Letter to the Editor

Dear Courier and Niwotians:

What a great 4th of July holiday our little town just put on! Like all the volunteer-run events that happen here, the pancake breakfast (Bert Steele's) and the parade with so many enthusiastic participants was a sight to behold! An estimated 1,000 plus people were served, and I'd guess double that amount were watching and marching in the parade.

I heard several people comment on how special this event was, and how nice of the town to arrange such fun. Strangers that were visiting from out of town were so appreciative. Between the Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band playing patriotic songs, the Rotary Club raising money with a duck race, the Niwot Community Association and Niwot Nifties 4-H Club providing decorations for kids bikes and dogs to march with, the Scouts leading the parade, the high school cheerleaders helping serve breakfast along with the Niwot Patriotic Cookie Moms and Niwot Community Connection volunteers, and Mountain View Fire Protection with their fire trucks, it can certainly be deemed a success. The Niwot Market staff (including Alison and Seth Steele, Grand Marshals of the parade) and our friendly pancake flippers (Jeff Server, Ralph Bailey and Chris Klatt) were all in on the fun.

I'm only disappointed that someone thought it was okay to destroy a number of the American flags hung up and down Niwot Road by spraying black paint on them. What shameful disrespect, not to mention the offensive words sprayed on the sidewalk in at least three places. Whoever did this clearly does not appreciate or respect what this country, this community, or this holiday is all about. There are good neighbors who provided those flags, and good citizens that took it upon themselves to clean off the sidewalk paint. But there's at least one person who is vandalizing other people's property, and not contributing, at all, to the sense of community most of us in Niwot feel lucky to share.

Karen Copperberg, a grateful citizen