All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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Government officials in Colorado will have to be more transparent about closed-door executive sessions and other internal communications after the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that Boulder County violated the state's sunshine laws during the debate over development of the Twin Lakes Open Space. In a published opinion released in April, the appellate court reversed key portions of two rulings made by Boulder District Court Judge Thomas Mulvahill against Gunbarrel resident Kristin Bjornsen,...
Niwot Community Association board members agreed at their June 5 meeting to try a different approach with Boulder County Commissioners to find a solution for fixing subdivision roads. County officials are in the process of adding a public health element to the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan. The proposed element includes a goal of “transportation pathways that are safe and accessible for all residents regardless of geography or transportation mode….” “I think we can approach transportation sa...
Conversion of Boulder County leased farmland to genetically modified-free zones has been extended by county commissioners for another two years for corn crops and four additional years for sugar beet crops. The highly-charged issue brought out concerned citizens and farmers, making for standing room only during the June 3 hearing. Fiddling with the genetics of the seeds isn’t the biggest issue. It’s the chemicals added to the seeds, glyphosates (found in Roundup) and neonicotinoids (ne...
Each year, the Niwot Chiefs Cool Car Club gathers in Longmont for its annual Cars & Coffee for a Cause event. Car enthusiasts from all over park their beloved automobiles in the Texas Roadhouse parking lot and spend the day marveling at other restored classics. This past Saturday marked the 4th annual Cars & Coffee for a Cause and drew an enthusiastic crowd. This unique event is the brainchild of Bill Shaffer, a local UPS driver who sought to make a difference and share his passion for classic...
It’s counterintuitive for us animal lovers to stumble across a seemingly stranded young wild animal, and leave it alone. Our motherly instincts kick in and we feel compelled to pick up that irresistible young creature thinking we just saved its life. According to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife, (CPW) nothing can be further from the truth. Sharon Schaller, senior wildlife biologist said, “We are asking that the public take responsibility and play a part of protecting Colorado’s young wildl...
The family-owned Bank of Estes Park first opened its doors in the friendly mountain town in 1965. It remained a one-branch bank until 1994 when the family opened a satellite bank here in Niwot. Now, that branch is turning the big 2-5 and big changes are afoot, according to Vice President/Branch Manager Wanda Fisher. Most noticeable are the physical changes. In fact, the entire bank got a total overhaul, completely changing the interior and practically doubling its size. The bank took over part...
The first Rock & Rails concert of 2019, produced by the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA) and the Niwot Business Association, drew quite a crowd. Guests arrived early to grab spots in the shade and close to the stage. The sky set a pretty magical backdrop, its gentle sunset mingling with an approaching evening storm, which held off until after the 9 p.m. end of the event. There was a major difference between this year’s Rock & Rails and prior seasons, felt by volunteers and attendees a...
The skies over the Innovation Center were buzzing on Saturday, June 1 as dozens of remote controlled planes and drones took to the air during the first annual AeroFest, an open flight and competitive racing event hosted by students in the St. Vrain Valley School District’s aeronautics program. “As far as I know, this is the largest youth program that we’ve ever put together,” said Richard McCaskill of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, a co-sponsor of the event. “It was all put together...
Niwot’s Caleb Bishop started flying tiny remote controlled drones when he was tiny himself, and as he’s grown, so has his passion for aircraft and avionics. Now a top student in St. Vrain’s aeronautics program at the Innovation Center, Bishop has proved adept not only at piloting complex unmanned machines, but in building and fabricating them as well. The rising senior will get a chance to hone his skills even further, after he was awarded a scholarship to attend the Academy of Model Aeron...
There’s nothing better than a cold beverage on those hot summer nights at Rock & Rails, and this year, organizers are raising money to make getting one a little easier on concert-goers. Last month, the Niwot Business Association (NBA) and the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA) announced that most of the proceeds from the 2019 series will be used to fund the construction of a permanent building in Whistle Stop Park that will be used for beverage sales, as well as storage of large items u...
