Clauson
Receives Vital Kidney Transplant
By Thomas
George
In January,
Allen Clauson’s kidneys were close to failure. By the end of February he was
quickly losing ground. Then in March he received the life-saving kidney transplant
his friends and family had been praying for.
It was
Clauson’s second organ transplant. Having received a heart transplant in 1987,
and he knew that he could die before a matching kidney became available. Still,
he said, “I never had a single doubt.”
He credits
his sense of trust primarily to his Christian faith, but also to his experience
with the organ transplant program at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center.
“They’re one of the premiere (kidney transplant) centers in the world,” he
said.
Though
his su
rgery
is over, and the pace of his recovery has been faster than expected, Clauson,
who lives in Niwot, still makes regular trips to Presbyterian/St. Luke’s.
After-care, he explains, is a bigger part of the process than the transplant
itself. “Maintenance is not to be minimized,” he said. Since many organ recipients
have symptoms of organ rejection, Clauson explained that the after-care program
must “find anything wrong and treat it aggressively before it becomes critical.”
Though
Clauson takes “a proactive approach” to his own care, he shifts the focus
away from himself. “I give all the glory to God,” he said. He is quick to
credit the people at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center for their role
in his recovery. “Their care is nothing but the best. They’ve never let me
down.”
By coincidence,
April was designated National Donate Life Month by President Bush, to emphasize
the need for organ donors. During that month, Colorado tied with Utah for
the highest percentage of registered organ donors in the country, according
to Amy Kusek, of the Colorado Donor Awareness Council. Registration with the
Colorado Donor Registry gives families and doctors assurance that, at the
time of death, a person’s wishes to be an organ donor are honored. Most people
register through the DMV, when obtaining or renewing a driver’s license.
Still,
since there aren’t enough donor organs for those who need them, Kusek hopes
the Council can do even more to educate the public. She said that misperceptions
about age, religion, cost to the donor family, and quality of emergency care
for donors often keep people from registering as organ donors.
The
Donor Awareness Council wants to assure the public that advanced age does
not prevent organ donation, that nearly all major religious groups support
organ donations, that the cost of donation is never borne by the donor family,
and that registered donors receive the same rigorous emergency care as non-donors.
Clauson
is very thankful for the kidney that saved his life, and for the family whose
thoughtfulness, even in their time of grief, gave him more time with his loved
ones. “They (the donor family) have
my gratitude,” he said, “for the decision that they made.”
For more information on organ and tissue donation, visit www.donorawareness.org,
or call 888-388-8605. To register as an organ and tissue donor with the Colorado
Donor Registry, visit www.coloradodonorregistry.org,
or call 888-256-4386.
Photo
by Tom George
Commissioners
Give Gunbarrel/Niwot Trail High Priority
By Thomas
George
At
an April 15 public hearing, the Boulder County Board of Commissioners unanimously
approved a recommendation prioritizing 16 proposed Boulder County trails. The
recommendation, presented by Scott Robson on behalf of the Boulder County
Regional Trails Committee, does not guarantee the building of any given trail,
but determines which trails will be given first attention for further study
and eventual funding. Proposed
trails were listed as first priority, second priority or third priority based
on the transportation value, feasibility and equitability of each. The commissioners
agreed that the third priority trails would be removed from consideration.
On the
list of first priority projects was a trail linking Niwot, Gunbarrel, and
Boulder. The plan would connect and improve existing trails, with emphasis
on missing links between Jay Road and Highway 52. A proposed Highway 52 underpass
at 79th Street, listed separately due to its cost, was also considered first
priority.
The
Coal Creek/Rock Creek Trail between Erie and Superior, another first priority
project, is already largely complete. Two other trails, a Boulder Feeder Canal
Trail and a trail between Erie and Boulder on the Union Pacific rail line,
were listed as first priority projects with a need for further study due to
environmental and land-use considerations.
Second
priority projects include an underpass on the Four Mile Creek Trail, a new
trail along the St. Vrain Greenway, an East Boulder Trail, shoulder and intersection
improvement on the Diagonal Highway and a link between existing trails in
Boulder and Louisville.
A new,
separate trail along the Diagonal Highway between Longmont and Boulder was
listed as a third priority project, and is no longer under consideration.
Instead, the commissioners felt that residents would be better served by extending
the proposed Gunbarrel/Niwot trail as far as Longmont, while improving bicycle
access to the highway itself.
