund-recipients. And stayed tuned for details on how this grant will help the LHVC continue to bring high-quality news related to the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on our local...
I had one of those moments last night, wherein something taken for granted comes to life again before your eyes, and you realize that it’s a precious gift, and not at all something to assume as natural and given, and I thought: My word, thank goodness for the existence of the Public Broadcasting System, otherwise and more commonly known as PBS. The particular program which endowed me with this sense of gratitude was a two hour-long retrospective look at the Tiananmen Square protest movement in B...
Reporter’s note: I’ve been reporting for the Left Hand Valley Courier (LHVC) since July 2018, although as a Gunbarrel resident, I’ve been reading the paper for four years. Much of my life has been in small towns, so I have a fondness for small, independent papers—which, by the way, are a rapidly disappearing breed. When I began working with the LHVC team, I was struck by the founders’ fierce dedication to the integrity of the paper, but even more so by their dedication to the community...
Editor’s note: Niwot High senior Hailie Johnson is eyeing a career in journalism and will be contributing to the Courier from time to time during the school year. She profiled her grandfather and great-grandfather and their efforts to maintain the Niwot Cemetery for this article. The Niwot cemetery is a historical landmark that has been around since the 1800s. It all started in 1881 when Nancy Hindmans’ great-grandfather Jerome Gould donated the 1.74 acre parcel to Niwot for a cemetery aft...
Holly Owens notices when things need some of what she’s good at – adding a little sparkle. When she moved to Gunbarrel, she sensed Heatherwood Elementary School (HES) could blossom with her loving touch. Because of her enthusiasm and hard work, Owens has been selected as this month’s Left Hand Laurel. Owens had never heard of Gunbarrel when she lived in South Boulder. But when friends moved to the area and the Owens’ family was invited for a barbeque, they too were lured by the larger yards a...
The Left Hand Valley Courier received its first ever editorial award in the 2017 Colorado Press Association Better Newspaper contest. Reporter Vicky Dorvee took second place in the category Best Health Enterprise/Health Feature for her story “The gift of a lifetime,” which tells the story of long-time Niwot resident Jim Eastman and his search for a kidney donor. “The story does a good job of merging the individual stories of the men involved. A very interesting read,” were one judge’s comments...
