All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
Sorted by date Results 1726 - 1775 of 2533
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...
The Niwot varsity cross country teams looked formidable as they battled some friendly but fierce rivals at the Fairview Invitational on Sept. 12. Led by junior Zane Bergen in the boys race and freshman standout Mia Prok in the girls race, the Cougars claimed both team titles for the second consecutive weekend, and appear to be in great shape as they head into the most crucial weeks of the shortened 2020 season, according to head coach Kelly Christensen. "The kids are responding to the stress...
Leonard Sitongia is an essential worker, or more fittingly, an essential volunteer for the Niwot community. Even before Leonard and his wife Christine moved to their Niwot home in 2014, while waiting for their North Boulder house to sell, he stepped up to be an area representative for the Niwot Community Association (NCA). For the past three years, he's also been the organization's secretary. Hearing about his history, it's clear that connecting through community engagement is Sitongia's modus...
The ability to travel during COVID-19 may feel sidelined, but time travel is still possible thanks to the Niwot Historical Society's lecture series. Unfortunately, the annual NHS lecture series can't take place in person at the Left Hand Grange, so the organization has come up with another venue in which to immerse the public in local history. The first of three speakers will take to the internet in September with a lecture titled, "The Switzerland Trail, a Boulder County Railroad," presented...
It took just three innings for Niwot softball to roll past Thompson Valley, 17-0, on Thursday, Sept. 3. The Cougars cranked out 14 hits and freshman Anne Booth left the Eagles hitless at Centennial Park in Loveland. Niwot, which improved to 3-4, has won three of its last four games after starting the season 0-3 and being outscored 39-5. Head coach Bobby Matthews applauded his team for applying the fundamentals learned in practice to the big stage. "It's especially nice when they do the things...
Dulce means "sweet or mild" in Spanish, but the Niwot catcher by that name was a tough out on the softball diamond last week. After belting a game-tying double against Severance on Sept. 1, she exploded at the plate against Thompson Valley to lead the Cougars to a 17-0 victory. But if senior Dulce Amaya is hard on opposing pitchers, she embodies her name off the field and her relentlessly positive leadership has been a "huge" factor in his team's recent turnaround, according to Niwot head coach...
In a year when many business headlines aren't positive, Bootstrap Brewing Company, founded in Niwot, recently made a significant staffing and financing announcement. Geoff Hess, former Regional Director of National Accounts at CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective, will join Bootstrap's staff as the director of sales. In addition, Dale Katechis, founder of Oskar Blues Brewery, will join Bootstrap as an advisor and investor. The amount of his investment hasn't been specified. The good news spilled...
The Rotary Club was founded over a century ago in Chicago, and since then, the organization has advanced to nearly every corner of the globe, including several local clubs in the Left Hand Valley and St. Vrain Valley areas. Rotary International is best known as a service organization, and their work on polio eradication is well documented, a hallmark of local Rotary clubs around the world, including those in the Left Hand Valley. A recent merger between two local clubs, the St. Vrain and the...
There's almost nothing normal about the way Jesse Horn's senior year at Niwot High started, so he's grateful for the one thing in his daily routine that hasn't changed much in 2020-the boys golf season. With classes conducted remotely and marching band performances on hold, Horn said having practice with his friends to look forward to every afternoon has kept him centered. "I definitely did not expect golf to be the most normal thing so far," the third-year veteran said. Golf is one of only four...
Local collegiate and high school football seasons may be on hold, but for Niwot Youth Sports flag football, it's nearly business as usual. Players ranging from kindergarten through fifth grade will grace the gridiron this fall at the Biff Warren Sports Complex on Nimbus Road. The league will consist of three age divisions (kindergarten/first grade, second/third grade and fourth/fifth grade) with four teams per division. Practice started on Aug. 31, and games will be played on Sundays beginning...
Fifth-year Niwot head coach Kelly Christensen is grateful that the 2020 high school cross country season is proceeding, even if in a modified form, but he was also quick to acknowledge that, like everything else that it hasn't cancelled or postponed this year, the COVID-19 pandemic has made the sport more difficult for everyone involved. "It's everything, whether it's the schedule, trying to plan Covid practices, debating whether or not we're going to cut rosters, or finding races. I would say...
