New Farms Sprout Near Niwot Ball Fields

Liz Emmett-Mattox
LizEM@lhvc.com

If you’re out near the Niwot Youth Sports ball fields off of Monarch Road this spring and you see a tractor roll by, don’t be alarmed. That’s just Buttercup. Give a wave and chances are that Eric Skokan, owner and chef of the Black Cat Restaurant in Boulder will return the favor.

While it may seem strange to think of a chef driving a tractor, Skokan said he’s been joking with his customers for years that he opened a restaurant so he’d have an excuse to have a farm, and he always wanted a farm so he’d have an excuse to drive a tractor.

Skokan and Buttercup are part of a cooperative effort between Boulder County and independent farmers to increase the amount of food that is grown and consumed in Boulder County.

According to Agricultural Resources Supervisor Rob Alexander, the Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee developed this program in response to a confluence of interests. On one hand, there are a number of experienced farmers in the area who would like to have small-scale farms but can’t afford to buy land in the county.

On the other hand, the county’s open space planning has preserved many acres of agriculturally viable land to protect it from development. This program brings these interests together with the result that more people will have access to food that is grown in Boulder County.

The properties must meet certain criteria, namely access to electricity and water, and a suitable soil quality. In this case, the property had water rights, but the existing ditch was not adequate. As part of the agreement between the county and Skokan and his associates, the county lined the ditch that provides water to the property.

Adrian Card, an extension agent of Agricultural and Natural Resources with the Colorado State University Extension Service, said that while this program is a great opportunity for local growers to enter the marketplace, it’s not for everyone. For that reason, there is a screening process for the county program. “We want to award these parcels to the people who are most capable; we’re screening for folks who can succeed,” Card explained.

“People need to understand that there’s a big shift from thinking like a gardener to thinking like a farmer. Local food is hot and lots of people are jumping in. We want to make sure that people don’t leap before they look,” Card said.

To that end, he runs a program for aspiring farmers through the extension service which is designed to help prospective farmers develop business plans and increase their odds of success in the marketplace.

The parcel in Niwot will be home to three different enterprises in the first year. In addition to the 10 acres that will eventually be farmed by Black Cat Farms, the parcel will be home to bee hives kept by Sue Kidder, a teacher at Gold Hill, and a one acre plot farmed by Dov Hirsch, host of the radio show, “Crop to Cuisine.”

Hirsch’s radio show covers Colorado sustainable food and agriculture and is now heard on five stations, including KGNU. Hirsch said he’s not interested in being a full-time farmer, though he loves doing it. He’s most interested in sharing the experience of the farmers he interviews on his show.

“I want to walk the walk, to have the direct experience of being a farmer in order to find the best ways of supporting local farmers,” Hirsh said. He plans to plant about a half-acre of mixed vegetables this year, and has plans for a berry patch with blackberries and raspberries next year.

Skokan’s dream is to have a restaurant where everything is local. He described a conversation he had with a chef in France about the differences between their experiences.

Unlike Skokan, his friend couldn’t just sit down and order “anything from anywhere,” Skokan said. “When she orders, she’s ordering from her neighbors. That comes with certain constraints: she’s constrained by the seasons, by what’s available when. But what you gain is quality, as well as a sense of place. The menu is a narrative of the community, the seasons, her neighbors. There’s something captivating and magical about that. That’s what this farm and the Black Cat Restaurant are all about. I want the diner to read the menu and get a sense of what’s happening in their own hometown.”

Skokan plans to start with three acres to supply produce for the Black Cat Restaurant and a stand at the Boulder Farmer’s Market. In addition to this plot, he recruited a group of master gardeners to tend a plot that will provide food for Community Food Share, and another plot which will house a trial of heirloom tomatoes.

“We’ll have an expert tomato grower grow 50-60 different varieties and have them blogging about the results,” Skokan said. One more plot will be a demonstration garden of native foods and medicinal plants that were grown in pre-colonial times.

Hirsch emphasized that the farmers on this plot want to understand the needs of their immediate neighbors and to be a resource for the Niwot community. “If people have concerns or issues, we want people to feel like they can talk to us.”

For more information about agricultural leases with Boulder County Parks and Open Space, email Rob Alexander at ralexander@bouldercounty.org..

For more information, see Growing Farmers Program, www.coopext.colostate.edu/boulder; Crop to Cuisine, www.croptocuisine.org; and Black Cat Farm, www.blackcatfarm.org..For questions about the farm in Niwot, email ericskokan@aol.com.

Bringing Culture To The Community

By Noelle Abarelli
NoelleA@lhvc.com

Niwot is packed with delightful shops, galleries and award-winning restaurants. For such a small town, the variety of cultural experiences within reach is remarkable. However, with the recent establishment of a new cultural arts organization, there may soon be even more to enjoy.

The Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA), a Colorado non-profit corporation, was formed on Jan. 31, 2009 by directors Bruce Warren, Mike Anfinson and Tim Wise.

It was granted recognition by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization on March 6, 2009.

The NCAA’s goal is to support, encourage and fund cultural arts and all mediums of artistic expression in the Niwot area, including performance art, painting, sculpture, weaving, quilting, music, dance, movement, drama, oral interpretation, storytelling, oral expression, creative writing, local cultural history, Native American cultural history, and western American cultural history.

According to Warren, one of the reasons behind forming the organization was to be able to obtain grant funding. “A change in rules interpretation at the state level made the Niwot Business Association (NBA) no longer eligible to receive funding for music and cultural programs from the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District,” Warren said.

In the past, the Niwot Business Association had received as much as $1,300 annually in SCFD funds to support local cultural events like Rhythm on the Rails through the Longmont Council for the Arts. However, due to the changes in 2008 the SCFD board determined that the NBA, as a business organization, was no longer eligible to receive funding as a sponsored organization through the LCA.

