All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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When we first started the Courier I had the distinct impression that we were like one of those 1940s Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney movies, where the kids put on a show in a barn and then decide to take it to Broadway. We were seven people with diverse backgrounds – a lawyer, an architect, a paralegal, a photographer, a teacher, a banker and a FDA investigator. Not quite the butcher, baker and candlestick maker, but close. Our main goal was to highlight the academic and athletic accomplishments of area students that the two local dailies t...
*Editor's note: The survey is already live and running at www.niwot.com/survey. Residents do not have to wait for the reminder card that will be sent next month. The planning survey is to get feedback from the public on ways to spend LID funds allocated to Niwot. We apologize for the confusion. Everyone living in Niwot will soon be receiving a survey card in the mail regarding downtown planning. Julie Ankenbrandt, Niwot economic development director and marketing director for the Niwot Business...
Having been approached by Bruce “Biff” Warren in 1996 to help publish a local newspaper, I thought, “How hard can this be? We write a few stories, sell a few ads, and deliver the product to the Niwot / Gunbarrel area.” Little did I know that we’d still be doing it 20 years later and all of us would still be great friends. While it hasn’t always been easy, it has been a lot of fun thanks to our friendship, respect for each other and, mostly, our sense of humor. We’ve thanked our advertisers a...
Niwot Design Studio Interior Solutions has evolved from the former Niwot Interiors under owner Judy Goldman. Goldman bought the business last summer and began the transformation and expansion. “We went from a decorating business to a full-fledged residential and commercial national remodel and design firm,” Goldman said. “Our grand opening was about all of the new products we have to introduce to the public.” Goldman reiterated that the changes aren’t just in name only. “Our business is evolving,” Goldman said. “We went from being a local decor...
Eric Rauschkolb, Principal of Niwot High School in St. Vrain Valley Schools, has been selected as the 2017 Colorado Secondary School Principal of the Year by the Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE) and a committee of his peers from the Colorado Association of Secondary School Principals (CASSP). Upon being notified of receiving the honor, Rauschkolb said, “ This is an acknowledgement of the hard-working staff, and the passionate and committed students that Niwot High is honored to educate. To be able to serve this school is a p...
Students from all over the world are preparing right now to leave their countries to come and study in America for the upcoming school year. These students are leaders in their schools. They exhibit great academic skills as well as a heart for volunteer work. These are the students who will impact their countries when they return home with the experiences they have had while living here in America. The students are placed with volunteer host families throughout the US. Host families are...
Each spring since 1988, the Colorado Council for Economics Education (CCEE) presents the Koebel Enterprising Teacher of the Year Award to an educator who demonstrates excellence in the teaching of economics and personal financial literacy. This year the council has selected Niwot High School economics teacher Ken Benson to receive this prestigious award. Benson currently teaches four sections of economics at NHS, two for the IB (International Baccalaureate) program and two AP (Advanced Placement) courses. Benson also sponsors the school’s Econ...
Niwot Elementary was hoping for good weather for the school’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, and Saturday, April 8, turned out to be a perfect sunny spring day. “It was so important to be outside today because where you’re sitting is Ward Field,” principal Nancy Pitz told the audience of past and present Niwot Elementary staff, students, and families as she introduced the field’s namesake and the celebration’s keynote speaker, Terri Ward. Ward was a fifth grade student at Niwot Elementary when th...
Meg and Casey Grothus are no strangers to the Left Hand Valley Courier, nor the town of Niwot. The brother and sister team have come a long way since they were featured in an article almost a decade ago about their internship with Google involving their idea for SketchUp, a 3D modeling program. The program is geared towards helping those who suffer from autism get internships, and after some typical fast moves from the tech industry, SketchUp is now owned by a company named Trimble, which has...
Niwot Elementary School will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this weekend with an open house and guest speakers. The event starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 8, with guest speakers starting at 11:30. Included on the roster of speakers are Principal Nancy Pitz, Superintendent Don Haddad and board of education member Debbie Lammers, a Niwot resident. Pitz has been at the helm of NES for the last four years, and said that she’s excited about the anniversary. “It’s really neat to be a small...
