FasTracks – Where Will It End?
By Donna Currie
DonnaC@lhvc.com
After a flurry of concern over the end location of the Northwest Corridor of FasTracks, not much has been said lately. But behind the scenes, there’s a lot going on.
At a meeting with a group of local mayors, the consensus was that “the whole region wants the whole system,” according to Karen Morales, the Northwest Rail Corridor public involvement liaison.
The problem is that there’s a shortfall of $2.2 billion that needs to be funded between now and the estimated completion date of 2017. One option was to delay completion of the project until as late as 2034, as funding became available.
But, Morales said, “People want their FasTracks and they want it sooner rather than later.” Based on current financial plans, that would require a sales tax increase of four cents on every ten dollars.
To get that tax increase, the issue would have to be put on the ballot. The increase would be used solely to fund construction, according to Morales, and the tax would “go away” after construction was paid for.
The FasTracks budget is based on current costs and revenues. Last year, construction costs, including the cost of raw materials, skyrocketed. This year, construction costs are down, but so are sales tax revenues, so the shortfall is virtually the same.
“If the economy stabilizes, this will change,” Morales said. The best-case scenario for the budget would be lower construction costs coupled with higher sales tax revenues. “Every year, we do a new financial plan,” she said, in order to project costs and revenues based on the most recent information.
Meanwhile, “Everything else is moving full speed ahead,” according to Morales, because there is adequate funding for the non-construction phases.
The Northwest Rail Corridor is currently in the “impact analysis phase” where impacts to property, air quality, noise, vibration, wetlands and water are studied.
After the analysis is done, the results will be disclosed to the public and RTD will again be asking for public comments. Morales said that there will be public workshops later this summer, but a schedule has not yet been set.
Morales said that FasTracks will benefit the area in more ways than just providing future transportation. During construction, she estimated that 10,000 construction jobs will be created, beginning some time between 2010 and 2012, providing a “huge economic stimulus” for the area.
For more information about FasTracks, see www.rtd-fastracks.com.
By Kathy Raczkowski
KathyR@lhvc.com
There’s something about shopping outdoors in the summertime for fresh produce, food hot off the grill, art and bargains. This summer, Niwot businesses and community members will bring you plenty of options to indulge your summer fresh-air shopping bug.
Beginning June 6, every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Niwot Market will host an Outdoor Saturday Market in front of the store featuring local produce, local food vendors, and free coffee.
On the second and fourth Saturdays during the summer, Santelli Healing Center, located in Cottonwood Square (behind the fence opposite Abos), will host a Healers’ Market in the parking lot just to the north of Niwot Market.
And on the second Saturday of each summer month, the Niwot Business Association will host the Niwot Farmer & Flea Market from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m in the parking lot surrounding Niwot Market and bordering Niwot Road.
This new Farmer & Flea Market is designed to be a hybrid market where people can rent booth space for $30 and hawk whatever wares they choose one Saturday a month. Booths near Niwot Road are hoped to draw in non-destination shoppers.
Garage sale items can benefit from mass marketing and better visibility. Artisans can introduce the community to their handiwork and even share a space with a fellow artist to cut the costs. And nonprofits can take advantage of the increased foot traffic to get the word out about their cause and raise funds.
“We think it’s going to be really good for the community and all involved,” said Mimi Bell, local Allstate agent and coordinator of the new event series for the NBA.
To add to the enjoyment of the day, the NBA is also bringing in live music. Pete Wernick will play June 13, Randall Dubis on July 11, and Kevin Dooley on August 8. Bring the kids, your appetite, some spare change, and your reusable shopping bags and join your neighbors for some fresh air fun in Cottonwood Square.
The Niwot Farmer & Flea Market will be June 13, July 11, and Aug. 8 in Cottonwood Square. Contact Mimi Bell at 303-652-1343 to rent a 10’x10’ space for $30 per day. Healers should contact Felicia Santelli at 303-652-6042.
RMCC Case Headed To Higher Court
By Liz Emmett-Mattox
LizEM@lhvc.com
The legal drama that began in 2004 when Rocky Mountain Christian Church filed a special use application to expand its facilities at Niwot Road and 95th Street will have yet another act.
Readers may recall that last November, a U.S. District Court jury issued what might be termed a ‘split decision,’ finding for RMCC on some counts and for Boulder County on others.
Basically, the jury found that the county did not discriminate against the church in a way which violated the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, but it did find that the county violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) by treating the Alexander Dawson School’s Land Use application differently, and more favorably, than RMCC’s, and by imposing an undue burden on church members’ exercise of their religious rights.
The case highlighted the tension between the constitutional provisions prohibiting the government from favoring religion and those preventing the government from preventing the free exercise of religion.
After the trial, Boulder County filed a motion requesting judgment as a matter of law, in spite of the jury’s decision. What this means in plain English is that the county suggested that the evidence presented to the jury was not sufficient under the law to support the verdict.
Judge Blackburn disagreed with Boulder County in a written ruling issued March 30, saying that there was enough evidence presented to support the jury’s verdict.
The county’s second argument was that RLUIPA is unconstitutional either on its face (as written), or as applied (to the RMCC application) because it forced the county to favor religion. Judge Blackburn ruled that in this case, RLUIPA was constitutional as applied, and as a result, the court need not address whether it was constitutional on its face.
At the same time, RMCC asked the judge to issue a permanent injunction to enforce the jury’s decision. In response, Judge Blackburn issued a ruling which required the Boulder County Commissioners to approve the RMCC 2004 special use application within 45 days. He declined to issue a ruling that would have prohibited the county from imposing any further substantial burden on RMCC’s religious exercise, stating that to do so would be overly broad.
Within days of this ruling, Boulder County Commissioners decided to appeal the decision to the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, which hears appeals from several western states.
According to Deputy County Attorney David Hughes, the first move was to file for a stay order pending the decision of the 10th Circuit Court. If granted, the stay would put a hold on the order requiring Boulder County to approve the RMCC special use permit until the 10th Circuit Court had heard the case and issued its ruling. Judge Blackburn has not yet ruled on this request.
