All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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With the return of in-person learning on Oct. 5, Niwot schools and the St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) are working to manage the impact of COVID-19 on their school communities. It has not proven to be an easy or simple task. This month, SVVSD implemented a COVID-19 tracker to keep the public informed about new and existing cases that have been documented during the current school year. The tracker segregates cases between students and staff, and between cases that are currently active...
Amongst the shapes, colors, and textures inside Niwot's Osmosis Art and Architecture on 2nd Avenue, there's a face locals are well acquainted with - that of Michelle Henzel. She's raised a family, worked, and been an integral part of community events and organizations for more than 35 years. The Courier reached out to learn more about this vivacious member of the community. Left Hand Valley Courier (LHVC) – Where is your hometown and what path brought you to Niwot? Michelle Henzel (MH) – I gre...
In 2020, the public receives news from an enormous number of electronic as well as traditional sources. The information onslaught is relentless, can be frustratingly inaccurate, and isn't always able to portray what occurs in a localized area. Local journalists have an important role to fill in this kind of potentially confusing environment. Community newspapers such as the Left Hand Valley Courier tell stories about businesses, schools, parks, open spaces, neighborhoods, local infrastructure,...
A growing number of local families are deeply frustrated with full-time remote learning in the St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD), and now they've banded together in an effort to get students back into the classroom. Earlier this month, five parents from Erie launched the St. Vrain Educational Advocates in hopes of bringing attention to their struggles and working with school and public health officials to combat the "unseen negative consequences" of keeping students isolated at home. "We...
In last week's edition of the Left Hand Valley Courier, we covered the story behind Niwot's Ritz Field, named after Colorado Rockies pitcher Kevin Ritz. We now turn our attention towards its neighbor, Hagen Field, named after the late Greg Hagen. Hagen was a parent volunteer for Niwot Youth Sports. When NYS lost the use of borrowed fields in Niwot at 83rd and Neva Road, Hagen helped erect the backstops at three new fields on Left Hand Water District property off Nimbus Road. When Hagen died...
The annual Sunrise Stampede 10K run-walk has served as the unofficial kick-off to the new school year in St. Vrain Valley for more than three decades, and brings together hundreds of runners, volunteers, and vendors for some exercise, camaraderie, and family-friendly competition in the waning days of summer. It also has raised more than $250,000 for special needs students in the district, so when the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to cancel the 2020 edition, organizers quickly shifted to a format...
It's not the school year that parents and students would like, but at least it's better than last spring. That's how several families in the Saint Vrain Valley School District feel about new plans for the upcoming school year. Basic information was released by the district last week, though there are still plenty of questions. Details may be revealed in a couple of weeks when the final plan will be released. "It's school, with only the worst parts," said Ben Goff who will be a senior at Niwot Hi...
Much of what students learn in school is something called "crystalline knowledge," or knowledge that is based on memorization of previously learned facts. While some classes, like math, might teach some degree of problem solving--think back to those pesky train problems--students arguably do not have the opportunity to frequently exercise their problem-solving skills. With this in mind, in 1978, two college students in New Jersey founded the first "Olympics of the Mind." It brought together...
In the fall of 2019, St. Vrain Valley School District formally announced its participation in awarding the Seal of Biliteracy. This award recognizes students who achieve multi-lingual proficiency by the time they graduate high school. Niwot High School, which boasts the International Baccalaureate Program, has encouraged language acquisition for years now; and with the IB program, this also extends to an encouragement of having a strong world view. Thanks to this mission and the district's...
During his four years at Niwot High, James Tran was always eager to accept a new challenge, from joining the knitting club, to heading up the Innovation Center's curriculum development team, to teaching himself website testing. Now that penchant for self-improvement is paying off in a big way. In April, Tran was one of 100 students from across the U.S. to be awarded the Amazon Future Engineer scholarship, worth $10,000 per year over the next four years. "It's a really cool scholarship," Niwot Hi...