The newly formed NCAA is now able to apply for SCFD funding. It also hopes to receive support from the public for its projects. All funds collected will support the NCAA’s efforts to promote culture and the arts in the Niwot area.

Some activities the NCAA is currently considering are the Niwot Farmer’s Market and Summer Concert Series, a movie night and possibly a fall pow-wow featuring Native America dancers and presentations by historical organizations.

Donations can be made to: Niwot Cultural Arts Association, P.O. Box 610, Niwot, CO 80544. Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. To learn more, contact Bruce Warren at 303-652-2433 or bwarren@niwotlaw.com.

Left Hand Laurel Amie Bervy

Liz Emmett-Mattox
LizEM@lhvc.com

Passionate, committed and great to work with are three of the ways those who worked with Amie Bervy describe her. These days, much of her passion, commitment and hard work are invested in the Niwot Elementary School community where her daughter, Katie, is in first grade and son, Max, is a third grader.

Bervy volunteers in her children’s classrooms three days a week, and has served on the PTAC for two years. This year, she was elected president of the PTAC.

The Bervy family moved to Niwot in 2004 having “bounced back and forth between the mountains and Boulder” ever since Bervy graduated from CU.

Bervy grew up in Lake Tahoe where the mountains were her playground. She came to Colorado to ski on the CU team, and her commitment to both skiing and fitness are still strong.

When she’s not at school volunteering or chaperoning a field trip, she can be found teaching Pilates or Fitlates (a class she created) at Rally Sport. Her family makes the drive to Summit County every weekend from November until April to ski.

For Loretta Sherman, PTAC Treasurer, one of Bervey’s strengths is her ability to “take a broad look at what we can do for the benefit of the students and the school.”

NES Principal Mike Keppler agreed and said that Bervy’s involvement in the PTAC has “brought very good things to our school. In her role as the president of the PTAC, she’s someone that people look to for advice and information. She’s been a good PR person and really supports our focus on differentiation. She’s always talking to people about how we meet the needs of our students”

What really stands out about Bervy is her willingness to do whatever needs doing. Laura McDonald, who has worked with Bervy on the PTAC says that one of the things she most appreciates about her is that, “Amie just stepped up and chaired those committees that didn’t get chairs.”

Keppler echoed the thought, “She’s the person who does everything.”

Bervy’s passion for fitness has made her the ideal organizer for the Niwot Trot, a 5K race sponsored by the PTAC. Said Keppler, “The Niwot Trot is a big event for us. Amie took it on when we couldn’t get enough volunteers involved.”

Said Bervy, “I just love being involved. Our community is so incredible. To be able to make a difference – to touch the lives of the students and the teachers – that’s why I do it. It sounds corny, but it’s true. I feel so lucky and blessed to live in Niwot.”

Graham Fowler Begins New Career

By Liz Emmett-Mattox
LizEM@lhvc.com

After 32 years with the Longmont Police Department, Niwot resident Graham Fowler has another chance to answer the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” For Fowler, the answer was pretty easy: a Park Ranger.

Actually, that’s been the answer in the back of his mind for many years. Fowler, a longtime reader of Enos Mills and John Muir, said, “I guess you might say they would have been my mentors.” The Ranger lifestyle has always appealed to Fowler. Even as an undergraduate, his studies led him in that direction.

Fowler said he knows that he made a difference in people’s lives as a police officer, but notes that “police work is very stressful. Studies have shown that cops lose 15 years off their lives. I’ve always said life is too short. After 30 years I had to ask myself, ‘Do I want to shorten my life, or is it time to do something for me?’”

Once he began to investigate the options, the Fowler family had to discuss whether they would leave the area if he should get a job in Yellowstone, for instance. “No one really wanted to do that, and fortunately this opportunity came along and I just went for it.”

Now he has his dream job. He is one of four Boulder County Park Rangers responsible for enforcing rules and regulations in the county’s vast network of parks and open space.

“It’s sort of the same job, but different,” said Fowler. Instead of Longmont, his beat now covers the whole county, which he describes as “miles and miles and acres and acres of some of the most beautiful land in Boulder County.”

In his first weeks on the job, Fowler has been riding with another ranger, learning about the parks and the different issues that arise at each one. “I’m learning all kinds of things about elk migration routes, eagle nesting areas. One thing that has surprised me is the amount of trash I’ve seen. We’re hiking off trails, steep slopes and I see all kinds of trash, cans and even a shoe.”

After three decades, Fowler says he was really in the comfort zone in his old job. “It was kind of scary to think about going from being top dog with job security and all that to being the low man on the totem pole.”

As for job security, he was reassured when he learned that the department was supported by property taxes rather than sales taxes. And as far as acclimating to his new colleagues, “Everyone’s been just great, so welcoming and helpful. They really are treating me like one of the guys.”

Of course, it helps that he has been part of the community for so long. “At this point, they’re kind of surprised when there’s someone I don’t know.”

One of the biggest differences is that unlike police officers, park rangers are unarmed and have no powers of arrest. Said Fowler, “That’s been one of the biggest adjustments, but truthfully, in 32 years on the force, I never used my weapon. What I’ve found is that if you treat people with dignity and respect, you’ll usually get it back.”

When asked about others’ reactions to his new career, Fowler said, “People tell me I look different, and I feel it. Life has never been better.”

Music And Farmer’s Markets Return

By Shari Phiel
ShariP@lhvc.com

The Niwot Business Association has announced this summer’s events, including the newest event, the Niwot Farmers and Flea Market, which will be held on the second Saturdays of June, July and August in front of the Niwot Market.

NBA promotions chair Robin Abb said the event will have a much different look than previous farmers markets. “We want to create more of a flea market/community garage sale type of event,” she said.

To help organize and manage the monthly events, the NBA has hired Mimi Bell as market manager. Bell will help recruit new vendors, and be on hand each of the market days to get signage out, direct traffic, collect fees and sales tax, and make sure everyone cleans up after themselves.