The grounds for the appeal are the same arguments
the County made to the trial court,
questioning RLUIPA’s constitutionality and the way that it applies to RMCC.
One argument the county has raised in challenging the constitutionality of RLUIPA is based on the concept of Federalism- essentially suggesting that in this case, the federal government is stepping into areas that have been traditionally handled by local entities, namely zoning and land use policies.
Another challenge to the constitutionality of RLUIPA has to do with the establishment clause. Hughes suggested that as applied, RLUIPA exempts religious institutions, but no one else, from zoning regulations.
Even if RLUIPA is found to be constitutional, Hughes said that the county still has concerns about the scope of the remedy that previous decisions have prescribed.
“The county feels it has fairly applied its land use code, and the current ruling effectively nullifies 30 years of careful land use planning. We’ve tried to preserve the rural character of certain parts of Boulder County and allow for buffer zones between rural and urban areas. If the county is required to approve the proposal in its entirety, RMCC is essentially immune to any zoning review.”
Judge Blackburn has not yet ruled on RMCC’s motion seeking payment of its legal fees.
A decision from the 10th Circuit Court is expected to take more than a year. Regardless of how that decision comes down, either party could ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review it, although the Supreme Court takes very few of the requests for further appeal. No matter which way this round turns out, it’s a pretty fair bet that this story won’t be over any time soon.
Niwot and the surrounding area is home to more than just the businesses you see as you drive through shopping areas and industrial complexes. Businesses abound in residential neighborhoods as well, inside homes and garages.
Some home-based businesses are simply an office for businesspeople who work at clients’ locations. Other home-based workers invite clients into their homes. And some home businesses are run entirely over the phone and on the Internet, with the workers never physically interacting with customers.
In a way, you might say that the Courier is staffed by a collection of home-based businesses, since most of the folks who work for the paper are doing much of the work in their own homes.
In Niwot, Medovina owner Mark Beran runs his mead-making operation from home. New this year is a tasting room, where Beran offers “tasting seminars” where he gives tours of the operation, answers questions, and pours samples of several different meads.
Beran isn’t new to working from home. Before founding Medovina in 2003, he worked at home in a variety of ventures including engineering, business consulting and product development, beginning with his earliest home venture in 1982.
He said that the best thing about working from home is that, “every day is entirely up to me. I love the independence.”
According to Beran, working from home is ideal for a workaholic, but that it also offers a chance to work on any pending project he feels like. “I can do any one of a hundred things,” he said. “It’s pretty interesting. I wear a lot of different hats.”
Cindy Butler, owner of Niwot Window Works, has been beautifying neighborhood windows for the past 16 years. She sells window coverings, drapes and blinds using a “shop at home” model where she brings her samples to the clients’ homes.
Butler said that she bought the business from a neighbor, after she bought her own window treatments from that neighbor. At that time, Butler was looking for a way to keep working while still being available for her kids. “I wanted to raise them,” she said.
Butler tried job-sharing, but since her husband traveled regularly for work, the job-sharing wasn’t giving her enough time to be with her kids. Niwot Window Works was the perfect fit. “It’s flexible,” she said.
DRW, Inc. was described as a “one-man renovation service” by owner Dan Doyle. Rather than list what kind of home remodeling work he will do, it’s easier to say that he doesn’t do any plumbing or electrical work.
Doyle has been hammering, sawing and fixing things for local homeowners since 2001. Prior to that, he was working a sales job but “just got tired of corporate America,” and decided to start his own business.
Beth Walter, an independent travel agent working for Cain Travel, runs her business, Travel by Beth, from her Gunbarrel home. A travel agent for 11 years, Walter had worked in Cain Travel’s office until last October, when she decided that working from home was a better choice for her and for her clients.
Walter said that when she worked in the office she had set hours, but now she is more accessible to her clients on off-hours and weekends. She said that it is also more convenient for her, because she can get other things done around the house during off-moments.
As far as clients are concerned, there is no difference between Walter working at home or at an office – she has complete access to everything she needs at home, and if clients want to meet with her in person, she still has access to space at Cain Travel’s office.
Hallie Pasko’s interior design business, Hallie Pasko Design, has been operating out of her Niwot home since 1992. She said, “My focus of business is to work collaboratively with clients to improve both the liveability and marketability of their homes.”
Pasko helps with big projects like kitchen and bath remodels, redecorating projects, or “just sprucing up.” Her own home is decorated with samples of window and floor coverings and different furniture lines. “Our home has become a showroom of my years of experience in the industry,” she said.
Out in LeftfieldBy Bruce Warren
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If you have news of local athletes, please contact sports@lhvc.com or call 303-652-2433. CLIMBING Niwot High grad Jon Miller was part of a group of three climbers who attempted to climb the northeast face of Baruntse in the Himalayas, an ascent that has never been done before. The group intended to ski down the mountain after making the first-ever climb. After a partial ascent, Miller became ill with acute mountain sickness, and was rescued by his two climbing companions. A blog of the adventure is found at www.skithehimalayas.com.
BOXING Hilario Ramirez-Medina, a freshman at Niwot High, competed in the Four Corners Combined Regional Tournament in Pueblo for a chance to go on to the USA Boxing National Championships at the Denver Coliseum June 8-13. Ramirez-Medina, who is 15 years old, has already won the Colorado State Golden Gloves and the Colorado State Junior Olympics titles this year for his age (15-16) and weight division (featherweight). What is most impressive is that he’s only been boxing competitively for a year. Ramirez-Medina credits growing up watching his brother, Jose Figueroa, who boxed at the Longmont Boxing Club for many years.
