All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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Jeff Knight, a Niwot resident since 2005, was appointed to the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee (LID) by the Boulder County Commissioners. Knight was designated by the Niwot Community Association (NCA) as its nominee for the NCA representative position on the nine-member committee, which considers funding requests for sales tax dollars for projects and events which benefit the business district in Niwot. Knight, who resides in the Burgundy Park subdivision, also serves on the...
A second summer concert series and signs for Niwot's new public parking lot were just two of the pending issues before the advisory committee to the Niwot Local Improvement District at its monthly meeting on March 1. The group also met its likely future representative from the Niwot Community Association, heard a year-end revenue report from treasurer Bruce Rabeler, and put the finishing touches on its update to the Niwot five-year strategic plan. Treasurer's Report Boosted by robust earnings...
There's no place in Colorado quite like Niwot, and, with its high quality schools, close-knit community, and bucolic setting, no better place to live, local resident Pat Murphy contends. That was true in 1976 when she was an up-and-coming realtor selling residential lots in Morton Heights, and remains true 46 years later, even as her beloved town has more than doubled in size. Through it all, the now-seasoned real estate professional has been a tireless advocate for the little enclave outside...
Sarah Campbell has always had a passion for fashion and community. Over the years, she has tried on a variety of career hats. Locally, she participated in the Little Holiday Shops and even a previous iteration of The Little Shop. As of Jan. 1, 2022, she became The Little Shop's official owner and is thrilled about the reopening. "It's wonderful, and we just reopened two weeks ago," she said smiling. "We completely redid the flooring, [there's] a new coat of paint, new furniture [and] we've had...
The Niwot Local Improvement District’s advisory committee may be without a Niwot Community Association representative for at least the next few months, after the Boulder Board of County Commissioners office was unable to appoint a candidate for the open position during the latest recruitment period. According to county liaison Mark Ruzzin, both a small number of applications and other priorities in the BOCC office contributed to the inability to seat a new member. “The commissioners, as you can...
The popular weekly concert series Rock & Rails is returning to Niwot's Whistle Stop Park for 13 shows in 2022, and organizers are gearing up for another great summer of live music and family fun on Thursday nights. "We're looking forward to another successful season," co-manager Bruce Warren of the Niwot Cultural Arts Association said. "We're adding some new local talent for opening acts along with the return of popular favorites." Along with Warren, Dan Hawk of Edward Jones and Vicki Maurer of...
Outside of the Cougar cheer squad, you probably won't find a student with more unabashed school spirit than Niwot junior Ryan Gray. Whether it's cheering on the home team at a state tournament, or spearheading a student council fundraiser, if it helps the NHS community, it's likely that Gray is involved. But his Niwot spirit doesn't stay on the campus grounds. As student council vice-president, he is working to forge a stronger relationship between the school and the town's organizations, with...
At its first monthly meeting of 2022 on Jan. 12, the Niwot Local Improvement District advisory committee approved two funding requests from the Niwot Business Association, heard an update about the parking lot, and discussed the final version of the 2021 strategic plan. Treasurer's Report After September's record-high revenues of $29,164, the LID's collections "settled" to a more normal $22,790 in October 2021, treasurer Bruce Rabeler told the board in his January report. Still, that was more th...
Niwot Community Association board members agreed at the Jan. 5 meeting that the organization wanted to help Marshall Fire victims that have found shelter in Niwot. Board members Pat Murphy and Mark Brigham, both real estate agents, said several fire victims are being hosted in Niwot and the area, with some needing “just about everything,” according to Murphy. “And I know we will have more displaced families coming soon,” added Brigham. Board members discussed at length how they wanted to help the fire victims. Board member Craig Rahenka...
On Jan. 29, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. the Niwot Business Association is hosting the second annual Après-Ski Pop-Up Celebration. Come to Downtown Niwot with your family and friends to enjoy all the frigid festivities, such as hot meals, horse-drawn carriage rides and live music performances. Restaurants and businesses will be serving special meals and selling merchandise for the occasion: Niwot Tavern will be serving chili; there will be a mulled wine tasting at Inkberry Books; other vendors will...
