All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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Lyndsey Cumberland, the owner of Farmers Insurance in Niwot's Cottonwood Square, purchased the Farmers Insurance agency from Leigh Suskin in October of 2022. The new owner of Farmers has been licensed as an agent since 2009. Cumberland was born in Minnesota and moved with her mom to Colorado in 2002. After graduating at the top of her class from high school "on the Western Slope," Cumberland said she had many adventures and interesting careers, including selling insurance and serving as a region...
Niwot High School is known for its diversity. With students from over 50 different middle schools, it is a melting pot filled with unique students from all walks of life. One of the places you can find that diversity is in Niwot's Unified Programs. Niwot's Unified Program is composed of two parts: Unified Sports (district-wide) and Unified Theater (Niwot and Frederick High School). Both of these programs give students with disabilities opportunities that many other schools do not offer. Unified...
While most of Niwot was suffering below zero temperatures on Jan. 13 and 14, Niwot resident Pete Brandes was basking in the sunshine and 70+ degree temperatures in Hawai'i. But don't think he wasn't suffering too. Brandes was there to compete in the aptly named Hurt 100, an ultra-marathon on the island of Oahu. Brandes said the joke at the race was to be prepared for overnight temps to be five (degrees) below..."below 70 degrees that is." Brandes finished in an impressive 16th place with a...
Niwot High School is host to over 60 student-run clubs, and one stand-out is the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In the words of club leader Sydney Bennett, "We are a group of students who gather before school on Fridays at 6:30 a.m. During our meetings we do devotionals, worship, play games, and more. It is a super great community of people to meet new friends and learn about Christianity. Anyone is welcome to come." FCA is a group that was created by students to bring people together who...
On Tuesday, Jan. 30, the auditorium of Frederick High School resonated with the combined talents of 194 students from across the St. Vrain Valley School District for the High School Honor Choir Concert. Fifty-three of those students were from Niwot High School. The other schools that participated were Erie High School, Frederick High School, Longmont High School, Lyons Middle Senior High School, Mead High School, Silver Creek High School and Skyline High School. The annual Honor Choir Concert...
Only midway through her prep career, Addison Ritzenhein has already cemented herself as one of the greatest runners to ever come through Niwot High School. In the past few months alone, the sophomore standout secured her first Class 4A cross country individual state title and surprised many by finishing first at the Nike Cross Country Nationals on Dec. 2. Her efforts were then honored on Jan. 23 when she became the first Niwot runner to win the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Cross Country P...
One of Niwot High School's ongoing traditions is "Cupidgrams." Cupidgrams are musical Valentine's Day greetings performed by the students in Niwot High School's Evenstar Choir during the first few weeks of February. A Cupidgram is a Valentine a student can buy for a classmate or teacher. Students pick a song off of the list provided, and the recipient of the Cupidgram will eventually be sung to in one of their classes on Feb. 15. In the words of Niwot's choir director Laura Walters, "I love the...
Niwot High School bands have no shortage of different ensembles and talent. On Wednesday Jan 31, Wade Hendricks, Director of Bands at Niwot High School, took students from both the Jazz and Advanced Jazz band classes to perform at Longs Peak Pub and Tap House in Longmont. Each student participated in at least one jazz combo (or smaller group of live jazz musicians) starting at 6:30 p.m. They referred to this performance as their "Combo-Rama." The preparation for this event was described as a...
Niwot High School hosted the Class 3A Colorado Speech and Debate State Championships Tournament, which began on Feb. 2 in the afternoon and concluded on Feb. 3, in spite of rain that quickly turned to snow during the day. NHS staff members Danielle Maloit and Joe Brown were on hand to see that the event went smoothly, while the Niwot High School cheerleaders manned the concession booth for the Saturday session. The event carried on well past the anticipated 5:15 p.m. ending time, and the...