BASEBALL Sean Ratliff (Niwot) was named South Atlantic League Player of the Week for his performance April 27-May 3. Ratliff, who plays outfield for the Class A Mets affiliate, is the first Sand Gnats player to earn the honor since 2007. During the week, Ratliff went 16-29 at the plate for a .552 average, with eight doubles, two home-runs and six RBI’s along with 10 runs scored. He raised his batting average for the season to .354, up by 97 points before the week started. As of May 20, Ratliff was hitting .335 on the season with four homeruns, 22 RBI’s and 33 runs scored. Patrick Perry (Niwot) picked up his first RBI of the season for the Traverse City Beach Bums the hard way, getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Perry also scored a run in the season opener, which the Beach Bums lost to Kalamazoo, 13-10. Perry, a catcher, also threw out a runner trying to steal. Michael Perry had two hits in five at bats with an RBI for Friends University in a season-ending loss to Sterling College in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament. Perry, a catcher, had two hits in three trips in a 3-1 win over Tabor College in the third game of the tournament and had a homerun in a 7-6 extra inning win over the University of St. Mary. Perry hit .378 on the season, second on the team among regulars. Perry’s .667 slugging percentage was tops on the squad, as were his 12 doubles and 30 walks. He had nine homers on the year and 38 RBI’s, both second on the team. Michael Perry (Niwot) and Jose Soto (Niwot) will coach the Niwot Legion B team this summer. Perry, a catcher at Friends University, and Soto, a pitcher-shortstop at Otero Junior College, were teammates during their high school careers at Niwot. Dillon Boveri (Niwot), who assisted the C team during the high school season, will coach the Niwot Legion C team. The Niwot Legion A team will be coached by Craig McBride and Mike Owens, varsity assistant coaches this spring for Niwot High. Owens will become the head coach at the new Mead High School next fall. Niwot Legion D team will be coached by Jon Hangge and Alex Hart, both former Niwot High School players. Elliot Haas (Niwot) led Hastings College pitchers in appearances this season with 13. Haas finished with a record of 1-2 and a 6.35 ERA. He walked nine and struck out 17 in 17 innings. Haas pitched one and two-thirds innings against Mount Marty in a 10-8 conference tournament victory. He entered the game in the sixth inning with two on and one out. After giving up a run-scoring double, Haas struck out the next two batters. He pitched a scoreless seventh inning, but gave up three singles and hit a batter in the eighth inning before being relieved. Hastings finished the season with a 16-8 record in the Great Plains Athletic Conference. Jamie Hollowell (Niwot) finished the season with a .271 batting average for Haverford College. Hollowell started 21 of the 25 games he played, primarily at third base. He scored 18 runs with one homerun and five RBI’s, with an on-base percentage of .416. Andrew Ryan (Silver Creek) took the loss on the mound for Colorado School of Mines in a 7-4 loss to Regis University. Ryan pitched five innings, giving up seven runs, with no walks and three strikeouts. A week later he suffered his fifth loss of the season, 7-2 to CSU Pueblo. Ryan pitched five strong innings, but tired in the sixth when CSU-Pueblo scored four times. He did not walk a batter and struck out four. Ryan finished with a 7.15 ERA, second best among the team’s starters, and his 3-5 record was tops on the squad as Mines finished 10-27 overall. Kyle Spencer (Niwot) pitched five and one-third innings in relief for Regis University in a 19-8 loss to Metro State in the second round of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament. Spencer entered the game in the third inning with Regis already down 10-6, and held Metro to three runs over his first four innings before tiring in the eighth. He struck out four while allowing six earned runs. Spencer also pitched two plus innings in relief in a 19-10 win over the University of Nebraska at Kearney in the last weekend of regular season play. For the season, Spencer appeared in a team-high 20 games, posting a 2-1 record with four saves. His ERA of 8.38 was second best on the team among pitchers with as many innings. Spencer struck out 27 in 38 and two-thirds innings while walking 24. Spencer was also named to the RMAC All-Academic Second Team, recording a 3.60 GPA while majoring in business administration. Nick Saraceni (Niwot) bunted home a run for Occidental in the first game of a doubleheader against Whittier College, which Occidental lost, 7-6. In the second game of the doubleheader, Saraceni singled to drive in a run and later scored as Occidental went on to win, 7-3. Saraceni finished with a batting average of .268 with two homers and 20 RBI’s. He also scored 25 runs, second best on the team, and was 11-12 in stolen base attempts. He also pitched in seven games, but did not have a record. Chaz Kramer (Silver Creek) is a sophomore outfielder for the University of Puget Sound. Kramer singled in the top of the ninth driving in a run in the middle of a three-run rally in a 4-2 win over Whitman. Kramer started 11 games for Puget Sound this season, hitting .213 with eight runs scored and seven RBI’s. He had an on base percentage of .328. John Stearns, former Gunbarrel resident, is managing the Harrisburg team in the Eastern League. Harrisburg is the AA affiliate of the Washington Nationals. Silver Creek blew through the district tournament, winning both games by 10-0 scores. In the first game, the Raptors were led by Scott Hoyt, who pitched a one-hit shutout over Valor Christian. In the second game, Tyler Gibbons pitched a three-hit shutout over Greeley West. Gibbons had a two-run single in the first game to cap a six-run rally in the sixth inning, giving Silver Creek the win under the mercy rule. Homeruns by Hoyt and Eric Van Dyke gave Silver Creek a 3-0 lead against Greeley West. Teagan Kramer ended the game with a three-run