The group is hoping to attract as many as 50 vendors to each market, and will also include health care practitioners and live music. Vendor fees are $25 for NBA members and non-profit groups and $30 for non-members with fees going towards event costs and entertainment.

Local musicians will be featured each Saturday with renowned banjo player Pete Wernick kicking it off in June and guitarist Randall Dubis playing in July. August’s featured performer has not yet been announced.

Farmers and Flea Market dates are June 13, July 11, and Aug. 8, and market hours are from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. To apply for a vendor space, go to www.niwot.com and look for the Farmer and Flea Market icon, or contact Mimi Bell at 303-652-1343. Health practitioners should contact Felicia Santelli at 303-652-6042.

Rhythm on the Rails

Rhythm on the Rails, the award-winning and highly popular summer concert series and farmer’s market, will be back on Thursday evenings from June 11 through Sept. 10. The event, at Niwot’s Whistle Stop Park, will open at 5 p.m. with numerous vendors, a happy hour beginning at 5:30 p.m. and music starting at 6:45 p.m.

This year’s sponsors include the Niwot Inn at the Platinum Level ($7,500); Living Touch Spa at the Gold Level ($3,500); Gunbarrel Import Motors at the Silver Level ($2,000); along with Niwot Market, Niwot Tavern, the Niwot Branch of First National Bank of Estes Park and Sunrise Medical at the Bronze Level ($1,000). In-kind sponsors include the Left Hand Valley Courier and Bank of the West.

“The music line-up has a lot of popular favorites returning as well as some newcomer bands everyone will enjoy,” said Abb. Although the entire schedule has not yet been finalized, returning musicians include Deja Blu, Lionel Young, Hazel Miller, FACE, The Unknown Americans, The Informants, Rebecca Folsom, and Chris Daniels and the Kings.

New acts include the all girl combo Glass Ceiling, Chase and the Dream, and nationally known blues sensation Zora Young.

Abb said, “For the dress up night...start digging out your padded shoulders, leg warmers, rolled up jackets and ripped sweatshirts as That Eighties Band is coming to Niwot.”

Closing out the season will be two Niwot bands, On Fire and the Randall Dubis Band. Details of other summer events, including the NBA’s Fourth of July celebration and a Lobster Bash, will be announced later.

Meeting Notes

The April NBA meeting held at Sew Fresh Studio included plans for flowers to be displayed on Second Avenue this summer. Streetscape and Design Committee chair Euvaldo Valdez has been working with Diane Strong at Niwot Florist to create attractive, sturdy and drought resistant flower pots along the town’s main road.

Valdez will be working with business owners to make sure the pots are watered and maintained appropriately.

The NBA voted to work with the Courier to create a new Niwot map and events schedule. The Courier will cover the majority of the $6,850 cost through advertising revenue and will distribute the map locally with the June issue. The NBA will contribute $2,500 for an additional 5,000 copies to be distributed to tourists and visitors.

The next NBA meeting will be held May 12 at 6 p.m. at a location yet to be determined.

Diagonal Highway Loses Race For Federal Funds

By Noelle Abarelli
NoelleA@lhvc.com

Despite a valiant effort that went as far as including Dove chocolate squares taped onto fact sheets, a Longmont lobbying effort fell short of securing federal stimulus funds for a new interchange at Colorado highways 119 and 52.

During a Denver Regional Council of Governments meeting held on March 4, Councilwoman Karen Benker distributed the fact sheets – and a letter from Mayor Roger Lange – arguing the case for a new $25 million interchange.

The project would have provided for grade separation between 52 and the Burlington Northern railroad for construction of FasTracks, a completely separated bicycle facility along Hwy. 119, and a bridge for pedestrians crossing the Diagonal.

The DRCOG board considered dozens of applications for about $60 million in federal economic stimulus funds that the agency was authorized to allocate to metro-area transportation projects.

Part of the competition was for grants from a $55.9 million pool of federal “surface transportation program” money that DRCOG could award to help pay for various road and bridge projects and mass-transit improvements.

Longmont endorsed a proposal submitted by the Colorado Department of Transportation: If DRCOG were to commit $12.5 million from the stimulus pool, CDOT would contribute the other half required for the Diagonal Highway interchange. Ultimately, DRCOG decided not to allot funds for this project.

To The Class of 2009:From Crayons To Commencement To Life

By Michelle LaBorde
MichelleL@lhvc.com

When the class of 2009 started school, the communication means of choice was crayons. Today, those students conduct business via email, text messages, Facebook, and Twitter. Times have changed and so has this talented group of athletes, musicians, artists and academic stars.

And they will continue to grow and develop as they leave the cozy nest they all call Niwot and venture out into the world.

Back in the fall of 1996 as wide-eyed little ones, these kids were eager to begin their academic journey. They’ve made their way through a myriad of books, projects, sports events, talent shows, music recitals, tests, papers, and presentations.

They’ve diligently and successfully navigated college entrance exams, filled out their applications, and now proudly will carry with them all they’ve learned and experienced during their years at Niwot Elementary, Sunset Middle School, and Niwot High School.

From sock hops to proms, these students have been friends from that first day of kindergarten. They’ll finish the journey by walking together on May 23, for their commencement ceremony. While many new friends and experiences await them, their childhood friends will remain special, because these friends will always share a unique history.

Congratulations Class of 2009. Your families, your teachers, your community, and the Courier all salute you. Best of luck to you all.

Mrs. Anderson's class

Mrs.More's class

Mrs. Loran's class

Mrs. Schulte's class

Mrs. Chiles class

Farm-Fresh Fare Comes to St. Vrain Cafeterias

By Barbara Hey
BarbaraH@lhvc.com

Starting this summer, students in the St. Vrain Valley School District will have farm-fresh, locally grown produce in their lunches.

The farm-to-school program kicks off June 2, the pilot phase of what Shelly Allen, Director of Nutrition and Warehouse Services for the district, said will be a year-round plan to serve students fresh fruits and vegetables from nearby farms.

