The Boulder County Commissioners are scheduled to vote on a proposed interim management solution for the Twin Lakes reservoirs, which was developed by the Boulder County Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee (POSAC).  The next county commissioner’s meeting is scheduled for June 4, at 2 p.m. at the Boulder County Courthouse.

The interim management guidelines were presented to POSAC on April 25 at the monthly meeting and were based, in part, on results from a survey of county homeowners and condominium residents in the area and neighboring employers.  The plan includes the following recommendations:

• Removal of rebar and rope swings, to be taken care of immediately.
• Based on survey results, a leash regulation for dogs should be enforced.
• Unleashed dogs should not be allowed in the lakes.  The guidelines cite concerns that retrieval sticks may become lodged in outlet gates.  Winter ice safety is a separate concern.  An open area policy might attract dog trainers from outside the area.
• Begin a voluntary pet waste pick-up program with appropriate trash containers provided along with newspaper/plastic bag recycling stations.
• Upgraded facilities may be included in the final management plan.  Trails around the lakes will remain the same.
• Review consolidation of numerous social trail access points.

All other Parks and Open Space Regulations will apply to the site, which includes operating hours from sunrise to sunset.  The area will be appropriately signed and regulations enforced.

Both the management plan and the survey results were a disappointment to many Twin Lakes residents.  Approximately 100 area residents attended the April meeting and were nearly unanimous in their objections to the plan, primarily to the adoption and enforcement of a leash law. 

“I am a runner and, with my dog under voice control, run five miles three or more times per week around the lakes because it is a safe and uncontested area that allows me to accomplish my training goals and exercise my dog.  I have done so for about 10 years and am distressed that the county officials chose to ignore our (those wanting to walk their dogs off leash) wishes and needs,” said resident Louise Alderson.  

She also noted, “The Twin Lakes Trail parallels the lakes and already provides a controlled space for those who do not want to be around dogs off leash.  The trail is limited in length and is too narrow for runners, walkers, dogs and cyclists to use together safely.”

Boulder County purchased the 42-acre area in January 2002 for $130,000 from the Boulder and Left Hand Irrigation Company, of which Boulder County is the largest shareholder.  In 1994, the ditch company’s board of directors approached the county to discuss leasing the area.  The company was concerned about growing liability issues and wanted to lease the area to control recreational use.  State laws allowed for limited liability for irrigation facilities if leased to public agencies for recreational purposes.

In his address to POSAC, Resource Planning Manager for the parks department Rich Koopmann said, “In essence, we were invited in by the ditch and irrigation company to consider, several years ago, to lease the property and after a lot of discussions with the boards and attorneys back and forth, it just didn’t seem feasible 
to the county to put out the kind of money that was going to be expected.”  

When an agreement could not be reached in 1998, plans for the area stalled.  Just three years later, discussions began again.  Koopmann added, “So basically everything was just dropped for a while and in just the last couple of years, discussions started again, only now we were talking about a purchase arrangement.”  Had the agreement failed again, the ditch company would have considered placing fencing around the area to prevent access and reduce liability.

Others objected to how the survey was conducted and how the results were interpreted.  In an effort to determine a user profile and establish patterns of use, the county conducted three different sets of surveys.  A total of 1,979 surveyswere sent to area homeowners and condo residents of which 679 responses were received.  An undisclosed number were delivered to nearby employers with 106 responses received.  The county also conducted 85 on-site surveys during different days and times at the Twin Lakes reservoirs.  Detailed results are available from the Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department.

Many residents said these results were invalid, citing that rental properties were not included, only half of the properties that surround Twin Lakes were surveyed and those not included in the original mailing had to request a survey.  In some cases, two or more surveys were returned from the same household.  

Others questioned the content of the survey itself and point specifically to questions concerning leash laws.  The survey included two questions on the issue.  When asked the open-ended question, “What, if anything, could be improved at Twin Lakes?” only 11 percent cited dogs off leash as an issue.  When asked directly if they would support a leash regulation for the protection of wildlife and for the safety and comfort of all users, approximately 62 percent said they would.    

