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County Presents LOBO Trail Options By Shari Phiel
Despite rain-filled skies and the threat of tornadoes, about two dozen concerned Niwot residents turned out on Aug. 6 for a neighborhood meeting at the Left Hand Grange. Presented by the Niwot Community Association and the Boulder County Department of Transportation, the meeting provided local residents with the opportunity to learn more about the proposed 83rd Street section of the Longmont-Boulder Regional Trail plan. Boulder County staffers had several maps available to view before and after the meeting, and were on-hand to answer questions. The maps covered the two proposed options for the 83rd Street section, along with another map covering the entire trail system. Project coordinator Tim Swope explained the two proposed design options being presented and how each would affect property owners along the 83rd Street trail corridor. Swope also stated that, based on input received from the community, “The final design could be a hybrid of the two.” The first option would entail piping the existing ditch and creating a soft-surface sidewalk using crusher-fine material. The soft-surface sidewalk would be placed over the piped ditch. The 10-foot trail would also be placed within the existing county right-of-way approximately 10 to 15 feet from the 83rd Street roadway. When this option was presented previously, neighbors along the proposed trail expressed concerns with how neighboring trees would be impacted. By piping the ditch, it was thought that many of the remaining trees could be cut off from their water source. If the first option is selected, Swope indicated all of the trees located within the trail path would have to be removed. As for the remaining trees, Swope said, “We had the county arborist look at it. He said that most of the big cottonwoods you guys have are substantial enough and old enough to have roots deep down so that they’re getting water from a lot of other places.” The second option would mean moving the trail further west to lie inside the existing utility easement line. The trail path would still be 10 feet wide and be composed of crusher-fine material. The path would then lie approximately 25 feet from the roadway. The second option would require Boulder County to purchase the easement from the existing property owners, but would eliminate the need to make changes to the ditch. While the majority of properties along the trail path have a fence line at the edge of, or outside of, the utility easement boundary, there are some fence lines inside the boundary that would have to be removed. Once again, trees along the trail would have to be removed, but the second option would likely mean the removal of fewer trees. There likely would be little, if any, impact to the remaining trees as there would be no changes being made to the ditch. As for the next steps, Swope said, “County staff will take the input from the meeting and incorporate it into the trail design.” The decision on how to move forward “will be partially based on the neighborhood meeting, but also on subsequent discussions with the individual property owners along 83rd Street.” Staffers from the Niwot Trail Project will continue to work with the 83rd Street speed mitigation project. Leslie Swirhun, who has been managing the speed mitigation project said, “Wherever the trail ends up being located near Timothy (Place) will affect the layout of what we do for speed mitigation at the intersection.” Swirhun noted that once a final plan has been decided upon, they will be able to begin making improvements without having to wait for trail construction to begin. Once staff members finish gathering input from the meeting and talking to property owners in the 83rd Street area, they will be able to move forward with a trail design. There will be a LOBO open house later in the year. “This design will show the specific trail alignment along with greater detail on the exact trail location, street crossings and amenities such as sidewalk, curb ramps, signage etc.,” Swope said.
