All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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Late last year, Boy Scout Troop 161 held their last Court of Honor for the fall. This year’s event had a room full of heavy hearts. David Louwers, a member of the troop who was tragically killed in a plane crash last June, was posthumously given the rank of Eagle Scout. His parents — Robert and Christina Louwers — were in attendance as David’s name was added to the plaque with the other names of the troop’s Eagle Scouts over the years. He was also given the Spirit of the Eagle Award, which is... Full story
The Boulder County Planning Commission has an opportunity to reconsider its earlier approval of the change in the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan that would pave the way for the City of Boulder and the Boulder Valley School District to build sorely needed affordable housing, up to 240 units, in the Twin Lakes area of Gunbarrel. For decades the City of Boulder has implemented policies which, while making Boulder a very desirable place to live, drive the cost of housing up, to the point where middle class families, not to mention lower income...
The Niwot Children’s Park has apparently been vandalized, according to a posting from Jan. 24 on the Niwot Children’s Park Facebook page. One of the park’s most notable and unique features are the small, custom-crafted, painted stone creatures—such as bats, insects, frogs, and lizards that inhabit the area—in various locations on the play structures and other elements throughout the park. Several of these stone animals have been severely damaged or destroyed, some appearing to have been chis... Full story
If you or someone you know gave birth at Boulder Community Hospital in the last year or so, there’s a good chance that newborn left the hospital wearing a hat knitted by longtime Niwot resident Hallie Pasko. It started, said Pasko, as she was “trying to figure out what to do with leftover bits of yarn,” the remains from other, larger knitting projects. Pasko knew the standard policy at BCH is to send newborn infants home with a free beanie, and she quickly put two and two together. Once she g...
Lagerman Reservoir is a little-known gem of the Boulder County Parks and Open Space system. Well, at least that’s the case for the human residents of Boulder County. It’s a different story for the local and migratory bird communities, and for one bird in particular. This winter bald eagles have turned Lagerman Reservoir into their local stomping ground. Bald eagles are a well-known success story of the environmental and nature conservation movements. By the mid-20th century the national eag...
“Jazz music is our gift from America to the world,” musician Tony Gulizia told an audience of fifth graders at Niwot Elementary School during an assembly on January 27, which was sponsored by the Niwot-based Colorado Jazz Group. Primarily known for organizing Niwot’s Jazz on Second Avenue festival, Colorado Jazz Group, the non-profit jazz advocacy organization, has launched a new partnership with the award-winning Vail Colorado based Jazz Goes to School program to bring jazz education to front range elementary schools. “We want to reach a... Full story
Clubs abound at Niwot High School, but one new offering, the Interact club, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Niwot, stands out because of its focus on service. “I’ve participated in various service opportunities, only to be disappointed by how impersonal and unrealistic they sometimes are,” said Vidhya Dev, NHS senior and club secretary. “Interact, however, is completely different. It is a club filled with people that truly want to help others.” The club started in the summer of 2015, after sev...
Are you a proponent of cultural exchange and do you have an extra room in the house? The American Scandinavian Student Exchange (ASSE) is looking for area families to host foreign exchange students. Originally formed in 1976 as a vehicle for student exchange between the U.S. and Sweden, ASSE has grown into an international organization which currently has over 1700 students placed in homes throughout the United States. Designated by the U.S. State Department as an “Exchange Visitor Program,” ASSE works in partnership with organizations in ove... Full story
Officers are currently slated for election for the 2017 Niwot Business Association next month for a one-year term. Tony Santelli is up for president, Deborah Read Fowler as vice president, Dayna Roane as treasurer and Linda Klueber as secretary. Write-ins are accepted at each position, and proxy votes can be cast for NBA members. Current Vice President Dan Hawk is not seeking to renew his position. Deborah Read Fowler is the only new name on the ballot and is a realtor in Niwot. Only NBA members will be able to cast votes on these positions...
Counting flood recovery and other projects, the Diagonal Highway corridor is going to be busy with construction work this spring. In the spirit of giving drivers advance warning, the Boulder County Department of Transportation has been putting up signs informing of dates and locations of work. The problem is, these signs and projects have been changing frequently for those who travel the area frequently. Per the department, here are the projects drivers can count on in the coming months: 71st Street at Boulder and Lefthand creeks This is betwee...
