By Ron Goodman    
  
Love And Lobsters 2002

You can express your love and satiate your appetite on Valentine’s Day by devouring a fresh Maine crustacean, thanks to the efforts of the Ladies Club of Niwot.  If you place your order by Feb. 10, for $20.02 (Lobster 2002), you can dine on two fresh Maine lobsters.  The lobster repast will be available for pick-up at the Niwot Emporium on Second St. in Historic Downtown Niwot from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14.

The event was planned by Ladies Club of Niwot members: Pat Murphy of Niwot Real Estate, Janet Freytag of the Eye Opener Coffee Shop, Diane Atwood of Elysian Fields, Gail Anderson of The Christmas Place and Michelle Poole of Botanica.  You can place your dinner orders at any of these shops in Niwot.

Future plans for lobster bashes are planned for the second Friday of May, June, July, August and September 2002.  These will be sit-down lobster dinner events in the Grange and in the Christmas Place front yard.
 

A Marketing And Advertising Tool In Niwot

Tool Studios LLC officially launched their marketing and advertising agency on Friday Jan. 11.  Charles Bell, a Niwot resident for 11 years, founded the agency, located at 137 Second Ave.  Before this venture Bell was the Marketing Manager for Spyder Active Sports.  He also served as President of Mango Graphics and Vice President of The Boulder Marketing Agency.

Tool Studios has an unusual operating structure for a full service advertising agency.  Services are provided to clients as needed by full time employees, called Toolbelt members, and by a network of freelance specialty firms and individuals known as the Toolbox.  This structure, according to Bell, “responds to the volatile nature of the economy and addresses the small budget needs of new companies as well as the full range of services utilized by high-end established firms.”

In addition to Bell, the other Toolbelt members are Jennifer Wolfe, Director of Marketing, and Ben Garthus, aka Young Ben, the firm’s graphic designer.  I mentioned to Bell that Niwot businesses could use some help in the public relations/advertising area.  “They have to come together,” he suggested, “and decide what their mission is, what the shared interests are, and then they can develop a plan of action.”
 

Potpourri

Gail Anderson tells us that The Christmas Place will soon change its name to Seasons at The Christmas Place. “We had a great Christmas season,” Gail said, “and we hope to promote all of the holidays, year ‘round.”

We hear that Prophecy, the day spa located at 149 Second Ave., is planning on expanding.

The “Shop Niwot” sign recently installed on 361 Second Ave., at the intersection of Niwot Road and Second Avenue, was conceived and funded by the Niwot Ladies Club.  Thanks to Euvaldo Valdez for displaying the sign on his building.
     

Turning Cereal Boxes Into Safe Deposit Boxes 

The First National Bank, Niwot Branch, recently began construction for the installation of about 75 safe deposit boxes.  Branch Manager Wanda Fisher said, “Our customers are ecstatic, they have been asking for this service for a long time.”  The branch is located in the same building, 7980 Niwot Road, which until recently housed Steele’s Market.  The new vault area is in what used to be a small office in the food market.

Rev. Taylor’s Attic closed on Jan. 1, 2002.  Owner Cee Dolenc said it was sad to close, “but I would like to take a break.  And I’m still putting away boxes of stuff.”  Dolenc had been in Niwot for 30 years, working at the Antique Place and Rev. Taylor’s restaurant before opening the Attic.  “I hope to relocate in the area,” she said.  “I love Niwot.”
 

“Not Just A Local Company”

International broker Coldwell Banker officially opens its office in Niwot on Feb. 8, 2002.  They are located on the corner of Second Avenue and Franklin Street in Historic Downtown Niwot.  The newly renovated building, previously the Niwot Auction, now contains an architect’s office as well as the Coldwell Banker real estate office.

This new office is part of the Colorado Landmark Realtors based in Boulder.  The President of Landmark is Joel Ripmaster.  They recently opened offices in Interlocken, Flatirons Crossing and Louisville.

The principal broker in the Niwot office is Clarey Zingler, who lives in town.  “I worked for a software company in Denver before I decided to do this,” Zingler said.  “Before that I was a broker in Arizona for eight years and then in Colorado for 12 years.”

The office will soon have six brokers to cover the Niwot area.  “Coldwell is the largest real estate company in the world,” Zingler continued, “but we are locally owned.  We are a full service brokerage; we offer a complete package to sellers and buyers.”

Martha A. Moore, Broker Associate, is the relocation specialist in the office.  “We are international and the largest in our field,” Moore explained.  “We are not just a local company.  With our advertising and the Internet we have a presence overseas.  We are not a mom and pop company.”  I foolishly asked who overseas would be interested in Niwot.  “Who doesn’t want to live here?”  Moore asked.

Moore explained that she is working to find homes for 58 employees of a national corporation who are being relocated into the area.  Other local corporations that use Coldwell’s relocation services are Lexmark and IBM.  

As part of introducing Coldwell Banker locally, they are offering a free home evaluation and a free home warranty for sellers who list with the brokerage.  They are located at 263 Second Ave., Suite 102.  The telephone number is 303-652-8800
 

Photo by Ron Goodman 

Jennifer Wolfe, Ben Garthus on the Tool Studios’ black beauty bicycle and Charles Bell  in their new high-tech design studio.
 

Photo by Ron Goodman  

Joel Ripmaster, Martha A. Moore, Clarey Zingler, Kamla Chopra, GRI, Hillary Greenhalgh and Tracey Zingler of Coldwell Banker are now open for business.