All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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In what could have been considered a transitional season following the graduation of eight seniors, the Niwot boys soccer team continued its winning ways last fall and reached the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs. Last season was fun, said seventh-year head coach Stephen Dimit, but the Cougars are now setting the bar a little higher. "This is a hungry year," Dimit said. "They had a lot of fun last year, but I think they also really want to build on what they started. That's a great...
Downtown Niwot's National Night Out event on Aug. 2 was a huge success, with many community members enjoying hamburgers, hotdogs and drinks, courtesy of the Boulder County Sheriff's office. The annual community-driven campaign promotes first responders and community partnerships to foster neighborhood camaraderie and, ultimately, make our communities better places to live. Several community honors were awarded at the annual event. The Niwot Group at Compass real estate agency awarded their...
As we approach NHS's 50-year anniversary celebration on Sept. 9, we take a look back at the Cougar mascot and its history. The first graduating class of 1974 selected the mascot. Sources say that it was nicknamed 'Carrie the Cougar.' While the "Carrie" moniker has been dropped, cougar pride remains fierce. A May 25-26, 1974, Longmont Times-Call newspaper clipping shows a picture of the unveiling event when a stuffed cougar was presented to the school. Marybeth Almquist Williams remembers the...
The University of Colorado’s 17th class to be inducted into the CU Athletic Hall of Fame was announced in June and it features former Gunbarrel resident Dick Tharp, who was the school’s athletic director from 1996-2004. Interestingly, Tharp and his staff created the Athletic Hall of Fame early in his tenure as AD. Among his many accomplishments at CU, he hired former head football coach Gary Barnett in 1996, oversaw a $42.6 million expansion to Folsom Field and developed a long-term plan for the athletic department. “I'm honored by it, humbl...
As the song says, "You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table, there'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done." For 2003 Niwot High School graduate and current professional poker player Adam DeMersseman, the dealing at this year's World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event is done. The count? A cool $262,300 in prize money and bragging rights as one of the top tournament players in the world. DeMersseman survived a grueling 7 days at the Main Event this July, taking...
Anne Booth and Autumn Rutherford were both major producers in nearly every facet of the game last year for Niwot High School softball. Now entering their junior seasons, expectations have only risen as the Cougars begin their quest for a second consecutive playoff appearance. Niwot's pair of junior stars combined for 13 home runs last season and were the only Cougars to hit over .500, plus Rutherford led the team in stolen bases and Booth won 12 games in the circle. CeCe Smith, Zoe Cameron,...
Business is anything but "as usual" in Niwot's business district. A nationwide worker shortage has left businesses everywhere struggling to maintain their typical working hours and functionalities, and many of the staple establishments in downtown Niwot have been affected by the shortage as well. At 1914 House, the worker shortage has affected all levels of employment, but the restaurant has been very fortunate to have had enough staff on hand thus far. Head Chef Justin Hirshfield shared his ins...
Gleaming brass and purple T-shirts dazzled baseball fans as the Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band played the national anthem at Coors Field Friday, July 29. "It was really exciting," saxophonist Brenda Luksch said after the performance in left field. "I thought we did a good job." Luksch fills in as director from time to time, but was in the saxophone section for this performance as regular conductor Debbie Benson directed the band. Luksch isn't the only versatile member of the band...
Revenues of the Niwot Local Improvement District keep climbing, with the latest report showing $24,878.21 collected in May from the LID’s 1% sales tax, which was more than 25% higher than May 2021 collections. Overall, the year-to-date collections are up by 18.29% over the same period a year ago. Treasurer Bruce Rabeler reported that the LID’s reserve fund at the end of 2021 was estimated to be $307,356. By previous resolution, the LID has a policy of keeping a reserve amount of at least $60,000 to guard against a downturn in the economy. The f...
Reaching the 4A state championships for the first time since 2017 wasn't a fluke for last year's Niwot boys golf team - it was simply a product of a consistently competitive program. The Cougars brought one golfer from each grade level to the state tournament and finished seventh in class 4A. Although they'll now be without 2022 graduate Christopher Gunlikson, who placed sixth individually at state, the foundation remains sturdy for a successful fall season. "We've got a pretty good program," sa...