The Niwot Cougars wrestling team wrapped up the final dual meet of the season on Feb. 1 against Fort Morgan High School, suffering a 69-9 defeat. It’s no secret the squad has struggled to find its footing this season. Niwot has taken home a victory only in the very first dual of the season against Wheat Ridge, sporting a score of 60-18. Since then injuries and illness have taken a toll on the squad. Against Fort Morgan, only Ryder Evans and Jonathan Lopez brought in points for the Cougars in the 144-pound and 285-pound weight classes, r...
While Niwot's ultimate focus is on making some noise at state this week, the Cougars took great pride in winning the Longs Peak League (LPL) girls swim and dive championships team title on Friday, Feb. 2. Niwot High School's young team took first in seven of the 12 events, including diving, at the Mountain View Aquatic Center in Loveland. Led by Charlotte Heuer and Ava Altenborg, each of whom won a pair of individual races, the Cougars' 356 total points surpassed runner-up Mountain View High Sch...
Approximately 50 community members convened at The Wheel House on Jan. 22, to consider the future of baseball and softball in Niwot. The meeting was arranged by the Niwot High School baseball and softball programs in conjunction with Niwot Youth Sports (NYS). The group discussed a spectrum of ideas starting with needs at Niwot High School baseball and softball facilities for everyday items, such as tarps and lawn chemicals to enhance their ability to conduct ground maintenance. The group also ta...
CPAs and Niwot residents Don Perry and Dayna Roane joined forces in Niwot in 2010 to form the accounting firm, Perry & Roane, P.C. In addition to their professional accounting and tax services, the partners were active in the community, providing pro bono services to a wide range of Niwot area non-profits, including Niwot Youth Sports, the Niwot Business Association, the Niwot Cultural Arts Association, and Left Hand Grange No. 9. While Perry retired from the firm several years ago, he...
Your neighbor, Sean Tufts, his wife Orly Ripmaster, and their two sons live just east of Niwot on a 48-acre farm. Tufts is the managing partner of Optiv, a cybersecurity consulting company focusing on critical infrastructure installations. Tufts is also well-known for his football career as a middle linebacker for the University of Colorado Buffaloes (2000-2003) and then for the Carolina Panthers of the NFL. Tufts was born in 1982 in south Denver near County Line Road, where subdivisions once...
When Victor Valdez-Aguero was a young boy, his father was a big car enthusiast. "He owned a few dozen cars imported from Japan," Valdez-Aguero said. "A few Ford Mustangs--Shelby GT 500s. He owned muscle cars like Corvettes. C3s from 1981, a 1979 Pontiac Firebird, and a couple of Mitsubishi Lancer Evos." Initially, Valdez-Aguero thought that learning about cars was too complex and he didn't pay much attention to them, but in his early teens he started asking to help his father work on them. At...
With a quick draw and release, Archer Buckbee has been hitting his mark often this season for the Niwot High School boys basketball team. Through Jan. 24, the fearless shooter leads the Cougars with 16 made 3-pointers, including four in one game, as a valuable threat off the bench. Buckbee shared that his confidence stems from the support he has around him. "All my teammates trust me that I can make the shots and my coaches have been encouraging me to shoot a lot, so that's been really...
With roots dating to 1875, Old Town Niwot, the area on 2nd Avenue between Niwot Road and Murray Street, has always been a mixture of the familiar and the new and is widely considered to be the historic heart of town. John Nelson, a local carpenter, is credited with building the first commercial structure on Second Avenue in 1905. Most of the remaining shops in the first block were completed by 1915 and include the home of the oldest operating Grange in Colorado. These buildings comprise the...
Among the many honors and merits to be earned as a member of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), one stands out from all the rest - the rank of Eagle Scout. The process is intensive, with badge requirements, an individually led community project, and approval by the Eagle Scout board of review. Montana Heather, a senior at Niwot High School, has recently joined the ranks of just over 4% of scouts and earned his Eagle Scout Badge after years of hard work and persistence. Having received his...