After a series of false-starts and long delays, the 14-space public parking lot on the west side of downtown Niwot could be open to cars in the coming weeks, according to representatives of the Niwot Business Association, who said the final permitting issues have been settled, and just one piece of the puzzle-solar bollard lights-remains. "Mark Ruzzin with Boulder County is working on the final contract for light installation," NBA Vice President Mary Coonce said. "Once that is complete, we can...
Like it or not, 2022 is just around the corner, and if your plans for the new year involve bettering the world, there's no better place to start than your own community. The Left Hand Valley is home to dozens of non-profit organizations that are making a difference, and they need engaged volunteers to help them do it. No experience is necessary; there's a position for you. By volunteering, not only are you helping your community, you'll also reap the benefits from connecting with others, learnin...
Behind any community event in Niwot, there is an unsung army of volunteers, handling details and logistics that most attendees overlook. Among them is the Niwot road crew, a group that has been dedicated to keeping the town's parades and festivals pedestrian-friendly since 2014. "We started with seven, and it blossomed from there," Dick Piland said of the group he founded as Niwot Community Association president nearly a decade ago. "It was amazing. We had people calling up insisting they get...
Thomas Cross "Tom" Theobald was born December 18, 1942, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to Austin "Tex" Theobald and Betty Cross Theobald. Tom's early years were divided between living at a lake in southern Wisconsin with his mother, and in Colorado with his father. These early years fostered an appreciation of nature and the outdoors that stayed with him his whole life. Tom graduated from high school in Wisconsin and went on to earn a degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, putting himself t...
Boulder County is seeking applications for one opening on the Niwot Business Local Improvement District (LID) Advisory Committee, a nine-member independent board that "prioritizes expenditures of the LID sales tax revenue," and makes recommendations to the county commissioners, who serve as the board of directors for the district. The Niwot LID was formed in 1992 and was authorized to collect a half-percent sales tax to pay for street, drainage and other improvements in Old Town, beginning in...
In 2020, charitable giving rose to an all-time high in the U.S., even as many Americans struggled with uncertainty and disruptions. While that is good news for the nation's non-profit organizations, the unfortunate reality is that much of the bounty went to high profile causes and groups, leaving small and locally-focused charities scrambling to make up for lost fundraising opportunities. As 2021 comes to a close, many of those groups could still use some help to balance the scales. "There are a...
October 2021 marked the one year anniversary for the Little Shops at Niwot (7960 Niwot Rd., Suite D-15), a unique small business collaboration that began life last year as the Little Holiday Shops at Niwot. And though the storefront has rebranded and moved across the shopping center, the business, which functions as a type of co-op for local artists and vendors, has continued to see success. "When you think about it, there were a lot of pop-up vendors who lost their opportunity to do farmer's...
The 2021 holiday shopping season is just around the corner and, conveniently, you don't have to go much farther than that to start it off right. On Friday, Nov. 26, the Niwot Business association kicks off three weekends of downtown festivities with the 21st edition of Enchanted Evening, featuring Christmas traditions gone-by. "Niwot really comes alive during the holidays," NBA Vice President and event co-organizer Deborah Read Fowler said. "We're so excited for the tree lighting, Santa, the par...
As part of the effort to update the town's five-year strategic plan, the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee invited leaders from more than a dozen local community organizations to a round table discussion at the Left Hand Grange on Nov. 2 to discuss how to prioritize tax revenues over the coming years and encourage cooperation among the groups on community projects. Among the groups represented were the Niwot Business Association, Niwot Community Association, the Rotary Club of...
A crowd of almost 100 gathered at the intersection of Franklin Street and Second Avenue on Sunday, Nov. 7, to honor veterans of the U.S. armed forces, including some 44 veterans with local connections featured on banners hung throughout the Niwot business district. The Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band, under the direction of Debbie Benson, began with a selection of John Philip Sousa marches and other tunes, including Yankee Doodle Boy, Respect, The Thunderer, America, Stars &...
