Construction Continues At 63rd Street And Highway 119

Written By Mary Wolbach Lopert

If you live or work in Gunbarrel, you’ve undoubtedly noticed the construction on 63rd Street between Lookout Road and Highway 119. Construction began on Dec. 21, 2009 and is slated to be completed some time this fall.

The $2.93 million project will include lengthening the turn lane onto Highway 119 from 63rd Street, adding bicycle lanes and improving cyclist and pedestrian access by widening the shoulder and creating sidewalks.

RTD and Bolt access will be improved by enhanced boarding areas.

According to Mike Thomas, Boulder County engineer, improvements in drainage on both sides of 63rd Street also are being done. “It’s also a safety issue,” Thomas said. “The sidewalk (on the west side) is a pretty good drop-off.”

BNSF will be installing new traffic warning devices as well as working on the railroad tracks at the intersection. Thomas didn’t have a date for completing the railroad’s part of the project. “It has to do with integrating with the railroad and there is work that our contractors can’t do. We have to wait for them to do their work. There is no set schedule or time. The railroad has until August to get it done.”

Thomas added that the turn from northbound Highway 119 onto southbound 63rd Street is being improved. “The island is being reconstructed. It will be the same right turn, (but) the island is slightly smaller so you don’t feel so pinched.”

Photo by Mary Wolbach Lopert
Construction materials for the road improvements on 63rd Street and Highway 119.

NCA Discusses Subdivision Road Paving

Written By Kim Glasscock

About 40 Niwot home-owners at the Feb. 10 Niwot Community Association meeting agreed that Boulder County has a responsibility to repave unincorporated subdivision roads. The meeting was held expressly to discuss the paving issue.

Boulder County officials and residents of unincorporated county areas began discussing the subdivision road repaving issue last summer, after residents inquired about the poor condition of some subdivision roads. A subdivision paving working group was formed in September to work with county staff on the issue, and the group issued its recommendations in December.

In an email sent Feb. 17 to homeowners association board members, Transportation Director George Gerstle wrote that he “would like to underscore, the Board of Commissioners have made no decision whether to pursue this issue. Should the decision be to do so, there will be additional opportunities for public input and comment.”

According to county officials, the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan has included, since 1995, a provision stating that local access roads should be rehabbed and resurfaced by the users and local residents who benefit from using them.

That provision also was incorporated into a revision last month of the transportation element of the comprehensive plan. The comprehensive plan currently calls for the county to “assign funding responsibility for transportation improvements, including local road rehabilitation, to the properties that specially benefit from such improvements, such as subdivisions, commercial, institutional, private recreational or other benefited development. Funding mechanisms may include special assessments, or other appropriate revenue-generating programs.” The revised policy no longer “requires” special fees to be used; instead it “allows” them to be used.

The revised transportation element was approved in December, 2009, by the Boulder County Planning Commission. The Boulder County Board of Commissioners approved it Jan. 28.

The county does repave and rehabilitate roads designated as arterial and collector, according to county staff. However, the county’s position on local and subdivision roads is that the county is responsible only for maintenance such as pothole repairs, crack filling and snow removal, NCA President Neal Anderson told the group at the NCA meeting.

According to the NCA’s history information posted on its Web site, “almost no one in unincorporated Boulder County is aware of the policy” adopted in 1995. Although it was likely adopted in a public process, “the policy was buried deep in a document that few people have read or understand,” the NCA stated.

Property owners assumed their roads would be “maintained for long-term viability,” according to the NCA. “The distinction between ‘maintenance’ and ‘rehabilitation’ is only understood by the Department of Transportation, not the public,” the NCA stated in its posting.

Residential roads are deteriorating because the county does not rehabilitate them and property owners did not know they were responsible for the roads, according to the NCA.

County commissioners have been aware of the problem “for at least the last several years” but took no action, even when the working group was established, according to the NCA. The commissioners had “an ethical and moral obligation” to make the policy widely understood and to address the problem “much sooner,” the NCA stated.

According to the NCA posting, “residential road maintenance should be a budget priority issue, not a punitive policy issue.”

County commissioners need to “adjust budget priorities and allocate funding
to this issue,” the NCA stated. Approaches suggested by the group include allocating one to two percent of the county’s general fund budget to the issue, repurposing the current one percent sales
tax for transportation projects to road rehabilitation, freeze hiring and pay raises and reduce county employees through attrition and possibly layoffs.

At the NCA meeting, Anderson told attendees that Boulder County had 74.11 miles of paved roads in poor condition, 141.57 miles in fair condition, and 171.26 miles in good condition, according to a 2009 county road survey.

Using data from the county assessor’s office, county officials estimate that it would cost $28.4 million to rehabilitate local county roads over five years. About $21.7 million is needed for subdivision roads, while about $6.7 million is needed for non-subdivision local roads.

“The bottom line here is that our roads are steadily deteriorating and some are now quite bad,” Anderson said.

Boulder County officials said funding is not available for rehabilitation of local roads, Anderson told the group. Of the county’s approximately $25.1 million transportation budget, about $7.8 million is used for road and bridge work on arterial and collector roads, $7.4 million is used for road and shoulder safety work, $2.3 million is allocated to pay for work on bridges and structures and $1.2 million is allocated to road maintenance capital expenditures.

In addition, $1.8 million is allocated to road overlays, $1.8 million to general operating expenses, $1.4 million to transit, $600,000 to trail projects, $400,000 for planning and preliminary engineering and $400,000 in contingency funds.

Finding out that the county would not pay for repaving subdivision roads came “as a complete shock when I first found out,” said Darwyn Herbst of Niwot. The group agreed that none of them had been aware of the county’s policy on subdivision roads before fall.

In December, the subdivision paving working group concluded that there is an “immediate need” to start a resurfacing program on subdivision roads.

The group recommended that the county commissioners should consider creating a paved road subdivision Local Improvement District, which would tax property owners for five years to pay for the improvements. The county also should “make a significant county match from existing fund sources,” and the annual charge to homeowners should be on average about $200 per year per parcel, according to the working group.

Any funding solution also must address long-term resurfacing and maintenance needs, so the county also could consider holding a public vote to create a public improvement district to raise taxes to fund long-term needs, the working group agreed.

NCA meeting attendees agreed that a solution needed to be found quickly, but several residents asked if the county had a legal obligation to maintain roads that they take title to. Some residents suggested that the county should cut spending in other areas and use some of those funds to pay for resurfacing roads.

Others asked how much the county was spending on bicycle paths, trails and alternative transportation, and suggested that some of that money be reallocated to road improvements.

A hike in the state’s gasoline tax, which hasn’t been increased for several years, also was suggested. Gasoline tax revenues are used to fund road work, Anderson said. However, that tax increase would have to be voted in by the state legislature.

“I think the honest and fair way to do this is to raise the gas tax, but people get un-elected that way,” Anderson said.

Herbst said his research showed that the cost of resurfacing and adding curbs on 100 feet of roadway would cost about $2,300 and last 14 to 20 years. However, chip sealing 100 feet of roadway would cost $400 and last about 5 to 7 years.

“It’s certainly a lot cheaper and it would give the county some time to figure out a way to pay for the roads,” he said.

Gerstle has posted a summary of concerns expressed by attendees at a Feb. 11 informational meeting at www.bouldercounty.org/transportation/pdf_files/SummaryOfConcerns.pdf.

The NCA has posted a summary of its position on the roads issue, along with background information and possible talking points about the road rehabilitation issue at www.niwotcentral.com.

Anderson said residents can send letters and emails to the Boulder County commissioners to express their opinions and suggestions. Email and mail addresses are listed on the NCA Web site.

Boulder County commissioners and the Boulder County subdivision paving working group will hold a combined work session at 3 p.m. on March 4 to discuss the working group’s recommendations, according to Gerstle.

There will not be any public comment taken at the work session, but the session will be broadcast live on the web at http://video.couldercounty.org/archive/liveVid.asp. There will also be very limited seating for the public.