inside-the-park homerun to cap a seven-run rally in the fifth inning. The Raptors’ offense disappeared in the first game at state, which Silver Creek lost to conference rival Mountain View, 6-0. Zach Villani had two his for the Raptors, who made three errors behind Hoyt on the mound. Silver Creek came back to beat Roosevelt, 17-8 in the first round of the loser’s bracket behind Hoyt. Ryan Johnson, Hoyt and Kramer each had two hits to lead the offense. The Raptors then outlasted Broomfield 11-10 with Ethan Poulsen getting the last out on the mound, stranding the potential tying run at third base. Johnson, Hoyt and Poulsen each had three hits to lead the offense. The Raptors bowed out with a tough 2-1 loss to Cheyenne Mountain. Hoyt pitched a complete game, giving up only three hits, with both runs unearned. Gibbons scored the Raptors’ only run on a passed ball. The Raptors spent the last month of the season dealing with the news that pitching coach Mike Newton had been diagnosed with cancer. The Raptors showed their support of Newton, who has been an assistant coach for four years, by wearing yellow arm-bands and by going on a 12-game winning streak. Following exploratory surgery, Newton was informed that the melanoma had not spread to his lymph nodes and the prognosis was much better than had been feared. He was back on the field the next day. Niwot earned a No. 9 seed in the district playoffs, but was eliminated in the first round game in a 10-9 loss to 24-seed Castle View, which entered the game with a 9-10 record. Niwot fell behind 7-0 after two innings, then rallied to tie the game at 8-8 after four innings, thanks to two-run homeruns by Jimmy Reed and Cody Lahman. Castle View came back with two runs in the top of the seventh, and the Cougars answered with one run, but the game ended with a Niwot runner being picked off of first base. Lahman had three hits to lead the offense, while Parker Jones and Reed each added two hits. Junior Sam Distefano and sophomores Chris Gang, Andy Wegleitner and Ben Walters were added to the varsity roster for the playoffs but did not see action when Niwot was eliminated early. Niwot had three players make first team All-Conference in the 17-team Northern League, with Lahman and Strufing named as pitchers, and Zach LaBorde named as catcher on the squad. Jones and Reed received Honorable Mention. Team awards were given to Reed for Defensive Player of the Year and Jones for Offensive Player of the Year. LaBorde, who intends to continue his baseball career at Puget Sound, received the Cougar Spirit Award. Coach Jason Lathrop noted that LaBorde was the only catcher in the last five years who was allowed to call his own pitches. Lahman received the Best Pitcher Award, and the MVP Award, as voted on by his teammates. Assistant Coach Craig McBride was awarded the Most Valuable Batting Practice Pitcher Award for his efforts in practice. McBride saw extra duty when other coaches were sidelined. Tucker Tharp of Gunbarrel had two hits for Fairview, including a homerun to lead off the game, but Fairview fell to Grandview, 7-1, in the second game of the district tournament. Tharp had one hit in the opening round 8-7 victory over Arvada West. Will Roth of Niwot had a double for Holy Family which clobbered Lamar 14-0 in a first round game at state in Class 3A. Holy Family also beat Kent Denver 13-3 in the next game. Holy Family made it all the way to the state championship game, falling to perennial power Eaton for a second time, 13-0.
FOOTBALL La’Mar West (Niwot) and Aundrea Liddell (Fairview) helped the Denver Titans to a 29-24 win over the Four Corners Roughnecks May 2. West is a defensive end while Liddell plays offensive line. The Titans played the Iowa Blackhawks of the American Professional Football League, an indoor football league based in the Midwest May 16, coming out on the short end of an 80-49 score. Niwot was stunned by the death of standout student-athlete Kegan Garrison, who took his own life two weeks before graduation. Garrison made himself into a top-notch football player through hard work and dedication, both as a ball carrier on offense and as a linebacker on defense. He was expected to play at Adams State next fall. Garrison also earned all-conference honors in wrestling as a junior, and participated in hockey and soccer.
GYMNASTICS Niwot also lost another former athlete, Nikki Cherry, who was an outstanding gymnast and cross-country runner until an auto accident in the spring of her junior year in 1989 left her with life-changing injuries. She had qualified for state in both gymnastics and cross-country for Niwot. Cherry, who lived at Applewood Care Center in Longmont after the accident until 1996, died in Annandale (Minn.) where she had moved with her parents.
SWIMMING Silver Creek’s boys won the East Division of the Northern Conference this year after switching over from the West Division. Last year the Raptors went on to win the 4A state title. The squad, which consists of swimmers from both Silver Creek and Niwot high schools, was led by Matt Bisping, who won the 50 Freestyle and Breaststroke, Alex Bisping, who won the 200M Individual Medley and Butterfly, and Eric Fischer, who won the 200M Freestyle and the Backstroke. Top three finishers included Drew Weibel in the 200M IM (2nd) and in the Butterfly (2nd), CT Robinson in Diving (3rd), and Justin Kulikauskas in the 100M Freestyle (3rd). At state the defending champions finished eighth behind strong performances from Matt Bisping, who finished second in the 50M Freestyle, and third in the Breaststroke. Fischer took sixth in the 200M Freestyle and sixth in the 500M Freestyle, while Robinson was 10th in Diving. Alex Bisping took 8th in the Breaststroke and 14th in the Butterfly. The Raptor 200 Medley Relay team of Fischer, Alex Bisping, Matt Bisping and Kulikauskas finished 4th overall, while the 200M Freestyle Relay team of Matt Bisping, Alex Bisping, Fischer and James August took 7th place. Silver Creek’s 400 Freestyle Relay team of Kulikauskas, Weibel, Nick Shonka and August finished 16th.