National fraternal organizations, including the Freemasons and Kiwanis International, are experiencing a decline in their memberships—with older members dying off and difficulty convincing younger recruits of the relevance of these long-standing institutions. Founded on community-and-civic-minded fun in 1900, the Boulder Elks Lodge #566 is no exception. Also known as the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the lodge at 3975 28th St. once had a thriving 4,000-person membership 30 years a...
Leading up to the Planning Commission hearing last Wednesday, the county responded to the Twin Lakes Action Group and other citizens commenting on the land use issue at hand. The statement released by the county reads as follows: “Over the weekend, Boulder County received a number of communications from Twin Lakes Action Group (TLAG) supporters questioning the validity of the Boulder County Planning Commission's 4-3 vote on September 21, 2016 to approve the request for the Medium Density change to the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan update f... Full story
Though City of Boulder planning staff submitted a revised affordable-housing proposal for the development of the land parcels abutting Twin Lakes Road in unincorporated Gunbarrel, local residents continued to contest the project at the Jan. 18 Boulder County Planning Commission hearing. The land-use change is proposed as the first step before pursuing annexation of the property to the City of Boulder. It was a public hearing only, with no vote taken, as one of the commissioners was absent. The decision regarding the land-use change designation...
The Niwot Inn has been under the direction of mother and daughter duo Cornelia and Carissa Sawle for just over a month, and they are excited with the new business. Cornelia is a native of the Chicago area, but lived in Colorado through several periods during her life. Carissa attended the University of Colorado for marketing. “My daughter loved being out here and talked me into coming back to Colorado, which wasn’t hard to do,” Cornelia said. Cornelia has owned restaurants in San Franc... Full story
Tired of the snow and cold and short winter days? Well, it’s time to stop whining about it, and instead start wining about it. This February, take the opportunity to turn those wintertime frowns upside-down at “Let’s Wine About Winter in Niwot.” This will be the third edition of the local annual event, which has grown in popularity each year. “We’ve had horrible weather and it was a blast, we’ve had beautiful weather and it was a blast,” said co-organizer Anne Postle, who owns Osmosis Gallery at 290 2nd Ave. in downtown Niwot. The event’s fir... Full story
It’s a loaded phrase for women of a certain age to be told they’re “aging gracefully.” Usually it means they look young for their age, as if showing signs of growing old is a bad thing. Since the ramifications of the aging process are inevitable, that message has fostered a multi-billion dollar industry aimed to counter its effects (projected at $216 billion for 2016, according to Zion Market Research). As a result, there’s a myriad of elixirs and treatments geared to augment, suction, peel, boost, tuck and enhance. “[Companies are] making mill... Full story
The Advisory Committee to the Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) held its first meeting of 2017 on Tuesday, Jan. 3. District revenues dominated the discussion, as members welcomed representatives from the State of Colorado Department of Revenue to respond to several concerns related to sales tax collection in Niwot. They also reviewed budget projections for 2017, and considered three funding requests for upcoming streetscape expenses. Co-Chair Laura Skaggs called the meeting to order...
A “very lovely” park bench donated by the Niwot Community Association remains “rather homeless” in Niwot as NCA members work to find an agreed-upon location for the bench, NCA Board members were told at their Jan. 11 meeting. The metal park bench, which was donated by the NCA in 2016, is in storage until a permanent location can be found. Originally the NCA had discussed locating it near 1914 House restaurant on Second Avenue, but that location turned out not to be suitable. So now the NCA is working with the Cottonwood Park West Homeown...
Winter finds adults spending more time indoors, keeping warm and making plans for the rest of the year. This season also encourages self-reflection and time to initiate the changes you’ve been considering. Fortunately, this community is bursting with opportunities to exercise the mind, body, and spirit. Here is a sampling of self-improvement projects to consider: Discover your innate musical talent: Christopher Macor will get you started and soon you’ll be accompanying yourself in the bathtub instead of singing acapella in the shower. Mac...
Heatherwood Elementary School invites parents of incoming kindergarteners for the 2017-18 school year to a registration tour event on Wednesday, Jan. 25, from 11:30-12:30. Parents can come meet current kindergarten teachers, get general information about kindergarten, and take a tour of the school. Staff will also be available to assist families with registering through the BVSD online system after the tour. In addition, Heatherwood asks families to mark their calendars for the Kinder Kickoff Orientation for parents and students on Tuesday,... Full story
Sancho’s Authentic Mexican Restaurant will be opening a second location at 6545 Gunpark Drive in Gunbarrel next month. Owner Shawn Camden and his staff have had to do extensive work to the building and are waiting on approval to begin operating. “It’s pretty stressful to be honest,” Camden said. “There are a lot of challenges. We had to do a major renovation here.” Some of the work included installing a hood and other equipment in the kitchen, but Camden says it has been worth it. “We’re super excited,” he said. “The community has been very sup...
