All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
Sorted by date Results 1311 - 1360 of 3916
It's a service we take for granted today - our local fire department. But until the late 1960s, Niwot's fire protection came from Longmont, which at the time had only one truck assigned to cover rural calls. All of that changed in 1968, however, when the Left Hand Men's Club formed Niwot's volunteer fire department. Only Mike Holubec and Pete Plantiga had any previous experience, so they were chosen to conduct a training program. "We had training sessions at the Left Hand Water office," Holubec...
The area around in and around Niwot, known as the Left Hand Valley, has deep agricultural roots dating back to the late 1800s in the early settlement days of Colorado Pioneer families such as the Caywoods, Williamses and the Goulds turned the prairie land into productive soils, producing wheat, sugar beets, and alfalfa. Many farms started alongside the nearby railroads and Niwot became a farming town, even having it;s own dairy and creamery. Many homes were built on farmland in the early 1900s,...
On May 23, 2022, Sheriff Joe Pelle rescinded the Stage 1 fire restrictions that were in place for unincorporated Boulder County. Recent snow and rain storms have increased the relative humidity within the county and impacted fuels moisture, which has decreased the fire danger. Relying on the competent scientific evidence provided by the National Weather Service, the Boulder County Sheriff has determined the conditions are such that fire restrictions are no longer necessary in unincorporated Boulder County. Residents are reminded that although...
This time of year, a good spring cleaning is at the top of many people's list. So the annual Niwot Community Association (NCA) Cleanup Day is here just in time. The event takes place Saturday May 21st from 8:00 a.m. to noon or until the dumpsters are full. John Barto, NCA member and event organizer said that the event has been happening for more than 20 years. "Cleanup Day started as a couple dumpsters for trash and yard waste and a swap area. The event has grown every year since then with... Full story
Niwot's "Around the World Day", on Saturday, May 14, integrated dozens of cultures at this special event, back for its second year after a Covid-inspired debut in 2021. Twenty-three countries were represented by 32 local businesses through live music, specialty food and drinks, crafts, and costumes. Pedestrians were charmed by the Vikings' weapons display in "Scandinavia" on Second Avenue; bands and solo artists performing with African drums, celtic instruments, accordions, Spanish guitars, and...
Niwot’s Wandering Jellyfish Bookshop and Longmont Public Library are jointly hosting a book launch for Denver-based author Andrea Wang on May 21 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the library at 409 4th Avenue in Longmont. Wang is an acclaimed children’s book author and her book “Watercress” was awarded the Caldecott Medal, a Newbery Honor, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, a New England Book Award, and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor. Her upcoming picture book, “Luli and the Language of Tea,” follows quiet, five-year-old Luli in her Engl...
Left Hand Giving Circle members volunteered at Bella Boutique, a nonprofit that promotes inclusion and positive self worth by providing no-cost formal gowns and accessories to teens in financial need. During their time at the boutique, members served as personal stylists to help students find their perfect prom look!...
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...
Inkberry Books continues its program of author readings on Friday, May 27 and Saturday, May 28 at 7:00 p.m. each evening. Since opening in 2018, the bookstore has hosted over 100 authors from Colorado and other parts of the country. Niwot resident and longtime bookstore enthusiast Linda Bevard expressed her appreciation for the bookstore and its events during Niwot's Around the World Day May 14. "I almost feel like it's a family...," Bevard said. "Because there are so many of us who come back ev...
Niwot will host the next Five Kingdoms dinner to benefit the newly re-formed Slow Food chapter in Boulder. Brandon Pitcher launched 5 Kingdom dinners over 15 years ago to highlight a new approach to food, by focussing on protozoa, algae, plants, animals and fungi. Pitcher’s philosophy is that by eating these five food groups, we are creating an ecosystem of sustainable food on earth, which is better for the planet, and better for our health. Pitcher hosts regular dinners with an educational focus and to also benefit non–profit org...
We know Coot Lake as a mecca for nature lovers, fisherman, and some of the happiest dogs on the planet, but have you ever wondered how Coot Lake got its name? Is the moniker, by chance, related to the lake's saucy history? That saucy history happens to be surprisingly short, given that the lake didn't exist until the late 1960's. Boulder's Rick Marlowe was a lifeguard at Boulder reservoir and remembers contractors moving dirt in 1968. He says the construction must have blocked a drainage...
