All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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While everyone is locked up inside, whether by choice with social distancing or mandated quarantine, you'll probably have some down time on your hands. So pick up a book, in addition to the "Courier's" usual partnership with Inkberry Books, we have a special selection of books that you might want to check out! These books are in no particular order, and can appeal to most readers. All are fiction, and perhaps subtly all pseudo-feminist as they feature strong female characters. Each should be...
The gym and personal fitness industry sees an annual increase in participation around the new year. But in light of the coronavirus and the associated restrictions on personal space and public gathering sizes, taking fitness classes has become that much more difficult. Niwot High alum and local gym owner Kristy Neary shared some tips on how to stay active, even while quarantined. "Anyone can do this, now is a great time to get started because you have the extra time on your hands." Neary has a...
Reports of empty store shelves have been racking the nation almost as much as all the other COVID-19 updates. Some of the stockpiling comes from people being generally anxious and proactive, but it's also a result of various organizations mandating employees to self-quarantine. "How I behave affects your health," said Dr. Sanjay Gupta on Cuomo Prime Time. "And how you behave affects mine. On the Friday night program, he encouraged people to practice social distancing and also stockpiling, but...
The coronavirus (COVID-19) has taken over the news, especially recently in Boulder County after a substitute teacher at Centaurus High School reported a suspected exposure. Upon learning that other passengers of his cruise ship tested positive, the teacher has chosen to undergo a self-quarantine and monitor for symptoms. Similarly, two University of Colorado Boulder employees have undergone testing for the virus. One of those tests has already come back negative, but the other test is still...
The Left Hand Valley Courier and Inkberry Books are partnering for another book review. I love being part of this partnership because the folks at Inkberry suggest stories I never would have picked out for myself. This week, I read Jim Ringel's "49 Buddhas" and while I did enjoy it overall, I have to say, I'm a little undecided on where I stand with it. Let me start off by saying that I really don't know a lot about Buddhism, so I loved that the beginning of each chapter started with a...
If you lived in Boston in the 1980s, you probably saw an episode or two of "We Don't Knock," a guerilla television show where the team would show up to various places around the city just to see what was happening there. "We would go to the IRS unannounced and get thrown out, it was fun," explained collaborator Jim Ringel. However, even considering as much fun as Ringel had while working in television, part of him always wanted to write stories. As a child, the artform interested him, but upon...
Confused faces and the question "What's wrong with your dog?" follow Michelle Pendergrass and her three-legged pooch Murphy seemingly wherever they go. In 2014, after breaking his leg another time, Pendergrass and her family decided to alleviate his pain and amputate Murphy's leg. "He won't be the same," veterinarians told them, and the vet was right--Murphy was faster than ever and found a new passion for life. Even so, fielding the constant questions about Murphy and his missing limb was...
On Feb. 26, Scotland made global history by passing the Period Products (Free Provision) Scotland Bill, officially making tampons and sanitary pads freely available to women in public places. There was no parliamentary opposition to this historic act, making it a "milestone moment for normalising menstruation in Scotland and sending out that real signal to people in this country about how seriously parliament takes gender equality," according to its creator, Monica Lennon. In the United States,...
Niwot High School students are no strangers to helping the community. Whether it's individual teams having Breast Cancer Awareness Games for their sports or or other groups' fundraisers, students have plenty of opportunities for philanthropy. After being inspired by one student's personal involvement with the Make-A-Wish organization, as well as seeing other schools' participation, Niwot High School will have its very first "Wish Week." Starting on March 2, the student council will have a...
Over the years, speech and debate kids have often joked, "We don't cut up dead bodies, but we might quote them." First founded in Wisconsin in 1925, the National Speech & Debate Association, formally known as the National Forensics League, sought to motivate high school students to participate in speech and debate activities. Six years later, in 1931, the first tournament was held at Ripon College with 49 schools participating from across 17 states. Students are able to participate in a variety...
"We seem to forget that if everyone wanted to be like Einstein, everyone would look at scientists the way they look at artists," said Cody Mowrey, a Niwot High school alum who's chasing his dreams of being on stage. Since Mowrey was a child, he has been singing and dancing, putting on performances for whomever would watch. Eventually, he found musical theater which combined his three passions, so when it came to choosing a major in college, it seemed to be the natural choice. In 2014, he chose...
