All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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Galleries and other small businesses opened their doors to art-loving community members during November's First Friday Art Walk, Nov. 3. But in the middle of a successful event, one of the organizers, Anne Postle of Osmosis Gallery, announced some news. The schedule for First Friday Art Walks in 2024 will be different. There would be a total of six First Friday Art Walks in 2024 which will be held in March, June, July, August, September and December. "We want to allow more of our businesses,...
Niwot Youth Sports held its bimonthly board meeting at the Niwot Inn and Spa on July 19 and board members were given some exciting news about the Monarch Improvement Project (MVP). NYS president Pat Longseth told the board that the building was weeks away from opening, would be ready to greet the NYS Fall Ball Softball Season, and was inching closer toward its $500,000 fundraising goal. The board is now planning a grand opening celebration and hoping to get additional community support to raise...
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...
The requests for funding presented to the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee June 6 included old and new events –- a new event designed to capitalize on the Bike MS: Colorado event coming through Niwot on Saturday, June 24, a FlowerFest event scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 5, music for First Friday Art Walks, a resurrection of Oktoberfest on Sept. 30, and a Where’s Waldo Local scavenger hunt throughout the month of July. Bike MS: Colorado Bike MS: Colorado is a bicycle ride, as opposed to a race, with a route from Fort Collins to...
The time has come for most of us to find a Property Tax Valuation notice in the mail. This year you will notice a significant increase in your home's value. There's good news, and then there's just news. First let's talk about Tax Assessor's Value vs. Market Value. Tax Assessor's valuation, also referred to as "Actual Value," is determined by real market data, "like" property comparisons, and information derived from property appeals. "Market Value," or the price that a property will sell for...
He may not have finished high school in Niwot, but that doesn't stop Zeb Baker from considering himself a Cougar. While enrolled at Niwot High School from his freshman through junior year in the early 90s, Baker made a mark on the NHS community: he served as freshman and sophomore class president, as well as student body president as a junior. He was the student representative on the newly-formed Niwot High School Education Foundations. On top of that, he managed the boys' basketball and footbal...
A Colorado native, this month's Left Hand Laurel recipient, Kristin Alger, grew up following her parents' advice to "always be a volunteer." Now a half century later, this long-time employee of the international medical device firm, Medtronic, volunteers more than ever, and is an inspiration to her many friends and neighbors in Niwot. A familiar face in Niwot – "Everyone knows my dog," she says, "he's a friendly and gregarious mutt named Maxwell," Alger was born in Green Mountain near Red R...
Four candidates have applied for appointment to the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee, with four openings to be filled. The Boulder County Commissioners will make appointments to the LID in February. Current LID Treasurer Bruce Rabeler, who serves as one of four rate-paying business members of the LID Advisory Committee, did not seek another term. Rabeler is a co-owner of Little Bird in downtown Niwot. Sarah Cioni, owner of Belle Terre Floral, a floral design shop in...
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...
Now it can be told. For well over 20 years, long-time Niwot resident and real estate agent Pat Murphy has sponsored, organized, funded and championed the Great Pumpkin Party on the Saturday before Halloween, and whenever there is a vacant commercial space in town, she has been quick to ask if it can be used for a haunted house as part of the event. Murphy has often worked with the Niwot High School Key Club to construct and staff the haunted house, and this year was no exception. Except that it...
The Niwot Community Association (NCA) held its monthly board meeting Nov. 2 in the Mountain View Fire Rescue Niwot Station conference room. Terry Larsen, NCA Treasurer, reviewed the Association's finances through her detailed spreadsheets and then launched the process for developing next year's budget. Two annual events are prominent in budget planning: the Niwot Clean-Up Day in May, and the 4th of July Parade. The NCA has been working on restoring the mural in the LoBo Trail underpass under...
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...
When grocery and convenience stores started stocking full strength and craft beers in 2019, it wasn't clear how Colorado's beer market would respond. The numbers were initially reported to be up by 20% and a new monthly record was set at 9.8 million gallons sold in January of 2019. That was a 1.6 million gallon increase from the previous year. (Ben Markus, CPR News, May 14, 2019) If Proposition 125 passes this November, Colorado's grocery and convenience stores will be allowed to add wine to...