Niwot Farmers Market

Written By Kim Glasscock

Niwot-area residents will be able to find fresh, locally-grown produce and foods at a new farmers’ market this summer.

Niwot Farmer’s Market, a new non-profit corportation with a five-member board of directors, will oversee the market. The market will be run by Nature’s Point, LLC. Nature’s Point also runs farmers’ markets in Erie and Lafayette, according to company founder Penny Peterson.

“I have always been interested in locally-grown produce, cooking herbs and local products,” Peterson explained. So three years ago she started a farmers’ market in Lafayette and two years ago began one in Erie.

Nature’s Point is working in conjunction with the Niwot Market to host the weekly Niwot Farmers’ Market. Plans call for the market to be held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays in the parking lot of the Niwot Market in the Cottonwood Square Shopping Center. The market will run from May 24 through Oct. 11, Peterson said.

“There is so much enthusiasm and support for locally-grown food these days,” Peterson said. “We want to make this a community event, where people can walk or bike to their local farmers’ market to find fresh local produce and ingredients for cooking.”

Peterson said the market will open with 12 to 15 booths and feature produce and products from local farms. In addition to other local farmers, Peterson is talking with the farmers who took part in the previous Niwot farmers’ market operation to see if they are interested in coming to the new market.

“One of the hardest parts of running a farmers’ market is getting the farmers to commit, because they are so busy in the summer,” Peterson said. “But we have had good success in our other markets and there is a good deal of interest in the Niwot market.”

Peterson said two vendors already have committed: Colorado’s Best Tamales and Woody Creek Cellars, which features its Colorado-made wine.

Peterson also has contracted with Chef Dale Lamb and the Niwot Market to cook a weekly “farm meal” using local ingredients and featuring a local farm in its menu items.

“Burt Steele has a lot of experience with putting on community meals, and we think that it will be a wonderful way to feature our local farmers,” Peterson said. “This is also a way to make this a community-focused event.”

She said she also expects to bring in local musicians to perform during the meals, and plans to have a wine expert on hand as well. The farm meals are slated to begin in mid-June, Peterson said.

On the last Monday of each month, the market also will feature arts and crafts booths, Peterson said. She has contacted arts and crafts vendors from previous Niwot farmers’ markets, and said she has several vendors interested in participating in the new market.

Local businesses also are encouraged to take part. Peterson will open up one booth each week to a local business interested in having a presence at the market.

“There are many local businesses that would compliment and fit in well with the ambience and emphasis of a farmers’ market,” she said. “This is a local market, and I think it should feature businesses from the community. We want this market to become a nice part of the fabric of the Niwot community.”

The Niwot Local Improvement District advisory committee also offered its support for bringing the farmers’ market to Niwot. Peterson had requested funds for a portion of the start-up costs and marketing for the Niwot market, but LID members determined that LID funds could only be used to market and promote the Niwot farmers’ market as a community event in Niwot.

LID members also requested that Peterson make the market a non-profit enterprise as a funding condition. The LID advisory committee agreed to allocate $2,735 for advertising and marketing of the farmers’ market, on the condition that it is a non-profit entity.

Peterson is working on a Web page to promote the Niwot farmers’ market, and is open to ideas from the community. E-mail her at penny@naturespt.com.

Photo by Mimi Bell

Local artist Dru Marie Robert paints while patrons enjoy the art displays at the Eye Opener Cafe on Niwot’s First Friday, on Feb. 5.

Niwot Market: Milk, Bread, Eggs And A Whole Lot More

Written By Liz Emmett-Mattox

Sure, you stop into Niwot Market to pick up a loaf of bread, some milk and maybe a couple of other last-minute items for dinner tonight. And maybe you know that Niwot Market is the only place nearby to get Schmidt’s bakery goods and Niwot Honey. You’ve probably noticed the local produce that fills the bins in the summer.

But if you think of Niwot Market as a larger stop-n-shop, you’re missing a lot of great stuff. And don’t make the mistake of thinking that Niwot Market is just like the bigger stores, only smaller.

Owner Bert Steele has tried to create a distinctive community market which appeals both to the discriminating customer looking for organic, natural, local products as well as those who just need a can of tomatoes or box of pasta for dinner.

Nearly every aisle has something you wouldn’t expect from a market the size of this one, so let’s take a tour.

Starting in the meat department, Steele is keen to point out that he carries local, organic and sustainably produced chicken and beef. The SmartChicken brand is free-range, antibiotic and hormone free. The birds are air chilled, which makes for a safer product and fresher taste.

The premium beef that Niwot Market sells is Colorado’s Best Beef, which according to its website is a family-owned natural beef operation. Their cattle are fed antibiotic-free feed with no steroids and no growth hormones.

If you don’t see what you want in the case, just ask and one of the butchers will be happy to custom cut your meat order.

They also will be happy to special order fish for you. Said Steele, “If you really want fresh fish, special ordering is the way to do it. Just tell us what you want and we’ll have it for you that day.” In case you’re thinking that a special order means you have to buy a lot, it’s not true. You can order as little as one pound.

Something that customers might not know is that Niwot Market makes its own sausage. There are many different varieties to choose from including breakfast links, chorizo, andouille, bratwurst, hot and mild Italian, and the newest: boerewors sausage. Dave Bernson, butcher at the market, created this version of a South African sausage which has beef, pork, bacon and “lots of spices.” All of Niwot Market’s sausages are MSG free and leaner than you’ll find in other places because there is no “shop trim” in them.

Moving on to the baking aisle, you’ll find a whole shelf dedicated to Bob’s Red Mill grains and flours. Need potato starch, soy flour or rye flour? It’s there. Niwot Market also has a selection of gluten-free mixes that rivals the health food stores.

If you’re not up to baking your own treats, you can choose one of those tasty treats from Schmidt’s Bakery or a Mom’s Pie baked in Niwot. Need some coffee to go with your baked goodies? The roaster at the front isn’t just for show. Steele said that they roast their coffee daily, so the coffee you buy is as fresh as you can get it.

If you’re looking for dinner to go, Niwot Market has plenty of choices. The entrees at Niwot Market prepared by local chefs Dale Lamb and Justin Hirschfield are more than a cut above what you can find at the regular grocery stores.

The Courier’s own Mary Lopert raved about the chicken pot pie. “My family loves these, and the crust is to die for.” Fresh tamales, sloppy joes, and buffalo pot pies are available as well.

The soups are prepared daily and a recent visit made for a difficult choice between the butternut poblano bisque, vegetarian chili and white bean and ham. I opted for the white bean and was not disappointed. Steele said that the rotisserie chickens are a popular item as well.

Most of the time, you would be wise to be leery of sushi made in a grocery store, but Sachi Sushi, located inside the market, has a reputation for both good quality and good prices.

Steele said that one of the big advantages of a store like his is that he can respond quickly to customer requests. If you don’t find something you want, there’s a list at the front where you can write it down. “If we can get it, we will.”

One of the things Steele is most excited about is that he has a new supplier for many of the organic and natural brands that the market carries. This one is willing to give a small market deals that used to be available only to the major chains. “This is really going to help lower prices and I’m going to be passing these deals on to the customers as soon as I can.”

But back to the bread and milk. It turns out that even these basics aren’t so basic at Niwot Market. Steele makes a special point of highlighting the Diamond D brand dairy products. The Diamond D is a family-run dairy in Longmont. Steele has visited the dairy and was impressed both by the cleanliness of the facility and their treatment of the animals.

As for bread, the Il Fornaio Italian loaves are worth a special trip. The baguettes are perfect with dinner, and the leftovers make fantastic French toast. If you’re so inclined, you can buy them partially baked and finish them yourself for a truly fresh loaf.

So next time you stop in for bread or milk, wander down the aisles a bit. You might be surprised at all Niwot Market has to offer.

