Tom Watson Park
The Stealth Playground

By Ron Goodman  

          A plain vanilla park has been turned into a space-age fun facility for children aged two to twelve. Named after IBM’s founder, Tom Watson Park at 6180 N. 63rd Street in northeast Boulder, on the west side of IBM, has been there for many years. Originally owned by IBM, the park was deeded to the city of Boulder a few years ago. The Boulder Parks and Recreation Department quietly installed the new playground, a terrific play facility, this spring.


The new play area is 8,000 square feet and has age-appropriate equipment named after different stars in the solar system. It has separate areas for children aged two to five and those six to twelve.

The playground renovation is part of the city’s plan to bring older playgrounds up to date with current national safety standards and accessibility requirements.

According to Lisa Bondi from the Boulder Parks and Recreation Department, the staff has completed the initial neighborhood meetings and conceptual playground plan. Play Environments, LLC, in Longmont completed the detailed design and construction documents.

In addition to new play equipment, drought-tolerant trees, including Western Hackberry, Legend American Linden and Shadblow Serviceberry, were planted to provide more shade. Grass sod and wood chip mulch were added to complete the renovation.

The park also has softball fields, tennis, volleyball, basketball courts, a practice tennis/handball wall and walking paths. Restrooms, showers and a shaded shelter are also available. The park is across the street from Coot Lake, which offers nature trails for walking and a spectacular vista of the Flatirons.

For more information, call the city of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department at 303-413-7200.

Gunbarrel Import Motors
Specializes in Service

By Hsun Chen 

Jon Jelosek, owner of Gunbarrel Import Motors, is always at work, even on Saturdays.

“I’ve been in the business all my life,” he said. “I’ve done it all – washed cars, worked in parts and service departments, and managed large dealerships.” Jelosek’s father owned a VW and Honda car dealership in Oklahoma, where he went to work for 11 years after graduating from CU.

Jelosek bought Gunbarrel Import Motors from previous owner Karl Conrad shortly after moving back to Colorado in 1996. It has been a German-car specialist for almost 20 years and retains its name from the previous location near the King Soopers in Gunbarrel. Jelosek said that the current location at 282 Second Ave. used to be a body shop called “Tin Lizzy’s.”

The small size of the operation allows Gunbarrel Import to provide more personal service than the competition. As an example, Jelosek said his staff will help customers on the spot with a problem if it’s possible, rather than just scheduling an appointment for service. Even making “housecalls” or sending techs out for emergency roadside assistance is not uncommon.

“My intention is to have customers for life – and to take care of your car as long as you own it,” he said.

Jelosek is also proud that his facility offers customers large dealership courtesies – like free loaner cars, courtesy shuttles, factory warranties, and specialty services like detailing and interior refinishing – while maintaining a comfortable, small-town feel.

“We’re one of the biggest independent dealerships in Boulder County - nobody services more Mercedes Benz automobiles than we do,” Jelosek said.

“Being in Niwot has one dis-advantage – we have much lower drive-by traffic than the dealerships that are in town,” he said.

But people like the ambience and the quiet backdrop that downtown Niwot offers. While Gunbarrel Import Motors advertises in the phone book as well as local papers, the business thrives on repeat customers and referrals. Regular customers from distant areas like Denver, Vail and even Wyoming have found the trip worthwhile.

Gunbarrel Import maintains an inventory of about 25 late-model German vehicles, all of which are meticulously inspected and serviced before being offered for sale. As a certified CARFAX dealer, the complete history of each vehicle is available for the buyer. Nearly all of the vehicles sold come with the balance of the factory warranty, or a two month/2,000 mile warranty.

And if the particular European model or color of vehicle that you want isn’t available, Jelosek will find it for you.

It may be the service side of the business that is truly impressive, though.

Gunbarrel Import Motors is home to dedicated career service technicians. Two of the techs have been with Gunbarrel Import for 13 years; two others have been with the company for over seven years.

Jelosek employs five technicians – each with about 35 years of experience with German cars. This level of knowledge gives his service department the expertise to work on any German auto, whether it’s carbureted or computer controlled.

The shop is equipped with hydraulic vehicle lifts and an in-house alignment rack, tire servicing room and air-conditioning and antifreeze recycling machines. There’s even a dynamometer, a sophisticated machine for tuning and evaluating vehicle performance under load built into the floor.

Gunbarrel Import’s mechanics have the advantage of the latest technical information direct from Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche, as well as online service bulletins and CD-ROM manuals.

All of the customers’ service records are on a computerized database and in paper files – no need to have a glovebox stuffed full with receipts and records.

Lastly, Jelosek’s technicians employ custom-made tools from Assenmacher Specialty Tools, a local Gunbarrel business that supplies proprietary electronic and mechanical automotive service instruments.