“There were enough questions in my own mind, and many of these concerns were raised at the hearing, about the survey methodology,” said Twin Lakes area resident Donnie Lichtenstein, who is also the Associate Dean of Faculty and Academic Programs and a Professor of Marketing at CU Boulder.  “I recognize that I have a vested interest in the outcome.  I would have hoped that prior to taking a vote, the board would have enlisted the services of someone who doesn’t have a vested interest in the outcome and with wildlife area expertise and survey methodology expertise to provide them with their expert opinions.”
Despite residents’ numerous and repeated objections, the interim management plan was unanimously approved with only one minor change to the hours of operation.  The revised plan allows access from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. similar to neighboring Eaton Park.  The fate of the Twin Lakes area now lies with the County Commissioners.

For more information about the survey or the interim management plan, contact the Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department at 303-441-3950 or visit their website at <http://www.co.boulder.co.us/openspace>.  For more information on the upcoming County Commissioners’ meeting, call 303-441-3500.
 
 

By Nancy Martin 

The configuration of classes at Heatherwood Elementary School for the 2002-2003 school year will look different when the doors open on August 22.  A small group of teachers, parents and school Principal Larry Orbona decided to create a program that will combine all fourth and fifth graders into a community of learners.  The group feels that this program will provide the opportunity for individualizing education for all students thereby maximizing everyone’s achievements.

This multi-age grouping was presented to parents at a meeting in late April as a “done deal.”  No alternatives were provided.  Because student enrollment figures dictate staffing at each school, sometimes the balance does not work with the different ages and grade levels.  Next year’s projected student population has declined and necessitates a decrease in teachers.  Since parents requested smaller classes, the group proposed five fourth/fifth grade classes of approximately 25 students.   There will be no option for a traditional fourth or fifth grade.  

These ideas surprised most parents.  Although Heatherwood has had mixed classes in the past, there has always been an option for traditional classes.

After the meeting, parents started a petition to the Boulder Valley School District (BSVD) voicing concerns about mixing two grade levels and not having any other alternative.  Fourth and fifth grade students created their own petition following a meeting. That petition was addressed to Orobona.  

Three teachers have committed to the program and have presented a very positive and enthusiastic picture of their plans.  Lisa Mesple, current fifth grade teacher and former ungraded primary (UP) teacher, Joan Stanefer, current fourth/fifth teacher and former third, fourth and fifth teacher and Chris Newby, current fourth grade teacher and former UP teacher, are excited about the program.  Two other teachers will join the team.  

The program will be in place for two years.  Students will have the same teacher for the duration.  The classes will adapt a fourth grade curriculum for one year and a fifth grade curriculum the next for social studies and science.  Math and literacy will be open-ended so students will be able to advance at individual levels.  

Because there will be 125 students in the same program, there will be many ways to group them according to abilities, interests and personalities.  The teachers see this process as a great benefit in the learning continuum.

Teachers also support the idea that specific subjects can be taught by the most experienced person, which may cut down on teacher planning time and expenses for supplies.

Certain areas of the curriculum will remain the same.  Fifth graders will participate in Outdoor Ed.  When fifth graders study the human sexuality unit, fourth graders will have an expanded unit on the digestive system.  Ellis Island and Mini-Society units will be studied in consecutive years.  Next year’s classes will use the fifth grade curriculum.

Multiage groupings are not new to Heatherwood.  Over the past 10 years, UP classes have been very successful.  Third, fourth and fifth graders work together on student council.  “There Are Always Choices”(TAAC) is made up of fourth and fifth graders.  The very popular “Hot Shots” choir and the after-school intramural sports programs are comprised of fourth and fifth graders.  These programs have proven that the age mixture is compatible.  

For the past two years, Stanefer has taught a fourth/fifth combination, which has had limited success.  Since there was only one fourth/fifth class, the benefits were not always evident.  The multigrade students did not always have the opportunity to be placed in groups according to abilities and interests.  The success of the program depends on the whole community of students and teachers.

Multigrade groupings at Heatherwood have shown the following benefits: time-efficient instruction, a cohesive community of learners, fewer teacher/student transitions, and a higher level of student learners.  