Carson Lyle, Editor-in-Chief of "The Green and Black," and a NHS senior with hopes of attending Northeastern University to study journalism contributed to this article. "The Green and Black" is Niwot High School's entirely student-run newspaper which reports on issues and events in the St. Vrain Valley School District that students might find interesting. Its reporters also tap into opinion writing and share their voices on policies regarding their education, or whatever they feel passionate...
Niwot Elementary School will showcase over 50 student acts at the "Niwot Kids Got Talent" show on Friday, Feb. 2, at 6 p.m. in the Niwot High School auditorium. Tickets are available at the door for $5 for adults and students in sixth grade and above. Students in fifth grade and under are free. "The talent show is a longstanding, beloved tradition at Niwot Elementary," said Principal Nancy Pitz. "I've been at the school for 10 years now and it was a well-established event when I got here. It's a...
The Niwot High School boys basketball team had a tough week as they had a long three-game week. The Cougars struggled to get going defensively over the stretch as they lost all three games, giving up a combined 182 points. Niwot started the week with a 59-44 Monday, Jan. 22, loss to the Mountain View High School Mountains Lions. Niwot's tough week continued as they fell 51-42 to the Roosevelt High School Rough Riders on Wednesday and 72-49 against the Riverdale Ridge High School Ravens on...
Admittedly, Niwot High School girls swim head coach Ella Thramann has been pushing her team harder in recent practices. With two major meets on deck, Thramann wants the Cougars to be both prepared and swimming at their best. So far, the tougher practices have yielded some encouraging results. Multiple swimmers have set new personal-record times, including senior co-captain Daisey Bui in two different events, and others simply appear smoother in the pool. "I've seen tons of PRs," Thramann said....
In a genuine demonstration of true community support, Niwot High School students and families, Longmont merchants, and the greater Niwot community came together in support of Make-a-Wish Colorado last week and likely exceeded the $10,000 fundraising goal set by the NHS Student Council, the event's organizer. Niwot's Wish Week brought together people from a wide array of backgrounds, all in support of Charlie, Niwot's 2024 Wish Kid, and others like him. Make-A-Wish Colorado supports kids with cri...
The 2023-2024 season for the Niwot Cougars wrestling team has faced many challenges. With a young roster, inexperience has proven to be hard to overcome. Nonetheless, the team has remained positive for the entire season. In the dual against Riverdale Ridge High School on Jan. 25, the Cougars fell 54–24. Riverdale Ridge accumulated seven pins, automatically giving the Ravens a 42-point advantage. However, the Niwot roster still found success at the 144, 150, 165, 175, and 190 weight classes. Capt...
Donald Earl “Don” Specht Former Niwot resident Donald Earl “Don” Specht of Loveland, Colorado, died Dec. 17, 2023, after a long illness. Don was hired as chair of the math department at Niwot High School when it opened in 1972 and remained there until 1978 when he was hired to chair the math department at the newly constructed Skyline High School (SHS). He remained at SHS until his retirement in 1994. Memorial donations in Don’s name can be made to King of Glory Lutheran Church in Loveland or the Alzheimer’s Association.... Full story
The vast majority of banners inside Niwot High School's main gym celebrate team championships. A select few, however, are hung in honor of individual achievements. Coming off a stellar sophomore season on the NHS cross country team, Addison Ritzenhein will soon have her name immortalized twice. After receiving the Gatorade Colorado Girls Cross Country Player of the Year award on Monday, the state championship-winning runner earned the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Cross Country Player of...
When Merrick Blondeau was in elementary school, his sister Ana's friends were percussionists. Blondeau thought they were cool, so in sixth grade he joined the band at Sunset Middle School. Since then, he has simply loved making music and getting lost in music. Blondeau enjoys listening to classical music, "But," he said, "not often enough to be able to pick a favorite." One piece he does appreciate listening to is "The Planets," a seven-movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav...
Niwot High School is host to over 60 student-run clubs, and one stand-out is the A Capella Club. In the words of Greta Stauch, who is currently an 11th-grader at Niwot High School as well as the founder of the A Capella Club, "The Niwot High School A Capella Club is made up of a select group of auditioned performers from all four grades who put together vocal performances without the help of accompaniment other than from their peers in the group. The club is completely run by students-everything...
