Residents Oppose Niwot Station, Seek RTD Bus Improvements

By Bruce Warren

A FasTracks station yes, but not in Niwot, was the consensus of the 18 people who attended the Niwot Community Association (NCA) sponsored meeting Feb. 27. Neal Anderson, president of the NCA, agreed to recommend to the NCA board a letter to RTD outlining several requests:

• Niwot is not a good choice for a station due to the impact on existing residences, lack of adequate parking and streets to handle bus traffic, and an adverse effect on the character of the community.

• Niwot must become a Quiet Zone (crossings blocked in both directions, limited horns blowing as trains pass through) due to the anticipated increase in train traffic through town.

• Niwot needs a small feeder bus system to the closest FasTracks station, to run on at least an every half-hour basis.

• Improvements are needed to the existing Park ‘n Ride between lanes of the Diagonal Highway, including pedestrian underpasses from Niwot to the parking lot and to the bus stops, as well as improvements to the bus stops.

• RTD should consider using electric light rail instead of diesel commuter trains, even if the cost is greater.

• A layover facility for trains is not appropriate in the Niwot area.

A Niwot Business Association (NBA) representative reported that businesses were initially supportive of a station in Niwot, but based on negative impacts to the town, now favored the Highway 52 at IBM site. The NBA also sought a feeder bus system with adequate parking located close to the business area.

Gaythia Weiss, who has attended several FasTracks meetings, noted that development is expected wherever the station is located, and that meetings were attended by a host of engineers and consultants who have already latched on to that fact. FasTracks has proposed four sites as potential stations between Boulder and Longmont, including both sides of 63rd Street in Gunbarrel, Highway 52 at IBM, and Niwot. She also noted that the RTD website shows only the Highway 52 at IBM site. The website also shows Twin Peaks as the Longmont station, in spite of the fact that the city has lobbied for the old flour mill or the sugar mill as station sites.

Kai Abelkis of Cottonwood Park West, who works in transportation planning for Boulder Community Hospital, was concerned about the existing Park ‘n Ride and the bus stops. “We should lobby to improve what’s there to encourage Bolt users, make it more accessible and comfortable to use. You’re naked to the world standing out there now. That’s why more people don’t use it.”

Dean Haney, longtime resident of Morton Heights, opposed building a diesel train system instead of light rail. Haney said, “We’re adopting an antiquated system. Why shouldn’t we lobby for electric trains, even if it is more expensive?”

Lois Dolan, who lives in her grandmother’s house at 5th and Murray Streets in Niwot, worried about the increased frequency of train traffic. When asked if the trains were disruptive, she responded, “They rattle my bed now.”

Storyteller Donlyn Arbuthnot Keeps Past Present

By Julie Fowler

JulieF@lhvc.com

Donlyn Arbuthnot remembers, as if it were yesterday, the Sunday drives she took as a young child with her mom and dad from their home in Boulder.

Often, these jaunts looped through Longmont, where the three would stop at the Longmont Dairy for ice cream. They frequently meandered along back roads past the Bader School House on Oxford Road and continued through Niwot, where she was regaled with stories about the old bank, blacksmith’s shop and creamery.

It’s because of her love of these stories and her rich family history that Arbuthnot eventually pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree in history at Colorado State University. But it wasn’t until a recent illness forced her to quit her 40-hour-a-week job that Arbuthnot truly began putting that history degree to work through her storytelling.

During a class to hone her craft as a storyteller, Arbuthnot’s teacher asked each student to tell a story. For Arbuthnot, it seemed natural to choose her great-grandmother’s story, one that starts with her birth in 1848 and ends with her death in 1923. Both the Baders and the Arbuthnots were early settlers near Niwot, so it was a rich history, worth telling.

Through the stories told by her parents, and her own research, Arbuthnot can trace Mary Elizabeth’s footsteps from where she was born in Germany and along the route she sailed to the United States. After the Civil War, Mary Elizabeth trekked with her family from Iowa to Colorado, where they originally settled in Jamestown during the Gold Rush.