Liz Gould, proprietor of boutique shop Little Bird on 2nd Avenue in Niwot, reported the theft of several large rings from the store's jewelry display case last week. The rings were displayed on a rolled velvet bar that held six or seven rings. "They were all on one display, so someone just picked it up and walked away with it," Gould said. "They were sizes 10 to 12, which usually fit men. We have no idea who did this. Our jewelry cases have been open for the last two years since it is so much...
Victoria Keen, Deborah Read Fowler, and Dawn Server were busy bees getting together one humming hive of a festival on August 28th. The first ever Niwot Honey Bee Harvest Festival was buzzing with activities from a speaker series to a spelling bee, informational tables to retail booths, free bee antennas to candle making classes. All of the themed moving parts made for a fabulous new festival that will live on, and for that the Courier honors these three women's creativity and hard work with a...
What has thousands of legs and puts on a disguise to invade downtown Niwot each October? The annual Great Pumpkin Party and Parade, a family-friendly celebration of all things fall and Halloween. "The people make it good," longtime Niwot realtor and event sponsor Pat Murphy said. "Seeing all of the costumes that everyone comes up with and working with all of the volunteers is my favorite part." The free festivities, sponsored by the Niwot Business Association with support from the Niwot Local...
Work on a proposal to create a community garden space in Niwot is starting, Niwot Community Association board member Diane Zimmermann told NCA members at the Oct. 6 meeting. "The first step is to survey our NCA members to gauge interest and gather ideas, and then put together a community group made up of Niwot residents and NCA members interested in getting this project started," Zimmermann said. "We see so many Niwot residents with beautiful gardens and we could use their expert advice and...
In its first face-to-face meeting since March 2020, the Niwot Local Improvement District advisory committee heard a request to fund Niwot Holiday Magic, discussed the recent strategic planning meeting, and got an update on the public parking lot. It was also the first meeting for new business representative Keith Waters, who was appointed to a five-year term by the Boulder County Board of Commissioners last month. Waters is a professor at the CU College of Music and co-owner of Inkberry Books...
Plans to preserve and repair the deteriorating tree carvings along Niwot Road have been under consideration for years, but after the untimely death of artist Eddie Running Wolf in the summer of 2020, the project took on new urgency. Now, 14 months later, those efforts are officially underway. On Oct. 2, a group of volunteers from the Niwot Business Association moved the oldest and most damaged of the three, "Biitoheinen (Spear Lodge Man)", from its roadside location to a nearby workshop where it...
After a five-hour meeting to review its five-year strategic plan, the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee decided that the best course of action would be to host the leadership of all of the non-profit organizations serving the Niwot community at a roundtable discussion. The purpose of the meeting will be to give each organization, including the LID, a better understanding of each organization’s purpose and short-term goals, as well as start a conversation about how best to share resources. Eight of the nine LID committee member...
Niwot's summer concert series Rock & Rails is a special event. But it doesn't just provide the setting for people to chat and hang out while listening to live music. Rock & Rails was also the catalyst for Niwot to push toward a standard of zero waste. Zero waste means limiting trash as much as possible, usually by swapping out single-use packaging, utensils, etc. for either recyclable or compostable options. "There's no such thing as total zero waste," said Jill Whitener, one of the people invol...
Silence and Respect. Thus reads the first trail sign greeting visitors at the Sand Creek Massacre National HIstoric Site. Thirty Niwot-area residents, both young and old, traveled to the site on Saturday, Sept. 25, by bus exactly 17 months after the original excursion was derailed by the pandemic. What originally started as two busloads of Niwotians dwindled to a little more than half a bus, due to COVID concerns and the difficulty of finding a rescheduled date that fit everyone's schedule, but...
For the first time in the 65-year history of the Sister Cities program of the United States, a sovereign nation entered into a sister-city relationship with a U.S. city. Steven Fast Horse, a representative of Business Council of the Northern Arapaho tribe of the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming and Longmont Mayor Brian Bagley signed an agreement Saturday, Sept. 18, establishing the relationship after a 3-year effort that initially met with resistance from government officials who said it...
