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Niwot’s Tree
Sculptures A Landmark In The Making
Paris has the Eiffel Tower,
Washington, D.C. has the Lincoln Memorial and Niwot has its tree sculptures.
While not nearly as famous
as those other landmarks, the tree sculptures have clearly become a focal
point in Niwot. Locals bring guests by to see them, and people come from
around the area to check them out. I’ve heard them used by people giving
directions. Sunset Magazine even wrote a story about Niwot that
prominently featured a photo of the first statue, Biitoheinen.
For anyone who hasn’t yet
seen it, Biitoheinen is worth the trip. But these days, the cars slowing down
along Niwot Road are not always looking at the finished sculpture, but at
Eagle Catcher, the second trunk to be carved. Or perhaps it’s more accurate
to say that they are looking at the sculptor, Eddie Running Wolf, at work.
For an artist used to
working in a studio or his garage, Running Wolf said that working outside
takes some adjustments. Some are due to the nature of the project itself.
“The scale of the trees is so much bigger than what I’m used to working
with,” he said
Working on a scaffold poses
its own challenges. “I had to design this platform, and then watch out that I
don’t fall off it. My natural tendency is to work and then step back to see
what I’ve done. I’ve had to train myself not to do that.”
The material poses a
potential challenge, as trees are not always solid. Currently, only the top
wing of the eagle is visible, but somewhere in the tree is the rest of the
eagle, along with the brave who is trying to capture it. “I have my sketches,
but until I really get in there, I won’t know what I have to work with.
Sometimes I wish I had x-ray eyes.”
Some of the adjustments have
to do with the environment. The wet weather we’ve had has definitely slowed
his progress this spring. “I’m really counting on it to dry up so I can get
out here and work all day, every day.”
Then there are the distractions. “When I was
working on the first trunk, I wasn’t expecting the cars slowing down or
honking and people stopping to watch. So that was something I had to get used
to again. I used to find it really distracting, but now I kind of like
getting to talk to people when they stop by.”
Getting to watch an artist
at work is definitely one of the highlights of the tree-carving project, but
Running Wolf is modest about his work. He said, “I’m just doing my job, like
a carpenter or plumber or the guy making pizza.” He definitely enjoys
engaging with the people who stop to watch. “I learned that most of the time
they don’t really want me to stop and talk, they just want to watch me work.”
Although he isn’t sure when
it will be completed, Running Wolf said he plans to have the carving far
enough along by Nostalgia Day in September to hold a dedication ceremony.
The NCAA Needs
Your Help To Purchase Whistle Stop Park
The newly formed Niwot
Cultural Arts Association has launched an ambitious first project – the
purchase of Whistle Stop Park from its current owner, Bank of the West. The
bank has offered the property to the NCAA at a deeply discounted price as
part of its effort to support community non-profits, but the NCAA still must
raise $40,000 to fund the purchase.
According
to Bruce Warren, one of the NCAA’s directors, “Purchasing the park will
enable the community to establish Whistle Stop Park as a permanent site for
cultural events.”
Warren explained that under
the current arrangement, the Niwot Business Association leases the property
from the bank on a month-to-month basis, then grants a license to Boulder
Creek Events to operate the Rhythm on the Rails Concert Series. The current
arrangement has limited the investment the community has been able to make in
improving the park, since the long term availability to the community has
been uncertain.
Warren said, “Thus far, the
major work we’ve undertaken has been on items that could be moved in the
event that they need to be. For instance, the NBA built the bandstand so that
it could be removed if necessary, and the caboose, which the NBA purchased
last year, could also be moved.
Outside of that, very limited permanent work has been done to the park
itself with the exception of the dance floors and the planting of a few
trees.” Once the NCAA owns the property, it will be able to further improve
the park.
The
NCAA’s fundraising efforts will be three-fold. First, the group will be
making a direct appeal for donations. All donations are tax deductible to the
fullest extent allowed by law, and every individual or organization that
donates $100 or more will receive permanent recognition at the park site.
Donors
who contribute $100 will be considered Bronze Sponsors, donors who contribute
$250 will be considered Silver Sponsors, donors who contribute $500 will be
considered Gold Sponsors, and those who contribute $1000 or more will be
considered Platinum Sponsors.
Collection jars will also be
out at all Rhythm on the Rails events this summer. And, as local resident Bob
Egeland pointed out at the first concert, “If everyone who attends an event
this summer drops $5 in a jar, we’d be close to raising the funds we need.”