After two years of trying to grow fruit trees in mountain soil, Mary Elizabeth’s father, John George Bader, decided to move the family to an area with more fertile soil near Haystack Mountain.

On March 25, Arbuthnot will visit the Left Hand Grange Hall in Niwot to perform at the Niwot Historical Society’s annual meeting. The performance is open to the public.

As The Arbuthnot Storyteller, Arbuthnot becomes her great-grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Bader Arbuthnot. She steps back in time to the 1920s and details the family’s pursuit of wealth and the tale of her cousins, George and Frank Bader, who established Bader Brothers Mercantile – one of the first businesses in Niwot.

Telling her family’s story at the Grange seems fitting, said Arbuthnot, who grew up a member of the Altona Grange off Nelson Road. “Mary Elizabeth and the Arbuthnots were the founding members of that grange,” she said. “I grew up listening to Clarence Conilogue, who was Niwot’s postman for years. At the Grange, we danced to his fiddle music.”

For Arbuthnot, storytelling is not only her passion, it is also an important way to keep the past present for new generations. “It adds meaning when you know why your town started. It adds connection to your community when you know the personal stories of the people who founded your town. It brings buildings back to life. The walls can’t talk so we have to tell the stories for them.”

Farmers’ Market Coming To Niwot

By LuAnn Piccard

LuannP@lhvc.com

The Niwot Farmers’ Market is scheduled to debut on Sunday, May 7, in the greenbelt area adjacent to the bandstand and caboose at the corner of First Street and Murray Avenue. It will be open every Sunday from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. through Oct. 29 and Thursdays between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. from June 8 through Sept. 21.

The market will feature local produce, flowers, freshly prepared food, baked goods and wine in addition to farm-related activities such as blacksmithing and hayrides. On Thursday evenings at the bandstand, there will be live music and dancing along with wine, beer and food concessions.

Boulder Creek Events, organizer of the successful Boulder Creek Festival, has overall management and promotional responsibility for the event. Chris Dailey from Boulder Creek Events said that they hope to attract over 50 vendors.

Pam Martin, formerly of the Enchanted Bookstore, has been tasked with event leadership. She said, “There are a range of membership opportunities. A one-time membership fee of $75 will provide vendors with a 10-foot square booth space for the entire selling season. Temporary memberships for single market days and non-profit memberships are also available.”

Martin added, “The Niwot Farmers’ Market will offer a friendly, intimate setting that recognizes the intrinsic value the local farm has on its wider community.”

Meg Denbow, director of development and marketing for Boulder Creek Events, said, “We are still accepting applications for vendors until May 1.”

For more information contact info@niwotfarmersmarket.com or call 303-652-4942.

Name The Park Contest

By LuAnn Piccard

LuAnnP@lhvc.com

The greenbelt area surrounding the bandstand and the caboose in Niwot needs a name. Probably something better than “the bandstand-caboose area.” Bank of the West, owner of the property, has generously agreed to allow the space to be named by the community.

To come up with a name, a contest is being sponsored by the Left Hand Valley Courier, the Niwot Business Association and the Niwot Farmers’ Market.

The caboose, a Burlington Route car, was recently restored, and the bandstand was built in the summer of 2005. The bandstand now hosts a summer concert series and the park area will be the location of the Niwot Farmers’ Market this spring.

Five local judges will evaluate submissions and the winning entry will be memorialized with a sign posted at the park. In addition to everlasting fame, the winner will receive a prize package donated by local businesses and the Niwot Farmers’ Market, and will participate in a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sunday, May 7, the inaugural day of the Niwot Farmers’ Market.

In the event of duplicate winning entries, a single winner will be drawn at random. However, all winning entrants will be invited to participate in the ribbon cutting ceremony. The contest entry deadline is Friday, March 17, at 5 p.m. The selected name and contest winner(s) will be announced in the April issue of the Courier.

