All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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BASEBALL David Bote, son of former Niwot High School baseball coach Bob Bote, is currently on the Restricted List of the Oklahoma City Comets, the Class AAA affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bote, 32, was signed to a minor league contract by the Dodgers in the offseason after being released by the Chicago Cubs, despite hitting .304 in a limited role as a utility infielder. Despite hitting over .300 in spring training, the Dodgers did not add him to the major league roster, and Bote...
Track & Field Elise Cranny (Niwot), a two-time Olympian, is running professionally for Michael Johnson's Grand Slam League. At the Kingston (Jamaica) Slam, Cranny finished sixth in both the 3,000m (8:44.03) held April 4, and the 5,000m (15:31.61) held April 6. Cranny earned $15,000 for her performances. She also won $10,000 for her performance at the Miami Slam, where she finished seventh in the 3,000m (8:42.30) and eighth in the 5,000m (15:15.31) held May 2-4. Most recently at the Philadelphia...
As the nation's upcoming patriotic holiday nears closer by the day, Niwot is bustling with rehearsals, volunteer sign-up sheets, and local businesses preparing for the upcoming 4th of July celebration. The Niwot Community Association's (NCA) annual gathering is projected to welcome hundreds of locals as well as out-of-town visitors. With activities beginning at an early 7:30 a.m., the town is gearing up for a day filled with festivities. In honor of the late Bert Steele, Bert's Pancake...
Nancy Bureau has plenty of fans in Niwot, and not just of the human variety. Take, for example, one early morning patient who, when she saw Dr. Bureau across the room, made a tail-wagging beeline for her and presented a gray speckled belly for the good doctor to rub. Bureau, of course, accommodated. Bureau co-owns Left Hand Animal Hospital in downtown Niwot, a practice she describes as "fear-free," and the culmination of a life-long dream. "I was one of those crazy little kids who always wanted...
Former Niwot Business Association President Tony Santelli remembers when Niwot’s business district had a 30% vacancy rate, back in 2008 and 2009 during a recession. The Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations to Boulder County on how to spend the LID’s 1% sales tax revenues, established a Revitalization Committee, which worked hard to fill the vacant spaces and generate more sales tax revenue, which supports almost all Niwot events as well as infrastructure projects such as the parking lot and the Niw...
Rising Niwot High senior Hannah Burdette has been painting since she was old enough to hold a brush. "I was told that my great grandmother gave me oil paints at age two, and I've never looked back," she said. "While I've used all sorts of art mediums, I primarily do drawing and painting. I've taken a lot of art classes through all stages of my education, and continue to create outside of formal education settings." Burdette is also involved in numerous other activities. "I play softball both in...
7 was a big year for Geoffrey Sutyak. It was not only the year he graduated from Niwot High School, but was also the year he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout from Troop 161, and was the section leader for the low brass in the NHS "Pride of Niwot" Cougar Marching Band. Sutyak was very devoted to the Niwot community and showed a lot of passion through his contributions. Now living in Los Angeles with his fiancee, with a wedding planned for May of 2026, Sutyak has been working with Escape...
This Independence Day, Niwot will not only celebrate the country’s founding, but also its own by honoring the descendants of some of its original Niwot area homesteading families as Grand Marshals in the 4th of July Parade, sponsored by the Niwot Community Association, with funding provided by the Niwot Local Improvement District. As part of the town’s Sesquicentennial Anniversary, this year’s Grand Marshals represent families who helped shape Niwot in its earliest days. The honorees include descendants of the Affolter, Arbuthnot, Bader, Cito,...
Bert Steele originally began hosting Friday Night Car Shows in 2020 to bring business to local restaurants during the especially difficult months of the pandemic. Following his passing in August of 2023, the car show went on hiatus in 2024. In Steele's honor, the event has been resurrected for the summer by local residents Daryl Mercer, Sherman Gregory, and Ron Bernal in cooperation with Alison Steele and Seth Steele of Niwot Market. While it has yet to be publicized heavily, the three...
