Bert's Bench dedication set for Dec. 16

Bert Steele was a beloved member of the Niwot community for over twenty years as the face of the Niwot Market in the Cottonwood Square shopping center. Steele, who died last summer after a short illness, was known for his friendly down-home demeanor, and made friends wherever he went.

Steele and his family turned the Niwot Market into a successful business that also hosts several other small businesses within its doors. Steele was also involved in most of Niwot's many community events, including hosting a Friday-night summer classic car show, cooking breakfast for Pat Murphy's annual Easter egg hunt, and serving pancakes at the Niwot Community Association's annual 4th of July breakfast.

A memorial fund was established by Steele's family following his death to fund higher education scholarships for high school wrestlers in the Niwot and Fort Collins areas, where Steele had a long-time presence. The scholarship fund has almost reached its goal, and will honor Steele's own history as a high school wrestler in Fort Collins.

Community members in Niwot were also looking for a visual way to remember Steele's contributions to the community, as well as the way he lived his life. An ad hoc committee was formed, with representatives from several Niwot organizations gathering to come up with a plan to memorialize Steele in a lasting way that captured his character and his interests.

The committee, organized by Vicky Dorvee of the Niwot Community Association (NCA), met with members of Steele's family to brainstorm ideas for a fitting memorial. In the end, a memorial bench to be placed near the entrance to the Niwot Market, on a flagstone path with many of Steele's "words to live by" etched into the stones, seemed the best way to create a permanent visual tribute to the man who embodied the best of the Niwot area.

On Saturday, Dec. 16, at 3 p.m., Bert's Bench will be dedicated in front of the Niwot Market. Committee members Karen Edwards and Kamla Chopra of the Rotary Club of Niwot, Deb Fowler of the Niwot Business Association (NBA) and Rotary Club, Biff Warren of the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA), and Selene Luna, a close friend of Steele's, will be on hand, along with leaders of several community organizations, to unveil the bench and celebrate Steele's life and contributions to the community. Refreshments have been donated by Joan's Petite Sweets and the Niwot Market, and live music will be provided by Steele's friend, Kevin Dooley.

To date, the NCAA has collected donations for the project totaling $5,940, which does not include contributions by the NCA, the Rotary Club and the NCAA. Expenses to date total $5,409, and any excess funds will be added to the wrestling scholarship established in Steele's memory.

The bench will be placed between two pine trees on a path leading to an outdoor seating area at the Niwot Market. The committee worked with Alison Steele and Seth Steele of the Niwot Market, as well as property owner Samagra Melville and arborist David Schaldach to determine the best location for the bench and the flagstone path. Niwot's Bert Cashman of Cashman Signs created the etchings in the flagstone, most of which were provided by Steele's family.

Fittingly, the first flagstone in the path is inscribed with a statement first attributed to Steele's longtime friend, Tim Wise.

"Be More Like Bert."