An entry form is below. More will be available at participating local businesses. You can send the form (or write the information on a separate sheet of paper) to P.O. Box 590, Niwot, CO 80544, drop it into an entry box at Bank of the West’s Niwot branch, Niwot Market or other participating businesses, or email the information to contest@lhvc.com.

CSAP Debate Continues

By Mandy Sutyak

MandyS@lhvc.com

As the annual Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) gets underway, the debate over the pros and cons of the “high stakes” testing continues. CSAP is designed to measure student achievement in relationship to the Colorado Model Content Standards.

The test is high stakes because the results are used for critical policy and funding decisions. Schools that are judged to be low performing can ultimately be taken over by the state and converted to charter schools.

One group that opposes CSAP is the Coalition for Better Education (CBE). CBE claims that some of the grading is subjective and often performed by people who are not licensed teachers or have little or no teaching experience.

They also claim that “preparation for the tests emphasizes procedural knowledge, surface learning and memorization of facts while sacrificing conceptual knowledge, high level thinking skills, integrated concepts and reasoning with multiple strategies and solutions.” CBE encourages “test-weary” parents to opt their child out of CSAP and claims the test is optional.

However, the Colorado Department of Education states that Colorado law is very specific that every student must be assessed and that the results, including “no scores” are part of a student’s permanent record. For St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) the scores are not shown on the report cards, but do appear on transcripts.

Not taking CSAP is only one of the reasons why a student would score a zero. Regardless of the reason, the “no scores” are still included in a school’s overall results and negatively impact a school’s reported performance.

Sherri Stevens-Carter, executive director for assessment and curriculum at SVVSD explained that while this type of reporting/scoring penalizes schools for events that are beyond their control, the state’s philosophy is that all children are tested and that including all the “no scores” is the only way to be consistent. It also prevents schools from manipulating the results by persuading potential low scorers not to take the test.

If passed, recently introduced House Bill 06-1289 could change this. The bill is aimed at giving parents greater choice in whether their child participates in statewide assessments.

The Department of Education would be required to request, from the federal government, a requirement waiver concerning the level of student participation in state assessments under the federal “No Child Left Behind Act.”

The Department of Education would be required to exclude students from the calculations of a school’s academic performance rating and academic growth of students rating if the student is absent during testing or parents choose to exclude the child from testing.

A school district would also be prohibited from penalizing a student who does not take a state assessment due to absence or parental choice.

The percentage of “no scores” doesn’t appear to be a significant issue at either the state or district level. In both 2005 and 2004, the state number ranges from one to two percent at the elementary school level to a high of four percent at the high school level.

For SVVSD, the number of “no scores” at the elementary level ranges from zero to one percent. The highest percentage at the high school level is three percent.

Stevens-Carter said there are generally fewer “no scores” at the elementary level than at the high school level. In the 2003-04 school year, for 10th grade reading there were 53 “no scores” compared to just five “no scores” in the third grade.

Thirty-one of those “no scores” for 10th grade were tests deferred due to language. Since there is a Spanish language version for the reading and writing CSAP at the third and fourth grade level, there typically are very few “no scores” for tests deferred due to language at these levels.

Stevens-Carter also said that generally the most common reason for a “no score” in the district is due to a student not completing all sessions for a test.

She believes that the tests are necessary. “It’s an additional piece of information that we have about what a child can do. We usually know where a child is, but occasionally we’re surprised. Even for kids that struggle, it’s still useful to know how well they scored. It’s actually a high quality test and it’s matched to the standards, … If you don’t have standards how do we have confidence as a district that children in all schools are all learning the same thing?”

She also added that the time spent actually testing is small when compared to the school year as a whole. The controversial piece is the amount of time spent preparing for the test. For Stevens-Carter an hour or two spent reviewing practice tests is a good use of time. “We all perform better when we’re familiar with the test,” However, she is also aware that some schools spend significantly more time in preparation.

