All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
Niwot Market's Terry Purcell says that his biggest sense of pride isn't the number of bike races he's won, but knowing that he's been true to himself and his environmental values.
Emily Herrmann loves working at Niwot Market because of the support system. When she's not in the store, she spends much of her time reading or watching anime, sometimes even writing about her favorite stories.
The Niwot Market is at the heart of Niwot, and its team is central to the community's success. Whether it's the people running the pop-up shops or the core staff, it is a place of community. Terry Purcell and Emily Herrmann are two of Niwot Market's team members who help give the market its heart.
Purcell was raised in Colorado Springs and Herrmann in Boulder, but with time, they both found themselves in Niwot. Purcell came, in part, because of bike racing, and Herrmann for something new, but both came because Niwot felt like home.
"I'm really happy to be here," Purcell said with a grin. "I lived my whole life kind of roaming around, [I] never really found a home, and Niwot is a home and I think everybody feels that way."
Herrmann agreed with the sentiment and although she has lived in both Boulder and Longmont, Niwot just felt right. "Niwot's more homey, I feel at home here," she said.
At the market, both have a host of responsibilities, and can often be found all around the store. Whether it's helping restock shelves or manning the cash registers, Herrmann and Purcell keep busy, and it is the interaction with the community that helps make every day interesting.
"I like the smallness of [Niwot]," Purcell said. " I've traveled around Europe. This store sort of represents that - you go to your little corner store and you buy your bread."
Purcell found himself in Niwot after bicycle racing around and through town, and ended up sticking around. In fact, it was his interest in cycling that led to his passion to protect the environment. Now, he leads a car-free life. He says he has an "eclectic" taste in music but particularly enjoys alternative and folk.
Herrmann said that she particularly enjoys reading and watching anime, and dabbles in writing fan fiction. Right now, one of her favorite series is called "Sword," in which the characters are able to escape reality and visit the virtual world. She laughed, saying that it felt particularly relevant during the height of the pandemic, when most people were cooped up due to the lockdown.
In terms of future plans, Herrmann said, "I want to stay here for a while... The Steeles have my back, they have everybody's back, they're really nice."
Purcell also wants to stick around town. She said, "There's a lot of peace here, I'd say that's probably my biggest thing, is just the peace."
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