SOCCER
Mike Henzel (Niwot) was one of 41 seniors honored by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute by being inducted into Olympia, the athletic department’s student-athlete honor society. Henzel, a defender, started all 20 games for RPI and was named All Liberty League Second Team while earning Liberty League All-Academic honors. The Niwot girls stormed through the first and
second round of the state tournament, beating Thomas Jefferson 8-0 and
Centaurus 9-0. Senior Lindsay Ostrom, who entered the first game with only
three goals on the season, started the scoring and notched three goals in the
first half. Lauren Shaner and Kelsey Thompson each added two
goals, while Gwen Rudy added one. Thompson had two assists, and Shaner, Marissa Gradoz and Katie Miller each added one. Lexi Zumwalt had four saves in posting the shutout against TJ. The second game against Centaurus was a physical game as three Cougars went down with injuries, including senior defender Molly Forke, who did not return after an injury to her shin. Kaitlin Buck and Thompson each had two goals to lead the offense. Shaner, Jelli Schira, Ostrom and Rudy also scored, with Shaner (2), Ostrom and Rudy providing assists. The outcome was not in doubt midway through the first half as the Cougars scored eight times before the break. Niwot coach Heather Solar pulled several players off the field in the second half to keep the game from getting out of hand. Niwot, which finished as state runner-up last year, lost a hard-fought game in the quarterfinals to Cheyenne Mountain, 1-0 in two overtimes. The same two teams battled last year, with Niwot coming out the victor. Zumwalt had four saves in regulation play and three more in the first overtime. Buck and Sara Monacelli had opportunities to score off corner kicks from Ostrom, but were unable to head the ball into the net. Niwot finished 14-3-1. Silver Creek’s girls lost 2-1 in overtime to D’Evelyn in the second round of the state tournament. Katie Perry scored off a corner kick with 10 seconds left in regulation to keep the Raptors’ season alive, but D’Evelyn scored on a header four minutes into overtime for the win. Goalie Lauren Wolfinger had five saves for Silver Creek. The Raptors, defending state champions, finished with a 12-5 record. Niwot residents Katie Dulin and Alyssa Beck helped Alexander Dawson get into the state 3A quarter-finals with wins over Valley and Sterling. Against Valley, Dulin and Beck each had two goals in an 8-0 win. Against Sterling, Dulin had three of the first four goals and assisted on the other. Beck also added a goal for Dawson, while Molly Dulin of Niwot added an assist. Katie Dulin had both goals for Dawson in a 2-0 semi-final win over Denver Christian. Niwot area resident Lauren Nygren and Molly Dulin provided assists. Dawson advanced to the state title game with a win over Manitou Springs. Molly Dulin had two near-misses for Dawson in the state championship game, which Dawson lost to St. Mary’s, 2-1. Katie Dulin scored the only goal for Dawson.
SOFTBALL Carly Potock (Alexander Dawson) finished the season with a batting average of .281 for Lehigh University. Potock, who played outfield primarily, had 14 runs scored and 16 RBI’s on the season. She also stole five bases in six attempts, second on the team. Lehigh won the Patriot League Tournament, beating Lafayette in the championship game, 9-0 in eight innings. The game was a scoreless tie after seven innings, but Lehigh broke loose for nine runs in the top of the eighth. Potock singled to drive in a run, then later scored in the big inning. In the semi-final game, Potock had two hits in two trips, with an RBI, helping Lehigh to a 6-2 win over Bucknell. Lehigh advanced to the NCAA tournament, losing the first game against Texas A & M, 1-0. Potock had one of only four Lehigh hits. Lehigh came back to beat Florida A & M 9-0 in five innings to gain a rematch with Texas A & M. This time Lehigh prevailed, 3-2, to make it to the regional championship game. There Lehigh fell to No. 1 ranked Florida, 9-0, ending the season. Jennessa Tesone (Niwot) hit her 11th homerun of the season for Metro State in a first-round 6-4 victory over the University of Nebraska at Kearney in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament. Tesone’s two-run blast in the bottom of the sixth inning tied the game 4-4, and Metro State went on to score two more in the inning for the win. She added a single with a run scored and an RBI in a 13-5 win over Colorado State-Pueblo in the second round. In the third game, Tesone had two hits, including her 12th homerun, with three RBI’s in a 9-4 win over Colorado School of Mines. In the championship game, she hit her 13th homerun of the season, a 2-run shot, as Metro beat Mesa State for the title, 8-0. Metro State tied the NCAA Division II record for homeruns in a season with 98, while posting a record of 40-10 heading into the NCAA tournament. The other two teams holding the record played several more games to reach 98 homers. Tesone, the team’s leftfielder and cleanup hitter, was named to the all-tournament team, and was also named tournament MVP after hitting .417 with two homers and eight RBI’s in four games. In the first round of the NCAA regional, Tesone had one hit and scored the only run for Metro in a 3-1 loss to Mesa State. Tesone also had one hit in three at bats in a 6-2 loss to Colorado School of Mines, which ended the 10th-ranked Roadrunners’ season, as five errors led to five unearned runs. Shannon Traxinger (Niwot) pitched the last two games, including the championship game, to help lead Otero Junior College to the Region IX Softball Division I Championship. Otero defeated Trinidad State 6-5 to earn the title. Ashley Primm (Niwot), who was batting .116 at the end of March, managed to turn things around by the end of the season and raise her average to .325 at Colby Community College. Primm led the team in most offensive categories, including runs, hits, doubles, RBI’s, total bases, on-base percentage, games played and hit-by-pitch. She was second in batting average, and caught all but one game, with only four errors on the season. Primm was named Second Team All Conference and Second Team All Region. Shannon DePuy (Niwot) finished the season for Midland Lutheran with a batting average of .143, with a double and two triples, nine runs scored, and four RBI’s. DePuy, an outfielder, started approximately half of the games for Midland and was one for one in the stolen base department. GOLF Skyline had a tougher time winning the Northern Regional than it did winning the state 5A title. The Falcons, which are an all-district team with golfers from several schools, tied in regulation with Grand Junction Central at the regionals, but won a playoff, thanks to a five-foot put by Niwot High’s Gina Larson. Callie Hodgkinson and Mikayla Tatman were part of a fourth-place tie, shooting 84’s. Larson tied for 12th with an 87 and Amy Hodgkinson shot a 90 to tie for 17th. At state, the Falcons won easily, beating second-place Highlands Ranch by 11 strokes. Senior Amy Hodgkinson was the top finisher at state, coming in third after leading the pack for the first 25 holes. Larson finished in a tie for sixth, while Tatman and Amy Hodgkinson finished tied for 26th and 30th, respectively. Grand Junction Central finished a distant fifth, 55 strokes off the pace. Former NHS coach Ron Stedman is organizing the Second Annual Lathrop-Melting Golf Tourney, which will be held at Longmont’s Twin Peaks Golf Course July 18. The event raises money for scholarship funds for the four children of the late Lance Melting, who died in an auto accident in 2008, and his wife, Niwot High grad Jamie Lathrop. To play or sponsor the event, contact Stedman at 303.684.9944 or stedman2@netzero.net.
