All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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Luke Werner dedicated himself to the game of football at a young age. From hitting the field early in the wet, morning dew, and practicing after school until it was so dark he couldn't see the ball, it is safe to say that for this Boulder High School senior, life revolves around football. After playing 9 games total his sophomore and junior year, MaxPreps credited Wernerwith nearly 200 all-purpose yards at wide receiver. Although he specializes in being an impact player on offense, Werner is...
In 1975, the Lutheran Medical Center Foundation was created as a way to support a nonprofit hospital in West Denver. Since then, it has been renamed the "Community First Foundation" (CFF) and has sought to create change beyond just the Denver Metro. Then, CFF became involved with ColoradoGives.org, an online tool that is a way to connect with and support nearly 3,000 nonprofits around the state. In 2010, CFF and ColoradoGives.org kicked off Colorado Gives Day, which has garnered $355 million in...
Small towns like Niwot are an endangered species throughout the US. For a small town to survive or even thrive, is heroic. What makes Niwot different? Our Voice, which speaks to us weekly, is a large factor behind Niwot's success. Our Voice reminds us that Niwotians' are really a special breed. Our Voice reminds us that unlike other towns, we volunteer and govern ourselves. Our Voice helps us celebrate our volunteer leadership associations with fancy nomenclature that make things happen, like the NBA, NCA, NFL, NCAA, LID, and not so fancy,...
For over 35 years, the Firehouse Art Center has been the leading contemporary art center in Longmont, featuring national and local artists with over a dozen exhibitions a year. Founded in 1986, the center has been a cornerstone of the Longmont Creative District where it was started by local artists to create a space for artists to create as well as exhibit their work. "Our mission is to bring arts and culture to our community through education, exhibits and cultural events," said Elaine...
The First Friday Art Walk returned to Niwot on Friday, Sept. 4, after a five-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. The town was bustling with perhaps the largest crowd out and about since the pandemic shut down much of the social life in Niwot and everywhere else in March. Moods were high, masks were worn, people were friendly, but socially distanced, and Niwot seemed to be returning to its usual community-oriented nature. Anne Postle, vice president of the Niwot Cultural Arts Associatio...
The Rotary Club of Niwot presented a check for $1,000 to the Niwot Cultural Arts Association as a donation to the new concession-utility building at Whistle Stop Park, known as The Depot. The group gathered in front of the building included (l to r) Dennis Daly, Kamla Chopra, Chris Wiorek, Ron Grunzweig, Satir Demarco (NCAA), Biff Warren (NCAA), Vicki Maurer (NCAA), Thom Lynch (Rotary president) , Clay Marsh (kneeling), Dany Dolan, Matt Dolan, and Tony Santelli (NCAA Fundraising...
After taking a short summer break in July, the Niwot LID advisory committee was back in action on Aug. 4 with a full agenda. Treasurer's Report LID Treasurer Bruce Rabeler opened the meeting with a financial update, starting with the latest revenue reports from the Colorado Department of Revenue. For now, revenue collections are holding steady in Niwot, despite ongoing restrictions on large events and indoor dining. The Niwot LID earned a combined $29,968 in April ($15,560) and May ($14,408),...
Organizers of Niwot's award-winning summer concert series, Rock & Rails, pulled the plug on the 2020 season after holding out hope that gathering restrictions would be relaxed. "We took it month by month," Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA) president Biff Warren said. "We held out hope that restrictions would ease up as the number of COVID-19 cases declined in Boulder County, but after an early decrease, the rate of positive tests began to increase, especially after the Memorial Day...
Niwot High School girls swim coach Sarah Stamp has run out of superlatives for her top swimmer, Mary Codevilla, who appears on the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association 2019-2020 All-American list for the second straight year. "I would say undoubtedly, probably the most well-rounded, top swimmer that (has) come through Niwot, hands down," Stamp said in describing the outstanding swimmer. Codevilla's talent is recognized past Niwot with her name splashed throughout the NISCA...
GOLF Kelsey Webster (Fairview) of Gunbarrel was named to the Women's Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar for the 2019-2020 season. Webster, a sophomore psychology major at the University of Colorado, posted a 77.58 stroke norm for 12 rounds. To be eligible for WGCA Golf All-American Scholar status, a golfer must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.50 (on a 4.0 scale) and must have played in 50 percent of the college's regularly scheduled competitive rounds during the...
