All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
Sorted by date Results 2801 - 2850 of 3926
The Niwot Nifties will have several booths at the 4-H Mardi Gras Carnival on Saturday, March 9, at the Boulder County Fairgrounds. Come play fun games including Pendulum Swing, Lollipop Draw, Rubber Band Shoot and Spin the Wheel for 50 cents each. We also have fresh popped popcorn for $1. This is the Niwot Nifties’ largest fundraiser of the year and proceeds will support the club and their community service activities. In the past year, the Niwot Nifties spent time caroling and visiting with r... Full story
Niwot will soon be home to the eighth Pinocchio’s Incredible Italian Restaurant establishment. Founder and owner Annie Vick confirmed the good news – a lease was signed on Feb. 28 for the new eatery to occupy what was formerly Treppeda’s Ristorante at 300 2nd Ave. The 2300-square-foot space in Niwot will be remodeled to match the décor of existing Pinocchio’s locations. The kitchen will be totally revamped, carpeting installed throughout, and there will be a new bar. Tables will be set with che... Full story
In this age, the majority of us are more connected to our smartphones than the rhythm of the seasons, and half of us wouldn’t know how to turn on a faucet without waving our hands in front of it. We are connected, but not to anything other than a device. It is, if you will, an age of disconnect. And that’s where the Laughing Coyote Project comes in. This school on an assuming chunk of land called Fire Willow Farm near the corner of 65th and Nelson in Longmont offers up the chance to build a ski...
A local anti-fracking group, born out of the Heatherwood neighborhood in Gunbarrel, is reaching out with a new name to join with the greater Gunbarrel and Niwot communities. Formerly known as Keep Heatherwood Frack-Free, the citizen group formed in rapid response to oil and gas companies’ interest in developing hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in and near the Heatherwood neighborhood in late 2018. Oil and gas companies approached the homeowners of Heatherwood en masse in November 2018 to inquire about purchasing mineral rights to drilling a...
At age 46, Kim Needham Watkins had been dealt an extremely frightening hand. The Watkins’ family jumped into action last year when Kim was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. This very aggressive form of cancer statistically has a 40 to 50 percent chance of recurrence in a different organ system within the next five years. But there’s wonderful news to report – after five months of chemotherapy treatments and surgery on Jan. 28 to remove 16 lymph nodes, results showed her response to t...
Longtime local resident Franklin David Frankfort, 54, died on Feb. 26, 2019 after a battle with congestive heart failure. He is survived by his mother Toby of Del Rey, Fla., and brother Jeff of Boca Raton, Fla. He also leaves behind many, many close friends and associates in the Niwot and Gunbarrel areas, where he was a resident for more than 25 years. Frankfort was born and raised in Chicago, then lived with his parents and brother in the Phoenix, Ariz. area during the 1980s. Frankfort relocate... Full story
The Niwot Business Association (NBA) welcomed two new members to its executive board following officer elections on Feb. 12. President Tony Santelli and vice president Deborah Reed Fowler received new terms. Joining them are Nancy Bureau of Left Hand Animal Hospital, who replaces Linda Klueber as secretary, and Mary Coonce of Porchfront Homes, who is set to become the new treasurer. “I want to thank Linda for having served five years as secretary and Dayna [Roane] for serving three years as trea...
Gardeners and lovers of the slow food movement are invited to an event that will help jump start their spring planting and offer the chance to meet with local farmers and food producers. Slow Food Boulder County and Mountain Fountain are hosting their 2nd annual Colorado Producers Open House & Seed Exchange on Thursday, March 21 at the Mountain Fountain Market in Hygiene. Seed exchanges are growing in popularity, due to both an increased interest in organic gardening and the increased awareness... Full story
Senior AJ Metlay wins Maggie Long Award It’s been a highly successful season for the Niwot forensics team and now they have some state hardware to show for it. At the CHSAA Speech & Debate State Festival held last month at Heritage High in Littleton, Cougars brought home six medals, including first place in Creative Storytelling and a co-championship in Public Forum Debate. “This is the best we’ve even done at the state tournament,” co-captain AJ Metlay said of the team’s performance. ”We’ve ha...