Niwot attorney, co-founder of the Left Hand Valley Courier, longtime Niwot resident and (extremely) active community member, Bruce "Biff" Warren, received yet another honor this week. Partner and founding attorney at Warren, Carson & Moore LLP, Warren was inducted into the Boulder County Business Hall of Fame. "A couple of people showed up in my office one morning, without an appointment," Warren said. "It was Dennis Paul, who is president of the Boulder County Business Hall of Fame, and Jeff...
A large crowd came early to the July 21 Rock & Rails concert, and were treated to an opening performance by "Dr. Banjo and Nurse Banjo," otherwise known as Pete and Joan Wernick, who have made their home just across the Diagonal Highway on Oxford Road since 1976. Pete played banjo, and his wife Joan accompanied him on the guitar, with both contributing vocals. Pete and Joan have a unique progressive bluegrass, country music style. Joan also has a wonderful voice she shared, singing some of the...
Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part series. Last week’s article was Organic - Does it Matter? The Natural Resources Defense Council offers a simple definition of regenerative agriculture: “farming and ranching in harmony with nature.” The tenets of regenerative agriculture vary slightly from source to source. The following are, coincidentally, from the General Mills website: • Minimize disturbance; This means reduce or avoid tillage and chemicals • Maximize diversity (plants and animals) • Keep the soil covered year-round; t...
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...
The plat of Niwot was filed in the Boulder County records on March 30,1875, by Porter T. Hinman and Ambrose S. Murray, laying out streets, alleys and lots on both sides of the railroad tracks, but Niwot was never officially incorporated as a town under state law. When Porter Hinman helped to lay out the town, the surrounding region was being settled by men whose names are still associated with the area. Hinman himself had arrived in 1860, and his name is still affiliated with Hinman Ditch,...
You've likely driven past it many times, glancing at the impressive red brick Queen Anne-style house on 63rd Street, just south of Jay Road, without realizing its historic significance. The property which includes the house at 3902 N. 63rd Street, now consists of 78 acres, but the property once spanned the area between Haystack Mountain and Valmont Butte. This is the story of Chambers Homestead/Fort Chambers, the Boulder County Poor Farm and Hospital. Many Indegenous peoples consider this land...
When The Wandering Jellyfish Bookshop moved into its downtown Niwot home last year, it breathed new life into one of Niwot's most iconic spaces. Owners Carissa Mina and Jerilyn Patterson brought their colorful, curated selection of books, toys and gifts to the northwest corner of 2nd Avenue and Franklin Street, and now laugh together about ways their building's history keeps making itself known. "So many people come in here and are like, 'I used to have a business in this building,' said...
Born in the Bronx and having traveled the world, Kathy Trauner, now a long-time Colorado resident, turned a great idea into reality last year for Niwot residents feeling trapped by Covid. The owner of Fly Away Home gift and art shop in Cottonwood Square, Trauner inaugurated "Around the World Day," a creative event which will return here May 14. Inspired by the wish to bring international experiences to Niwot residents when travel was restricted, the event invites all businesses on 2nd Avenue...
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...
"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,...
Reading nightmarish news about the Ukraine crisis and doing nothing wasn't working for Kate Head, owner of Pebble Arts Jewelry. "Like everyone in the world, I was feeling helpless. The news was keeping me awake at night" she said, standing behind the counter of her small shop at the front of Niwot Market. .A kind woman in her early 60s, Head added, "I had to dial it back on news. It's important to be aware, but not to stay awake all night." So this jewelry designer and long-time Colorado...
In celebration of 25 years, the Courier staff thought it would be fun to give a brief summary of articles from Volume 1, Issue Number 1 of the Left Hand Valley Courier, published April 1, 1997: - Niwot celebrated the recording of the town plat 122 years prior on March 30, 1875. - Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church added 5,000 square feet to its building. - Niwot High School was celebrating 25 years of educating local high school students. - Niwot Elementary School sent a team to Odyssey of...
