All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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Thanks to the Niwot Local Improvement District (LID), the Grange building has been granted enough funds to allow the community center to complete three major improvements to the main floor hall. Watch for the rental space to be upgraded with paint and acoustic ceiling tiles by the end of April. New lighting fixtures will be installed in May. Each of these upgrades will go a long way in adding character and warmth to the venue's ambiance. The LID has approved funding half of the improvements of...
Fred Mosqueda, the Arapaho Language and Culture Program Outreach Specialist Coordinator for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, presented an overview of the culture and history of his people, the Southern Arapahos, to a packed audience at the Left Hand Grange Hall on March 13. The lecture was presented by the Niwot Historical Society as the first in the 2024 Now & Then Lecture Series. The presentation commenced with a three-minute Arapaho prayer, which Mosqueda explained typically...
The Left Hand Valley Courier is spotlighting various local neighborhoods, their history, issues and general nature. This week, the Courier is spotlighting the Old Town residential neighborhood. Thanks to its proximity to the railroad depot, Second Avenue is one of the oldest areas of commerce in town. As the earliest Niwotians created businesses on both the eastern and western side of the railroad tracks, now the Diagonal Highway, they chose to live in or around where they worked. Eventually,...
March's lineup of lectures, music, and dancing at the Left Hand Grange offers the public many ways to connect to others in the local community both in the past and present. Also, watch for more news soon, but for now here's a tease to let Home on the Grange readers know that more aesthetic upgrades to the Grange are in the making. Lucky Niwot Day at the Grange Free Irish Folk Dance Session Saturday, March 9, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Celebrate Lucky Niwot Day at the Grange with a fun and free drop-in...
The Niwot Historical Society will present the "Arapaho Culture" as part of its Now & Then Lecture Series Wednesday, March 13, at 1 p.m. (doors open at 12:30 p.m.) at the Left Hand Grange No. 9 with Fred Mosqueda. As an Arapaho speaker, Mosqueda supports his tribe in preserving its culture, language, and traditional practices and ceremonies. Mosqueda is the Arapaho Language and Culture Program Outreach Specialist Coordinator for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. Mosqueda also...
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...
Four Niwot-area appointed positions on Boulder County advisory boards are open for applications, which close on Friday, Jan. 19. Niwot Design Review Committee The Niwot Design Review Committee's primary role is to act as a referral agency for proposals within the Niwot Rural Community District I (NRCD I), which consists of the first block of 2nd Avenue between Murray Street and Franklin Street, plus the historic Bader House property. According to the county website, "The committee does not have...
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...
This year's Holiday Market at the Left Hand Grange had a record 1,003 people attending, marking a huge jump from the previous record of 635 people in one day, according to Deborah Fowler, one of the event organizers. This year, the Niwot Nickel, a specially made wooden coin worth $5 off one item in December at participating merchants, highlighted the event. Those visiting the Grange also received a tote bag with the Niwot Business Association logo on it. The Festive Food Hall at the Grange...
It's that holiday shopping time of year again, and the Niwot Holiday Market will be open beginning Saturday, Dec. 2. The Market will be set up in the Left Hand Grange and throughout downtown Niwot and Cottonwood Square from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with lots of opportunity for holiday fun and magic. The Market will return on Saturday, Dec. 9, again from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Vendor stands offering various seasonal goodies, local art, crafts and trinkets will line the sidewalks, and several local...
A crew of workers, led by Bryan Buikema of C8 Design + Fabrication out of Berthoud, and David Schaldach of Niwot's We Love Trees, arrived early on Wednesday morning, Nov. 15, at the intersection of Second Avenue and Niwot Road to remove the two iconic tree carvings by Native American artist Eddie Running Wolf for restoration. The willow tree trunks carved by the late artist once lined a lateral of the Hinman Ditch that ran along Niwot Road to irrigate farmland around Niwot before housing...