Jeremy Tapps, a researcher who operates from a lab in his south Longmont basement, has made a discovery that has turned the scientific world upside down. Tapps’ work has found that what we know as the “periodic table of elements” is — in fact — not periodic at all. “Whether you believe in the ‘Big Bang’ or creationism, no one can deny that these elements have existed since the beginning of the universe,” Tapps said. “It’s as plain as day, and somewhat shocking that we haven’t realized this...
Taking a page from national politics, the Bolder County Bored of County Commissioners (BOCC) has approved a Parks and Open Space (POS) Department suggestion to “drain the swamp.” The move comes on the heels of the Planning Commission’s (PC) rejection of a proposal to change the Bolder County Comprehensive Plan (BCCP) in a way that would have allowed higher density housing in the area. When the memo, obtained by the Twin Lakes Owl Group (TLOG) through an open records request, first was disco...
A cross-disciplinary research effort by a number of professors at the University of Colorado-Boulder and Colorado State University has uncovered a surprising mistake in the translation of the Arapaho language. The Arapaho word “niwot” or “nowoo3” in the Hinono’ei language, which has long been thought to mean “left-hand,” turns out to instead be correctly translated as “right-hand.” A similar (but never corrected) error occurred in the middle ages when priests were told to be “celibate” when l...
“We know you’re guilty.” Fourth grader Eden Zenz and her classmates accuse Kim Lancaster, director of St. Vrain’s APEX Homeschool Enrichment Program, the moment she walks into their Literature Detectives class in the sanctuary of Vinelife Church in Gunbarrel. The students are using clues prepared by their teacher to solve a whodunit as part of their unit on the novel Chasing Vermeer. Their list of suspects includes Lancaster and several other APEX staff. This scene is much like a typical...
Model railroad enthusiasts learn from gardening experts For many people the change in weather means an early jump on spring gardening tasks—amending the soil, if you didn’t get to it in the fall, lightly fertilizing spring bulbs, turning and watering the compost pile, or starting seeds indoors to plant after the last frost, typically in May. For Niwot model railroad hobbyist and gardener, Curtis Jones, the unseasonal weather has his Ayn Rand-inspired John Galt line’s garden already making a show in his front yard. The April issue of Garde...
Niwot Elementary School will be celebrating its 50th anniversary at 11 a.m. on April 8 with an open house and program at the school. The public, especially alumni, are welcome to attend. Guest speakers begin at 11:30 a.m. and include Principal Nancy Pitz, Superintendent Don Haddad and board of education member Debbie Lammers, a Niwot resident. After the speakers there will be an open house for patrons of the school. Riki Frea, who has been involved at the school for seven years and has children...
Third, fourth and fifth graders at Niwot Elementary felt a mixture of curiosity, excitement and pride as they filed into the gym for the Skype assembly with their sister school Mwebaza Infant Primary School in Kyengera, Uganda. It was Mwebaza Day on March 14, an annual celebration of the school’s partnership with Mwebaza. “I’m excited about seeing our pen pals,” said third grader Payton Johnson, who has enjoyed trading letters across continents. “We actually helped build a school for those kid...
When Voices for Children CASA moved its office from the Justice Center to Gunpark Drive last August, it was with little fanfare. Few neighbors in this business district of Gunbarrel know about this organization which keeps a low profile and yet does some of the most important work in the county. Poverty, substance abuse, mental illness, and other societal pressures cause disruption to families and it is children who are often the most traumatized victims. Voices for Children trains and places court appointed special advocates (CASAs) to...
Open Door Brewing Company is opening their first taproom on March 24 in the hip Longmont neighborhood of Prospect New Town. The taproom is in a newly built, modern building in the downtown section of Prospect, with a rooftop deck overlooking the neighborhood and mountains beyond. Open Door began as a hobby for Andy Riedel in college. It was when Andy’s cousin Billy McDivitt, also a homebrewer, joined him that Open Door Brewing Company was born. Since its inception, Open Door has focused on c...
Veterinarian Crystal Connor and Technician Ki Goodman of the Left Hand Animal Hospital have been reaching out to first responders of the Mountain View Fire Protection District. They’re conducting classes on how to deal with pets in various situations. “It’s kind of what I would term a triage CPR training for the Mountain View Fire District,” Dr. Connor said. “We’re hitting multiple fire houses, the whole purpose of this one was to get training for the Niwot fire department.” The course includ...