For fear that they would be taken away by the Nazi forces that had invaded the Netherlands, the Frank family went into hiding in 1942 in cramped rooms concealed behind bookcases.The Jewish family lived a life of isolation for two years before they were discovered and arrested. Over that time, teenage Anne Frank passed the time by documenting her thoughts and the happenings in the secret annex in a diary recovered after the war. This poignant and important story is the subject of Niwot High Schoo...
Getting a healthy amount of sleep is a challenge for up to 70 million people a year the American Sleep Association reports. Some of us suffer from the inability to fall asleep or can’t sustain a good night’s rest. Others have apnea leading to interrupted breathing and waking up throughout the night. There are a variety of reasons why getting the proper amount of quality slumber becomes an agonizing quest. Fortunately, expert help for the exhausted is easily accessible. Colorado Sleep Ins... Full story
Flagstaff Academy parent Melinda Coburn became a Dragon Volunteer when her oldest child entered preschool four years ago. Each week Coburn helps kindergarten students with their math and first-graders with reading. Those interactions lead to students learning and feeling cared for. But those are just a couple of examples of how Coburn’s energy, dedication, and kindness are bringing a ripple effect of positivity to the world. Coburn and her husband Sean met in junior high school while growing up... Full story
Chado—the 500 year old traditional tea ceremony that cultivates peace of mind and aesthetic appreciation of art and nature though the harmonious interaction between host and guest—is coming to Longmont. On Saturday, March 2, the Meditation Place in Longmont will be offering a rare glimpse into this precise and meaningful ceremony, along with a short meditation instruction. Guests will experience an authentic ceremony and learn about the aesthetic, social and spiritual components of this fas... Full story
At a public hearing on Feb. 20, more than two dozen interested Niwot community members spoke out about proposed changes to the Land Use Code that will affect development in the 2nd Avenue commercial district. Here are some comments presented to the Planning Commission: Dr. David Meisner explained that the mixed use development he and Von’s Colorado Concepts want to build on the corner of 2nd Avenue and Niwot Road was curtailed because of the moratorium. Meisner said, “The benefit to the thousands of visitors and residents to Niwot should out... Full story
At a public hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 20, the Boulder County Planning Commission gave its blessing to land use staff’s proposed code updates for the Niwot Rural Community District (NRCD) with two alterations. The first was the removal of a sentence reading “Where alley access is available, curb cuts should not be permitted.” Curb cuts are what the county is defining as access to off-street parking spots from 2nd Avenue. The second change was the addition of wording encouraging the explo...
I often hear the statement, “Aspen don’t live very long,” when having discussions about trees on the Front Range, especially when people have an opportunity to plant a new tree. The notion that aspen are a short-lived tree sparks a number of thoughts and questions and really a curiosity about these organisms many people regard as short-lived. If you happen to be a tree geek (aka arborist), you probably know that the oldest and largest recognized single living organism on this planet is a colon...
Sept. 20, 1925 - Feb. 9, 2019 Suzanne Margaret Newman Webster of Boulder passed away on February 9, 2019, at the age of 93. She was a devoted mother to her two sons: George Chandler Webster II of Los Angeles and Robert Newman Webster of Boulder. She adored her four granddaughters: Meghan Julianna Webster and Caitlin Elizabeth Webster, both of Los Angeles, and Chandler Elizabeth Webster and Kelsey Margaret Webster, both of Boulder. Suzanne was born on September 20, 1925, in Chicago to Bernard...
Dig out that oversized spoon and put on your elastic-waist pants for the 23rd annual Soup, Soup and More community dinner and fundraiser, coming up on Saturday, March 2 at Niwot United Methodist Church, located at 7405 Lookout Road in Gunbarrel. Event organizer Janet Gates said this year’s event will be familiar to repeat visitors. Doors open at 4 p.m., and there will be a wide selection of soups, chilis, stews, and chowders available, as well as bread, salad, desserts and drinks, served in a... Full story
In 2013, former U.S. National Park Ranger Robert McIntosh was volunteering with the Mongolian Ecology Center (MEC) near the Russian-Mongolian border when something happened that set a mission in motion to change the world, one motorcycle at a time. McIntosh watched helplessly as the chief Mongolian park ranger hopped on his motorcycle to enforce protection of the parklands, only to have it break down. McIntosh’s frustration grew as he learned that breakdowns happened routinely. Mongolian park r... Full story
Dear Editor, We were very concerned to read the letter from Mr. Santelli (February 13) informing us that we have a ticking time bomb because of curb cuts on 2nd avenue! A Niwot emergency of pedestrian safety has been declared! Who knew? Is there a pedestrian safety study we missed?? We have been prowling 2nd Avenue for several years now, and mercifully to date have not even come within a whisker of being squashed by an errant SUV exiting the Niwot Inn parking lot. They are, after all, driving...