So look, I don’t want to be a negative nancy, I really don’t. I would much rather talk and write about the abundant wonder and beauty of this world. But it’s impossible for me to think or speak about the development of the Front Range and put on a happy face. I think the most fundamental of all civic values, of the ideas that guide how we interact with one another, is to tell the truth. The basic unit of any successful, healthy, happy society, is that when I speak to you, you can trust that...
Edward “Ed” Parks Conilogue, 80, of Niwot, Colorado passed away May 29, 2019 at Good Samaritan Hospital in Lafayette. A lifelong Niwot resident, Ed was born Aug. 31, 1938 to Evart “Toots” and Annadell Conilogue, he resided on the property until his death. Ed graduated from Longmont High School in 1956, and proudly served in the United States Army and Army Reserve until 1963. On December 9, 1962, Carol Elaine Hall and Edward were married until Carol passed in 2015. They were married for 53 years. They continued a Conilogue Family tradition of li...
Next fall, students and staff will notice huge changes when they return to Niwot High School. Renovations will occur both inside and outside the building. There will be new signage outside the school as you walk into the front patio entrance. Athletes will enjoy the newly resurfaced track. In addition, the tennis courts will be expanded from six to eight and refurbished. Inside the school, solar tubes will be installed allowing natural light to come in from the ceilings. The commons area will...
On March 2, Niwot United Methodist Church (NUMC) hosted its 23rd annual Soup, Soup and More community dinner. Each year, the church selects a local organization or charity as the benefactor of all funds raised. Proceeds from this year’s community dinner went to Boulder Attention Homes to help furnish the non-profit’s 40 new apartments in downtown Boulder. The Soup, Soup and More dinner was a success and event organizer, Janet Gates, couldn’t be happier. Around 80 guests braved the snowy eveni...
This article continues a monthly series about the artworks and artists chosen for Community Corner at Sculpture Park at the corner of 79th St and Niwot Road. We pick up with “Aviator” and “Peacemaker” by artist Bobbie Carlyle. “Aviator” — featuring a young boy suspended in air while playing—has been in the Sculpture Park since its opening last fall. “Peacemaker” is the latest dramatic addition to the sculpture park, installed last month, and now greets visitors at the eastern entrance to...
Two years after its inception, the J.A.R.E.D. Foundation continues its march forward to bring music education to students who could use a boost. The organization, which stands for Join A Revolution, Educate Drummers & other musicians, was formed in the summer of 2017 by Surinder and Renae Dahiya and Jerry Lizakowski after their son, Jared Lizakowski, died in a motorcycle accident on NIwot Road in October 2016. The Dahiyas and Lizakowski wanted to honor Jared, who had been passionate about music...
Take one sunny Saturday morning in late spring, add a dash of pomp and circumstance, plus a handful of well-aged platitudes, then sprinkle liberally over 250 or so green cap and gown-clad teenagers, and you have all the makings of a perfect Niwot High commencement ceremony. Such was the scene on Saturday, May 25 as the Class of 2019 gathered together for a final time and marked the official end of their high school journeys. “I want to congratulate you seniors on a triumphant conclusion to y...
On May 15, the Boulder County Planning Commission unanimously recommended 8-0 that plans to build Jack’s Solar Garden at 8102 95th Street move ahead and be presented to the Boulder County Commissioners on Thursday, June 13. The first of its kind in Boulder County, the five-acre co-habitation of solar energy generation and agriculture is being proposed by Byron Kominek, a third generation owner of the farmland. Kominek successfully passed muster with Boulder County land use staff demonstrating t...
Sunshine and smiles were the order of the day at the Niwot High Class of 2019 graduation ceremony on Saturday, May 25. A good-natured throng crowded the hill above the football field to watch more than 250 seniors cross the stage and start the next chapter in their lives....
The University of Colorado Boulder’s 10th annual GoldLab Symposium culminated with the inspirational story of Mila’s Miracle Foundation (MMF) as told by Julia Vitarello, Founder and CEO of MMF, and Dr. Timothy Yu M.D., Ph.D. Local resident Vitarello and Boston-based Yu used a tag-team presentation to describe a profound scientific breakthrough in personalized medicine for Vitarello’s daughter Mila, and its far-reaching implications. Larry Gold, CU professor of molecular cellular and devel...
