Week of May 1, 2024
Week of May 1, 2024
Nick Mastronardi, owner of Niwot's 1914 House, announced that the restaurant will be closing at the end of July. In a prepared statement, Mastronardi wrote, "The 1914 House Farewell Tour has begun." He continued, "The economics of the business have reached a point where it is unfortunately unsustainable. Expenses have collectively escalated to levels that exceed our ability to increase prices." Mastronardi cited property taxes, utility costs, labor costs and food costs as contributing factors....
Niwot's fourth annual Around the World Day and the Niwot community's demeanor were not dampened due to a little rain. While the turnout was limited at Around the World Day, spirits were high as Niwot, like EPCOT in Orlando, engaged in cultural activities, food, beverage, and music. WiNot Coffee showcased Colombia with authentic Colombian coffee, pastries, and decorations. Inkberry Books brought China to Niwot with two types of tea, fortune cookies, decorations, and music. Niwot Market, with a...
Rock & Rails, one of Niwot's favorite long-standing summer traditions, is returning for another fun-filled, jam-packed, "off the rails" concert series for 2024. The much anticipated summer concert series is starting a week early this year on Thursday, May 30, due to a Thursday off on the 4th of July. Through the efforts of sponsors and patrons, Rock & Rails continues to work towards being a zero-waste event and venue. Composting will resume as it always has, and though compost partners are...
Part one of a three-part series covering RTD regarding TABOR's Impact, RTD Northwest Rail and Front Range Passenger Rail, and an update on key state legislation. On April 24, Commuting Solutions hosted a meeting with updates on RTD, the CO 119 Safety, Mobility and Bikeway Project, and the Front Range Passenger Rail. Commuting Solutions is a service organization that advocates for its members and the communities it serves for multimodal improvements and the funding needed to implement them. Lynn...
The annual meeting of the Niwot Community Association (NCA) was held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23 at the Niwot Community Hall. Guest speakers were Jim Webster, Boulder County Wildfire Partners, Paul Ostroy, Fire Management Officer for Mountain View Fire Protection District (MVFPD) and Dr. Don Haddad, Superintendent of the St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD). Annual elections were held for the NCA board. David Limbach was re-elected to the office of President, Emily Limbach was re-elected...
The annual Lobsterfest event is returning to Niwot Saturday, June 8, for the fourth year since its return after a long hiatus. Lobsterfest began at the direction of former Niwot business owner Diane Atwood several years ago. Its reincarnation draws people from near and far as a charitable, fun, community event at Whistle Stop Park. "Every year, the funds are raised at this event for different charities," said organizer Deb Fowler of the Niwot Business Association (NBA). Previous funds have been...
Mad Hatter's Afternoon Tea at the Grange Sunday, May 5, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Hosted by WINC (Women's International Niwot Club), this Alice-themed tea is open to the public to enjoy the whimsy of Wonderland. In addition to the delicious tea and treats, there will be a drawing and silent auction. Funds raised at the event will be donated to local charities. Tea is provided by Luminous Tea and music is sponsored by DRF Real Estate, Slifer Smith & Frampton. Purchase tickets by visiting Mad...
Hallie Pasko has more than earned this month's Left Hand Laurel. Pasko, a 47 year resident of Niwot with her husband Don Pasko, raised their children here. They all went through the Niwot feeder system from elementary through graduation at Niwot High School. Dedication is a word that barely scratches the surface when describing Pasko. In addition to a 47 year residency in Niwot, Pasko has been deeply involved in every aspect of local Alzheimer's support groups for the past 24 years. Pasko's...
It's that "Spring Cleaning" time of year again, and the Niwot Community Association (NCA) is hosting its annual Clean-Up Day event as it has for over 20 years. Clean-Up Day will again be held from 8 a.m.-12 noon at the Niwot High School parking lot on Saturday, May 18. This event is free to all NCA members who have renewed their annual dues. Non-members can also drop off a standard pickup or trailer load of accepted materials for a $40 fee. Patrons living in the area are encouraged to join the...