The
trails will be funded by a $4 million tax levy approved by Boulder County
voters in 2001, which will enable a number of trails to be built or improved.
While the Coal Creek/Rock Creek Trail was considered the most cost-effective,
Robson said the Gunbarrel/Niwot trail received “by far the most public support.”
Excitement
about the trail was evident at the April hearing, with a half-dozen Gunbarrel
residents speaking in support of it. “Yes,” said Deborah Blankenship of Gunbarrel,
“I would like this in my backyard.”
The
Boulder County Regional Trails Committee, which put together the recommendation,
was formed after the approval of the levy and includes representatives from
throughout the county. According to Robson, they based their recommendations
largely on public input, holding open houses in Niwot, Boulder, Longmont and
Louisville, and taking hundreds of additional comments into account.
With
priorities established, the county will do more detailed planning of the high-priority
projects, such as the actual trails’ location and the type of surface to be
used. These decisions will be made later, said Robson, and additional public
discussion will be included.
Rising
Gunbarrel Vacancy Rate Felt By Community
By Thomas
George
As businesses
relocate and the regional economy continues to slump, owners of Gunbarrel
commercial buildings are having an increasingly difficult time keeping office
space full. The community, which used to enjoy one of Boulder County’s lowest
rates of commercial vacancy, is now seeing businesses moving out and vacancies
are on the rise. Andrew
Unkefer of Multiprop, Inc., estimates the vacancy rate in Gunbarrel at around
25 percent, up significantly from a 2001 rate of under six percent.
Becky
Gamble of Dean, Callan and Co. agreed with Unkefer’s estimate, but cautioned
that the number may be misleading. “The market of Gunbarrel is so small,”
said Gamble, “that one user will change the number dramatically.”
Still,
the change is significant. Ron Meek, owner of Silver Song Studio, a frame
and print store in Gunbarrel Square, said the increase in vacancy “has made
a real substantial difference. Corporate business is way down.” Meek also
noted that lunch traffic at area restaurants is down significantly.
According
to Gamble, two individual sites have had a major impact on the vacancy rate.
She said that Corporate Place, formerly the home of Head Sports, has around
160,000 square feet of vacant office space. The departure of Intrado on Lookout
Road left another 80,000 square feet available.
Amid
the rising vacancy rates, Unkefer said he sees a bright spot. Small office
spaces are “being gobbled up,” a trend he attributes to self-employed individuals
taking advantage of low lease rates. “People (who are) out on their own are
tired of using their homes as places of business,” he said.
While
Meek feels that the City of Boulder, which includes Gunbarrel’s commercial
area, is “trying not to promote new business,” others say that Gunbarrel is
a good environment for new ventures.
Unkefer
points out Gunbarrel’s ease of access and “great labor pool.” Gamble recommends
the community for its mountain views, sophisticated buildings and proximity
to amenities.
Meanwhile,
owners of commercial real estate are willing to do more to fill their vacancies.
“Landlords are becoming more aggressive,” said Gamble. Building owners are
offering higher commissions and more tenant finish dollars, money that helps
incoming tenants remodel to suit their needs.
While
some, like Meek, feel that the Gunbarrel vacancy rate will remain high until
the City of Boulder becomes more receptive to new business, others say the
area only needs the right business to take an interest. With vacancy rates
up and lease rates down, Unkefer said, “Now is a prime time to relocate to
the Gunbarrel area.”
Remember
The Nice Lady Who Raised You!
Remembering
Mom - Niwot Style
By Sonja
Geoghegan
“A
woman is like a teabag – only in hot water do you realize how strong she is.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
When
we think of our mothers, words such as respect, wisdom, love and tenderness
often come to mind. Mothers do it all with grace, finesse and most of all
love.
There
are several businesswomen in our community whose shops cultivate lovely environments
with unique gifts that nourish and inspire. Many of these women are mothers
who enjoy their lives in the business world as well as on the home front.
Consider shopping locally to buy that special gift for your mother.
Kelly
Anderson’s mother, Gail Anderson, works hard both at home and at her downtown
Niwot store, Seasons at the Christmas Place. The shop offers a Mom’s Wish
Lists to aid clients in gift selections.
Italian
charm bracelets are a popular gift for mom, since the bracelet can be personalized
with charms, birthstones and symbols that celebrate your mother’s uniqueness.
Kelly
said, “On Mother’s Day, my family gathers for a nice meal and then we do whatever
Mom likes. It’s important to take
those special days and to celebrate them together.”
