All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
Sorted by date Results 151 - 200 of 1912
I am a new reporter for the Left Hand Valley Courier after responding to their ad. Although I do not have any reporting experience, I am a retired professional civil engineer who has spent many hours writing technical documents over my career, so I will try not to bore you. I moved to a farm outside of Lyons, Colorado in 1968 with my family and have resided in Colorado the entire time. Although I grew up outside of Lyons, Colorado, I did not attend school in Lyons and consequently graduated...
First, just in case you were wondering, most of these groups of letters are not acronyms but initialisms, as they cannot be pronounced as a word. For example, FOMO (fear of missing out), FedEx, and NASA are pronounced as words, consequently they are acronyms, whereas ATM is not pronounced “attem,” thus an initialism. But the initialisms listed above represent organizations in Niwot, including non-profits, a taxing district and its advisory committee, and a business committee, which are all quite important to local Niwot citizens. The ini...
Niwot High School 2014 graduate Madison Bounds has many stories to tell, and he delivers them with the clarity and the detailed eye of an ardent historian. Ranging from topics as diverse as men's basketball at the University of Kentucky to German immigration, Bounds has documented the lives of teachers, painters, and sports figures on film. And even though LIfeStory Films, the company he founded in 2022, is based in New York, Bounds has strong ties to the Niwot community. In 2001, when Bounds...
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Madison Kintzel, an eighth-grader at Sunset Middle School won the Niwot High School Art Show Rising Star Award for her sculpture of a willow tree erupting out of the middle of a book, with long spiraled paper branches and tiny paper leaves hanging over a lake, which was made by cutting several layers of paper deeper into the bottom half of the book. The artwork is entitled "Weeping Willow." The award was presented during the Niwot High School Art Showcase in early December. The Rising Star...
Knowing that she likely won't swim competitively in college, Reese Lavigne is simply trying to enjoy her senior season. The fourth-year Niwot High School swimmer has accomplished plenty in her prep career and wants to cherish these final days with her teammates. "It's been great," Lavigne said. "We do have a close-knit team, and I'll be hanging out with my swim friends outside of swimming a lot. A lot of the seniors that I'm friends with, I've swam with them all of high school, so I know them...
Niwot High School’s annual Gary Daum Classic has quickly grown into one of Colorado’s premiere boys wrestling tournaments. Named in honor of former NHS boys wrestling head coach Gary Daum, who passed away in 2012 following a battle with cancer, the mid-season tournament returns to Niwot on Saturday, Jan. 6, with a bevy of big-name programs attending. Twenty-one teams, including Niwot, will be competing at this year’s event, the 11th under its current title. “This year, we've added Air Academy, Berthoud, as well as Pueblo County, which is a pe...
This is a Christmas story wrapped up in a baseball story - a story of faith, belief and redemption. I finally got around to reading a book given to me several years ago by my friends and former Boulder Daily Camera sportswriters Bill and Leo Hirsch. The book, "It's Not Who Won or Lost the Game-It's How You Sold the Beer," is an autobiography of Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Wolff, who happens to be the only broadcaster to call the World Series, the NFL championship game, the NBA championship game...
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Dylan Wittstruck Niwot High School lost one of its own when math teacher, Dylan Wittstruck, died Sun. Dec. 17, 2023. Wittstruck had been on the NHS staff since 2016....
The Niwot Sanitation District Board of Directors hosted a public meeting at the Left Hand Grange in Niwot Dec. 14 to let customers know that fees will rise substantially in the new year to fund infrastructure improvements which have been in the planning stages for the past three years. For many years, Niwot Sanitation District customers have grown accustomed to paying only a $71.00 bimonthly cost of service, without a mill levy for property taxes, which most special districts impose for capital...
I am a 2019 graduate of Niwot High School and recently earned a Journalism and Media Communication degree from Colorado State University in 2023, with a minor in Spanish. I grew up in Lyons, Colorado, and moved to southwest Longmont when I was 15. I was on the varsity softball team at Niwot High for all four years and was elected as a co-captain with my best friend, Caitlyn Schreiner, my senior year. In high school, I was an outfielder but I played third base my junior year. I have a brother...