The
proceeds from two local events will also be donated to the cause. Those
events are Bert Steele’s annual 4th of July Pancake Breakfast and the Left Hand Valley
Courier’s
annual duck race during Nostalgia Day.
Donations
can be sent to: Niwot Cultural Arts Association, P.O. Box 610, Niwot, CO
80544. To learn more, contact directors Bruce Warren (303-652-2433) bwarren@niwotlaw.com, Tim Wise (303-652-2888) wiseinniwot@msn.com and Mike Anfinson
(970-222-1441) Mike.Anfinson@lasp.colorado.edu.
By Liz Emmett-Mattox As an undergraduate, Gordon Moore
switched majors from business to criminal justice. As an adult, he switched
careers from law enforcement to business.
A lifelong resident of
Boulder, Moore started his professional life as a police officer in Boulder
County. After almost 20 years on the police force, he opened a State Farm
Insurance office in Gunbarrel. which he ran for over 20 years.
While with State Farm, he
was a charter member of the now defunct Gunbarrel-Niwot Business Association
and served several terms as its president. He was also a member of the
Kiwanis Club in Boulder and a member and past president of the Boulder County
Estate Planning Council.
In
retirement, Moore kept up his volunteer activities, serving as the
secretary/treasurer with the Lake Ditch Company. As one of three volunteer
officers, his job is to set up the meetings and collect the assessments.
Moore is also a leader for the Bible Study Fellowship that meets weekly at
the First Presbyterian Church in Boulder.
But the volunteer work that
most engages Moore these days is working with the Boulder County Sheriff’s
Department on the Mounted Search and Rescue team. A longtime horseman, Moore
enjoys the “excuse to get out and ride” that this provides.
Once associated with the
Boulder County Horse Association, the Mounted Search and Rescue team is a
group of volunteer riders who are available when the Sheriff’s Department
needs them to hunt for missing people, pack in food and water for other
search and rescue personnel, or execute evidence searches.
Said Moore, “The horses are
sometimes able to get into rugged areas that would be difficult to search
otherwise.”
Sheriff
Joe Pelle, who worked with Moore for several years, appreciated the time
commitment that Moore made to the department. Whether training or on an actual
search, Pelle said he especially values Moore’s maturity and calm demeanor.
Although he hasn’t been retired for long, Moore is looking forward to spending more time at the Little Piney Ranch he and his wife Donna own in Wyoming. At some point, he thinks he might enjoy volunteering with one of the therapeutic riding centers nearby.
World War
II Vet Receives NHS Diploma
In May, more than six
decades after leaving school and being drafted into the Army during the later
days of World War II, Roland Kaiser at last added “high school graduate” to
his lengthy list of achievements.
Kaiser received his diploma
along with the Niwot High School Class of 2009, and spoke to the gathering about
what the day meant to him. “If a diploma is important to me at age 82, it
must surely be important to you as young people,” he said.
Kaiser received his
long-awaited degree through Operation Recognition, a program that honors
veterans whose education was interrupted by military service.
In the past seven years,
Operation Recognition, offered by the Colorado Board of Veterans Affairs in
cooperation with the Colorado Department of Education and the Colorado
Association of School Boards, has
awarded nearly 500 Colorado veterans age 60 and over a high school diploma.
“All veterans have proven
themselves by passing military training, which requires a high degree of
intelligence,” said Ralph Bozella, chairman of the Colorado Board of Veteran
Affairs. “They’ve accumulated tremendous life experiences and have knowledge
about geography, foreign languages and other cultures. And many of them, as
well, have saved lives.”
Bozella brought the program,
started in Massachusetts for WWII veterans, to Colorado in 2002. It proved so
successful in its first year, the state legislature voted to expand it to
also include those who served in the Korean and Vietnam wars.
Kaiser, who lives in
Longmont with his wife Janice, read about Operation Recognition in the
newspaper and applied. His last of several careers was as head custodian at
Niwot High School, and because of that he opted to participate in the
school’s ceremony.
When Kaiser was the same age
as his fellow graduates in the class of 2009, he left his home in Montana to
serve in Europe as a field nurse and pharmacy technician. “The Front had
collapsed before I got there,” he said. He ended up in what had once been a
German military hospital in Vienna. His job entailed, among other duties,
delivering shots of the new wonder drug, penicillin, to recovering
soldiers.
The eldest son of German
immigrants, Kaiser completed eighth grade at age 17, after difficulties with
English left him lagging behind his peers. Even now, “I still sometimes will
still spell cracker with a ‘k,’ like it’s spelled in German,” he said.
