National Night Out Success

Downtown Niwot's National Night Out event on Aug. 2 was a huge success, with many community members enjoying hamburgers, hotdogs and drinks, courtesy of the Boulder County Sheriff's office. The annual community-driven campaign promotes first responders and community partnerships to foster neighborhood camaraderie and, ultimately, make our communities better places to live.

Several community honors were awarded at the annual event. The Niwot Group at Compass real estate agency awarded their annual $1000 scholarship to Alandra Guillen Casteneda. Pat Murphy of The Niwot Group explained that the scholarship is awarded to Niwot High School graduates who are interested in pursuing a field in trades such as dentistry, cyber security, and social services. Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle was on hand to present the award.

"My goal is to study criminal justice and become a police officer someday," Casteneda said. "Starting in August, I'll be attending Front Range Community College. After being there for two years, I plan to transfer to the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley or the University of Denver." She credits her counselor at Niwot High, Adam Lotito, for helping her find the career path she wanted to pursue.

Sheriff Pelle was presented with the Golden Hammer Award by Murphy, who explained that the Golden Hammer award began 13 years ago at the passing of Curtis Lizakowski, a civic-minded resident who actively worked to make Niwot a better place. One of the most recognizable projects he worked on was building the bandstand-gazebo in Niwot's Whistle Stop Park. The Golden Hammer award is given to an outstanding individual who has volunteered and/or improved the Niwot community through their service. This year, Sheriff Pelle, who will be retiring in January 2023, was honored with the Golden Hammer award for his many years of service.

"We've had a wonderful history of working with the Niwot Business Association, the Rotary Club, the Fourth of July parade, and helping out with the National Night Out event," said Pelle. "And then our general work, like crime prevention and meeting with other neighborhood groups.... We've just had a wonderful relationship with the community all these years. My wife, Stephanie, worked at the post office for 30 years, so she knows a ton of people and has grown to love the town."

Some of the groups who showcased their services at National Night Out included:

• The officers from the Search and Rescue Dogs of the United States (SARDUS) who brought their trained rescue dogs to the event. The dogs are trained to detect narcotics, human remains, blood, weapons, and find lost or runaway people. To learn more, visit their website http://www.sardogus.org or email bod@sardogus.org. You may also request SARDUS for emergencies by dialing 1 (855) 598-3267.

• The local Boulder Bear Coalition which works to protect residents from black bears in our neighborhoods, protect the bears, and prevent the bears from entering our neighborhoods in the first place. More info on bear safety tips can be found in the "Winnie the Pooh" article in this issue. If you are interested in joining the coalition email Brenda Lee at brenda@boulderbearcoalistion.org or dial 303-246-4544.

• The Boulder County Sheriff's Office's Victim Assistance (Advocate) Program, which provides crisis intervention, referral, and other services for victims of crime. They are always looking for volunteers so if you'd like to learn more, contact Coordinator Kris Roberts, at 303-441-4737 or kroberts@bouldercounty.org. The current volunteer applications are due by August 26. For applicants who are accepted into the program, a free mandatory 40-hour training will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and on Saturdays from Sept. 27 to Oct. 15, 2022. See more at https://bouldercounty.gov/safety/victim/victim-assistance/

• BoCo911Alert.com explained how you can sign up to receive free alerts regarding emergencies, natural disasters and imminent threats. Notifications are made to home, work, and cell phones, by text messaging, and email.