The summer feeding program will offer lunch to students up to age 18 at Loma Linda, Northridge and Frederick Elementary schools. Starting in July, the program will also be available to literacy students at Indian Peaks, Spangler, Mountain View and Rocky Mountain elementary schools.

This farm-to-school program has been in planning stages since last fall, but the how-to’s of procuring enough produce for the nearly two-thirds of all district students — 16,000 kids — who buy lunch each day during the school year has been daunting.

“This is a very large project,” Allen said. The issue is not just the bounty needed to meet the demand, but looking at the work involved in getting it to the table. “If I went with 16,000 ears of corn, that would entail also cleaning 16,000 ears of corn – not an easy task,” she said.

Allen said that starting with summer school was a way to ease into the program, and work out the logistics before rolling it out in the fall.

The transformation of school lunches happening in St. Vrain is part of a national initiative to deep-six classic cafeteria fare – high fat, sugary and nutrient-light – and replace it with a meal that better meets the nutrition mandates of the U.S. Department of Agriculture dietary guid

elines.

Allen teamed up with the Longmont Farmer’s Market to find growers willing to participate.

“It took a while to determine what this program will look like, how farms with small to medium output could accommodate the school district,” said Cynthia Torres, manager of the Farmer’s Market. She sent letters to elicit interest, and Tanaka Farms was the first to sign on to supply produce for the summer program.

LiveWell Longmont, a nonprofit dedicated to furthering healthy habits among local residents, has been another supporter of Allen’s efforts.

The mission, both locally and nationwide, is to not just get kids to consume more nutrition-packed seasonal produce, but also to support local farmers. The Farm Bill passed by Congress in 2008 provided funding to help defray the costs of adding fruits and vegetables to school meals, and also removed restrictions that had made it difficult to incorporate locally sourced unprocessed foods into cafeteria menus.

Torres is also working the Boulder Valley School District, which has hired school lunch reform advocate Ann Cooper, aka the Renegade Lunch Lady, to makeover its student menu.

The makeup of the St. Vrain district — about half of students qualify for free or reduced meals — means this program must operate on a tight budget. If the program is a success, Torres said, it could become a model for other schools trying to make the transition to locally grown foods on a limited budget.

“My biggest challenge is how my staff is going to manage this,” Allen said. “We’re looking at foods that, unlike corn or lettuce, won’t take a lot of work to clean and prepare, like broccoli, baby spinach and cherry tomatoes.”

For the school year, that list will include watermelon in August, squash in September/October. “We’re looking at whatever is produced in the Western states, locally grown whenever possible. We’re really excited about working with the community on these initiatives,” Allen said.

More good stuff is on the way.
SVVSD has also gotten a grant from the U.S.D.A. to help provide a fruit or vegetable afternoon snack in elementary schools.

And Lyons Elementary is taking a do-it-yourself approach. Staff, students and their families will be planting a garden, and the foods they harvest will be served in school meals.

“Shelly deserves recognition for this,” Torres said. “She was determined to make it happen.”

Those Three Little Words

By Mary Wolbach Lopert
MaryL@lhvc.com

Ask any ‘tween girl what her three favorite words are, and you’re likely to hear “High School Musical.” (After all, Hannah Montana is only two.)

From the snippets I’ve seen of these movies, there are happy kids singing and dancing their way through the glory years of high school, with all those loveable character types: the perky cheerleader, the nerdy nerds, the cool captain of all the boy sports and of course, the mean girls.

Ask any adult woman what three words she dreads most are and you’ll likely hear “high school reunion.” (Again, mammogram callback is only two.)

And while I was in glee club and played the piano and the guitar, I certainly don’t remember gaily dancing and singing to celebrate my C- in biology or my SAT scores.

If I had performed my way through any of this, I would have been called up before Student Court, been convicted of inappropriate behavior and been forced to copy columns out of the OED (Oxford English Dictionary) in Saturday morning detention.

Boring, but if you were clever, you could find the pages with the history of various “dirty” words. So much for Sex Ed in the late ‘60s.

Needless to say, my high school reunion has been on my mind. I’m not saying what the exact number is, but it’s a middlish number between one and 10 with a zero on the end. After six months of emailing classmates and googling those who’ve dropped off the radar, I’ve come to the conclusion that no one else remembers high school as a tune you can hum.

There seem to be two trains of thought when it comes to reunions. The thought of going and seeing long-forgotten classmates can either leave you giddy with exhilaration or so struck with terror that you are left weak-kneed and vowing not to go.

All of this begs the question, “why bother to go?” The answer is borrowed from the ‘90s. It’s the economy, stupid.

If you go online and see the ad with the girl with the Dorothy Hamill haircut next to the hunky football player type and the words, “Can you believe she married him?” you know that there is a ton of money to be made from finding the lost, whether or not the lost want to be found.

Before I delve into what a woman might contribute to the economy in preparation for a reunion, I did contact several men who were also planning on attending theirs. I’m sure it won’t come as any surprise that their contributions to the economic recovery are minimal.

Besides transportation costs, most said they weren’t planning on buying an entire new wardrobe for a two-day event, but they might consider getting a haircut, provided there are hairs left to cut and perhaps a new pair of socks if the holes above the heels tended to show.