Colorado can boast the best of many attractions--the mountains and the vistas--and also some of the most unique. Our beautiful and strange state is also home to over 1,500 ghost towns. The research and documentation of these eerie spots is Michael Sinnwell’s passionate hobby and is on display for anyone with internet access. Sinnwell, a Niwot resident, first began exploring ghost towns when he moved to Colorado in the early 1980s, but he blames his interest in historical local oddities on his f...
Fly Away Home is celebrating two big happenings - the home décor business has landed in its permanent home at Cottonwood Square Shopping Center and will be offering the talent of another local business, Zone913. Kathy Trauner, owner of Fly Away Home, has signed a two year lease for the corner space that started out at first as a pop-up holiday season shop. A steady flow of customers getting hooked on the unique home accents proved to Trauner that there’s demand for the reasonably priced de...
Those of us new to the area may not know about the Niwot Garden Club that began in 1938 and disbanded in the late 1980s. Pat Murphy of Niwot Realty was a member for about 10 years. “The garden club started with a group of women who were very knowledgeable and serious about gardening,” Murphy said. “Most members had specific roles and duties and the club was very organized. They were very committed. They built the original gazebo whose replica remains at Whistle Stop Park today.” The founder...
After a long, cold winter, Niwot residents are ready to get out and savor Colorado in all of its summer-time glory. Rock & Rails is back bringing entertaining performances to our community all summer long. Lovingly referred to as the neighbors’ largest block party, Rock & Rails provides tenured residents the chance to bump into old friends and catch up, while also giving new residents the perfect excuse to get involved and be a part of this great community. The 14th annual Rock & Rails kicks o...
If you are one of the 120,000 property owners in Boulder County who have received a notice of property valuation in recent weeks, you are likely to have rolled back on your heels for a moment. The compulsory biennial recalculation of property values is close to 18 percent higher for Niwot residential properties than the previous county-assigned values. Niwot was on the high end of value upticks in the county, with the increases beginning at around nine percent. Although the demand for property...
I miss the mall. It’s hard to believe that things have gotten to the point where I think of the mall as a progressive, community-oriented piece of infrastructure. But considering what’s replaced it, yeah the mall wins, hands down. The specific mall I’m thinking of was called Crossroads Mall, which used to occupy the area of Boulder known now as “29th Street.” It had two stories, several department store anchors and lots of small specialty shops: bookshops, music shops, poster shops, shoe shop...
I miss the mall. It’s hard to believe that things have gotten to the point where I think of the mall as a progressive, community-oriented piece of infrastructure. But considering what’s replaced it, yeah the mall wins, hands down. The specific mall I’m thinking of was called Crossroads Mall, which used to occupy the area of Boulder known now as “29th Street.” It had two stories, several department store anchors and lots of small specialty shops: bookshops, music shops, poster shops, shoe shop...
Barb Van Winkle, Teacher Barb Van Winkle has worked for St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) for 31 years. She started at Niwot Elementary 24 years ago, where she taught fifth grade for a few years and then taught gifted and talented students for another 21 years. She said the students and parents in Niwot are wonderful. NES Principal Nancy Pitz said, “Barb has impacted thousands of lives throughout her teaching career. I will always remember her love for all students, her passion for the G...
The small two-story red brick building at 290 2nd Avenue, now Osmosis Art and Architecture was originally a Seventh Day Adventist church. When the congregation of the church disbanded in the late 1920’s, the building was renovated into a residence by Harry Slater. That’s most likely when the bell tower sitting atop the structure was removed. Local historian Anne Dyni has a photo of the building in one of her books. The building’s present owner Anne Postle said, “Ever since I bought it and Ann...
For more than 30 years, the Left Hand Grange has been a weekly hotspot for area bridge players. April marked the end of an era for Niwot’s Bridge Club when Jim Steele, the director of the Tuesday night games, died from injuries he received as a pedestrian in a hit and run accident. Steele, 82, was known as a man of many talents. He was an accomplished metallurgic engineer, a jubilant dancer, a performing poet, and an excellent bridge teacher. He was often spotted dancing at Rock and Rails events...