Many parents disagree with the plan.  They are concerned that ability levels will not be considered and that slower learners will all be grouped together causing problems in self-esteem.  Other concerns involve whether older, gifted children will be challenged and whether the social issues of all age groups will be considered.  There have been some questions regarding class control and discipline this year.  How will these problems be dealt with in such a large and diverse group of learners?

A panel was held in early May.  Parents were able to ask questions of the panelists, all teachers, and parents of children at schools with the mutligrade system.  Representatives from Horizons, a charter school, and University Hill Elementary, a focus school, shared their experiences and views.  Several parents whose children have gone through multigrade classes presented a positive look at the system.  They did warn of a transitional period.  At least 12 of the 29 elementary schools in the BVSD have multigrade classes.  Many of these programs are by choice; enrollment numbers determine others.

More meetings will be held.  The fourth/fifth team hopes many parents will support the plan and join a planning committee so that all concerns will be considered and addressed.  There is one thing that all teachers and parents agree on: doing what is best for the kids.
 
 

By Ron Goodman

“If you’re from Boulder it’s BOLO,” Clark Misner, manager of Transportation Planning for Boulder County explained to a crowd of 30 citizens and one nursing infant at the Grange Hall on Tuesday, May 14, 2002.  “But if you are a Longmont resident it’s LOBO.”  

Misner was talking about a new bike and pedestrian path that would follow SH 119 from Longmont to Boulder.  The funding is in place and we should see the beginning of construction next year. 

The long talked about underpass for Highway 52 is getting closer.  State funding is not yet a certainty, but Misner said the county may “go it alone.”  Also in the works is a rapid transit service from Boulder to Longmont.  Called DART, it will run every 15 minutes during rush hour.  

There were hints of other good news at this informal meeting called by county officials.  Graham Billingsley, director of Land Use for the county, asked for input about the current regulations for development in the Niwot Historic Rural Community District. There was a great deal of sentiment for “working it out” so that Chris Finger could get a restaurant in the old Rev Taylor’s building.  The parking problem in downtown consumed the greatest part of the evening.  Several people questioned if there was a problem.   

Several sites were 
discussed for possible additional parking. These additions include the use of the Murray Street right-of–way, south of First Avenue and the railroad property north of Second Avenue as well as the newly paved Franklin Street.  The County representatives and the participants left the meeting with an agreement on four tasks:

• Complete the county parking survey and assessment and present the results to the community ASAP.
• Staff will work with Chris Finger to solve the need for a restaurant without creating new problems.  (A new parking district, for example.)
• NCA and NBA and staff will work on a pedestrian connection from downtown to the Cottonwood Square Shopping Center.  This is now possible because the Hinman ditch has been closed.
• Study and improve bike and pedestrian trails to Boulder and Longmont, including box culvert under Highway 52.

Effective June 10, 2002 the Left Hand Water District is imposing mandatory watering restrictions to reduce water consumption by at least 20 percent.  Landscape watering will be limited to two days a week between 6 p.m. to 10 a.m.  

Addresses ending in a last digit that is even can water outside on Tuesday and Saturdays only.  Address ending in an odd last digit can water outside on Wednesdays and Sundays only.

Violations will result in a written notice and then fines of up to $100.

See details in the June water bill or call Left Hand Water District at 303-530-4200.
 
 

By Ron Goodman  

In Down -town Historic Niwot it doesn’t matter which side of Second Avenue you’re standing on, BabyCakes is there. On the north side is BabyCakes Boutique, 300 Second Avenue, established in November 2001 by Liz Marin. Marin worked in high tech for more than 20 years; this is her first retail store.

Across the street is BabyCakes Photography, a photography studio that Marin’s daughter, Jennie Murphy, recently opened. The studio is located in the space formerly occupied by Needlepoint of View Gallery, 361 Second Avenue.

“I was a technical recruiter for a high-tech company and I was laid off,” Murphy explained.  “I started to photograph my daughter Gabrelle, when she was four months old.  I’m a self taught photographer.”  

Muphy expanded her subjects, photographing her friends’ children in a small home studio, without charging.  “It sort of grew from there,” she said.  Murphy was taking photos in her mother’s shop until the space across the street became available several months ago.