Photo by Liz Emmett-Mattox

Dave Bernson with his Boerewors Sausage at Niwot Market

Familiar Face: Karen Zurfluh

Written By Liz Emmett-Mattox

Karen Zurfluh started her career at the Niwot branch of Bank of the West eight years ago as a teller. Since then, she worked her way up through managing new accounts and has been the branch manager for the last two years.

In that time, she’s become quite a familiar face in and around Niwot. She’s been an active member of the Niwot Rotary and the NBA. In the summer, she can be found enjoying the concerts and helping out with Rhythm on the Rails. She also spends time volunteering at Community Food Share.

Given how much time she spends here and the fact that she seems to know everyone in town, Zurfluh said that people are often surprised to learn that she doesn’t live in Niwot.

Zurfluh commutes from Firestone, where she lives with her husband of 16 years, her 14 -year-old daughter, 12-year-old son, and a menagerie which includes three cats, a dog and a guinea pig.

When asked how she spends her time outside the bank, she confided, “I have a really exciting life. I do laundry. I go to the grocery store. I clean my house. I’m a regular domestic goddess.” In the summer, she loves to be outside and relax with her kids at the pool.

For a while, she coached her children’s volleyball and soccer teams, but now, “People will see me out in the community much more in Niwot than in Firestone,” Zurfluh said.

Zurfluh is one of those lucky enough to love her job. The best part? “My customers. I love having that personal interaction with people. Finding and doing what’s right for the customer is the best part of my job. And I have the best team.” Zurfluh said that Bank of the West customers come from Longmont or Boulder to the Niwot branch for that extra personal touch.

With respect to the shakeout in the banking industry, Zurfluh said that Bank of the West had not been affected in the same way as many other financial institutions, and “we’re not going anywhere and we still have money to lend.”

According to Zurfluh, customers are more knowledgeable and informed than they might have been before the economic downturn. They are shopping around much more carefully for products and services.

“At the end of the day, banks have the same basic products. But the personal service is what makes the difference. That’s part of Bank of the West’s corporate policy, but it’s so much easier to be that kind of bank in Niwot.”

But what about her unusual surname? “I married that,” said Zurfluh. She said the name is a combination of Swiss, Dutch and German. It’s pronounced “zur-flu” just in case you wondered.

Cat Drive: Volunteers Deliver More Than Coats

Written By Liz Emmett-Mattox

For the last few years, volunteers with the Warming of the Hearts Coat Drive have been reaching beyond the Niwot community to solicit donations and support. Building on the success of last year’s drive, which received a substantial corporate donation from Spyder, organizers Elizabeth Darling and Diane Atwood began to investigate options for other large-scale donations.

This year, Darling said REI was at the top of their list. “We called them and asked if they would be able to make a donation. After their “Garage Sale” where they sell returned items, seconds and that sort of thing, they invited us to take anything we wanted. We just came and cleaned them out. We took everything they had; coats, boots, sleeping bags, you name it.”

Coat Drive organizers were able to take advantage of REI’s generosity because AAA Storage in Longmont donated a storage unit for them to use until it was time to load up the truck for the trip to Wyoming.

Local groups including The Girl Scouts and Niwot Elementary School also helped collect coats for the residents of the Wind River Reservation.

The group received some financial contributions, and in deciding how to spend the money, they asked the tribal liaisons what they needed most. The answer was head start kits for preschoolers and “warm stuff.” So before they left town, Darling, Atwood and Petruccelli visited Target and Walmart and purchased educational materials as well as new hats, mittens, scarves and socks.

Once the trailer was stuffed full of clothing and other household goods that had been donated, off they went. This year, the weather was cooperative. “No gale force winds, no snow storms, we had a very easy drive,” said Darling.

On their arrival in Wyoming, they pulled into a heated warehouse provided by a donor in Wyoming. The coats, mittens and other warm clothing were distributed immediately, but the warehouse will be used to store the household items and other things that were not immediately needed.

“Having these warehouses is really a benefit, because we’ll be able to collect and store things in between our trips to the reservation. We want to start to make this a year-round thing.”

Anyone wishing to donate household items in good condition should call Liz Darling at 303-931-3084. Tax-deductible contributions may be made to Ni-Wot Prairie Productions, P.O. Box 1053, Niwot, CO 80544.

Photo by Elizabeth Darling

From left to right: Sandy Petrucelli, Wyoming State Representative Patrick Goggles, Elizabeth Darling, Diane Atwood, Northern Arapaho Tribal Housing Director Darrell Lone Bear, Marty Fisher of Niwot, and Arligh Armajo of Tribal Housing.

Yesterday’s News: What’s For Dessert?

Written By Anne Dyni

Whether it’s a Twinkie in a school lunchbox, a slice of pie in a miner’s lunch pail, or hand-cranked ice cream on the back porch, desserts have always been a universal source of pleasure. Cotton Fletcher, an early coal miner from Erie, once confided that after years of eating lunches underground, “It got so you’d throw your sandwiches away and eat the pie (and) drink the coffee.”

Dessert is often associated with the evening meal, which most of us refer to as dinner. But not in rural America, where farmers depended on the noon meal to sustain them for the remainder of the day. Just ask anyone with a farming background and they will tell you, dinner was at noon and supper was served in the evening after chores were done.

Whether Mom brought it to the fields in a pickup truck, or the field hands waited for a cook wagon to rattle down the road, dinner was the most important meal of the day.

Jerome DeBacker, who farmed east of Boulder, came home each noon to wash up and eat dinner before returning to work. His daughter Gertrude Anderson once described how her mother Katheryn prepared these large meals for her husband and the hired men working beside him.

“Potatoes were a staple,” she recalled. “Mother cooked a large batch each dinner and fried the leftovers in bacon fat or lard for supper and breakfast.” Bread was baked six loaves at a time, and all of it was consumed by the end of the day. Among the desserts Katheryn prepared for dinner, sour cream cookies were a family favorite.

Howard Morton of Niwot told how his mother supplied the two cook wagons sent to feed his father’s two threshing crews in the 1920s. “They had to be fed three meals a day,” he explained. “If you had seventeen men on each crew, that was a lot of food. Mother would go to Longmont every day and bring back groceries for the cooks.”

On Saturday, March 6, you will have an opportunity to sample some unusual and tasty desserts at the Niwot Historical Society’s annual meeting and public program. The presentation begins at 10 a.m. at the Left Hand Grange Hall where Cheryl Miller, an authority on vintage cookbooks and cooking utensils, will speak. Guests are encouraged to bring their own heirloom kitchen utensils to show and tell.

Silver Creek High School

Written By Karey Robinson

Up-a-Creek Robotics Prepares For Competition And Life

Dane Elshof, a computer science major at Metro State College, values textbook learning, but believes he has received more “real world engineering experience” on the Up-a-Creek Robotics Team than in the classroom.

“There is nothing like writing software that can actually break something,” he joked. He was a member of the team as a high school student and is now a junior mentor.

Up-a-Creek Robotics is in the midst of the annual US First Robotics competition. At the kick-off in January, goals and specifications for this year’s challenge were announced and teams received a kit of parts. Students have six weeks to create the robot and ship it to Denver.

Local team members brainstormed about the robot design and programming all the way back to team headquarters at Longmont’s Career Development Center. The team is led by high school students and mentored by college students and professionals. Middle schoolers are also welcome on the team.

John Rigsby, lead mentor for the team, is a senior staff engineer at Seagate. “These students have learned how to take an engineering project from start to finish. In the middle of all of that activity is the learning of various life skills, including respect, excellence, accountability, teamwork, and openness. Seeing the students grow in both technical and life skills has been an amazing experience to be involved with.”

Teresa Ewing mentors the software team. She has a degree in electrical engineering and computer science and works as a senior systems engineer at Boulder Nonlinear Systems.

“I see firsthand the shortage of qualified engineering talent, particularly women and minorities,” said Ewing. “I think there are a lot of smart kids that might consider an engineering career if they were just introduced to it in some small way.”