Contrary to popular belief, I am actually quite private and introverted, so writing this profile on myself is challenging. I am a born and raised Niwot native who attended Niwot Elementary, Altona Middle School, and graduated from Niwot High School (an undisclosed amount of years ago). Having grown up in our cute little town, I've gotten to know a lot of people and become involved in several things over the years. I received my Eagle Scout award from Troop 161 (an undisclosed amount of years...
Hi! I'm Camryn Bell. I am a student at Niwot High School, and I have always had a love of writing. I've been a part of the Niwot community my entire life and I love everything about it. I have two brothers, two dogs, and one sister-in-law (my brother has a lovely girlfriend as well). My mom, Alyson Bell, is by far the most inspiring person I have ever met. I'm passionate about a lot of things, writing being one of them, of course. I also enjoy theater, music, sports (specifically horseback...
My name is Jonathan Epstein and it's a pleasure to join the Left Hand Valley Courier. Except for a stint in San Diego to see what all the hubbub was about, I've lived in Colorado for the better part of 34 years, with the last 20 being in Niwot and Gunbarrel. Originally from Buffalo (Go Bills), New York, I moved to Colorado in part because my high school college counselor said I'd fall off the face of the earth if I moved west of Ohio. Challenging her contention, I drove to Boulder to attend CU,...
Because his days on the Niwot High School boys basketball team are limited, Brighton Langenegger has dedicated his senior season toward "inspiring the younger guys." Langenegger's motive stems from an acronym he learned while attending a PGC (Point Guard College) Basketball camp: E.T.D.M.T.Y.S., which stands for "Expect To Do More Than Your Share." Essentially, the instruction promotes going above and beyond in all aspects of life. "Every moment, no matter what you're doing, do it more-that...
The Niwot High School boys basketball team has reached the holiday break with a 3-5 record. The Cougars played their most recent game against the Longmont High School Trojans, falling short of victory with a 67-34 loss. Niwot has now lost five straight after starting hot with a 3-0 start. Niwot still has 12 games left to stop their skid, so there is still hope. Niwot started the game slowly, scoring just five points in the first quarter. While Niwot struggled to get going, Longmont jumped up...
Niwot High School is host to over 60 student-run clubs, and one that represents a multitude of talented and passionate Niwot students is the Drama Club. Aiden Sagner, Drama Club President, defines Drama Club as a group that "meets with students who are looking to improve their acting skills and broaden their knowledge and understanding of the theater world." Drama Club particularly appeals to students who may not have time to involve themselves in theater classes. For example those who are...
Julianna Deems was nominated by her art teacher, Jennifer Tjornehoj, as the Sunset Middle School Arts Student of the Week. Deems is in the sixth grade and recently won the Blue Ribbon Award, a prestigious award based on handpicked artwork by the principal of the middle school. Deems loves painting, oil pastels, and creating sculptures in and outside of her classes at Sunset. She also participates in the school's orchestra program. Deems said that she has a strong connection with art. "When I do...
A record number of choir students earned the distinction of becoming members of the St. Vrain Valley School District Honor Choir for January 2024. Fifty-three singers were selected after an arduous try-out process. The Honor Choir consists of both a Mixed Choir and a Treble Choir. Laura Walters, Director of Choirs at Niwot, said, "We practiced in class all semester up until the audition and students had to audition on their own in November." The audition process included learning a portion of...
Niwot High School wrestlers competed at the 9th Annual Keith Kilker Invitational Tournament at Weld Central High School Dec. 16, but attrition left the Cougars with a small roster. The format of the tournament has each wrestler compete against wrestlers in the same weight class from each of the four other schools in a round-robin format. Thus, there are no elimination rounds, and each wrestler comes away with a personal won-loss record. “We have been dealing with some sickness and a few injuries as well as some kids leaving for break,” Cou...
The Niwot High School girls basketball team had to reevaluate expectations. A few injuries and departures from last year's starting lineup forced the Cougars to rebuild the team from the ground up. With seven games under their belt and new lineups being tested, hiccups are to be expected and struggling is an opportunity to learn. In the first conference competition on Dec. 9, the Cougars fought hard to stay in the game but ultimately lost to Silver Creek High School, 46-35. Rose Pacheco stole...