Blue skies and unseasonably warm temperatures set the stage for Niwot's November 11th tribute to military veterans. The ceremony began at 11:00 after The Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band played several patriotic songs as the crowd gathered, including John Philip Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever," and "America." The colors were presented by Niwot Scout Troop 161, followed by the singing of the "Star Spangled Banner." This is the fifth year for the event and the veterans banner...
The Niwot community was shocked and saddened by the death of Niwot Market owner Bert Steele following a short illness last summer. A wrestling scholarship at Niwot High School was established in his memory at the request of his family, but many in the community looked for an opportunity to create a permanent visual memorial to beloved businessman and philanthropist, who for over 20 years, quietly got to know his customers and supported every event and project in Niwot, with little to no...
Niwot's Local Improvement District Advisory Committee (LID), made up of nine community members appointed by the Boulder County Commissioners, unveiled a Master Plan for Niwot, focusing primarily on the business district, at a meeting of Niwot's primary community non-profit organizations Nov. 6. The first meeting of Niwot organizations took place in the fall of 2021, when each organization had an opportunity to describe its mission and planned projects. The Nov. 6 meeting was a followup to the...
A full house listened to Ethan Knightchilde tell ghost stories of the old west at the Left Hand Grange Oct. 25. The presentation, titled "Tales of the Haunted West," was part of the 5-part Now & Then Lecture Series, sponsored by the Niwot Historical Society, and was the last presentation of the 2023 series. Knightchilde recounted his exploration of various ghost towns in Colorado, Oregon, Arizona and beyond, reading excerpts from his book, "Ghosts of the West: Tales and Legends from the Bonanza...
The Niwot Historical Society's Then & Now Lecture Series will feature award-winning cinematographer, director, writer, and lecturer Ethan "E.S." Knightchilde who will tell stories of the haunted Old West, both real and folklore, on Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m. at the Left Hand Grange. Knightchilde is an author, film maker and lecturer on old western towns and mining settlements. His award-winning film, "Ghosts of the West: The End of the Bonanza Trail," was praised as the highest rated,...
What's on tap for October at The Grange? There will be local music, group dancing, engrossing tales about the haunted West, and more. Music at The Grange Sunday, Oct. 1, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., performer sign-ups begin at 1:15 p.m. Back for the twelfth season, Music at The Grange will start the month off with a variety of local artists performing their own renditions of classics and originals. If you enjoy pop, soft rock, blues, country and folk, you're in for a treat as up to 11 artists perform t...
Do you ever wonder how to look up obscure information collected before there was the gold mine that is the internet? Historian, genealogist, and coordinator of the Boulder Pioneers Project Dina Carson is an expert at digging up loads of important data collected prior to "Googling" becoming a part of our vernacular. Discovering and deciphering piles of archive materials in repositories is Carson's super-power and she's going to share the fascinating material she has uncovered about folks who...
The Niwot Historical Society's first lecture in its annual Now & Then Lecture Series, Aug. 23, featured Daryl Mercer and the history of coins, particularly in Colorado. The Now & Then Lectures were started in 2011 by Laura Skaggs and have continued for 12 years, bringing interesting new historical insights to the history lovers in Niwot. The Now & Then Lectures are now organized by Kathy Koehler, who has been the president of the Niwot Historical Society for several years. The lecture series...
The beginning of autumn is a time of celebration at The Grange. The community will come together to revel in the season's harvest and the joy of dancing, singing, and learning together. Community Dance Lessons Tuesdays, September 5 through December 12, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. Teacher-choreographer Lindy Bartruff invites all ages and levels to the Lindybdance Fall Celebration featuring line dance classes and social dance workshops for $10/person or $15/couple. Join in fun and free dance samplers and be...
Starting this August, the Niwot Historical Society will resume its annual series of "Now & Then Lectures" covering various aspects of Colorado's history. Kathy Koehler began the series 22 years ago and they have continued even during the pandemic. Koehler is now President of the Niwot Historical Society, and has kept the series going. According to Koehler, the long history of the lectures has been successful, and the wide variety of topics are available online. "Since 2011, we have hosted four...