Being called into the
military at age 18, he said, was “one of the proudest moments for my parents
and me.” Though he could have moved up the ranks in the Army, he was “more of
a free spirit,” and chose to return to civilian life when his tour of duty
was up.
After being discharged,
Kaiser attended seminary at North Central University in Minneapolis. “My dad
wanted me to be in the ministry,” he said. The college accepted him without a
high school degree as long as he kept up his grades. But, a year short of
graduation, he decided to pursue a different path, and returned to Montana to
work for the railroad and do lay ministry on the side.
He later moved to Topeka,
Kansas, married and had two children. As that marriage ended he took a job at
Associated Grocers and relocated to Loveland. He worked as an assistant
manager at Sullivan’s Pharmacy in Longmont until the business was sold to
Walgreens.
He and his current wife
Janice opened a European deli in Longmont on Francis Street, renowned for its
German sausage breakfast. But the 80-hour work weeks took at toll on his
health, and he developed heart arrhythmia. “My doctor said, ‘If I were you,
I’d get out of that business,’ and I took his advice.”
Some
of his deli customers worked for the school district, and at their
suggestion, he sought a position as a janitor. He spent 10 years with the
district, first at Skyline, and later at Niwot High School. He retired in
1995, and continued to be a substitute custodian until he was 75.
Now his days are devoted to
his volunteer work, which includes providing respite for caregivers through
Hospice- Care of Boulder and Broomfield Counties. His other passion:
gardening. In the warmer months, Kaiser is kept busy with his patch of ground
at the Boulder County Fairgrounds community garden. “Every summer we fill the
freezer with vegetables,” he said.
With a high school degree in
hand, he has accomplished a dream he long deferred. “It’s a recognition that
brings me a great sense of satisfaction,” he said.
For more information about
Operation Recognition, see www.dmva.state.co.us/page/va/op_rec.
What Is Restorative Justice And How Does It Work?
Regular Courier readers recall that a few
months ago we printed a pair of anonymous letters to the editor. This is
contrary to our usual policy, but we made the exception for a good reason.
The authors in this case were young members of our community publicly
acknowledging responsibility and apologizing for the harm they had caused by
tagging (spray-painting graffiti) in the underpass on the Dry Creek Trail.
In their
letters, the writers expressed their appreciation for the Boulder County
Restorative Justice program. While confidentiality concerns prohibit us from
contacting these young people and their families directly to find out what
the long-term impact of this program has been, we wanted to bring readers
more information about the Restorative Justice program.
Restorative
Justice is the name given to a theory of justice that encourages offenders to
take responsibility for their actions and to make reparations to their
victims, whether an individual or community. In the words of Deb Witzel of
Teaching Peace, a non-profit organization that works with the City of
Longmont and St. Vrain Valley School District. The idea is to “make things
right and restore relationship.”
This is a
very different approach from the traditional legal model which focuses
exclusively on determining legal culpability and suitable punishment.
In our
area, there are two agencies that work with a Restorative Justice model.
Incidents that are handled by Boulder County Sheriffs or City of Boulder
Police are referred to the Boulder County Restorative Justice Coordinator,
Jennifer Quilling.
In
Longmont, cases are referred to Teaching Peace to provide Restorative Justice
alternatives.
In both
jurisdictions, the process is similar. Any party (the victim, the offender or
the responding officer) can request or suggest the Restorative Justice
program, but it is completely voluntary.
Both the
victim and offender must agree to participate in the process with the
understanding that if the offender does not complete the contract as agreed
upon, the case will be sent back into the criminal justice system. If the
offender does complete the contract, the incident is expunged from the
offender’s record.
The
Restorative Justice process itself starts with a “circle.” This is a meeting
in which the victim and the offender, along with his or her respective
support team, meet with a trained facilitator and other members of the
community. Each party shares how they have been impacted by this incident and
what they need to “make things right.”
When all have been heard, a contract is crafted that specifically
addresses the harm done and the relationships that need repair.
According to Jessica Dancingheart, a volunteer facilitator with
Teaching Peace, one of the goals is to create a contract that will
reintegrate the offender into the community.
According
to Witzel, the success of Restorative Justice programs can be seen in its
recidivism rates. In their program, which has been in operation since 1996,
over 90 percent of the offenders in the program complete their contracts. And
of those who complete their contracts, only 10 percent re-offend within one
year. In Boulder County, recidivism rates for those in the criminal justice
system are about 50 percent and national recidivism rates are about 70
percent.