The Niwot High School boys basketball team has strung together two tough weeks as their season continues to slide. Niwot fell roughly to both Severance High School and Riverdale Ridge High School. The Cougars started the week with a loss to the Riverdale Ridge Ravens, 66-48, to fall to 3-3 on the year before losing to the Severance Silver Knights, 59-36, dropping to 3-4 on the year. Niwot started slow against Riverdale Ridge, only scoring 12 points in the first half. The Ravens ran up the...
Even when not at full strength, the Niwot High School girls swim team is a formidable opponent. On Dec. 13, the NHS girls swimming team hosted the Roosevelt High School Roughriders at the St. Vrain Aquatic Center next to Silver Creek High School, and came away with a 197-88 victory. Coach Ella Thramann said, “This meet, we had very few of our girls there, but the ones that stood out the most were Charlotte Heuer, who made state [qualifying times] in 50 free (26.44) [and] 500 free (5:46.29), our A relay for 200 free relay, [which] was 2 s...
Bert Steele was a beloved member of the Niwot community for over twenty years as the face of the Niwot Market in the Cottonwood Square shopping center. Steele, who died last summer after a short illness, was known for his friendly down-home demeanor, and made friends wherever he went. Steele and his family turned the Niwot Market into a successful business that also hosts several other small businesses within its doors. Steele was also involved in most of Niwot's many community events,...
Her name is simply Sunshine – and she totally exudes it. Sunshine provides manicures, pedicures and facials at Classic Looks in Niwot and is this week's Familiar Face. The owner of Classic Looks, Sheri Sutton, met and hired Sunshine in 2005, when Sunshine first moved to Colorado, and they have been together ever since. "Classic Looks is like my second family," Sunshine explained one recent day, sitting in the salon in Cottonwood Square. "I just love, love this place," she added with a smile. "...
Niwot High School’s Second Annual Art Showcase was a big success Dec. 4-6. The show was hosted by the Niwot High School Booster Music Performance and Art which is affiliated with the Niwot High School Boosters, Inc., and sponsored by the Boulder School of Fine Art. The show displayed art from both students at Niwot High School as well as from younger art students at Burlington Elementary School and Sunset Middle School. The show was started a year ago to help display the achievements of local arts students which often has been overlooked due to...
The annual Longmont Lights Parade was held on Saturday, Dec. 9, on Main Street in Longmont. Niwot High School and Silver Creek High School have both been participating in this parade for many years but in 2014, the two schools started to team up as a super-band for this particular parade. The increase in cross-school band cohesion among St. Vrain Valley schools has been remarkable. "Since we are a combined band and don't wear our typical marching uniforms," said Wade Hendricks, Director of...
The Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) Advisory Committee approved two funding proposals from the Niwot Business Association (NBA) at its Dec. 5 meeting. Chuck Klueber presented a request for funding to clean up the area along Niwot Road where Eddie Running Wolf's iconic tree carvings have been removed for restoration. The application requested $862 toward the total cost of $1,062, based on a bid from Niwot arborist company We Love Trees. The NBA and the Niwot Cultural Arts Association each...
Niwot High School junior Kennah Brackett has been selected to participate in the Colorado All State Jazz Choir (ASJC), which is open to students in the 11th and 12th grades. Brackett is the first NHS student to be chosen for this honor. According to Laura Walters, Choral Music Director at NHS, Brackett worked hard to prepare herself for the initial audition. "She had to prepare two solos as well as several scales," Walters said, "all performed in a swung/jazz style. For one of the solos, she...
Niwot High School is host to over 60 student-run clubs, and one stand-out is the Best Buddies club. In the words of Claire Jensen, vice-president of Best Buddies, "Best Buddies is a global organization that is devoted to promoting the friendships between students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and students without. We promote activism, acceptance, and education all while having lots of fun. Our club specifically focuses on one-to-one friendships between students outside...
As one of only two seniors on this year's Niwot High School boys basketball team, Jackson Carano prides himself on being a leader. The third-year varsity forward has his own personal goals, but nothing compares to the value he puts on overall unity. "The biggest thing I've taken away is the importance of team building," Carano said. "As a team captain this year, that's one of the biggest things that I've wanted to focus on. I think we're doing it pretty well. It's building each other up as a...