Larry Dorsey will present this year’s first Now and Then lecture hosted by the Niwot Historical Society (NHS) at the Left Hand Grange Hall, 195 2nd Ave.at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 27. Chronicling a dramatic event that was emblematic of difficulties plaguing the nation in 1911, Dorsey’s presentation is titled, “Shoot Out at the Superior Depot, An episode in Colorado Labor Wars.” Dorsey, a retired Boulder Valley School District high school history teacher, chairman of the Superior Histori...
The Boulder police department is seeking to form a partnership with the community that might help solve more crimes in less time. Residents and businesses that have security cameras — the number has increased considerably in the last three years due to affordability and ease of use — can sign up to be on a police department roster. When crime and vandalism occurs, the police spend valuable time canvassing surrounding neighbors and business to see if they have security cameras to help solve the crimes. The new partnership could speed up investig...
Niwot residents will soon be seeing reminders to renew their Niwot Community Association memberships in their mailboxes, email in-boxes and along Niwot Road. The membership drive will kick off the week of Feb. 17, with an email message to current members and posting of the “Burma Shave” style signs along Niwot Road, NCA President David Limbach told board members at their March 13 meeting. Currently Niwot residents can join the NCA by paying with a check or through PayPal. NCA board members are exploring adding Venmo by PayPal, a mobile payment...
The Boulder County Planning Commission will consider proposed text amendments to amend the County’s Land Use Code Article 4-116 Niwot Rural Community District and related provisions on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019. Advance online sign-ups for anyone wishing to speak at the hearing is available at www.bit.ly/dc-18-0004. What: Planning Commission Public Hearing When: Wednesday, Feb. 20. The Planning Commission meeting begins at 1:30 p.m., and the NRCD item is the third item on the agenda. The E...
You can complain about it, but you just can’t change the weather. So why not make the most of the chill in the air by joining fellow whiners at the fifth annual Let’s Wine About Winter event in Niwot, 1 to 5 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 23. Nearly 200 tickets have already been sold for the stroll from business-to-business occasion, but there’s always room for more merrymakers. Over 35 establishments, along 2nd Avenue and in Cottonwood Square Shopping Center, will be serving up samples of wines, beers...
Research shows that throughout early childhood, children become aware of cultural identities such as gender, race, ethnicity and ability. They also begin to absorb society’s messages about these forms of identity, which often subtly reinforce stereotypes and bias. How can parents work to actively counter these pervasive messages in order to foster children’s anti-bias development? Boulder Country Day School will hold a public conversation on February 27th from 6:00pm - 7:30pm on Identity, Dif...
Heatherwood Elementary students had two opportunities this winter to show off their smarts. In December, students competed in the National Geographic Geography Bee, and in January, students completed in the Heatherwood Spelling Bee. Both bees are new to Heatherwood this year, thanks to new TAG (talented and gifted) teacher Jennifer Arreola. Heatherwood Principal Genna Jaramillio said, "The Geography Bee and Spelling Bee are great learning experiences for our students and are a great addition to...
About 35 people attended a public forum Feb. 7 at the Left Hand Grange in Niwot to give their opinion on proposals for bus rapid transit alternatives along Highway 119 (the Diagonal) between Boulder and Longmont. It was the second forum held in Niwot. Projections by the Regional Transportation District (RTD) show a 25 percent increase in vehicle traffic on the Diagonal by 2040 is possible, prompting RTD to work with Boulder County Transportation to find a way to lessen the use and impact on the...
