All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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Last year, Mwebaza Foundation set the goal of outfitting Niwot Elementary’s sister school, Mwebaza Infant Primary School in Kyengera, Uganda, with two shipping container classrooms to help with overcrowding. When students reach age 10, they usually drop out of school, because there isn’t a physical place to go anymore. The Mwebaza Infant Primary School tries to hold on to these students for as long as possible, even construction card-board partitions to increase individual classrooms, but thi...
After a one-year hiatus, the Niwot High School Homecoming parade returns to downtown Niwot on Thursday, Sept. 12. The parade, featuring floats, marching bands and high school royalty, will begin at 4 p.m. at the intersection of Murray Street and 2nd Avenue and proceed down 2nd Avenue to Cottonwood Square. Those streets will be closed for one hour. The Homecoming football game will be played Friday night, Sept. 13, at Everly-Montgomery Field in Longmont, but the parade is scheduled for the day...
ABLE to Sail is a Longmont-based youth empowerment camp that seeks to help kids of all ages gain self-esteem, overcome feelings of isolation and inadequacy, and give them the confidence to navigate life, no matter which way the wind blows. Executive director Diane McKinney explained that at its very core, ABLE to Sail wants to teach lessons in sailing that apply to real life situations. “The basic premise being, to turn a boat left, you steer to the right, which requires a complete change in t...
Niwot High School was first opened in 1972. Since then it has provided a great learning environment for students taking traditional, AP, and IB classes. It also has never had new carpet, until now. The old carpets have been replaced with clean carpets that are laced with a vibrant green. “I’m excited for an open floor plan to ease student congestion during passing periods,” said Mrs. Moore, a teacher at Niwot for 17 years. “Plus, it’ll be nice to have spaces for students to hang out socially...
The ultimate disposition of the NRCD Block 5 alley inched closer to resolution last week with a public meeting hosted by Boulder County land use and transportation staff to discuss the results of a recent traffic study in the area and the proposed design guidelines for any future improvements. Though some 2nd Avenue property owners expressed frustration with the potential restrictions and the county’s ongoing process, consensus emerged on at least one major outstanding issue—the driving surface...
Thieves targeted four retail stores on 2nd Avenue in Niwot last week according to reports from the businesses. Late afternoon Tuesday, Aug. 20, Niwot Jewelry & Gifts, Osmosis Art and Architecture, and Niwot Wheel Works were targeted by three women and a young boy where items were reportedly shoplifted. The same group, but with more people, apparently returned Thursday afternoon and hit Wise Buys Antiques, where money from the cash register was taken,according to owner Tim Wise. The strategy...
Japanese beetles—those colorful, iridescent compact munching machines that have been decimating gardens up and down the Front Range this year—have reached record numbers in our area, and will continue to multiply and thrive unless a combined effort from all of us helps curb their proliferation. If you don’t know what these destructive insects look like, you can track them by their trail of indiscriminate feasting. They leave behind leaves and flowers that look like demented lace, and they...
Returning students have probably noticed a little more hustle and bustle in the halls at Niwot Elementary. With all bond construction now complete and a boomlet in enrollment, the 2019-20 school year is shaping up to be a busy one, and principal Nancy Pitz said that students and staff have hit the ground running. “It’s been a super smooth transition, and it’s great to be back,” she said. “Teachers are working hard, and students are getting ready to learn.” Thanks to the growth, Niwot Eleme...
When I was a kid growing up in Niwot, back in the olden days (aka the 1980's), there was an annual summertime event which I'm sure longtime Niwot residents remember well and fondly called Niwot Nostalgia Days. It was a weekend's worth of events and activities for young and old alike, loosely centered around that theme of nostalgic remembrance and revival for Niwot's rural foundings; but it was also, by and large, just a community taking a weekend to celebrate itself. One particular year, one of...
There’s just nothing like the anticipation of opening a package, so everyone loves it when the big brown truck stops in front of their house. UPS driver Gabe Amaya is Niwot’s main guy in the brown uniform driving that brown truck. The Courier wanted more than just a friendly wave “hello” from the reliable person who makes hundreds of stops around town. So we asked Amaya some questions and learned that his ties to the town run deeper than his daily route. Left Hand Valley Courier (LHVC) Gabe Amay...