Liz Emmett-Mattox
Ask anyone who lives around here what makes Niwot so special and you’ll hear a few answers over and over. People love the old fashioned feel of downtown Second Avenue. They enjoy houses with a bit of space for a yard or garden. Most of all, residents appreciate the buffer of open space separating Niwot from Boulder and Longmont. If you’re among those who enjoy these aspects of Niwot, you might want to say “Thank you,” to Bob Parich. Parich, an architect and owner of Environmental Systems Design, has lived with his family in Niwot since 1976. He came to Niwot from Boulder where he was a professor at CU and living on University Hill. Parich and his wife, Lari, were looking for a better place to raise their family. Back then, Niwot was much more affordable than Boulder, and the rural atmosphere appealed to the Parich family. Parich said, “Lari wanted horses, chickens and all that, and we could do that here. Who knew Niwot would become affluent? We thought it would remain rural.” Even then, real estate prices in Boulder County had people looking for alternatives. When it looked like Boulder County Commissioners were eyeing the Niwot area as a bedroom community, residents became concerned and the Niwot Community Association was born. With his background in architecture and land use planning, Parich was a key member of the committee that fought the county to change the proposed zoning from six units per acre to one unit per acre. Parich said, “They wanted to make Niwot another Broomfield. We (the NCA) went to fight that and ended up winning.” Selene Hall worked with Parich on the NCA in those days and said he was instrumental in working with Boulder County to come up with a comprehensive plan for Niwot, including putting a buffer around Niwot. They worked with the county commissioners and Open Space to keep Niwot distinct. Over the years, Parich has been involved in many other projects which demonstrated his ability to work with the county. One of his recent successes was the parking plan for Whistle Stop Park. According to Biff Warren, “It took him and his staff several meetings with Boulder County and many hours of preparing the plan, all at no cost to the NBA.” Parich said the secret to his success is that “you have to learn the process and you have to be patient. A lot of people don’t understand the process and don’t have the patience that it takes so they give up and quit.” Parich’s work can be seen in many buildings around Niwot, including the Lockwood Building, and the Niwot Tribune Building. He also did the design work on the building that was to house The Rev restaurant. Tim Wise said that one of the things he really appreciates about the work that Parich has done in Niwot is, “his attention to detail. His buildings really fit in with the historical character of downtown Niwot.” Parich has also been responsible for doing the Historical Structural Assessment for the Grange. Said Dorinda Dembrowski, “Now we know what we have to fix.” Parich said his family never intended to stay in Niwot. He expected that he would go back to his job teaching architecture in California. But thirty-some years later, he’s still in Niwot, still contributing to making it a great place to live.
Many Marshals This Nostalgia Day
This year, there isn’t going to be just one grand marshal for the Nostalgia Day parade, there will be quite a few. Pat Murphy said the organizers of Nostalgia Day wanted to recognize the families who have been in this area since the 1850s and 1860s. Niwot old-timers probably know who
these people are, but since the area has grown so significantly over the
years, chances are that there are quite a few residents who don’t know that
the Johnson Farms subdivision was once really a farm owned by the Johnson
family, or that descendants of the Dodd family still live just down the road
from the reservoir that bears their name. Although one of the things that locals most appreciate about Niwot is its small town feel, one common theme is how much Niwot has grown. Donna Rogers, whose family homestead is near the intersection of 79th and Highway 52, said she can remember when theirs was the only farmhouse around. Rogers’ grandparents, Angelo and Nellie Cito, (originally Iannacito) moved to the site sometime around the turn of the century from Louisville, Colo. Angelo and Nellie’s sons, Tony, Dan and Mike. took over the farm after Angelo and Nellie moved back to Denver. Even if you’ve never heard the name Cito, chances are you’re familiar with one of the landmarks of the family homestead. The flag barn on Highway 52 was built by the Cito family around 1925 and a family member painted the original flag on it in the early 1990s. Although the barn has since changed hands, Rogers said that she and her family are happy that under provisions of the sale, the barn will remain intact and the land around it will remain rural. The brick house that Rogers grew up in is just down the street from where she now lives with her husband, Charles. Her brother, Dave, is across the street, and many of her cousins are still in the area. Rogers said, “It feels great to still be in the Niwot area.” Idell Leinweber
has seen good times and hard times in Niwot. Her grandfather, Thomas Kneale,
came from the Isle of Man (located between Scotland and Ireland) in the late
1800s, but the family arrived in New York without any firm ideas on where