TENNIS Claire Runge (Niwot) was the top singles player for the University of Tampa this spring. Runge, a freshman, led the team with 14 victories in singles play. Tampa returns its entire squad next season. Niwot’s Molly Joyce took home a state 4A championship in No. 2 singles, beating Regis sophomore Genevieve Tarlton 1-6, 6-1, 7-5. Joyce, who entered the tournament with a record of 9-6 after a 7-5 regular season record, earned a spot in the finals by beating Greeley West’s Candice Krammer, 6-3,3-6, 6-2. Joyce began her run with a first-round victory over Stephanie Gitner of Holy Family. The Niwot girls finished in a tie for eighth overall. Joyce qualified for state in each of her four years playing for the Cougars, but this was her first effort as a singles player. Niwot finished second at regionals, six points behind Thompson Valley. Amanda Lee took first at No. 1 singles, and Caroline Runge also won at No. 3 singles. Ironically, ultimate state champion Molly Joyce took second at No. 2 singles behind Beth Silkensen of Longmont. Morgan Mulshine and Dina Kim qualified for state at No. 2 doubles by winning a playoff challenge. Hyun-Ah Moon and Alli Brooks at No. 4 doubles were the only Cougar doubles players to advance, finishing second at regionals. At state, Lee and Runge lost in the first round, as did Mulshine and Kim, and Moon and Brooks. Mulshine and Kim managed to win the first round of playbacks, 6-3, 7-6, before losing the next round, 7-6, 6-3. Silver Creek’s Lindsey McGrath and Kristin Simboski qualified for state by winning the No. 2 doubles title at regionals. Last year the same duo went to state in No. 4 doubles.
TRACK
Griffin Matthew (Niwot) took fourth place for Stanford in the Long Jump at the Pac 10 Championships with a leap of 20’ 4.25” on her second jump. She passed on her remaining tries. The jump was her season best, but was two inches plus shy of her career best. On the first day of the meet, Matthew qualified for the finals in the 100M, taking third in her heat with a time of 11.45. She just missed the finals in the 200M, finishing fifth in her heat in a time of 24.31. On the second day of the meet, she ran a leg of the 4x100M Relay, which took fifth place. She also placed seventh in the 100M with a time of 11.75. The Stanford website usually reports the junior’s results under “Griffin Matthew,” as she is known, but at times reports it under her given name of “Sarah Matthew,” which can make it seem that Stanford has two exceptional athletes from Niwot. Todd Griffith (Niwot) ran the 800M for the first time this season for Utah State and finished in a time of 1:57.70 at the BYU Invitational Tri-Meet. Griffith, a sophomore, took sixth place at the WAC Championships in the 3000M Steeplechase with a time of 9:58.34, earning second-team All-WAC honors in the process. The Utah State men won the WAC Track & Field Championship.
The Niwot boys took sixth in the Northern Conference Championships, led by Peter Neis, who won the 110M Hurdles and David Perry, who won the 1600M. Alex Paul finished seventh in the 1600M, while Dan Foye finished fifth in the 800M. In the field events, Lukas Diesing and Matthew Nam finished in a tie for fourth in the High Jump. Nam also took seventh in the Pole Vault. Ryan Schuler took sixth in the Long Jump. At state, Neis qualified for the finals of the 110 Hurdles, finishing fourth in the finals. The 3200M Relay team of Diesing, Foye, Paul and Luke Schuler took seventh place at state in a time of 8:07.27. Nam qualified in the high jump but did not place. Diesing, Foye, Chris Hickey and Travis Ward finished 14th in the 1600M Relay, but did not make the finals. Paul finished fifth in the 1600M, while Perry was third in the 3200M. Perry finished seventh in the 1600M. Schuler finished seventh in the Long Jump at 20’4.75”, and Nam finished eighth in the Pole Vault with a mark of 13’0”. Niwot finished 11th overall as a team. Niwot’s girls also finished sixth at the Northern Conference Championships, led by Miranda Lahman, who took third in the 300M Hurdles and fourth in the 100M Hurdles. Others scoring included Emily Boldt, who took fourth in the 100M, Allison Horsch, who took third in the 200M, and Kate Judge, who took sixth in the 100M Hurdles. In the field events, Sydney Coffey took fifth in the High Jump, and Danielle Metzner took third in the Pole Vault. At state, the Niwot girls relay teams were outstanding, winning the prelims in the 800M relay with Boldt, Coffey, Horsch and Lahman, and winning the prelims in the 400M Relay with Boldt, Coffey, Horsch and Catherine Jones. In the finals, the 800M Relay and the 400M Relays each took third overall. The 800 M Relay set a new school record. The 1600M Relay finished fourth in prelims, with Boldt, Coffey, Lahman and Sara Malang running, and fourth in the finals. The 800M Sprint Medley Relay team of Boldt, Horsch, Jones and Casey McPherson finished seventh in the prelims, and eighth in the finals. Metzner finished fifth in the Pole Vault with a mark of 10’0”, setting a school record. Lahman finished 11th in the 300M Hurdles. Other state qualifiers included the 3200 Relay team of Lauren Degroot, Lahman, Lang and Malang. Megan Lang finished 17th in the 1600M. Niwot’s girls finished 11th overall. Silver Creek’s boys tied for first place with Windsor at the Northern Conference Championships. The Raptors were led by Nick Kadlec, who won the 3200M and finished fourth in the 1600M. Kenny Warner took second in the 100M and Evan Hirt took second in the 200M, while Scott Hardy took fifth in the same event. Ben Inman took eighth in the 3200M. In the field events, Shayler Knechtel took third in the discus and fourth in the shot put. Brock Garden finished third in the high jump and eighth in the pole vault, while Joel Hammond took seventh in the high jump. The Raptor Relay teams did well at state, with the 800M Relay team of Hardy, Hirt, Warner and Ben Wright finishing first in the prelims, and first in the finals with a time of 1:28.23. The 400M Relay team of Cody Alme, Hardy, Hirt and Dylan Zaynor took third in the prelims and fifth in the finals. Hirt (200M), Warner (200M) and Wright (100M) made it to the finals at state for the Raptors. HIrt took second in the 200M, while Warner pulled a muscle and did not finish. The 1600M Relay finished third, with Alme stepping in for an injured Warner. Wright placed fifth in the 100M, while Kadlec finished ninth in the 3200M. Hammond finished 11th in the High Jump, and Garden qualified but did not place. The Raptor girls finished 12th, led by Breanna Gunnarson, who finished fourth in the 200M and eighth in the 200M. Lindsay Banning finished eighth in the 200M while Elise Whipkey finished eighth in the Long Jump. Annais Prasad finished fourth in the 800M and Kelly King took fifth in the same event. At state, the Raptor girls took 10th in the 1600M Relay prelims with Banning, Gunnarson, King and Prasad. The Raptor 800M Sprint Medley Relay of Banning, Alaina DiGiacomo, Gunnarson and Jenny Perry took 12th in the prelims. King took 12th in the 1600M and 12th in the 800M. Prasad finished 13th in the 800M. The Niwot High track and cross country programs are losing both Jesse Johnson, an assistant coach for nine years, and Laurel Stolte, an assistant coach for four years, as both are moving away from the area to pursue opportunities. Johnson has been hired as track and cross country recruiting coordinator/assistant coach at the University of Portland, a highly regarded Division I program, while Stolte is going to grad school at Harvard University. Both have been a big part of Niwot’s success over the years. |
Lyons To Boulder Tril To Affect Table Mountain Area
By Hsun Chen
HsunC@lhvc.com
The Lyons to Boulder Regional Trail, in development by Boulder County Transportation since November 2008, will connect the City of Boulder trail system with the Town of Lyons, covering approximately 13 miles. This proposed soft surface, multi-use trail will be routed around the Table Mountain Research Station area north of Boulder, between Nelson and Oxford Roads, east of North 39th Street.
