Pancake breakfast and concert draws large crowd

Niwot's annual 4th of July Pancake Breakfast was back to pre-pandemic size this year, with long lines waiting to be served by volunteers and staff from the Niwot Market.

The Pancake Breakfast is more than just pancakes - servings included pancakes, sausage, eggs, and Bert Steele's famous chile, with coffee and orange juice on the side. The net proceeds of the breakfast after costs are covered were donated to the Niwot Youth Sports Monarch Improvement Project.

Tip jars were also available with proceeds donated to the Niwot Patriotic Cookie Moms, who use the funds to send care packages to troops overseas. The event is sponsored by the Niwot Community Association and Niwot Market, with assistance from the Niwot Business Association.

The Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band, sponsored by the Niwot Cultural Arts Association and Left Hand Grange No. 9, was on hand to play a concert featuring patriotic tunes. Brenda Luksch directed the band, which opened with the Star Spangled Banner, followed by several John Philip Sousa marches, including Stars & Stripes Forever, The Washington Post, The Thunderer, El Capitan, High School Cadets, Liberty Bell March, and Semper Fidelis. Other selections included America, America the Beautiful, You're a Grand Old Flag, Yankee Doodle Boy, Hogan's Heroes March and National Emblem.

The highlight of the band's first set was a rendition of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, with former director Lee Shaw on timpani and cymbals, and special guests Steve and Leslie Kaczeus firing off poppers in place of the cannons written into the original score.

The band's second set opened with a special Happy Trails tribute to retiring Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle and his wife, Stephanie Pelle, followed by Kool & the Gang's Celebration. The band also played two modern tunes, Chicago's Saturday in the Park, and Green Day's Holiday.

All veterans in the audience were asked to stand as the band played a medley of service songs, including The Army Goes Rolling Along, Anchors Aweigh, The Marine's Hymn, The U.S. Air Force, Semper Paratus and Always Ready, Always There.

Band members included Sandy Burrell, Kim Kalinski and Margaret Nokes on flute, Karen Looney, Janet McDaniel and Heather Rutherford on clarinet, Jeanette Rogers on bass clarinet, Bob Stadtherr and Maya Tsuchiya on alto sax, Rick Clark and Julie Daves on tenor sax, Dave Beyer, Eric Blough, Doug Miller and Paul Shafer on trumpet, Diane Beeman, Mike Harvey and Biff Warren on trombone, Kirk Stewart and Katie Warren on baritone, Chris Doyle on tuba, and Joe Kunches on drums.

Retired band members on hand for the performance included Fred Denny, Gayle Weiss and Mike Weiss.

The band's next performance will be Friday, July 29, when the band performs the National Anthem at the Colorado Rockies game at Coors Field against the Los Angeles Dodgers.