For Ewing, her involvement with mentoring the team has been an eye-opening experience. “I have to admit that I was rather negative in my attitudes about high school age students. However, they constantly amaze me with their out-of-the-box thinking, their kindness toward each other, their hunger for knowledge, their courage, their honesty and positive life spirit.”

Ewing and Rigsby have seen many students go on to succeed in college and careers after their involvement with robotics. “What they learn on this team translates into authentic success,” said Ewing.

“Grades come first,” said Rigsby, who encourages students to put schoolwork first and come to the club only when assignments are finished and grades are acceptable.

“Involvement in the team will make you want to have higher grades,” said student James Mckenzie.

Sarah Hansen, now a junior, has been involved with the team for six years. She is impressed by the unselfishness and helpfulness of the mentors in the program. “I have gotten amazing references for jobs, scholarships, and colleges from them.”

Sophomore Nathan Hopper believes the hands-on experience and training he has received on the team will serve him well in the future. Last year’s robot was designed in a computer program called Autodesk Inventor. “I had to learn the program as the season progressed. Knowing how to fabricate parts and also how to model them in Autodesk Inventor are both key skills to have in the real world.”

The team is sponsored by local and national corporations and sponsors. Boeing provided the team’s $5,000 entry fee. Other major sponsors include Seagate Technology and Lockheed Martin.

Ewing enjoys the “hoopla” of the annual competition, but sees a much more serious purpose. “In these economic conditions, it is becoming clear that we as a nation will need innovation and problem-solvers. Robotics offers serious skills, but with a dose of fun. It’s a great way to start a purposeful, promising life’s journey.”

The team is open to receiving new members from the Saint Vrain Valley School District as well as mentors and sponsors. “We need all types of skill sets, not just engineering ones,” said Rigsby. “Fundraising, public relations and marketing are just a few nontechnical skill sets we would be thrilled to get help with.”

The team’s current budget is $10,000 per year. Beyond financial support, the team always welcomes other types of sponsorships, such as restaurants donating meals and hardware stores donating supplies.

For more information on the Up-a-Creek Robotics team, see www.team1619.org.

Thespians Present “Into the Woods”

The stories of Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, the Baker, and the Baker’s Wife will come together on one stage as the Performing Arts Department presents “Into the Woods” March 4-7.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for students and children over 7, and free for children under 7. Reserve seating is available at showtix4u.com.

Photo by John Rigsby

Up-a-Creek team members Kelsey Christofferson, Henry Hunt and Ben Pond work on the chassis of the team’s robot in preparation for the annual US First Robotics Competition.

Special Use Process In Boulder County

Written By Kim Glasscock

Audience members at a study session on Feb. 17 told Boulder County Commissioners and county Planning Commission members that Boulder County’s special use review process is too complicated, expensive, lengthy and unpredictable in its outcome and it should be changed.

In January 2009, county commissioners directed land use department staff to review the special use review process. The review was prompted, in part, by the denial of previous requests from Rocky Mountain Christian Church and Alexander Dawson School to expand their operations. Rocky Mountain Christian Church subsequently sued the county. In December, Dawson was granted approval for limited enrollment expansion but did not receive approval for expanding its facilities.

Since August, land use staffers have held six community meetings to hear from county residents about how they would like to see the regulations changed.

More than a dozen county business owners, residents and representatives of institutions attended the study session and asked county commissioners to streamline and relax the county’s special use process. Several of those who spoke represented facilities that existed prior to Boulder County putting into place zoning regulations, a land use code and comprehensive plan.

Under current county land use regulations, the nature and intensity of the use of a land parcel determines whether a special use review is required. County land use staffers look at factors such as the number of occupants, traffic impacts, total floor square footage, wastewater flow and whether the property has multiple principal uses to determine if the property requires a special use review.

Uses often required to undergo a special use review include camps, schools, conference centers, churches, resort lodges and some businesses.

Many of those institutions also are non-conforming uses, meaning that they existed before zoning rules were changed and were grandfathered-in under the new rule. Non-conforming uses are allowed to continue operating but can’t expand or make any changes to facilities other than safety or health-related improvements.

Several people testified that some non-conforming uses, in particular camps, should be able to grow modestly and modify their facilities without having to adhere to current regulations. Camp Paul Hummel representative Jim August of Longmont said the camp, located above the Boulder Heights subdivision, was established in the 1930s by the Seventh Day Baptist Church “before they even had zoning.”

“We can’t afford to bring our camp up to the current requirements, so we can’t do much of anything,” he said. “A nonprofit camp like ours should be a use-by-right. We provide a service to develop better citizens at no cost to taxpayers.”

Planning Commission member Neal Anderson said he endorsed creating a separate use classification and criteria just for camps, but that use would not include all nonprofits as some audience members suggested. “Nonprofits can come forward with massive uses that we may not want,” he said.

Owners of businesses labeled as non-conforming uses say it is too risky and a burden for them to go through the special use process to make any needed changes. Mindy Makuta, owner of Stone Mountain Lodge near Lyons , said the 120-year-old resort had business zoning that was stripped in zoning and land use changes made in the early 1980s. It is now classified as a non-conforming use, which keeps it from making small changes such as adding a porch to a cabin because it is “too much of a risk to go through the process,” Makuta said.

“Don’t forget about economic sustainability,” Makuta told commissioners. “We would like to be able to make changes to sustain ourselves.”

Jim Spenst, general manager of Eldora Mountain Resort, told commissioners that the resort would struggle to become a conforming use. “We think, because of our topography, we would struggle with calculating some of the requirements,” he said. “Frankly, it makes us nervous that we are being looked at.”

Brian Johnson, headmaster at Alexander Dawson School , said he thinks the special use process should be revamped to “incentivize” good stewardship of the land. “You can allow growth, but still require good behavior,” he said.

County Commissioner Will Toor acknowledged that while previous zoning and land use policies helped preserve Boulder County ’s rural character, there “may have been some unintended consequences.”

“We need to get clarity on what uses we want to encourage in unincorporated areas,” Toor said. "I do believe that there are a number of uses that clearly do belong in the unincorporated areas and not in the municipalities, things like nonprofit camps and resort lodges.”

But, Toor said, some uses like churches and schools can exist within municipal areas, and “should be looked at with a different eye.” However, he added that incorporating “performance standards to address the impacts of larger uses is do-able.”

County Commissioner Ben Pearlman warned against “loving things to death” with too restrictive land use codes. “We worry about the cumulative effect of growth across the board, but we must have a functioning economy too,” he said. “We must find a balance.”

Pearlman said he would like to see the land use code “better calibrated to the intensity of the use.” He also said allowing existing uses to grow incrementally “makes sense.

“However, although we want to allow the evolution of businesses and retain economic vitality, at some point we must say there is a limit to what can be done with this property,” he added.

Land use staffers will bring changes back to the Planning Commission for consideration in April, and then the changes will come before the county commissioners.

Out In Leftfield

Written By Bruce Warren

If you have news of local athletes, please contact sports@lhvc.com or call 303-652-2433.

NIWOT YOUTH SPORTS

Registration for the baseball and softball programs will be held at several locations beginning Sat. March 6 at Dick’s Sporting Goods in Longmont from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Additional registrations will be held Sat., March 13 at Sunset Middle School from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, and at Altona Middle School from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Registration will also be held at Niwot High School Sunday, March 14, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. during NYS basketball games, and at Heatherwood Elementary School on Monday, March 15 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The Niwot Youth Sports programs are designed for players ages 4-14 in baseball and 4-18 in softball in the Niwot, Gunbarrel and south Longmont areas. Games begin in May and end in July with league tournaments. Opening Day ceremonies are set for Sunday, May 16 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Monarch Fields Complex. NYS will sponsor a Rockies Game day on Sunday, June 13 at 1 p.m. for the Rockies game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

A full slate of baseball commissioners is in place with Kerranne and Jeff Biley (Bubblegum), Mark Herbst (Rookie), Bruce Riggins (AA), Julie Michelson (AAA), Tim Rudden (Majors) and Tom Moore (Seniors) handling the administrative duties.

