All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
Sorted by date Results 3870 - 3919 of 4144
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
According to Boulder County Transportation, there will be a culvert installation at Glendale Gulch (approximately seven miles up the canyon from US 36). The department will have a closure on Monday, Dec. 19 and Tuesday, Dec. 20 to set a crane to install the culverts. The road will be closed from 6:30 a.m. to noon and 12:15 to 4:30 p.m. both days. It will open for 15 minutes at noon to let cars pass in each direction. After this project is completed, travel though the canyon will be completely...
A new window developed by Niwot-based Alpen High Performance Products (Alpen HPP) breaks previous R-value thermal resistance records, a boon for energy-conscious Boulder County residents. Designers and manufacturers of energy efficient windows and doors, Alpen HPP announced a new product Dec. 7 that delivers an R10 insulating factor—the Zenith Series ZR10 double-film fixed picture window. The window system exceeds U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) ENERGY STAR® certification requirements, and...
Bells rang out holiday carols at Barnes and Noble as the Heatherwood Huskies Handbell Choir, led by the school’s new music teacher, Lynette Schulz, delighted families and shoppers during their debut performance, as part of the school’s music department book fair fundraiser. “I chose handbells to start with because I knew it would be something new, something the kids would be excited about,” Schulz said when explaining her decision to launch the group this past fall. She also felt it would b...
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of spotlights on area churches. If you would like your church in a future issue, please contact editorial@lhvc.com. Founded in 1870, Niwot United Methodist Church has helped Boulder County become what it is today. Our congregation consists of families from Niwot itself, as well as Gunbarrel and the greater Longmont and Boulder areas. Our family-friendly community-based church is committed to intergenerational community, believing that when we build relationships across the generations we are more vib...
When filmmaker Erika Volchan O’Conor was searching the internet for images of early Colorado, she saw a photo of the original Niwot United Brethren Church from the early 1900s, and she knew she had seen it in a sketch. The photograph had been sketched by Muriel Sibell Wolle, one of the four Colorado artists O’Conor featured in her film. The photo caused her to reach out to Rev. Pam Everhart, current pastor of the church, now known as the Niwot United Methodist Church after several mergers, and... Full story
Looking back at a life of service to others, a local man has decided to share his life in print. “I wrote the book because I thought we had a story to tell,” said Eb Roell. The book is Piercing the Night, and the story is of the years Eb and his wife Debbie spent living and working in Uganda, amidst the chaos left behind by the infamous dictator Idi Amin. Eb was born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1939 and immigrated to the U.S. in 1962; first to Colorado Springs, and then eventually to Estes Par... Full story
Boulder County Commissioners voted 2-1 in favor of a transition plan for phasing out the growing of GMO crops on public county land, with commissioners Deb Gardner and Elise Jones voting for, and commissioner Cindy Domenico voting against. The vote was decided at the conclusion of a nearly 4-hour public hearing on Wednesday Nov. 30, and marks the end of a year-long, highly contentious debate in regards to the past, present and future of land-use policy and agriculture in Boulder County. Currently there are two GMO crops being grown on public... Full story
Colorado Native Christmas Trees (CNCT), located in Gunnison with a tree lot in Boulder, has teamed up with Vinelife Church to offer free Christmas trees to disabled military veterans or to anyone who served in Afghanistan or Iraq. For the past seven years CNCT has also offered a 50 percent discount for native trees up to eight-feet tall to all veterans. The Christmas tree lot, which is open to all, is located in the parking lot of Vinelife Church at 7845 Lookout Road in Gunbarrel. In the next...
When former Denver Bronco Matt McChesney shows up at your high school, people tend to notice. McChesney, a former lineman for the Denver Broncos among other pro teams, returned to Niwot High School, his alma mater, to announce the selection of NHS senior Alex Oelsner to the Blue-Grey High School All-American football squad Dec. 2. McChesney, a 2000 NHS grad, now owns and operates Six Zero Strength and Fitness in Denver, a gym that caters to high school and college athletes who want to play at... Full story
Pizza lovers rejoice. Proto’s Pizzeria Napoletana opened in the Gunbarrel Center on Wednesday, Nov. 30. According to owner Pam Proto, “It’s been a long time coming. We’re so excited to be in this neighborhood.” The Gunbarrel shop is the sixth Proto’s. Besides appetizers and fresh salads, the restaurant features a wide variety of Napoletana style pizzas as well as a gluten free pie. You can dine in or take out. Proto’s is located at 5378 Gunbarrel Center Court, suite 1, Boulder. Hours are Sun...
On Nov. 1, the Niwot cheerleading squad traveled to Northridge High School in Greeley to compete in the 2016 Tri-Valley/Northern League Spirit Competition. The Cougars’ all-girl squad placed second at the meet, ahead of local rivals Longmont and Silver Creek. Thompson Valley, a perennial championship contender who took 5th overall in 4A in 2015, was the meet’s all-girl squad overall winner. With a second place at regionals under their belt, the Cougar cheerleaders turned their attention to pre...
