All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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The Left Hand Valley Courier is spotlighting various local neighborhoods, their history, issues and general nature. This week, the Courier is spotlighting Cottonwood Park West. In the mid-20th century, Niwot began to grow from its origins as a small railroad town and farming community into a fully suburban community that provided housing, schools and amenities for families working in Boulder and Longmont. This was particularly true once IBM purchased land for its operations in the late 1950s,...
At her daughter-in-law's suggestion, Niwot's Amy Klein found a way to combine her love for kids with her love for baking. The result is the fastest growing chapter of Cake4Kids in the country. For her volunteer efforts, Klein is the April 2024 recipient of a Left Hand Laurel. "My daughter-in-law moved to California and told me about it four years ago," Klein recalled. The non-profit organization is based in California, but has chapters all over the country, but Klein discovered that Colorado...
Rick Clark and Bob Stadtherr are the latest recipients of Left Hand Valley Courier's Left Hand Laurel for their contributions to local music - most notably, as members of the Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band. The Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band, formed in 2005, is iconic in the Niwot community. The band plays at local events such as Rock & Rails, the July 4th Breakfast and Parade, Enchanted Evening, the Christmas Holiday Parade, and Niwot High School basketball...
When Merrick Blondeau was in elementary school, his sister Ana's friends were percussionists. Blondeau thought they were cool, so in sixth grade he joined the band at Sunset Middle School. Since then, he has simply loved making music and getting lost in music. Blondeau enjoys listening to classical music, "But," he said, "not often enough to be able to pick a favorite." One piece he does appreciate listening to is "The Planets," a seven-movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav...
Niwot's community focus is one of the things that make it a unique and fun place to live. Events like Niwot's summer concert series, Rock & Rails, winter festivities such as Winterfest and Let's Wine About Winter, and its holiday markets and parades bind the community together. Even the art around Niwot is special with tree carvings and left-hand chairs decorated to the theme of their surroundings. One often overlooked feature also contributes to the quaint aesthetic of Niwot. Little boxes with...
When Steven Craig joined the Rotary Club of Niwot shortly after building a home on Portico Lane in the Ranch at Clover Basin subdivision two years ago, he didn’t waste any time in making a difference. Sadly, Craig, who was recently chosen as President-Elect for the club, will not have a chance to serve in that position. Craig was attacked in his home on Dec. 19 in the middle of the night, and died of his injuries Dec. 24. Michael Lucky, 32, turned himself in to the Boulder County Sheriff’s off...
First, just in case you were wondering, most of these groups of letters are not acronyms but initialisms, as they cannot be pronounced as a word. For example, FOMO (fear of missing out), FedEx, and NASA are pronounced as words, consequently they are acronyms, whereas ATM is not pronounced “attem,” thus an initialism. But the initialisms listed above represent organizations in Niwot, including non-profits, a taxing district and its advisory committee, and a business committee, which are all quite important to local Niwot citizens. The ini...
The Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) Advisory Committee approved two funding proposals from the Niwot Business Association (NBA) at its Dec. 5 meeting. Chuck Klueber presented a request for funding to clean up the area along Niwot Road where Eddie Running Wolf's iconic tree carvings have been removed for restoration. The application requested $862 toward the total cost of $1,062, based on a bid from Niwot arborist company We Love Trees. The NBA and the Niwot Cultural Arts Association each...
Although jazz guitarist Alex Fick has a busy schedule, with classes and performances in Marching Band, Advanced Jazz Band, Tenor/Bass Choir, and Drama, he still finds time to pursue a wide variety of other interests that engage his attention to detail and his passion to create. At the moment, he is inventing a card game. In addition, he is a volunteer gargoyle for Niwot's Rock & Rails summer concert series, and he recently made his own guitar. Over the summer. Fick built the guitar from...
The Wandering Jellyfish Bookshop, primarily a children's bookstore, will be closing its doors on Dec. 9, two-and-a-half years after it opened in the former "Niwot Tribune" building on Second Avenue in Niwot. The bookshop, affectionately dubbed TWJ, has been a warm, welcoming place for community members and authors alike. It showcased local authors and diverse perspectives, and catered to young readers and those young at heart. The owners cited a failure to meet financial goals as leading to the...