Although she's just entering her junior year, Julia Rudolph has been a valuable leader for Niwot High School track and field. Rudolph was named a team captain last season and then helped the Cougars win the 4x400-meter relay state title, as well as the state Class 4A team championship. Rudolph continued to beat the competition in early June at the Great Southwest Track and Field Classic in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Competing for Niwot track head coach Maurice Henriques' REAL Training, she ran a...
Just as NFL rookies start reporting to training camp in mid-July all across the country, the young athletes of Niwot Youth Sports were recently treated to an opportunity to start prepping for the upcoming flag football season. While it doesn't seem like football weather, anyone who has played football growing up knows that the summer months are where workouts and practices increase in intensity. It's where the work is done and champions are created. So how do you start building champion... Full story
It's a busy time for alumni behind the planning of the Niwot High School 50-Year anniversary celebration. While still in the planning stages, there is a tentative schedule of events (posted below). A group of alumni created a page on Facebook dedicated to planning events leading up to the Sept. 9 celebration. The Facebook group is keeping the history alive, posting newspaper clippings and articles from the first years of the school. People commenting are making connections after many years and t...
It was the early 2000s and six men thought of forming a band. That day, Last Men On Earth (LMOE) was born–even though it was one coin flip away from being called "Kamel Toe." One of those men was Michael Holubec. A born and raised Niwotian, he's stuck around the area and performs with LMOE as often as possible. "We were all a little older, we all had kids, we wanted to do [professional music] on our terms," said Holubec. "It's cool to do something in your spare time with your friends." As a y...
You may know Seth Steele as the guy who cuts your turkey slices and pork-based needs at the Niwot Market-the same guy who's been a part of the family business since high school and has worked his way up from the produce aisle to becoming the manager of the meat department. Or you may think of him as the son of Bert Steele, owner of the Niwot Market, or the brother of Alison Steele, who coordinates volunteers for the Niwot Business Association (NBA) while also working at the Niwot Market. But...
One of the ways The Rotary Club of Niwot serves our community is through gifts to local charities. One of their main fundraising events is the sale of cases of delicious Palisade Peaches each year, and orders are now being taken. Funds raised are given to the Rotary's partner charities. This year the Rotary Club of Niwot has a goal of selling 1,000 cases of peaches in addition to selling peach jams and vinegars. The Peach Sale fundraiser has a goal of raising $8,000 this year, that will in turn...
This Friday, July 29, the Colorado Rockies face the LA Dodgers at Coors Field in Denver, and the Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band is scheduled to perform the National Anthem to open the game. Since its founding on July 4, 2005, at the dedication of the bandstand at Whistle Stop Park, the band has always had its collective eye on interesting local venues. The band is a regular at Niwot events, including the 4th of July celebration, the "Why Not Niwot?" Juried Art Show, Enchanted...
For Niwot's Skyler Messenger, All-Star Game week was more than just a break in the major league season when MLB All-Stars would perform on a national stage, and fans would get a chance to see the best players in the world. In addition to a Home Run Derby and a Futures Game, the week included the amateur draft, conducted over three days, with plenty of TV coverage, unlike days of old, when the draft could go as high as 70 rounds and was clouded in secrecy. As recently as 2019, the draft went 40...
A rarity in most sports, Rachel Noble was a four-year varsity player on the Niwot girls basketball team. The 2022 grad accumulated an impressive 80 career games played while scoring a total of 254 points in a Cougar uniform. She was also part of a tight-knit senior class that included Carly Toothaker, Jordyn Stewart, Maddi Tajchman and Grace Crall, who together helped Niwot (7-15) win its most games since the 2018-19 season. "I loved my senior season," Noble said. "It wasn't anything on the reco...