When longtime Gunbarrel resident Lyn Mead closed her small business four years ago, she noticed her schedule became less rigid so she wasted no time filling her days. Now a mentor for Montessori teachers, Mead is also active in numerous organizations including EFAA food bank and Harvest of Hope Pantry, both in Boulder. November and December is a high need time for folks who frequent the food banks and Mead is astonished at the quantity of food that passes in and out the door this time of year....
The Boulder County transportation department is starting a series of public meetings regarding Quiet Zones along the Highway 119 corridor between Independence Road in Boulder and 83rd Street just north of Niwot. Niwot Elementary School at 8778 Morton Road will be the site of the Dec. 7 meeting from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Note that the regular Niwot Community Association board meeting is cancelled for that evening. Andrew Barth, communications director for the county transportation department, said this... Full story
Left Hand Animal Hospital’s Dr. Katie Thomas has been named a finalist for the Pet’s Best “My Vet’s the Best” contest. She was nominated by Diana Leiker, and now has a one in eight chance of winning $1,000 for the clinic. Thomas grew up on a small farm just outside of Erie, Pennsylvania, and always loved animals. “Some of my family had careers in human medicine,” Thomas said. “While I loved math and science growing up, I knew I didn’t want to enter human health care. “After high school, I went...
The Boulder County transportation department is starting a series of public meetings regarding “quiet zones” along the Highway 119 corridor between Independence Road in Boulder and 83rd Street just north of Niwot. Niwot Elementary School at 8778 Morton Road will be the site of the December 7 meeting from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Note that the regular Niwot Community Association board meeting is cancelled for that evening. Andrew Barth, Communications Director for the county transportation department, sai...
Niwot-based Outdoor Craftsmen has been awarded a Landscape Award of Excellence – Grand Award for Landscape Design-Build by the National Association of Landscape Professionals. Sophisticated, modern, and sustainable best describe this renovation. The natural pool and sculptural fire feature are striking elements, and the garden was designed for all seasons though the use of sculptural plantings and boulders. Xeric principals were applied to every aspect of installation. A subsurface drainage system combined with swales help redirect water away f... Full story
There is no one living today who remembers that December night in 1916 when thieves broke into the Niwot State Bank and stole the contents of its safe deposit boxes. But as its 100th anniversary approaches, the story remains one of Niwot’s more notable events. On December 19, 1916, three burglars broke into Niwot’s bank despite its imposing brick construction and highly visible location at the intersection of Second Avenue and Murray Street. It was its proximity to the Colorado & Southern railroad tracks just a half block away, however, tha...
When God said, “Be fruitful and multiply,” He was talking about human beings, not holiday catalogs. I gave up counting the daily arrivals. It is easier to weigh them. Each day since September our mailbox is stuffed with three or four pounds of catalogs. It started innocently enough when we moved into our house. My children were small, we moved in January, and I knew no one in the neighborhood. Under those conditions, daily mail delivery takes on great significance. I happened to be by the mailbox one afternoon when our mail lady arrived. Bes... Full story
Niwot's 16th annual Enchanted Evening on Friday, Nov. 25, delighted locals and visitors despite chilly, 30-degree temperatures. Children got some needed face time with Santa, and families gathered to sing holiday songs, enjoy egg nog, hot cocoa and other holiday cheer while they shopped, dined and visited with old-and-new friends and loved ones. “My goal this year was to get attendees to visit both Cottonwood [Square Shopping Center] and Old Town--that has always been a challenge,” said eve...
A panel discussion on sexual health was held Tuesday, Nov. 15 at the Painted Primrose in Cottonwood Square. Facilitated by local sex therapist Auburn Meisner, topics for the evening focused on physical and emotional barriers to intimacy within the context of healthy relationships. Practitioners on the panel discussed how treatments in their areas of expertise—including chiropractic and acupuncture care, as well as physical and talk therapies—can achieve lasting benefits in the quality of liv...
State Representative Jonathan Singer held on to his seat in District 11 by a margin of just under 8,000 votes in the election Nov. 8 election. Singer is now in his third elected term after finishing out that of current Boulder County Commissioner Deb Gardner. Following the results from both national and local races, Singer said that the state has “held up to its true form” by not being predominately red or blue. “I think Colorado has shown itself to be an independent-minded state,” Singer said. “What we are seeing now is a trend towards p... Full story
Since October of 2013, Kristy Grubb has been the proud owner of Niwot Florist, which specializes in beautiful arrangements and bouquets. Along with special orders daily and arrangements available for customers on the run, the store offers many gift ideas and party supplies to the community. Recently Grubb has announced that she will be selling the store due to personal life opportunities with her fiancé. In 2013, Grubb had just finished a semester of teaching when she realized she wasn’t qu...