Niwot Oktoberfest, a local tribute to the 211-year-old Bavarian volksfest, is coming to Cottonwood Square and 2nd Avenue on Saturday, Oct. 9. With activities ranging from inflatable horse races, to food tasting, to German dancing, there will be something there for everyone in the mood to celebrate the changing of the seasons, according to organizer Deborah Read Fowler of the Niwot Business Association. "It should be a really fun day," she said. "It's more interactive, and it's outside. A lot of...
The Niwot Community Association is now accepting applications for the 2021 Veterans Banner Project, a public tribute to locals who have served or are serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Starting in October, full-color banners featuring a photo and service details of the honoree will be hung from lighting fixtures along 2nd Avenue and in Cottonwood Square, where they will remain through Veterans Day. The NCA launched the banner project in 2019 as a way to recognize former or current service...
The Niwot Community Association will hold its annual Clean Up Day from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 18 in the parking lot at Niwot High School, 8989 Niwot Road, Niwot. Any NCA member can bring two free trash loads, with additional loads costing $25 each; non-members will pay $40 a load. Loads equal a standard size pickup truck at bed level. "We suggest that people come early, because once our collection dumpsters are full we will have to close up," event organizer John Barto told NCA...
Visitors to Cottonwood Square were able to enjoy their brunch in style thanks to the Jazz Brunch on Saturday, Sept. 4. Sponsored by the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA) and with the work of co-champions Gene Hayworth and Keith Waters, the inaugural Niwot Jazz Festival was in full swing. "We've had a fantastic day. It's a good crowd and there's really such a wonderful community effort in putting the whole thing together. It's been a pleasure, and the music is fantastic," said Hayworth. The...
Kristina Burgoon is the warm welcoming face at The Niwot Inn & Spa and she's also the face of Niwot through her creativity as the social media coordinator for the Niwot Business Association. The Courier reached out to discover a bit about Burgoon's history and her current life. Left Hand Valley Courier (LHVC) - Where did you grow up and what brought you to the area? Kristina Burgoon (KB) - I was born in Orange, California, and lived there until I was 10-years old. My family moved to Flemington,...
A lot of people may have gotten healthier over the summer and want to take their fitness to the next level. Or, they still may be struggling to take off their pandemic pounds. One of Cottonwood Square's newest businesses is here to help. RAKD has opened for one-on-one personal training appointments. As owner and head trainer Kevin Guidi said, it's not a traditional open gym membership; it's an individualized fitness studio. Clients can come in and be the only ones in the facility with a...
Anne Postle of Osmosis Art and Architecture couldn't have been happier with the outcome of this year's Why Not Niwot? Juried Art Show. "We are so excited because this is our 10th year (and) we had 60 people turn in ballots," Postle said. The juried art show runs in conjunction with Niwot's First Friday Art Walk, and is sponsored by the Niwot Cultural Arts Association. That number translated into 60 people visiting every business where the artwork was exhibited. "Three times that do half (of the...
Many Niwotians know Keith Waters as the co-owner of Inkberry Books, along with longtime partner Gene Hayworth. But underneath that mild mannered exterior lies the syncopated heart of a jazz connoisseur, who brings more than his fandom to the form. Now Waters is bringing the versatile genre back to town with the Niwot Jazz Festival, an all-day showcase of local, regional, and national talent, slated for Sept. 4. "Gene and I have now been part of the community for about three years, and it just...
On Saturday, Aug. 28, the Niwot community celebrated bees for their contribution to our world--without them, flowers would have fewer pollinators and we certainly wouldn't have honey without them. In recognition of bees, the Niwot Business Association and event champions Deborah Read Fowler and Victoria Keen hosted the Honey Bee Harvest Festival. The celebration included a panel of speakers throughout the day, live music, family activities and more, all throughout Niwot. Niwot resident Jerry...
To a lay person, the new downtown Niwot parking lot on Murray Street may seem like one of the simplest of construction projects. But don't be fooled....it took a lot of planning, red tape, managing, and time to get it to this stage. Integral in that process was this month's Left Hand Laurel recipient, Chad Fletemeyer. In July, the Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) was tapped for additional financial assistance owing to unforeseen expenses needed to comply with Boulder County mandates....