One of the
misconceptions people often have about Restorative Justice programs is that
offenders “get off easy.” According to those who have experienced this
process, this is far from the truth.
One Niwot
family got involved with Restorative Justice when their son (in middle school
at the time) was at his grandmother’s house, playing with a friend and the
friend pointed a pellet gun at him. The grandmother called the Sheriff’s
department and the case was referred to Boulder County’s Restorative Justice
Program.
As part of
the contract, the offender was required to take a gun safety class. Said the
victim’s mother, “It was so much better than just having his parents pay a
fine and him doing some community service that didn’t have anything to do
with what he did. It was not an easy process for that kid; he really felt bad
about it.”
Another
misconception is that Restorative Justice is only for juvenile offenders.
Quilling and Witzel both said that the majority of their cases involve
juveniles, but that they do handle cases involving adults. Witzel noted that
one of the largest increases in their case load has been with offenders
between 18 and 25 years of age.
And while
the typical case might involve such youthful misconduct as bullying,
vandalism or criminal mischief, other kinds of offenses such as false
reporting or workplace conflicts also find resolution in Restorative Justice
circles.
The
Restorative Justice model is also being used to resolve conflicts outside the
criminal sphere. After experiencing the difficulty of traditional divorce,
Dancingheart and Will Bledsoe created The Restorative Way. The idea is to
offer Restorative Justice services to families experiencing damage through separation, divorce, addictions, estate planning and
settlement, or conflict between family members.
They use the Restorative Justice process
including the principals and their extended networks along with unrelated
community members to identify the harms that have been done and what needs to
happen to repair relationships and resolve what are sometimes long-standing
conflicts.
One thing heard repeatedly from those
involved with the Restorative Justice process is how healing it is for both
victims and offenders. Said the Niwot mom, “I would recommend the Restorative
Justice route for anyone who finds themselves in a situation like ours.
Working in the legal field, it just makes so much more sense to keep juvenile
offenders out of the system whenever possible. It really makes an impression
on them and it saves the taxpayers money.”
Planning
Commission Approves NRCD II In Niwot
Boulder County Planning Commissioners
voted unanimously in favor of proposed changes to the county’s Land Use Code
to create Niwot Rural Community District II at their June 17 meeting. The
proposed change was made at the request of the Boulder County Planning
Division and will now go to the Board of County Commissioners for final
approval.
The planning office was
first approached in 2006 when residents in the old town Niwot area submitted
a petition requesting that the county examine the possibility of changing the
zoning for residential sites in the area from Rural Residential to Rural
Community District.
Since then, the planning
office has conducted a survey of the 70 properties to be covered, held three
public meetings and completed an analysis of the area’s development pattern
and character. As of the time of the hearing, 65 percent of the surveys had
been returned in favor of the new district, with five percent against and 30
percent not responding.
This is not the first time
the county considered such a request in Niwot. In 1993, the county created
the first rural community districts, including the one in Niwot’s downtown
business area, so communities “could work with the county to create their own
set of regulations that made more sense for their community’s pattern of development
than what modern zoning, like the rural residential district, required,”
according to Senior Planner Denise Grimm.
Grimm noted the proposed
NRCD II encompasses only residential lots and is separate from the commercial
zoning district already in place. The primary purpose in forming the new RCD
is to allow more flexible setback requirements.
The NRCD II would change
front setback requirements from 25 feet to 15 feet from the original surveyed
townsite lot lines. Grimm said, “That could be reduced even further if the
residences on either side are already less than that, in which case you could
average that out and go even further towards the road.”
Side setbacks will be
reduced from eight feet to five feet as long as adequate separation according
to building codes is maintained. Rear setbacks will remain at 15 feet.
Another change included is that corner lots will now have to consider only
one lot line for the purposes of a front setback, rather than two as is now
required.
A supplemental setback from
the centerline of Niwot Road will also be reduced from its current 90 feet to
80 feet, until or unless further road classifications change its
requirements.
Grimm added, “All other
provisions of the Rural Residential District, as amended, would remain consistent
with the Rural Residential District,” noting concerns some residents had that
the county would make changes to lot sizes allowed or similar actions. “At
this point nothing else would change in terms of their development
requirements.”
A copy of the amendment is
available online at www.bouldercounty.org/lu/code_updates/niwot_rcd.
Photo by
Mimi Bell
Out In Leftfield
By Bruce Warren If you have news of local
athletes, please contact sports@lhvc.com or call 303-652-2433.
