All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
Sorted by date Results 1 - 50 of 1922
Sadie Warren has two complementary ideas about her future. She has wanted to own a bookstore since she was a little girl. Warren remembers playing a game she called "bookstore" where she would use her mother's bookshelves, had a small cash register, and her mother would buy books from her. She would also like to own a publishing company. Warren admits that books are her favorite things in the world. She loves to organize them in unusual ways. "I have a wall of books in my room that are in a...
Niwot High School's Mock Trial team took fourth place at the State Mock Trial Championship competition held on March 8 and 9 at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Golden. The group has been training for mock trial competitions since early October with a team of twelve students trained by their coaches, attorney Erika Grant, occasionally her husband Cameron Grant, and Sean Stewart. This year's team was Paul Blignaut, Cayla Piper, Charley Broenniman, Stella Munro, Aidan Coble, Justin Ge, Mina...
On the soccer pitch, in the classroom, and around the community, Margaux Boyer has accomplished plenty throughout her four years at Niwot High School. A senior captain on the NHS girls soccer team, Boyer is enjoying arguably her best season yet for the 7-3-2 Cougars. The fourth-year varsity defender has contributed a career-high 12 points, including three goals, this spring, with three regular season games still remaining. "It's been great," Boyer said. "The girls are so nice and we're all...
Saturday April 13 was prom night for juniors and seniors at Niwot High School, held this year at the Boulder Theater. And with prom, comes after prom, which was organized, set-up, and moderated by the parent volunteers of the Niwot High School Boosters, Inc., at Niwot High School. After prom is an event held to ensure students have a fun and safe environment after the festivities of the dance itself. This event is one of the big Boosters' expenditures of the year, other than grants to various...
On Saturday April 20, several teachers from St. Vrain Valley schools were recognized for their tremendous impact at their respective schools. Megan Schlagel, math teacher and department chair at Niwot High School, was awarded Niwot High's Teacher of the Year for 2023-2024. Nominations are submitted by parents, students, community members, peers, and administrators. The awards are given through the St. Vrain Valley School District Education Foundation. Two finalists and one Teacher of the Year...
St. Vrain Valley schools, especially in the Niwot High School feeder system, were very well represented on Saturday, April 20, during the annual St. Vrain Valley Education Foundation awards and recognition event. It was a special night to honor public school teachers and recognize their dedication to their students and careers. For Acadia Gurney, being one of the math teachers at Sunset Middle School barely scratches the surface of her dedication at Sunset. She was the volleyball coach this...
When Niwot High Cheerleading Coach Christina Ayers announced she was moving to Castle Rock and could no longer continue coaching the cheer squad, Athletic Director Joe Brown did not have to look far to find her successor. Wendy Coppersmith, who has a wealth of experience as a cheer coach, had already been assisting Ayers this past season, and stepped into the role with plans to make the Niwot cheer program a centerpiece of Cougar spirit. Coppersmith, a resident of Platteville, had been a cheer c...
The Niwot High School boys volleyball team has continued an impressive season with another stand-out week. Niwot went 3-0 in league games last week, taking victories against Riverdale Ridge High School, Greeley Central High School, and Centaurus High School. Niwot also took home a first-place finish in this weekend's Raiders Classic Tournament, at Rangeview High School, not dropping a game en route to an overtime win against Vista PEAK Prep for the gold. The Cougars also took down The Denver...
Niwot High School track and field sisters Anna and Mia Prok both impressed at the Centaurus Twilight meet on Friday, April 19 in Lafayette. Anna, a sophomore, took first in the mile with a time of 5 minutes, 6.77 seconds, about seven seconds faster than her teammate and second-place finisher Elise Hagen. Mia, a senior, also topped the two-mile podium after crossing the finish line in under 11 minutes at 10:59.15. Additionally, the elder Prok had seventh-place results in the 200 and 400-meter races. With the help of those two and several...
Despite its recent dominance on the mound, Niwot High School baseball has been held back by some nagging offensive struggles. On Wednesday, April 17, the Cougars dropped their fourth straight low-scoring game, a 4-2 loss to Thompson Valley High School. Niwot, which fell to 6-6 (3-5 Class 4A Longs Peak League) on the season, managed only 10 total runs throughout the four-game losing streak. “We just have to get back to hitting like we're used to,” said third-year Niwot head coach Ken Rosales. “Ou...