“Our reputation is word of mouth – we’ve worked hard to achieve customer satisfaction,” Jelosek said. He pointed out that Gunbarrel Imports has a perfect record with the Better Business Bureau, something that is both unusual and hard to achieve.

Is there any time for fun with all the serious business of providing unparalleled service?

“It’s fun and enjoyable for me because it’s enjoyable for the customer. We provide something that they’ve always wanted or needed,” Jelosek said.

Plus, he loves the cars themselves. He recalls many beautiful, low-mileage cars he has sold that were nearly 20 years old but in pristine condition, even retaining that distinct new-car smell. “In my opinion, German cars have a wonderful appearance – they’re designed and engineered to have good handling and safety, and they’re long-life cars too,” Jelosek said. But most important? “They’re fun to drive!”

It's A Laughing Matter

By Mary Wolbach Lopert 

I don’t exactly suffer from WWMD – that’s What Would Martha Do? This syndrome comes from over-exposure to the late 20th and early 21st century fascination with the maven of good taste and effortless entertaining, Martha Stewart. No, this isn’t another exposé on her most recent legal perils; but it is about what happens to us regular folks who don’t have a staff of 27 to dig the holes for the simple clam bake, trench the yard for the tulip planting and be there with first aid for any glue gun accident.

Martha is just one symbol of an entire industry which spends millions of dollars so you can, in turn, spend billions of dollars trying to make yourself, your home, husband, children and yes, even your pet look exactly like they do in the high-gloss magazines.

I vividly remember being an awkward teen, eagerly scanning the pages of “Seventeen” and “Mademoiselle” for ideas that would hide my hips, make-up to conceal my zits and hair goo that would unkink the frizz that passed for my hair. Needless to say, the only things that worked were dieting, outgrowing the adolescent hormonal stage and having fashion change so that frizzy hair was in.

Eventually, I realized that these magazines weren’t to be taken seriously, at least for my lifestyle, and I quit buying them. Oh sure, every once in a while insanity would strike and I would attempt an “improvement” project. I still have the kitchen stools and chest of drawers from the unfinished furniture craze in various states of being finished. With all the sanding, varnishing, painting, stripping and repainting, my “finished” product never looked anything like the shiny photo of the beautiful furniture with the smiling model who only had a dab of paint on her nose. Believe me, I had more than a dab of paint on my person.

But, back to that pet thing. I had kept my magazine reading to ancient copies in doctors’ offices. It was there that I saw it. These sadistic people weren’t just happy with new and improved ways to make you feel insecure about your house and family; they were now on to the family dog.

“Is your dog bored?” read the headline. The subheading went even further, “We have just the fence for you.” There, in a full color photo, was a white stucco fence with squares cut out every few feet at various heights. What was sticking out through these tile frames square holes? Three smiling dog heads, a shepherd, a terrier and a mutt.

“Give your pooch his own window on the world and Bowzer will never be bored again,” the caption read.

My question is, did any of these people who thought up this idea actually own a dog, know anyone who owns a dog or ever meet a dog? If they had, they would know that dogs will bark, chase and bite at anything that moves. I know this because I actually own a dog and have many years’ experience of doggie shenanigans and subsequent apologies under my belt.

It didn’t take long for our dog Boomer to realize that the best outside viewing was from the sliding glass door in the kitchen. From there he is master of his domain. Most of the time his kingdom is intact and he snoozes with his head pillowed on the window.

But if there is ever a hint of trouble in the back 40, as symbolized by any movement, be it human, animal or blowing leaf, he is ready to defend his turf by jumping to the full-alert position. Then, in best cartoon fashion, he spins around three revolutions before getting enough traction to speed down the hall and the stairs and out the doggie door to defend what is his.

As for the forward trench, otherwise known as the front yard, he will chase the mail truck the complete length of the house only to snort with approval, telling us the danger has passed.

And if there were any further question about a doggie peek-a-boo fence, these designers should ask any of the delivery people or meter readers who brave the daily barking, growling and snarls emanating from our property. While the man who reads the gas meter has a small pair of binoculars and can stand, safely, just outside of reach, we are only just now making up with the lawn maintenance man who didn’t notify us he was coming. My husband found him perched on some railroad ties, using the spreader as a deflector to keep the snarls at bay.

I suppose the doggie see-through fence might be a good idea if you actually had a well-trained dog, who listened to such commands as “Come,” “Stop it,” or “No, no, bad dog,” but chances are if you are like me, the words most frequently out of your mouth are, “He really is friendly,” or “I’m sorry. I’ll be glad to pay for that.”

As for WWMD Syndrome, my best advice is to shop for unfinished furniture if you must, but don’t ask me what to do for glue gun accidents.