It is hard to picture Charlie without Haden, and vice versa. The Shaw twins have been fixtures in the Niwot baseball program for the last four years, starting side-by-side since their freshman season. Whether it is tracking down fly balls or gunning down runners from third, the Shaws have built their high school careers together. And now, they are taking the next step together, too. This fall, Charlie and Haden will head to Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colorado, to continue their...
Tori Villavicencio has been playing soccer for as long as she can remember. She first stepped onto the field at age four, and from the moment she started running around, the sport stuck. Over the years, her love for the sport only grew stronger. Whether it was the bonds she formed with teammates or the rush of scoring a goal, Villavicencio found plenty of reasons to keep coming back. By the time she reached Niwot High School, soccer had become more than just a hobby, it was a key part of who...
The Niwot High School softball team and Niwot Youth Sports (NYS) partnered to host a softball camp for elementary and middle school girls at NHS June 16 - 19. NHS softball Head Coach Bobby Matthews directed the camp with assistance from high school players. Thirty one athletes participated in the camp ranging from girls entering the second grade through eighth grade. Matthews said the NHS-NYS partnership was key to launching the camp this summer after a six-year gap. "I believe partnering with...
The Niwot High School girls' soccer team wrapped up its 2025 season on May 1, closing with a record of 5-9-1 under the leadership of Head Coach Stephen Dimit. While the Cougars faced their share of challenges this season, several players delivered standout performances that earned them postseason recognition. Sophomores Ava Inguagiato and Liz Robbins, along with freshman Tori Biffle, were named to the All-Conference Team. Additionally, sophomore Mirjam Bos received All-Conference Honorable...
As part of the Left Hand Valley Courier's Neighborhood Spotlight series, which features various local neighborhoods, their history, issues, and general nature, the Courier in this week's edition is spotlighting the Morton Heights neighborhood, one of the oldest subdivisions outside of Old Town Niwot. The Morton Heights neighborhood, with its first structures built in the early 1960s, is located south of Niwot Road between Walker Drive and Paiute Avenue, and includes the more commonly known...
Elyse Prestopnik, a rising junior at Niwot High School, has been involved in theater since she was four or five years old. She said, "I've been in choir three years so far; two at Niwot and one at my middle school, but I've taken voice since I was around nine or ten as well. I've also done some community theater." Prestopnik's theatrical experiences at Niwot include playing Mary Debenham in "Murder on the Orient Express" and most recently, serving as the understudy for Lulu Warnicker in...
Megan Schlagel was named the new Dean of Students for Niwot High School this past April after thirteen years of teaching math at NHS. Schlagel has also been the head of the Jumpstart program at Niwot, a program dedicated to helping new students transition from eighth grade to ninth grade, as well as being in charge of the Link Crew, upperclassmen who help ninth-graders adjust to high school. Both pioneering programs make becoming Dean of Students a natural next step in Schlagel's career. As...
As Niwot residents take their Thursday morning walk on the trails behind Niwot High School, drive by with their windows down, or sit on their porch with a cup of coffee nearby, they may notice an array of rhythmic-sounding music coming from the back side of the school. Each Thursday morning, the dedicated members of the drumline within the NHS "Pride of Niwot" Cougar Marching Band congregate to practice for upcoming events and to get ahead before the busy school year commences in August. For...
Earlier this month, Niwot High School (NHS) and Niwot Youth Sports (NYS) partnered to hold a summer baseball camp for elementary and middle school students. Children entering first through eighth grades were welcomed to the program, which ran from Monday, June 2, to Thursday, June 5, at the NHS athletic fields. Approximately 40 students participated, the majority of whom were from the Niwot area, according to NHS baseball Head Coach Ken Rosales. "Everybody seemed to enjoy it," Rosales reflected....
If you had asked Kye Toothaker a few years ago, running was just a tool to get better at soccer. He did not expect it to become his main sport, let alone the thing that would take him to college. "I initially ran cross country and track to get fit for soccer, but then decided to focus on it full time," he said. "I stuck with it because of the people on the team and coaches being so supportive." Now, the recent Niwot High School graduate is headed to Pomona College in California to compete in...