Whether you need a necklace clasp replaced, the pendulum on your great-great-grandfather's grandfather clock rehung, or are thinking of popping the question, Niwot's one-of-a-kind, full-service jewelry shop will save you a trip into the city. Family owned and operated since 1996, Niwot Jewelry & Gifts at 300 2nd Avenue offers a wide selection of fine jewelry, with prices to fit any budget, plus a range of expert, on-site repair services that are increasingly hard to come by. For owner and...
Two years after the first COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns sent a shock through the local economy, Niwot isn't just back in business, it's booming. Over the past 12 months, shoppers, diners, and retailers have been flocking to Cottonwood Square and 2nd Avenue, driving sales tax revenues to all-time highs while driving the commercial vacancy rate to an all-time low. Part of this growth is due to an economy that is on the rebound from a slowdown in 2020, plus the easing of many pandemic restrictions....
Last summer was the first time I signed up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) membership with a local farm. I had long debated about getting a vegetable share, but for various reasons, mostly owing to my frazzled memory, I missed the spring sign-up window. By the time I remembered my good intentions, CSA registrations were usually filled, and I would have to content myself with picking up local fare at the weekend Farmer's Market. Not a bad option, mind you, though I only would ever go...
The Niwot Local Improvement District’s advisory committee may be without a Niwot Community Association representative for at least the next few months, after the Boulder Board of County Commissioners office was unable to appoint a candidate for the open position during the latest recruitment period. According to county liaison Mark Ruzzin, both a small number of applications and other priorities in the BOCC office contributed to the inability to seat a new member. “The commissioners, as you can...
Jack's Solar Garden is seeking applicants to fill two community-focused roles for 2022. The family-owned solar garden, which is located between Niwot and Longmont off of North 95th Street, recently posted a call for their 2022 Artist on the Farm program and opened a position for an agrivoltaics education specialist at the farm's non-profit Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center (CALC). Agrivoltaics, or the practice of growing crops in conjunction with solar panels, is Jack's Solar Garden's unique...
On Dec. 7, Niwot resident Steve H. reported seeing three bobcats in his neighbor's yard on Paiute Avenue, which the Courier published in its Dec. 15 edition. Since then, the Courier has received some feedback from local resident Dr. Sharon Greenleaf La Pierre, on how our community can protect bobcats. Dr. La Pierre was the Founding Chair of the Wildlife Legacy Trust Fund serving the Community Foundation of Boulder County. She currently works at Red Raven Farms to rescue animals and raise...
On the gusty morning of Thursday, Dec. 30, Niwot realtor Deborah Read Fowler and her family were on US Highway 36 headed to Breckenridge when they noticed something alarming: a plume of dark smoke rising on the outskirts of Boulder. As they drove on, the scene quickly escalated from alarming to frightening as it became clear that the wind-driven fire was out of control and headed east. For the rest of the drive, she and her husband stayed tuned to radio reports, which only confirmed their worst...
For much of Thursday Dec. 30, Coloradans were glued to various news sources, waiting for updates about the Marshall Fire, which spread quickly across the Marshall-Superior-Louisville area of Boulder County. At the same time, five miles west of Niwot, the Middle Fork Fire also spread quickly, but was soon contained. Emergency response, at first, largely focused on preserving life and evacuating people from homes, stores and more. Actively fighting the fires was difficult early on, especially...
Boulder County will conduct extensive field work as part of the preliminary design phase of the proposed bikeway connecting Longmont and Boulder along Highway 119. The proposed bikeway design was initially presented to the community at a public meeting on Aug. 30. Since then, Boulder County has received more than 1,000 survey responses and 45 comments, in addition to the questions and comments from attendees of the meeting. The estimated timeline for the project has a preliminary design being...
For a growing share of Boulder County residents, the 2021 holidays brought at least one unwelcome visitor-the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, local testing sites recorded nearly 3,000 new positive cases*, one of the highest weekly totals at any point during the pandemic. That has driven the testing positivity rate to 20.2% and the seven-day case rate to 757.5 per 100,000 residents, also unprecedented figures. According to state and county health officials,...
After weeks of unseasonably dry weather, a frigid winter storm brought several inches of snow and below-zero temperatures to Boulder County on New Year's Eve. While that was good news for the first responders battling the Marshall Fire, it was less so for local birds, who found their favorite watering holes inaccessible on the biggest party night of the year....