Residents of Boulder County have long endured the volatile moods of Mother Nature, including the Blizzard of 1913 that dropped four feet of snow in just two days. There were years when swarms of grasshoppers descended, devouring everything from crops to window curtains to paint on the walls. Today, we no longer experience swarms of locusts, and the deep snows of the last century have diminished as Colorado's climate continues to change. Yet like our predecessors, we still suffer from Colorado's...
The Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) approved five funding requests at its regular meeting May 3, including funding for three popular community events. Scott Firle chaired the meeting, with advisory board members Lisa Rivard, Cornelia Sawle, Bruce Rabeler, Jeff Knight, Heidi Storz and Keith Waters also in attendance, along with Boulder County liaison Mark Ruzzin. The Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA) and the Niwot Business Association (NBA), co-managers of the Rock & Rails summer...
Back by popular demand, the House Blend Band will start its 2022 concert series after Around the World Day in Niwot on Saturday, May 14. The eight-piece band, consisting of Old Oak Coffee House owners Michael Tomich (lead singer, keyboard, guitar) and Patty Machen (viola, mandolin and percussion), Michael's daughter, Paris Tomich (Lead vocals and percussion), and local Niwot/Boulder/Longmont residents Andrew Bunin (bass guitar, backing vocalist), John Lawrence (Drummer), Eric Ottem (trumpet, har...
The Niwot Community Association’s (NCA) monthly meeting on Wednesday, May 4, covered a multitude of timely issues and events ranging from the latest on the Boulder Library District to the organization’s array of upcoming events. Boulder Library District update The NCA has been keeping close tabs on the possibility that a Boulder Public Library District could potentially include Niwot in its scope. In late April, the Boulder City Council declared it saw “no path forward to reconcile with the Boulder County Commissioners on a library resol...
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...
Poo per mile. It's probably not a measure you've ever heard of. But on May 1st the calculation came in at 268 piles of poo per mile on the trails at Coot Lake and west of the Boulder Reservoir. The "Let's DOO it" campaign brought out volunteers and staff from City of Boulder Parks and Recreation who marked each poo pile with an orange flag that said "Bag it. Pack it. Can it." There were a total of 671 piles found along 2.5 miles of trails, amounting to 36.5 pounds of waste. BPR staff also engage...
Niwot resident Leonard Sitongia was selected as one of seven volunteers to be recognized by Boulder County during National Volunteer Week. Sitongia, who serves on the board of directors of the Niwot Community Association and the Niwot Historical Society, was recognized for his work with the Community Planning and Permitting Department’s Mobility for All Technology Ambassador Program. He has donated over 200 hours to the M4A program. For his efforts, Sitongia received a grant of $900 to support his continued work on the M4A program. Sitongia r...
In this modern world of telephones, faxes and emails, the joy of letter writing has almost disappeared. We've become too reliant on the instant feedback of the internet. In the 1800s, however, residents of Boulder County anxiously awaited the stagecoach, afternoon train, or the rural mail wagon to bring letters from their families back east. Establishing a postal system to serve homesteaders along the Front Range was an impressive accomplishment by the U.S. Post Office Department. New...
Colorado Landmark Realtors, based in Boulder County, was recognized by Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® for its Marshall Fire recovery efforts. President and CEO Paul Boomsma announced the "Leading RE Good Things" award April 15 based on the company's "incredible efforts" in assisting Boulder County residents affected by the Marshall Fire in January of this year. This recognition was shared across 70 countries and over 150,000 real estate agents across the globe. In a press releas...
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...
Niwot is renowned for its strong community and generous fundraising efforts. So the NBA (Niwot Business Association) and NCAA (Niwot Cultural Arts Association) were able to incorporate two fundraising elements into the Niwot Around the World day on May 14, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Each business participating in the day by "dressing up" as a country will have a collection box for Ukraine - the money collect will go towards the purchase of the sculpture, Kore That Awakening, sculpted by Ukranian artist Egor Zigura in his Ukrainian...