Isaiah Richart's first season on the Niwot High School track team concluded with the kind of performance that had his coaches and teammates buzzing with excitement about what the future holds. The freshman sprinter and basketball player dominated the Unified division at the state track meet in May, capturing gold medals in both the 100 and 200-meter events. His winning time of 13.07 seconds in the 100 meters, with a personal best slightly under 13 seconds, has Niwot track coach Maurice...
The Erie High School boys lacrosse team, which includes players from Niwot High School, wrapped up its 2025 season with a 6-10 overall record. The team reached the state playoffs, earning statewide recognition for several standout players. During state playoffs the Tigers were eliminated in the first round of the CHSAA Class 5A competition. Last year the Tigers were part of the CHSAA Class 4A and won the championship against Cheyenne Mountain High School with a score of 14-6. As an award,...
While Bob Underwood may be a familiar face around Niwot, he is undoubtedly also a familiar voice to many. Having been the voice behind Niwot High School's varsity baseball games for over three decades, Underwood's presence in the community has extended well beyond his role as an announcer. His connection to Niwot runs deep, as he spent nearly 30 years as an English teacher at Niwot High, while also supporting various sports programs throughout the years. Underwood's journey into announcing...
This week's art student, Jocelyn Lara Serrano, has big plans for her senior year at Niwot High School. "I'm mostly just involved with music and theater," she said. "What I like about both of them is the community that we have at Niwot. Everyone is very supportive, and so incredibly talented, and I'm happy that we share a common goal of creating music together with our friends and peers or having fun performing our shows, and I love all of the teamwork we put in in order to create amazing art."...
"Haystack House" is an example of a self-sustaining home created by the clever use of the sun, wind and water. Built in 1977 by famed architect Richard Crowther, the property is currently owned by Susan Zimmerman, who purchased the home with her late husband, Gary Zimmerman, in 2006. The home, which she calls "Haystack House," had been vacant for several years before being purchased by the Zimmermans. "It had not been taken care of at all," Zimmerman said. "When we did the massive remodel, the...
Rising Niwot High School senior Diego Kheng was not sure what to expect from his recent volleyball season. This past spring season, as a junior, he switched positions, adapted to a different role, and felt like he was not playing quite as well as he had as a sophomore. But even in a year of transition, his impact was undeniable. Kheng finished the 2025 boys volleyball season with 324 kills, 142 digs, 79 total blocks, and 11 assists while playing in 142 sets. He posted a .234 hitting percentage...
The Niwot High School track and field program concluded a remarkable 2025 season with unprecedented success, earning multiple All-State honors, breaking state records, and celebrating individual achievements across both boys and girls teams. The Cougar girls track team made history at the Class 4A State Meet, setting two new state records. The 4x200-meter relay team of Eliana Henriques, Sammie Holliday, Kate Schmidthuber, and Reese Kasper blazed to a new state record, while the same quartet...
Last week, Niwot High School was excited to host and proud to complete another successful week of the annual Girls Basketball Summer Camp. A collaborative effort between Niwot Youth Sports (NYS) and Niwot High School's Girls Basketball team, the camp welcomed players from first grade all the way to rising ninth-graders for a week of fun and learning. "The Niwot Youth Sports/NHS girls basketball summer camp is a collaboration between both of our programs where we seek to provide girls in the...
Reconnecting with her roots has always been a dream of Sky Bauer, a Niwot High School junior. A lover of the outdoors, animals, and an avid athlete, Bauer is currently in Germany as a part of the Rotary Club of Niwot's Youth Exchange for the 2024–2025 school year. "Bauer in German means farmer," said Bauer, 17. "Growing up, my mother's side always spoke German at reunions and around the house." Over time, however, she said she slowly lost the skill. "Going to public school, spending more time w...
After 26 years at Niwot High School, Michael Rees is closing the final chapter of a remarkable teaching career. He showed unwavering dedication in the classroom and demonstrated visionary leadership throughout his tenure. Rees played a key role in introducing the International Baccalaureate (IB) program to Niwot, transforming the school's academic offerings and expanding opportunities for students for years to come. Rees first connected with the International Baccalaureate program in the 1980s...