BROADCASTING
Niwot High grad John Mullen was featured in the June 15 issue of
the Denver Post, but the news wasn’t encouraging. Mullen, who has done radio broadcasts of
high school sports since his high school days in 1979, is in danger of
dropping off the airwaves. Mullen
worked at KLMO in Longmont from 1985 until 2000, but has had to work
free-lance ever since. Now those contracts are drying up, and Mullen has been
battling cancer as well. But he hasn’t
let it get him down, and is optimistic that he’ll find work continuing his
life’s passion, broadcasting high school sports.
RUNNING
Trevor Blackman of Niwot was the top local finisher in
the Bolder Boulder, coming in 75th overall with a time of 34:38.28, running
in the Men’s age 19 Division, where he was fifth. Scott Pearson (M20) came in second among Niwot runners in
37:14.18, and tenth in his age division, while veteran runner Ted Benning (M49) came in third at 39:06.02, and
third overall in his age group. Jack Adolfson (M14) finished fourth among the Niwot
men, and fourth in his age division. Steve Lenger (M35) was next and finished 11th in his
age group. Joshua Robinson (M39) was sixth among Niwot men and
10th in his age division. Dillon Manzanares (M15) was seventh and 10th in his age group.
Kristi Jordan (F45) was the top Niwot runner in the
Women’s Division, finishing in 42:44.26.
Jordan also finished second overall in her age group. Eileen Herbst (F42) was close behind at 43:46.58,
while NHS runner Lauren DeGroot (F16) was third among Niwot women at
44:19.74. Herbst was fourth overall in
her age division, while DeGroot was eighth. Libby White (F21) was fourth among Niwot women and 19th in her
age group. Maddy Jalbert (F14) was fifth, and 12th in her age
division, while her mother, Vicky Dorvee (F49) was right behind and eighth in her age group.
Karen Edwards (F48) was seventh and 11th overall in
her age division.
Bill Hake (M56), who ran 49:42.48, was the oldest
Niwot male runner under 50 minutes, while Bob Kilcullen (M63) was the oldest Niwot male runner under 55
minutes. Robin Flannery (F61) was the oldest Niwot female
runner under 1:05. Elise Cranny (F13) was the top Niwot female runner
under 14, and Scott Rutherford (M13) was the top Niwot male runner
under 14.
BASEBALL Patrick Perry (Niwot) is hitting .250 for the Traverse
City Beach Bums this spring. Perry has
12 RBI’s on the season, tied for third on the team.
Perry, a catcher, had a
double to drive in two runs in a 6-2 win over Lake Erie June 16. He also went
2-3 and scored a run in a 4-2 win over Midwest June 14, and had a 2-4 day
with a run scored and an RBI June 12 in a 6-1 win over Midwest. His best day came June 5 when he had two
hits, including a double, scored a run, and drove in four runs in an 11-7
victory over Evansville.
Sean Ratliff (Niwot) went 2-3 with a run scored and
an RBI for the Savannah Sand Gnats in a 5-2 win over Charleston June 21. Ratliff went 3-4 with a homer, two runs
scored and four RBI’s June 19 in a 10-5 win over Charleston. He has primarily been playing centerfield,
while also seeing action in rightfield for the Class A Mets’ affiliate.
Ratliff finished the first half of the season with a .295 batting average, 41
runs, seven homeruns and 38 RBI’s. His
average is third best on the team, and he leads the team in the other
offensive categories. His first-half
performance earned him a spot on the South Atlantic League All-Star team,
starting in leftfield for the South Division All-Stars June 23.
Ratliff’s parents, Mike and Kelly Ratliff, have relocated to the Dallas-Ft. Worth area for
employment considerations. Mike
Ratliff has long been involved in youth sports in the Niwot area, serving as
an assistant baseball coach for Niwot High school, and as a board member of
Niwot Baseball, Inc. Ratliff formerly
served as a board member of Niwot Youth Sports for many years, as well as a
coach and commissioner. Their daughters, Abby and Katie, played softball for NHS, and now attend CSU.
Colorado School of Mines
pitcher Andrew Ryan (Silver Creek) was named Second Team
All-Conference in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Ryan had a record
of 3-5 with two complete games in 10 starts. He posted 41 strikeouts with
only 24 walks in 56 2/3 innings. As a junior, Ryan ranked 11th in the
conference in opponent batting average (.310) and 15th in ERA (7.15). Ryan was also a First Team All-Academic
RMAC member this year after being named Second Team All-Academic RMAC last
year, when he also earned Honorable Mention All-Conference honors. He was Silver Creek’s Valedictorian in
2006.