A bear visited Niwot last Tuesday, May 14. First reported midday Monday in south Longmont, Colorado Wildlife officers weaved through the area with each report of a sighting, but were unable to locate him. Another call, at 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, placed the migrating bear near Hover Road and Highway 119, but an officer didn’t set eyes on him until he’d spent some quality time hanging out in Niwot’s Overbrook neighborhood and his stopover was publicized on the Nextdoor app in the late afternoon. The b...
A teacher’s job description doesn’t fit a set list of responsibilities, chronologically checked off and completed at the end of each day. In fact, the job description is ever-changing and unique to the day. Good teachers take on a variety of roles including mentor, advocate, or even friend during difficult transitions and personal hardships. Good teachers stay late, reinventing lesson plans and tirelessly answering parent emails. Good teachers return each day, patience renewed and ready to tac...
It was a night of full of laughter, full bellies, and good cheer. The Rotary Club club of Niwot, along with over 200 guests, celebrated the ninth annual Wine, Cheese, and Chocolate Extravaganza at the Longmont Museum on Saturday, May 18. Ron Grunzweig, this year’s President of Niwot Rotary, has been coming to the group’s marquee event for nine years, and said, “It’s the most successful event that has been done. I want to thank Lucky’s Market for supporting us for the past several years for...
Last week’s column was focused on the usefulness of the most well-known unwanted plant in American yards—the humble dandelion. Hopefully after learning more about the furry yellow flowers, more folks are interested in exploring the possibilities that there are plants growing all around us that are useful, tasty, and ‘weeds’ in perception alone. Just because they aren’t sold in stores or at farmers’ markets doesn’t mean they aren’t nutritious, delicious and edible. A walk in your neighborhood ca...
Spring has sprung--finally. Warmer weather means more opportunities to stroll around the neighborhood, and more neighborhood strolls bring all sorts of small wonders and little joys. A favorite little joy? Little Free Libraries abound in Gunbarrel, providing plenty of opportunities to check out a book or leave a book. Enjoy an evening neighborhood walk after dinner and pick up an interesting volume to read at bedtime....
It was a busy month for the Niwot LID advisory committee, with a host of summer events on the funding docket, and some new business regarding liability. Things got rolling with Bruce Rabeler and the monthly treasurer’s report. On the revenue side, the county reported that LID businesses collected $25,585 in revenue during the first two months of 2019, down from 2017 ($27,290), but up from 2018, though the latter total is still not finalized due to what appears to be an erroneous credit that t...
Taddiken’s bright red trucks, adorned with whimsically painted tree branches, are a welcome sight throughout Boulder County. For 16 years, this locally owned and operated company has served the Front Range with their holistic approach to tree health, fostering a symbiotic relationship between man and nature. Recently, Taddiken is prioritizing projects that work to uplift and bolster the arborist industry throughout Colorado. Needing a larger workforce and wanting to provide an alternative to t...
We live in Boulder County, which clearly loves dandelions and eschews herbicides. With the mounting proof of the harmful effects of common herbicides, such as Roundup, I feel lucky to be surrounded by the sweet and furry yellow flowers that pop up in most people’s yards, on highway medians and next to sidewalks. However, I still see some neighbors with big jugs of herbicide, spraying away anything that’s not part of their garden aesthetic. It’s a free country, and folks are welcome to do as they...
He makes his living diving down more than a hundred feet to capture astonishing images of marine life and he lives in a barn in Niwot. Go figure. But Andy Mann’s work is about more than pretty pictures. Mann has quite the tale to tell. In 2003, at the age of 23, he moved to Boulder from Virginia for the mountains and the bluegrass music scene. A co-worker from The Sink restaurant asked Mann to come climbing and scaling the side of a mountain instantly became his obsession. Mann moved to E...
In theory it took a year and a half for Flagstaff Academy to be awarded the national designation of a School to Watch (STW), but in fact the award’s rigorous objectives have been in the works far longer than that. One of only 18 Colorado schools currently holding the title, Flagstaff Academy is also the first and only charter school to have earned the award. The STW program began in 1999 and is administered through the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform, and within Colorado is c...