Niwot resident and independent filmmaker Dennis Hefter wrapped the shooting of his comedy, Army & Coop! in December. The script took two years to write and four weeks to shoot, and was filmed with an all-Colorado cast and crew using local venues, including Lefty’s Gourmet Pizza on Second Avenue. Most of the scenes were set at Mudrock’s Tap & Tavern in Louisville, where the story’s love triangle plays out, as well as the Karing Kind dispensary in Boulder and the Sports Stable in Superior, where... Full story
The Boulder County Planning Commission will be reconsidering a land use decision made last October for the Twin Lakes area on Jan. 18. The meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. and proceed as usual.The commission estimates that discussion on Twin Lakes will begin around 4:30pm at the Boulder County Courthouse, 1325 Pearl Street, Boulder. A land use designation change for parcels on the 6500 and 6600 blocks of Twin Lakes Road along with the zero block of Kalua Road are in question. The commission will be hearing written and oral comments on the...
The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office is currently accepting applications for the County Sheriffs of Colorado (CSOC) scholarship. The scholarship program awards approximately thirty $500 scholarships every academic school year state-wide. Any permanent legal resident of Boulder County who plans to enroll in a vocational training program or institution of higher learning in the state of Colorado as a full or part-time student for the 2017-2018 school year is eligible. Those who have received scholarships in previous years may apply again and be c... Full story
Bogey’s Eatery and Spirits has spent the last few weeks under new owner Dan King, and things are looking good. King purchased the restaurant on Dec. 19, and has been settling in while considering some changes. “We’re giving ourselves a little time to meet our customers and get to know the staff,” King said. “We will ultimately change the name and do some tweaking around with the menu. We’ll put kind of our spin on it.” King, who formerly owned the Boulder Outlook Hotel, said one of the change...
Lika Gipis, owner of Sunflower Kids Art Studio at 6545 Gunpark Drive is continuing a tradition of creativity and imagination in the arts. The studio has been at its current location for over two years, but the idea has been in place for 17, starting in Gipis’ parents’ basement. “Originally it was started by my mom 17 years ago,” Gipis said. “I took over in my first year of art school. It was in the basement and only had my parents’ friend’s kids, it wasn’t public like it is now.” Gipis got her education in graphic design and uses those talents...
On Dec. 5, 2016 the Boulder County Sheriff’s office filed a report of criminal mischief with respect to graffiti along the Cottontail Trail in Gunbarrel. On Jan. 1, 2017 Gunbarrel Estates neighbors started removing it. The incident was reported by Gunbarrel Estates resident John Fay and investigated by Sheriff’s Deputy Connor Pontiakos. The graffiti was found east of North 71st St. along the Cottontail Trail by the Boulder and Left Hand Ditch, in two separate locations. The first location is... Full story
Get your retro and vintage groove on in downtown Niwot while you still can. Longtime 2nd Avenue institution Rockin’ Robin’s is moving. All the details have yet to be finalized, but Dennis Perez, who along with his wife is the co-owner of Rockin’ Robin’s, said the new location will be on Main Street in Longmont, and that the move will take place sometime in the spring. Perez, who also owns HMK Jewelers in Cottonwood Square, purchased the business from former owner Robin Abb in December 2015. H... Full story
People tend to feel strongly about New Year’s resolutions. They either never make them (“I don’t need any improvement” one gentleman told me), or they make them religiously every year and keep track of their progress on spreadsheets—like my friend Jamie, who’s on the fast track to becoming a career novelist at 29 years of age. While the New Year might seem like an arbitrary marker to some, the turning of the calendar page can act as a kind of reset button for those good intentions that fell l...