“I love doing newborns and pregnant moms,” she explained.  “I specialize in babies and family portraits.”  One of Murphy’s photographs will be published in a big coffee table book, “Filters of the Imagination,” in the fall.
BabyCakes Boutique is a wonderful source for boys and girls clothing, up to size 12.  Customers will find many national brands including Chicken Noodle, Cach Cach, Sweet Potatoes and Hart Springs.  Also available are innovative toys, puzzles and unusual gifts for children.  

BabyCakes Boutique is open Tue. through Fri., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Call them at 303-652-8884.

BabyCakes Photography is open Wed. through Sat., from 11 a.m.  to 4 p.m. and Sunday by appointment only.  Call them at 303-652-6444 or go to <www.babycakesphotography.net> to see samples of her work.
 

After you have purchased your baby gift and walked across the street to have your reflection in the mirror memorialized at the appropriate BabyCakes establishment, it’s time to get something for your home. Turn west and walk to the corner of Franklin Ave. There is the newly established Welcome Home Furniture and Accessories at 198 Second Ave.  “I came to town to do some shopping,” owner Casey Rasmussen told me, “and I saw the ‘For Rent’ sign in the window.  The wheels started spinning.  This has been on the back burner for years.”   

Casey has always collected things,  “I love the history part of them,”  she said.  Furniture and home accessories with a story, gardening items, chests and bed stands, pottery and pictures - the shop is full of them.  “I want my shop to compliment what is in town, at reasonable prices.” Casey said.

The walls are hung with paintings by Colorado artists.  Jim Freeheart does personalized landscapes and paintings of your home. Local watercolor artist Martha Williams’ paintings and Megg Lambert’s hand painted furniture are featured in the shop.

Welcome Home is open Tue. through Sat., 11a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sun., 12 a.m. to 5 p.m.  303-652-2323. Their e-mail address is  <www.welcomehome@mail.com>. 

1239 Unused Ballots

The Mountain View Fire Protection Board of Directors Election was held on May 7.  The district planned for 1575 voters to participate. Only 286 did.  That does not speak well for our community’s participation in local matters that have a direct effect on our safety.  Sixty-nine Niwot citizens voted in the election, the largest turnout of the six voting locations.  Longtime volunteer firefighter Judy Rusk was elected with 188 votes; Lou Rademacher was reelected with 141 votes and new member David Weiss was elected with 157 votes.

Casey Rasmussen of Welcome Home Furniture and Accessories in her shop holding a tea pot with a history.
 
 

By Anne Dyni       

As the doors close on our schoolhouses for the summer and teachers and students take a well-earned rest, I am reminded of those who taught in the Left Hand Valley decades ago.  They labored under much different circumstances.

Working conditions in the early one-room schoolhouses were often harsh.  The hours were long and the pay was poor.  Teachers were responsible for educating students in all eight grades, often constrained by a dearth of textbooks and supplies.   

Salaries varied little between men and women.  All were low, about $45 a month, until after 1900.  Some were paid an additional $5 for janitorial duties.  They had the choice of hauling firewood and cleaning the school themselves or paying a student to do it for them.  

Each school was a separate district that elected its own three-member school board.  Teachers were at the mercy of these boards which were comprised of parents who ranged from progressive to conservative in their policies.   

For years, only unmarried women were hired, then burdened with unreasonable restrictions.  Teachers in Allenspark couldn’t dress in bright colors, keep company with men or travel beyond the town limits without permission from the school board.  Male teachers were allowed only one evening a week for courting purposes, providing they attended church regularly or taught a Sunday school class.

For those just out of high school, disciplining older students could be difficult.  The age difference between teachers and pupils was sometimes only a year or two.  Students could be as young as six or as old as 21.  Size and strength occasionally compensated for lack of experience however.  

Mrs. Love, principal of the Niwot School in the early 1900s, was a huge woman who sprouted red spots on the back of her neck when she was riled.  Evan Gould remembered her well.  “She’d say, ‘I’m gonna cut your tongue out and hang it on the clothesline to dry’...and us kids believed her,” he said.    Another teacher developed a precision eraser pitch that could snap students to attention clear across the room.  When Oliver DeMott attempted to grab a pupil in the Valmont School,  the boy attached himself so firmly to his desk that both he and the desk were unbolted from the floor.