Niwot Youth Sports (NYS) is hosting a series of events to raise money for the Monarch Improvement Project. NYS, which was originally formed in 1972 as Gunbarrel Lefthand Valley Boys Baseball, Inc, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing exceptional recreational and competitive sports experiences for kids ages 4 to 18 in the Niwot-Gunbarrel area. These programs, which include baseball, softball, basketball, flag football & soccer, provide children with the opportunity to participate i...
The third and final day of the Major League Baseball draft ended the suspense for Niwot High School grad Skyler Messinger when the Colorado Rockies selected him in the 19th round of the annual amateur draft. Messenger was draft pick number 566 overall after finishing his collegiate baseball career at the University of Texas. He played third base for Texas this season, posting a .364 batting average with 11 homers and 59 RBI. After a stellar career as a shortstop at Niwot High, Messenger was draf...
With seven members present, the NIwot Local Improvement District advisory committee recommended approval of three funding requests at its regular meeting July 5 at the Niwot Inn. The LID collects a 1% sales tax in Niwot’s business district and makes recommendations to the Boulder County Commissioners for expenditures which benefit the business district. Chair Scott Firle was joined by Vice-Chair Eric Bergeson, Treasurer Bruce Rabeler, Mary Coonce, Lisa Rivard, Keith Waters and Cornelia Sawle. Mark Ruzzin was the liaison from Boulder County. T...
On Wednesday, July 7, Boulder County Commissioners Claire Levy, Matt Jones and Marta Loachamin conditionally approved the proposed modifications to Hillside School in Gunbarrel, subject to additional conditions drafted during the hearing. The original Special Review and Site Specific Development Plan (SU-03-09), submitted in March 2022, proposed modifications to the school, located at 7415 Lookout Road, to include a new 10,500-square-foot school building with 12 new classrooms for up to 68...
Last week we wrote about Niwot native Royce Johnson and how in 1974 he made land available to the Gunbarrel Lefthand Valley Boys Baseball, Inc., a non-profit organization now known as Niwot Youth Sports, as a site for "temporary" ballfields. The "temporary" Johnson Fields were used continuously for over 20 years until homes were built on Christopher Court in the Johnson Valley Subdivision in 1994. Ultimately, land that Johnson had donated to Boulder County for a park known as Left Hand Valley...
Staying active is a must for recent Niwot grad Grace Crall, and she accomplished this need well by playing both basketball and soccer during her successful high school career. In Crall's final basketball campaign with the Cougars, she led the team in three categories: rebounds (110), blocks (12) and assists (30). The senior took particular pride in her rebounding, which as a taller player, was a facet of the game that was drilled into her from an early age. "I think a lot of people don't want...
Editor's Note: This is the second in a series of stories on the four artists painting murals on walls in the Cottonwood Square Shopping Center-Jerry Sinor Building mural project, curated by Street Wise Arts. Chief Niwot, leader of the Southern Arapaho tribe, is remembered for many honorable attributes - his bravery and wisdom, his mastery of multiple languages, and his great guidance and diplomacy. But most importantly, Chief Niwot is remembered for aspirations that his tribe could exist peacefu...
Nothing conjures up a deeper sense of patriotism and belonging to a community like a 4th of July parade, and Niwot's celebration has a way of elevating that hometown, apple pie feeling to the max. There are kids riding their streamer-adorned bikes, horse-mounted riders carrying flags, well-represented community organizations walking with their banners, all encased in a backdrop of majestic music. And of course there's the Grand Marshal riding in a spiffy convertible smiling and waving to the cro...
Niwot's annual 4th of July Pancake Breakfast was back to pre-pandemic size this year, with long lines waiting to be served by volunteers and staff from the Niwot Market. The Pancake Breakfast is more than just pancakes - servings included pancakes, sausage, eggs, and Bert Steele's famous chile, with coffee and orange juice on the side. The net proceeds of the breakfast after costs are covered were donated to the Niwot Youth Sports Monarch Improvement Project. Tip jars were also available with...