August's cultural events at The Grange feature enriching experiences centered on art, history, and education. Each of these events offers an opportunity for the public to enjoy historic Niwot in a community setting. Bondi Art Show Friday, August 4, 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. and Saturday, August 5, 11 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Michael Bondi's annual art show returns to The Grange. Both original watercolors and prints will be available for purchase in a variety of sizes. You'll be enthralled by Bondi's evocative,...
The June meeting of the Niwot Business Association, held Tuesday, June 13 outside of the former feed store at 291 Second Avenue in Niwot, was sponsored by Osmosis Art & Architecture. Owner and architect Anne Postle greeted members and introduced Tucker Huey of her staff. Postle has been instrumental in working with John Fischer, owner of the former feed store, and the Niwot Cultural Arts Association, to arrange for Open Studios artists to use the space until early July to display art by local...
Given the weather over the last month, it seemed inevitable that rain would eventually crash a Thursday Rock & Rails party. And rain it did on Thursday night, June 15, halfway through the headline act. But that didn't stop the appreciative crowd from enjoying a country-themed evening, nor did it end the evening. Taylor Shae, a Colorado native who recently released the single, "Small Town America," started the music and happy hour off at 5:00 p.m. Shae, a singer and songwriter, has been...
Three classmates who attended the Niwot School, which included grades 1-8, located where the Diagonal Highway now runs, met at the Left Hand Grange No.9 in Niwot on May 31. The gathering was coordinated by the Niwot Historical Society with photos and images collected to be added to the Niwot historical records. John Montoya, who lives in Wheat Ridge, planned a stop in Niwot during a road trip to visit the Niwot Cemetery and the area where he grew up, and was excited to arrange a visit with two...
On May 1, the Niwot Design Review Committee held a virtual meeting to discuss the proposed new sign to be placed in front of the former Bank of the West at 97 2nd Avenue in Niwot. BMO, a subsidiary of Bank of Montreal, recently completed the acquisition of Bank of the West, and proposed new BMO signage. Andrea Vaughn, the staff liaison from Boulder County for the committee, opened the hearing and Denise Grimm of Boulder County Long Range Planning also attended. The proposed colors for a sign...
Niwot’s Local Improvement Advisory Committee (LID) approved two funding requests from the Niwot Business Association that represent major shifts in the NBA’s administrative and marketing plans. Niwot Administrative Coordinator The NBA presented a request for funding for a new Niwot Administrative Coordinator position, asking for $14,400 through the end of the year. “This part-time contract position is responsible for coordinating and executing various activities and tasks required to properly develop, maintain and promote the Niwot busin...
Did you know that Niwot had a live nude dancing venue in the 1980s? The Ace of Hearts was located at 112 2nd Avenue, now occupied by Little Bird. The show was apparently short-lived. Kathy Koehler said she contacted the Boulder County Sheriff's Office to see if anyone recalled the business. "One former deputy remembers this location," Koehler said. "She remembers that the business was open for about three weeks. The closure was related to liquor license issues rather than an eviction closure."...
Was your house at one time in the middle of a cornfield? Some of Niwot's most interesting history happened as recently as the 1980's and 90's when the downtown streets were just dirt. Shopping meant you were headed to the feed store, and Rev. Taylor's was the place to go for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And yes, many of our houses were just starting to be built on what was once had been farmland. Niwot Historical Society president, Kathy Koehler said, "There were very few trees except for the...
Some of us remember when television audiences watched spellbound as pageant host Bert Parks whittled down a row of finalists to reveal the identity of our new Miss America. The year's reigning beauty would hear her name as the last one called, then half-laughing, half-sobbing, she'd parade across the stage, one shaking hand steadying her new tiara, the other wrapped around an enormous bouquet of fresh flowers. She was the very vision of disbelief that her lifelong dream had come true. This...
Open Stage - a musical community event Sunday, April 16, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. Performer sign up begins at 1:15 p.m. This free heartwarming, foot tapping, hum-along entertainment is certain to touch your heart and soul all courtesy of our community's abundant homegrown talent. Enjoy Open Stage as an audience member or perform for the community. Everyone is welcome. Play a cover piece or an original – folk, bluegrass, rock, pop or jazz. Bring a musical instrument; a harmonica, guitar, banjo and y...
The Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee (LIDAC or LID) held its annual meeting with the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on Monday, March 27 in the Left Hand Grange. The members of the LID are a mix of people from businesses and community plus representatives of the Niwot Business Association (NBA) and Niwot Community Association (NCA). The commissioners serve as directors of the LID while the LIDAC advises the commissioners on ways to benefit the district through...
The Left Hand Grange is all about April showers bringing flowers, music, nostalgia, and dancing. Niwot Community Connection Monthly Meeting Thursday, April 13, 10- 11:30 a.m. Local gardener extraordinaire Cathy McCall will give a presentation during April's Niwot Community Connection monthly meeting on how to beautify our area with water-wise pocket gardens on small plots around town. Join the group for this special presentation as well as updates on what the many other NCC groups are up to....
The Niwot Historical Society (NHS) held its first lecture before a full in-person audience since the COVID-19 pandemic began with Niwot's Laurie Algar Adams speaking about her father's career at Disney. The event was held at the Left Hand Grange on Wednesday, March 8, before an audience of 40. It was the first opportunity for the public to experience the new wood laminate flooring which replaced the old linoleum floor and has improved the acoustics in the building. The title of the lecture was,...
Niwot Historical Society's "Now and Then" lecture Wednesday, March 8, 7 p.m. Laura Algar Adams, daughter of Disney legend James Algar, will display her inherited talent for telling stories during her presentation, "Growing up Disney." Algar will narrate her father's passage from being an animator at Disney to becoming the director of "Bambi," "Fantasia," and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," as well as other Disney favorites. James Algar also produced, wrote, and directed the acclaimed Disney nature...
The new flooring at the Grange will be unveiled in March to enhance folks' opportunities to enjoy many forms of entertainment and education. Niwot Historical Society’s “Now and Then” lecture Wednesday, March 8, 7 p.m. Laura Algar Adams, daughter of Disney legend James Algar, will display her inherited talent for telling stories during her presentation, “Growing up Disney.” Algar will narrate her father’s passage from being an animator at Disney to becoming the director of “Bambi,” “Fantasia,” and “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” as well as...
Curtis Johnson, who was elected Boulder County Sheriff in the November 2022 election, was sworn in as the top law enforcement officer in Boulder County on Jan. 10. Johnson succeeds Joe Pelle, who served an unprecedented five 4-year terms as Boulder County Sheriff. Pelle is a former Niwot resident whose wife Stephanie worked at the Niwot Post Office for many years, and as a result, was very familiar with the community. Johnson, a Boulder native whose father, Clayton "Swede" Johnson, was a...
The oldest bank in the Gunbarrel-Niwot area is closing in March. FirstBank announced that the Gunbarrel branch, which opened in June, 1975, will be closing March 7, 2023, due to lack of foot traffic at the location. Kevin Classen, a Niwot resident who is president of Firstbank Holding Company, cited the changing nature of banking brought on by online banking, and Covid concerns. Customers are now able to deposit checks with their phones, and almost all merchants now accept credit cards with the...
Grange funding approved The Left Hand Grange is on a mission to make the iconic building in the center of Niwot's downtown business district even more of a community center. Jim Dorvee, president of Left Hand Grange, Inc., which owns the building on the southwest corner of the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Franklin Street, presented a funding request to the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee (LID) at the LID's regular meeting Dec. 6. Dorvee asked for a contribution of $15,000...
This is the final piece in a series of stories on the four artists who painted murals as part of the Cottonwood Square Shopping Center-Jerry Sinor Building mural project. "Arapaho Family," painted by George Curtis Levi, is the newest mural to enrich the Cottonwood Square Shopping Center. The ledger art mural can be found on the east end of the breezeway that cuts through the center. Levi is a member of the Cheyenne Arapaho tribe and grew up in northwestern Oklahoma. Art was a constant component...