Keynes Chen came to Niwot High School in January of 2019 with 15 students across three different ensembles. By the end of the following school year, he had 85 students across three groups and has since added two more ensembles, with another in development. "That first year really energized me," said Chen. Niwot now offers three orchestras, a small ensemble, and a mariachi ensemble, and will be looking to add another mariachi group to the list of available courses due to the growing interest and...
The Boulder County Consortium of Cities met on April 3 to offer progress updates in developing a regional plan regarding minimum wage for incorporated towns and cities in Boulder County. Boulder County Ordinance 2023-4 became effective on Jan. 1, 2024, setting a minimum wage of $15.69 per hour for businesses in Niwot and other unincorporated areas of the county, 15% above Colorado’s 2023 minimum wage and $1.27 higher than that of surrounding incorporated towns and cities that currently pay $14.42. The ordinance also gradually increases the m...
When Yaretzi Martinez Prieto was younger, she enjoyed the way music sounded. Her father wanted her to play in the orchestra, but she decided to join the school band instead, playing alto sax when she entered Longs Peak Middle School. But Prieto remained interested in orchestra, and later she began to learn guitar, which led her on the path to mariachi. "Since mariachi is part of my culture," Prieto said, "my parents were very supportive of my interest in it, and they helped me get into the...
No matter how dominant Niwot High School boys volleyball has been overall this season, falling to Poudre School District on Thursday, April 11, qualified as an absolute gut-punch. The visiting Cougars had their opportunities to put Poudre away for good in the fourth set but ultimately lost in a five-set thriller. Turning the page quickly while learning from what went wrong now becomes the challenge for Niwot, which dropped to 11-3 on the season. While head coach John Miller will offer his own...
Niwot High School is host to over 60 student-run clubs, and one stand-out is the Earth Club. Niwot High School's Earth Club is a club in which students of all grades "explore environmentalism through an ecological lens, combining gardening and environmental initiatives to build an understanding of the earth," according to Elena Krone, member and leader of Earth Club. Niwot High's Garden Club and Environmental Club became defunct during the 2022-23 school year. In response, students took action...
At the Boulder County Track and Field Championships on Saturday, April 13, Niwot High School athletes topped the podium in 10 of the day’s 38 events. The NHS girls took first in the team standings while the Cougar boys placed second behind Erie High School. With about one month remaining until the state championships, several Niwot athletes once again proved themselves as legitimate Class 4A title contenders. Reese Kasper and Jade West continued their impressive junior seasons, standout sophomore Addison Ritzenhein recorded another two-mile w...
Niwot High School girls varsity soccer is staying on the winning side of the equation over their last four games with a 2-1-1 record. They have that same 2-1-1 record in Longs Peak conference play and are 4-3-2 overall. The team has scored 18 goals so far this season, while giving up 17. On April 2, NHS beat Mountain View High School 3-0. Tracy Yu, Heather Humphrey and Brynn Schlarb scored for the Cougars. NHS did one better at their next game on April 4 against Severance High School with a 4-0...
The mood inside Niwot's dugout could not have been more somber. Knowing how many accomplished bats the Cougars own, players and coaches alike were left discouraged following a 2-1 defeat at Severance High School on Saturday, April 13. Niwot mustered only five hits, one more than the Cougars produced two days prior in another loss to those same Silver Knights. Head coach Ken Rosales noted that Niwot's recent struggles at the plate appear more mental than physical. "We're a hitting team, but the...
The Niwot High School girls varsity tennis team has won three of the last four matches, and are currently undefeated in 4A Region 5 league play with an impressive 5-0 record. Their overall record stands at 6-4 against tough non-conference competition. After ten matches last season, the Cougars were 3-2 in their league and 5-5 overall. On April 3, the Cougars went on the road to Frederick High School and came away with a 7-0 sweep. The team won every match in straight sets and lots of bagels were served. Playing just a few days later at home on...