If you stopped by the white tent outside the Niwot Market last week, you were treated to a community art project. The object of the project was to create a mosaic mural. Samagra Melville, who owns the building at 7980 Niwot Road, has, for the last two years, gone to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, along with David Schaldach “to do art,” Schaldach said. “We took a mural making workshop with (Laurel True) last December. We were so inspired we wanted to bring the art here as a community art proje...
This year's J.A.R.E.D. Foundation music festival, Remember in September, will take place Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Boulder County Fairgrounds. A far more spacious location than the first two event renditions, the outdoor venue on the southwest corner of the grounds will showcase two stages, more than a dozen bands, fun-in-the-sun activities, food trucks and drinks for all ages. Colorado's treasured acoustic group, Face Vocal Band, will be the attention-grabbing performance of the festival. The...
In February, Colorado State University played host to the Medical Symposium on Health Effects of Oil & Gas Development in Colorado, which featured multiple speakers in the scientific, legal and health communities. On Sunday, Aug. 18, The Lookout Alliance, In partnership with the Colorado branch of Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), showed video recordings of the symposium at the Boulder County Public Library. Presenters included Dr. Beth Ewaskowitz and Dr. Detlev Helmig. Last month,...
Niwot's Left Hand Grange No. 9 (195 2nd Ave.) has been a community gathering spot for more than seven decades, and now it's just a little more welcoming, thanks to Brandon Hult and the Boy Scouts of Niwot Troop 161. Earlier this month, the Eagle Scout candidate oversaw the construction of an outdoor seating area in the rear yard, so patrons will be able to enjoy the hall's many charms from a sunnier (or starrier) vantage point. "Members of the grange just wanted this area cleaned up a little bit...
Heading back to school is often a mix of emotions for students and teachers alike. For many students, the end of summer is bittersweet, nostalgia for mid-week sleepovers and late night pool parties setting in as soon as August rolls around. But there’s also something to be said for heading back to school. With each new year comes the chance to see old friends and start fresh with a new teacher, a new classroom and a new perspective. Teachers get excited to see coworkers again, catch-up on s...
Avid hiker Leslie Madsen used to march along to get to the top of a mountain and back down, treating it like a task to be completed. But retirement brought a more leisurely pace to her treks, allowing her to be in the moment and observant of her surroundings. That’s when she fell madly in love with the splendor of flora in the high country and wanted to bring it home with her by way of photos. Madsen’s talent for capturing the beauty of wildflowers is on display at Niwot’s Inkberry Books in Co...
Pastor Walter “Skip” Strickland has known what his calling was since he was a high school junior in Tacoma, Wash. Strickland, the new pastor at Niwot United Methodist Church (NUMC), was very active in youth ministry and served as the conference youth president for the Conference Council of Youth Ministry for Washington and northern Idaho. It was this drive that brought him to Colorado in 1977 after he obtained a degree in urban planning from the University of Puget Sound. Strickland enr...
Girl Scout Troops 70179 and 73928 joined forces and spent the weekend at Sky High Ranch in Woodland, Colo., competing at the 32nd annual competition, Reach for the Peak. Six Boulder girls Gracie Summers, Sophia Jones, Kennedy Banks, Karissa Murra, Claire Arveson, and Bennett McDannell joined 20 other teams in a test of scouting skills that included first aid, orienteering, lashing, fire building, campsite set-up, survival skills, knots, blade skills, and a cooking competition. Their 50s themed...
Flagstaff Academy (K-12) of Longmont is beginning its new school year with the launch of a unique initiative - a PBIS, which stands for Positive Behavior Incentive System. The school-wide program was created to dovetail with five essential qualities the school will be bringing to the forefront. Dubbed Dragon PRIDE, an acronym for perseverance, respect, integrity, dependability and empathy, these core values will be stitched into every aspect of the school from classroom curriculum to extra...
The NRCD development moratorium and its repercussions dominated the discussion between the Niwot LID Advisory Committee and the Boulder County Commissioners at their annual joint meeting Aug. 6, but there were tentative signs that relations between the two boards might be on the mend. In concluding remarks, Commissioner Deb Gardner expressed remorse for the “acrimonious” process and pledged to work for improvements going forward. “We have some definite questions to bring to the land use depar...