The swings at Lefthand Valley Grange Park in Niwot remain still except for the occasional gust of wind. Yellow caution tape prevents little feet from reaching to the sky, a stark reminder of the concerns still present during the coronavirus pandemic. Technically, playgrounds are now allowed to open, according to state of Colorado guidelines. But the reality of following the recommendations and keeping everyone safe is daunting. They include sanitizing the equipment as often as feasible, limiting...
Warm summer nights in June traditionally herald the return of music lovers to Niwot's Whistle Stop Park for the annual Rock & Rails summer concert series, with weekly Thursday night shows featuring a double-bill of local acts and fan favorites. But in 2020, the worldwide coronavirus pandemic has forced organizers from the Niwot Cultural Arts Association and Niwot Business Association to push back opening night to July at the earliest. "The earliest opening date would be July 2, but for that to...
On Tuesday, May 5, the Niwot LID advisory committee gathered via videoconference for its first monthly meeting since March. Unsurprisingly, the coronavirus pandemic and its ongoing economic impact on Niwot drove the discussion. Summer Events Noting a paucity of funding requests on the board's official May agenda, chair Laura Skaggs opened the meeting by asking LID members Bruce Warren and Eric Bergeson (presidents of the Niwot Cultural Arts Association and Niwot Business Association,...
Playing collegiately is a goal for many high school athletes across the country. It takes talent, hours of work, and equally important, the ability to get recognized and connected with a college coach. Niwot High School counselor and Head Track and Field Coach Kelly Christensen has not let the coronavirus prevent him from helping student athletes connect with colleges. "We're doing more than we normally would as far as really reaching out to coaches of these programs that kids want to go to and...
By the time she reached high school, senior keeper Quinn Gossett thought her soccer playing days were well behind her, but an impulsive decision to try out for the Niwot girls team as a ninth-grader resurrected a long buried passion for the game, even if it took a few days to surface. "I stopped playing in fourth grade, and I really don't know why," Gossett said, recalling her return to the sport at the invitation of former Cougar junior varsity coach Jeremy Drake. "On that first day of tryouts...
Construction continues on the concession building at Whistle Stop Park to be known as "The Depot." Fundraising to date has reached $25,300, with another $50,000 needed to pay for the building. Donations can be mailed to NCAA, P.O. Box 733, Niwot, CO 80544, or can be made online at www.niwotarts.org....
In what has been a difficult time for baseball fans, the Boulder Collegians are hoping their 2020 season won't contribute to the list of disappointments. Owner and General Manager Matt Jensen, a former assistant coach at Niwot High School and head coach at Monarch High, is hopeful but prepared for the worst as their summer season nears. Fortunately for the Collegians, they have the luxury of time compared to the not-so-fortunate spring programs across the country. High school teams in Colorado w...
Fourth-year varsity lacrosse defender Abby Eidsness didn't realize it at the time, but mom knew best when it came to the Niwot senior's eventual sport of choice. "I started playing lacrosse in a co-ed rec group because my mom forced me to," Eidsness said of her introduction to the growing sport in sixth grade. "I was really mad at her, and didn't want to do it. I had to play with my younger brother, too-he was on the same team. So, it was kind of a rocky start." But the more Eidsness played the...
Left Hand Water Effective March 16, 2020, the Left Hand Water District has closed its administrative office building to the public through March 29. The District will continue to provide services to customers, with staff rotating work schedules or working remotely or in the field. Payments can be made over the phone or online through Xpress Bill Pay; customers are strongly encouraged to make payments via these methods. The District's water remains safe to drink; as all drinking water...
Citing "concerns surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," the Colorado High School Activities Association has extended the moratorium on all sports and activities until at least April 18. Additionally, all CHSAA Music Events have been cancelled for 2020, and the CHSAA Hall of Fame event, scheduled for April 14, has been cancelled. "It turned very quickly," Niwot High assistant principal and athletic director Joe Brown said of the abrupt decision to suspend the season, originally announced on...