The Silver Creek boys swim team is getting ready for a push as the state Class 4A swimming and diving meet approaches. The squad, which is based out of Silver Creek High School, is a combination of Silver Creek and Niwot High School swimmers and divers, under the direction of long-time coach Debbie Stewart, with athletes from a few other schools also participating. “We just had our biggest week,” Stewart said of dual meets against Windsor High School and Monarch High School, a 5A school, last week. “We beat them by 20 points,” Stewart said of...
Coming off of a long, six-game week, the Niwot High School boys volleyball team has wrapped up a short week, splitting two games. Niwot won the first match against Severance High School, but lost to the Poudre School District in a nail biter, coming down to the last set where Niwot fell, 3-2. Niwot's match against Severance was a clean sweep, as Niwot won all three sets, 25-18, 25-14, and 25-13. The Cougars notched 42 kills and nine aces against Severance, and also played a strong game defensive...
Kristin Dura, owner of Una Vida in Cottonwood Square, described a fascinating journey to founding a business centered on wellness in Niwot. "I fell in love with Niwot," said Dura, a one time stay-at-home mother of four children, then a "death doula," and now a friendly, exuberant entrepreneur. "I felt the energy of the Arapaho people here," she said. "My community is Legend Ridge at the top of a hill with views of the mountains. The peaceable chief Niwot settled here in this land. I felt it. I...
Niwot High School seniors Noah Wurth and Noah Hadders have been performing together since elementary school. They have performed duets at the Multiple Piano Festival for several years, and both attended the same piano studio. "We also played together in middle school band," Hadders said. And they both learned new instruments together: Hadders on trumpet and Wurth on saxophone. Throughout high school the two friends continued to play and perform together. Both musicians are members of NHS...
While sweeping a regular season series in the Longs Peak League rarely comes easy, Niwot High School baseball head coach Ken Rosales couldn’t help feeling like his Cougars squandered an opportunity in their second meeting with Roosevelt High School. Two days after beating the Roughriders on Tuesday, April 2, Niwot was beset by defensive errors in the two teams’ rematch. Rosales said the Cougars committed seven miscues on their home diamond, leading to a “rough” 4-3 loss. “We definitely did not play our ball,” Rosales said. “I felt we were...
In the February 5, 2020 edition of the Left Hand Valley Courier, an article was published about a young Ugandan boy named Peter Kamuhanda, who was a recipient of the Mwebaza Foundation's scholarship program. This program provided for his schooling, whereas in Uganda, insufficient funding for schools forces citizens to fill the financial gaps. Tragically, Kamuhanda was orphaned as a child and vulnerable to losing his scholarship. His current guardian had planned to send him to live with his grand...
The call of the movie industry can be challenging to heed for a local kid, but for Daniel Gibb, well... let's just say the Force is strong with this one. "I was always a lover of film-making, the art of it," Gibb said, "and I always wanted to be involved in that." Gibb grew up in Boulder, and his parents, Meri and Paul Gibb, have lived in Niwot for many years. Meri Gibb says her son's passion for the entertainment industry started early. "When he was like, four, and he saw videos on MTV, he...
Running for the Niwot High School track and field program means everything to Kingston Staton. Only a sophomore, he first got to know Niwot's coaches through Real Training, a club team led by longtime Cougar head coach Maurice Henriques. Staton has maintained an appreciation for Niwot's accomplished coaching staff and the wisdom passed down upon him. "It's been incredible," Staton said. "I actually don't even live in Niwot... I've been running here and coming to school here because of the great...
Niwot High School is host to over 60 student-run clubs, and one stand-out is the Coding Club. In the words of Justin Ge, one of the Niwot High School Coding Club's leaders, "Niwot's Coding Club offers everything about coding. We are a collection of driven individuals who love creating and enjoy problem solving. During meetings, we code a wide range of things, including 2D and 3D games, technical coding problem sets, personal websites, PCB boards, and more. Alongside projects, we also offer an...
The Niwot High School boys volleyball team has continued its great start to the season as the Cougars jumped to a 10-2 record after three league games turned into three wins, and a strong Douglas County Tournament performance left them with a 3-1 record. The Cougars are now the eighth-ranked team in the state as they continue to dominate. Niwot opened the week with three league games, playing matches against Vista PEAK Preparatory, Mountain View High School, and Boulder High School. Niwot then took part in the Douglas County Tournament on...
