All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
Sorted by date Results 2815 - 2864 of 3916
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...
Cottonwood Square Shopping Center under new ownership, same management Bridge Commercial Partners Fund III LLC has sold Cottonwood Square Shopping Center to MAC Management Cottonwood, LLC. MAC is owned by mother and son partners Maria Biernat and Alex Chlebek. Bridge Commercial Partners, owner of the shopping center since 2005, is comprised of a group of investors represented by Managing Partner Harris Faberman. Faberman was very active in the Niwot community, most recently as a member of the...
Gunbarrel Hill, the unassuming entrance to the Great Plains of America, is being stewarded into the second major phase of its decades’ long restoration. Boulder County Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) is asking for the community’s help in realizing the vision of an area that is a healthy, balanced wildlife habitat and an enjoyable recreation space. The Gunbarrel Hill Open Space includes the area bordered west to east by 75th and 95th Streets, and north to south from Lookout Road to the Whi...
Toney Preston Brown, age 93, of Niwot, Colorado, passed away on January 24, 2019. Toney was born July 23, 1925 to Eugene Spurgeon Brown and Rose Lee Brown on a sharecropper farm west of Pampa, TX. Toney was the third of five children. His older brothers, Eugene Spurgeon Brown, Jr. and Rex Nelson Brown have previously gone on to be with our Maker. His youngest brother Perry Dale resides in Hubbard, TX with his wife Katy Brown and his only and younger sister, Mary Jane, who was born after the...
Long-delayed plans to build permanent restrooms at Left Hand Valley Grange Park (83rd Street and Niwot Road) can move forward again after the Boulder County Commissioners voted unanimously to approve an Exemption Plat for the 12-acre open space area of the Johnson Farm Nonurban Planned Unit Development (NUPUD). At a public hearing on Jan. 15, Deb Gardner, Elise Jones, and Matt Jones accepted the recommendation from land use staff to grant the replat request from the county’s transportation a... Full story
After over a decade-long absence, Domino’s Pizza is once again ringing doorbells in the Gunbarrel/Niwot area. The new Gunbarrel location opened up on Jan. 4, months after the original intended opening of October 2018. And while some folks are happy to see the new pizza offering, long-time residents might remember when Domino’s delivered in the area way back when. “There was actually a Domino’s here in Gunbarrel,” said manager Nick Keeler, who used to manage the Longmont Domino’s. “It was a g... Full story
Gunbarrel is home to three non-traditional health learning institutes – Boulder Massage Therapy Institute, Southwest Acupuncture College and the Dr. Ida Rolf Institute. If the start of the new year has you considering ways to change your life, knowledge and career opportunities are abundant and close by, and there are low-cost clinics at each school to help improve your health as well.. Boulder Massage Therapy Institute (BMTI) Health Benefits: Professional massage therapy offers pain relief, r...
Thank you to MVFPD for sending Engine #10 to carry the first Niwot Volunteer Fire Chief to his final resting spot. It was noticed and warm words were expressed at the church service and most prominently at the Niwot Cemetery. This was very special to the Holubec family and friends who have been in Niwot many years and remember these years and the volunteers who served and protected residents. It is appreciated how much care and the investment you have made to this piece of Niwot history. We...
Even while the land is just a field of dirt, Boulder County farmers who sell their crops to restaurants and markets, and who offer Community Supported Agriculture programs (CSAs) are plenty busy this time of year. It’s a big task getting prepared for the upcoming growing season. Last year’s devastating hail storms led Michael Moss, owner of Kilt Farm, most visitable off of Oxford Road near the Diagonal HIghway, to re-examine his business plan, and especially what he was up against when it cam...
Niwot Tavern, owned by Tony Santelli, Gary Zarlengo, and Bob Russell, is celebrating its 14-year anniversary. “When I look back,” Santelli said, “little did I know that buying a tavern would be for me a life-changing event. Although we lived in Niwot eight years before I purchased the tavern, we really were not in any way connected to Niwot. Once I purchased the tavern that opened an entree of things. “To eventually get into the Niwot Business Association as the president and the Local Improve...
Two years ago, Virginia Dutkin had a simple idea based on a capstone project she was working on for her master’s degree in nonprofit management. The idea was based on something called a giving circle--a fast-growing form of philanthropy where individuals come together and pool their dollars, decide together where to give the money along with other resources such as volunteer time, and learn together about their community and philanthropy. As her children grew older, and needed less time and e... Full story
To the Editor: I want to address the myth of humane animal production in regards to poultry. There is nothing natural about the poultry consumed at restaurants because these birds have been bred over years to modify the body parts, fat, and protein content. Cage-free generally means giant warehouses containing hundreds or thousands of individuals crowded together on the floor. Withholding hormones or antibiotics from them may be healthier for humans but does nothing to alleviate the suffering of these creatures. Taken directly from the website...