Stevens-Carter feels that most parents understand that having their child not take CSAP places the school at a huge disadvantage. Those parents that do refuse do so mainly as a political statement or because they believe the testing to be too stressful for their child. It’s not an easy choice for parents, since most children don’t like to be treated differently than their peers.

Youth Sports Programs Struggle To Get Word Out

By Mandy Sutyak

MandyS@lhvc.com

Several youth sports organizations have voiced concerns about getting the word out about their programs to Niwot area parents and children.

Metro Wrestling, Niwot Youth Sports Basketball and Niwot Youth Sports Baseball and Softball have each asked Niwot Elementary School (NES) to send their information flyers home with children. Lately, the organizations have each been told that as a matter of school policy, they can place the flyers on the community table but the flyers won’t be sent home with students.

Since the 1970’s, Niwot Youth Sports (NYS) programs, which primarily serve elementary school-age children, have announced sign-up dates and program information by sending flyers to be distributed at local elementary schools, according to former NYS officials. The flyers went home and the programs flourished, with up to 40 percent of NES students participating. But flyers no longer go home with NES children, and participation in the programs has declined.

NES principal Mike Keppler explained that his policy was to permit organizations to post notices on the community notice board just inside the entrance to the school and to place flyers on the community table in front of the office. He said he would also consider including announcements in his regular newsletter.

Keppler recognized the value of these programs. “These are great programs, good for the kids and with good instructors,” Keppler said. He also recognized that placing flyers on the community table doesn’t get the information home to parents.

However, Keppler said he is inundated with requests to send promotional materials home and feels that parents would be overwhelmed with paper if he permitted all the requests to be sent home. Rather than making decisions about which organizations’ flyers can be sent home and which can’t, Keppler’s decision is to only send home information about programs run by the Community School based at NES.

The St. Vrain Valley School District’s (SVVSD) “Protocol/Distribution and Display of Community Flyers” obtained from Mary Kay Cialone, District Community School Coordinator, calls for review of flyers by Nancy Herbert of the district’s Public Information Department. If she decides that the flyer is appropriate for distribution, she forwards her decision to the school principal for review.

The policy states, “If, for any reason, the principal does not regard the material to be appropriate for distribution to his/her students, then the principal can deny the request for their school. Every principal has the final say in whether the materials are posted or distributed in their school. An example of some reasons principals may choose not to distribute items: learning materials or PRO fundraising materials may need priority attention at your homes that week; a Community Schools program is conducted at your school that competes with the program on the flyer.”

Niwot High grad Dave Webster, who runs Metro Wrestling, said he tries to get flyers out in area schools and every school within the SVVSD except NES sends the flyers home. “I do as much work as I need to so it’s easy for volunteers to put in [take-home] folders. The table is the least effective way to get the word out. For the last two years I’ve only had one or two boys from NES on my team.”

Webster explained that timing is critical and delays in getting the information out can mean that children don’t get signed up. “This harms the children because they don’t get the opportunity to participate,” Webster said.

Niwot High alum Megan Roth is the recreational basketball director for NYS. Her experience is similar to Webster’s. She explained that she gets her flyers approved first by the school district and then goes to each school. Like Webster, the only school that hasn’t sent her flyers home is NES.

“My goal is to advertise to as many children as possible so we can have a successful program. I have some concerns with the current procedure at Niwot Elementary School because we’re not reaching as many kids as we do with Eagle Crest and Hygiene,” Roth said.

Roth was also concerned that by not participating in the youth programs, children are precluded from playing at the high school level simply because they are not prepared.

Keith Shriver, president of NYS, explained that although his organization does advertise in the local press, the most effective communications are the flyers sent home from schools. Shriver believes that there are probably about 50 to 60 more children in Niwot that could be participating in the organization’s programs if the flyers were being sent home.