they should settle. Someone overheard the Kneale family discussing the matter. and suggested that they head to Colorado for gold. Thomas Kneale ended up in Niwot on a farm where Niwot High School is now located. Leinweber remembered a lot of different people coming and going from Niwot, and she said that neighbors were always willing to lend a helping hand. While the depression and the dust bowl brought hard times for many, she said her family “didn’t have it too bad because we had our chickens and cows and we grew our own gardens. If someone came by hungry you’d bring them a plate of scrambled eggs if nothing else.” She said that IBM changed the character of Niwot by bringing more businesses, more houses and more people. Still, “Niwot has always been a place for people helping people,” she said. When she broke her arm last winter, she really appreciated all the help from her neighbors. Don Spangler is a descendent of the Hornbaker clan. Henry Hornbaker, Spangler’s grandfather, left Blakesberg, Iowa, in April 1864 with his wife and son. They were part of a wagon train headed for the California gold rush. When they arrived in the Niwot area in late June, they camped on Gunbarrel Hill. The cattle were underweight, so the travelers decided to stay a few days and let the cattle graze on the ample grass in the valley. During those few days, several families decided to stay longer, with plans to continue on early the following year. Those that stayed found plenty of wildlife, lots of grass and a creek nearby. By July 9, 1864, Hornbaker had arrived on his homestead, which is now owned by Left Hand Water District. Three silos and a barn that he built are still on the site. Hornbaker’s granddaughter, Eva, was Don Spangler’s mother. Eva Spangler was the first postmaster of Niwot, holding the position from 1945, when the post office was located in the old Rev. Taylor’s building, until her retirement in 1965. Nancy Hindman has deep roots in the area. Her mother, Eugenia Knaus, and her father, Hugh J. Dodd, are descended from the Knaus, Gould and Dodd families. Both of her parents were born in their respective family’s farm homes, and lived their whole lives nearby. When Hindman was growing up, Niwot consisted of the grocery store, the post office, the Niwot Tribune, Hogsett Hardware Store and a gas station. Life was centered around the Niwot Grade School, Niwot E.U.B. Church and Left Hand Grange. Most young people belonged to a 4-H club. The Dodd Farm was operated by the Dodd
brothers, Hugh, Alva and John. They grew corn, alfalfa, wheat, barley and
beets, and they raised pigs, sheep and milk cows. Hindman remembered having a large garden and orchard. There were chickens, eggs and fresh milk. Summer and fall were busy times with canning and preserving. “The farm produced most of the food we used,” she said. Hindman said that the Dodd Homestead was at one time “a stately place.” Through the years it has fallen into disrepair, but Hugh’s grandson, David Hindman, has plans to restore the site to its original state. Lindy Dawson is right in the middle of the six generations of Johnsons to live in the area. Her great-grandparents, Noah and Anna Johnson, were Swedish immigrants who came to Colorado to work on the railroad. They had been living in Georgetown, Colo., and decided to give farming a try. The Johnsons lived in the farmhouse on Neva and Dry Creek Roads and became dairy farmers, tending 430 acres. When Dawson’s grandparents, Royce and Edith (Anderson) Johnson, came back from their honeymoon, Noah and Anna moved to Longmont, and Royce and Edith moved into the farmhouse. Over the years, the Johnson family has seen the land change from farmland to housing, and has played a role in shaping that change. Dawson’s father designed the Johnson Farms subdivision, and her husband designed Brittney place. As Dawson walks with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren through Left Hand Valley Grange Park, she can remember riding her horse across the very same field. The park itself could very well have been named Royce Johnson Park, after her grandfather who donated the land. But, she said, “He never really wanted his name on things, and he loved the Grange so much.” For Dawson, things have come full circle. Royce Johnson was the grand marshal of one of the very first Nostalgia Day parades, and now she is just one of the family members who has been asked to marshal the 2008 parade.
You may have seen the tipi from the Diagonal Highway just south of Monarch Road. If you want a closer look, the annual Harvest Faire on Saturday, Sept. 27 will give you that chance. Each year, Shepherd Valley Waldorf School hosts the festival, which celebrates the abundance of the harvest and the turning of the seasons. The festival attracts hundreds of families to enjoy what the local artisans, musicians and food vendors have to offer. Those who arrive by 10:15 a.m. can watch the Michaelmas pagent where each class plays a role enacting the drama of Saint George subduing the dragon. Parents can rest assured that no blood is shed, and the play is appropriate for most young children. Afterwards, spectators can partake in “dragon bread” baked by the second graders, and middle school students will put on an archery exhibition. A wide variety of artisans will be on hand selling their wares, demonstrating their crafts and offering hand-on activities for the children. For example, woodcarver Joseph Sikora will offer a carving demonstration, and will have small wooden shapes for children to sand and paint. Children will also be able to try finger knitting, felting, apple bobbing and candle rolling, and they can make their own bath salts or spritzers with essential oils. Other popular activities include the pocket scarecrow where children can exchange a ticket for one of the many handmade prizes hiding in the scarecrow’s pockets, and the pumpkin walk where winners take home a pumpkin grown by Cresset Community Farms. One of the festival highlights is the food. Cresset Community Farms will have fresh produce for sale. On the menu this year will be grilled veggies (locally grown and organic), skirt steak or chicken served with cilantro rice and black beans. Be sure to save room for dessert because there will be over 50 homemade pies to choose from. You can buy a slice or the whole pie. Thirsty? The seventh graders will have a lemonade stand. Local bluegrass band Cross Eyed Bear will provide the music. Admission is free. Activity and food tickets will be for sale on the day of the Faire.