Vicki Maurer's approach to life and volunteering is probably best put in her own words: "We do what we have to do and get it done." Maurer has been involved with many community organizations over the years, from Niwot Youth Sports to the Left Hand Valley Courier to the Niwot Cultural Arts Association. Appreciation for her efforts is widespread. "She's really easy to work with, enthusiastic about the town...and fantastic at what she does," said Michelle Henzel, treasurer of the NCAA. "Vicki is...
In 1873, the year the Colorado Central Railroad completed its track, one of the first buildings erected was the Depot. Two years later, the official plat of the town of Niwot was filed on March 30, 1875, by Porter Hinman and Ambrose Murray. Niwot is rejuvenating its history with a rendition of The Depot at Whistle Stop Park, to serve as the concessions building for Rock & Rails summer concerts. This new Depot will save volunteers many hours currently spent setting up and tearing down the beer...
The Niwot LID advisory committee held its monthly meeting on Feb. 4 Treasurer’s Report Bruce Rabeler led off with a report on current LID finances. The district collected $16,854 in sales tax revenue in November 2019, bringing the total for that year to $183,108, an 8.4 percent increase over the same period in 2018. The rise was most notable in the retail sector, which jumped 44%, to $8,070. On the expense side, the LID has approved $65,024.61 in funding requests so far in 2020, leaving just under $84,288.39 of its $149,313 budget. Rabeler e...
On Jan. 13, members from the Niwot Business Association and Niwot Cultural Arts Association held a groundbreaking ceremony for The Depot at Whistle Stop Park, a permanent concession stand that will house beverage sales at the Rock & Rails summer concert series. Construction on the 990 square-foot structure is scheduled to start later this spring. In the meantime, the group is still hoping to raise another $50,000 to cover the costs. Tax-deductible donations may be sent to the Niwot Cultural...
VOLLEYBALL Mackenzie Fidelak (Niwot) was part of Stanford's NCAA national championship team, which defeated Wisconsin Dec. 24 in the NCAA finals. Fidelak, a sophomore opposite hitter, played in six contests during the season, but did not see action in the NCAA tournament. Her most extensive action came against Arizona State in a 3-0 victory Oct. 13, where she played all three sets, recording 11 kills and only three errors. She had an attack percentage of .348 against Arizona State, and also...
Following a prolonged delay, plans for a permanent concession stand in Niwot's Whistle Stop Park got the final nod from Boulder County Land Use in early December, and now the project's co-sponsors, the Niwot Business Association and Niwot Cultural Arts Association, are kicking off a community campaign to raise the remaining $70,000 needed to fund the construction. "We have over $35,000 in the bank from donations and fundraising efforts, and we just received a $5,000 donation today, giving us...
It was another crowded National Letter of Intent signing ceremony at Niwot, as seven athletes made official commitments to collegiate programs on Nov. 13. Lexi Crow, Black Hills State University Lexi Crow's collegiate soccer ambitions may be taking her away from Colorado, but the picturesque campus of Black Hills State University in Spearfish, S.D. will be like home away from home, according to the Cougar midfielder. "There's going to be mountains there, and open spaces, and it's green, so it's...
Niwot's Children's Park on 1st Avenue is a place of joy and playfulness, bustling with happy children. The award-winning, community-funded park has also been on the receiving end of destructive mischievousness. But now, the wrongdoers will be caught on video and there will be ramifications. Sadly, there have been recurring incidents of graffiti scrawled in the bathrooms and on the sidewalks and there has been damage done to the structures and creatures. Embellishments have been pried off of...
Niwot’s Community Corner Sculpture Park at the crossroads of Niwot Road and 79th Street has imbued the town with creative inspiration. A meandering sidewalk bordered by ornamental shrubs and colorful perennials, metal benches, a whimsical Little Free Library, a pair of painted Left Hand chairs and nine captivating sculptures have resulted in a peaceful oasis to stroll through and a sanctuary to relax in. The Niwot Sculpture Park Committee is putting out a call to artists for more sculptures t...
Plans to build a permanent storage facility and beverage tent in Whistle Stop Park are moving ahead, but the project co-sponsors Niwot Business Association (NBA) and Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA) still need to raise approximately $90,000 to fully fund the construction. According to Bruce Warren, NCAA president and Rock & Rails showrunner, the general contractor’s final cost estimate to construct the 990-square foot structure is just under $127,000. So far, the two organizations have r...