Gabe Hultquist, a 15-year-old sophomore at Niwot High School, is becoming yet another successful Irish dancer out of the Moriarty-Moffitt School of Irish Dance in Longmont. In competitions, Gabe said he typically goes hard shoe in the first round, soft shoe in the second, and hard shoe in the final round. The different styles are judged mostly on the height of jumps, with form keeping the knees as straight as possible and the arms down to the sides. “I like my third round the best because I g...
The Niwot LID Advisory Committee held its monthly meeting on Tuesday, March 7, and once again, sales tax drove the discussion. Through two months of 2017, the LID has committed to $19,687 in expenses, including half of the Economic Development Director’s salary ($11,250), according to Treasurer Harris Faberman. His report also included an estimate of the LID’s current capital purchases reserve balance ($265,945), based on his calculation of net revenues over the past nine years. The com...
As the membership drive for the Niwot Community Association kicks into high gear, the town is sporting banners at some town entrances, posters and brochures in Niwot businesses, and Burma Shave-style signs along Niwot Road -- all urging Niwot area residents to join the NCA. The NCA membership committee also has sent out emails to current members reminding them to renew and soon will mail renewal brochures to current and potential new members. The committee also plans to post a membership reminder on NextDoor, an online social network for...
John Wallington, part owner of Boulder-based Llanllyr SOURCE, a water distribution and bottling company, has been busy growing the brand, now offered in at least three Niwot locations.. He has lived in the area for the last ten years, and said that it has been a perfect fit. “One of the attractions for moving to this area was the plethora of natural food companies that are environmentally responsible,” Wallington said. “It fits really well with trying to make people aware of resource manag...
With the pockets of spring-like weather this winter, hikers, runners, and cyclists have been flocking to local trails. Outdoor enthusiasts who frequent Gunbarrel’s White Rocks Trail will notice the bridge that connects the trail between Valmont Road and Phillips Road is still closed. Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) does, however, have plans to reopen the bridge in 2017. “We have it on our project list and hope to complete it by the end of the year,” said Phillip Yates, spoke...
The Link Building at 7916 Niwot Road in Niwot is now an official link between Cottonwood Square and Old Town. The Boulder County Commissioners approved a petition by owners Anne and Jim Postle to add the property to the Niwot Local Improvement District (LID), which collects a one percent sales tax on retail sales in the Niwot business district. Bruce Warren, representing the property owners, told the commissioners that the Link Building was an office building back in 1992 when voters approved creation of the LID, and no one seemed to know why...
Niwot High School’s mascot is the cougar, but it seems there are also some eagles amongst the student population. Legal eagles, that is. Two teams from Niwot High competed at the 2017 Regionals for the Colorado Bar Association High School Mock Trial Program on the weekend of February 9-11, finishing second and third, respectively, out of eleven teams total. The result is especially impressive given that this is only the third year of Niwot’s participation in the mock trial program. Former student Caden Grant, now a freshman at George Was...
Each year Boulder Country Day School welcomes artists-in-residence to work with students from kindergarten through eighth grade to share their passions and skills and create an environment of collaboration and inspiration for their community. This year’s Art Week will be held from March, 6 trough 10. Colorado Shakespeare Festival will kick off the week early on March 3 with their Shakespeare in the Schools: Shakespeare and Violence Prevention program. Festival actors perform an abridged Shakespeare play, followed by workshops with middle school...
The CrossFit Games are an international contest of strength and agility aimed to determine the fittest athletes on earth. The Games began in 2007, and will be held this year from Aug. 1 – 6 in Madison, WI. Designed for those rarefied elite athletes who turn the pursuit of fitness into a job, the Games require the hiring of trainers and nutritionists, while undergoing months, or more likely, years of grueling workouts to compete at the highest fitness levels imaginable. But for the rest of us, t...
Niwot Market has chalked up 15 years of serving the town, and owner Bert Steele said that it has become more than just a business. “It’s been really rewarding to be in a small community,” Steele said. “It becomes more than business, it becomes friendships. It’s more than just trying to make money. “You’re doing something, being part of a small community and trying to help where you can.” The official date for the celebration is March 12, and the market has made 250 commemorative mugs to give aw...