The Left Hand Valley Courier is spotlighting various local neighborhoods, their history, issues and general nature. This week, the Courier is focusing on Burgundy Park. The Boulder County area continued to grow into the late 20th century, requiring more housing for families and individuals drawn to the area by employment opportunities, the outdoors, and other amenities. Niwot was well-positioned geographically as a prime location for multiple housing developments, and Bowron Builders Inc. had...
Jennifer VonLintel, formerly Jennifer Ludlam, is a Niwot High School and Niwot Elementary School graduate who now works as a counselor utilizing therapy dogs at B. F. Kitchen Elementary School in Loveland. VonLintel also teaches other educators to train therapy dogs for their schools as well. She was recently featured in the book "Dogs in Schools," by Helen Lewis and Russell Grigg, which describes principles of healthy, safe relationships between therapy dogs and students. VonLintel's roots...
Do you know of a local event, interesting story or local person the Courier might be interested in covering? Do you have comments about what you have read in the Courier or suggestions to make? We would like to hear from you at [email protected]...
Niwot High School Athletic Director Joe Brown announced the hiring of Michael DeCamillis as the new head coach of the school's wrestling program. DeCamillis replaces longtime wrestling coach Bobby Matthews, who stepped down after the season to focus on the NHS softball program, where he is the head coach. In a press release, Brown said, "We are thrilled to announce the hiring of Michael DeCamillis as the new head coach of the Niwot High School Wrestling program. Coach DeCamillis brings a wealth...
A small handful of Niwot High School track and field athletes made their way to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, last week for the Penn Relays. The annual meet, held at the University of Pennsylvania's historic Franklin Field from Thursday, April 25 through Saturday, April 27, featured some of the nation's best high school runners, including Niwot's own Addison Ritzenhein. NHS had athletes competing in five different track events. Ritzenhein, a sophomore recently named the Gatorade National Girls...
The Niwot High School boys volleyball team's regular season wrapped up this past Thursday, April 25, with the Cougars splitting their final two games. Niwot jumped to 19-4 on the year after the week, placing them as the 10th-ranked team in all of Colorado. Niwot is waiting to hear if they have a spot in the playoffs this season. Niwot's two games came against Thornton High School and Arvada West High School on Tuesday, April 23, and Thursday, April 25, respectively. Niwot lost their first...
Batting leadoff isn't for everyone, but Charlie Shaw has embraced his critical new role at the top of Niwot High School baseball's lineup. The junior right fielder takes pride in putting early pressure on opposing pitchers before potentially causing chaos on the basepaths. "I want to be a pain in the butt for the pitcher just to get (our offense) started with," Shaw said. Shaw hit leadoff last season before being shelved with an injury, but began this year batting third in the Cougars' order....
The Niwot High School girls golf team won top honors at the R2J Invitational hosted by Berthoud High School at the Olde Course in Loveland April 29, and it wasn't close. But it did come with an exclamation point by Wendy Cheruiyot at the end. "We had Mina O'Dell, Wendy Cheruiyot, Addy Murphy and Emmy Hostelley representing Niwot," Coach Ed Weaver said. "Our girls took home the first place trophy by winning the tournament by five strokes. Wendy Cheruiyot made a birdie on her last hole to take...
Niwot Youth Sports Opening day festivities and the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new building at Hangge Fields at Monarch Park, originally scheduled for Sunday, April 28, was postponed due to wet grounds after the weekend rain. According to NYS Executive Director Pat Longseth, the ceremony will be rescheduled at a later date, yet to be determined. CHSAA Board Niwot High School Athletic Director Joe Brown was elected to the board of directors of the Colorado High School Activities Association...
Things haven't been easy for the Niwot High School varsity baseball team as of late. The Cougars dropped their eighth straight game on Friday, April 26. Although six of the losses came by two runs or fewer, the struggles sting all the same. With only four regular season games remaining as of Sunday, April 28, Niwot's record stands at 6-10 (3-9 Class 4A Longs Peak League). Still, third-year head coach Ken Rosales praised his players' handling of the recent rough patch. "They're not giving up,"...