At Botanica,
owner Michele Poole features several Niwot artists whose works will relax
and nourish your mother. The whimsical nature of collectable one-of-a-kind
art glass created by Liz Gold and the framed watercolors of soft flowing images
by Jane Langdon will make a nice addition to any home. 
Maybe
some of you remember the elm tree in downtown Niwot that had to be cut down.
Phil Lackey made unique bowls from the wood. He also makes hand-turned wooden
wine stoppers.
A candle,
made by Tina Hortick from beeswax or soy, and scented with natural essential
oils, is a wonderful gift. So are aromatherapy back and body pillows filled
with fresh lavender from Pool’s own Essence line of bath and body care products.
For
the woman who enjoys a good book, Pam Martin of the Yankee Doodler made a
few recommendations for Mother’s Day including the six books from the “Mitford”
series by Jan Karon. According to Martin, “The Ladder of Years” by Anne Tyler
is “writing from the heart and acceptance of everyone is an important theme.”
If your
Mother enjoys detective novels, Alexander McCall Smith’s books, “The No.1
Ladies Detective Agency” is a life affirming selection.
For
the cooks in our midst, “Colorado Corlore” is the Junior League of Denver’s
new title, and “One Bite Won’t Kill You; 200 recipes for the pickiest kids
on Earth” by Ann Hodgman might be just what your mom needs. FYI - In May, there is a book signing by Niwot
best selling mystery author Julie Kaewert.
Casalta’s
owner, Tisha Wood, spoke of motherhood as having two facets - past and present.
Stories of her grandmother and her own children illustrated just how
much Wood enjoys celebrating her daily life and her family, with all their
differences.
Casalta
is a shop that honors women, with natural products including perfumes, wood
products of equal beauty and function, natural soaps, vibrant linens that
Wood designs, unique handmade jewelry and delicate glassware.
Wood
enjoys putting together gift baskets filled with handmade things from her
shop, with personal attention to detail.
On May
17 and 18, Botanica and Casalta are hosting an artistic and culinary celebration
inspired by the open-air markets of Europe. Essence of Provence runs from
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in downtown Niwot. This might be nice way to celebrate your
Mother, because who made the rule that one day to celebrate is enough!
Photo
by Sonja Geoghegan --- Michele Pooel, Botanica, displays some of her unique
merchandise.
Photo
by Sonja Geoghegan -- Kelly Anderson of Seasons of the Christmas Place wishes
her Mom a wonderful day.
Gunbarrel
Square Businesses Offer Mother’s Day Gift Ideas
By Thomas
George
The Courier is proud to announce a new column, In And Around. Based on the same premise as the Courier’s Out And About, reporter
Tom George will chronicle the comings and going in Gunbarrel. So if you know of an event or a “do,” call
or email the Courier and Tom will cover it.
As always our email is <Lhvcourier@aol.com>
or call us at 303-845-3077.
Getting ready for Mother’s Day, the Left Hand Valley Courier visited
businesses at the Gunbarrel Square Shopping Center, located on Gunpark Drive
at Lookout Road, in search of the perfect gift.
There we found plenty of ways to say “thank you” to the moms who mean
so much.
Gunbarrel
Dairy Queen
According
to Mandy Patron who owns the Dairy Queen with her husband Carl, ice cream
treats will always be a hit for Mother’s Day. Patron said families can “celebrate with a
cool DQ cake.” Included with each ice cream cake is a coupon for a discount
on other Dairy Queen products.
Gunbarrel
Liquor
Gunbarrel
Liquor is getting ready for Mother’s Day by stocking up on their selection
of wines and champagnes. As a gift for mom, Pete Petursson also suggests
mellow liqueurs such as Kahlua and Bailey’s Irish Cream.
Petursson’s
co-worker Molly had similar suggestions. “Wine is a nice gift,” she said, but, for herself,
she hoped for something slightly different, saying she’d like “a big can of
Foster’s Bitter and a little peace and quiet.”
Cutter’s
Edge Hair Salon
Employees
at Cutter’s Edge Hair Salon suggested making Mother’s Day “a day of beauty.”
Offering precise haircuts, highlights, perms, colors and full nail
service, Cutter’s Edge has many ways of lifting a mother’s spirits. The salon’s professionals
pride themselves on their many years of experience. The owner, in fact, is celebrating his 50th
year cutting hair. Colorful paintings
by the owner are also for sale, and gift certificates are available.