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...
In 2020, charitable giving rose to an all-time high in the U.S., even as many Americans struggled with uncertainty and disruptions. While that is good news for the nation's non-profit organizations, the unfortunate reality is that much of the bounty went to high profile causes and groups, leaving small and locally-focused charities scrambling to make up for lost fundraising opportunities. As 2021 comes to a close, many of those groups could still use some help to balance the scales. "There are a... Full story
The importance of small community papers I recently viewed an excellent PBS documentary about the Storm Lake Times in Storm Lake, Iowa. One in four local newspapers have been shuttered in this country, many bought up by big national corporations. I love that Niwot has a local newspaper that keeps the community current on local news and events, including our talented high school athletes and all the amazing folks who volunteer to help make Niwot the friendly community we all enjoy. I love supporting LHVC and reading the paper digitally so I can... Full story
Many see libraries as central fixtures of a community, but many also simply see libraries as buildings that house books and movies. Libraries have the opportunity to provide so much more than that. Oakland, Calif., has a tool library, where people can rent out equipment; Memphis, Tenn's central library, which is a National Medal Winner, has a studio called CLOUD901. This studio boasts professional grade lighting, film and editing equipment which is available to the community, specifically...
Back when she was a budding high school track star, Elise Cranny never thought she would be honored as she was during this year's Niwot Homecoming celebration. The 2014 Niwot graduate and 2021 U.S. Olympian was given a hero's tribute during the annual parade and football game on Sept. 17. Before finishing 13th in the Olympic 5,000 meter race, Cranny helped Niwot win two 4A girls track titles and competed collegiately at Stanford University. She said that with no fans allowed in Tokyo, the...
This month's Left Hand Laurel goes to Thom Lynch. Lynch moved to Niwot in September 2018 and decided the best way to meet folks and to make a difference was to jump in with both feet. So, the new guy in town joined the Rotary Club of Niwot and not long after became the president-elect of the organization. Lynch had been an active Rotarian for a year before he moved to Niwot, after being recruited to the organization by his then girlfriend who was the president of a chapter in Syracuse, NY "I...
When local rockers Francis & the Wolf started recording their second album, the members had no idea that it would take four tumultuous years to finally come together. But, last week, the band finally released "Truth Be Told," a full-length album featuring 10 original songs that examine "the sweeping ups and downs of life." On August 13, the group is throwing a release party at Wibby Brewing that's a celebration both of the new album and of weathering the tragedy, heartbreak, and triumph that...
Niwot High School alum Elise Cranny will take the world's center stage on July 30 at 4 a.m. MST when she competes for Olympic gold in the women's track and field 5,000 meter event. Cranny, who graduated from Niwot in 2014 with multiple Colorado state titles in cross country and track before running at Stanford University, won the Team USA 5,000m qualifying race in June with a time of 15:27.81. Her family watched from the sidelines at Hayward Field in Oregon as Cranny punched her ticket to...
India has been reeling from the effects of COVID-19, with more than 338,000 deaths and nearly 28.5 million cases as of June 1. Although the country is on the other side of the world, some people in the community refuse to accept that living so far away means they're powerless to help. Some Niwot community members have organized a trivia and curry night fundraiser for India at Niwot Wheel Works, 101 2nd Avenue in Niwot, on Monday, June 14. Proceeds from the dinner will be donated to support...
Last year, the Cal-Wood Fire burned 10,113 acres and damaged or destroyed 26 structures. The fire, which was fully contained on Nov. 14, burned for nearly a month, and an investigation by the Boulder County Sheriff's office found the cause of the fire to be undetermined. Now, six months later and after months of planning, modeling, surveying, and assessing fire damage, Boulder County Parks and Open Space, along with other key stakeholders, are beginning the recovery work on some of the land...
Visitors looking to get out on the trails or to head out camping in certain areas of Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests this summer have some new rules and regulations to navigate. In a recent press release, the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland managers noted that they are currently "exploring new strategies to help visitors have safe and enjoyable outdoor experiences this summer while protecting wildlife, clean water and healthy forests." In 2021, these s...