The Courier has recently partnered with Niwot, Colorado's own Inkberry Books for periodic book reviews.. Approximately once per month, we'll be reviewing a book recommended by the shop's owners. Their selection for February is the novel NoLab by Richard Roth. It was pitched as a "thriller/artworld spoof" and not only do I agree with that, I also think it was an overall really good read. Roth has a lot going for him in this book--he can get attention from artists, people who like crime books, tho...
"I wanted to show my children the whole parent, not just the parent they saw growing up, but the whole person," said Len Goldberg. "I wanted to document a number of paranormal experiences I've experienced in my life." In the 1960s, 20-year-old Goldberg dropped out of school. Then one day, he created a "four word resume" and mailed it to 1,200 advertising agencies. His career took off--he worked as a copywriter, a salesman, and eventually started his own marketing firm in 1987 that grew exponenti...
As a college graduate, Congressman Joe Neguse founded an organization called New Era Colorado, which strove to amplify voter engagement. In 2013, this group was able to convince the state legislator to pass a law to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote. Arguably thanks to this law, 60% of young Colorado voters participated in elections compared to only 30% nationwide. Moreover, thanks to recent changes to legislation, not only are 16 and 17-year-olds able to register, but if a stude...
Imagine this: it's baseball season for Colorado schools and ball fields across the state are filled with young boys, eager to play the game they love. But one such field in Arvada is a little different than the others--that's because many of the coaches are officers with the Arvada Police Department and they use their radar guns to measure pitch speeds. Boulder County Sheriff's Deputy Eric Underwood credits this early exposure to law enforcement for some of his initial interest in the profession...
"The West" can mean a lot of different things to people--everything from "Gunsmoke" with its crime-fighting marshall, or the TV series "Dallas" and its oil-baron family. For author Sandra Dallas, the West is simply part of her life. "I consider myself part of that Western experience," Dallas said. "I was really only about a generation removed from the old West. There were still old men around who knew the early days of Colorado." As a child, Dallas was fascinated by history. Some of her...
At some point in many children's lives, they want to be famous athletes, actors or rockstars. Most children don't fulfill those dreams, but 2015 Niwot graduate Bella Musser has done just that. "In high school, I was performing [solo] at open mics or coffee shops, and then on stage in musical theater," explained Musser. By the time she graduated high school, Musser had been performing for a number of years, so when it came to choosing a college and field of study, she knew what she wanted to do....
According to Susy Tallman, owner of Niwot's Juniper & Twine Floral and Gifts, "Flowers make people happy." Tallman, who retired from a nearly 40-year career in event planning and catering, heard about the Niwot Florist business being for sale, and eventually took over the business in August 2019, with the help of her daughter Nina, and changed the name. Since then, the mother-daughter duo and their staff have been working to establish Juniper & Twine's presence in the community. Tallman...
According to statistics from the Boulder Municipal Airport (BMA), in 2017 there were 33 total complaints regarding aircraft noise. These statistics go back as far as 2009 and even though the number of complaints fluctuate over the years, frustration with the noise is consistent, if not growing. “There’ve been a lot of strong feelings about this for quite a long time,” said Gunbarrel resident Kate Chandler. “I want to move, I can’t sit on my porch, forget it. I can’t have a conversation, that’s how loud it is.” These strong feelings that C...
President John F. Kennedy once said, "If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him." Unfortunately for many artists, they are often limited by financial means, thus preventing them from pursuing the activities they love. This phenomenon is not limited to professional artists, many of whom find art later in life after working in "practical" career fields like finance or education. It's well known that schools are often...
Niwot's local law firm, Warren, Carlson & Moore LLC (WCM), is excited to introduce the community to their newest member of the team. Attorney Heather Rutherford has taken over much of the firm's family law practice and is thankful to have been welcomed both by the WCM family as well as the Niwot community at large. She joins attorneys Bruce Warren, Tom Moore and Laura Moore as well as paralegals Vicki Maurer and Hannah Valadez at the law firm, which was established by Warren in 1975. Rutherford...
Every year, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators holds contests for up and coming illustrators. In 2017, the Rocky Mountain Branch recognized then-Niwot High School senior Anya Berlova for her artwork and published it in their annual calendar. Drawing on her love for artwork and her interest in business, she knew she wanted to find a way to combine these passions. Thanks to the support of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder, Berlova has created...
Author Jonathan Gottschall once said, "We are, as a species, addicted to story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night telling itself stories." Storytelling is part of the human psyche, an element which has fascinated Sarah Echsner throughout her life. After graduating from Niwot High School, Echsner took psychology, photography, creative writing and even a documentary class at university. While this may seem like an eclectic selection, these choices led her to develop...
