All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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Writer and filmmaker Ethan Knightchilde presented his premier Ghost Towns of the American West lecture to a packed crowd at the Left Hand Valley Grange in April 2018. Even those standing in the back of the room that evening walked away feeling entertained and educated by Knightchilde's study on hundreds of western ghost towns. As a result of the debut Niwot Historical Society speaking engagement, this year Knightchilde is bringing an updated version of his presentation to an even larger... Full story
Longmont-based Up-A-Creek Robotics is home to one of the top high school robotics teams in the country, thanks in large part to Niwot couple Terry and Cathy Olkin, recipients of this month's Left Hand Laurel. When the Olkins signed on for a stint as mentors to the Up-A-Creek Robotics team five years ago, they were just hoping to spend more time with sons Jake and Zach. Before long, however, the naturally competitive duo found themselves enjoying not just their extra time with the boys, but also... Full story
The Longmont Community Foundation (LCF) will be celebrating 25 years of supporting charitable giving at its annual dinner on April 4. Since 1994, the foundation has overseen the distribution of $11 million to non-profits. This year alone the organization will allocate more than $1 million to the arts, education, animals, human services, health and environmental causes. There are only 1,900 community foundations world-wide, each honing in on a particular geographic area. LCF was originally under... Full story
DNA testing companies like 23&Me can tell you about your genetic origins, but they can’t tell you much about the fateful encounters, harrowing escapes and happily-ever-afters that helped those genes make their way to you. For those curious about the human drama in their family’s story, researching and preserving genealogical information doesn’t have to be a major undertaking, according to local historian and Gunbarrel resident Dina Carson. Carson is hosting the workshop Publishing Your Herit...
The Niwot LID advisory board is back at full strength, following the appointment of three new members late last month. Joining the six current members are residential representative Lisa Rivard, and business representatives Cornelia Sawle, owner of the Niwot Inn, and Mary Coonce, co-owner of Porchfront Homes, who was also elected to the Niwot Business Association’s executive board recently. The three fill the vacancies left by the departures of Harris Faberman, Carrie Wise, and Jay Champion d...
Have you been out for a walk in the morning in Niwot and then midday stopped at the Niwot Liquor Store to pick up provisions, and perhaps in the late afternoon you were on your way to meet friends on 2nd Avenue, and on each outing you chanced upon the familiar face belonging to Rob Gordon? Gordon gets around town like no one else. Why? Because Gordon walks dogs and housesits; he’s a clerk at the liquor store; he works at the Niwot Inn; he does yard work around town; and he delivers newspapers e... Full story
At age 46, Kim Needham Watkins had been dealt an extremely frightening hand. The Watkins’ family jumped into action last year when Kim was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. This very aggressive form of cancer statistically has a 40 to 50 percent chance of recurrence in a different organ system within the next five years. But there’s wonderful news to report – after five months of chemotherapy treatments and surgery on Jan. 28 to remove 16 lymph nodes, results showed her response to t...
The Niwot Business Association (NBA) welcomed two new members to its executive board following officer elections on Feb. 12. President Tony Santelli and vice president Deborah Reed Fowler received new terms. Joining them are Nancy Bureau of Left Hand Animal Hospital, who replaces Linda Klueber as secretary, and Mary Coonce of Porchfront Homes, who is set to become the new treasurer. “I want to thank Linda for having served five years as secretary and Dayna [Roane] for serving three years as trea...
Flagstaff Academy parent Melinda Coburn became a Dragon Volunteer when her oldest child entered preschool four years ago. Each week Coburn helps kindergarten students with their math and first-graders with reading. Those interactions lead to students learning and feeling cared for. But those are just a couple of examples of how Coburn’s energy, dedication, and kindness are bringing a ripple effect of positivity to the world. Coburn and her husband Sean met in junior high school while growing up... Full story
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 motion to change the world, one motorcycle at a time. McIntosh watched helplessly as the chief Mongolian park ranger hopped on his motorcycle to enforce protection of the parklands, only to have it break down. McIntosh’s frustration grew as he learned that breakdowns happened routinely. Mongolian park r... Full story
Larry Dorsey will present this year’s first Now and Then lecture hosted by the Niwot Historical Society (NHS) at the Left Hand Grange Hall, 195 2nd Ave.at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 27. Chronicling a dramatic event that was emblematic of difficulties plaguing the nation in 1911, Dorsey’s presentation is titled, “Shoot Out at the Superior Depot, An episode in Colorado Labor Wars.” Dorsey, a retired Boulder Valley School District high school history teacher, chairman of the Superior Histori...