Gunbarrel’s Emily Sewell, this month’s Left Hand Laurel, is a round-the-clock mother, with a full-time career. For the last eight years, she’s also given her time to Voices for Children as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), transforming the lives of abused and neglected children in Boulder County. Program Director Dana Walters said, “Emily has quietly worked to help victims of child abuse and neglect recover from trauma. She never seeks recognition and she doesn't require much directi...
The Aug. 22 Rock & Rails Tip Jar recipient is The Mwebaza Foundation, founded right here in Niwot. The Mwebaza Foundation seeks to unite Colorado students from four elementary schools with students in Uganda to foster a better understanding of each group’s culture. Before he started The Mwebaza Foundation, Dale Peterson, first-grade teacher at Niwot Elementary, fostered cultural exchange through a pen pal program. He knew this type of exchange gave children the opportunity to learn about o...
If you’ve been into Osmosis Art and Architecture lately, you’ve probably seen some interesting purses displayed on the wall. Created by Anne Postle, all the purses are made from plastic bags. But not just any plastic bags. Wondering about Wall Street (and who isn’t), the Wall Street Journal delivery bags are now a purse. Searching for a super supper? The brown purse, with just a hint of red, is from King Soopers. But don’t forget the best bag of all. There are little green ones made from th...
Thirty years ago, Anne Postle was new to her career and a transplant to Colorado. Moving from Tempe, Ariz., after finishing her education at Arizona State University and becoming a licensed architect, she journeyed to Boulder to work for a large firm. She got her feet under her and after five years was ready to start her own firm. “Sometimes I look back and think, ‘How on earth did I ever think I could run a gallery or open my own firm?’” Postle said. “I honestly don’t know. I think that someti...
If you look forward to perfect peppers, but are disappointed when they get sunburn, there aren’t as many as you thought, or they aren’t as big as you’d like, chances are that you have sunlight to blame. High solar intensity and temperatures work against getting the most out of our pepper crops. Research on shading peppers is casting light on the benefits of cooling things off a bit on leaves and the root zone. Heat stress reduces the plant’s ability to photosynthesize and cool itself efficie...
Representatives from the Mountain View Fire Protection District and other agencies showed off their equipment and chatted with community members at National Night Out in Niwot on Tuesday, Aug. 6. National Night Out is an annual countrywide celebration that brings police and first responders into local neighborhoods for an evening of camaraderie and fun....
When asked how they got into the honey business and started Meadow Lake Honey, Dawn and Jeff Server both smiled. “We bought this house and they had hives, “ Dawn said. The hives were technically an “add-on” to the cost of the house, but one that both Servers were very happy to bear. Dawn grew up in Niwot and graduated from Niwot High School in 1983. Her father, Don Reeb, was the Niwot Community School Director for many years. With the exception of college and a four-year stint in Westmin...
Niwot-born Willowdale Live took to the stage with its opening show at the Left Hand Grange in Niwot on Friday, Aug. 9. Co-creators Andy Mann and Nick Dunbar presented a free double feature to the full house. First, award-winning National Geographic photographer-filmmaker Mann captivated the audience with the saga of his unconventional and awe inspiring career path in the presentation “Summits to Seas.” These days Mann’s camera captures his undaunted expeditions with cutting edge marine scientist...
About 100 years ago, Esther Anderson formed the Tip Top Sewing Club of Niwot, and the town's long relationship with 4-H was born. Over the decades, the local group has gone through various iterations, including the Niwot Calf Rustlers (ca. 1939), the Niwot Left Hand Challengers (1948-51), and the Niwot Needlers and Nibblers (1965-72), to name a few. For the past four decades, the club had been known as the Niwot Nifties, and they just wrapped up a highly successful stint at the 2019 Boulder...
ASSE International Student Exchange Programs student Vojtech, from the Czech Republic, is seeking a host family in Niwot, Colorado area. Vojtech has met all of the academic and character qualifications necessary to be accepted as an exchange student by ASSE. Hello! My name is Vojtech! I am excited to become a member of your family in the USA. At home in the Czech Republic, I enjoy playing the trumpet in my jazz/blues band with my friends. I practice the trumpet every day after school. My band even gets to perform at local festivals and...