This year has been strange and challenging for educators everywhere, including in Niwot. In a time of unprecedented change and uncertainty, three Niwot teachers and one administrator are retiring and being honored for their service to the students and to the development of the greater community. Two teachers are retiring from Niwot High School (NHS) this year, as are a kindergarten teacher and an administrator from Niwot Elementary School. Kathy Benning served as registrar and attendance clerk...
Though difficult to comprehend in our current environment, the events of COVID-19 mark an unprecedented moment in our shared human history. Focusing on local historic impacts, the Niwot Historical Society has put out a call for pandemic-related information in an effort to, as its mission states, "preserve, collect, and protect the history of Niwot." The historical society is asking volunteers from the community to help document this moment and the impacts of COVID-19 in Niwot's history. The...
When historians write the history of the coronavirus pandemic, they might want to add this description of online learning from Niwot Elementary School teacher Dale Peterson, who does Google Hangouts with his first graders. "It's like if you go to a pet shop and let all the pets out of the cages and you spend the rest of the time trying to put them back in the cages," Peterson said. "I have 23 little boxes. One might have his feet in the air or his bottom in front of the camera, another is...
She howls, sews masks, plots to honor grads, helps kids learn, gets them moving, organizes the occasional birthday car-parade, and that's just some of the stuff Diane Zimmermann does during a pandemic. Supporting others is a way of life for the Niwot resident. "Anywhere there is room for helping out. I'm always up for that," Zimmermann said. Some of her volunteering is organized, such as her work for the Niwot Community Association and the Niwot Historical Society, and some she does on her own....
Make a float out of your car and come celebrate with a graduation parade. That's what a mom in Heatherwood is telling graduates of any age or school in the area. She's organizing a car parade for May 9 in the Heatherwood neighborhood of Gunbarrel. Kathy Kester's daughter, Sara, is graduating from the University of Colorado. Kester said she wanted to do something to mark the occasion since colleges and schools aren't doing in-person ceremonies. "I felt bad that they aren't going to have any...
The Education Foundation of the Saint Vrain Valley School District recently announced the winners of their 2020 Tribute to Teachers, which honors individual teachers at the Pre-K through 12th grade, who exemplify excellence in teaching. In what has been an unprecedented end of the academic year, these three award-winners have continued to play a critical role in the growth and development of the youngest members of our community. Jess Esinhart: Legacy Elementary School Jess Esinhart is no strang...
The socially distant version of the annual Tribute to Teachers awards may have lacked the glamour of a gala, but that didn't make it any less special to Megan Schlagel, recipient of Niwot High's 2020 Teacher of the Year award and a finalist for St. Vrain Valley Teacher of the Year. "I was really honored by the recognition," Schlagel said of hearing the news of her award. "I'm not usually a crier, but I was crying. I've been teaching 11 years, and it's definitely the highlight, I would say, just...
Our local nonprofits do tremendous work in supporting the Boulder County community. However, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and market drop, they have taken a hit. Many have had to shift day-to-day operations and get creative with funding to ride out the current storm. Via Mobility, which provides free or reduced cost transportation for older adults, people with disabilities, and others living with mobility limitations, has noted a 50 to 70% ridership decrease across its four ride divisions, of...
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...
Pat Murphy of Niwot Realty didn't get a chance to hand out candy and prizes at Niwot's annual Easter egg hunt this year, but that didn't stop the canceled event's founder from bringing smiles to more than a few faces-at an appropriate social distance, of course. Goodies once destined for the baskets and bellies of Niwot's would-be egg hunters instead went to military personnel overseas and those on the front lines a little closer to home. "This is more relaxing, but I've got a house full of...
According to Cathy Olkin, a planetary scientist at Boulder's Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), "Probably you've never heard of Trojan asteroids. They don't really teach that in elementary school when you're learning about the planets." Olkin, a Niwot local for the past 16 years, is dedicating much of her work to changing the knowledge base with respect to the Trojans. She is the deputy principal investigator of the NASA Lucy mission that is sending a space probe to the Trojans, which orbit th...