As a part of their last update to the Niwot Strategic Plan in 2017, the LID advisory board tasked the Niwot Business Association with developing a forward-looking “vision” to help guide funding decisions and planning over the next 10 years. NBA representatives finally unveiled that vision at the board’s regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 5. “It’s not a committed plan, and it’s not an approved plan,” NBA president Tony Santelli said while introducing Niwot Vision: 2029. “It’s a visio...
The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) is seeking community participation to help create a vision for restoring healthy grasslands while improving the visitor experience on the open space at Gunbarrel Hill northeast of Boulder, bordered by 75th and 95th streets, and Lookout Road and the White Rocks area. OSMP needs your help to understand community interests and values for the area. After a decades-long restoration effort of the area, OSMP now would like to gather information...
I’d like to take a quick poll among local gardeners. Last year, after spending hundreds of dollars on bedding plants, how many of you swore to yourselves that next year, you would take some time in late winter to begin sowing your own seeds indoors, so that you could not only save those dollars, but also feel the deep satisfaction that only comes from putting a wee seed in the dirt that will eventually grow into something you can eat or admire? Show of hands. Oh, that’s a lot. Hey, I’m not j... Full story
Last school year, a pair of fourth-grade students at Flagstaff Academy in Longmont approached elementary science lab teacher Stacy Wolff to discuss the school’s recycling program. Brainstorming on the subject led to creating surveys to see if other students were interested in helping out (which they were) and with that, the students officially started a Green Team school club. “They were very, very passionate about getting something started,” Wolff said. Twenty-eight students are onboard and r...
The signs by the side of the road in Niwot that read “Psychic Fair” show up every few months or so. They may be dismissed or ignored by some, while others might be excited that it’s time once again for the Holistic and Intuitive Arts Fair presented by the Boulder Healing Arts Association (BHA). The fair, which has been held at the Left Hand Grange in Niwot since 2006 (except during Grange renovations, when it was at the bicycle shop across the street), features bodyworkers, intuitive reade...
More than 50 women and girls are taken from Nepal to India every day to begin a horrific existence as a sex slave. Learning about this statistic and an unfathomable number of young girls around the world being forced into lives of misery had such an impact on Sunset Middle School (SMS) students Maya Lary and Anna Eastland that they felt compelled to take action. Every SMS student is in the Middle Years Programme (MYP), part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum. MYP is centered on...
Every teenager in every generation faces stress and strain, simply due to the very nature of the age. But teenagers today are dealing with higher levels of pressure, with more outside influences, than previous generations. All teens in the history of the world has had to shoulder stressors such as the physical and cognitive changes that some with puberty, conflicts with family and friends and being bullied or exposed to sexual violence or harassment. But average teenagers today also deal with overly crammed schedules; social media pressures... Full story
In an inspiring ceremony on Jan. 31, Flagstaff Academy welcomed 17 new members to the prestigious National Junior Honor Society (NJHS), an international middle school organization that promotes and recognizes scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship. Flagstaff Academy’s NJHS Chapter is an academic organization that focuses on service projects and helping others. If students are selected for NJHS, they are required to attend all meetings, participate in community service, m...
Let’s face it. For some, Valentine’s Day is a thrill--what will my sweetheart buy me? What fantastic restaurant will we indulge at? For others, it’s a stressful minefield of procrastination, uncertainty about gift choices and inadequate feelings about available finances with which to buy said gifts. Those minefield veterans often walk through the door with last-minute mylar balloons, a sheepish smile, and are often met by a cold-shoulder welcoming committee. And for others, it’s just plain l...
Boulder Country Day School middle school students and faculty joined eight other Colorado private schools at the state capitol for a civics day on Wednesday, Jan. 23, as part of School Choice Week. BCD students had the opportunity to tour the Capitol building, observe the Senate and House in action, meet their elected officials, and have lunch with state lawmakers. Seventh-grader James Tindle shared his thoughts on the opportunity. "Attending Civics Day 2019 with ACE Scholarships was such an...
Your kids may be more familiar with Lauren Riegler’s face than you are, unless you’re part of the rather large diving community living in our magnificent landlocked paradise. If you’re not, the Left Hand Valley Courier would like to introduce you to Niwot resident Lauren Riegler as this month’s Familiar Face. Riegler is the director of outreach for the Ocean First Institute(OFI), a Boulder-based non-profit dedicated to ocean conservation through research and education. She and her husband...