For more information, contact Laurie Bayless at 303-652-0130.
Community Food Share Honors DigitalGlobe By Liz Emmett-Mattox
After many years in development, DigitalGlobe, which provides high resolution commercial imagery, went operational in 2002. Just a few years later, it had grown to the point where employees felt like it was time to give something back to the community. In 2007, DigitalGlobe started looking for organizations that would benefit from its corporate giving program, and Community Food Share in Niwot was at the top of the list according to Chuck Herring, director of corporate communications. Herring said, “Although we have other locations, our headquarters is here and most of our employees are local residents, so it’s nice that we can finally give back in the local community.” DigitalGlobe’s financial contributions in 2007 and 2008 were recognized with CFS’s annual Access Award. Terry Tedeschi, Development Director of Community Food Share noted that the Access Awards were given to those who were increasing access to food in the community. Tedeschi said, “DigitalGlobe’s significant financial contribution will make a real impact in the community.” Approximately 85 percent of the food collected by CFS is donated, but CFS must pay for the costs of distributing it. In the current economic climate, the need for food assistance is up, and so are the costs of distributing it.” For this reason, Tedeschi said, “Financial gifts are significant to us. They really help us distribute the amount of food we need to.” Although most people think of Boulder County as being a fairly affluent area, Community Food Share estimates that there are 40,000 people in Boulder and Broomfield Counties who live in poverty. Community Food Share was created in 1981 to address the needs of the “food insecure,” which includes the working poor, the unemployed, those with physical or mental disabilities, and others at risk for hunger. In 2007 CFS distributed 4.5 million meals in Boulder and Broomfield counties. DigitalGlobe’s efforts were not limited to corporate giving, however. Herring said, “There were a couple of days where employees got time off to go down and volunteer in teams at CFS.” Herring was among those who went and said it was very rewarding to give back. “This has been a good experience for us as a company and for those individuals who participated as well.”
Niwot LID Begins Funding Projects Special to the Courier
The Niwot Local Improvement District, which collects a 1 percent sales tax from Niwot shoppers, has started implementing the budget approved for 2008 by the Boulder County Commissioners. At the Aug. 5 meeting, the nine-member advisory committee approved a request from the Niwot Community Association to assist in funding the Native American Dancers from the Wind River Arapaho Reservation in Wyoming who will perform in the parade on Nostalgia Day Sept. 6. Committee members approved the $750 request, emphasizing that funding for this type of request would only be considered “when there is direct historical relevance between the expenditure and the Niwot community,” according to the minutes. The LID committee also interviewed Gene Malowany, a marketing consultant recommended by marketing sub-committee members Lane Landrith and Robin Abb. Malowany’s proposal included a planning guide to develop a “brand” for the Niwot community, which was described as a process to determine what the business community wants to be known for and what it wants people to say about the community. A discussion of whether the LID should supervise the marketing consultant directly or ask another community organization to be the point of contact did not produce a clear answer. Since Niwot is the first community to use the LID process for promotion of a community, there is little precedent for how it should operate. A special meeting was held August 26 to consider adopting a policy statement which would give direction to organizations and individuals in the community as to how to request funding for projects within the LID’s purview. The group reached a consensus that it would encourage others to request funding, but that the LID could also directly fund projects when appropriate. Carrie Wise reported on her progress in finding suitable rails for the caboose in Whistle Stop Park. She was asked to work with the contractor to make sure the handrails installed are safe. The LID also approved $3,000 toward the cost of completing the next tree carving on Niwot Road, which will be the middle trunk of the middle tree. The total cost of this stage is $6,000 pursuant to a contract between Ni-Wot Prairie Productions and Eddie Running Wolf, the artist, with completion anticipated in time for Niwot Nostalgia Day in 2009. The LID has also committed $3,000 from the 2009 budget to the tree carving project, which will roughly match the funds raised for the first carving by the community and various organizations, including the Niwot Ladies Club and Ni-Wot Prairie Productions.