Niwot High School's Production of "Shrek The Musical" closed recently after six shows over the course of two weekends. Under the direction of Amanda Foust and technical director Jason Watkins, the show ran seamlessly. The high energy from the cast made this show one of a kind. Along with its appeal to children, this musical is enjoyable for people of all ages. The underlying message of embracing uniqueness, inner beauty, and the importance of community create a beautiful story about various...
Both of the Niwot High School Jazz bands received "superior" scores this past week at the Skyline Jazz Fest. Under the direction of Wade Hendricks, director of bands at NHS, each group performed three pieces in front of three judges. This year the judges were John Gunter, Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, Ed Breazeale, a local jazz educator and performer, and Dr. Shawn Williams, Assistant Professor of Jazz Trumpet at UNC Greeley. These jazz experts evaluated the...
Niwot High School is host to over 60 student-run clubs, and one stand-out is the Helping Hands Club. "Helping Hands Club is a group of positive, committed students at our school," said Sofia Burks, President and Founder of the Helping Hands Club (HHC). "At least twice a month, we come together to complete a service activity for one of our local charities dedicated to supporting families battling pediatric diseases and medical conditions." This school year, Helping Hands Club has done service...
Wisdom teeth, also known as third molars, are an interesting example of the way human skulls and mouths have evolved over time. Many dentists advise their patients to have their wisdom teeth removed, but why? Typically, wisdom teeth finish developing and make their presence known around 18-20 years of age. At this age, the body is quick to heal and wisdom teeth can be extracted with very little risk of complication or down time. That is the first reason why your dentist may have advised you or your children to have them removed. This is...
Ok. I believe that there are no such things as coincidences. Merriam-Webster defines coincidence as "the occurrence of events that happen at the same time by accident but seem to have some connection." However, the Oxford Dictionary of English's definition is "a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances that have no apparent causal connection with one another." Connection or no connection? I think there is usually a connection. Of course, some things happen "by accident" like dropping...
ACROSS 4. coincidence 5. Limbach 7. gargoyles 9. Motown 10. chill 12. Pasko 13. zero 15. Memory 17. ceili 18. Durian 19. Bowron 21. July DOWN 1. Johnson 2. bicycle 3. theme 6. lobster 8. superior 11. Haddad 14. school 16. trash 18. DeCamillis 20....
Calling all photographers, intentional or accidental! The Left Hand Valley Courier’s Photo of the Week feature is open to any area resident who personally photographs Niwot-Gunbarrel area sights, including people (with permission, of course), buildings, animals, birds, plants, flowers, events, or anything else. Naturally, there are a few rules to follow: • The photograph must be submitted in jpg format via email to [email protected]@lhvc.com in high resolution. • Please include a caption describing the photo, your name, email...
Betty L. Schlagel, age 98, died April 18, 2024, in Longmont. Betty began her teaching career at Niwot Consolidate School in 1949, where she coached baseball and track in addition to teaching, and later transferred to Columbine Elementary School. A memorial service was held April 29. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the TLC Learning Center of Longmont (https://www.learning withtlc.org/) or “The Imagine Project” (https://theimagine...
Sharron A. Reese, age 96, died on April 9, 2024. Sharron was a longtime resident of Niwot, where she raised her daughters, Regan and Shannon. She moved to Broomfield in 2009 after the passing of her husband Charles. Services were held April 26. Memorial contributions can be made to Friends of the Longmont Library (https://www.friendsofthelo...
David Joseph Nagle, age 40, died unexpectedly on April 15, 2024. David attended Niwot High School and the University of Northern Colorado. He was a sergeant at the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office at the time of his death, where he had worked for 15 years. Memorial contributions can be made in his memory to Call for Backup, (https://callforbacku...
Thomas Lee Rickman, age 77, died April 18, 2024. Thomas was born in Niwot and lived in Longmont for the majority of his life. He was a three-sport athlete at Longmont High School. Memorial donations can be made to the Happy Smackah Foundation, a local foundation providing support for the St. Vrain community (https://www.happysmackah.com/...