Niwot residents will soon be seeing reminders to renew their Niwot Community Association memberships in their mailboxes, email in-boxes and along Niwot Road. The membership drive will kick off the week of Feb. 17, with an email message to current members and posting of the “Burma Shave” style signs along Niwot Road, NCA President David Limbach told board members at their March 13 meeting. Currently Niwot residents can join the NCA by paying with a check or through PayPal. NCA board members are exploring adding Venmo by PayPal, a mobile payment...
About 35 people attended a public forum Feb. 7 at the Left Hand Grange in Niwot to give their opinion on proposals for bus rapid transit alternatives along Highway 119 (the Diagonal) between Boulder and Longmont. It was the second forum held in Niwot. Projections by the Regional Transportation District (RTD) show a 25 percent increase in vehicle traffic on the Diagonal by 2040 is possible, prompting RTD to work with Boulder County Transportation to find a way to lessen the use and impact on the...
Niwot head basketball coach Terri Ward is still on the hunt for win number 301 after the Cougars’ mid-season resurgence turned out to be short-lived. After a tough 1o-point loss to rival Silver Creek on Feb. 7, Ward seemed especially frustrated at the team’s recent offensive struggles. “You can’t miss lay-ups and little baskets,” she said after Niwot fell 50-40 to the Raptors at home. “I bet we missed 20 points worth, at least. You can’t miss those in a game like this.” That wasn’t the only... Full story
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 again for the Holistic and Intuitive Arts Fair presented by the Boulder Healing Arts Association (BHA). The fair, which has been held at the Left Hand Grange in Niwot since 2006 (except during Grange renovations, when it was at the bicycle shop across the street), features bodyworkers, intuitive reade...
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, uncertainty about gift choices and inadequate feelings about available finances with which to buy said gifts. Those minefield veterans often walk through the door with last-minute mylar balloons, a sheepish smile, and are often met by a cold-shoulder welcoming committee. And for others, it’s just plain l...
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 Left Hand Valley Courier would like to introduce you to Niwot resident Lauren Riegler as this month’s Familiar Face. Riegler is the director of outreach for the Ocean First Institute(OFI), a Boulder-based non-profit dedicated to ocean conservation through research and education. She and her husband...
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 been in small towns, so I have a fondness for small, independent papers—which, by the way, are a rapidly disappearing breed. When I began working with the LHVC team, I was struck by the founders’ fierce dedication to the integrity of the paper, but even more so by their dedication to the community...
There are people in the world who see an opportunity to help others and just do it from the bottom of their big hearts. That describes Laurel Fox, this month’s Left Hand Laurel. Fox is the Courier’s first Left Hand Laurel named Laurel and, although she’s not technically left handed, she said a couple of years ago she mangled the fingers on her dominant right hand in a lawn mower and has subsequently developed excellent dexterity in her left hand. Thankfully, being a southpaw isn’t a require...
Long-delayed plans to build permanent restrooms at Left Hand Valley Grange Park (83rd Street and Niwot Road) can move forward again after the Boulder County Commissioners voted unanimously to approve an Exemption Plat for the 12-acre open space area of the Johnson Farm Nonurban Planned Unit Development (NUPUD). At a public hearing on Jan. 15, Deb Gardner, Elise Jones, and Matt Jones accepted the recommendation from land use staff to grant the replat request from the county’s transportation a... Full story
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 circle--a fast-growing form of philanthropy where individuals come together and pool their dollars, decide together where to give the money along with other resources such as volunteer time, and learn together about their community and philanthropy. As her children grew older, and needed less time and e... Full story
Scouts of Niwot Troop 161 participated in the annual Pinewood Derby at the Left Hand Grange on Jan. 12....