The Niwot boys tennis team opened the abbreviated 2020 season at a breakneck pace, winning four times in a week while going 27-1 in match play. But so far, the road to undefeated has been pretty smooth for the Cougars and 18th-year head coach Miikka Keronen is eager to find some more challenging terrain. "We need to be tested," he said after Niwot's 7-0 win over Riverdale Ridge on Aug. 20. "Of course I'm happy, who wouldn't be happy at 4-0. But at the same time, we're pretty loaded this year,...
Tens of thousands of students returned to school in St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) last week for what will undoubtedly be an unprecedented academic year. First graders through high school seniors started school on Aug. 18, with kindergarteners following suit on Aug. 20. Instead of first day high-fives and fist bumps, students greeted their classmates and teachers through a computer screen. SVVSD has a handful of learning modes for this year. The majority of students are following the...
Captain Sam Keronen has one goal for his upcoming senior tennis season: win the elusive Class 4A state championship for Niwot. "I want to win it individually and I want to win as a team," he said. "I think this could be the year we take it home." Cougar tennis has long been considered one of the elite high school programs in Colorado, but the boys have yet to claim the sport's top prize. Both Keronen and the Cougars have come close before, most recently in 2018, when Niwot finished second...
Isabella Steiner, age 16, a junior at Niwot High School, is shown here jumping her horse Cool Toddy at the Summer in the Rockies show series at Colorado Horse Park. Steiner won grand champion of the 1.05 Meter jumping competition, held during the week of July 15-22nd. Steiner is currently leading zone 8 in the country for 1.05 meter jumpers and has been invited to compete in the United States Hunter Jumper Association National competitions in Las Vegas in November....
Niwot softball's inexperience proved detrimental at Berthoud High School on Saturday, Aug. 15, as the Cougars dropped their season opener against the Spartans, 15-0. With four out of the nine starting Cougars fresh to the varsity level, Assistant Coach Jason Johnson said he told the girls after the game, "This won't define us." The unfamiliar stage of varsity competition is now a little more palatable for Niwot. "You could see a lot of nerves and first game jitters," Johnson said. "There's a...
Niwot High School head football coach Nikolas Blume had a gut feeling his inaugural season at Niwot would be delayed. Even so, the news was still a punch in the gut. "To be honest, I was pretty disappointed," Blume said. "My whole staff is pretty disappointed. There was a lot of time that had gone by and you could kind of see what else was happening around us. If that decision ultimately was going to be made, it could have been made a lot sooner." Blume's discontent stems from the hours of pract...
With students returning to school on Tuesday, Aug. 18, it is time to meet all of the new teachers who will be entering Niwot High School. From PE to English, Niwot is welcoming staff who are prepared to guide students through online learning. Eric Rasmussen will be teaching pre-IB honors biology, pre-IB chemistry/physics, and IB chemistry SL, with classes spanning across all grades (9-12). Previously, Rasmussen taught chemistry and biology for three years at Silver Creek High School. He also...
Students at Niwot High School returned to school on Tuesday, Aug. 18, albeit through virtual means. And while the academic situation remains uncertain, with potential to add in-person classes at some point, many activities are operating with even less clarity. Both the St. Vrain Valley School District and the Boulder Valley School District are starting the academic year with 100 percent virtual instruction. Some sports such as tennis and golf are allowed, but with extra precautions. Many...
Admirers left flowers, notes and appreciative comments on social media for the artist who brought Native American images to life from the stumps of massive willow trees along Niwot Road. Artist Eddie Running Wolf died Aug. 5 at age 62. "He put his heart and soul into that project," said his sister Margie Albert. "He knew all the history of what he was putting in there. And knew it as if it was his own history, as if he was that Indian warrior. He put himself into it." Starting in 2007, Running...
Direct impacts of COVID-19 have officially reached the fall with the Colorado High School Athletics Association (CHSAA) announcing its rearranged 2020-21 athletics and activities calendar. Instead of traditional fall, winter and spring sports seasons, CHSAA will now hold A, B, C and D seasons that will extend through June. Most notably, football, volleyball and boys soccer will move their usual fall slate to the early-March Season C. Boys tennis, golf, softball and cross country are continuing...
A shortened 16-game season and limited varsity roster will only heighten the excitement for Niwot High School softball this fall. Coming off a 12-14 season, Coach Bobby Matthews leads a young roster into what will be, one way or another, a historic 2020 season. Per the Colorado High School Athletic Association's (CHSAA) COVID-19 regulations, there will be no non-conference matchups and only 16 guaranteed games opposed to the usual 23 games. That means Niwot will only be facing teams from the...