On February 25, 2017 the Regional Northern Colorado Spelling Bee was held at Nevin Platt Middle School. Fifty-one schools were represented and participating students would have to go through 20 rounds of spelling challenging words in order to be named the champion. The task was tough and the competition was too…the winner of this event goes to Washington, DC to compete in the National Spelling Bee. So how do you spell Bolshevik, rutile, sonicate…just ask Sunset Middle School 7th grader Ben Len...
Since a trail priority study in 2003 identified the need for a Longmont-to-Boulder (LOBO) regional trail system, Boulder County has worked to link 12 miles of trails through south Longmont, Niwot, Gunbarrel, and northeast Boulder. In May, the county will open the LOBO’s newest segment, the IBM Connector Trail. “One of the biggest things we wanted to accomplish was to enhance the safety of cyclists and pedestrians trying to reach Tom Watson Park, Coot Lake and Boulder Reservoir from the east sid...
Great horned owls could be chalking up a victory from the Boulder County Planning Commission’s vote this month to not recommend an affordable housing project in the Twin Lakes area. Prior to the decision, students from the Boulder Valley School District presented their short film, “Home of the Owls,” before the school board. Anya Smith and Summer Cuppari Gould of Dream Tank showed their video to members of the board, whose district owns about 10 acres in the area where the housing project was p...
Former Colorado Speaker of the House and Boulder County resident Dickey Lee Hullinghorst has officially hung her hat as a state legislator. She finished off her eight year term limit per state statute, and will now retire back to the private sector. “I’ve served all of my four terms,” Hullinghorst said. “I’m kind of glad actually. Eight years, for me at least, was plenty. It was great, I enjoyed it. I had been in the leadership since my second term. I was caucus whip, then the majority...
Chief Niwot claimed that people who saw the beauty of the Left Hand Valley would stay here. It’s known as his curse or prophecy, depending on how you look at it. Then true to his character as someone who could see both sides of an issue, “Their staying will be the undoing of the beauty,” he reportedly said. Changes in the landscape due to human encroachment factored into the talk, “The Eagle in Chief Niwot’s Time and Ours,” given by volunteer naturalist Sue Cass on Feb. 2 as part of the Niwot Hi...
Over 45 people attended the Niwot Business Association’s February meeting for the annual elections, hosted by Treppeda’s Italian Restaurant. Tony Santelli was elected president; Deborah Reed Fowler, Vice President; Linda Klueber, secretary; and Dayna Roane, treasurer. Fowler is the only new officer, replacing Dan Hawk, who stepped down after serving two tenures as vice-president. The March 14 NBA meeting will be held at Nourish & Company, 240 2nd Ave. at 6 p.m....
At its Feb. 7 meeting, the Advisory Committee to the Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) got a preview of the expense side of the 2017 ledger when the Niwot Business Association (NBA) unveiled its budget for the year. Members also reviewed the final treasurer’s report for 2016, considered two funding requests, and heard updates on a new LID merchant and Jazz on 2nd Avenue. The meeting was called to order by co-chair Laura Skaggs. The committee heard from LID treasurer Harris Faberman who p...
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Gunbarrel has a new hand at the tiller. Reverend Janet Kettering was officially appointed as pastor of Shepherd of the Hills on Nov. 1, 2016. Rev. Kettering, who originally hails from Minnesota, followed a long and circuitous route before arriving at her current appointment in Gunbarrel. A “second-career pastor,” Kettering spent nearly 30 years working as a court reporter for a Minnesota District Court judge. She watched people in trouble work their way...
Pitchers and catchers reported to the Rockies’ spring training camp in Scottsdale last week, but local youth did not have to go that far to start warming up for the season. With spring-like weather of late, players, coaches and parents have recently been spotted working out at Niwot’s Lefthand Valley Grange Park as well as the Niwot High School baseball fields. For local youth, Niwot Youth Sports baseball and softball registration is underway for the 2017 season. NYS is wrapping up the basketball season, and another season of baseball and sof...
“It’s always inspiring to meet people who feel that they can make a difference in the world. That’s their motive, that’s their passion... I think that’s what makes your life meaningful, that’s what fills your own heart and that’s what gives you purpose.” When Maria Shriver made this statement, she could easily have been referring to Niwot Rotarian Margaret Hix. Hix is passionate about gardening, her friends and family, and the work of the Rotary Club of Niwot and Rotary International. When descr...