Life is like running. Every step counts. For Ian and Gabi Anderson, a couple living in Gunbarrel, running the mile—about 1,500 steps—at the second annual Downhill Mile race on the Fourth of July was a celebration of life, being in the moment, and showing their tremendous gratitude. “We loved it!” said Ian, who along with his wife lost their Louisville home Dec. 30 in the Marshall Fire in Boulder County. “I placed 12th, and Gabi placed 49th. It was really fun. The pancake breakfast afterward...
The Niwot High School football field is getting a facelift, and more. Work has been underway for a month on replacing the sod on the field with artificial turf, with plans to host the NHS Homecoming football game at the school this fall. Along with the turf replacement, a permanent fence is also being installed around the perimeter of the field. Some members of the community are not happy about the fence, which school officials claim is necessary to prevent vandalism to the field and to prevent...
Gracing the podium's peak is nothing new for 2014 Niwot alum Elise Cranny. Nearly one year removed from her first Olympics, she made national headlines once again on June 26 by taking first place in the 2022 USATF Outdoor Championships' 5000-meter with a time of 15 minutes, 49.15 seconds Cranny's win came courtesy of an impressive surge in the final 2000 meters. After crossing the 3000-meter mark well behind the leaders, and in ninth place - albeit still within one second of first - she made a m...
Businesses, community groups, and others handed out candy, flowers, flyers, books, t-shirts, and other mementos as the Niwot Community Association's Annual 4th of July Parade got off to a rousing start, with a full slate of entries for the first time since 2019. The parade lined up on Meadowdale Drive for the first time, and kicked off the festivities at 11:00 a.m. with the Color Guard and Scout Troop 161 leading the way. The Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band performed the Star Span...
Nothing conjures up a deeper sense of patriotism and belonging to a community like a 4th of July parade, and Niwot's celebration has a way of elevating that hometown, apple pie feeling to the max. There are kids riding their streamer-adorned bikes, horse-mounted riders carrying flags, well-represented community organizations walking with their banners, all encased in a backdrop of majestic music. And of course there's the Grand Marshal riding in a spiffy convertible smiling and waving to the...
Get ready for fun summer nights, because Dancing Under the Stars has returned. Opening night took place on June 24, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Cottonwood Square Shopping Center. If you have not heard of Dancing Under the Stars, it is a free dance event that takes place every Friday through Sept. 23, except on Labor Day weekend. Dancing Under the Stars originated in Boulder in 1982, organized by Tom Materson at the UMC Rooftop Terrace. The event later moved to Dushanbe Tea House, then to Niwot...
This year, 4th of July festivities kick off in Cottonwood Square at 7:30 a.m. with a Pancake Breakfast at the Niwot Market. In addition to pancakes, sausage and eggs, topped with Bert Steele’s famous green chile, will be part of the fare. The annual event is hosted by Niwot Market and the Niwot Community Association (NCA) and typically feeds at least 500 to 600 hungry Niwotians and area residents eager to celebrate the birth of their nation. Tips will be collected to benefit the Niwot Patriotic Cookie Moms in their efforts to send care p...
Kristin Henry is a character. She's enthusiastic and excited to talk about everything from music to musicals, to her new favorite movie (Everything Everywhere All At Once). She sat down at a table for two in the Old Oak Coffeehouse, mug in hand and a smile on her face. Right away, she began talking about Boulder County and how excited she was to talk about music. Originally from Philadelphia, Henry was a classically trained singer who then moved to Colorado to attend graduate school at the...
Niwot's Galloping Geese bike team was grateful for the cooler temperatures this past weekend as they completed the BikeMS Colorado. On June 25, they started in the early hours from Broomfield and cycled 68 miles, ending in Fort Collins where they were greeted with live music, cold beer and rest tents. The route brought them, and nearly 1,500 BikeMS riders, hurtling through Niwot between 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. with a welcome rest stop at Niwot High School. The following day, they put in another 67...