Opting to avoid "a big fight with city council," the grassroots organization pushing for the creation of a regional library district has decided to withdraw its petition to add the measure to the 2019 Boulder County election ballot. Speaking at a gathering of supporters on July 28, Joni Teter of the Boulder Library Champions said that group's leadership started getting concerned after it became clear that the nine-member Boulder City Council still had reservations about the proposed district, wh...
This article is the third in a series, which explores various subdivision paving issues in unincorporated Boulder County. Of HOAs and PIDs Jeff Maxwell, the new director of Boulder County Transportation, is well aware of road conditions and the ensuing issues involving subdivisions in the unincorporated county. He was very clear about what county transportation can and cannot do. Whether working with HOAs or creating a PID (Public Improvement District), county transportation can only act as...
It’s high noon on a sunny Friday at Ollin Farms, and what would make a gorgeous still life of colorful zucchinis, eggplants, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, basil, and onions is anything but still. Hands are sorting, bunching, washing, and putting the veggies in coolers and crates to be transported to Saturday farmer’s markets. That’s where the public will get the grand effect of all of the shapes and hues of the produce. Many of the same hands working post-harvest are of interns who also plant...
Casey MacKenzie’s calm energy mirrors that of the Shire horses she has spent over a decade raising. Just stepping onto the MacKenzie Shires farm provides a sense of tranquility and peace in the heart of bustling Boulder County. Rolling green hills and open sky set the backdrop for a bright red barn and spacious turnouts, home to MacKenzie’s giant Shire horses. Eleven years ago, MacKenzie fell in love with her first Shire horse, named Zorro. This weanling was only the second horse she had ever ow...
More than 35 lecturers covering a broad spectrum of topics have captivated and informed audiences since the start of the Niwot Historical Society’s (NHS) Niwot Now and Then lecture series in 2011. Originally, Niwot’s history was the focus; delving into such topics as the historical role of the trains, Chief Niwot’s life, and the legend of Haystack Mountain. Gradually the lens of the lecture pulled out to explore more of Boulder County and the Front Range, examining archeological evidence of ea...
This article continues a monthly series about the artworks and artists chosen for Community Corner at Sculpture Park at the corner of 79th Street and Niwot Road. This month’s focus is “Ocean Embrace” by artist Glenn Murgacz. “Ocean Embrace” is made of quarter-inch stainless steel and features two figures reaching for one another and arcing down into a graceful wave. The piece is nestled in the trees on the south side of the park, where it creates a sense of continuity and wholeness. “Ocean Em...
A quick perusal of Niwot Market is all it takes to notice a new aesthetic throughout the floral department. That’s because Niwot Florist has been purchased by Susy Tallman Shams, a Lafayette resident of 25 years. As of Aug. 1, Tallman Shams took over this locally loved flower shop and plans to run it along with her daughter, Nina Shams. Newly renamed Juniper & Twine, the shop implemented a total design and brand overhaul, including the name change and interior design updates, but Tallman S...
What it lacks in air-conditioned palaces and fancy formal dinners, the year-long reign of the county fair queen more than makes up for in dusty arenas and long trips to distant horse shows. But Amber Nusser, the newly crowned 2020 Boulder County Fair Livestock Show Rodeo Queen, wouldn’t have it any other way. “It’s a lot of work, and a lot of hours, but I love it,” Nusser said after an appearance with her horse Miley during the 150th annual Boulder County Fair on Aug. 4. “It’s so unique to h...
The Lookout Alliance gathered on Wednesday, July 24 at The Left Hand Grange (195 2nd Avenue, Niwot) to discuss newly released reports on the air quality surrounding Boulder Reservoir. The group hosted Dr. Detlev Helmig, associate research professor at the University of Colorado’s Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, who presented the findings from the INSTAAR air quality testing lab at Boulder Reservoir. The lab pulls air samples to test oil and gas emissions coming into Boulder County. It i...
Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, or where they’d like to know your name and serve you a warm cup ‘o joe often. One of those friendly places is Niwot’s Old Oak Coffeehouse - thanks in large part to manager Hannah Carlson, this month’s Familiar Face. Customers at Old Oak are recipients of Carlson’s smiles, stellar customer service and culinary contributions, as well as her curatorship of art and music. Left Hand Valley Courier (LHVC) - Where did you grow up and what brou...