Last week, the Boulder County Planning Commission voted 5-4 to deny the proposed zoning change for the Twin Lakes area in Gunbarrel. Opposition posited that the change violated the county’s comprehensive plan by allowing the City of Boulder to annex and change usage for roughly 20 acres of land that has long been considered open space by area residents. Dave Rechberger, one of roughly 1,700 members of the Twin Lakes Action Group — who have been fighting this proposal for almost four years — said that they were obviously happy about the decis...
Niwot High School senior Anya Berlova received a unique recognition for her art this past fall. Berlova was the first high school student to have an illustration in the annual calendar published by the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). “It felt really amazing,” Berlova said when describing the moment at the chapter’s fall conference when she learned that her illustration was one of twelve selected for the calendar. “At first when they...
On Feb. 9 Boulder Country Day (BCD) School in Gunbarrel hosted former Oprah Winfrey Chief of Staff, Libby Moore. The free event was open to the public, and covered topics and wisdom gleaned from Moore’s 11-year tenure with the television mogul and other life experiences. Moore was introduced by John Suitor, BCD’s head of school, who said, “Schools and parents need to partner more than ever before so we can raise…confident children.” The talk, he said, would include tips on how to maximize...
Mila Makovec was an outgoing toddler who liked to sing, climb, hike and run. She enjoyed playing in the snow and watching Elmo on TV. But that all changed in late 2016, when her symptoms for a rare neurodegenerative disorder known as Batten disease became acute, and doctors at Children’s Hospital were finally able to make the diagnosis of a disease that affects only about one in every 100,000 people. Batten disease causes a variety of symptoms, from seizures and dementia, to gradual loss of s...
Mila Makovec was an outgoing toddler who liked to sing, climb, hike and run. She enjoyed playing in the snow and watching Elmo on TV. But that all changed in late 2016, when her symptoms for a rare neurodegenerative disorder known as Batten disease became acute, and doctors at Children’s Hospital were finally able to make the diagnosis of a disease that affects only about one in every 100,000 people. Batten disease causes a variety of symptoms, from seizures and dementia, to gradual loss of s...
Gunbarrel resident Debra Crosser will retire at the end of the month after 30 years of public service, most of it as Clerk of the Court for the 20th Judicial District, which encompasses all of Boulder County. For county residents who’ve broken the law, or for those who’ve landed in court simply to pay a fine or file a claim, the process can be intimidating. Crosser has been on the job making the public’s experience through the court system as smooth as possible, whether they’re in court for an a...
Gunbarrel Brewing Company will soon be opening a 20,000 square foot location at 7088 Winchester Circle. Husband and wife owners Jamie and Marie Fox have had this plan in place for years, and it will will finally be coming to fruition. “We have been planning and working on opening a brewery here in Gunbarrel for the last three years,” Marie said. “We’ve always wanted to open a brewery, and we thought ‘why not do it now?’ Instead of waiting for retirement or something.” Jamie, who has a background in neuroscience, and Marie, who worked previo...
Years ago the Niwot Cookie Moms developed a holiday tradition of using their baking skills to show appreciation for US troops serving overseas. This year those baked confections were joined by dozens of Valentine’s Day cards, all made by local youngsters to be shipped out in about 25 care packages. The boxes will go out to military personnel stationed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Africa and South Korea, as well as on ships in the near and far east. Area children participated, including preschoolers a...
Chocolate and Valentine’s Day. The two were forever united in 1861 when British chocolate maker Richard Cadbury began selling chocolate candies in heart shaped boxes. For the Gunbarrel-based Concertos in Chocolate the two are still an intense and inseparable pair. “What’s unique about Valentine’s is all our customers come in within about ten days of Valentine’s Day,” said owner and self-titled chocolate composer Chris Widlar. “It’s funny that it’s very intense. Especially the four days before Va...
Niwot High School (NHS) has an illustrious history in Forensics, better known as Speech and Debate. This year’s team will compete at the regional, state and national levels, and is ranked sixth in the National Speech & Debate Association’s (NSDA) Rocky Mountain-North Colorado division. The Fairview High School debate event held Jan. 28—the Fairview Freeze—was the most competitive meet NHS has faced all year, and the team didn’t disappoint. And this despite a rocky few years without a dedicated f...