From the time Cotton Burden was in the sixth grade, he knew he would be a lawyer. After a stint in the Navy as an aircrewman and a Bachelor of Science degree from the Leeds Business School at the University of Colorado, Burden accomplished that goal and graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law in 1981. It was during that time that he also obtained a real estate broker's license, setting him up for his current role as president and in-house counsel of Burden Incorporated, which...
The first Niwot Honey Bee Harvest Festival will take flight on Aug. 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring hives of fun activity around town. Look for flyers posted with the schedule of the day's activities. Niwot Business Association vice-president Deb Fowler and Niwot resident Victoria Keen have been very "beesy" organizing the festival since early 2021. Honey bees are not native to the United States and were brought over by the pilgrims, but they have long been a part of the Niwot area....
Niwot Community Association board members had a bit of a "green-storming" session at their August meeting. Niwot resident Terry Purcell approached the group with the suggestion that Niwot needs a community garden. "I've been talking to people as I work at the Niwot Market and everyone has been enthusiastic about the idea," he told NCA board members. "This could be a really wonderful social gathering place for the community." Purcell said he was bringing the idea to the NCA because of the...
Whether it's pumpkins and costumes or lederhosen and beer that come to mind when the words "October celebration" are mentioned, the Niwot Business Association has it covered. At its virtual monthly meeting on Aug. 3, the Niwot Local Improvement District advisory committee approved two funding requests from the group for events that will bring back autumn-themed fun to 2nd Avenue and Cottonwood Square. The LID board also discussed the projected 2022 budget, and bid goodbye to longtime member...
Niwot isn't anywhere near the North Atlantic coast, but it was hard to tell the difference at the July 31 Lobster Fest at Whistle Stop Park. Between the freshly-caught seafood and the persistent drizzle, the reinvented Bash ended up with even more of an authentic New England vibe than the organizers could have hoped for. "This weather is fantastic, it's like Nantucket comes to Niwot," Mary Coonce of the Niwot Business Association said of the soggy conditions. Coonce led the charge to reboot the...
Gunbarrel-based nonprofit Cultivate is focused on meeting the needs of our community's seniors. How this plays out is by way of seven programs: Carry-out Caravan (shopping/delivery), Fix-It (home repairs and upgrades), VetsGo (medical appointment transportation), YardBusters (outdoor clean up), SnowBusters (shoveling), RSVP (AmeriCorps Retired Senior Volunteer Program), and File of Life (documents for emergency preparedness). In honor of his volunteerism with the organization, Cultivate wanted...
The taps are shined, the kegs are chilled, and even the cuckoo clocks are synchronized as the staff at Fritz Family Brewers (6778 79th St., Niwot) prepares for its long-awaited grand opening on Friday, July 23. "We're excited to be opening up to the public and having people come in and enjoy the space and enjoy the beers," owner Cory Buenning said at a 'soft' opening for members of the Niwot Business Association on July 17. Buenning and his wife Kelly purchased the taproom and brew house in...
Changes mandated by Boulder County and rising material costs led to approximately $30,000 in unanticipated expenses during construction of the downtown parking lot, according to Chuck Klueber of the Niwot Business Association. Appearing on behalf of the group at the July 6 virtual meeting of the Niwot Local Improvement District advisory committee, he requested the additional funding for the project and explained how the original estimate missed the mark by so much. "We did as best we could to...
Summer in Niwot hasn't been quite the same since Lobster Bash left 2nd Avenue, but the late, lamented community feast is making a comeback. On July 31, the Niwot Business Association is hosting the inaugural Lobster Fest, which "takes it up a notch," according to NBA treasurer Mary Coonce, one of the event's organizers. "Lobster Bash was my first exposure to Niwot," she said. "I was living in Boulder, and used to ride my bike out here, and I would go every year. It's what made me want to live...
Like a lot of other well-loved community activities, last year Rock & Rails faced cancellation in the wake of pandemic health concerns. But 2021 is a new year, and things are beginning to reopen. That includes the beloved concert series. The series began on time on June 3, but organizers were concerned about what to expect. Would there need to be protocols put in place? Would audience members return? Would the concert feel the same way it always had? As of the July 8 reggae concert by Selasse an...