The November 8 election has sent Boulder County commissioners back to the drawing board after ballot issue 1A failed with 94,960 against and 80,589 in favor of the Road and Bridge mill levy increase. The tax was proposed by commissioners to solve the ongoing issue concerning the county’s responsibility to pave and maintain roads in the un-incorporated subdivisions of the county. Vince Hirsch, co-chair of the steering committee for BoCoFIRM, said that they are pleased with the results. “My take on 1A is that it was the wrong thing to do,” Hirsc... Full story
In preparation for the Thanksgiving holiday, students in the second grade at Niwot Elementary wrote about what they are thankful for. Below are excerpts from some of their paragraphs. Mrs. Tagley’s Class Dennie—I am thankful for my family. Savannah—I am thankful for my 97-year-old grandma Annalee—I am thankful for what the tooth fairy gives me when I lose a tooth. EJ—I am thankful for my house because it is shelter. Tahlia—I am thankful for my dog Birdie because she makes me happy when I’m sa...
County staff presented plans for the repaving project to the public at the Left Hand Grange Nov. 9, including drawings and plans for upgrades. Neva Road will stay pretty much the same, and only minor changes will be made to 83rd Street according to Boulder County Transportation Department personnel. Original plans presented to local residents for comment included narrowing Neva Road, but the response from local residents who live along and drive on it convinced the staff to keep the road at its current width and to forego the thought of... Full story
Third grade students at Boulder Country Day School are stepping forward as champions of positive school climate by running a school-wide election with respect and enthusiasm. The candidates are two guinea pigs. Before you dismiss this exercise as silly, think of how much students can learn. From creating posters, t-shirts, promotional videos, voter registration booths, polling centers, and all kinds of other initiatives critical to the electoral process to ensuring that only registered voters... Full story
Niwot Community Association (NCA) board members agreed at the Nov. 2 meeting on a 2017 budget that shows the group finishing the year in the red, but approved it with the understanding that membership revenues are being conservatively estimated for the budget. The group estimates that 2017 operating revenues could be about $14,475 while expenses could total $16,420, leaving the group about $1,945 short. However, stronger membership numbers could make up that shortfall, NCA President Dick Piland said. The NCA also has “healthy” financial res... Full story
A new stone with a permanent plaque was erected recently honoring Chief Left Hand, or Chief Niwot, by Ni-wot Prairie Productions. The plaque was placed near near the tree carvings on the south side of Niwot Road, across from the Second Avenue intersection and includes a memorial to Elizabeth Darling, who passed away last December. Mike Anfinson, president of the non-profit organization Ni-wot Prairie Productions, said Darling, who was his wife, was instrumental in working with Native American ar...
The joint meeting of the Boulder City Council and the Boulder Planning Board scheduled for Nov. 10 concerning changes to the land use designation of property in Twin Lakes has been postponed due to the Boulder County Planning Commission’s decision to revisit its approval of the proposed change. Boulder County Commissioners have approved the change, but approval of the County Planning Commission is also required, as well as approval by both City of Boulder boards. The City of Boulder meeting will likely be held after the County Planning C...
Third grade students at Boulder Country Day School are stepping forward as champions of positive school climate by running a school-wide election with respect and enthusiasm. The candidates are two guinea pigs. Before you dismiss this exercise as silly, think of how much students can learn. From creating posters, t-shirts, promotional videos, voter registration booths, polling centers, and all kinds of other initiatives critical to the electoral process to ensuring that only registered voters...
Editor’s note: Boulder County Commissioners Deb Gardner and Elise Jones were both reelected on Tuesday. In response to questions, they opted to send one letter representing their stance on issues that face the area. Following is their combined response. They say that running for public office is the toughest job interview you’ll ever have, which makes running for re-election the most rigorous personnel evaluation you’ll ever go through. So we were thrilled and humbled that you, the voters of Boulder County, chose by overwhelming margins to gi... Full story
Two important education items on the Nov. 8 ballot were the St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) bond issue for capital improvements and the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) mill levy override for operational expenses. Both were approved by voters. The SVVSD $260 million bond measure, which passed 61.88 percent to 38.12 percent by district voters in Boulder County, will address critical student and school needs. It includes various renovations throughout the district, additions to existing schools and building of new schools. A... Full story
A new stone with a permanent plaque was erected recently honoring Chief Left Hand, or Chief Niwot, by Ni-wot Prairie Productions. The plaque was placed near near the tree carvings on the south side of Niwot Road, across from the Second Avenue intersection and includes a memorial to Elizabeth Darling, who passed away last December. Mike Anfinson, president of the non-profit organization Ni-wot Prairie Productions, said Darling, who was his wife, was instrumental in working with Native American ar...