Niwot is fielding four
Legion teams this summer. The Legion A
team, consisting of the top players from all Longmont area high schools, is
coached by Mike Owens with Craig McBride as his assistant. NHS players include Ryan Strufing and Matt Perry as well as graduated seniors Cody Lahman, Zach LaBorde. Silver
Creek’s Tyler Gibbons is also on the squad. NHS alum Forrest Carpenter returned from his freshman year at the
University of Northern Colorado to join the team.
Carpenter had a homerun and
a triple among his three hits in a 17-7 win over Fairview. LaBorde added a triple while Perry added a
double and picked up the win on the mound.
Lahman pitched the first four innings, and Strufing pitched the last
inning of a 3-2 win over Arapahoe in the first of a twin-bill, while Perry
closed out an 8-3 win in the nightcap. LaBorde homered in the second game and
added a single, while Lahman and Gibbons each had two hits.
Lahman pitched the first
five innings and picked up an 11-8 win over Northfield (Minn.) in the first
game of the Omaha Classic. Carpenter added two doubles and LaBorde homered to
lead the offense. Carpenter also had two hits in an 11-4 winover Johnny Mac,
including a homer. Strufing took the loss against Topeka (Kan.), 9-8. LaBorde
had three hits in the game.
NHS alums Michael Perry of Friends University, head coach, and Jose Soto of Otero Junior College, assistant
coach, are coaching the Legion B program, which includes most of the players
expected to be playing varsity for Niwot High next spring. The team plays in
the Northern League.
The Cougars beat Overland
Park (Kan.) 12-7 behind Connor Messinger, who went 3-4 at the plate and was credited with the victory on the
mound. Dylan Kaczeus had a homer for Niwot, and Ryan Sypher closed out the game on the mound.
Niwot beat Northridge 13-3
with Ben Raynor leading the offense with a double and a
triple. Messinger also doubled and
picked up the victory, while Kaczeus also added a double.
Sypher picked up a 5-3 win
over Fort Morgan in the first game of a doubleheader with Brady Oleszczuk closing out the game. Andy Wegleitner had two hits to lead the offense. Kaczeus picked up a 6-2 win in the
nightcap, with relief from Veric Nichols and Raynor.
Raynor had three hits, while Luis Montelegre, Wegleitner, Sypher and Spencer Wolfe each had two hits. Montelegre,
Wegleitner and Kaczeus had doubles, while Raynor added a triple.
Raynor had a 4-5 day, with
four runs scored and three RBI’s in a 14-11 loss to Greeley West. Raynor’s
hits included two triples and he had three stolen bases as well. Kaczeus
added a double, Sypher had two hits, and Chris Gang had two hits and a stolen base, but it wasn’t enough
as Ben Walters took the loss on the mound.
Kaczeus had two hits and
picked up the victory in an 8-5 win over Frederick. Walters finished up on
the mound, while Raynor added two hits, including a triple. Messinger,
Oleszczuk, and Gang had two hits each.
Dillon Boveri, who completed his teaching degree this
spring, is coaching the Legion C team for Niwot, which plays in the Metro
League. George Sypher is serving as team manager for both the
Legion B and Legion C teams.
Niwot grads Jon Hangge, head coach, and Alex Hart, assistant coach, are handling the
coaching duties for Niwot’s Legion D team, which plays in the Metro League as
well. Bryan Hawthorne had a double and Jesus Ramirez stole two bases as Niwot beat
Strasberg, 7-6. Tucker Benson picked up the win on the mound. The Cougars beat Fairview 9-4 with Jake Sarosi leading the offense with a triple and
two stolen bases. Dale Hawley picked up the win on the mound. Niwot lost the second game of a
doubleheader to Fairview, 13-12. Ramirez
had two doubles and stole two bases, while Billy Drake also added a double.
Tucker Tharp of Gunbarrel had a two-run homer for
Fairview in a 6-3 win over Fort Collins in the Bauldie Moschetti
Classic.
The Times-Call also named
Strufing (P), LaBorde (C), Lahman (UT) and Hoyt (P) to its All-Area team,
along with Gibbons (2B), Poulsen (3B) and Van Dyke (DH). Silver Creek’s Trevor Platt was named Coach of the Year, while
Jones (OF), Reed (OF) and Kevin Johnson (P) of Silver Creek were named to the Second Team. Area players receiving Honorable Mention
included Dolifka, Mitch Dow (Silver Creek) Matt Hart (Alexander Dawson), Matt Perry (Niwot), Ross Pollard (Silver Creek) and Zach Villani (Silver Creek).