NHS player and NYS alum Veric Nichols will be in charge of hiring and scheduling youth umpires, while Gary Mess will handle the training. Chris Heinritz will again be in charge of field maintenance, while Tim Rudden will be the equipment manager. Julie Michelson will handle the arrangements for the Rockies game as well as Opening Day ceremonies. Kelly Valdez and Tim Rudden will handle team and field schedules. Kirstin Heinritz will be in charge of uniforms, while Dan Hart will manage the website, www.niwotyouthsports.org. Jodi Oelsner will be in charge of Opening Day Concessions, and Kelly Valdez will arrange for team photographs.

Mark Lamach was re-elected president of the organization at the annual meeting last fall, with Tom Moore again serving as vice-president. Tracey Nichols and Peter Morreale will serve as co-treasurers, and Jodi Oelsner will continue as secretary. Tim Rudden will continue as baseball director, while Tony Dageenakis continues as softball director. Tom Williston is the recreational basketball director, while Shea Oliver will handle the competitive basketball duties. Chris Heinritz will continue as director of facilities and Kelly Valdez, Keith Shriver and Dan Hart will serve as members-at-large on the board.

TRACK

Griffin Matthew (Niwot) finished third in the Long Jump for Stanford at the Cherry and Silver Classic in New Mexico. Matthew’s jump of 20’ 1½” was good enough to meet NCAA provisional standards. Matthew earned a second NCAA provisional mark in the 200M with a time of 23.80, third fastest in Stanford school history. She also finished seventh in the 60M and eighth in the 200M at the Texas A&M Challenge Jan. 30. She took first in both the 60M and 200M at the Husky Classic Feb. 13.

Niwot High coach Scott Player returned from taking a group of 26 athletes to the Simplot Games, an indoor track meet, in Idaho just in time for the Colorado high school season to start. Alex Paul of Silver Creek won the 800M at the meet. Miranda Lahman of Niwot High finished 12th in the 800M, while Emily Boldt, who ran for a Littleton Club team, helped her relay team to a fifth-place finish in the 4X400M. Player also took Nicole Sharp of Niwot and her middle-school-age sisters, Lauren Sharp and Rachel Sharp, to the meet.

LACROSSE

Niwot High senior Kevin Howes is one of ten returning seniors for the Alexander Dawson Boys team. Howes is a defenseman for Dawson, which provides a program for players from throughout the St. Vrain Valley School District. Several other Niwot players are trying out for the squad.

CROSS COUNTRY

David Perry of Niwot High signed a national letter of intent to run for the University of Portland next year. Perry, who runs distance events in track, hopes to compete in both track and cross-country for Portland, which has a nationally known cross-country program.

BASEBALL

Pat Perry (Niwot) received an offer from the Wichita Wingnuts of the American Association to catch this summer. Perry has been working with the University of Northern Colorado players this winter on hitting as an assistant coach. He was drafted by the Red Sox after a stellar junior year at UNC and played in the Red Sox organization until moving to Independent League baseball. Perry played for the Southern Illinois Miners last season.

Eric Van Dyke of Silver Creek High School signed a letter of intent to play baseball for Missouri Science and Technology next year.

Christopher Harris of Niwot is being counted on to lead the Briar Cliff University pitching staff this spring. The school’s website states, “Coming off a 25-28 season a year ago, the BCU baseball team is hoping its talented and deep pitching staff will carry the team to a conference title.” Harris, who posted a 3.42 ERA last season, is listed as the top returning pitcher.

Elliott Haas (Niwot) is a junior pitcher for Hastings College this spring. Hastings is 0-4 in early-season action.

Cody Lahman (Niwot) is a pitcher on the Mesa State squad, but has been slowed by an arm injury. Lahman is in his first collegiate season.

Chaz Kramer (Silver Creek) scored two runs for Puget Sound in a 9-6 loss to Central Washington. Kramer went one for three in a 12-11 win over the same opponent, scoring one run. Kramer plays centerfield for the Loggers.

Ben Packard (Niwot) and Forrest Carpenter (Niwot) are sophomore teammates for the University of Northern Colorado. Packard is listed as a pitcher while Carpenter is listed as an outfielder on the roster. UNC opens play in late February.

BASKETBALL

Michael Melillo of Gunbarrel had 24 points for Fairview in a 70-61 win over Ft. Collins, which was ranked third in Class 5A at the time. Melillo is one of only two returning players for the Knights. He added seven rebounds in the victory. Boulder, coached by former Niwot High assistant baseball coach Alan Schulz, later knocked off Fort Collins 61-58 to take second place in the Front Range League behind Fairview.

Niwot area residents Matt Hart and James Blue led Alexander Dawson to a 49-34 win over Heritage Christian. Blue led the scoring with 15 points while Hart added 14. Katie Dulin had 10 points for the Dawson girls in a 39-32 win over Heritage Christian.

Meghan Heimstra (Silver Creek) scored 10 points and added seven rebounds and two assists for CSU in a 65-49 over UNLV. CSU is 13-12 on the season.

Audrey George (Niwot) had 10 points and 10 rebounds for Fort Lewis College in a 75-60 win over Western State. Fort Lewis, ranked sixth in the nation, has clinched the conference title and is 26-2 on the season.

The school’s website described George as the team’s most aggressive player, quoting coach Mark Kellogg, who said, “She’s the one kid that rebounded the ball pretty well for us the entire night. She’s just really active.”

FOOTBALL

Matt LaBorde and Kelton Manzanares of Niwot High signed letters of intent to play football at Colorado School of Mines next fall. LaBorde is played both offensive and defensive line for the Cougars and expects to end up on one side of the line or the other for Mines. Manzanares played cornerback and running back. He expects to play defense at Mines, though his speed and ability to catch the ball may get him a look at wide receiver.

Tyler Strong of Niwot High made it official, signing a national letter of intent to play football for the Wyoming Cowboys next fall. Strong verbally committed to Wyoming after his junior season at Niwot. He will join former teammate Jeff Roueche at Wyoming, where he expects to play defensive line. Strong primarily played linebacker and fullback for the Cougars. He was also recruited by Colorado, Colorado State and Nebraska.

Niwot will have a new football alignment for the 2010-2011 seasons. Niwot will join Broomfield, Greeley Central, Greeley West, Longmont, Loveland and Thompson Valley in the Class 4A Northern Conference. Silver Creek will play in the 3A Northern Conference with Berthoud, Erie, Mountain View, Roosevelt and Skyline. Classifications for football are different than for other sports in Colorado.

Cody Buck (Niwot) is no longer playing football at West Point where he spent three seasons as a reserve linebacker. Buck, a junior, has found other things to occupy his time. Buck was one of the cadets chosen to be an escort at the Metropolitan Opera 55th Annual Viennese Ball held at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC February 5. Buck was afforded the honor of escorting and dancing with Miss USA, Kristen Dalton, of Wilmington, North Carolina. Photos of the couple are available on the internet.

SOCCER

Jacy Drobney of Silver Creek High School signed a letter of intent to play soccer next fall for Oregon State. Teammate CC Rinehart signed a letter of intent to play soccer for Regis University.

Niwot High soccer player Lexi Zumwalt signed a letter of intent to play for Mesa State College next year. Zumwalt attends Erie High School but plays goalkeeper for Niwot soccer.

Steve Lepper stepped down as Niwot High’s boys soccer coach on the heels of a state 4A championship. Lepper cited personal reasons in his decision as well as his commitment to focus more on his club soccer careeer with the St. Vrain FC, where he serves as Director. Lepper coached at Niwot for two years following a year with Skyline High School. NHS Athletic Director Jim Butterfield hopes to have a new coach in place by March.