When winds are high or lights are bright or sometimes for no clear reason, Ivan Schlutz’s head “gets pretty raw,” he said of the pain and sensations that make it hard for him to plan each day. Winters are spent in his art studio where he creates award-winning bronze sculptures, an art form he was drawn to while recovering from a near-death accident in his late 20s. The studio once housed calves on his parent’s property, but was renovated into an impressive workspace with a spectacular floor-to-c...
Michael “Big Mike” Holubec, Jr., passed away January 15, 2019 at Boulder Community Hospital. He was 89 years old. Big Mike was born on May 8, 1929 in Phoenixville, PA to Michael and Anna (Holowenko) Holubec. He joined the Coast Guard and then graduated from college with an engineering degree. After being honorably discharged Big Mike went to work for IBM as a Manufacturing Engineer, working there for 36 years before he retired. He married Eileen Croswell Markle on June 17, 1967. Big Mike bel...
Chuck Klueber (left), chair of the Sculpture Park Committee for Community Corner, presented a plaque and a check for $250 to artist Glenn Murgacz, winner of the People’s Choice Award for his sculpture, “Ocean’s Embrace.” Several members of the committee, including Anne Postle, Laura Skaggs, Scott Deemer and Catherine McHale, were present at Osmosis Art and Architecture for the First Friday Art Walk presentation by the Niwot Cultural Arts Association. “We got 70 votes by members of the public,...
Editor: Courier Treppeda’s ristorante was the heart and soul of 2nd Ave. in Niwot. Jim Miller (resident of Niwot for 46 years) To the Editor: After reading “What tripped up Treppeda’s?” in the January 2, 2019, issue of Left Hand Valley Courier, I say shame on Bernadette and Gilbert Reed, owners of the Slater Building. In our household, Treppeda’s and Colterra have been anchors in our life and in Niwot since we moved to town 12 years ago after living in Boulder for 42 years. We continue to lament the kitchen fire and closure of Colterra...
Justus “Jay” Nichols is a United States postman whose route is in the Gunbarrel Estates/Boulder Tech Center neighborhood. He’s been delivering folks their mail there since 2005, but residents along Jay’s route know that he brings more than just letters and packages. He brings goodness. Nicknamed “Jumping Jay” by some of the neighborhood kids for the way he jumps in and out of his mail truck, Jay began getting to know his customers on his first day. At his very first mailbox, he noticed a d...
Serving food is what Regina Sidoti has been doing for as long as she can remember. Sidoti, 45, works at two restaurants in Niwot and a third restaurant in Longmont. You also can find her working concessions at Bronco games and other sporting events. Her can-do attitude and easy, outgoing smile are emblematic of her optimistic outlook. Sidoti is a very candid, genuine person who believes we all are more alike than not. She said, “There’s a little piece of you in every person.” That’s why it’s a... Full story
August 29, 1928 – December 24, 2018 Richard Alan “Dick” Knaus, 90, passed away December 24, 2018 at Longs Peak Hospital after celebrating a traditional Christmas Eve holiday with his family. Dick was born on August 29, 1928 on the family farm near Niwot, Colorado to Dan and Lillian (Wederquist) Knaus. He devoted his life to working the family farm. He was a descendent of the Clemens Knaus family, who were one of the first settlers in the Left Hand area in 1860. Dick graduated from Longm...
Old age ain’t for sissies and until you’ve experienced it to one degree or another, it’s hard to comprehend the shifts growing old can bring. Our elderly furry family members are far more stoic than we are and, while in our hearts they feel like they’re our children, sadly they speed by us when it comes to the advancement of age-related changes. How old is old? Cats are generally considered senior citizens around age ten. While the typical lifespan of felines is upwards of 12 years, Dr. Nancy B... Full story
Editorial@lhvc.com On Dec. 17, the Boulder County Land Use department held a community workshop at the Left Hand Grange to gather feedback and public comment concerning the Land Use Code in the Niwot Rural Community District (NRCD). About 80 Niwot residents, business owners and other stakeholders turned out for the discussion of potential amendments to the code, which earlier this year impelled a temporary moratorium on new development in certain parts of the district. “The rural community distr...
