Articles written by Dani Hemmat
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New Ways to Combat Japanese Beetles
The Left Hand Valley Courier has some talented readers, among them some knowledgeable gardeners. Reader Katy Bohn, whose garden was featured in the LHVC last summer, is also a member of the Boulder...
Japanese beetles ransacking local gardens-what to do about it
Japanese beetles—those colorful, iridescent compact munching machines that have been decimating gardens up and down the Front Range this year—have reached record numbers in our area, and will...
From entertainment to escrow
Boulder County seems to have a high concentration of talented, creative and accomplished people. Sometimes, we learn about them from the news, but once in awhile, they live in our neighborhood and we...
J.A.R.E.D Foundation: The beat goes on
Two years after its inception, the J.A.R.E.D. Foundation continues its march forward to bring music education to students who could use a boost. The organization, which stands for Join A Revolution,...
Ghost town hobbyist provides a portal into the unusual
Colorado can boast the best of many attractions--the mountains and the vistas--and also some of the most unique. Our beautiful and strange state is also home to over 1,500 ghost towns. The research...
Lettuce appreciate wild plants because your yard is filled with food
Last week’s column was focused on the usefulness of the most well-known unwanted plant in American yards—the humble dandelion. Hopefully after learning more about the furry yellow flowers, more...
Thistle be fun: Weeds you can eat
We live in Boulder County, which clearly loves dandelions and eschews herbicides. With the mounting proof of the harmful effects of common herbicides, such as Roundup, I feel lucky to be surrounded by...
Before you rush out to get that adult measles booster...
As if the recent measles outbreaks among unvaccinated youth in the United States wasn’t worrisome enough, there are recent reports that older, previously vaccinated adults could possibly contract the disease. In 2019 alone, from Jan. 1 to May 3,... Full story
A comic book with environmental impact
It might be part of the human condition--we can be surrounded by magnificence and bounty in nature, but can’t always recognize or appreciate its value. Sometimes it takes a visitor or outsider to...
Sailing away with self-esteem
You are enough. It’s the simple, powerful message that ABLE to Sail, a local non-profit, works diligently to impart into the belief systems of the teens who take part in their sailing camps. Today... Full story
Those tiny flags? It's up to us.
“Little boxes on the hillside...Little boxes made of ticky tacky...Little boxes on the hillside...Covered with flags all the same...There’s a pink one and a green one...And a blue one and a... Full story
Boulder County was made for dogs
If it isn’t clear by the random water bowls outside of boutiques and every other person walking a dog or two, Boulder County was made for dog lovers. More often than not, dogs are seated side by... Full story
Always going above and beyond: Paige Wilson
School teachers are arguably some of the hardest working people with one of the most difficult, but important jobs. A top complaint that many educators have is that they are expected and forced to...
In the mood: Longmont Chorale and Longmont Concert Band team up for pop and jazz classics
For lovers of the standard pop and jazz classics, the Longmont Chorale and Longmont Concert Band are joining forces to provide an afternoon filled with compositions by such artists as Irving Berlin, t... Full story
SB-181 passes into law, bringing some changes to oil and gas industry
On April 16, Governor Jared Polis signed SB-181, also known as “Protect Public Welfare Oil and Gas Operations,” into law. The bill, which had originally proposed significant changes to Colorado’s long-standing oil and gas regulatory system,...
Loved and not forgotten
When the tragic loss of a child happens, immediate sympathy focuses on the parents who experienced that loss. But the siblings of that child suffer more than the profound loss of their brother or sist... Full story
Colorado craft cocktails elevate outdoor happy hour
Sitting around a campfire with a high-quality, cold craft beer can in one hand can be considered one of the great simple pleasures of living in Colorado. But not everybody enjoys beer, and glass... Full story
Four plots, fairies and the forest
A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Niwot High The Centennial State Ballet (CSB) will be presenting A Midsummer Night’s Dream as its final performance in the season on April 27 and 28 at Niwot High...
Families’ love of games creates a great escape
You’re locked in a room, and using only your wits and the wits of your companions, you’ve got to solve riddles, puzzles and clues in 60 minutes to escape. Welcome to the latest craze in fun—the escape room. A physical adventure game that can...
Renowned photographer John Fielder to present at first annual Nature St. Vrain
Renowned Colorado nature photographer John Fielder will be sharing work from his latest book, Colorado: Black on White, at the first annual Nature St. Vrain on Friday, April 12 in Longmont. Fielder,...
April: time to weed, water and clean
Even though there is snow on the ground as I write, warmer weather is around the corner. While the longer days and climbing temperatures put a little more pep in almost everyone’s step, it is an...
Fresh fantastically fast Fringe Pizza opens in Gunbarrel
If the mark of a neighborhood's growth is measured in pizza joints, then Gunbarrel can puff out its chest and brag away. First Proto's Pizza, then Domino's Pizza, and now there is Fringe Pizza, which... Full story
Lots of local scholarships to help St. Vrain students
College is expensive. The average total cost of public colleges in the United States is $25,290 for in-state tuition; $40,940 for out-of-state tuition, and about $50,900 for private colleges. More... Full story
Baby steps or major steps?