HOCKEY

Michael Sdao (Niwot) has four goals and three assists on the season for Princeton University. Sdao has played in 26 of the team’s 27 games, and leads the squad in penalties.

WRESTLING

Niwot senior Garrett Burd missed last season with a back injury, and also missed his senior football season. He continued to work on getting healthy and was finally cleared to wrestle this season. Burd won four matches at tournaments this season, but had never won a varsity dual match until Jan. 28 when he wrestled against Greeley West. Burd pinned his opponent in the 152-pound division in one minute flat. Burd’s wrestling days came to an end in February when he aggravated the old injury, but he takes pride in being a part of the team for all four years of his high school career.

SOFTBALL

Ashley Primm (Niwot) caught the opening game of the season for Colby Community College, which beat Otero Junior College, 5-3. Primm reached base on a walk in four trips to the plate.

Carly Potock (Alexander Dawson) returns to the Lehigh University team this spring. Potock, a junior from the Niwot area, is listed as an outfielder, but has played several positions during her collegiate career.

Jennessa Tesone (Niwot) doubled and scored a run for Mesa State in a 5-3 loss to Fort Hays State in early February. Tesone, a rightfielder, followed by driving in the first run and scoring the second run in a 7-6 win over the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Shannon DePuy (Niwot) is a junior outfielder for Midland Lutheran College. Midland is picked to finish second in the conference and received three votes in the NAIA preseason Top 25 poll.

TENNIS

Allie Hefter (Niwot) is playing for Penn State University again this spring. Hefter is looking for her first win in singles for the Nittany Lions.

SWIMMING

Christine Jennings (Niwot) finished 13^th out of 41 swimmers in the FINA 10K World Cup in Santos, Brazil, Jan. 31. She posted a time of 2:17:13.66, only 25 seconds off the top time. Jennings was pleased with her performance in the 10K event as she has moved from distance swimming for the University of Minnesota to Open Water events. The competition took place in the Atlantic Ocean and was part of the World Cup Tour. “My goal is to try and go to another one or two of these this year, depending on whether I make Worlds (Roberval, Quebec, Canada) or not,” Jennings said. Her next event is scheduled for April 17 at the 10K Nike Swim in Miami. After that, Jennings plans to enter the US 10K World Trials June 4 in Long Beach (Cal.).

Makayla Palmer (Niwot) swam at the Northwest Conference Championship Meet in Federal Way, Wash. on Feb 12-14 with Whitworth University.  Palmer placed fourth in the 200Y Freestyle (1:58.42), fourth in the 200Y Backstroke (2:13.54), and eighth in the 500Y Freestyle (5:19.34).  Whitworth won both the Women’s and the Men’s Championship titles.

Niwot High Coaches Corner

Written By Bruce Warren

BOYS BASKETBALL

Niwot’s boys ended the regular season with a 10th-place finish in the Northern Conference, and also finished tenth in the conference tournament. That was good enough to get the Cougars into the state playoffs as a 10th seed, where 48 teams advance in Class 4A.

The Cougars lost their last game of the tournament, but the game that put them there will go down in the record books. Niwot defeated a tough Roosevelt squad in four overtimes, 104-101. “The combined score is only 10 points off the state record of 215 points,” Coach David Ross noted. “I don’t think Niwot has ever had a four-overtime game. I checked with Bob Banning and Don Winger and neither of them could remember one when they coached here.”

The game was the equivalent of one and one-half games as overtimes are now four minutes long. Until a few years ago, overtimes were only three minutes, and teams often stalled once they had a lead. Eddie and Lisa Schlagel graduated from Niwot in the mid-1970’s and have been coming to NHS basketball games for a long time. Their daughter Tashia, also a Niwot grad, teaches at Niwot. They could not recall a Niwot game in which both teams were over 100 points and speculated that it had been a long time since Niwot had to use the “100” lights on the scoreboard.

The game became somewhat of a coming-out party for junior forward Andy Wegleitner. Senior starters Ryan Strufing and Veric Nichols fouled out in the first minute of the first overtime, leaving the Cougars with just seven players who had seen significant varsity action. Wegleitner scored 23 points in the 16 extra minutes. “Andy had a great overtime against Roosevelt,” Ross said. “Miguel Mendoza, Jorge Sanchez and Jordan Trane have really improved their game, playing really well lately. We really needed them in overtime.”

Freshman Nate Merriman saw his first varsity action earlier in the tournament against Thompson Valley, and wasted no time scoring, hitting a three-pointer on his first attempt. Junior Sam Forrer also moved up from the JV squad for the tournament. “He’s gotten into a couple of games,” Ross said.

WRESTLING

Jacob Arellano was ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 4A at 215 pounds for most of the season, but suffered a tough loss in the semi-final match of the state tournament. Arellano beat Nick Stepharius of Palisade 9-6 in the quarterfinals, but lost to Coltin OsterMiller of Ridgeview on a pin at the 3:07 mark. “Jake was a little sick,” Coach Scott Sanchez said. “He had some chest congestion and was just feeling crappy.” OsterMiller finished fourth at Regionals, but Arellano didn’t get to wrestle him there.

Arellano came back to take the third-place match on the final day. “He got some fluids in him on Saturday and felt better” Sanchez said. “It was pretty close. Jake was up 9-7 before the other kid tied it up at 9-9. Jake was on the bottom and got the escape to win 10-9.”

Paco Retana was the only other Cougar to qualify for state, entering the tournament at 189 pounds. Retana lost his first match but battled back before being eliminated from the competition. “He won a few matches,” Sanchez said, “but he lost the round he needed to get to the placing, 10-7.” Retana finished second at Regionals, but drew a third-seeded wrestler in his first match. “They were the only two returning placers,” Sanchez said. “Paco wrestled him last year and won, but wasn’t able to do it this year.”

Zach Heard took fourth place at Regionals, but lost a wrestleback that cost him a chance to go to state. Nick Stager finished fifth at Regionals, while Landon Nolting came in sixth. Sanchez is excited about the wrestlers returning next year. Though he loses Arellano and Retana, Nolting and Austin Boldt (160) will be back as seniors. In addition, Colin Frank (103), Marcos Montoya (135), and Stager will be back as juniors.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Coach Terri Ward’s squad gave the No.2-ranked Longmont girls a scare in the Northern Conference tournament, leading 17-15 late in the second quarter. The Cougars were behind by only four points at the half, but still within striking distance until a disastrous third quarter sealed the loss. Niwot came out cold in the second half, and was outscored 21-0 by the Trojans. The Cougars rallied in the fourth quarter to outscore the Trojans 19-11, but couldn’t overcome the deficit, losing 60-43.

“We were on an emotional high at halftime,” Ward said. “If we didn’t have halftime, we’d probably have won. We had a great first quarter, second quarter and fourth quarter. The third quarter? I have no idea.” Part of the problem was that guards Rachel Haisfield and Katy Hedlund were both in foul trouble. “Katy was doing a really good job on Jamie Katuna. When Katy went out, she hit two threes right away.”

Freshman Nicki Blue saw significant playing time against Longmont. “Nicki is helping us,” Ward said. “She’s starting to be a really good basketball player.” Blue also saw varsity action last fall in softball. “Once she realizes that basketball and softball can co-exist, she’ll be fine,” Ward said. “She has great hands and a great touch.”

Ward noted that several other players were playing very well. “Calle Hammers has done a great job, both on offense and defense,” Ward said. “Ashley Philipp has done everything I want her to do defensively. Ashley and Katy Hedlund are probably our best defenders. Rachel Haisfield has just been great all year.”

The Cougars finished 10th in the regular season in the Northern Conference, but a first-round win over number seven Fossil Ridge in the first round of the conference tournament put Niwot in the winner’s bracket, where the Cougars finished sixth.