Boulder County will host a community workshop on Monday, December 17, 2018 from 6 – 8:30 p.m. at the Left Hand Grange No.9. Boulder County is seeking public input to shape the Boulder County Land Use Code related to the Niwot Rural Community District (NRCD), which includes property along 2nd Avenue from west of Murray St to Niwot Rd. The primary focus of the meeting is to gather community feedback and public comment to inform the revisions to the land use regulations for the NRCD. Areas of focus will include density, circulation and mix of u...
Just over 20 years from now, already congested traffic conditions are expected to increase by 25 percent along Highway 119 (the Diagonal.) According to RTD’s website statistics, 45,000 cars, buses, trucks, and bikes use sections of Highway 119 on a daily basis. By the year 2040, some 56,000 vehicles will be a realistic number. Acknowledging the current aggravation of traveling along the corridor and wanting to prevent worsening conditions, the Boulder County Transportation Department and the R... Full story
The tradition of giving books as gifts is practically as old as the printed word itself and, in fact, books were among the first items mass-produced and marketed specifically as Christmas gifts, back in the 1820s. Nearly 200 years later, books remain a popular choice for both givers and receivers, and not just for the holidays. A book can be a token of intimacy, of friendship, or even of just shared interest. A book can sometimes say what we can’t, and giving one at just the right time can m...
Few things in life start out as an exotic indulgence, but end up being a craving that you’re able to satisfy daily. That’s what happened when a kind of secret Japanese restaurant opened in the far corner of the Niwot Market. Who would think this tiny western town would become a haven for raw fish lovin’ folks? It’s all owing to Tsukasa Hibino, owner of Sachi Sushi, who provides us with a free steaming mug of green tea, deeply warming miso soup, and melt-in-your-mouth sushi. Oh, and ramen S...
Thanks to the social networking app Nextdoor, when there’s an escapee cat or a dog running the streets, within a nanosecond the neighborhood is alerted and folks spring into action. The internet has loads of heartwarming tales about forlorn pets who’ve made it back to the arms of their loving families owing to a shout-out on Nextdoor. In the blended country-residential areas of Niwot, Gunbarrel and Longmont, it’s not surprising that animals of the farmyard persuasion also often warrant our c... Full story
What started as a proposal for a modest “connectivity point” at the southwest corner of 79th Street and Niwot Road blossomed into a high caliber public art space thanks almost entirely to the efforts of Niwot resident Scott Deemer, recipient of this month’s Left Hand Laurel. “It was Scott Deemer's artistic vision and the generous contributions from his company, Outdoor Craftsmen, that changed the Connectivity Project from something ordinary into something extraordinary,” Chuck Kluber of the Ni... Full story
The results for the Enchanted Evening Window Decorating Contest are in! There were about 150 votes total, and while the competition was amazing and colorful, the clear winner for the 2018 season is Niwot Tavern. This is the second year in a row that the Tavern has swept the votes, and they credit their amazing wins to their window designer and decorator, Tom Studholme, who can be contacted at 970-619-9456 for people who wish to use his skills for their holiday window displays. The second place w...