Senate Bill 181 (SB181) is on track to become law, and the bill contains the most sweeping regulations of the Colorado oil and gas industry in decades, giving many who oppose oil and gas development,...
Local anti-fracking group fractures
Two of the founding members of The Lookout Alliance (TLA), Leesah Patt and Amanda Janusz, officially severed ties with the organization they founded and organized after the group and its mission were co-opted by LOGIC (League of Oil and Gas Impacted...
Time to seek treatment for EAB and replace lost trees
If you’ve have ash trees that have been marked for removal due to the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) quarantine in Boulder County, you still have time to schedule treatment to keep your trees from being... Full story
Winter gives athletes (and the rest of us) a chance to take a break
This long, cold winter has many feeling cooped up. For people who exercise and train outdoors―which is a large portion of Boulder County’s population—the icy paths and sub-zero temperatures make... Full story
OSMP embarks on spring and summer trail work
City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) held an open house on Feb. 26 to share the upcoming trail repair and maintenance projects for 2019, and two of the intended projects will affect...
Learning ancestral skills can empower and connect us
In this age, the majority of us are more connected to our smartphones than the rhythm of the seasons, and half of us wouldn’t know how to turn on a faucet without waving our hands in front of it....
Lookout Alliance seeks to stand together for Gunbarrel and Niwot
A local anti-fracking group, born out of the Heatherwood neighborhood in Gunbarrel, is reaching out with a new name to join with the greater Gunbarrel and Niwot communities. Formerly known as Keep Heatherwood Frack-Free, the citizen group formed in...
Slow Food Boulder County to celebrate Spring with seed exchange
Gardeners and lovers of the slow food movement are invited to an event that will help jump start their spring planting and offer the chance to meet with local farmers and food producers. Slow Food... Full story
Ancient Japanese tea ceremony coming to Longmont
Chado—the 500 year old traditional tea ceremony that cultivates peace of mind and aesthetic appreciation of art and nature though the harmonious interaction between host and guest—is coming to... Full story
Locals join motorcycle rally to protect endangered species worldwide
In 2013, former U.S. National Park Ranger Robert McIntosh was volunteering with the Mongolian Ecology Center (MEC) near the Russian-Mongolian border when something happened that set a mission in... Full story
Police seek collaboration with citizen surveillance
The Boulder police department is seeking to form a partnership with the community that might help solve more crimes in less time. Residents and businesses that have security cameras — the number has increased considerably in the last three years du...
Sow those seeds soon to get a jump on your garden and save some green
I’d like to take a quick poll among local gardeners. Last year, after spending hundreds of dollars on bedding plants, how many of you swore to yourselves that next year, you would take some time in... Full story
Boulder Healing Arts brings holistic alternatives to Niwot
The signs by the side of the road in Niwot that read “Psychic Fair” show up every few months or so. They may be dismissed or ignored by some, while others might be excited that it’s time once...
Helping teens cope with stress and strain
Every teenager in every generation faces stress and strain, simply due to the very nature of the age. But teenagers today are dealing with higher levels of pressure, with more outside influences, than previous generations. All teens in the history... Full story
Share the love: 14 ways to spread a little love in Gunbarrel and Niwot
Let’s face it. For some, Valentine’s Day is a thrill--what will my sweetheart buy me? What fantastic restaurant will we indulge at? For others, it’s a stressful minefield of procrastination,...
Familiar Face--Lauren Riegler
Your kids may be more familiar with Lauren Riegler’s face than you are, unless you’re part of the rather large diving community living in our magnificent landlocked paradise. If you’re not, the...
Adopting a shelter pet is love at first sight
A pet adds a dimension of happiness to a household that is unique, as any pet owner knows. Many folks don’t realize that pets add more than play and snuggles to our lives. They benefit us in ways...
For the love of community
Reporter’s note: I’ve been reporting for the Left Hand Valley Courier (LHVC) since July 2018, although as a Gunbarrel resident, I’ve been reading the paper for four years. Much of my life has...
Heatherwood elementary librarian wins Impact on Education award
Jessica Arment, the teacher-librarian at Heatherwood Elementary School, has been recognized for her dedication to learning. Arment is a recipient of the 2018-19 Impact on Education Award for...
Fracking: Recognizing oil and gas wells in the area
Fracking has been at the forefront of the news for several years, and we live in an area peppered with fracking equipment and the various accoutrements that accompany the controversial extraction...
Gunbarrel Hill’s restoration is a community project
Gunbarrel Hill, the unassuming entrance to the Great Plains of America, is being stewarded into the second major phase of its decades’ long restoration. Boulder County Open Space and Mountain Parks...
Crust in time! Domino’s Pizza returns to Gunbarrel
After over a decade-long absence, Domino’s Pizza is once again ringing doorbells in the Gunbarrel/Niwot area. The new Gunbarrel location opened up on Jan. 4, months after the original intended... Full story
Many hands making an impact
Two years ago, Virginia Dutkin had a simple idea based on a capstone project she was working on for her master’s degree in nonprofit management. The idea was based on something called a giving... Full story