This past Wednesday, Niwot Elementary School hosted its 12th annual Children's Book and Art Sale to benefit The Mwebaza Foundation, a local non-profit started in 2008 by the school's first-grade teacher, Dale Peterson. Each year, this fundraiser garners donations from parents, students, and visitors from used children's book sale purchases. What set this year apart was the inclusion of children's art, made and donated by students from all grade levels at Niwot Elementary. The Niwot Elementary...
Stop by Niwot Elementary School on March 4 and shop the 12th annual Children's Book and Art Sale. Each year, the elementary school hosts various fundraisers to benefit partner schools of local non-profit, The Mwebaza Foundation. Over a decade ago, Niwot Elementary partnered with Mwebaza Infant Primary School, in Kyengera, Uganda to participate in a cultural exchange. Since then, the foundation has added six additional partner schools in Uganda and Colorado, respectively. Students are given the...
On Feb. 20, Niwot Elementary gifted and talented students held a mock trial. Students were assigned several roles, including defense attorney, prosecuting attorney, and reporter, while staff members served as staff officers and advisors....
When South Longmont resident Peter Bronski was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2007, the Italian-American author, who came from a New York family with a strong food background, didn't skip a beat. Peter Bronski and his wife Kelli Bronski, a graduate of Cornell University's prestigious School of Hotel Administration, with more than ten years of experience in the hospitality and restaurant business, started a gluten-free cooking blog, and shortly thereafter, published their first cookbook,...
Three rival high schools came together this past holiday season to bring Christmas to their community. Representatives from Niwot, Longmont, and Silver Creek High Schools met to start a collaborative community project that was modeled after the Marine Corps' Toys for Tots program. NHS typically runs a food drive during the holidays, but it hasn't reached the level of impact that it was intended to. Needing a new idea, the student council revamped an old concept. Niwot Student Council's Ben Goff...
Retired Niwot Elementary School front office clerk, Judy Lee Gould, died January 18, 2019 at age 74. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 25 at Howe Mortuary, 439 Coffman St. in Longmont, with a reception immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Judy Gould Memorial Fund in care of Howe Mortuary to benefit the TLC Learning Center in Longmont....
Kyle Reeves has been on the brink of a breakout game for Niwot all season, and when it finally came in the Cougars' 63-40 win over Northridge on January 7, the talented guard didn't hesitate to reveal the family secret behind his success. "I was actually playing for my grandmother," the senior said of his 19-point, five-steal performance, both bests as a Cougar. "She's a big part of my life, and I dedicated the game to her. She's taught me so much, and she's just my everything." Reeves has...
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...
Colorado state minimum wage is $11.10 an hour. But by various exemptions provided by law, many agricultural workers make only $7.25 per hour. That might be enough during the long days of summer, but for those whose livelihoods fluctuate with the seasons, winter can be an economically trying time. Casa de la Esperanza means House of Hope, and this local organization is dedicated to supporting agricultural workers and their families year-round. In 1993, the first migrant laborers moved into this...
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...
Nothing came of last week's bomb threat at Niwot High School, except the arrest of a student believed to be responsible. Nothing, but rattled nerves and the question, when will this fear of school-based violence end? In the last 15 months, the Saint Vrain Valley School District held 24 meetings to solicit community input on our local education system. Understandably, one of the most pressing subjects was school safety. "This is a touchy subject, it's scary," said Paula Peairs, vice-president of...
An unexpected "glitch" might have sealed the victory for third-grader Sylvia Madry at the 12th annual Niwot Elementary Spelling Bee on Dec. 5, but her hard-fought victory was definitely no mistake. Careful study of the Scripps spelling list, plus a few tried-and-true tricks helped propel the bespectacled eight-year-old through 34 challenging rounds against older and more experienced competitors. "It wasn't the words that were hard, it was standing up and spelling them in front of all those peopl...