Ed Weaver isn't thrilled with his team's finish at their season debut at Quail Dunes Golf Course on Aug. 7, but that isn't to say he's disappointed either. In fact, the Cougars met his expectations more or less exactly in Fort Morgan, and now he can see their path to the postseason a little more clearly. "What I need to do is take my 90s guys-Luc, Emmett and Carlos-and get them to take five or six shots off each of their scores, so they're in the high 80s. Then we'll be right in the thick of thi...
Eddie Running Wolf , an artist who created the Native American tree sculptures in Niwot, passed away on Aug. 5 due to complications from a suspected case of COVID-19. He was 62. He leaves behind his wife Melissa and two sons, Calvin, 23, and Dustin, 21. A GoFundMe has been created to assist the family with medical and funeral expenses. Preston Cates, a family friend, is also holding a fundraiser on Sunday, Aug. 9. Below is a letter from Cates to the community: To who this may address, One of my... Full story
On July 29, the Colorado High School Athletics Association (CHSAA) announced that boys tennis and softball would join boys golf for the fall 2020 sports season. As of Aug. 2, other fall sports including football and volleyball are still awaiting a verdict. Softball and boys tennis are permitted to begin official practices on Aug. 10 with competition starting as soon as Aug. 13. Health and safety is a top priority and CHSAA has made significant modifications to each sport’s season. Per CHSAA, the softball season will be shortened from 23 to 1...
Amid the hubbub about the return to play plans for high school sports such as football and cross country, the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) quietly gave boys golf the green light to start its season as scheduled during the first week of August. In an announcement dated July 25, CHSAA stated that golf is "able to be played under the current national, state, county and CHSAA health guidelines as they pertain to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," and, as such, plans for the 2020...
Editor's Note: Covid-19 has made an impact on almost everyone in the Left Hand Valley, with the announcement of a new online learning schedule at Niwot High School. Students at Niwot are scheduled to complete all of their schoolwork online. This remote learning schedule will tentatively begin on August 18th and last until the end of September. While many are unsure of what the rest of the school year is going to look like, various students are not only worried about the quality of their...
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...
There wasn't anything normal about the way high school ended for the Niwot Class of 2020, but the belated graduation ceremony held on Saturday, July 25 was a lovely approximation of it. Perfect weather and a celebratory mood were the order of the day as more than 250 graduates finally crossed the stage to mark the official end of their high school journeys. Still, the ongoing health crisis loomed large over the proceedings, mostly in mundane practicalities such as social distancing and mask requ...
Niwot High School girls swim coach Sarah Stamp has run out of superlatives for her top swimmer, Mary Codevilla, who appears on the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association 2019-2020 All-American list for the second straight year. "I would say undoubtedly, probably the most well-rounded, top swimmer that (has) come through Niwot, hands down," Stamp said in describing the outstanding swimmer. Codevilla's talent is recognized past Niwot with her name splashed throughout the NISCA...
At Niwot High School, there are two parent groups that aim to support students--the Niwot High School Education Foundation and the Niwot High School Boosters, Inc., which supports all athletic teams and other clubs on campus. In fact, in part thanks to the booster club's efforts, Mile High Magazine has ranked Niwot's 4A athletic program number one in Colorado for the past two years. Building on this momentum, booster president Donna Blondeau is excited to get the community involved with the...
Niwot Youth Sports baseball was thriving in the 1990s and was in desperate need of additional fields for its over 500 ballplayers. NYS was limited to local school fields and borrowed land for much of its then 20-year history. The situation was not ideal for a growing program. Former NYS Softball director Jim Martinsen reached out to the Left hand Water District in hopes of securing land for future ballfields and his wish was granted. NYS quickly constructed three makeshift fields adjacent to...
Eleven years and a slew of accomplishments later, Niwot girls swimming head coach Sarah Stamp is calling it quits. "It was just time to step away and focus on my full time job and my family," she said. "I have a little one, so time's a precious thing... (it's) time to let someone else come in and take over." During her tenure as a coach at Niwot, Stamp won back-to-back Northern Conference crowns and led the Cougars to a 4A state runner-up spot in 2019. She was also the statewide 4A Coach of the...
The Niwot United Methodist Church welcomed a new pastor earlier this month in Rev. Emily Kintzel, a Colorado native and experienced clergy member. She replaces Rev. Walter "Skip" Strickland, who came out of retirement to serve as interim pastor for the last year. Prior to coming to Niwot, Kintzel was the pastor at the Lyons Community Church for several years. She has also served as a pastor in Evans, Colo., and spent 11 years as a youth director in Longmont before taking the position at NUMC....