Ward is anxious to see what the Cougars can do in the state playoffs. “I wouldn’t want to play us,” she said. “You can’t find just one person to stop. They can’t scout us. I don’t even know what we’re going to do each possession. We kind of let them go on offense, which is a hard thing for me. I take control on the defensive side.”

“Our press has set the tone; it pushes the tempo and makes them play faster than they want to play,” she said. “The last 10 games we really picked up steam. We had a great end run. We’re having fun, I know that.”

GIRLS SWIMMING

Coach Sarah Heller was pleased with her team’s performance this year. “It was a fun and successful season,” Heller said. The Cougars took 11th place at state in Class 4A, which was the best in the area. Laura Farrar had the best individual finish, taking sixth in the Breaststroke. Kaley Wheless took 13th in the 50 Freestyle and 14th in the 100 Butterfly, while Ariel Mosier took 15th in Diving.

Niwot’s 200 Freestyle Relay also took third place, while the 200 Medley Relay finished eighth. Wheless, Farrar, Alexa Sander and Zoie Jordan swam the freestyle relay, while the medley relay consisted of Sander (Backstroke), Farrar (Breaststroke), Wheless (Butterfly) and Jordan (Freestyle) as well.

Other state qualifiers included Jordan in the 50 Freestyle (22nd), Sander in the 50 Freestyle (26th), Wheless in the 50 Freestyle (40th), Sander in the 100 Freestyle (28th), and Farrar in the 200 Freestyle (19th). “Mariah Lopez, a freshman, was an alternate for us at state,” Heller said. “Lily Yie also qualified for state in the 200 Individual Medley and the Breaststoke, but she’s captain of the Niwot Forensics Team and was in California for a meet. She had to decide back in September if she would go because they were on the same weekend.” Niwot’s 400 Freestyle Relay also qualified for state, and finished 23rd. Jamie Saunders filled in for Yie on the 400 Freestyle Relay at state, which also included Melissa McCaddon, Jordan and Kylie Fischer.

“Mariah, Kylie and Zoie are all freshmen, so I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do in their careers,” Heller said.

Prior to the state meet, the Cougars swam well at the Boulder County meet, which included both 4A and 5A teams. Each team was allowed to have three “teams.” “Fairview has over 100 swimmers,” Heller noted. “The top 24 swimmers swam the finals.” Niwot finished second among 4A schools. Farrar, Wheless, Sander, Yie and Jordan all placed in the top 16 in individual events, with Wheless posting the top finish with a fourth place in the Butterfly. Other swimmers who swam in the finals included Sara Krafft, Alex Martin and Lopez.

Diver Ariel Mosier also took fourth place, followed by Patty Anderson (13th) and Ellie Daw (14th). “The divers had to do 11 dives rather than the usual six,” Heller said. “Their diving coach pushed them to do 11 and they did really well out of some 25 divers in the meet.”

Niwot took third in the Northern Conference meet behind state champion Thompson Valley and Broomfield. “We lost a dual meet to Thompson Valley,” Heller said. “A lot of girls swam ‘off’ events just to have some fun. The Thompson Valley coach came up later and almost apologized saying, ‘We put our biggest guns in the races because I known you guys are good.’”

“We had amazing swims across the board at the conference,” Heller said. “There were lots of personal bests that day.” Farrar was the top finisher, taking first in the Breaststroke with her best time of the season. “She was our only conference champ,” Heller said. “Kylie Fischer took sixth in the 50 Freestyle, which is very impressive for a freshman.”

Niwot High Spring Sports Previews
Written By Bruce Warren

BASEBALL

Although 2010 will be Coach Craig McBride’s first season as head coach, it marks his 10th year with the program. McBride has served as a varsity assistant coach for several years, primarily as the hitting coach. He owns Radiant Lighting Services, Inc., a full-service electrical and lighting contracting company in Westminster. McBride replaces Jason Lathrop, who stepped down due to the time demands of his teaching duties and his growing family. Lathrop continues to teach English and PE at Niwot. His predecessor, longtime NHS coach Bob Bote, also continues to teach PE at Niwot High. Bote has moved to the Westminster area where his sons attend Faith Christian High School.

McBride has several returning players from last season’s state playoff team. Although Cody Lahman (Mesa State) and Zach LaBorde (Puget Sound) have moved on to the college ranks from last season’s team, the Cougars have a strong nucleus of returning players, led by Long Beach State signee Ryan Strufing. Strufing is one of the top lefthanded pitchers in the state, and will play outfield when he’s not on the mound.

Catching duties will be shared by seniors Matt Perry and Brady Oleszczuk. Both are expected to pitch for the Cougars as well, and may see action in the infield. Senior Veric Nichols returns at first base, and senior Kelton Manzanares is expected to play second base. Manzanares recently signed to play football next fall for Colorado School of Mines.

Junior Connor Messinger returns at shortstop, with junior Dylan Kaczues competing for playing time at third base. Messinger will also pitch for Niwot. Senior Sam Distefano provides depth in the infield.

Senior Ben Raynor will return to anchor the outfield, with juniors Andy Wegleitner, Ben Walters and Chris Gang also in the mix. Several underclassmen are pushing for varsity playing time based on their winter showings on the mound and at the plate.

NHS alum Mike Moat will serve as pitching coach for the Cougars after ending his professional career in the White Sox organization two years ago. Moat pitched Niwot to three consecutive state 4A titles in 1998, 1999 and 2000 during his prep career. Mike Olsen, another Niwot alum who played professionally in Independent League baseball after a stellar collegiate career at Puget Sound, will work with the varsity hitters. Will Kauanui will join the program as a varsity assistant after coaching Niwot’s Legion A team last summer. Clark Burton, a teacher at Niwot High, returns as the JV coach and will be assisted by Josh Mercier. George Sypher will serve as assistant pitching coach again this season. NHS grad Dillon Boveri, who served as an assistant coach last season, will be the head coach for the C team. Boveri has served as a substitute teacher throughout the St. Vrain Valley School District this year. Biff Warren returns as an assistant coach for the C team.

GIRLS TENNIS

Coach Miikka Keronen returns for his seventh season coaching Niwot Girls Tennis, and it may be his most challenging experience yet. Keronen, who is also the Tennis Director at The Ranch Country Club, has enlisted veteran tennis coach Bob Bateman to assist him due to increasing time demands at The Ranch. Bateman was one of the top singles players for the University of Colorado in the 1980’s and also coached at CU. He has also served as a teaching pro at the Harvest House in Boulder and at the Boulder Country Club. Keronen called Bateman, a longtime friend, when he knew he needed help at Niwot. Nora Harrison returns to coach the Niwot JV team.

The Cougars have several players returning from last season, but had heavy losses due to graduation, including top singles players Amanda Lee and Molly Joyce. Joyce won the state 4A No. 2 singles championship last spring.

“Carolyn Runge, Morgan Mulshine, Diana Kim, Hyun-Ah Moon and Allie Brooks are returning state qualifiers,” Keronen said. “They will all play a significantly higher spot than last year, but we don’t know where they will end up yet.”

Runge is the only senior among the group. Mulshine, Kim and Brooks are juniors, while Moon is a sophomore. Runge played No. 3 singles last season and the others played doubles.

“This is the most inexperienced team at Niwot since I’ve been here,” Keronen said. “But I’m really looking forward to it. It’s going to be fun to rebuild the program.”

The Cougars have already suffered some losses before the season began. “We are usually so lucky with injuries,” Keronen said. “This is the first time we’ve had bad luck.” Keronen noted that a promising freshman with considerable experience playing tournaments has reportedly fractured her back. Niwot also lost doubles player Whitney Vaswig, who graduated a year early, and Taylor Davis, an outstanding tennis player who enrolled at Niwot last fall but moved to the Caribbean second semester with her family.

GIRLS GOLF

Susan Jennings, who put Skyline Girls Golf on the map with five state titles in 11 years including the 2009 title, enters her last season at the helm this spring. Jennings will become an assistant coach at Colorado State University next fall, returning to her alma mater. “It will be a new challenge,” Jennings said, “but it will be really hard to leave the girls here.”