“The Lyons to Boulder Trail will provide opportunities that are not currently available in that corridor to all kinds of users… horseback riders, cyclists, hikers and runners,” explained Julie McKay, Boulder County’s Project Manager for the Lyons to Boulder Trail.
“It will appeal to a lot of users for different reasons. From a regional point of view, it will serve as a key part of the trail system for the region.”
But Don Getman, a resident of the Table Mountain area who owns an 80-acre farm on Oxford Road, is less than enthusiastic about the proposed trail development. “It’s got me totally upset…. I think [the trail] is a horrible decision,” Getman said. “I’ll fight it as a group, and if that doesn’t do any good, I’ll fight it personally in court.”
Getman’s family has owned his farm property directly south of the Table Mountain area since 1942. His primary concern is that if Boulder County routes the trail along Oxford Road, his ability to access his property will be seriously compromised.
“If they split my farm [with a trail], how do I get my cattle across it, and equipment back and forth?” Getman asked. “Machinery has to be moved constantly to irrigate my land.”
Aside from wanting to protect his ability to operate his farm, Getman has other misgivings about the proposed trail.
“There’s a serious safety aspect…. What if someone drowns?” Getman asked. He was referring to the irrigation canals managed by the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, a public agency that provides water for agricultural, municipal, domestic and industrial uses in northeastern Colorado. Portions of the Lyons to Boulder Trail will likely be integrated with the canal corridors in the Table Mountain area.
Getman also is concerned about the effect of the proposed trail on local wildlife, safety issues caused by parked cars of trail users, and contamination of the canal water by trail users. He worries that all of these potential problems have not been carefully considered.
Boulder County has involved the public since the inception of the trail’s planning phase, and hosted an open house in January to get input. Local landowners contributed their opinions, and were given the opportunity to suggest potential routes for the proposed trail on a map.
“There was a lot of participation from land owners – about 130 people,” McKay said about the open house. “There was a broad spectrum of input. We took the public’s input and the concepts we heard, and compiled some options from them.”
McKay emphasized that the Lyons to Boulder Trail route around the Table Mountain area has not yet been established, and that Boulder County would hold another open house this summer, probably in late June. to further gauge the public’s opinions.
“Between now and June, we’ll assemble two or three different alternative alignments, and get some feedback,” McKay explained. “Then we can have a productive conversation about what benefits each possibility will bring.”
According to McKay, one of the ideas expressed at the meeting was that the trail should make minimal use of privately owned land. The three other types of property that could be used in creating the new trail are public lands (i.e., city or county open space), the land areas bordering existing public roads, and canal corridor property overseen by the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District.
In using as much public land as possible, it will be necessary to obtain permission from some private landowners to connect open space to canal property, or to bridge gaps in canal corridor access.
“Along the canal corridor, there are actually gaps in what the canal company owns. For example, if the trail is to route [continuously] along the canal, we would need an easement from the private land owner,” McKay said.
“Also, sometimes the width of the canal right-of-way is not wide enough to accommodate the trail… In select places, some of it would be on the private owner’s land.
“We’ve been talking to landowners in the area since November of 2008, so we really have a good sense of how the landowners feel about these proposed options. As we continue on, once we have an actual trail alternative, we’ll ask for conservation easements, and enter negotiations to try to find the best solution for everyone involved.”
At this point, no estimated time of completion for the Lyons to Boulder Trail is possible, said Brent Wheeler, Operations Manager for Parks and Open Space.
“Completion of the plan for the Lyons to Boulder Trail is planned for fall 2009, but implementation would require obtaining easements and depend on funding, so it is hard to predict when the trail will be done,” Wheeler said.
“We’re seeking to get to a plan the community is supportive of. Since we don’t have continuous ownership of land except along roadways, we have to meet the challenge of making it all work together.”
The Table Mountain area north of Boulder is apt to contain part of the Colorado Front Range Trail project, an initiative of Colorado State Parks that dates back to 2003. CRFT is a much larger scale project than the Lyons to Boulder Trail, and could eventually go from Wyoming to New Mexico via a multi purpose recreational trail.
According to McKay, merging sections of CRFT and the Lyons to Boulder Trail within Boulder County “has not been a driving concept for us.”
Nancy Matchett, state trails coordinator for Colorado State Parks, said, “The CFRT relies on our stakeholder partners to develop specific, potential alignments. So far, no mention has been made regarding Table Mountain.”