Their first names rhyme, so it is easy to see them as a matched set and their last name is emblematic of the brightening effect they have on the community. It's Jill and Bill Whitener - the vivacious, capable, and caring duo who have become very familiar faces in Niwot. We posed a few questions to find out what makes this generous couple tick and here is what we've learned. Left Hand Valley Courier (LHVC): Tell us a bit about your backgrounds. Jill & Bill (J&B): Jill grew up in Aspen. Her...
On Nov. 21, third graders at Niwot Elementary School received personal dictionaries donated by the Rotary Club of Niwot. Rotary members Eli Buzas, Kevin Parrot, and Dennis Daly, retired principal of Niwot High School, visited each of the three classes and distributed the dictionaries to each student. "It was a breath of fresh air and sort of invigorating to me," said Daly (pictured) after the visit. "I just wish everyone could experience the positive environment that Principal Nancy Pitz...
Medicine on a leash is how this month's Laurel recipient Jim Thomas refers to his faithful companion, Archie the fox red Labrador retriever. As part of the organization, Therapy Dog Boulder County (TDBC), 65-year-old Thomas and six-year-old Archie are weekly visitors at Superior Elementary School. All 76 pounds of the wagging pooch exudes love, so it's the perfect gig for him. His human partner is all about being there for others too. "My mom and dad brought us up to help people," Thomas said...
Thanks to the Niwot Historical Society archives, we get a glimpse into Niwot's bygone Thanksgiving celebrations. On Nov. 22, 1957 "The Niwot Tribune" reported an evening church service at the EUB Church, a middle school rendition of "Wildcat Willie Carves the Turkey," and advertisements from Curtis Confectionary encouraging readers to "Start Now with Your Christmas Lay-Away." First and second grade teacher Dora Chappell reported, "Last Friday we made many vegetables and fruits for our Horn of...
Our town is home to many noteworthy eateries offering mouthwatering dishes and a place to catch up with family, friends and neighbors. But no place has seen our town's transition quite like Lefty's Gourmet Pizza, on 2nd Avenue and Niwot Road. This pizza place has been a staple in the community, and, for the past 25 years, has outlasted even some of Boulder County's most-famed former establishments. Former astrophysicist, Lefty Harris, moved to Niwot almost three decades ago with his wife and...
Janet M. “Jan” Tornow, retired beloved Niwot Elementary School Clerk, died Tuesday Oct. 15, 2019 at age 81. Services have been held. Memorial contributions can be made to Bethlehem Lutheran Church or Bethlehem Lutheran Church directed to Aspen Center for Childhood Development, 1000 15th Ave. Longmont, CO 80501. Former Niwot resident Beverly Ann Newton died Thursday Oct. 17, 2019 at age 88. Services were in Loveland with inurnment at Foothills Gardens of Memory....
On Friday Oct. 5, a cadre of tweenage ninjas-in-training jumped, swung, and climbed their way through a colorful obstacle course that tested the strength and agility of even the most seasoned trainees. In the process, they raised more than $15,000 for the Sunset Middle Parent Advisory Committee, which will go towards upgrades in the school's interior, and a new sound system for the cafeteria. The obstacle course was a new twist to Sunset's annual Fall Crawl fundraiser, and both parents and...
On Sept. 22, the highly anticipated Niwot Trot road race returns once again to the tranquil streets of Niwot.This year marks the 14th annual 5K fundraiser, hosted by Niwot Elementary School PTAC. Runners, joggers, walkers, and even trotters are invited to enjoy this race at their own pace. A fun and flat 3.1 mile course winds through town, giving participants the chance to see Niwot in its turn season. This year, the Niwot Trot will benefit from financial support and in-kind donations from 20...