Competitive swimming has long been a valued part of Daisey Bui's life, and with her days on the Niwot High School girls swim team limited, the senior chose to dedicate her complete attention to the pool this winter. As someone with an immense range of interests, it likely wasn't easy for Bui to commit everything she has to swimming. In order to make that happen, she stepped away from her involvement with Up-A-Creek Robotics, a club robotics team based in Longmont, but has since taken great...
Shorthanded and stricken by winter illnesses, the Niwot High School boys wrestling team gutted out a respectable showing at the Northglenn Norse Varsity Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 20. The Cougars finished 20th out of 21 teams but received wins from three different wrestlers: junior Ryder Evans placed fourth in the 144-pound class, 190-pound senior Pavi Soni won his first consolation match, and 285-pound sophomore Jonathan Lopez reached the consolation bracket championship match. For those...
The Niwot High School boys basketball team had a long two-game week where they took on Fort Morgan High School and Northridge High School. Niwot snapped the seven-game losing streak that has plagued their season by beating Fort Morgan 56-34. Niwot wasn't able to make a streak of wins following the Fort Morgan game as they lost to Northridge 67-46. Niwot jumped out early against the Fort Morgan Mustangs with a dominant first half. The Cougars were able to coast afterwards, easing towards their...
The Niwot High School girls basketball squad picked up a much-needed 67-35 victory over Fort Morgan High School on the road Jan. 18, dominating the game from start to finish. The victory gave the Cougars a 3-8 record on the season, and Niwot's first league victory over the winless Mustangs. Senior Chloe Mitchell led the scoring, putting up 15 points on 6-11 shooting from the field. One of her field goals came from 3-point range, and she was 2-2 at the free throw line. Also scoring in double figu...
With the girls swimming and diving state championships set for early February, Niwot High School’s list of qualifiers is growing. At the St. Vrain All City Meet on Saturday, Jan. 20, three different Niwot “A” relay teams qualified for state, according to head coach Ella Thramann. The Cougar quartet of Devi Burnett, Emmy Hostelley, Thalia Milam, and Charlotte Heuer punched their state ticket in both the 200 and 400-yard freestyle, while Phoebe Donovan, Reese Lavigne, Hannah Hooven, and Hostelley qualified in the 200 medley relay. Hoste...
When Staci Pencis walked into the Garden Gate Cafe two years ago to borrow a cane, she had no idea she would be leaving the Café with a job. Pencis' son, Sy, was putting together a costume for Senior Day at Skyline High School, and he needed a cane to complete his outfit. "He had a hospital gown and an adult diaper," Pencis said. "And he needed a cane." She placed a message on Facebook and soon heard back from Dawn Dunlap, manager of the Cafe, who offered to lend them one. When Pencis came to...
Charlie is a 14-year-old who absolutely loves basketball, specifically the Lakers and the Warriors, as well as Legos and U.S. History. Charlie also loves to eat macaroni and cheese and Doritos. In many ways, he is a totally typical teenager, but something that is unique about Charlie is that he has cystic fibrosis. Make-A-Wish Colorado supports kids just like Charlie, granting their one true wish and raising awareness for kids with critical illnesses. For the past few years, Niwot High School...
Niwot High School is host to over 60 student-run clubs, and one stand-out is the NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Club. NASA Club meets every Monday under the supervision of Niwot High School teacher Erin Smith. NASA Club leader and founder, Amelia Koth, collects feedback from club members regarding goals for their next “observation night.” Koth then presents the feedback to the club members to determine the details of their upcoming observation nights. In addition to “ob...
In an era where far too many players shoot first and think second, Sebastian Stenz's approach to basketball is a welcome throwback. The Niwot High School guard drives the court intending to find an open teammate, a selfless style that's yielding plenty of assists. Through Niwot's first 10 games, Stenz recorded at least one dime in each and currently leads the Cougars with an average of 2.6 assists per contest. Stenz, a junior, said his pass-first mindset began to develop during his season-plus...