Niwot author Jim Ringel has carved out a unique niche in fiction writing, and fans and other aspiring authors are invited to discuss it with him at the seventh annual Longmont Library Authors We Love Open House on Saturday, Feb. 9. “I will be there to talk about mysteries, Buddhism, and the craft of writing with anyone who would like to stop by and say hello,” he wrote in an email about his appearance. “I and the other authors will also have our books for sale, including my first sales...
A pet adds a dimension of happiness to a household that is unique, as any pet owner knows. Many folks don’t realize that pets add more than play and snuggles to our lives. They benefit us in ways that far outweigh their care and cost. Studies show that pet ownership lowers blood pressure, fights off depression, lowers risk of heart attack, promotes longevity and speeds recovery from illness. Caring for a pet also teaches compassion and responsibility to kids, and encourages exercise, play and s...
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...
Students, coaches, judges, volunteers, families, and technology fans overflowed Niwot Elementary School’s (NES) gymnasium on Saturday, Jan. 26 as NES hosted its first VEX IQ Robotic Challenge event. Enthusiasm, focus, and team spirit amongst all attendees, as well as mutual respect and a sense of accomplishment permeated the event. Twenty four teams from NES, Fall River Elementary School (Longmont), Eagle Crest Elementary (Longmont), Estes Park Elementary, and Hygiene Elementary schools w... Full story
While it’s a myth that Ben Franklin wanted the turkey as our national bird, he did think that the turkey was “a more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America.” As for the bald eagle, he believed that the “Bald Eagle… is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length ta...
There are people in the world who see an opportunity to help others and just do it from the bottom of their big hearts. That describes Laurel Fox, this month’s Left Hand Laurel. Fox is the Courier’s first Left Hand Laurel named Laurel and, although she’s not technically left handed, she said a couple of years ago she mangled the fingers on her dominant right hand in a lawn mower and has subsequently developed excellent dexterity in her left hand. Thankfully, being a southpaw isn’t a require...
Jessica Arment, the teacher-librarian at Heatherwood Elementary School, has been recognized for her dedication to learning. Arment is a recipient of the 2018-19 Impact on Education Award for Heatherwood Elementary. Arment, a 10-year teaching veteran who has been at Heatherwood Elementary for the past six years, was nominated for the direct impact her work has on the students, and for the leadership role she takes on with the rest of the staff. Her library is a safe and welcoming place for...
Fracking has been at the forefront of the news for several years, and we live in an area peppered with fracking equipment and the various accoutrements that accompany the controversial extraction method. Proposition 112 did not pass in the last election; had it passed, the distance that fracking operations would have to be from sites such as school, homes, and public spaces would have been 2,500 feet. State law currently allows wells to be 1,000 feet from high-occupancy buildings such as...
Boulder County hosts discussion of proposed NRDC regulations Business owners and developers with properties in the Niwot Rural Community District (NRCD) are unhappy with proposed updates to Boulder County’s Land Use Code and said so to Director Dale Case and his staff at a community meeting on Jan. 24. “I just don’t understand why all of these restrictions are happening,” Niwot Inn owner Cornelia Sawle said during the ‘Group Q & A’ portion of the meeting. “These commercial people are trying to...
Boulder County hosts discussion of proposed NRDC regulations Residents of Niwot’s 3rd Avenue were unusually quiet during the community meeting with Boulder County Land Use Department staff at Niwot High School on Jan. 24. The first pass at the Niwot Rural Community District I (NRCD) proposed changes to the Land Use Code had been emailed to interested parties on Jan. 18, which meant that specific proposed code updates had been digested to some degree prior to the meeting. NRCD code provisions are...
The Boulder Evening Optimists Club is inviting local families to the Wild Game in Longmont on Feb. 3 for a morning of games and pancakes at their second annual Family Fun Day. “We’re calling it a Family Fun Day, because the whole idea is that you can come out from 9 a.m. to noon and spend time with the family on Super Bowl Sunday before all of the football activity starts,” Niwot resident and author Jim Ringel said. He is a longtime member of the service organization. “It’s a really great tim...