Every year starting in August, school districts across the state start analyzing enrollment numbers and other demographic data from their students. They track things such as building activity, socioeconomic trends, and more. This wealth of data then allows the planning department create projections in the spring. These projections, which largely focus around how many students are anticipated to be in various school feeder systems, will affect decisions such as open enrollment quotas. Paula...
According to IQVIA, a health information and technology company, 3.79 billion prescriptions were filled by pharmacies across the country in 2018. That's 11 times the population of the United States. While Western medicine has certainly developed over time, we still hear near-constant reports of prescription drug abuse. But what if there was an alternative? Natural medicine has been around as long as ailments have been, and many of our modern medicines still draw from plants. This struggle...
Cities and towns across the country and world ring in the yuletide season in numerous ways: parades of lights, tree lighting ceremonies, holiday craft bazaars, and more. Niwot will be joining in on this practice with the annual tradition, Enchanted Evening. Scheduled for Friday, Nov. 29, the community will come together to celebrate the holidays--there will be musical groups throughout Old Town and Cottonwood Square; local crafters; an ice sculpture demonstration; holiday window contest voting;...
In 2011, Heather McCarthy and her daughter joined a friend on a trip to Thailand aimed at helping local children there. Overwhelmed by the love and gratitude from those she helped, she was inspired to do more. Her need to serve this community resulted in McCarthy and a few peers starting Charities Within Reach (CWR) and opened up the Promise Home in northern Thailand. What is unique about CWR is the organization is not supported by any major corporation. It is a self-identified grassroots group...
The Boulder County land use code is a document that is often updated. When the county commissioners approved new policies for housing in October, it seemed to be an appropriate time to consider regulations regarding short-term rentals given that those have not been updated since 2008. A survey was sent out Monday, Oct. 28 and will be open through Nov. 22 for Boulder County residents to share their opinions with the county regarding how the regulations should be updated. Short-term rentals are those which are rented for less than 30 days at a...
The Niwot Rotary Club is combining its love of serving the community with the community’s love of gathering over food. Inspired by the Fort Collins Rotary Club’s app focused on highlighting local breweries, Niwot’s club decided to create a similar app, but has extended it to include local restaurants as well. As such, they have partnered with16 local establishments to create a coupon app that will both highlight local business while allowing the club to put service above self. The app, which is estimated to offer at least a $75 value, is access...
There are numerous retreats every year for entrepreneurs to help them realize their goals and direct them in good business practices. However, the upcoming retreat sponsored by Family Village and Nesting Your Business in Longmont this month is different. Inspired by the modest success of the cathartic event last year, the two organizations are hoping to create an annual event for entrepreneurial parents. "We wanted something to continue...we're going to have this every year. This retreat is...
Fly Away Home is a cozy little shop tucked away in Niwot's Cottonwood Square. Its owner Kathy Trauner has high hopes for the home décor and gift boutique, and those hopes have to do with celebrating local artists. "It was one of my goals at the very beginning...I want this to feel like a place of community and give them [local artists] the space to share their work!" she said. So far, Trauner has recognized a few local artists, mostly painters, but hopes to expand past that medium to include...
The U.S. Small Business Administration states that within the first five years, 95% of small businesses will fail. Such failures aren't necessarily due to a lack of product; instead, many of those "failures" occur at the beginning stages of execution. This irony is not lost on two Niwot High alumni, Evan Clark or Sandeep Kaushik, since their own business is also navigating these dangerous developmental stages. The hope is that with their knowledge and experience, they will be able to help...
Keynes Chen stands in his small office in the band and orchestra room practicing his violin. His concentration and dedication to his craft are clear to see by the way he holds his violin gently. His voice is soft as he shares his past: an upbringing shaped by violinist parents, beginning to learn the same instrument himself before the age of five, later studying at the University of Colorado Boulder, and eventually starting his own music school before transitioning to teaching orchestra at Niwot...
It's so crowded that you can only shuffle through the doors on either side of the Niwot High School auditorium. People are milling about below, trying to find their seats, catching up with friends, proudly bragging about their students and how hard they work. After a little time, the chatter falls to a hush, the lights dim, and the Fall Musical Extravaganza begins. The Fall Extravaganza has taken place annually for over five years, but in the last two, it has evolved. While various ensembles...