On October 26, 2016, 19-year-old Jared Lizakowski died in a motorcycle accident on Niwot Road. Lizakowski, who lived in Niwot and worked at Niwot Rental and Feed, was also a student at Boulder Drum Studio. His teacher of four years was Larry Bennett. With 35 years of experience — the last 14 being in Colorado, Bennett decided to remember Lizakowski with a new program called Drumming for Jared. Bennett remembers Jared fondly, recalling recitals and lessons. “Jared was a great student, we bon... Full story
I’m going to teach the fashion industry a lesson. I’m going naked. No, I’m not protesting the slaughter of innocent polyesters. I want to give fashion designers an object lesson in reality. Make clothes that real people can wear or else… Women’s fashion can be a mystery and it starts in early childhood. Clothing categories are labeled as infants, toddlers and little girls with sizes marked in either months, “T”s or regular numbers. For the most part the kids’ age matches the number of the size. But if you are a girl, you eventually hit... Full story
Both St. Vrain Valley and Boulder Valley school districts are closed today due to weather....
Lucky Pie Pizza and Tap House is working towards opening another location on the lower level of the Link building at 7916 Niwot Road, the southeast corner of the intersection of 79th Street and Niwot Road in Cottonwood Square. This new restaurant will join their Denver and original Louisville locations some time next year. “It’s pretty early to say,” co-owner James Samara said. “I’d guess mid-2017 would be a fair bet. It could be as early as April or as late as July.” The restaurant is locally-owned and is known for its wide variety of...
Last week, the Colorado Supreme Court denied a request from subdivision residents in Boulder County to review the Court of Appeals’ decision in a suit against the county concerning the paving and upgrades of subdivision roads. This decision marks the third time the courts have stated that BoCoFIRM — the organization representing residents — cannot sue the county commissioners over the condition of rural subdivision roads. In June 2016, the Colorado Court of Appeals upheld the district court’s dismissal of the lawsuit. Following last week’s...
The Colorado Court of Appeals rejected an appeal by Citizens for Quiet Skies and six individual plaintiffs, led by Kimberly Gibbs of Gunbarrel. The court’s decision, which came just 10 days after the case was argued by attorneys during a Court of Appeals session at Fairview High School, affirmed substantially all of District Judge Judy LaBuda’s ruling. Judge Roman wrote the opinion for the court and was joined by Judges Lichtenstein and Freyre. The plaintiffs sued Mile-Hi Skydiving Center, Inc., which operates out of Vance Brand Airport in Lon...
Don’t leave your holiday waste for others to clean up. While some of the material pictured is recyclable, the corrugated boxes need to be broken down and placed in the bins. These bins are for single-stream processing. According to the Boulder County recycling website, single-stream recycling “means all recyclable containers and recyclable paper materials are combined in one bin.” For hard to recycle items, CHaRM (Center for Hard or Recycle Materials) accepts electronics, scrap metal, mattr...
Snow on the ground got you down, golfers? Well, Becky Clark at Haystack Mountain Golf Course just might have the cure for your wintertime blues. Clark is the golf pro at Haystack Mountain, and she runs a “virtual golf” operation in a small, cozy building just north of the main clubhouse. Inside there’s a tee-box in the center of the room, from which you take your swings; with real clubs, with which you strike a real ball. After that, the “virtual” part takes over. The set-up includes video cameras, motion-capture machinery beneath the tee-box,... Full story
If you love playing games, there’s a place around the corner that’s ready to become your new home away from home. Karliquin’s Game Knight in Gunbarrel is under new ownership. James and Kayla Laird recently purchased the business from former owner Jackson Wood, and the Lairds are busy with the process of enacting their specific vision for the storefront. The focus is less on retail, and more on creating a gathering space for the local community. James and Kayla moved here from Louisiana, where James worked as the senior engineer in a river...
Boulder County Commissioners approved the final budget for the 2017 fiscal year last week. The county’s budget is set at $422,451,547 with a mill levy of 24.064. It is important to note that 2016 was a year where the county did not update appraisals, as they do bi-annually. The next update to the county’s valuation will occur in May 2017 and will be reflected in the 2018 budget. In the 2015 appraisal, the county’s valuation increased 19 percent, but the county is limited to a 5.5 percent increase in mill levies per state statute. According to C...