Plans to build a permanent storage facility and beverage tent in Whistle Stop Park are moving ahead, but the project co-sponsors Niwot Business Association (NBA) and Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA) still need to raise approximately $90,000 to fully fund the construction. According to Bruce Warren, NCAA president and Rock & Rails showrunner, the general contractor’s final cost estimate to construct the 990-square foot structure is just under $127,000. So far, the two organizations have r...
Editor's Note: The Niwot Patriotic Cookie Moms will be collecting for the Rock & Rails tip jars on August 8, not on August 1, as stated in the Courier's July 31 Community Calendar. Want to dance the evening away to some “joyful” rock and roll? Want to increase the happiness quotient by supporting our military members? You have the chance to enjoy both activities at the Aug. 8, Rock & Rails concert in Whistle Stop Park. While Something Underground plays what band members call “joyful rock,” all t...
Hello all. Greetings and salutations, hail fellow well-met, g’day milady. And how is everyone doing today? I’m asking that question not just as a matter of polite form, but rather because I genuinely want to know the answer. It’s something that’s been on my mind a lot recently. It’s a question that’s supposed to express, and model, a general civility. The word “civil” has generally passed into usage as synonymous with “polite.” But that’s a mistake; to be polite is just to observe and practice...
This column is designed to highlight good and bad government in the Niwot-Gunbarrel area. Readers are encouraged to email the Courier with descriptions of local events showing exemplary performance by our government officials in serving the people, as well as those actions that fall well short of that standard. This week’s column features assistance provided to the Niwot Community by the youngest members of the Boulder County Sheriff’s staff. Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle’s staff is often...
Last week’s issue covered the critical role pollinators play in food production and why the decline of pollinators should be getting everyone’s attention. This week, we’re exploring how individuals can help encourage and protect pollinating critters. Boulder County Colorado State University Horticulture Extension agent Deryn Davidson’s days are centered on disseminating information and taking action on behalf of pollinators. “One of the biggest issues is habitat loss,” Davidson said. “Our world...
Boulder County is now accepting applications for the Niwot Design Review Committee, a panel of local residents that serves as a referral agency for new development applications in the town’s historic district. The county is seeking five new members for the board, which meets on an as-needed basis to review new building proposals for compliance with design and aesthetic standards that preserve the historic character of downtown Niwot (paint color, building materials, signage). The NDRC then makes...
In an effort to help area families save some money, Niwot High is teaming up with Gunbarrel Family Medicine to provide free sports physicals to students participating in athletics in the upcoming 2019-20 school year. “Sports are expensive, from buying equipment, to fees, and everything else that goes with it,” new Cougars athletic director Joe Brown said. “So any opportunity we have to reach out to our community and find scholarship ways to help lower barriers for kids to participate, we want...
Anyone walking down Murray Street from 2nd Avenue was often treated to sweetly scented wafts of freshly baked pies emanating from the unassuming building on the west side of Murray Street, which is home to Excel Electric in the front and a locally loved pie shop, My Mom’s Pies in the back. Sadly, after years of baking, My Mom’s Pies has closed its doors. Owners Jeff Ballard and Kini Christie moved to Hawaii a few years ago and were running the store from across the Pacific. They relied heavily o...
Almost two years of conjecture around the reopening of Colterra Restaurant in Niwot was put to rest by a “For Sale” sign in the front yard as of Thursday, July 18. The 10,000 square foot corner lot at 210 2nd Avenue, including the historic Bader Building, and the scorched larger “barn” building, are being offered for $625,000. Public records show the property was last purchased for $1,150,000 in 2006 by the entity, Table 210 LLC, with a post office box in Niwot. Colterra Restaurant was owned a...
“Great oaks from little acorns grow,” and The Old Oak Coffeehouse in Niwot is no exception. Since its opening in July 2017, the small shop has become deeply rooted within the town and community of Niwot, and now serves as more than just a place to grab a cup of coffee. Though still a fairly new business, The Old Oak (136 2nd Avenue) has quickly become one of the most popular gathering spots in Niwot. Over the past two years, owners Michael Tomich and Patty Machen have continuously worked to imp...