The Niwot High School track and field program sent athletes to three different cities, including one in California, during the first weekend of April. Cougar colors were present in Longmont at the Birds of Prey Invitational, in Parker at the Legend Titan Track Clash, and in The Golden State for the renowned Arcadia Invitational and at all venues, Niwot runners enjoyed plenty of success against high-level competition. At the Birds of Prey Invitational, hosted by Skyline High School on Friday, Apr...
At her daughter-in-law's suggestion, Niwot's Amy Klein found a way to combine her love for kids with her love for baking. The result is the fastest growing chapter of Cake4Kids in the country. For her volunteer efforts, Klein is the April 2024 recipient of a Left Hand Laurel. "My daughter-in-law moved to California and told me about it four years ago," Klein recalled. The non-profit organization is based in California, but has chapters all over the country, but Klein discovered that Colorado...
As a teenager, Will Wernick didn't have one particular interest, wasn't a great student, and was late applying to college. Initially, he didn't get into CU Boulder, so after graduating from Niwot High School in 2001, he commuted to CU Denver for classes. But, he confesses, he wasn't in the right mindset. He said he did "horribly" and probably shouldn't have gone to college right away. He continued with his education though, taking evening classes in political science at CU Boulder, which he thor...
Currently enrolled in Drama 2 at Niwot High School, performing arts student Olivia Cesar Cipriani has an interest in both acting and technical theater, and she speaks thoughtfully about the difference between the two worlds. "As an actor," Cipriani said, "you get to become someone else for a performance, and forget about the real world. Theater techs create a whole new world onstage, and the actors become the people in it." According to NHS drama teacher Amanda Foust, who selected Cipriani as...
Niwot High School produces a much anticipated musical production each year. Under the direction of drama teacher Amanda Foust, students have spent the last three months preparing for the upcoming performances of "Shrek The Musical." Not only are the actors preparing for the performances, but technical theater teacher, Jason Watkins, and his crew of technical theater students have been working tirelessly to create a beautiful set. Impressive set pieces will be featured including a bridge built ov...
She may not be known by all of her classmates just yet, but Reese Kasper has proven herself quite valuable to the Niwot High School track and field program. Kasper moved from Minnesota to Colorado only two months ago, and while the adjustment has been challenging in some regards, joining track has made things "10 times better." Consequently, the Cougars are also better, particularly in the hurdles. At the second annual Niwot Invitational on Saturday, March 30, Kasper won the 300-meter hurdles...
Niwot High School is host to many music courses, ensembles, and after-school groups - it always has been. But recently there has been an increase in musical presence and student dedication. That's not to say that music at NHS hasn't always been filled with exceptionally dedicated students and staff, but it feels that in recent years there has been a significant increase and fulfillment, making it desired by the larger student body. The latest of these groups is the Niwot High School Mariachi...
For Kingston Staton, competing on his home track at the second annual Niwot Invitational generated an interesting mix of emotions. While he certainly felt some pressure wanting to represent the Cougars well, the junior hurdler also gained confidence from the meet being held on familiar grounds. Staton had rounded each of those four bends countless times at practice, but was now tasked with proving his talents in front of a larger audience. Particularly in the 300-meter hurdles, the home star shi...
The Niwot High School girls varsity tennis team has won their last three matches in a row. Most recently, they beat Fort Morgan High School 7-0 on March 26 and then kept the momentum going against Thompson Valley High School winning 6-1 on March 28. Sahasra Kolli won her #1 singles match 6-0, 6-0 against the Fort Morgan Mustangs. Not wanting to be left out of the demolition, Tracy Yu beat her opponent 6-0, 6-0 at #2 singles and Cassie Chen sent her opponent packing 6-0, 6-1 at #3 singles. The...
The last couple games have been tough sledding for Niwot High School girls varsity soccer. On March 27, NHS lost a non-conference road game to Mead High School. The Mead Mavericks were up 4-1 at the end of the first half and won by a final score of 5-1. Paige Russell scored the only goal for the Cougars, but it was too little, too late. The Cougars went on the road again March 29 to play Silver Creek High School. Unfortunately, Silver Creek got the best of NHS with a 3-0 victory. On the season, the Cougars have scored eight goals and given up...