So it is once again left to us, dear ladies, to lead the way into economic recovery by propping up the GNP with a few of the following:

Body Stuff – Minor

Haircut, curl & condition................................................ $150

Japanese Hair straightening........................................... $700

Hair extensions............................................................. $350

Nails - acrylic................................................................. $75

Spray-on tan.................................................................. $37

Gym membership.................................................... .... $500

Waxing (Brazilian)........................................................ $150

Electrology.................................................................... $52

Chocolate massage stress relief.................................... $125

Hot Yoga........................................................ $35 per session

Personal Trainer...................................................... $75 “ “

Pilates ................................................................... $70 “ “

Body Stuff - Major

Lasik.......................................................................... $4000
Botox, Juvaderm, chemical peel.................................. $12000

Liposuction................................................................. $5000

Whitening teeth............................................................ $300

Home gym/pole-dancing pole....................................... $3000

Old Jane Fonda tape........................................................ $2

Dusting off old VCR.......................................................... $0

Misc. Stuff

Smarter-than-you-are cell phone.................................... $299

Upgraded phone package............................................... $99

Dance lessons................................................ $30 per session

7 complete sets of clothes........................................... $1000

3 emergency pairs of Spanx.......................................... $125

10 pairs of shoes.......................................................... $700

New luggage................................................................ $225

Xanax/Paxil.......................................... $127 one-month supply

3 bottles of Merlot.......................................................... $40

Cost of attending reunion...................................... $26,293*

Having the friends to enjoy the Merlot with, gossiping about how everyone looked and how much money they must have spent to get that way – Priceless.

* Prices may vary. Does not include airfare, hotel, transportation, jewelry, increased telecommunication costs or psychiatric and/or marriage counseling.

Out In Leftfield

By Bruce Warren

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

LACROSSE

Emily Martinez (Niwot) began the season on the C team for Warrior Girls Lacrosse, which features high school players from throughout the Boulder Valley and St. Vrain Valley school districts. Martinez scored two goals in each of the first two C team games, and moved up to JV for the balance of the season. Martinez plays the Attack position.

Other local lacrosse players include JV Goalie Cassie Jansen of Fairview, who has a 9-3 record with under 7 goals per game allowed, Lisa Kant of Boulder High, who has 20 ground balls on the season for the varsity, C team goalie Ally Joel of Boulder, who has allowed just under 8 goals per game, Signe Burke of Fairview, who has 14 goals and 14 assists for the JV, Courtney Hibbs of Boulder, who has two goals and two assists for the JV, Sarah Hessler of Niwot, who has four goals and four assists for the C team, and Caroline Joyce of Niwot, who has three ground balls for the C team.

Zach Meske of Niwot High scored one of Alexander Dawson’s two goals in a 15-2 loss to Fort Collins. Meske plays for Dawson since Niwot High does not field a team.

Kayli Weiss, a 7th grade student at Altona Middle School, was named to the 2009 Colorado Select Under-13 Girls Lacrosse Team as goalie.  The Colorado Select U-13 Lacrosse Team will be representing Colorado in June at the U.S. Lacrosse National Youth Festival in Ohio.  Weiss plays goalie for the Boulder Valley Lacrosse girl’s 7th & 8th grade team. Colorado Select lacrosse teams are sponsored by the Colorado Lacrosse Foundation, the official state chapter of U.S. Lacrosse, the national governing body of lacrosse in the United States.

FOOTBALL

Colorado College announced that it is cutting the football, softball and water polo programs in an effort to balance its budget. Although the football program dates back to 1882, the team, which plays in Division III, had only posted one winning season in the past 32 years. Offensive lineman Kevin Paterra (Niwot) played for Colorado College as a freshman last fall.

Thomas Bauer (Niwot) was the leading tackler for the University of Montana during the spring scrimmage with four tackles. Bauer, a senior, is expected to start at linebacker for the Grizzlies.

Aundrea Liddell (Fairview) of Gunbarrel and La’Mar West (Niwot) line up on the offensive and defensive lines, respectively, for the Denver Titans this season. Games for the semi-pro league began the last weekend of April and run until Aug. 1. Liddell is listed at 6’3” and 320 pounds for the Titans, while West checks in at 6’1” and 280 pounds.

SOFTBALL

Ashley Primm (Niwot) has her batting average up close to .300 for Colby Community College (Kan.) Primm, a catcher, had a single to start a two-out game-tying rally for Colby in an 8-6 extra inning win over Barton. Primm was 2-4 for the game, including a double with a run scored and two RBI’s. She also had two hits and two RBI’s in an 8-5 loss to Garden City.

Jennessa Tesone(Niwot) is hitting .346 for Metro State this spring, with 10 homeruns and 38 RBI’s. Tesone has started all 44 games for Metro. Her homerun and RBI totals are fourth best on the team. The Roadrunners are 33-9 and ranked 11th in the nation by the NFCA among Division II schools. Tesone, who plays leftfield, hit her 10th homerun of the season in a 17-0 rout of Chadron State, which was some measure of revenge after she was twice hit by a pitch in the first game of the doubleheader, which Metro also won, 5-1. Tesone had a single in the middle of a 7-run seventh inning when Metro rallied to beat the University of Nebraska at Kearney, 10-9. Earlier, she had three hits in a 7-3 win over the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.

Carly Potock (Alexander Dawson) has her own blog for Lehigh University at https://www.lehighsports.com/info/blog/softball0809.asp. Potock has settled into leftfield this season after playing six positions last year as a freshman.

BASEBALL

Sean Ratliff (Niwot) is hitting .273 after the first 16 games for the Savannah Sand Gnats of the Sally League, the Class A affiliate of the New York Mets. Ratliff, who was drafted in the fourth round last summer after a stellar career at Stanford, is playing the corner outfield positions and batting third or fourth for Savannah. He has scored nine runs with one homerun and eight RBI’s. Savannah is in first place in the Southern Division of the South Atlantic League.

Christopher Harris (Holy Family) of Niwot pitched two innings in relief for Briar Cliff University, allowing only one run, in an 8-3 loss to Doane College. Harris took the loss in a 4-3 decision against Dakota Wesleyan. He pitched the eighth inning, allowing one run on two hits, evening his record at 2-2. Earlier in April, Harris picked up his second win with 2 1/3 innings of shutout relief in a 9-6 win over Doane. He also picked up his first save with two innings of shutout relief in a 9-6 win over Dana College.