As if the recent measles outbreaks among unvaccinated youth in the United States wasn’t worrisome enough, there are recent reports that older, previously vaccinated adults could possibly contract the disease. In 2019 alone, from Jan. 1 to May 3, 764 individual cases of measles have been confirmed in 23 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since 1994 and since measles was declared eliminated in 2000. Colorado, one of the states with reported cases, h...
This planet is a wonderful teacher. Explore anything in nature closely and you will find all sorts of intriguing lessons to ponder. A couple months ago I shared the story of the largest and oldest tree in the world, Pando. A single clonal organism of Aspen that is a small forest in itself. Pando reminds us of the concept of diversity, especially as it relates to trees and natural ecosystems. Pando is a clone and has no genetic diversity. Overgrazing of young sprouts by cattle and deer has...
Calling it “an emotional decision,” co-owner Leslie Kaczeus confirmed that she and husband Steve will be closing Bootstrap Brewing Company’s Niwot taproom as soon as they are able to find a suitable buyer for the property. “It’s time for us to pass the torch to a new owner to reinvent this space,” she said. “We’re hoping to get a brew pub in there that can have a full liquor license and still serve our beer, make their own, serve other products—that would be the ideal situation.” Kacze...
It might be part of the human condition--we can be surrounded by magnificence and bounty in nature, but can’t always recognize or appreciate its value. Sometimes it takes a visitor or outsider to help us appreciate and protect that which we take for granted, because it has always been part of our surroundings. And on behalf of frogs and toads in the Andes, four St. Vrain Valley students have taken on that role of educating outsider, creating an environmental comic book to help remote Peruvian v...
Filmmaker Adam Rosenberg’s creations may make you cover your eyes, but you’ll be peeking through your fingers so you don’t miss a thing. Rosenberg’s post on Nextdoor let us in on his latest short film, The Runs. The final scene takes place in his own hood, Cottonwood East. Rosenberg warned, “Beware, the film relies heavily on potty humor,” and that wasn’t an analogy. It took about a day for anyone to comment on his post. Perhaps it was because the film starts with a man on the toilet, which...
Each year, the University at Colorado-Boulder honors secondary educators across the state who go “above and beyond to support students as they pursue their higher education dreams.” This year, one of those honorees is Niwot High computer science teacher Teresa Ewing, who was described by Principal Eric Rauschkolb as a “kid magnet.” “Niwot High is a stronger school as a whole because of Teresa Ewing. She has a passion for computer science education; she really loves kids, and she combines...
To the Editor: The following comments are related to Bruce Warren’s Editorial in the May 1st Courier entitled: ‘Broken Trust in Niwot.’ However, first of all we would like to say…Welcome back, Biff. We hope you continue to heal and regain your strength. There are a few misconceptions in his article that need clarification. - Biff states: “In 1996, the county prepared an alley study, which concluded that commercial property owners on 2nd Avenue should have very limited access to the alley,while 3rd Avenue residents were allowed full use of th...
Besides the obvious deliciousness listed in the title Wine, Cheese and Chocolate Tasting, the fundraising event hosted by The Rotary Club of Niwot also hits on some other high notes – an evening of musical entertainment, the opportunity to take home fabulous auction items, while giving to the community. The venue for the ninth anniversary of the notable event is the Longmont Museum and the evening is Saturday, May 18, from 5 to 9 p.m. One hundred percent of proceeds go toward the Rotary C...
Dawson School recently held two of its students' favorite annual events - Rube Goldberg Day and El Mercado. While one teaches science and engineering and the other is focused on Spanish, both are examples of the engaged and relevant learning that is a priority at Dawson. RUBE GOLDBERG DAY: When is the last time you heard sixth graders casually having conversations with each other about a fulcrum? This marvelous annual event invites sixth-graders to create an unnecessarily complicated answer to a...
If I were God, looking down from on high, it’s one of those situations where I’d consider breaking my long-standing policy of non-intervention. I wouldn’t, though; as always I’d just sigh, and ruefully shake my head. Since I’m not God, however, I don’t have that option. Instead I have to participate, daily, in the frustrating inscrutability of the stoplights that govern the intersection of Niwot Road and the Diagonal. Part of what makes it especially maddening is its inconsistency. Sometimes i...