Minus one game, Niwot High School baseball hasn’t had any trouble putting up runs early this season. The Cougars closed their non-league slate by hosting Greeley Central High School on Friday, March 29, and sent the Wildcats home with a 20-5 defeat. Although the muddy conditions made things difficult for those on the mound, Niwot’s offense scored multiple runs in all four innings of the mercy-rule shortened affair. “I thought they played well, especially in the weather,” said Niwot head coach Ken Rosales. “It was wet and cold. They did a gre...
The Niwot High School girls golf season is officially underway as the team finished its first tournament March 16. The tournament, held at Eagle Trace High School and hosted by Broomfield High School saw 18 high school competitors. Niwot overall placed third of the eighteen teams, led by two strong individual performances. Senior Mina O’Dell placed third individually amongst all athletes, followed by teammate Wendy Cheruiyot who placed fourth individually. Niwot will take the course three times this week, starting the week at Cattail Creek G...
The Niwot High School boys volleyball team has continued its hot streak, jumping to a 4-1 record after winning both games last week. The Cougars started the week off with a matchup against Greeley Central High School, winning 3-0, then followed up with a match against Overland High School, taking the series 3-1. Niwot played all three series against Greeley Central to the wire, winning 26-24, 25-20, and 25-23, to complete the sweep. Sophomore Diego Kheng led the way in kills, notching seven over the three series. Gabe Victor followed with six,...
This past Saturday, March 23, the families of Niwot gathered together to eat breakfast, hunt for eggs, and enjoy a morning of fun in their community. Niwot has held a similar egg hunt event since 1981 close to Easter for local families to enjoy. Sponsored by the Niwot Community Connection (NCC), but specifically by Pat Murphy with The Niwot Group at Compass, Tara Littell and Ann Mills, it continues to be a fun community event hosted at Niwot High School. The Easter Egg Hunt is not just the hunt...
Although Niwot High School sophomore Lexi Adams does not yet have any firm plans regarding her future school and work, the one thing she knows for sure about what lies ahead is that she would like to dedicate herself to something artistic. Adams readily admits that art has always been present in her life. "I didn't practice it consistently until about six years ago," she said. "I enjoyed having a hobby that was unique in my family and friend group, and it quickly [changed] from a hobby to an asp...
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a rigorous academic program offered to students at Niwot High School. The International Baccalaureate website states that the Diploma Programme "aims to develop students who have excellent breadth and depth of knowledge-students who flourish physically, intellectually, emotionally and ethically." Students in the program take college level coursework, while completing an extended research paper as well as participating in "CAS" (creativi...
Departing on Saturday, March 16, and returning home on Wednesday, March 20, the Niwot High School Symphonic Band ventured down to Orlando, Florida, to experience the "Most Magical Place on Earth." Forty-two students, two directors, and eight chaperones got to experience Disney magic in ways not many people do as a part of their Disney vacations. Saturday morning, students and chaperones met behind Niwot High School at 3:30 a.m. to catch a bus to Denver International Airport for a flight...
The Niwot High School track and field talent factory is churning out another impressive long-distance runner. Only a few meets into his junior season, Evan Kear has compiled several strong results, including one in the 1,600-meter event at the ultra-competitive Broomfield Shootout on Saturday, March 23. He wasn't among his heat's top runners, but Kear left pleased with an 11th-place overall finish at 4 minutes, 32.21 seconds. The four laps essentially played out as Kear expected. After an...
Competing with a shorthanded squad due to spring break, Niwot High School track and field still managed to find success at the Broomfield Shootout on Saturday, March 23. The Cougars girls took first in the team standings while the boys tied for 12th among 35 participating programs. NHS assistant coach Kelly Christensen admitted that it was a low-stress meet for his squad, but he remained impressed by his relay teams, in particular. On the girls' side, Niwot took first in the 4x800 and...
The Niwot Community Association (NCA) welcomed Abby Silver, Wildfire Partners Outreach Coordinator, at the March board meeting. Silver was invited by NCA Area Representative and wildfire protection specialist Neal Anderson. Anderson introduced Silver, pointing out that Niwot is the largest community in unincorporated Boulder County. Wildfire Partners provides Boulder County’s volunteer fire mitigation program, which has been in place for mountain communities for years. It helps homeowners clear fire fuels away from near their homes to lessen t...