Ah, Halloween in the Left Hand Valley! Trick-or-treaters, haunted houses, maybe a surprise blizzard… it’s a spookily festive time. But as you prepare to revel beneath your Barbie wig or Cousin It’s hair, be forewarned: this is the Season of the Witch. And the Left Hand Valley Courier has learned that sorcery may lurk in the local DNA. Go ahead; laugh it up. The proof lies in prominent family trees. “I’m a researcher. People who know me know about my research.” Donlyn Arbuthnot is a passionate historian, especially in the area of ancestral r...
After a two-year hiatus, Oktoberfest returned to Cottonwood Square on Saturday, Sept. 30. The festivities kicked off at 11 a.m. with a Nerf Animal Shooting Gallery for kids and adults alike. The inflatable animals included bears, deer and wild boar that could be "shot at" with a Nerf bow and arrow. The shooting gallery was run by the Niwot Rotary Club. Music started at 12:30 p.m. with the aptly named Wurst Case Scenario playing some fun German themed "Weird Al Yankovic" style music. The...
The Jared Music Foundation's (https://jaredmusic.org/) annual RISE Concert on Sept. 7 had the concert's highest turnout ever with an estimated 1,000 people attending the performance in Whistle Stop Park. The Jared Music Foundation is dedicated to helping children interested in music by granting scholarships and providing instruments to help aid young musicians follow their passion. RISE is the Foundation's main annual fundraiser. The money raised will go towards scholarships for children and...
Although this year's Rock & Rails concert series has concluded, there is still more Thursday night music to enjoy in Whistle Stop Park. RISE 2023, The Jared Music Foundation's annual benefit concert is returning on Thursday, Sept. 7, from 5 - 9 p.m..at Whistle Stop Park. "This will be our third one at Whistle Stop Park," said co-founder Surinder Dahiya. "We're hoping to get a good turnout because we now have about 30 kids that we fund. Over 20 are taking it at the Boulder Symphony Music...
Although it feels like Rock & Rails just got started, the last concert of the season took place Thursday, Aug. 31. As the saying goes, "Time flies when you're having fun." And, as usual, the last concert pulled in a nice crowd to enjoy the music, the weather and to say goodbye to Niwot's long-running signature summer event. The evening kicked off at 5:00 p.m. with Nalani in a solo performance following last week's performance as the Rock & Rails headliner with The Nalani Effect. Nalani, also...
Hazel Miller, who has performed at every Rock & Rails summer concert series since its inception in 2006, will bring her powerful voice and a blend of jazz, blues, R&B and popular music to Niwot Aug. 31. Miller will appear with her band, The Collective, to bring a soulful end to the 2023 summer concert series at Niwot's Whistle Stop Park. For the past several seasons, Miller has been the featured performer at the final concert. Miller has played almost every venue and event in Colorado over the...
The Niwot community turned out to honor the life and memory of Bert Steele Saturday, Aug. 26, in Cottonwood Square shopping center. What was originally planned to be a "thank you" to the Niwot community for supporting local retail businesses, and helping the merchants survive the pandemic shutdown, morphed into a tribute to the late Bert Steele, who brought The Niwot Market to life over 20 years ago. Stacy Szydiek, co-owner of The Niwot Tavern, spearheaded the effort to put the afternoon and eve...
A beautiful evening greeted concert-goers at the penultimate Rock & Rails concert of the season on Aug. 24. Although gray skies threatened, nothing more than a brief dash of rain fell, making for a perfect summer evening. Rock & Rails veteran Wendy Woo opened the evening. A Boulder native, Woo's parents were founding faculty members at Naropa University in Boulder. Influential beat writers such as Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, and Ken Kesey would be regulars in the living room – a fact s...
This week's Rock & Rails headliner is possibly the first performer in the series to have ever set foot on Whistle Stop Park's gazebo stage. Nalani is a Niwot High School graduate with deep area roots and fond memories of the concert series. "Rock & Rails is my home," Nalani said. "I remember when they built the gazebo and feeling that it was an anchor point for a community space. I just stood up on it, with my arms wide open, and wondered what the space would be like with the crowd, vendors,...