GOLF Kelsey Webster (Fairview) of Gunbarrel was named to the Women's Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar for the 2019-2020 season. Webster, a sophomore psychology major at the University of Colorado, posted a 77.58 stroke norm for 12 rounds. To be eligible for WGCA Golf All-American Scholar status, a golfer must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.50 (on a 4.0 scale) and must have played in 50 percent of the college's regularly scheduled competitive rounds during the...
Niwot High School has announced plans for an official graduation ceremony for the class of 2020. In a letter sent out to students and parents, NHS principal Eric Rauschkolb thanked everyone for their support through health concerns and the unconventional end to the school year. "We know that this year did not end in the way that anyone expected, however, as we look ahead to our official graduation ceremony, we could not be more excited to celebrate the outstanding students in our 2020...
Two Niwot High School students made their voices heard in an international competition with their performance of "I Am The One (reprise)." Soon-to-be NHS seniors Jazz Mueller and Grable Howie moved from the state level and beyond before the pandemic changed the way competitions were being held. "It kind of ended up evening the playing field," Howie said. "For us, it didn't matter what was happening. We were going to take every opportunity we had. When we got invited to submit a video for it, we...
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...
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...
Track standout Taylor James didn't get a chance to win any big races for Niwot in 2020, but she still claimed a big prize at season's end. On June 25, the rising senior was named the Colorado Girls Track Athlete of the Year by Gatorade, one of the most exclusive awards in high school athletics. "She's definitely special," Cougar cross country coach Kelly Christensen said of the talented runner, who was also named ColoradoClass 4A Girls Athlete of the Year in 2019. "Gatorade is a tough award, so...
Since 2008, the Mwebaza Foundation has been an integral part of our Niwot community. The nonprofit has expanded its partner schools to include Coyote Ridge, Coronado Hills, and Eagle Crest while also incorporating school clubs at Sunset Middle and Niwot High to allow students to continue their involvement with the foundation. Recently, the foundation's four Ugandan partner schools have suffered severely under COVID-19 restrictions, including extended lockdown measures and school closures. Many...
With just 60 days to go before the Nikolas Blume era of Niwot football kicks off, the first-year head coach expected to be well on his way to implementing the rebuilding project he was hired to undertake back in February. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic made a hash of those plans, and so it wasn't until last week that Coach Blume was able to watch his players in action for the first time. So far, he's been pleased with what he's seen, but there's no denying that the long layoff has...
Dawn Walton sensed that something was going on. She noticed that some of her neighbors in Niwot and Boulder County were averting their eyes when they saw her. She figured it had something to do with the protests that were dominating the news. People spilling into the streets to express outrage over the death of George Floyd under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer. So she spoke up on the social media site, Nextdoor. "I walk around Niwot often, with or without my husband and children, who...
Around lunchtime on February 20, a scary situation unfolded outside of the entrance to Niwot High School when a belligerent 51-year old man tried to enter the building and confront a staff member. But thanks to sharp-eyed campus supervisors La'Mar West and Andrew Hart, the would-be intruder was quickly subdued, and no students or faculty were harmed. Recently, the pair was honored by the Boulder County Sheriff's Office for their "exceptional performance, achievement, and exemplary initiative"...
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...
My name is Ellise Stager and I am going to be a junior at Niwot High School in the fall. The Community Food Share is in need of food contribution as a result of the global pandemic, and in an effort to replenish the Community Food Share, I'm hosting a canned and non-perishable food drive in the Niwot community. The week of June 22-26, I will be collecting food from neighborhoods. If you would like for me to pick up the food from your home, kindly leave grocery bag(s) out by noon and visible from...
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...
For graduating senior Rachael Triplett, much of her career at Niwot High School has been marked by her involvement in clubs and participation in the International Baccalaureate Program (IB). During her time there, she was a four-year participant in the Knitting Club, played in the orchestra and ran both track and cross country. "Join everything you can, it's the best way to meet people," said Triplett. "Or, at least it was for me." It was her willingness to try new activities and classes that...
When Cinda Kochen was a high school student, a classmate came to her, asking if she would help him win the race for class president. He told her that he wanted her help, because he saw her as the bridge between the affluent students and the "have-not" kids in school. This was her first attempt and exposure to local politics. "I have always participated, but more as a worker bee than someone interested in political office," said Kochen. She has done so much more than simply being a worker bee--sh...