For the third time, Bootstrap Brewing Company's Wreak Havoc Imperial Red took home a bronze medal at this year's World Beer Cup in the strong red ale category. Beloved in our area, the south Longmont brewery is owned by Niwot residents Leslie and Steve Kazceus, and was previously located on the back side of Cottonwood Square, at the site that now houses Fritz Family Brewers. When asked about the win, Leslie Kazceus was as excited as she was succinct. "We're so stoked about this," she responded....
Southwest Acupuncture College in Gunbarrel is closing operations permanently. "After 41 years of providing excellence in education in the field of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, Southwest Acupuncture College will be ending our programs and closing on August 31, of 2023. We will not be accepting any additional students and will hold no further interviews, tours, or open house events," their website reads. Academic Dean Nate Mohler and Administrative Director Heather Lang talked about...
Due to an inadvertent omission on the robotics team website, The Toro Company, one of the major sponsors of the team, was not listed as a sponsor in the May 4, 2022 edition of the Left Hand Valley Courier.... Full story
In a January 2021 Left Hand Valley Courier article celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Niwot Rental & Feed store, founder and co-owner Steve Rollman said he had no plans to relocate or retire for at least the next decade. Now, one-and-a-half years later, his thoughts have changed. The Feed store, located at 291 2nd Avenue, was listed for sale at $1,250,000 on March 8, ,2022. Within ten days the Rollmans had an offer. When asked what changed his mind, Rollman was quick to answer. "A lot of...
Following the huge success of last year's inaugural Around the World Day, the event will return for a second year on May 14th. The day was created based on an idea from Fly Away Home store owner Kathy Trauner during COVID when everyone was missing traveling abroad. She was inspired by the idea of brining international experiences to Niwot when travel away from other countries to Niwot was restricted. All businesses in downtown Niwot on 2nd Avenue and in Cottonwood Square are invited to "dress up...
It is with great sadness that we report that Courier Advertising Director Ann Whitehill passed away suddenly on April 10, 2022. Ann resided in the Niwot-Gunbarrel area for many years and worked for the Courier for over three years, helping the Courier and its advertisers navigate through the pandemic. Selene Luna, who worked closely with Ann on the Courier, expressed our thoughts well: "I will truly miss that special lady. We had some challenging times at the paper, but we worked through them...
On April 19, the Northrop Grumman Corporation received the U.S. Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific award to design a Relay Ground Station - Asia (RGS-A) in Guam. The award will provide a $99.6 million contract to design and develop missile-launch and missile-warning detection satellites in their Gunbarrel facility. The satellites and antennas will be constructed and deployed to Guam, to be remotely monitored and operated by the United States. “The award will bring about 24 new jobs to this facility as part of its plan to hire 1...
Plans for the Boulder County Library District have taken a new direction, and the proposed district boundaries no longer include Niwot. Though the Boulder City Council passed a resolution to move ahead with the plan to create an independent library district, the resolution was also contingent on sign off from the Boulder County Commissioners. After listening to more than four hours of public comment on April 7, the Board of County Commissioners tabled a vote on the resolution. Commissioners cite...
Right now, those of us at Leigh Suskin Farmers Insurance Agency in Cottonwood Square spend the majority of our time reviewing policies and making changes to ensure that our policyholders are prepared for and protected. As insurance agents, our job is to educate and provide advice. We are a resource for Niwotians regardless of which company you use. Things have changed, and this is our new reality. The Marshall Fire was first reported at 10:30 a.m. on December 30, 2021, and by 11:00 p.m. it had consumed 1,100 homes. No longer are we safe from...
This past Sunday, there was another change in a well known Niwot-based business. Mala Bo Fan, owner of Fan's Conoco gas station, sold the popular Cottonwood Square-based fueling stop. It will be the second local filling station for the new owner, Rajbar Dhillon, who also owns Hershey's gas station in Boulder. On her first day of non-ownership, Fan was still at the shop, helping brothers of the new owner to become acclimated to what was there. She showed a familiar exuberance, kindness and high e...
Child labor laws don't apply to homeowners digging up the front yard....
The Niwot Community Association’s annual meeting was held April 19 at Left Hand Grange No. 9, facilitated by Niwot Community Association (NCA) president, David Limbach. An in-person audience of nearly 30 people and live online viewers were provided with information regarding 2022 NCA board elections, a review of the NCA’s 2019 activities, and other plans for the present year. It was followed by a timely presentation about wildfires given by Sterling Folden, Deputy Fire Chief of Mountain Vie...