It’s been a whirlwind year for former Niwot pitcher Caleb Martinez, so when he was offered the chance to return to the friendly confines of Scott Carpenter Park and the Boulder Collegians for summer baseball, the right-hander didn’t have to think very hard about it. “I played for the younger BoCo team when I was 16, and that was really fun and a good level of competition to be at,” Martinez said after a recent appearance on the mound for the Collegians, Boulder’s collegiate league team feat...
Recent vandalism at Niwot Children’s Park, and across the street at Whistle Stop Park, has prompted the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA) to install security cameras at the sites. Tim Wise, a member of the Children’s Park building committee who continues to monitor the park for maintenance issues, removed graffiti from the boys bathroom earlier this year. Jim Fletemeyer, another member of the building committee, noticed that someone had placed pornographic material in the Little Free Lib... Full story
RUNNING Maddy Jalbert (Niwot) ran the San Francisco 50mi/50K Endurance race May 18. Jalbert, who now resides in Los Angeles, elected to run the longer 50-mile course. She was the first woman in and the fourth person overall out of 47 runners. The race has 9,890 feet of elevation gain and Jalbert finished in 9 hours and 36 minutes, battling rain as well as the elevation. TRIATHLON Colin Laughery (Niwot) finished 11th in the last Boulder Ironman on June 9, posting a time of 8:53:52 as a... Full story
There were supposed to be 13 athletes on the Niwot High stage for signing day last month, but state cross-country champion Layla Roebke was having a hard time making up her mind. With competing offers from a diverse selection of NCAA Division I and Division II programs, the senior wasn’t quite ready to sit alongside her classmates and sign away the next four years of her life. “I really, really wanted to make sure that I went to a college that I would do well at and enjoy,” she said. Last week,...
Twenty-eight artists, 59 completed people’s choice ballots, and three judges’ professional opinions have resulted in the winners for this year’s “Why Not Niwot?” Juried Art Show., sponsored by the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA). Displayed at more than 15 businesses throughout town, the eclectic and imaginative entries illustrated what makes the town of Niwot inimitable. Following a musical performance by the Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band at June’s First Friday Art...
Editor’s note: Part I of this story can be found here. A memorable year for Niwot athletics turned into a memorable Letter of Intent signing day on May 22, as 12 athletes crowded onto the auditorium stage to make an official commitment to competing at the next level. Caleb Churchill, West Point Gymnast Caleb Churchill didn’t have a conventional high school athletic career, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t impressive. In his senior year alone, Churchill took second All-Around in the Colorad...
The first Rock & Rails concert of 2019, produced by the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA) and the Niwot Business Association, drew quite a crowd. Guests arrived early to grab spots in the shade and close to the stage. The sky set a pretty magical backdrop, its gentle sunset mingling with an approaching evening storm, which held off until after the 9 p.m. end of the event. There was a major difference between this year’s Rock & Rails and prior seasons, felt by volunteers and attendees a...
There’s nothing better than a cold beverage on those hot summer nights at Rock & Rails, and this year, organizers are raising money to make getting one a little easier on concert-goers. Last month, the Niwot Business Association (NBA) and the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA) announced that most of the proceeds from the 2019 series will be used to fund the construction of a permanent building in Whistle Stop Park that will be used for beverage sales, as well as storage of large items u...
A memorable year for Niwot athletics turned into a memorable Letter of Intent signing day on May 22, as 12 athletes crowded onto the auditorium stage to make an official commitment to competing at the next level. Half of the future collegians were from the school’s track and field program, which has been among the most successful in the state over that past two seasons. Ares Reading, Furman University Senior year was a memorable one for Niwot distance runner Ares Reading. In October, he f...
It was a busy month for the Niwot LID advisory committee, with a host of summer events on the funding docket, and some new business regarding liability. Things got rolling with Bruce Rabeler and the monthly treasurer’s report. On the revenue side, the county reported that LID businesses collected $25,585 in revenue during the first two months of 2019, down from 2017 ($27,290), but up from 2018, though the latter total is still not finalized due to what appears to be an erroneous credit that t...
