Planning for Bert Steele memorial underway

An informal committee met with Alison Steele and Seth Steele last week to plan a memorial to their late father, Bert Steele, Niwot Market owner who died last summer after a short illness.

The committee was organized by Vicky Dorvee, and included Selene Luna, Deb Fowler, Karen Edwards, Kamla Chopra, and Biff Warren.

Everyone was in agreement that a proposed memorial bench with a red Chevrolet tailgate would be an appropriate remembrance of the man who was a beloved fixture in the community for the past 20 years.

Steele was known for driving a vintage red Chevrolet pickup in community parades, and sponsored a Friday Night car show where owners could display their classic vehicles.

Other suggestions that met with approval were to incorporate the saying, "Be more like Bert" into the design.

The preferred location of the bench would be on the south side of the front door to the Niwot Market facing the front walkway. Dorvee wrote after the meeting, “Bert's sayings, philosophy, and other things that were of importance to Bert should be included in the design. Etching those into the flagstone path in the same area would be a really nice way to integrate them.”

Warren noted that the Niwot Cultural Arts Association will accept donations on behalf of the committee to fund the project once a budget is established. “This is a piece of art for the community and donations will be tax deductible,” he said.

Dorvee noted, “We will let the community know that whatever funds are donated in excess of the project's cost will be donated to Bert's wrestling scholarship” which was established to recognize one of Steele’s passions.