The Niwot girls basketball team had a tough week, but if the team's last three quarters are any indication, things are looking up for the 2-3 Cougars. On Dec. 5, Niwot traveled to Roosevelt High School to take on the Roughriders, but came out on the short end of a 71-17 score. The Cougars had trouble generating any offense as sophomore Ella Zechman led the team in scoring with five points. Junior Evelyn Melis added four points and no other player had more than two points. Rose Pacheco, the...
In the world of high school sports, triumphs and setbacks are an inevitable part of the journey. The Niwot High School wrestling team faced challenges in the first three duals of the season, resulting in a 0-2 record to start the year. Breaking into the regular season, the Cougars dropped their dual against Timnath High School on Dec. 6 in a 48-30 loss. Despite the team's defeat, several athletes performed well. Sergio Rodriguez at 132 pounds pinned his opponent at 4:57, adding 6 points to...
Several young talents on the Niwot High School girls swim team are finding success early this season despite their inexperience. In the Cougars' 207-106 dual meet victory over Erie High School on Wednesday, Dec. 6, four underclassmen managed a first-place finish. Sophomore Emmy Hostelley won the 100-yard freestyle (1 minute, 4.65 seconds), freshman Camilla Wier-Bigelow's endurance proved best in the 500 freestyle (6:10.24), sophomore Lila Repsher led the 100 backstroke (1:11.11), and sophomore...
The Niwot High School boys basketball team started hot with a 3-0 start to the season before a tough second week. The Cougars took on Roosevelt High School and Silver Creek High School, falling in both games. Niwot started the week on Tuesday against the Roosevelt Roughriders, playing their first away game of the year. The Roughriders gave Niwot its first loss of the year, outscoring the Cougars 48-40. Walker Bounds, NHS boys basketball coach said, “I was encouraged by the team sticking together after a tough loss. They are a tight-knit g...
As expected, Colorado's girls dominated the 2023 Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) Saturday, Dec. 2, in Portland, Oregon, but no one was more dominant than Niwot's Addison Ritzenhein who now adds the title of National Champion to her growing list of credentials. Ritzenhein, just a sophomore, came into the 18th Nike national race expected to be one of the top five or six finishers in the race, but splashed through the mud and deep standing water on Portland's Glendoveer Golf Course to outpace in-state...
This year's Holiday Market at the Left Hand Grange had a record 1,003 people attending, marking a huge jump from the previous record of 635 people in one day, according to Deborah Fowler, one of the event organizers. This year, the Niwot Nickel, a specially made wooden coin worth $5 off one item in December at participating merchants, highlighted the event. Those visiting the Grange also received a tote bag with the Niwot Business Association logo on it. The Festive Food Hall at the Grange...
Niwot High School is host to over 60 different student-run clubs, one of which is the impressive Model United Nations Club. According to the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA), "Model UN is a simulation of the UN General Assembly and its other multilateral bodies where students perform an ambassador role while debating topics such as gender equality, climate action, global health, and more." The Niwot High Model United Nation members, under the supervision of...
When jazz musicians have played together for over 50 years, good things happen. Niwot's Keith Waters, a professor of music at the University of Colorado, got together with childhood friend Scott Sawyer to create a new jazz compact disc, titled "Night Songs." The 10-track CD is scheduled to be officially released on Dec. 16 at Sharp Nine Gallery in Durham, NC, but the disc is already available at Inkberry Books in NIwot, which Waters co-owns with Gene Hawworth, as well as online at Amazon and...
Although jazz guitarist Alex Fick has a busy schedule, with classes and performances in Marching Band, Advanced Jazz Band, Tenor/Bass Choir, and Drama, he still finds time to pursue a wide variety of other interests that engage his attention to detail and his passion to create. At the moment, he is inventing a card game. In addition, he is a volunteer gargoyle for Niwot's Rock & Rails summer concert series, and he recently made his own guitar. Over the summer. Fick built the guitar from...