If it's not one thing, it's another... Through much of June and July, rain, hail and thunderstorms were the Thursday night concern. But now that we're in August, high temperatures have finally come to roost. However, judging by the number of chairs set out to save a space at Rock & Rails, the heat wasn't about to put a dent in enthusiasm for the evening. Legitimate By Friday was Thursday's opening act. No strangers to the Rock & Rails stage, the band has performed six times at the event. Band...
Boulder County announced that $100,000 is available to be awarded as grants to help launch or grow circular economy projects. The application deadline is September 6. "Circular Economy" is the county's rebranding of "Zero Waste." This grant program was formerly known as the "Zero Waste Funding Program." In 2005 the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) created the Sustainability Initiative to support the reduction of the environmental footprint of county employees, residents and businesses. In...
The annual Jared Music Foundation RISE Concert fundraiser comes to Whistle Stop Park Thursday, Sept. 7, at 5 p.m. The concert will begin with Mojomama, a funky blues Rock & Rails favorite, followed by Soul School, a crowd-pleasing multi-genre band that plays anything from soul to country to pop. Donations will provide young musicians from Boulder to Niwot to Longmont with scholarships and instruments to continue pursuing their love of music. The concert is free. Dancing is encouraged. Food...
Coach Christina Ayers took her Niwot High School cheer squad to Colorado State University July 6-9 for a cheer camp, and they came home with first-place and second-place awards. "We attended the UCA Varsity Summer Camp at CSU this summer," Ayers said. "During the camp, the team won the Spirit Bananas on the first night, and during the showcase, came in first in the Camp Dance and second in the Game Day Routine." "Our objective this camp was to unite our team and continue forward with our...
It's been a year since the last time Face Vocal Band took the stage at Rock & Rails. "For us, every year, it gets a big circle on our calendar," said Mark Megibow, vocal performer and one of the band's partners. "It's one of the most crowded, animated and excited groups we get to play for. People get loud and they have fun." Megibow said that Rock & Rails is also one of the concert series that Face has been playing for the longest. That creates a lot of memories. In addition to the reliable...
When Robin Abb ("Rockin' Robin") and the Niwot Business Association came up with the idea for Niwot's Rhythm on the Rails summer concert series in 2005 when the bandstand was built in Whistle Stop Park, she had already decided who should manage the sound. Craig Cutcliff, the sound engineer, remembers that moment clearly. "I started the first year that they had it. Rockin' Robin called me up," he said. "I had mixed her band. So that's when I started. And I've been doing it ever since." Cutcliff...
Dressed in white suits, with finely choreographed dance moves, the musicians of One on One made the music come alive at Rock & Rails Aug. 10. Although the early afternoon began with a light shower, by the 5 p.m. start time, the rain had stopped, the wind died down and the sun was out. Singer-songwriter Megan Burtt opened the evening with her guitar and vocal artistry as the crowd gathered. One on One's setlist, featuring the best of Motown, had the crowd singing along. Early in the evening the...
Detroit Motown and classic soul will fill Whistle Stop Park this Thursday, Aug. 10, when Ron Ivory and One on One take the stage. The quartet will be playing a range of music from the 1950s through the 2000s including familiar songs from The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Martha and the Vandellas and The Supremes. They're playing it during a year when the group is marking its 20th year performing in what's been one of its busiest years. "It started in 2003," said Ron Ivory, who serves as bandleader f...
Guerrilla Fanfare Brass Band brought its high-energy brass to Niwot last Thursday. Aug. 3, and the crowd loved it. The group, featuring trumpets, trombones, saxes, drums and a tuba, crowded the stage and entertained the audience with funky instrumentals that everyone enjoyed. The weather cooperated as predicted storms bypassed Niwot, unlike the rain and windstorm on Tuesday night that took down the entry-gate structure at Whistle Stop Park. One of the two tipi-like tripods was damaged when it...
The Colorado Press Association announced that three Left Hand Valley Courier writers have received awards for the 2022 Colorado Better News Media Contest. Kristin Alger, Jack Carlough and Mary Wolbach Lopert have won awards for their work on the Courier. Alger has been writing for the Courier since 2022, though she has a wealth of experience in journalism. Carlough, a Silver Creek High School graduate who earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado, College of Media,...