Niwot Historical Society President Kathy Koehler presented the second lecture in the current season of the "Niwot Now & Then" series at the Left Hand Grange on Oct. 2. The presentation, "The History & Story of the Haystack Mountain Golf Course," was created by Koehler through a massive effort to gather interviews, photographs, drone video, documents and artifacts related to the well-known local golf course, which closed last year. Asked why she did this work, Koehler responded in a way...
Upcoming Events at the Grange Niwot Historical Society Documentary on Haystack Mountain Golf Course The Niwot Historical Society will present its second Then & Now fall lecture titled, "Haystack Mountain Golf Course," on Sunday, Oct. 2, from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. This documentary shares the history of the property, the golf course, and events that were hosted by the Ebel family over their 55 years of ownership. The film was created by the Niwot Historical Society and marks the anniversary of the...
Niwot’s Left Hand Grange No. 9 was founded in 1873 and is now the oldest active Grange in Colorado. In 1945, Left Hand Grange, Inc., a non-profit corporation, purchased the present building at 195 Second Avenue, formerly Nelson Hall, for $750, and it has served as the home of Left Hand Grange No. 9 ever since. While initially providing an outlet for farmers and country folks to interact socially, to share ideas and resources, and to stay in touch with local politics, these days Left Hand G...
The Niwot Historical Society (NHS) held its first public lecture with a live audience since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic on Sept. 18 in the Left Hand Grange No. 9. The lecturer was Larry Dorsey, well-known railroad historian, trustee of the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden and past chair of the Superior Historical Commission. Dorsey gave one of the first lectures to the Society in 2011. In total, he has given six lectures about Colorado railroading. Two are presently viewable on the...
Railroads are like the veins going to and from the heart of the country. In years past, they were numerous, a near constant; today, they almost seem like something from the past. Similarly, as there are increasingly more talks about sustainable energy, conversations about the use of coal seem to be on the decline. Local historian Larry Dorsey is coming to Niwot’s Left Hand Grange on Sunday, Sept. 18 at 1:30 p.m. to discuss the rich history of the area, especially as it relates to coal mining and railroads. His upcoming lecture, entitled “Black...
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...
On Monday, July 4, the Niwot Historical Society welcomed Fourth of July parade-goers to take a self-guided tour of the Niwot Fire House Museum as part of their patriotic revels. The Niwot Fire House, which was built in 1910 to house the Niwot area firefighting equipment, now is a tiny museum packed with local historic items, including classic school desks, an old anvil, old post office boxes, and other Niwot artifacts. Attendees young and old enjoyed a stop-off at the museum for a self-paced...
With the Fourth of July fast approaching, it seems a fortuitous time to talk about the history of the Niwot firehouse. In 1910, concern about fire protection prompted Niwot citizens to acquire a firehose handcart and build a simple frame shed to house it. The firehouse was erected close to the street, on an undeveloped lot between the Niwot State Bank (now Porchfront Homes) and the Livingston Hotel (now Wise Buys Antiques) on Second Avenue. It was a simple 8' x 14' wooden frame structure with...
Not unlike other local businesses and attractions, Chief Niwot is the namesake for the Left Hand Grange as the Arapaho word for "left-hand" is Ni-wot. What is interesting about the building known as the Left Hand Grange Hall is its rich history. The local Grange organization, known as Left Hand Grange No. 9, initially operated out of the Batchelder School House southwest of Niwot, and received its charter on January 24, 1874. It is currently the oldest active Grange in Colorado. The Granger...
Rock & Rails is a well-loved, much-attended community event in Niwot's very own Whistle Stop Park. As the recipient of the 2006 Governor's Award for Downtown Excellence for Best Promotional Event, Rock & Rails benefits many who volunteer to make all the magic happen. The free summer concert series takes the stage at Niwot's Whistle Stop Park at 1st Avenue and Murray Street in historic downtown Niwot, Colorado, and is produced by the Niwot Cultural Arts Association in conjunction with the Niwot...