Going strong 25 years after its debut, Boulder County Kids (BCK) magazine is the area’s comprehensive guide for all things family oriented. The brainchild of Jennifer Martin, BCK is about to celebrate the publication of its 100th issue. “It’s been a joy to do this over the years, “ Martin said. “Boulder County is extremely lucky to have the kind of facilities and diversity of activities for kids. There’s everything from paleontology to aerial dancing.” Quarterly, Martin puts together a 40...
Knowing children in Uganda were playing soccer barefoot, and in some instances with only one cleat, was not acceptable to Preston Lee, so he launched a project to remedy the situation. Called Kleats for Kids, Lee’s initiative was inspired by Niwot Elementary School teacher Dale Peterson and the Mwebaza Foundation, an organization that has its roots at NES. “My dad travels a lot for work,” Lee said, “and on one of his travels he got some pictures of kids without cleats or with just one cleat,...
Last year, Mwebaza Foundation set the goal of outfitting Niwot Elementary’s sister school, Mwebaza Infant Primary School in Kyengera, Uganda, with two shipping container classrooms to help with overcrowding. When students reach age 10, they usually drop out of school, because there isn’t a physical place to go anymore. The Mwebaza Infant Primary School tries to hold on to these students for as long as possible, even construction card-board partitions to increase individual classrooms, but thi...
Returning students have probably noticed a little more hustle and bustle in the halls at Niwot Elementary. With all bond construction now complete and a boomlet in enrollment, the 2019-20 school year is shaping up to be a busy one, and principal Nancy Pitz said that students and staff have hit the ground running. “It’s been a super smooth transition, and it’s great to be back,” she said. “Teachers are working hard, and students are getting ready to learn.” Thanks to the growth, Niwot Eleme...
There’s just nothing like the anticipation of opening a package, so everyone loves it when the big brown truck stops in front of their house. UPS driver Gabe Amaya is Niwot’s main guy in the brown uniform driving that brown truck. The Courier wanted more than just a friendly wave “hello” from the reliable person who makes hundreds of stops around town. So we asked Amaya some questions and learned that his ties to the town run deeper than his daily route. Left Hand Valley Courier (LHVC) Gabe Amay...
The Aug. 22 Rock & Rails Tip Jar recipient is The Mwebaza Foundation, founded right here in Niwot. The Mwebaza Foundation seeks to unite Colorado students from four elementary schools with students in Uganda to foster a better understanding of each group’s culture. Before he started The Mwebaza Foundation, Dale Peterson, first-grade teacher at Niwot Elementary, fostered cultural exchange through a pen pal program. He knew this type of exchange gave children the opportunity to learn about o...
Full-day kindergarten programs have been available in the local school districts for more than a decade, but often came with a steep monthly tuition fee. Starting this school year, those programs will be free to families in all Colorado public schools, thanks to a bill signed into law last May by governor Jared Polis that funds kindergarten at the same per-pupil rate as the other grades. For principals at Heatherwood and Niwot Elementary Schools, the move to make full-day schooling available to...
Editor's Note: The Niwot Patriotic Cookie Moms will be collecting for the Rock & Rails tip jars on August 8, not on August 1, as stated in the Courier's July 31 Community Calendar. Want to dance the evening away to some “joyful” rock and roll? Want to increase the happiness quotient by supporting our military members? You have the chance to enjoy both activities at the Aug. 8, Rock & Rails concert in Whistle Stop Park. While Something Underground plays what band members call “joyful rock,” all t...
Patty Strecker of Niwot is unabashedly red, white and blue patriotic. The co-founder of the Niwot Patriotic Cookie Moms will serve as the Niwot July 4 parade Grand Marshal, an honor given by the Niwot Community Association board which sponsors and organizes the parade. She has asked the entire cookie moms group – about 40 strong – to walk behind the grand marshal’s car in the parade. “I was just utterly shocked to receive this honor,” Strecker said. “I am not the only one who helps in this eff...