The Niwot High School wrestling program showed significant improvement at the 49th Annual Alameda International Invite last weekend, according to trackwrestling.com. A total of 22 teams competed from several classes. Jonathan Lopez led the way with a fourth-place finish in the 285-pound division, scoring 16 points. Lopez began the meet with a win over Bobbie Hester of Clear Creek in a tense 1-0 decision. He followed with a quarterfinal win by fall at the 1:23 mark over Romeo Ramirez of Bear Creek. In the semi-finals, Lopez lost by fall to...
The Niwot High School boys basketball squad started slowly as they fell to Thompson Valley High School 72-36 Jan. 9, coming out of the break. Niwot fared better against Frederick High School on Jan. 11 as they lost by 11 in a 60-49 heartbreak after leading early in the contest. The Cougars were outscored by Thompson Valley 36-16 in the first half, keeping Niwot out of reach most of the game as Thompson Valley scored another 36 points in the second half to wrap up a dominating win. Taylor...
The Niwot High School girls basketball squad came out of winter break with a record of 2-6, hoping to get back in the win column, but the first two games of January came against tough opponents, Thompson Valley High School and Frederick High School. The Cougars took on Thompson Valley Jan. 9, on the road, and stayed with the Eagles through the first half. Although they found themselves down 12-7 at the end of the first period, the Cougars outscored the Eagles 11-9 in the second period, with...
As the young Niwot High School girls swim and dive team continues to gain experience, the results are beginning to follow. Head coach Ella Thramann’s Cougars participated in the BoCo Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 13, and finished seventh among 13 local schools of various classes. NHS scored 637 team points at the Broomfield Community Center pool, just ahead of Silver Creek High School’s 588. Fairview High School took first with 1,131 points. With less than one month remaining in their high school careers, Niwot seniors Reese Lavigne and Cha...
When Steven Craig joined the Rotary Club of Niwot shortly after building a home on Portico Lane in the Ranch at Clover Basin subdivision two years ago, he didn’t waste any time in making a difference. Sadly, Craig, who was recently chosen as President-Elect for the club, will not have a chance to serve in that position. Craig was attacked in his home on Dec. 19 in the middle of the night, and died of his injuries Dec. 24. Michael Lucky, 32, turned himself in to the Boulder County Sheriff’s off...
Parker Sullivan will be learning by trial and error this winter as he navigates his first competitive wrestling season. After moving from Austin, Texas to Colorado before this school year, he joined the Niwot High School boys wrestling team and hasn't exactly been eased into his new sport. The 150-pound junior wrestled at Niwot's annual Gary Daum Classic on Saturday, Jan. 6 and was immediately matched up with Air Academy's Lucas Plunkett, who later took first in the weight class. Although he...
Referees play a critical role in youth sports from recreational leagues to club programs and through high school. Children experience the joy of winning and the lessons of loss, while parents get to be right there with them all because referees are willing to spend their days, evenings and weekends making sure the rules are followed, the score gets kept and the games get played. Unfortunately, youth referees' jobs are becoming increasingly difficult due to the behavior of parents, coaches and pl...
Organized chaos would be the best way to describe this year's Gary Daum Classic at Niwot High School. With 21 total teams and five mats running at all times, including one in the auxiliary gym, NHS wrestling head coach Bobby Matthews said the annual boys wrestling tournament was the "biggest it's ever been." All in all, though, the crowded day went according to plan. Champions were crowned in 14 different weight classes. Pueblo County High School secured the team title on Saturday, Jan. 6....
Niwot is home to the architectural firm Fletemeyer & Lee Associates (FLA). Dave Lee and Chad Fletemeyer and their team are actively engaged in the local business community and offer a complete selection of professional services that include site analysis and selection, architecture, landscape architecture, facility needs assessment and construction. The Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee (NLIDAC) retained FLA to update the 2012 Master Plan for Niwot. The Master Plan will assist...
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...