Mike Perry (Niwot) is hitting .363 for Friends University this spring. His .637 slugging percentage is second on the team. Perry, a senior catcher, has seven homeruns and 31 RBI’s, third best on the squad. His 27 walks leads the team. Early in April, Perry had three homers in two days against Tabor College, with six RBI’s in two doubleheaders. Perry also had four hits in six at bats in a doubleheader against the University of Science and Arts.

Elliott Haas (Niwot) leads the Hastings College squad in mound appearances with 12. Haas has pitched a total of 16 innings, all in relief, posting an ERA of 6.75. He has 17 strikeouts, averaging better than one per inning.

Third baseman Jamie Hollowell (Niwot) had two RBI’s for Haverford University in an 8-4 win over Gettysburg. He also had a single and two runs scored in the first game of the doubleheader, which Gettysburg won 11-7.

Kyle Spencer (Niwot) pitched one and two-thirds innings for Regis University against Colorado School of Mines, allowing seven runs, only one of which was earned. Spencer has an ERA of 7.63, fourth best on the team, and has appeared in a team-high 18 games, all in relief. He has a 2-1 record and leads the team with four saves, Spencer has posted 21 strikeouts in 30 plus innings. He picked up his fourth save with a scoreless inning to preserve an 8-7 win over Colorado Christian.

Andrew Ryan (Silver Creek) picked up his third win of the season with a strong pitching performance for Colorado School of Mines. Ryan, who is 3-3 on the season, allowed only one earned run in seven and two-thirds innings with four strikeouts in a 9-5 win over the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Ryan leads the team with a 5.98 ERA and has 34 strikeouts in 46 plus innings. Ryan was also named to the 2009 Academic All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference First Team. Last year, he received Second Team honors. To qualify, student-athletes must have a GPA of 3.2 or higher and be a starter or key reserve and have completed at least two semesters.

Nick Saracini (Niwot) is hitting .253 for Occidental College this spring, starting in centerfield in 26 of the 30 games he has played in. Saraceni, who also plays football for Occidental, has scored 20 runs, third-best on the team, and has two homeruns with 17 RBI’s. He is also 9-10 in stolen base attempts. He had a huge day at the plate in a 14-11 loss to the University of LaVerne with three hits in five at bats, including a homerun. Saraceni also scored twice and drove in four runs. He had two hits including a double in a 12-8 loss to Claremont M-S. He has also filled in as a pitcher on occasion.

High schools are taking advantage of a new program for reporting scores, box scores and statistics, known as VarVee.com. With the demise of the Rocky Mountain News, the service is welcome, but there are a few glitches. Some coaches report the entire box score, but others report only their own players. The VarVee program is set up to list all varsity players, by number, beginning with the lowest number. The stats show up the same way, and some newspapers have reported the lineup according to the numbers of the players, not where they bat in the batting order. Although numbers in major league baseball were originally assigned by the hitter’s customary place in the batting order (Babe Ruth was 3, Lou Gehrig was 4), that is no longer the case. The program also lists each position the player plays, but it gives all possible positions for every game, not just the positions played in that game. The stats are then reported to Fox31PrepZone, which appears to be taking the place of RockyPreps.

Niwot High traveled to the Las Vegas area for spring break, and returned with a 2-1 record against solid competition. The Cougars beat Basic High School 14-8 in the first game after giving up five runs in the first inning. Niwot scored in every inning after the first. Matt Perry and Ben Raynor each had homeruns, driving in two runs each. Cody Lahman had three hits, including a double, and three RBI’s. Zach LaBorde, Veric Nichols and Jimmy Reed had two hits each, with Reed scoring three times. Lahman pitched four and two-thirds innings to pick up the win, with Perry allowing one run over the final two and one-third innings to close out the game.

In the second game, Ryan Strufing and Brady Oleszczuk combined on a three-hit shutout over Durango (Nev.) High School, 4-0. Strufing had two hits, including a triple, and scored two runs, while LaBorde had two hits and two RBI’s. In the final game, Niwot lost to Las Vegas High School, 6-5 in eight innings. Niwot led 5-4 entering the seventh inning but gave up the tying run to one of the premier teams in the state. LaBorde pitched four and one-third innings allowing only two earned runs. Parker Jones pitched the final two and one-third innings, giving up only one earned run. Oleszczuk led the offense with three hits, including a triple, and drove in two runs. LaBorde and Jones each added two hits, while Lahman, Nichols and Strufing each had doubles. Sam Distefano, up from the JV squad for the trip, had a hit in his only plate appearance. Las Vagas sophomore catcher Bryce Harper, considered one of the top prep hitters in the nation, had three hits in four trips to the plate, including a triple, scoring one run and driving in another.

Cougar Head Coach Jason Lathrop did not make the trip to Las Vegas after undergoing surgery on his shoulder. Veteran assistant coaches Craig McBride and Mike Owens managed the squad. Owens was recently hired to be the head coach at the new Mead High School next year.

Lahman had a three-hit shutout over Greeley West, winning 3-0. Connor Messinger led the offense with two hits, two RBI’s and a run scored. Oleszczuk picked up the win on the mound in a 14-5 victory over Frederick, while going 3-5 at the plate with two RBI’s. Reed also homered for the Cougars. LaBorde picked up the victory on the mound in a 6-1 win over Roosevelt, allowing three singles in the first inning and nothing else over the next five innings. He also had three hits and drove in a run. Strufing struck out 15 in a complete game 7-3 win over cross-town rival Longmont. Messinger and Lahman homered to lead the offense. Perry had three hits in three at bats.

Niwot was ranked second in Class 4A for much of the season, but a rough week cost the Cougars. After three losses by a total of four runs, Niwot erupted for 12 runs in a 12-2 win over Fossil Ridge. Reed had four hits, including two triples, Jones added a triple and homerun, Lahman had three doubles and Perry added a double to lead the offense. Oleszczuk picked up the win on the mound with six strong innings. Niwot followed with 19 runs in a 19-9 win over Northridge. Reed had another monster game with four hits, five runs and three RBI’s. His hits included two homeruns and a double. Lahman added three hits, including a homerun, and five RBI’s. LaBorde picked up the win on the mound.