Shriver said not only do Niwot parents get the word late, sometimes after try-outs and registration, but it is also difficult for newcomers to the area to get information. NYS has worked with high school coaches to understand the Niwot High School programs and has designed its programs to provide a smooth transition with consistent training methods leading up to high school.

According to Schriver, NYS strives to make sure that young athletes are developmentally prepared for high school. He feels that better collaboration between NYS and NES could be a win-win for everyone.

For more information: Metro Wrestling, contact Dave Webster303-579-7184 or Morgan Thompson, 303-587-4065; Niwot Youth Sports, www.niwotyouthsports.org.

Commissioners Deny RMCC Expansion

Church Or County May Seek Declaratory Judgment

By LuAnn Piccard

LuAnnP@lhvc.com

Boulder County Commissioners denied the bulk of Rocky Mountain Christian Church’s (RMCC) expansion proposal during proceedings held on Feb. 2. The commissioners determined that the proposal was not consistent with the Boulder County Land Use Code and Comprehensive Plan. (See the February 2006 article on www.lhvc.com, for complete coverage of the hearing.)

The commissioners also believe the decision does not violate the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), which stipulates that land use decisions cannot place an undue burden on religious practice. Since RLUIPA is a federal law, the commissioners suggested that a declaratory judgment on the decision be sought from the Federal District Court.

Subsequent to the hearing, David Hughes from the Boulder County Attorney’s office said, “The staff from the county attorney’s office will prepare a written resolution to document what the commissioners communicated at the meeting.” Once the commissioners sign, it will become a final resolution. That resolution was signed on Feb 21.

He added, “The purpose of asking for a declaratory judgment from the federal district court is to make a ruling on a controversial decision. Since RULIPA is a federal law, it makes sense for the federal court to make a ruling. The board has not made a decision about when to file. A lot will depend on what the church decides to do.”

RMCC has spent several years working with the county and the community to address concerns that have been raised regarding the expansion proposal. Rick Thielen, RMCC’s minister of operations said, “We have spent a lot of time and money responding to requests for information and clarification of questions from the commissioners. Each time we were asked to comply with these requests, we spent more time and money on consultants and the tab has really grown.

“The elders will be meeting to discuss where we need to be in the next 20 to 50 years. [As a result of the decision] we have not eliminated any potential options and realize some of them have a time limit. We will do what’s necessary to keep all of our options on the table.”

Yesterday’s News

By Anne Dyni

AnneD@lhvc.com

Few folks living in Niwot today remember Jake, but he was once a very vocal member of the community. Although he was only three years old in the late 1930s, Jake’s vocabulary was already colorful enough to catch even the most seasoned listener off guard.

He lived in the basement of the house now occupied by Niwot Dental at the corner of Second Avenue and Niwot Road. Lest you wonder about the Spartan living conditions, I should explain that Jake was Herb Atkins’ pet magpie.

Herb found him in 1937, alone in a nest in an old cottonwood tree along Dry Creek. When he brought Jake to the home he shared with his mother, Evelyn Slater, it was determined that the bird should be relegated to the basement.

Jake grew quickly on a diet of fried eggs and bread with a little bit of gravel thrown in to aid in digestion. He spent his days roosting in the basement, and because the windows were kept open, he could fly around the neighborhood at will. Herb never worried about Jake’s whereabouts because he would inevitably be chased home by flocks of crows that frequented Niwot in those days.

As with any young animal, Herb talked to his new pet, never anticipating the day when Jake would talk back to him. The conversations (or perhaps soliloquies would be a better term) began with the usual “Good morning,” “Hello” and “How are you?” But temptation prompted Herb to broaden Jake’s vocabulary, sometimes to the dismay of the neighbors.

Bessie Atkinson, who lived next door, didn’t appreciate the loud calls emanating from Herb’s house each morning. “Run, Bessie, run,” Jake would scream at the top of his lungs.

Don Spangler, who delivered the Denver Post in Niwot at that time, still remembers Jake yelling and laughing at him as he passed by on his bicycle.