Alison Tafel graduated from Longmont High School in 2005 and has since made a name for herself in what Tafel likes to call "the showbiz." Working up the ranks of Hollywood's talented writers, Tafel has been a vital piece within a myriad of popular television shows that most likely appear on the screens of many Colorado residents. Dustin Bell and Jennifer Dalby, both Niwot High School alumni, remain two of her best friends. Both Bell and Dalby have ties to theater, Bell having also performed at...
On Thursday, May 29, the Niwot Business Association’s Minimum Wage Task Force, led by Niwot business owner Nicholas Little, gathered in Niwot Hall for a weekly meeting of Niwot area residents concerned about the minimum wage ordinance's effect on Boulder County’s unincorporated communities. Little’s task force represents over a dozen small business leaders, farmers, and concerned citizens who are organizing a campaign urging Boulder County Commissioners to pause the implementation of a multi-year minimum wage increase ordinance at the end o...
Sitting at his host family's kitchen table in Niwot, clad in a Broncos T-shirt and baseball cap, Rotary Youth Exchange student Simon Rosendahl-Post does not seem far from home. A Niwot High School student, junior varsity soccer player, and baseball enthusiast, his transition from Denmark to Colorado looks natural. Rosendahl-Post, 16, spent the 2024–25 school year at Niwot through the Rotary Youth Exchange program. "I'm from a small town," he said with a smile. "It's R-Y in Denmark, but I think i...
The first thing anyone who knows Arlo Richards will tell you is that he works hard. Whether he was in the outfield, at the plate, or unexpectedly on the mound, the 2025 Niwot High School graduate gave everything he had on and off the diamond. He was known to frequent the field in the offseason, always putting in the work to get better. And in the final week of his high school career, that effort paid off. Richards took the mound and came through in relief during both of the Cougars' last games....
The 2025 Night of Champions ceremony unfolded with pride as students, families, faculty, and community members gathered in Niwot High School's auditorium on Sunday, June 1, to recognize the outstanding academic and athletic achievements of the year. Principal Eric Raushkolb opened the night by describing a remarkable school year including a 99.3% graduation rate and over $29 million in scholarship offers, which was a new school record. In Niwot High's 51-year history, Cougar athletes have...
The Mead High School girls lacrosse team wrapped up its 2025 season with an impressive run to the Class 4A state semifinals, finishing with a 13-5 overall record and a 3-0 mark in league play. Under the leadership of first-year head coach Rachel Class, who was named CHSAA's Class 4A Coach of the Year, the Mavericks showcased resilience and growth throughout the season. In the postseason, Mead secured victories over No. 13 Telluride High School and No. 5 Golden High School before facing top-seede...
On Sunday, June 1, members of the Niwot community gathered in Niwot High School's auditorium for the annual Night of Champions celebration. After the student-focused portion of the evening, NHS principal Eric Rauschkolb transitioned to the second inaugural Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Olympian Elise Cranny, former professional baseball player Mike Moat, and longtime school supporter Mabel Miyasaki were each recognized for the profound impact they have had on Niwot High School, the Niwot comm...
Keegan Geldean took his first strides as a runner when most kids were still figuring out how to tie their shoes. But after more than a decade of early morning practices, hot midday track meets, and national title races, the 2025 Niwot High School graduate is about to start a brand new chapter. Geldean is set to compete in cross country and track at Adams State University, a top-tier NCAA Division II program in Alamosa, Colorado. The decision came after a campus visit and a scholarship offer...
Niwot High School's boys volleyball team recently celebrated numerous postseason awards. Released by the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) on May 19, the Class 5A All-State awards reflect standout boys volleyball athletes of 2025. Rising senior Charlie Kirtland was named to the All-State Second Team. Kirtland played the libero position, a highly specialized defensive role. "It truly does mean so much to be recognized," he said. "I think that especially as a libero, it takes goi...