The first loss in the streak came against Mountain View, 3-1, as a result of four errors by Niwot in the same inning. Jones drove in Niwot’s only run with a triple. One of the losses came to Broomfield, 3-2, in the bottom of the seventh inning as a result of two errors. LaBorde hit a two-run homer for Niwot, accounting for all of Niwot’s runs. Another loss came to cross-town rival Silver Creek, by the same 3-2 score. Strufing struck out nine in taking the loss. A photo in the Times-Call by Kira Horvath captured some of the frustration felt by Niwot during the losing streak. The photo shows Kelton Manzanares, who had one of Niwot’s four hits, sliding into second base on a force play with his foot on the base, and the ball not quite in the shortstop’s glove. Manzanares was called out on the close play.

A day after scoring 19 runs against Northridge, the Cougars could manage only one hit, by Ben Raynor, falling 8-0 to Skyline, coached by Niwot alum Mike Hoog. Five errors by the Cougars contributed to the loss.

Silver Creek has quietly become one of the top teams in the Northern Conference, winning nine games in a row, including a 3-2 win over Niwot. Scott Hoyt, who beat Niwot on the mound, and led the offense with two hits, two runs and an RBI in a win over Northridge, was considered the ace of the staff, but other pitchers have stepped up during the streak. Kevin Johnson allowed only two runs on four hits in the 7-2 victory. Earlier, Hoyt hit a grand slam homer and was the winning pitcher in Silver Creek’s win over Longmont. Taylor Keith picked up the win in a 3-2 victory over Greeley West. Eric Van Dyke had two hits to lead the offense against Greeley West. Tyler Gibbons has also pitched effectively in the streak.

Mark Bote, a senior who played last year at Erie High School, is playing for Faith Christian in Arvada this year. He and his brother David Bote transferred from Erie High School after their father and former longtime NHS coach Bob Bote resigned his coaching positions there last fall.

Tucker Tharp of Gunbarrel had three hits in four trips for Fairview in an 11-3 win over Loveland. Tharp had a single, double and triple on the day, falling just short of hitting for the cycle.

Niwot area residents Cole Nygren, Matt Hart and David Dolifka each had hits for Alexander Dawson in a 12-4 loss to Dayspring Christian. Nygren, Hart and Niwot resident Joey Lambert pitched effectively in relief, but a six-run deficit in the first inning and errors contributed to the loss.

TRACK

Griffin Matthew (Niwot) took fourth in the 100M at the Drake Relays for Stanford University. Matthew, a junior, ran a time of 11.85 seconds. Matthew also finished second in the Long Jump at the Big Meet with California, posting a 20’2.5” mark, and took second in the 100M with a time of 11.51 seconds.

Todd Griffith (Niwot) finished 10th for Utah State in the 3000M Steeple Chase at the BYU Robinson Invitational. Griffith posted a time of 10:25.38.

Niwot alum (Class of 1981) and former NHS coach Lonnie Jones moved to Skyline a few years ago to be in the same school his children attend. Jones is reaping the rewards in more ways than one as the head track coach at Skyline. His daughter, Mollie Jones, is one of the top long jumpers and triple jumpers in the conference, while his son, Mitch Jones, Mollie’s twin, competes in the same events, finishing third in the long jump and seventh in the triple jump at the 22-team St. Vrain Invitational. Both are multi-sport athletes and have earned college scholarships. Mollie will play volleyball at Chadron State next fall, while Mitch will compete in track for UCCS. Their older sister, Melissa Jones, is a scholarship volleyball player at CSU-Pueblo.

Niwot had several strong performances at the St. Vrain Invitational, which included 22 teams from all classes. Emily Boldt had the best finish on the girls side, taking third in the 200M with a time of 26.35. Teammate Sydney Coffee was right behind in fourth place with a time of 26.70. Coffee also took sixth in the 100M at 13.13, with teammate Catherine Jones right behind in seventh at 13.25. Allison Horsch took eighth in the 200M. Miranda Lahman took sixth in the 800M at 2:23.16, while Megan Lang took seventh in the 1600M at 5:32.05. Lahman also took eighth in the 100 Hurdles. Lauren DeGroot was seventh in the 3200 with a time of 12:32.19. In the field events, Kate Judge took fifth in the Long Jump with a leap of 15’10”, Coffee was fifth in the High Jump with a leap of 4’9”, and Danielle Metzner was fourth in the Pole Vault at 9’6”.

On the boys side, Matthew Nam had the top finish for Niwot with a mark of 5’11” in the High Jump, good for third place. Nam also finished fourth in the pole vault with a 13’0” vault. Peter Neis finished third in the 110M Hurdles at 15.07 and fourth in the 300M Hurdles at 41.30. Daniel Foye took eighth in the 800M at 2:02.68.

Silver Creek’s Kelly King took fifth in the 800M at 2:23.07 in the St. Vrain Invite. Breanna Gunnarson took eighth in the 100M, while Lindsay Banning took eighth in the 400 for the Raptors. On the boys side, Nick Kadlec set a new school record and finished second in the 3200M at 10:05.86. Kenny Warner finished third in the 200M at 22.69, while Evan Hirt was fifth at 22.91. Brett Wright finished fifth in the 400M at 50.75. Shayler Knechtel was fifth in the discus with a mark of 143’1” while Joel Hammond was fifth in the High Jump at 5’11”.

SOCCER

Niwot Goalkeeper Lexi Zumwalt posted a shutout against a strong Fossil Ridge team, 1-0, with six saves. Zumwalt also had the assist on the game’s only goal by Sara Monacelli.