Silver
Song Studio
Ron
Meek, owner of Silver Song Studio, said Mother’s Day is a big holiday for
the studio. He said when Mother’s Day comes around, “We always frame a lot
of photos.” The studio creates custom
picture framing, and sells a wide selection of framed prints as well as sterling
silver jewelry. As a bonus for Mother’s Day shoppers, Silver
Song Studio will offer a 25 percent discount on frames and prints, and a 10
percent discount on sterling silver jewelry.
Synergy
Health Club
Synergy
Health Club, a full service fitness center owned locally by Emily Jones Concie,
has plenty to offer a health-conscious mother. “A gym membership would be a good,” said employee
Christine Fuller. Besides that, Fuller
said, “I’d get her a couple of personal training sessions and a massage.”
Jennifer Gaydosh, an independent massage therapist who works with Synergy,
offers massage, Reiki and other spa services, with gift certificates available.
Miss
Catherine’s Creative Learning Center
Kids
looking to impress their moms could learn a lot from the students at Miss
Catherine’s Creative Learning Center. Students will be making all kinds of gifts
to take home, like photo albums, T-shirts, picture frames, and mints.
They
won’t just be honoring mothers, though. On May 9, they’ll be celebrating Parent Appreciation
Day. Mothers, fathers, grandparents
and foster parents will all be invited to breakfast with their young ones.
“We believe in community,” said Catherine Médal, owner and director of Miss
Catherine’s.
Yesterday’s
News
Lucky
Find
By Anne
Dyni
As
children, we often looked for four-leaf clovers when we played outside with
friends. Such discoveries were considered good luck.
And who among us hasn’t bent down to pick up a stray coin on the sidewalk
or a pretty rock along the trail? It’s not that such items bring us riches,
but it’s the sense of discovery that makes us look down occasionally to search
the ground for hidden treasures.
For Robin Grabowski, it was a glint of metal that caught her eye last
summer as she tended her horses north of Lyons.
When she bent down to brush away the dirt, she discovered what appeared
to be a large silver-colored coin, measuring about two inches in diameter. Upon closer examination, she realized that
she had just unearthed an object that had been lost for more than a century.
What she found that day was a medallion awarded by the Boulder County
Agricultural Society for the best draft stallion exhibited in 1872. The stamped logo on the face of the medal
was still pristine despite its age. One
could still make out images of a walking plow and a miner’s pick and shovel
against a backdrop of the Rocky Mountains.
The Agricultural Society, a predecessor to today’s Boulder County Fair,
was established in 1869, and was the first fair to be organized in Colorado
Territory. It lasted only five years
before being replaced by the Industrial Association of Boulder. Each fall, the best crops, livestock and domestic
science projects were exhibited in Boulder at the fairgrounds on Valmont Road
between 28th and 30th Streets. Demonstrations
of metal mining techniques were showcased as well, along with impressive displays
of mineral specimens.
But who had won this medal? Delicate
hand engraving on the reverse side of the medallion was still legible after
more than a century of sand blasting, seasonal flooding of the nearby Little
Thompson River, and the repeated trampling of livestock around the stock tank
where it was found. The inscription
read:
Research indicates that David Johnson Lykins left his home in Indiana
at an early age to seek his fortune. He
was only 21 when he followed the gold rush to California and “struck it rich”
in the gold fields there. After seven
years, he had accumulated over $10,000 and headed back to the Midwest to homestead
a farm near St. Joseph, MO.
Records show that Lykins came to Boulder County in 1859, one year after
gold was discovered in the Gold Hill mining district above Boulder. This time he remained in agriculture and settled
near the mouth of Left Hand Canyon to raise thoroughbred shorthorn cattle.
Today, this area still bears the name Lykins Canyon.
Because he needed more land, Lykins purchased a large ranch along the
Little Thompson River north of Lyons where he built a home, and in 1880 he
took Ann Gilman for his bride. It
was here that he lost the medallion that his young stallion had earned for
him.
Today, this historic artifact survives not only as a symbol of the
first fair in Colorado, but it represents an early pioneer whose name remains
part of Boulder County’s geographic lexicon.
Who knows where this medallion would be today if David Lykins had not
lost it 131 years ago!
Welcome
To AJUUA!!
By Mary
Wolbach Lopert
AJUUA!! (a-huu-a) is an ultimate expression of
cheerful celebration for somebody winning, a friendly encounter or maybe for
“tipsiness” in a big Mexican fiesta.