One of the first gifts Carly Toothaker could remember receiving as a young child was a soccer ball, and after some time to reflect on her recently-completed high school career, that present can be considered an ember to a life encapsulated by sport. Toothaker's father became her first soccer coach, with her mother doing the same in basketball. The immense early guidance helped her become a multi-year varsity starter in both sports at Niwot High. In soccer, which she considers her primary sport,...
When Skye Messinger was drafted in the 22nd round by the Chicago Cubs coming out of Niwot High School in 2017, he had a difficult decision to make – take the bonus money they were offering, or accept a scholarship to play Division I baseball at the University of Kansas. Messinger opted for the college experience, turning down the Cubs' offer to go to KU, where he had a solid career, albeit one interrupted by Covid-19. He reasoned that if he were good enough, he would have a chance to play p...
Becoming a state championship-caliber track and field athlete is a calculated process. Even as the so-called "offseason" commences during the summer, Niwot's top talent remains focused on maximizing their abilities. Cougar head coach Maurice Henriques, fresh off leading Niwot's girls team to another state title, stays working with his athletes through his club program, REAL Training. The club includes athletes from across the state and in June alone, REAL has competed in two prominent meets:...
On June 15, the Boulder County Planning Commission considered a request to plat 11 additional lots in the Niwot Hills Subdivision, just south of Niwot High School. Micheal Markel, agent of Ridgeline Development Corporation and Niwot Hills LLC, and Cameron Knapp, of Drexell, Barrel, & Co., presented the application on behalf of the property owner. The 11 lots would be located on the south portion of the property and each would be between 1.0 and 1.5 acres in size. An additional lot of 6.5 acres on the east side of the property was also included...
Jude Dow-Hygelund graduated from Niwot High School this spring and has been accepted to CU Boulder to study piano performance. Wade Hendricks, Jude's teacher at the high school, spoke highly of his music student. "He is an amazing talented performer and composer/arranger," Hendricks said. Last year Jude relocated to Niwot from Eugene, Ore., and spent his last four months at the new school. "When you're moving your senior year of high school it's probably not going to be fun no matter what you...
A Niwot Youth Sports week-long baseball camp was a casualty of Covid-19 for the past two years, but with restrictions lifted, the popular camp returned, as did former camp director Bob Bote. For years, dating back to the early 1980s, Bote conducted a baseball camp for players 5 to 13, using high school players as camp coaches. Bote, who served as the Niwot High School head coach from 1979 through 2006, won five state Class 4A state titles during his tenure, and his summer camps, often sponsored...
For the first time in its 50-year history, Niwot High School will be able to host a varsity football game at the school this fall. "We should have it ready by the end of August," Athletic Director Joe Brown said. The grass turf on what has until now been used solely as a practice field by the NHS varsity has been removed, and work has begun on installation of new artificial turf. Last summer, lights were installed at the field, and the artificial turf will allow the school to host football and s...
On June 15, the Boulder County Planning Commission will consider a request to plat 11 lots in the Niwot Hills Subdivision just south of Niwot High School. The location of the lots are 6775 Niwot Hills Drive, and the applicant is Michael Markel, agent for both the Ridgeline Development Corporation and Niwot Hills, LLC. According to Pete L'Orange, Planner II, of Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting, "This docket combines the Preliminary Plan and Final Plat processes into a single...
When Eli Rose was in sixth grade, they remember watching their best friend learn to draw. "I thought it was so cool to be able to make something like that," Eli Rose said. "That's when I really started to draw and practice every day." Although they have only been at Niwot High School for one year, the artist Eli Rose (no last name used) has enjoyed the art classes and the opportunity those classes have offered them to experiment with different media, while still having enough freedom to express...
Not many high school baseball pitchers have suffered the setbacks Nick Yard has experienced during his prep career. The recent Niwot High graduate has undergone not one, but two Tommy John surgeries over the past three years. Following his freshman season in which he was second on the Cougars' varsity staff with 35 innings pitched, Yard braved his first Tommy John surgery in January of his sophomore year to repair his ulnar collateral ligament. He then fought back and pitched just one game his...