The quadrennial summer Olympic Games brings millions of new athletes to gymnastics, and after the U.S. team’s dramatic finish in the 2008 Beijing games, one of those was then-elementary school student Erica Bortfeldt. Bortfeldt’s affinity for the sport has endured, and now, more than a decade later, the Niwot High senior competes for a club team based at Airborne Gymnastics in Longmont. On April 20, she captured the All-Around title in her division at the 2019 NCAA Youth Gymnastics Cha...
Springtime brings out the sun, the flowers, and the artists in town. Now in its eighth year, the annual Why Not Niwot? Juried Art Show is guaranteed to draw a talented collection of painters and other artists, each basing their piece on what’s special about Niwot. More than 30 artists will display their entries beginning Friday, April 5 in conjunction with April’s First Friday Art Walk and continuing through Sunday, May 31. The event is sponsored by the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NC...
Donating money is wonderful, but engaging with a cause by giving your time and energy is likely to have an even greater impact – to that cause, and to you. It’s completely guaranteed that by volunteering you’ll be making the world a better place, and besides the obvious gratification of bringing about positive change for others, you’ll reap the benefits of connecting with others, which is proven to ward off depression and lower your blood pressure, and will generally make life more satisfying. Y... Full story
You can complain about it, but you just can’t change the weather. So why not make the most of the chill in the air by joining fellow whiners at the fifth annual Let’s Wine About Winter event in Niwot, 1 to 5 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 23. Nearly 200 tickets have already been sold for the stroll from business-to-business occasion, but there’s always room for more merrymakers. Over 35 establishments, along 2nd Avenue and in Cottonwood Square Shopping Center, will be serving up samples of wines, beers...
As a part of their last update to the Niwot Strategic Plan in 2017, the LID advisory board tasked the Niwot Business Association with developing a forward-looking “vision” to help guide funding decisions and planning over the next 10 years. NBA representatives finally unveiled that vision at the board’s regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 5. “It’s not a committed plan, and it’s not an approved plan,” NBA president Tony Santelli said while introducing Niwot Vision: 2029. “It’s a visio...
VOLLEYBALL Sarah Falk (Niwot) played 10 matches for Sacramento State this fall, seeing action in 14 sets. Falk, a redshirt freshman, playing middle blocker. Falk finished with seven kills on the season in 10 attacks, with only two errors. Mackenzie Fidelak (Niwot) was part of Stanford’s NCAA Championship team. The freshman outside hitter saw action in three early season games for the Cardinal, but was able to preserve a redshirt season. Fidelak, who wore jersey number 7, earned substantial s...
No one has ever seen the Burrell family of Niwot in a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer, but that didn’t stop them from delivering a huge gift to the community. Last week, the Burrell Family Foundation donated $10,000 to the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA), earmarked for purchase of “Waco Curves II” by Rollin Karg, one of the nine pieces currently installed in Niwot’s new sculpture park at Community Corner. The NCAA, which has also contributed donated art known as “Spirit of the River Doe...
Niwot’s Economic Development Director Catherine McHale welcomed a crowd of over 30 people to the dedication of nine pieces of public art installed at Community Corner, at the intersection of Niwot Road and 79th Street. “We wanted it to be accessible to people, something they can experience,” McHale said. “We tried to choose pieces that fit with the community. All pieces are available for sale, but should be here between six and nine months.” The Sculpture Park Committee, consisting of McHale, A... Full story
VOLLEYBALL Sarah Falk (Niwot) has played eight matches for Sacramento State this fall. Falk, a redshirt freshman, is a middle blocker. After seeing action in only three of the first 18 games, she has played in five of the last eight games. Falk has five kills on the season in 10 attacks, with only one error. Mackenzie Fidelak (Niwot) played her first collegiate match for Stanford University in a 3-0 victory over West Virginia Sept. 1. Fidelak, who is listed as an outside hitter/opposite on the r...
Local families have known for some time that the Niwot Children’s Park is an exceptional place, but now there is hardware to prove it. In a small ceremony held in storybook corner on Aug. 9, representatives from the Colorado Lottery and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) formally presented the park’s 2018 Starburst Award, which recognizes “excellence in the use of Lottery funds for community and conservation projects.” In her opening remarks, Colorado Lottery Communications Manager Jennifer Churchi...