For more information, see www.bouldercounty.org/transportation/trails/LyonstoBoulderTrail.htm and parks.state.co.us/Trails/ColoradoFrontRangeTrail
By Kathy Raczkowski
KathyR@lhvc.com
Niwot’s award winning summer concert series, Rhythm on the Rails, returns to Whistle Stop Park on Thursday nights beginning June 11.
Located near the train tracks at the entryway into Niwot, Whistle Stop Park boasts the red caboose that serves as a Niwot billboard, announcing the town’s presence to the passersby on the Diagonal. For the past few summers, that park has also drawn visitors to the town with the contagious energy of Rhythm on the Rails.
The concert series serves to bring the community together for a weekly celebration of friends, music, food, libations, and life in small town America.
Curious commuters and tourists have found the welcoming atmosphere of the festivals makes them want to come back to experience more of the town. That’s what earned the series the Governor’s Award for Best Promotional Event in 2007. And it’s back in 2009 with even more to offer.
Joining the usual well-loved food and beverage vendors this summer will be local favorites Howard Treppeda serving up fresh pizza, and chef Dale Lamb offering homemade barbecue.
In a show of support for his new hometown, local entrepreneur Jeff Lambert stepped up with generous sponsorships for the series on behalf of the freshly remodeled Niwot Inn and his new Living Touch Bodywork Studio and Spa.
The series will run on Thursday nights from June 11 through Sept. 10, with bands playing from 6:45-8:45 p.m., so people can come and boogie and still get a good night’s sleep. If you’ve a hankerin’ to come down early and loosen up with a beer or margarita before you hit the dance floor, happy hour runs from 5:30-6:30 p.m. with discounted drinks.
“There are a lot of great bands this year, but I’m particularly excited about dressing up for That Eighties Band,” said Rockin’ Robin Abb, emcee and major catalyst behind the concert series. “I think it’ll be a hoot!”
Acts this year include Deja Blu, Lionel Young Band, Hazel Miller, Glass Ceiling, That Eighties Band, One on One, FACE, Unknown Americans, The Informants, Chase and the Dream, Rebecca Folsom, Zora Young, Chris Daniels and the Kings, Randall Dubis Band, and On Fire, a group made up of local businessmen.
A full calendar is available at Rockin’ Robin’s and online at the www.niwot.com.
Liz Emmett-Mattox
LizEM@lhvc.com
If you’ve eaten at the Garden Gate restaurant
even once or twice, chances are you’ve seen Arlene Clayton. She might have been
showing diners to their tables, or moving around the room checking to make sure
everything’s okay.
If you eaten there for years, as many local residents have, chances are good that Clayton knows you by name, and will be on her way to your table with your regular drink before you’ve even opened your menu.
A native Coloradan, Clayton grew up in Greeley where she took her first restaurant job 42 years ago. “Back then, I was raising my kids by myself and the tip money was pretty good. When you have kids, you always need money for this and that, and waiting tables, I had a little bit of cash all the time.”
Although she tried other jobs, working for eight months at a drugstore, she said, “That just wasn’t for me. Standing in one spot all the time – I just couldn’t do it. Here I’m running around all the time, from here to there and back and forth.”
Once her children were adults and parents themselves, Clayton felt like they were getting a little too dependent on her. So she moved with a friend to Longmont where she has lived for the past 16 years.
“Leaving was the best thing I could have done for them,” Clayton said. “I’m only thirty minutes away, so I never miss a birthday or wedding or anything, and I can go up anytime I want to.” She makes the trip frequently to visit her mother, children and grandchildren.
Before coming to work at the Garden Gate 11 years ago, she waited tables at the Sunnyvale Café where she met the owner, who eventually became her husband.
When her husband was battling cancer several years ago, Clayton appreciated the response she received from the community. “People were really supporting me during that time. They held fundraisers and that kind of thing. And then customers would just ask how Bob was doing, and let me know that they were praying for him. It really meant a lot, because we needed all the prayers we could get.”
Clayton returns the favor, supporting the customers whenever she can. “I fight for my customers with my bosses if I have to,” she said, wanting to make sure that if lots of people are asking for something, whether it’s a special drink or menu item, that it’s available.
Working five or six days a week at a demanding job doesn’t leave a lot of time or energy for much else, so when she’s not at the Garden Gate, Clayton enjoys her time spent at home with her husband and her two dogs, Trixie and Sadie. Evenings might find her reading, sewing or doing other crafts while watching sports on TV with her husband.
What explains Clayton’s longevity in an industry notorious for high turnover? “I just love getting to know my customers. It’s hard to change jobs for anybody, but once you get your regular clientele, you know them, you know what they like. The people who come in here are just great for the most part. There’s always a few that you can never satisfy, but most everybody is just real nice folks. They understand if you make a mistake, and we always try to make it right if we can.”
Heatherwood’s Lisa Cornacchia Named KBCO Teacher of the Month
By Tina Eden
TinaE@lhvc.com
Heatherwood Elementary first grade teacher Lisa Cornacchia won the KBCO April teacher of the month award. Cornacchia received a laptop computer and on April 30 was interviewed on the air by disc jockey Bret Saunders.
Fellow teacher Aubrey Lockhart and parent Julie
Darrow nominated Cornacchia for the award. Lockhart praised her fellow teacher,
writing that she is “magical when delivering a message.”
Darrow’s nomination spoke of Cornacchia’s classroom environment in which “kids are excited to get to school each day.”
Cornacchia has had a lifelong desire to be a teacher and spoke of valuing what her students have to say. “You have to remember to take the time to let the kids speak and let them feel like they have a choice in what they do every day.”
Cornacchia, who graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2005, was hired to teach first grade at Heatherwood the following fall through the Partners in Education program. The program helps new teachers earn their master’s degree while working full-time.
Cornacchia completed her graduate work in May 2008, and hopes to continue taking professional development courses each year.
Photo by Tina Eden
KBCO’s April Teacher of the Month, Lisa Cornacchia, and some of her first grade students.