Living conditions in smaller communities were sometimes so primitive that few teachers applied for positions there.   Pay was low, especially in the mountain districts, and available housing was inferior.  Those who were hired usually stayed only one year before moving to a better job elsewhere.   Dee Demmon recalled waking up in the shack provided by the Magnolia School District to find the water in her wash bowl frozen solid in the wintertime.  She gradually became used to the sounds of pack rats scurrying about inside the walls all night. 

Teachers who couldn’t commute from their home in town stayed in local boarding houses, rented rooms or lived with local families.  Normally, the household with the most children became host family for the year.  When the school board in Superior chose a needy family to board young Carrie Ewing for the year, they spent her rent money for their own needs and Carrie was forced to sneak food into her room after weekend visits at home.

Many of the early teachers in the Niwot School District were from local families… Amy Stockley, Isabel Knaus, Luella Henry, Idell McKee (Kneale) to name a few.  Advancement for these young women came only after experience, summer school classes at CU or Greeley and periodic exams.  Lifetime certificates were awarded only with a college degree, and it was not until 1961 that such degrees were required of all Colorado teachers.   We’ve come a long way, haven’t we!
   
 
 

By Bruce Warren

The Niwot Girls Soccer Team came up against perennial rival Mullen in the 4A state championship game with a familiar result.  Niwot seemed to spend most of the game on offense, but when time expired, Mullen had escaped with a 1-0 victory.  Niwot’s hopes for another state championship ended when Mullen scored on a penalty kick following a controversial delay of game call.  Niwot’s last state soccer championship was a 3A title in 1995.  

After a scoreless first half, the Cougars had several opportunities to score, but could not get the ball past Mullen’s keeper.  With just under 20 minutes left in the game, Niwot sweeper Kristin Moyer was called for a penalty when the Mullen forward fell down.  Moyer did not hear the whistle from the referee at midfield due to the wind, and cleared the ball out of bounds.  The referee called a delay of game penalty and gave Moyer a yellow card, requiring her to leave the field.  In the ensuing confusion, Mullen’s penalty shot was deflected into the goal for the only score of the game.  

Niwot came back with two furious scoring attacks, but the ball bounced out rather than in the goal.  A last minute corner kick was cleared by the Mullen defenders and Niwot came away with only its second loss of the year.  For the game Niwot outshot Mullen 7 to 4.

The loss was especially hard for several Niwot players who had tasted defeat at the hands of Mullen before.  Niwot was eliminated from the state softball tournament last fall by a 1-0 loss to Mullen, then lost in the state basketball playoffs, again to Mullen.  Last year the soccer team was eliminated in the semifinals by a 1-0 loss to Mullen. 

Mullen, a private school with a 4A size enrollment, plays in 5A leagues in most sports, then drops down a class in most sports when it comes to the playoffs.  Many complain that private schools are allowed to recruit when public schools are prohibited from such activities, but Mullen’s athletic excellence is well-known throughout the state, regardless of class.  

Niwot made it to the title game by beating Broomfield 3-0 to avenge Niwot’s only loss of the season.  During the regular season Niwot lost 1-0 to Broomfield on the Eagles’ home field.  Broomfield’s turf is a narrow, football-sized field, crowned in the middle, which some say changes the nature of the game.  

Niwot dominated the first Broomfield game, outshooting Broomfield 15-2.  But the scoreboard didn’t reflect it.  In the rematch, Niwot left no doubt which was the better team.  Senior Katie Hall started the scoring with a breakaway in the first period.  Senior Nicole Braman came back six minutes later on another breakaway to score the second goal.  Braman iced it with a third goal midway through the second half, all while playing on a sprained ankle suffered during her first goal.    

Kristen Boren, Kristin Moyer and Alyssa Woodbury were credited with assists, while goalkeeper Mandy Munger registered the shutout.  Niwot took 8 shots on goal while Broomfield managed only 3.  

Niwot had a tougher time with Legacy in the quarterfinals, winning 1-0 on a goal by Chelsea Tronick.  Although Niwot dominated the game, Tronick’s score came in the 73rd minute on a pass from Alyssa Woodbury.