Lauren Shanerand Katie Miller had two goals each for Niwot in a 9-0 win over Berthoud. Others scoring included Kelsey Thompson, Marissa Gradoz, Jelli Schira, Lindsay Ostrom, and Kaitlin Buck. Assists were provided by Ostrom, Thompson, Ashley Philipp, Miller, Schira and Shaner (2).

Gwen Rudy scored three goals in a 7-1 win over Windsor. Shaner had two goals, Ostrom added one, and the last was an “own goal” by Windsor. Assists were provided by Shaner, Buck, Thompson, Philipp and Bridget FitzGibbons.

Niwot suffered its first loss of the season, 1-0, to Broomfield on a cold, wet night. Broomfield scored on a header off a corner kick in the second half, while Niwot could not convert any of its numerous opportunities.

The Cougars picked up a 3-2 win over Skyline in late April, giving Niwot a 10-1-1 record on the year. Niwot jumped out to a 3-0 first half lead before Skyline rallied in the second half. Schira scored for Niwot eight minutes into the game, Rudy scored the second goal off a crossing pass from Thompson, and Thompson finished the Cougar scoring with the third goal 16 minutes into the game. Unfortunately, the Cougars lost Bridget Fitzgibbons for the season with a torn ACL. Her father, Dr. Robert Fitzgibbons, is with Front Range Orthopedics, which provides athletic trainers for all school sports in the St. Vrain Valley School District.

Katie Dulin of Niwot scored two goals for Alexander Dawson in a 7-0 win over Frontier Academy. Alyssa Beck of Niwot added a goal and an assist for Dawson.

Jacy Drobney of Silver Creek scored three of the Raptors’ four goals in a 4-0 win over Berthoud. Drobney and Marion Steinbach each scored a goal in a 2-0 win over Greeley West. CC Rinehart had the only assist, while goalkeeper Lauren Wolfinger posted the shutout with three saves.

GOLF

Skyline won the Greeley Invitational handily, posting a 233 score, 14 stokes better than second place Highlands Ranch. Amy Hodgkinson was third overall at 76, while Mikayla Tatman was fourth with a 77. Gina Larson was sixth with an 80 to complete the scoring. Skyline’s other golfers also played very well, with Callie Hodgkinson taking seventh overall with an 81, and Kayleigh Greer finishing ninth with an 85. Skyline could have dropped its two best scores and still won the tournament. Danielle Mercure (98) and Lexi Lopez (111) also played. Tatman, Callie Hodgkinson, Greer and Mercure posted personal best scores.

Larson, a sophomore at Niwot High, shot a personal best even-par 73 at Eagle Trace Golf Course to finish second overall for Skyline, while Tatman shot a personal best (at the time) 79, good for fourth place. Amy Hodgkinson shot a 76, good for third overall, to complete the scoring.

The Skyline JV squad finished third at City Park in Fort Collins. The Falcons were led by Shelby Johns (LHS) with a 53, followed by Hannah Maurer (Niwot) with a 55, and Britt Pfeifer (Frederick) with a 56. Kellie Butler (Niwot) with a 60 and Haiden DeJane (Skyline) with a 62 also competed for Skyline.

TENNIS

Claire Runge(Niwot) helped the University of Tampa finish the season with a win, posting a hard-fought win at No. 4 singles, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2) 6-3, and following with a 9-8 win at No. 1 doubles with partner Kourtney Spark. Runge also won her No. 5 singles match against 38th-ranked Palm Beach Atlantic, 6-1 ,6-2, in Tampa’s final home match.. It marked the first time Tampa had beaten a ranked opponent this season. Tampa finished the year with a 10-14 mark.

Niwot’s girls ran into a strong Fossil Ridge squad and came out on the short end of a 5-2 score. Amanda Lee at No. 1 singles and Caroline Runge at No. 3 singles were the only bright spots. Lee won handily, 6-2, 6-2, while Runge won 6-4, 6-2. All of the losses came in straight sets.

Lauren Nygren of Niwot won at No. 3 singles for Alexander Dawson against Machefeuf. Nygren shut out her opponent, 6-0, 6-0. She also posted a 6-1, 6-0 win over St. Mary’s in helping Dawson to a 5-2 win.

SWIMMING

Christine Jennings (Niwot) earned Academic All-American honors for the third year in a row at the University of Minnesota. To qualify, an athlete must post a GPA above 3.0 and earn a varsity letter in the second year of competition or later. Jennings is a senior majoring in Marketing, Retail Merchandising and Communication.

Silver Creek, which is a combined team with the Niwot boys, won two dual meets against Longmont and Broomfield at Centennial Pool. Eric Fischer won the 200Y Freestyle and the 100Y Backstroke, while Alex Bisping won the 200Y IM. Drew Weibel took second and Nick Schonka took third in the IM for the Raptors. James August finished second and Justin Kulikauskas took fourth in the 50Y Freestyle. C.T. Robinson won the diving with a state qualifying mark, while Gunnar Hansen came in third. Weibel and August took second and third, respectively, in the 100Y Butterfly. Alex Bisping took second in the 100Y Freestyle and Kulikauskas took fifth. Matt Bisping won the 100Y Breaststroke and finished second in the 500Y Freestyle. Matt Farrar finished fourth and Matt Gross took fifth in the 100Y Backstroke. Topher Apple took fourth in the 100Y Breaststroke.

Silver Creek followed with a strong performance at the Boulder County Invitational, finishing third behind 5A powers Fairview and Boulder. Matt Bisping won the 50Y Freestyle and 100Y Breaststroke, and Eric Fischer won the 500Y Freestyle. Hansen and Robinson finished second and third, respectively, in Diving. Alex Bisping came in fifth in both the 100Y Butterfly and the 100Y Breaststroke.

SPORTS

With the approaching retirement of Niwot High Athletic Director Bruce Benningsdorf, the school announced the hiring of Jim Butterfield to take over next fall. Butterfield is an assistant principal at Fairview High in Boulder, and is currently the Activities Director. Butterfield has coached competitive volleyball in the Boulder area in the past.