From his basement roost, Jake could observe the world outside. “He whistled at dogs passing by and drove ‘em nuts,” Spangler recalled. “And when he called ‘kitty, kitty, kitty,’ every cat in town would come over and look at him, then walk away in frustration.”

“I couldn’t teach him to cuss in front of Ma,” Herb explained, “so I had to whisper the words to him.” He chuckled as he recalled how Jake learned to swear, but never above a whisper.

Herb’s mother once told Don Spangler how Jake began to pester her one day when she went down to the basement. She scolded him as she pushed him away, and then went back upstairs. Soon the sound of breaking glass prompted her to rush back downstairs where she found Jake systematically pushing empty canning jars off the shelves. As she confronted him once again, Jake began laughing and swearing, “Go to hell, go to hell.”

That colorful phrase probably saved Jake’s life the day he flew into Frank Reeves’ cherry orchard. Reeves was standing among the trees with his shotgun aimed at the crows that were rapidly consuming his crop. As Herb rode up on his bicycle, he asked, “You didn’t shoot my magpie did you?”

Reeves, still recovering from the shock said, “No, I didn’t shoot him. He told me to go to hell.”

In September of 1940, Herb Atkins joined the Army and left Jake behind in the care of his mother. Perhaps missing his longtime buddy, Jake slipped away and never returned.

Beam Named State Coach of the Year

By Bruce Warren

sports@lhvc.com

Niwot girls swimming coach Stephen Beam doesn’t use the word “team” in describing his squad. “We just consider ourselves a family,” he said.

“It took a lot of convincing. The Fossil Ridge meet, the third or fourth of the season, was the turning point. We won by two points, but we should have blown them out of the water.” At that point, Beam let his swimmers know exactly what he expected, and he didn’t mince words. “They had to trust me. I had worked with a lot of them in the past, but they had to come together.”

“The girls did an amazing job,” he said. “We attained almost all of our goals. We were undefeated in our conference, we were the first team in class 4A to beat Thompson Valley, which had dropped down from class 5A. And we won our conference meet against some of the fastest teams in the state.”

Though the Cougars did not perform as well as expected at state, Beam was more than satisfied. “All in all, it was a very positive season,” he said.

The Cougars had seven individual swimmers at state, including seniors Abby Allen and Abigail Stokely, juniors Olivia Mastronardi, Audry Diggins, and Brittany Moses, sophomore Alyssa Hughes and freshman Chloe Beauprez. Freshman Molly Joyce swam at state on the relays.

With a large contingent of freshmen and sophomores, Beam believes Niwot has the beginning of a new dynasty. “Under [former coach] Allain Valette, Niwot went five years without losing a dual meet,”

Beam noted. “They had a rough year after he left. Now they have a chance to ‘remake’ a name for themselves.”

Beam’s work has attracted the attention of fellow coaches. He was named Northern Conference Coach of the Year and State 4A Coach of the Year. “It’s an honor for me to work with them, and it’s fun to watch the girls grow into women,” he said. “I’m very proud of them.”

To letter in swimming, the Cougar girls must meet the normal requirements set by the school for scoring in a meet, and must also meet Beam’s standards, which include no F’s, no missed meets, and no more than three missed practices, though he does allow swimmers to make up missed practices, but not more than three. He still had 30 swimmers letter.

He also recognizes hard work. Team awards at the end of the season include Most Improved, which went to Chelsea Nelson (freshman), Krysta Culkin (sophomore), Dana Van Der Heide (junior) and Jesseca Bird (senior). High Point awards by class went to Chloe Beaupre (freshman), Alyssa Hughes (sophomore), Olivia Mastronardi (junior) and Abby Allen (senior). The Cougar Work Ethic Award went to Abigail Stokely, while the Nikki Kalbfleish Award for perseverance, sportsmanship, academic and athletic excellence went to Abby Allen. Allen set a new school record in the 50 freestyle with a time of 24.76 seconds, beating her sister Kylee’s old record.