Cody Lahman received a scholarship offer to play at
Mesa State in Grand Junction next year.
Lahman pitched and played the outfield for Niwot this spring.
SOFTBALL
Third baseman Jessica Hamlin of Niwot was selected to play in the
Colorado High School Coaches All-State game in Greeley June 13. Hamlin wore an armband with number 30 on it
in honor of her classmate, Kegan Garrison, who had been selected to play in the All-State
football game.
Jennessa Tesone (Niwot) finished the season as one of
only four Metro State players to start every game of the team’s outstanding
40-12 season. She hit .346 on the
season, with 42 runs scored, 13 homeruns and 46 RBI’s. Her slugging
percentage was .642 and her on-base-average was .440.
Niwot pitcher Kali Haas, who will be a senior this fall, helped
the Triple Crown Stars reach the Stazio semifinals. Haas, who posted a 0.90
earned run average for Niwot High last year, suffered from lack of run
support in a 2-0 semifinal loss to the Comets Gold, the tourney co-champ. She
is one of several Stars players being recruited by college coaches. So far, Haas has heard from Brown, Yale,
Penn and Colorado School of Mines.
The Niwot Cougars 10U “B”
Girls Fastpitch Team, coached by Tony Dageenakis and Leslynn Kleespies, is a first-year 10 and Under competitive team made
up of Niwot Youth Sports and Longmont Rec players from last year. Tom Kleespies and Brandon DeLozier serve as assistant coaches. The team, which is the
first 10U team sponsored by Niwot Softball, Inc., finished in the top three
in four straight tournaments.
The young Cougars went 6-1
at the Rocky Mountain Showdown June 5-7. DeLozier started and Kleespies came
in to close out a no-hitter against the Colorado Psyclones. Kleespies, Dageenakis and Ashley Newton each had wins pitching with Kleespies and
DeLozier picking up two each. Corbin Casmey stroked a 2-run single to break open
the game against the Colorado Buckaroos and Elle Owens hit .475 for the tournament with two doubles.
DeLozier hit .620 and Ludwig hit .500.
The Cougars opened with five
straight wins in the tournament but lost against the Colorado Warriors in a
game that determined the Championship Game entry from their pool. The team
closed the Tournament with a 10-3 win over the Colorado Heat, in a game that
saw five straight hits to start the game.
Degarate, Kleespies and Newton earned Game MVP honors and Ludwig won
two Game MVPs for her stellar play behind the plate. These MVP honors were voted on by the opposing
teams. The Cougars finish their season
with three remaining State Tournaments sanctioned by Triple Crown, USSSA, and
ASA.
FOOTBALL
Niwot’s Tyler Strong has committed to play football at the
University of Wyoming after graduation next spring. Strong, who has played linebacker for
Niwot, is expected to play defensive tackle for Wyoming. Strong was named first-team all-Northern League honors
last year as a junior after leading Niwot with 110 tackles. He will join his best friend, Niwot
linebacker Jeff Roueche, at Wyoming in 2010. Strong was also recruited by Colorado, Colorado
State, and Nebraska.
Former NHS football coach Paul “Tiny” Koehler retired from coaching and moved to
Estes Park, but it wasn’t long before he was lured back into helping coach
football there. Koehler has stepped
down again, after last season, but one of his players, offensive lineman Blake Hinson, was named an alternate to the Colorado
All-State football game June 13.
Hinson was not originally on the active roster, but Koehler and Hinson
received word of an opening in May, and Hinson was added to the squad. Later
Koehler learned that Hinson filled the roster spot of Niwot’s Kegan Garrison, who died tragically last spring.
BASKETBALL
NHS Head Coach David Ross (Niwot) took time out from summer basketball
coaching for a wedding – his own, to former NHS volleyball star Janae Paas.
The wedding provided ample opportunity for former NHS coaches and
athletes to get together, including former boys basketball coach Ernie Reichert, former football coach Paul “Tiny” Koehler, and former tennis coach Larry Kilgore.
Other coaches in attendance included the current NHS boys’ basketball
staff of Doug Duffy, Aaron Hopp and Ron Tesone. Former NHS
athletes and teammates of Ross and Paas attending included Andrew Hagen, Brad Dayhuff, Lindsay
Kalbfleish Dayhuff, Jenny Kalbfleish, Phil Yates, Stephanie Ross, Annie Ross, Lauren Paas Stubbs, Scott Larson, Danny Reese, Darrin Reese, Tim Edstrom, Chelsea Hagen, Adam Hirt, Phil Schlagel, Tashia Schlagel, Lauren Klughurst Barker, Jon Barker, and Dina Bernadelli.