Never has a name fit a restaurant as well as AJUUA!!, located in Cottonwood
Square Shopping Center, Niwot. From
the welcoming entrance to the brightly colored, hand carved booths, AJUUA’s atmosphere is warm, friendly and fun.
A family owned and operated business, the Niwot AJUUA!! is the third
such restaurant owned by the Garcia family. The original AJUUA!! is in the
Table Mesa Shopping Center on Broadway in Boulder.
There is a second restaurant on East Hampden in Denver.
Steve
Garcia is the manager of the Niwot location. Garcia said the family chose
Niwot to expand because, “We had a lot of clientele from the Erie, Gunbarrel,
Niwot and Longmont area who wanted to have an AJUUA!! closer to them, versus
going into Boulder. We heard about
this opportunity, came out and liked the location.”
As longtime area residents will remember, the restaurant occupies the
same space as the old El Castillo Mexican Restaurant.
In previous polls conducted by the Courier, many readers commented
that the area needed a good, reasonably priced Mexican restaurant.
As to the restaurant’s specialties, Garcia said, “Our mole sauce is
excellent. Our fajitas, carne asada
and
a new item, cocktail camarones (shrimp cocktail) are all wonderful.”
For the uninitiated, mole sauce is a wonderful mixture of chocolate,
peanut butter, chili spices and, yes, Coca Cola.
According to Garcia, it is a very traditional sauce in Mexico.
Another specialty is the slow cooked picadillo or shredded beef. The beef is first cooked for an hour and a
half, then shredded and left to cool
over night. The next day it is cooked with the spices, potatoes, green peppers
and tomato juice.
As for their ranchero beans, Garcia uses the whole pinto bean. “The thing that stands out about them is that
they are cooked without the lard. People
like that,” Garcia stated. “They are
boiled with onions and green peppers, salt and pepper. They are served straight out of the pan.”
For those who want a more authentic dish, the refried beans are made
the traditional way, with lard. Using
pinto beans, the beans are cooked in a large pot with lard at the bottom. After cooking, the beans are mashed and then served hot.
With a full-service bar, AJUUA!!
has a wonderful specialty margarita. “The
AJUUA!! specialty margarita is made with Hornitos tequila, fresh squeezed
lime juice, apple juice, orange juice and a little bit of Triple Sec,” Garcia
continued. “Our sangria is wonderful
too, with gin, Burgundy wine, Triple Sec, sweet and sour and o.j.”
For dessert, Garcia recommends the Tres Leches (Three Milks) cake,
which combines evaporated, condensed and homogenized milks. “It is very sweet
and very big,” Garcia said with a big grin.
Also try the traditional sopapillas, which are served with honey and
caramel.
Lunch specials are served Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Prices range from $5.95 for such items as cheese enchilada and tacos, chili rellenos,
beef burritos, tamales and tacos, and up to $6.95 for two picadillo or chicken
flautas, two sopitos topped with your choice of chicken, picadillo or ground
beef. All lunch specials are served
with rice and your choice of refried or ranchero beans.
There is also a happy hour from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Well drinks are buy one, get one free, margaritas are $14 a pitcher
and there is $2 off happy hour food such as quesadillas, jalapeno poppers,
nachos and combo appetizers.
AJUUA!! fills a long–vacant niche in Niwot.
It is a fun and festive restaurant with good food at great prices and
is a wonderful place for a friendly encounter.
AJUUA!! is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday
and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday 12 noon to 10 p.m. Patio dining
is now available. It is located at 7960 Niwot Rd, Niwot in the Cottonwood
Square Shopping Center, 303-652-3995.
It’s
All In The Family
The Garcia family has a lot of experience running restaurants. According to Steve Garcia, “The way my father started out, he moved
from Mexico when he was 15, him and his brothers, and they got started in
the restaurant business in Los Angeles by bussing and working as dishwashers
and cooks. They were a few blocks from Dodger Stadium.”
Between all of them, the brothers saved up enough money to start a
little restaurant. “When that restaurant did well, each of them
branched off,” Garcia continued.
From there the family moved to Washington State and continued their
success. “My father had restaurants in Seattle, Longview,
Centralia. Eventually it became very
difficult to open up a restaurant without stepping on family members’ toes.
We have a lot of family out there with a lot of restaurants.
After an older brother came to Colorado five years ago, it didn’t take
long for the Garcias to see another opportunity to grow. “We love the mountains
and we love to ski,” Garcia said. “We
started up in Boulder and it has treated us very well.”