Maurice Henriques, the architect behind one of Colorado's most dominant high school track and field programs, has been named CHSAA Coach of the Year, for both the boys and girls track teams, adding another accolade to an already distinguished career spanning nearly two decades. Known affectionately as Coach Mo to his athletes, Henriques has transformed Niwot High School into a statewide track and field powerhouse, consistently producing championship teams and elite competitors who have gone on...
As the girls golf season comes to a close, individual accomplishments and team milestones have marked a strong finish to the year for the Niwot High School girls golf team. While no trophies were brought home, the team demonstrated determination and potential, setting the stage for a strong showing next season. "The highlight was having a young team," Head Coach Ed Weaver said. "I was very proud of how the girls played this season. I saw improvement in both their scores and their confidence thro...
For her many volunteer activities that enhance the Niwot community, Denise Chamberlain is the Left Hand Valley Courier's May Left Hand Laurel. Chamberlain is a professional artist, and the creator of the large "Spirit of Niwot" mural on the west and north sides of the former Excel Electric building, along the railroad tracks near 2nd Avenue and Murray Street, and the "Bug's Eye View" mural on the former feed store property at 291 2nd Avenue. Chamberlain also had a hand as a volunteer, along...
Twenty-one years after graduating from Niwot High School, Emily Harrington has traded Colorado's Front Range for Lake Tahoe's alpine setting, but her connection to the outdoors that began in Boulder has only grown stronger. The 2004 Niwot graduate made international headlines when she became the first woman to free climb El Capitan's Golden Gate route in Yosemite National Park in under 24 hours, cementing her place among the world's elite climbers. But for those who knew her growing up in...
Niwot High School Athletic Director and Assistant Principal Joe Brown has been elected President of the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) Board of Directors. His two-year term begins on July 1, 2025, following three years of service as the District 2 representative, a role that covers schools in the Centennial, Frontier, Northern Colorado Athletic Conference, and Longs Peak leagues. Brown has been part of Niwot High's staff since 2019. The presidency, Brown explained, is an...
Gabriel Bandera, a 2025 graduate of Niwot High School, reminisced on his time in the music and arts programs in Niwot before he heads into the music and film industry. "I've been playing piano in Jazz Band for four years at Niwot High and Advanced Jazz Band for the past three years, but I've been playing piano for much longer than that and saxophone for a few years as well," said Bandera. "By my junior year at Niwot I really started to take music, especially jazz and improv more seriously. I...
Niwot High School's Class of 2025 was honored in a heartfelt and celebratory Senior Night on Friday, May 23, marking the culmination of four years filled with academic success, community involvement, and personal growth. Hosted by senior Masters of Ceremony Peyton Rhodes, Mahuiztli (Mo) Martinez, Mila Barinek, Maria Arrece Garcia, and Meleah Perez, the event blended student performances, award presentations, and reflections, highlighting the accomplishments and unique contributions of this...
When Elise Cranny picked up the phone and heard Niwot High School principal Eric Rauschkolb and athletic director Joe Brown on the other end, she did not expect anything out of the ordinary. "I just figured maybe it was something for the cross country team," Cranny said. "I didn't even think it could be this." Rauschkolb and Brown told Cranny she had been selected for the Class of 2025 Niwot High School Hall of Fame. The two-time Olympian, NCAA standout at Stanford, and professional runner was...
Continuing a powerful tradition of community service, the Rotary Club of Niwot awarded three scholarships at Niwot High School's Senior Night on Thursday, May 22. The Rotary Club of Niwot, formed in 2008, supports many community causes, including students at Niwot High School. The recent scholarships were the Outstanding Student Award, the Community Service Award, and the Niwot Rotary Student of the Year Award. Students throughout St. Vrain Valley School District who demonstrate exceptional...
The Niwot High School girls golf team finished ninth at the 4A Girls Golf State Tournament at The Broadlands in Broomfield on Monday, May 19 and Tuesday, May 20, posting a two-day total of 558 points. The Cougars showed their strength in a highly competitive field, with Riverdale Ridge High School taking first place with 500 points, followed by Durango High School in second (513) and Ponderosa High School in third (529). Despite the challenges, the Cougars displayed resilience throughout the...