Although former NHS and
college basketball player Ashley Johnson could not attend due to Peace Corps commitments, her parents, Mark and Janelle Johnson, were in attendance. Ross and Darrin Reese, who were high school
teammates, are rival coaches at Niwot and Mountain View, respectively, but
remain teammates on the court in an adult basketball league.
TRACK
Griffin Matthew (Niwot) finished 21st in the 100M at
the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, running for Stanford
University. Matthew posted a time of
11.55 seconds, just .06 seconds off of qualifying for the finals.
David Perry of Niwot was named to the Times-Call
All-Area Track and Field team for his efforts as a distance runner. Sprinters Evan Hirt and Brett Wright of Silver Creek also received All-Area honors. On the girls side, Emily Boldt, Sidney Coffey and Miranda Lahman were named to the All-Area team for their efforts
in the relays. Honorable Mention went to Lukas Diesing, Dan Foye, Chris Hickey, Matthew Nam,
Peter Neis, Alex Paul, Luke Schuler, Ryan Schuler, and Travis Ward of Niwot, and
Cody Alme, Brock Garden, Joel
Hammond, Scott Hardy, Nick Kadlec, Shayler Knechtel, Kenny Warner and Dylan Zaynor of Silver Creek.
Girls receiving Honorable Mention included Lauren DeGroot, Allison Horsch,
Catherine Jones, Megan Lang, Sarah Malang, Casey McPherson, Danielle Metzner and Rachel Moorer of Niwot, and
Lindsay Banning, Alaina
DiGiacomo, Breanna Gunnarson, Kelly King, Jenny Perry and Anais Prasad of Silver Creek.
Niwot resident Dori Gills, a senior at Holy Family, ran on four
relays at state, all of which made the finals in Class 3A. Holy Family finished ninth in the 4x100,
fifth in the 4x200, sixth in the 4x400, and second in the 4X800. Three of the relay teams broke school
records. Gills plans to play
basketball at Augustana College in Rock Island (Ill.) next year. She
was a member of Holy Family’s 2-time state basketball champs, which was the
first time in state history that a 3A team repeated as state champs.
She was MVP of the state tournament, and named first team All-State.
GOLF
Niwot High’s Gina Larson finished second in the Northern
Conference in scoring average for Skyline with a 78.8 mark. Teammates Amy Hodgkinson (80.6), Mikayla Tatman (83.2) of Silver Creek, Callie Hodgkinson (85.4) and Kayleigh Greer were right behind at third, fourth,
fifth and sixth places, respectively. Kayla Ray (98.0) finished 29th overall in the conference.
ROWING
Christina Thorburn (Niwot) was named a National
Scholar-Athlete by the National Rowing Coaches Association for her work in
the classroom and her efforts as part of Willamette University’s Women’s
Rowing squad. Thorburn, a sophomore, competes on the women’s varsity eight+,
which was selected for the NCAA Division III National Championship Regatta
this year. To qualify, an athlete must be at least a sophomore, carry a GPA
of 3.5 or higher, and participate in at least 75% of the school’s varsity
contests. Thorburn is an exercise
science major.
HOCKEY
Kenny Haisfield (Niwot) returned from his first year at
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a Robertson’s Scholar,
making the Dean’s list both semesters.
He completed his first season competing for the University’s Club Ice
Hockey Team in the ACCHL. Highlights
from his season include a hat trick against Old Dominion during the James
Sapikowski Memorial Tournament to help the team win the tournament, and a
goal and three assists during the ACC conference tournament, helping UNC to a
third place finish. Haisfield was
selected as the UNC Freshmen Player of the Year for the season and was
elected Treasurer of the Club. He is a
member of the Micro-Finance Club and the Southeast Asia Club allowing him to
further his efforts with the 501(c)(3), CEO 4 Teens, he co-founded with Brooks Dyroff.
This summer, he has an internship with Children of the Village in New
Orleans, in conjunction with the Robertson’s Scholar Program, and then will
be traveling to Indonesia for CEO 4 Teens.”
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On May 30-31, the Cougars
played in the Prime Time Invitational in Arvada and went 3-2, with the losses
coming to the top-ranked Comets by scores of 4-3 and 6-5.