By Donna Currie
People will sometimes say to me, “I bet you love viruses. You must make good money from them.” Only part of that is true. I do make money when I remove viruses from people’s computers, but I certainly don’t love the viruses. I’d much rather have people bring their computers to me and spend that money on something less traumatic. Viruses seem to strike when people least expect them, and often when they can least afford to be without the computer for the time it takes to clean out the system. Back in the old days, viruses spread on infected floppy disks. Now, viruses are most often spread on the Internet. Some come from infected emails, others come attached to “bad” programs and websites, and some seem to come from nowhere. A virus that I’ve seen way too much of lately is particularly sneaky, and extremely hard to remove. While I can clean up most virus infections in a matter of a few days in my shop, this one is mind-bogglingly persistent. Worse yet, every time I encounter it, it changes. Some parts of it remain consistent, but other things vary depending on which version of the virus it is, and how long it’s been on the computer. One consistent theme is that the virus seems to strike people who are generally careful with their computer and who claim that they only go to safe websites. While I’m sometimes skeptical of that claim – yes, I believe you may be careful with the computer, but there’s always the teenage son, the babysitter, the visiting cousin, or the inquisitive cat that we can blame – in these cases, I believe that this virus is targeting careful computer users. After fighting multiple infections with a multitude of symptoms, I finally found a clue as to how this virus has been spreading, and the simple answer is Google. No, Google isn’t purposely spreading digital germs, but virus makers have taken advantage of the widespread use of Google and the trust that people have in that search engine. The result is a web page that looks like Google, but with some added content. I’m not sure where the primary infection comes from – but I know what it does from there. That first infection changes the way Google pages look on your computer. The real Google pages on the web are not changed, so there’s nothing Google can do to stop this behavior – what you see coming from your computer, not the web. When you look at the Google home page or your search results on an infected computer, it looks just like a real Google page, but what you see is designed by the virus maker. Again, the web pages aren’t always the same on every infected computer. Often, though, it’s a notice “from Microsoft” that your computer is infected, and a suggestion that you follow a link to install an antivirus program. Or, it might be search results with links that redirect you to somewhere other than where you expect. If you follow the fake Microsoft link, it leads what looks like a real Microsoft page where you are prompted to download a program called Antivirus 2008, Vista Antivirus, XP Antivirus or something similar. Users who do download and install the program are notified that the computer is loaded with viruses, and the only way to get rid of them is to pay for the program. Then it gets even more interesting. The viruses that the program claims to detect are fakes, but the program itself comes loaded with its own spyware that does a good job of messing up the computer. Depending on what group of bugs it drags along, it may damage or deactivate any antivirus program that you have installed, and it may also kill other programs along the way. I’ve seen some computers where the task manager, registry editor and notepad are all disabled, and I’ve seen some where all of those programs work. Most of the time, Windows updates are disabled, and most of the time you won’t be able to connect to any antivirus websites. Sometimes informational websites about virus removal are also blocked. So far, I haven’t found any single program or removal tool that will take care of this virus, partially because it’s not just one virus, it’s a whole gang of programs. And most of the time it also requires manually hunting down and deleting hidden files and folders, and manually changing things in the registry. As far as how to best protect yourself from this plague, the best advice I have is to never trust any program that asks you to install it, even if it looks like it’s endorsed by Microsoft. If you do get this particular bug, keep in mind that the longer you have it, the worse it gets, because it keeps opening the door to more and more pests. Removal? If you’re adventurous, you can try it on your own. If you bring it to me, don’t be in a hurry. Every time I’ve seen this bug, it’s been a challenge to remove, and each time it’s been different. And usually, when I’ve removed the last bits of the virus, something important stops working. The virus can be removed, but it can’t be done quickly.
Donna Currie owns B.C. Computer, a repair service and more. For repairs, just drop your computer off at Longmont Printing, 628 S. Sunset. Longmont.
For more information, call 303-651-7433 or email donna@computertoyz.com. Got a technical question? Just send an email. No charge, no obligation.
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