Boulder County is seeking public input to shape the Boulder County Land Use Code related to the Niwot Rural Community District (NRCD), which includes property along 2nd Avenue from west of Murray Street to Niwot Road. The primary focus of the meeting is to present a draft of the proposed Code criteria and gather community feedback and public comment to inform final revisions to the land use regulations for the NRCD. Areas of focus will include density, site design, circulation and mix of uses. More information on this Code change process, and... Full story
More than 800,000 federal employees are either laid off or have been working without pay for weeks. The direct consequences to those workers and their families, and the subsequent trickle-down impact to the businesses they buy goods and services from, such as their banks, credit unions, and landlords, are being felt across the nation. In the Niwot, Gunbarrel and South Longmont area, several nonprofit organizations and businesses have stepped forward to announce they would like to be a safety... Full story
Find these fabulous faux-feathered fellows. Festus has a fine figure. Ferd’s face is fun. Fabio’s features are frankly, fantastic. And none are feather-brained or flighty. Fear naught faithful reader, for these fearsome fellows feature festive finery for photos. But where are they? Send your finding to Nellie Nibnose, [email protected] for a future, fun filler. No fatally flawed flamingos allowed....
Scouts of Niwot Troop 161 participated in the annual Pinewood Derby at the Left Hand Grange on Jan. 12....
Looking out the kitchen window I can see a grove of English elm trees. They were planted many years ago by my neighbor and have become a stately group of large trees with a nice shape. Their crowns provide excellent shade in the summer and they seldom are damaged by storms. At this time of year, however, a strange color can be seen on several branches. A bright whitish yellow is visible on some of the smaller branches. Walking up and looking more closely at these branches, I can see that the yel...
Looking out the kitchen window I can see a grove of English elm trees. They were planted many years ago by my neighbor and have become a stately group of large trees with a nice shape. Their crowns provide excellent shade in the summer and they seldom are damaged by storms. At this time of year, however, a strange color can be seen on several branches. A bright whitish yellow is visible on some of the smaller branches. Walking up and looking more closely at these branches, I can see that the yel...
The work for Gunbarrel residents to keep Heatherwood free from fracking has only just begun, according to Keep Heatherwood Frack-Free. After the well-attended town hall meeting in Gunbarrel, organizers from the leadership team have started reaching out to potential volunteers to harness the mixed feelings of disbelief, indignation and concern that community members shared at the Dec. 19 meeting. Organizers of Keep Heatherwood Frack-Free said they have been working to create a group that is more inclusive of Boulder County in general to address...
New hands have taken over Niwot Massage, and the new owner is serious about rejuvenating--both bodies and the business. Laura Graziano might seem a familiar face to Niwot residents. She worked at Colterra for five years before the restaurant was closed due to a kitchen fire in October 2017. A Licensed Massage Therapist for the past two years, Graziano was building a private practice in south Boulder when the opportunity to take over Niwot Massage became available to her. The former owner of...
The Boulder County Land Use Department is seeking comment on a proposed 4,358-square-foot, multi-unit addition to the Porchfront Homes building, located on the northeast corner of 2nd Avenue and Murray Street in Niwot. On Jan. 5, county planner Laura Weinstein issued a referral packet to county agencies and adjacent property owners detailing plans for a two-story, a mixed-use structure which will fill the back half of the lot at 102 2nd Avenue. County agencies and individuals have until Jan. 22...
For the fourth year, Chuck Rodgers’ holiday light extravaganza has collected contributions for the non-profit organization Longmont Meals on Wheels (LMOW). Last year he encouraged visitors to place $4,100 and 31 pounds of food in donation boxes located within the light display. This year the festive spectacle brought in nearly $5,800 and collected 208 pounds of food. Xcel Energy, where Rodgers works, partially matches employee giving and will be adding to this year’s pot. Rodgers’ tens of thous... Full story
The turning of a page to a new year often signifies a time to improve our bodies, minds, and spirits. For those who have vowed to eat healthier to achieve their goals in 2019, there’s no need to swear off the pleasures of eating out. Niwot, Gunbarrel and South Longmont offer a medley of restaurants with healthy fare. Here’s a smattering of local establishments offering delicious ways to eat mindfully. Each eatery was asked for its philosophy on healthy food, what accommodations the kitchen is...
When winds are high or lights are bright or sometimes for no clear reason, Ivan Schlutz’s head “gets pretty raw,” he said of the pain and sensations that make it hard for him to plan each day. Winters are spent in his art studio where he creates award-winning bronze sculptures, an art form he was drawn to while recovering from a near-death accident in his late 20s. The studio once housed calves on his parent’s property, but was renovated into an impressive workspace with a spectacular floor-to-c...
The Niwot LID Advisory Committee checked off a few boxes on its annual to-do list at its first meeting of the new year on Tuesday, Jan. 8. Treasurer Bruce Rabeler led off with a report on the district’s nascent 2019 finances. For the third straight year, the LID will have just under $133,000 in its initial budget (which is based on a percentage of the prior year’s revenue), thanks to flat revenue growth between 2017 and 2018. Through October of last year, tax collections in the LID were dow... Full story