The 2023-24 winter sports seasons are officially underway, and the Niwot girls basketball team came out of the gate with a winning record. In their opening matchup, the Niwot girls demonstrated exceptional teamwork and skill, securing a victory over Regis Groff High School, 37-35, that set a positive tone for the opening weekend round-robin tournament, hosted by Niwot Nov. 30 through Dec. 2. A strong junior class showcased their talents, but it was the cohesive unit of the Niwot squad that shined throughout the showing. Junior Rose Pacheco led...
With a largely inexperienced roster, Niwot girls swim head coach Ella Thramann is taking things slowly early this season. Originally set to compete in an invite on Dec. 2, Thramann instead scheduled a dual meet against Skyline for Dec. 2, hoping to give her Cougars a lower-stress learning opportunity. "A lot of our girls don't understand a meet, and we have a lot of girls this year who don't know really anything about swimming," Thramann said. "We decided to do a low-key dual where the girls cou...
The Niwot High School boys basketball team under first-year head coach Walker Bounds is off to a fast start, posting wins in the season-opening round robin tournament hosted by the Cougars Nov. 30-Dec. 2. Niwot lost seven varsity players to graduation last year, when the team finished with a 5-17 record under Coach Clay Wittrock, who stepped down after four years as head coach. Niwot is also without Jack Jarvis and Drew Stapp, both among the statistical leaders for the Cougars last season as...
After losing several of last year's standouts to graduation, the Niwot High School girls swim team is leaning on a new, younger core early this season. At the heart of Niwot's youth movement is Emmy Hostelley, a sophomore who quickly caught the attention of head coach Ella Thramann last winter. Thramann shared that the versatile Hostelley swims year-round and continues to make strides. "She definitely came back this season and has impressed me the most so far," Niwot's second-year head coach...
The Niwot High School wrestling lineup enjoyed early-season success on Nov. 29 during matches with Wheat Ridge High School. The Cougars ended up walking away with a 60-18 victory. With seven forfeits on the board in Niwot’s favor, the six remaining matches left room for the Cougars to show strategy and control. The team collected pins at the 132, 165, and 190 weight classes, contributing 18 points to the overall sum. Wheat Ridge found their own success with pins in the 120, 126, and 138-pound weight classes. Over the weekend, the Cougars p...
The Nov. 15 issue of the Courier stated that any excess donations above the cost of Bert’s Bench in front of Niwot Market “will be donated to Bert's Memorial Wrestling Scholarship at Niwot High School.” The GoFundMe page for the Robert M. Steele Memorial Scholarship Fund does not limit the scholarships to Niwot High School, stating, “All donations collected will go to a college or trade school-bound High School wrestler who demonstrates humility, acts of kindness and commitment to hard work, as Bert did, in the Fort Collins and/or Niwot,...
Temperatures in the low 20s and light snow did not keep the crowds away from Niwot's Enchanted Evening Nov. 24, nor the Holiday Parade the next morning on Nov. 25. ENCHANTED EVENING The annual tree-lighting ceremony in Niwot began with an abbreviated concert by what one band member referred to as the Niwot Community "Semi-Freezing" Free Grange Band. Niwot Inn & Spa proprietor Cornelia Sawle opened up her conference room to allow band members to "warm-up," a term that took on a dual meaning on...
Winter is a time for cheer, time with loved ones, good food, and of course, festive music. The Niwot High School orchestras, choirs, and bands will be hosting their annual winter concerts from Dec. 4 through Dec. 7. Kicking off the performance schedule on Monday, Dec. 4 at 7:00 p.m. is the “Winter Jazz in the Rockies” concert featuring the two jazz band ensembles at Niwot High School. The ensembles will perform several pieces including Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five,” Van Morrison’s “Moondance,” Lena Horne’s famous “Stormy Weather,” and more....
At the November team banquet for the Niwot High School girls softball team, head coach Bobby Matthews reiterated what he had said earlier in the year: softball can be a rough sport, and the best players don't always come out on top. He was clearly proud of this year's team that went as far as any Niwot team has gone since 2014, posting an overall record of 18 wins, 8 losses and one tie. The softball team placed third in the Longs Peak League and was ranked 32nd in the state. However, their play...