If you’re looking for something stylish at a great price, you need to visit ShopGirl consignment store at its new location in Cottonwood Shopping Center. The consignment store moved in to the space formerly occupied by Sugar Beet Station on Dec. 12. Owner Rita Williamson said she opened the original shop in the walkway between Cottonwood and the Niwot Market on April, 15. “We moved to get a better location,” Williamson said. The new location also has a bit more space, and great natural light... Full story
The county’s road and bridge department has their official budget for 2017, a total of roughly $39 million. Of those monies, $13 million will be spent on flood recovery in the James Canyon area, the Wagon Wheel Gap, bridges along the South St. Vrain including the primary bridge and roads in the Four Mile Canyon area. “Those are the major projects that will get started,” Boulder County Director of Transportation George Gerstle said. “As we get the bids in and how much they’ll actually cost, we’ll go back to the commissioners for the funding. “B... Full story
Boulder County Parks and Open Space will have about $775,000 allocated for their basic capital 2017 budget. Throw in the addition of grants, partnerships with other entities, and carry over from last year, the department will have $2,641,569 for the scheduled 2017 projects. These monies are used for a wide variety of expenditures. The department breaks it down into six categories; agriculture, ecosystems, forestry, historic preservation, public education and recreation/facilities. The department has many projects scheduled to either be... Full story
The photos with mall Santa have been taken, the sugar cookies on the counter are a bit stale and the sledding hill is showing some bare spots. Still, several long days stretch ahead before the kids go back to school. How to deal with post holiday cabin fever? Here are some unconventional suggestions near and far to fill those many hours. Always phone or check the website for dates and hours before arriving. Sunflower ArT Studio Drop the kids off for the antidote to electronics at this welcoming studio in the Gunbarrel Shopping Center. Monika... Full story
Ok ladies, we’re back. I want to thank you for tuning into the first interactive radio broadcast for Super Uber/Competitive Parenting. Not that any of us have to worry, because in the world of parenting, my audience is always at the top of the parenting food chain. I have to say that I did find some inspiration in an article I found while perusing USA Today as I was also making some killer stock trades. According to an interview super uber/competitive parent and self described “Alpha Mom” Constance Van Flandern, “I’m at my Alpha-Mom... Full story
St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church 4775 Cambridge Street Christmas Eve Services @ 4 p.m., 8 p.m., and 10 p.m. Niwot United Methodist Church 7405 Lookout Road Christmas Eve Service @ 7 p.m. Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church 7707 Harvest Road Christmas Eve Service @ 5 p.m. Valmont Community Presbyterian Church 3262 61st Street Christmas Eve Service @ 7 p.m. Sts. Peter & Paul Greek Orthodox Church 5640 Jay Road Nativity Great Vespers @ 5 p.m. Rocky Mountain Christian Church 9447 Niwot Road Christmas Eve Services @ 3:30 p.m., 5 p.m., & 7 p.m....
One highlight of the holiday season for many families is shopping for gifts. For seven-year-old Kaden Hoppes, these annual trips to the store take on a special purpose. Kaden accompanies his mom Sarah Hoppes, Bank of the West assistant vice president, to purchase toys for the Kindness for Kids program. “He never asks to get anything for himself,” Sarah said. “He is truly a kind soul.” Spreading tidings of joy is a year-round activity for this second-grader. Kaden often spends time at a senior...
Fears regarding the breakdown of language in the modern age of text-messaging and internet-based communication were alleviated on Wednesday, Dec. 7, by the stellar performance of contestants in the annual Niwot Elementary School Spelling Bee. Eleven contestants from grades three through five battled their way through several rounds in the Niwot Elementary gymnasium before an audience composed of their (mostly) attentive fellow students from grades two to five, along with teachers,...
In its final meeting of 2016, the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee (LID) turned its attention to administrative matters, including a look at the final 2016 budget figures and revisions to the Niwot Strategic Plan. The meeting was called to order by Co-Chair Carrie Wise. After approving the minutes from last month’s meeting, the committee reviewed the final financial figures for the year. In total, the LID approved 22 funding requests for more than $130,000 during 2016, e...
Third-grader Nuala Dougherty has been working hard, and it’s paying off. The eight-year-old recently took fourth place in the regional competition for Traditional Irish Dancing wearing her dress that was custom-made in Belfast, Northern Ireland. “I pretty much love it because it’s fun,” Nuala said. “And there are a lot of cool steps. I love it. I got fourth place, it was amazing.” Nuala’s mother Melanie said that she started almost two years ago, and has made a lot of friends in the process.... Full story
A public meeting facilitated by officials of the Boulder County transportation department was held Dec. 7 in a packed room at Niwot Elementary School. The meeting aimed to gather community input about the county’s continuing Quiet Zones’ efforts, and to further explain the project costs and timelines. Based on the majority of the crowd’s reactions, the project couldn’t proceed fast enough. This was the first in what will be a series of similar Q&A opportunities. Communications special... Full story