Brass, sass, and a party are coming to the Rock & Rails stage Aug. 3 as Guerrilla Fanfare plays the event for the first time. Made up entirely of Denver-area musicians, they impart a New Orleans-style funk to their concerts, bringing trumpets, trombones, a tuba, saxophones and drums to their audience. The band's founder and manager Zach Brake is a 2016 CU Boulder alumnus and music education major who fell in love with brass band music while in school. He dreamed of starting a brass band at a tim...
A warm summer night, a tribute to Eagles founding member Randy Meisner who died the day before, and a record night for tips and alcohol sales highlighted the July 27 edition of Rock & Rails. The Strangebyrds, comprised of Cari Minor and Ray Smith, were Thursday's opening Rock & Rails act. No "strangers" to the Rock & Rails stage, the duo has been around since 2011, and have released five albums to date, with a musical style they describe as "blue collar folk Americana." The quality of Rock &...
Nearly everyone can sing along with an Eagles song, and that makes The Long Run, an Eagles Tribute Band, a great choice to entertain the Rock & Rails crowd on July 27. The six-member band is a summer festival favorite, playing up and down the Front Range. Founded in 2009, they've also played larger venues including Red Rocks Amphitheatre and The Paramount Theatre. The band has plenty of talent. Band founder, drummer and vocalist Mark Trippensee has played with national acts including REO...
Colorado's unusually wet summer weather caught up with Rock & Rails July 20, cutting short the performance by Rebecca Folsom and her band. The dark clouds and threat of rain held off until just after 7 p.m., when lightning strikes within two miles of the venue, accompanied by a downpour, interrupted the performance. Folsom and the band tried to wait out the storm as concert-goers huddled around the depot building and crowded under umbrellas, but when high winds came up and the rain did not...
In a world where music has the power to touch hearts and ignite souls, singer-songwriter Rebecca Folsom stands as a true luminary. A Rock & Rails favorite since 2006, Folsom and her band return to Niwot's favorite event, July 20. "Niwot is a home away from home," the Boulder native shared. "There's something special about the Niwot community and the strong sense of celebration in that community." This year, Folsom takes the stage propelled by the momentum of "Sanctuary," her newly released...
Beautiful blue skies and high temperatures brought out a huge crowd to the July 13 edition of Rock & Rails. And the bands didn't disappoint. Award-winning songwriter Tim Ostdiek got the evening started and was joined by Jenny Balagna, bringing their upbeat mixture of folk originals and covers to the stage. Ostdiek and Balagna are both based in the Longmont area and perform around the Front Range, often with a full complement of band members, but Niwot was treated to an intimate performance by...
"It seems like it's probably been twelve years at this point," said Mark Trippensee of Last Men on Earth as the band prepares to return to the familiar bandstand in Whistle Stop Park on July 13. "[Rock & Rails] is a hometown gig for us, which we don't do a lot of in the summer," he continued, "so it's always nice to have that amount of people come out." Last Men on Earth's music ranges from classic rock and pop, to country from the 70s, 80s, and current popular music. But what can patrons...
"[Niwot] is a comfortable town. Even if you don't know someone, you probably still recognize them." Chris Teta said this is why he has been involved in the Niwot community since 1988. Teta is originally from New York and moved to Colorado in 1986 to attend college at The University of Colorado Boulder. He received a degree in political science and later got two masters degrees in urban planning and public administration. He is a member of the City of Longmont Planning & Zoning Commission....
Niwot’s annual Rock & Rails is partnering with an eco-friendly compost and delivery service known as Wompost this summer. Wompost is a women-owned business founded by Carolyn Pace in 2018. Pace was frustrated that there was no composting pickup service in Aurora, so she decided to launch her own business as the one and only employee at first. Now, Wompost provides services not only in Aurora, but also in south Denver, Greenwood Village, Centennial, Englewood, Cherry Hills, Southglenn, Littleton, and Commerce City. They do not normally s...
Two local acts, and first timers at Rock & Rails, got the crowd going at the weekly concert Thursday, July 6. Although rain threatened the event earlier in the day, the clouds parted just before the opening act, providing a perfect night for music, dancing and food. Dechen Hawk started the night with his indie soul ballads. Having moved to Boulder when he was five, the "adopted Colorado native" says he has always loved music. But when his father was diagnosed with brain cancer when Hawk was 14,...