Niwot’s 2018 holiday season officially gets underway on Friday, Nov. 23 with the 18th annual Enchanted Evening in Old Town and Cottonwood Square. “It is a wonderful family and community event,” Dr. Nancy Bureau, co-owner of Left Hand Animal Hospital commented. She is helping to organize this year’s festival for the Niwot Business Association, along with Chuck and Linda Klueber. “The best part of the evening is enjoying the sense of community that this event brings.” This year’s tradition-ste... Full story
Bob Keesy's kidneys were failing so he asked for someone to give him one of their kidneys. One way he asked was a huge banner on the fence behind his house in Niwot which read, "Bob needs a kidney." He just needed one kidney, but lucky Bob was offered two. UC Health sorted it out and transplanted the one that matched him best. It was a gift from Frankie Dubar-Nelson. Almost four months after surgery, both donor and recipient are back to their normal lives. Dubar-Nelson is doing "super-good" she... Full story
Colorado has rocks that, well, rock. They are called lithophones, and a local archaeologist who first came across these strangely shaped stones 40 years ago is finally sharing their musical story. Longmont archaeologist Marilyn Martorano first laid eyes on the long, baguette-shaped rocks almost four decades ago, as a volunteer at what is now Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in southern Colorado. The clearly hand-shaped stones, which had been discovered in the area, were housed in the... Full story
Nationwide, results of the highly anticipated 2018 midterm elections had a little something for everyone, but that was not the case in Boulder County. Locally, democratic candidates received large majorities, as did ballot measures supporting election reforms and oil and gas industry regulations. Here is a look at some (unofficial) results of particular local interest. On average, registered voters in Boulder County cast their ballots at a higher rate than their counterparts elsewhere in... Full story
May 3, 1933 - Nov. 2, 2018 Donald Richard “Dick” Hicks was born on May 3, 1933 to the union of Chester Carl and Anna Louise (Hubbard) Hicks of Olathe, Colorado. He graduated from Western State College in 1955 with a BS degree in Accounting and a minor degree in drafting. Dick married Ann Josephine Warfel on June 14, 1953, in Olathe, Colorado. Dick and his dad operated a logging operation and sawmill for several years. In the early 1960’s, he moved his family to Longmont to work on the new water... Full story
Colorado is a beautiful place. It is filled with open, wild spaces, and that unbridled nature is why many of us live here. With open, wild spaces comes wildlife. Lately, our local news has been filled with sightings of mountain lions and foxes in our own backyards. Much of this is attributed to human development encroaching on their habitat. As winter approaches, they need to hunt a lot now to survive later. Learning how to coexist with these non-domesticated critters is essential if you’re a pet owner. CATS Most cats love to be outside, becaus... Full story
Halloween is an exciting time for most children - running through the dark streets with friends, knocking on doors, getting free treats, and being someone else for one day a year. And two local community volunteers believe it’s a day that should be available to any child who wants to participate, regardless of whether or not their family can afford a snazzy costume. Leesah Patt and Peri Shaplow met over a post on the NextDoor social media app, quickly connected and after a short phone call, got to work to make their latest community effort a r... Full story
It’s that time of year again, when the Left Hand Valley Courier features those who look to the future—the educators of our children....
On Tuesday, Oct. 23, the Niwot LID Advisory Committee welcomed county commissioners Cindy Domenico, Deb Gardner, and Elise Jones to the Left Hand Grange for a “very timely” discussion of the state of local affairs during the past 12 (or so) months. Ordinarily used as an opportunity to showcase the town’s recent successes, this year’s presentation to the commissioners was fraught with anxiety about the county’s development moratorium, which was scheduled for a public hearing on Oct. 30. Ackno...
NextDoor, the social media app designed to build communities, has about 833 members in its Heatherwood division. Any member who is paying attention will notice that one name shows up over and over again—Leesah Patt. It’s not because she’s complaining about negligent neighbors, or trying to pick a fight over political viewpoints. When Leesah Patt’s name shows up, it’s because she’s offering to do something for folks in the community. Leesah lives in Heatherwood with her husband, Gavin, in t... Full story
Second Avenue property owners vent frustration Early opposition gave way to a more cooperative spirit at a public meeting to discuss the temporary moratorium on new development applications in the Niwot Rural Community District (NRCD), held at the Left Hand Grange on Oct. 17. Dozens of Old Town residents, business owners and community members showed up to express their concerns to Boulder County Land Use Director Dale Case and his staffers, either about the six-month ban itself, or about the...
Residents of Niwot showed up in force at the community meeting to both question county officials and for many, to hold their ground regarding what their preferences are for development within the business district of their town. For the residents on 3rd Avenue, many of whom have lived in Niwot for several decades, two topics were high priorities: the county’s process around the development and the moratorium and secondly, the sanctity of the alley between their homes on 3rd Avenue, and the m... Full story