Although Colorado’s wildfire season typically spans May through September, extremely dry conditions paired with above average temperatures and high winds are changing the seasonal nature of fires. In the past month, there have been five fires in Boulder County which have prompted evacuation orders. As previously reported in the April 20th edition of the Left Hand Valley Courier, two fires, the Tally Ho fire and the Table Mountain fire, both in the Gunbarrel/Niwot area, occurred within a day of each other. The first fire on April 19, 2022, w...
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...
On April 23, the Boulder City Council and the Boulder County Commissioners could not reach a consensus on finalizing the Boulder Library District proposal. The fate of the proposed district now likely depends on residents living in Boulder and some parts of Boulder county, during the November election. Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett and County Commissioner Claire Levy met to discuss a possible path forward after both governing bodies conducted a joint hearing earlier this month. According to Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett, he and Levy had a good...
The desire for a little spending money is universal among today's adolescents, and youngsters growing up in the nineteenth century were no exception. Wildlife was abundant in Boulder County. Rabbits, coyotes, skunks, and muskrats were plentiful along Boulder and St. Vrain creeks. While their parents hunted deer and elk to augment food supplies, young boys set traps for small animals and shot waterfowl to send to market. Alonzo Allen and Walter Emery often hunted together on Lake Park in...
The long-awaited return of Niwot's very own Easter Egg Hunt, hosted by Pat Murphy and team (Tara Littell, Ann Mills and Todd Goad) from The Niwot Group at Compass, with help from the Niwot Market crew and the Niwot Patriotic Cookie Moms, was a huge success. The weather was perfect on the morning of April 16th for the 41st Annual Easter Egg Hunt event at Niwot High School with Colorado's blue skies above, crisp spring temperatures, with lots of smiles and fun. The Easter Egg Hunt historically...
More than 60 people joined the County Commissioner’s virtual meeting on April 14 regarding a proposed makeover of Highway 119, commonly known as the Diagonal Highway. After introductions, the Planning Unit of Community Planning and Permitting started their presentation about the project. First, Planning and Permitting showed a video that gave statistics–it’s the second-most traveled highway in Boulder County, with almost 40,000 daily vehicles, and it’s the most dangerous, having more crashes than highways such as U.S. Highway 287 or even U....
The Boulder County Communications Center received a call regarding a grass fire near Tally Ho Trail at 1:12 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19. This is south of the Twin Lakes neighborhood in Gunbarrel. According to a press release, the grass fire grew to be just under 10 acres in size. Multiple homes in the surrounding area, including Carter Trail, were evacuated during door-to-door evacuations. Firefighters were able to quickly gain control of the fire, and fortunately, there was no structure loss and...
Today we received your Easter care package and have shared its contents with our unit. It means very much to us when care packages come in, because it makes us feel connected to home. Please extend our gratitude to all the Niwot Cookie Moms, Dads and families of Niwot. On behalf of the soldiers of Charlie Battery 1/111th Field Artillery, thank you very much! And on behalf of all Servicemen and women, thanks for your support! Attached are some pictures of us with some of the goodies. William A....
"I like stuff I can learn from," said Dawn Dunlap, a waitress at the Garden Gate Cafe who has been working at her job in Niwot for the past eight years. Before that, she had been a waitress in Lyons but she lost that job when the town flooded in 2013. "I love it here," she said, with a bright smile. "People in Niwot are so kind." We were sitting at an outside cafe table one recent afternoon, shortly after her 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. work-day had ended. She didn't look fatigued in the least. Talking abo...
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...
Are you interested in volunteering on Earth Day? Then join the Rotary Club of Niwot and the Rotaract Club of Longmont on Friday, April 22 at 3:30 p.m. to pick up trash on the Longmont-Boulder (LOBO) Trail. The clubs will be meeting at the Lefthand Valley Grange Park at the corner of Niwot Road and 83rd Street. Club members expect the clean-up project to take up to two hours. There are ample parking and bathroom facilities at the park. The clubs will start at the park, hike south on the trail,...
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...