Will Baumgartner, band founder, leader, singer and songwriter for funk and soul group The Pamlico Sound, is clearly excited about appearing at this week's Rock & Rails concert, July 6. "I've been to Rock & Rails, I've seen what a party it is and how much fun it is," Baumgartner said. "The concert series has gotten such a great reputation. Everybody who knows the series gets excited when I tell them we're playing there." This year's concert includes a few notable elements. Audiences will enjoy...
Although storm clouds threatened and a few sprinkles danced their way through the early evening, the weather was no match for the well prepared and excited Rock & Rails crowd on Thursday, June 28, where two bands new to the event were ready to entertain the crowd. The night opened with the Teresa Storch Duo, made up of Storch and her husband Peter Lacis. No strangers to the stage, the Duo have toured internationally, performing at festivals in Scotland and Ireland. Their music focuses on...
Busy is certainly one way to describe Alison Steele, this week's recipient of the Left Hand Laurel award. The mother of a 16-month-old little girl named Elizabeth, who often comes to work with her mother, Alison, 42, is also co-owner, with her father and brother, of the Niwot Market. Alison Steele runs the grocery department doing all the ordering, stocking the shelves, working with distributors, unloading the trucks and "doing all the financials," as she puts it. The market at Cottonwood...
Donald Allen Farr Dec. 7, 1943 - June 12, 2023 Donald Allen Farr was born in Detroit, Michigan. He passed away at the age of 79 in Commerce City, Colorado, due to Parkinson's. He met his wife Julie Farr in California and the couple married in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1970. They lived most of their married life in Niwot, Colorado. They had four children and many pets. They were married 36 years before Julie's passing of breast cancer in 2006. When Don was a kid he loved playing with trains and that...
The usual Thursday modus operandi of "rain, rain, and more rain" certainly held true on Thursday, June 22. But Mother Nature also seems to be a fan of Rock & Rails, and the weather only temporarily halted the fun at last week's Rock & Rails where it was all about the blues. Deborah Stafford and the Night Stalkers got the evening started at 5:00 p.m. Stafford has been a staple of the Colorado blues scene for several years but put the band together in its current form in 2021. Deborah Stafford and...
One of the most enjoyable things about Rock & Rails is the mix of bands that play each week. It's possible that the only thing each week has in common is that whoever is playing on stage, they are going to be danceable. And Los Cheesies might be one of the most unconventional bands to step onto the bandstand stage at Whistle Stop Park. Their mix of fusion reggae, ska, Latin, '80's, rap and psychedelic rock stylings is blended with wacky humor that could winkingly be called "Yankovian" (as in Wei...
This week's Rock & Rails stage will feature familiar faces of Mojomama, with their beloved mix of funky blues, rock and soul that ranges from Aretha Franklin to Susan Tedeschi to Steely Dan. "Knowing that we get to play for the best crowd all summer makes us happy," said lead vocalist Jessica Rogalski. "People are really in a good mood, everyone's up dancing. As performers, it's fun for us to have that energetic exchange. It feeds our energy too." She remembers the fun, colorful crowd from last...
You might recognize him as a volunteer at various Niwot Community Association events, such as Niwot Clean Up Day. Perhaps you have seen him on the NCA Road Crew or as a member of the tech team at Rocky Mountain Christian Church. Most likely, you have seen him driving the golf cart offering transportation service at Rock & Rails. Misha Barrett started providing his transportation services for patrons who parked down the street from Rock & Rails in the summer of 2022. His usage of the golf cart...
The June meeting of the Niwot Business Association, held Tuesday, June 13 outside of the former feed store at 291 Second Avenue in Niwot, was sponsored by Osmosis Art & Architecture. Owner and architect Anne Postle greeted members and introduced Tucker Huey of her staff. Postle has been instrumental in working with John Fischer, owner of the former feed store, and the Niwot Cultural Arts Association, to arrange for Open Studios artists to use the space until early July to display art by local...
Given the weather over the last month, it seemed inevitable that rain would eventually crash a Thursday Rock & Rails party. And rain it did on Thursday night, June 15, halfway through the headline act. But that didn't stop the appreciative crowd from enjoying a country-themed evening, nor did it end the evening. Taylor Shae, a Colorado native who recently released the single, "Small Town America," started the music and happy hour off at 5:00 p.m. Shae, a singer and songwriter, has been...