The Skyline program serves as the girls golf team for the entire St. Vrain Valley School District.

Jennings has sent several players on to college careers, including Rachel Larson and Kelly Jacques, who won state titles in high school.

This season should be another stellar squad for Skyline. Niwot High School junior Gina Larson leads a talented group of returning golfers, which also includes Callie Hodgkinson, a Skyline HS senior, and Mikayla Tatman, a Silver Creek HS junior. Amy Hodgkinson, who was part of last season’s squad, is playing golf at Florida Southern this year. At state, Amy Hodgkinson took third overall last year, with Larson in sixth, Tatman at 26th and Callie Hodgkinson at 30th.

Jennings is looking for senior Kayleigh Greer of Frederick and sophomore Danielle Mercure of Erie to compete for a spot on the varsity. Other Niwot High golfers include seniors Hannah Maurer and Tara Sugadhan and sophomore Meg Thornbury.

Jennings will be assisted by Valerie Brown, now in her third year. Brown taught at Niwot High last year, but moved to the new high school at Mead last fall.

GIRLS SOCCER

Jeremy Drake takes over the reigns of the Niwot Girls program this spring, replacing Heather Solar. Drake, who teaches at Niwot, was the head coach of the Niwot Boys Soccer team and an assistant coach for the girls program before moving to New York for a year. He served as an assistant coach last fall for the boys’ state championship team.

The Cougars lost in the state quarterfinals last year, and several strong players from that team have graduated, including Lauren Shaner who has gone on to play in college.

“We have a bunch of girls returning,” Drake said. “I had several of them on JV two years ago.” Senior goalkeeper Lexi Zumwalt, an Erie High School student, returns as goalkeeper. “It’s really good to have her back. And junior Katie Miller was pretty successful last year.” Miller is a forward-midfielder.

Other returning players include junior forward Gwen Rudy, senior midfielder Carly Kempf, senior midfielder Ashely Philipp, junior Maggie Fitzgibbons and junior midfielder Katy Hedlund. “Megan Rudy was in Bulgaria with her parents last year and didn’t play soccer,” Drake said. Megan Rudy, a senior, is the older sister of Gwen Rudy. The girls are living with grandparents here this year.

Brett Butrick will coach the JV squad this spring. Katie Sweeney will also help the team with the psychological aspects of competing. “We have 61 girls out, so we’ll have a C Team,” Drake said, noting that NHS alum Megan Zwart will coach the team.

BOYS SWIMMING

Debbie Stewart returns as head coach of the Silver Creek Boys Swim Team, but this year it will be without her long-time co-head coach, Stephen Beam. Beam stepped down due to a job promotion at Leanin’ Tree Publishing, but he won’t soon be forgotten. Beam is noted for his enthusiasm and ability to inspire his athletes. “My daughter taped his pump-up speech on the bus in 2008,” Stewart said. “We played it last year for the team. He has a gift when it comes to being able to inspire kids.”

J.D. White, who was a strong swimmer for Longmont High School in his prep days, will serve as assistant coach this spring for the Silver Creek squad, which combines the boys swimmers from Niwot High and Silver Creek. White swam for Southern Methodist University before returning to the area, where he also coaches club swimming at Rally Sport in Boulder. White is in real estate when he’s not coaching.

Stewart welcomes back several strong swimmers, led by Niwot senior Eric Fischer. Fischer swam in several events at state last year. “He swims the 200 and 500 Freestyle, but the backstroke is a really strong event for him,” Stewart said. Niwot junior Alex Bisping is also a returning state qualifier in the Breaststroke and Butterfly. Senior Justin Kulikauskas of Silver Creek swims the 100 and 200 Freestyle. “He’s getting a lot stronger,” Stewart said.

“A lot of them have gone to year-round swimming,” Stewart said. Junior Christopher “Topher” Apple of Erie High School began swimming year-round at Rally Sport. Apple swims middle distance Freestyle and Breaststroke. “He’ll be a state qualifier early on,” Stewart said, “based on his times at Rally Sport.”

Niwot High sophomore Drew Weibel is expected to swim the 100 Butterfly and 100 Freestyle. “We have some strong freshmen coming in,” Stewart said. Freshman Jason Pillard of Niwot, who played on the state 4A championship soccer team last fall, is one of them. Pillard is playing club soccer this spring, so he will divide his time between the sports. “He was a pretty strong swimmer from summer swim league,” Stewart noted.

“Kris and Peter Ziel also went to year-round swimming and are getting a lot stronger,” Stewart said. The brothers attend Niwot High, where Kris is a junior and Peter is a sophomore.

“We have two divers returning,” Stewart said. C.T. Robinson of Silver Creek was a state qualifier last year, and just finished the wrestling season. Gunnar Hansen of Silver Creek also returns as a diver. Both are juniors.

TRACK

Niwot coach Scott Player has a strong contingent of girls returning this season, led by senior Emily Boldt, who earned medals at the state 4A meet last year in three relays, the 4X100M, 4X200M and 4X400M relays. She also helped the Sprint Medley relay qualify by running the prelims, knowing that she couldn’t run in the finals due to a conflict with her other events. Boldt will also run the open 200M, 400M and 800M this spring.

Miranda Lahman also medaled in three relays last year at state, running the 4X200M, 4X400M and 4X800M. She also finished 12th in the 300 Hurdles at state last year. “She can pretty much do everything,” Player said. She’s focused on the 800M this year.”

Sydney Coffey earned medals in the 4X100M, 4X200M and 4X400M relays last year. She also qualified for state in the high jump, with a top leap of 5’1”. “She’s not as tall as her brother Tyler, but she’s just very springy,” Player said. She will focus on the 200M and 400M as well as the High Jump this season.

Sara Malang earned medals in the 4X400M and 4X800M relays last year. She will focus on the Mile this year. Danielle Metzner finished fifth in the Pole Vault last year at state, setting a new school record. Sam Catterson has been working with the pole vaulters for the past several seasons, resulting in a strong group of vaulters.

Boldt, Lahman, Coffey, Malang and Metzner, all seniors, will serve as co-captains this spring.

Junior Lauren DeGroot also earned a medal last year at state in the 4X800 relay. She will concentrate on the 800M and 1600M this season. Casey McPherson, another junior, also medaled at state last year in the Sprint Medley relay. She will run the 100M and 200M in addition to the spring relays.

On the Boys side, it will be more of a challenging season due to heavy graduation losses after an 11th place finish at state last year. Senior captain David Perry returns after winning medals in the 1600M and 3200M at state. Perry also finished second in the state 4A Cross Country Meet last fall.

Junior Ryan Schuler is the only other returning medalist, finishing seventh in the state Long Jump last year. Chris Hickey, who earned a medal in the 4X400 relay last spring, graduated early and will not be competing this spring.

Others who are expected to score for the Cougars this spring include senior captain Brandon Vue, who runs the 100M as well as the 4X200M and the 4X400M relays. Vue also competes in the pole vault. Senior captain Victor Nguyen will run the High Hurdles as well as the 4X200M and 4X400M relays.

Junior Erik Bengston will compete in the sprint relays, while sophomore Dillon Manzanares will run the 100M and 200M as well as the 4X100M and 4X200M relays. Manzanares also competes in the Pole Vault, the Long Jump and the Triple Jump. “He’s willing to do anything you ask him to do,” Player said.

“We’re pretty young on the guys’ side,” Player said. “We’ve had 20 kids working pretty consistently this winter.”

Steve Burns returns to coach the sprinters. Catterson will also work with the sprinters and high jumpers, as well as the vaulters. Bobby Manning will work with the distance runners, while NHS grad Tasia Schlagel will work with the sprinters and hurdlers. “It’s nice to have that connection to the past,” Player said. Schlagel now teaches at Niwot, which gives Player a coach inside the building as well.