All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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When The Wandering Jellyfish Bookshop moved into its downtown Niwot home last year, it breathed new life into one of Niwot's most iconic spaces. Owners Carissa Mina and Jerilyn Patterson brought their colorful, curated selection of books, toys and gifts to the northwest corner of 2nd Avenue and Franklin Street, and now laugh together about ways their building's history keeps making itself known. "So many people come in here and are like, 'I used to have a business in this building,' said...
We regularly celebrate our town's namesake, Chief Niwot (Left-Hand in Arapaho), for his peace-oriented beliefs and actions. In fact, the stories of his leadership and subsequent betrayal by Col. John Chivington and his troops at Sand Creek have been documented in many books, including Boulder author Margaret Coel's "Chief Left Hand." Chief Niwot banded together with other tribal leaders in a commitment to finding peaceful relationships with white settlers. They included Niwot's brother, Neva,...
The area around in and around Niwot, known as the Left Hand Valley, has deep agricultural roots dating back to the late 1800s in the early settlement days of Colorado Pioneer families such as the Caywoods, Williamses and the Goulds turned the prairie land into productive soils, producing wheat, sugar beets, and alfalfa. Many farms started alongside the nearby railroads and Niwot became a farming town, even having it;s own dairy and creamery. Many homes were built on farmland in the early 1900s,...
Residents of Boulder County have long endured the volatile moods of Mother Nature, including the Blizzard of 1913 that dropped four feet of snow in just two days. There were years when swarms of grasshoppers descended, devouring everything from crops to window curtains to paint on the walls. Today, we no longer experience swarms of locusts, and the deep snows of the last century have diminished as Colorado's climate continues to change. Yet like our predecessors, we still suffer from Colorado's...
The Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) approved five funding requests at its regular meeting May 3, including funding for three popular community events. Scott Firle chaired the meeting, with advisory board members Lisa Rivard, Cornelia Sawle, Bruce Rabeler, Jeff Knight, Heidi Storz and Keith Waters also in attendance, along with Boulder County liaison Mark Ruzzin. The Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA) and the Niwot Business Association (NBA), co-managers of the Rock & Rails summer...
Niwot resident Leonard Sitongia was selected as one of seven volunteers to be recognized by Boulder County during National Volunteer Week. Sitongia, who serves on the board of directors of the Niwot Community Association and the Niwot Historical Society, was recognized for his work with the Community Planning and Permitting Department’s Mobility for All Technology Ambassador Program. He has donated over 200 hours to the M4A program. For his efforts, Sitongia received a grant of $900 to support his continued work on the M4A program. Sitongia r...
In this modern world of telephones, faxes and emails, the joy of letter writing has almost disappeared. We've become too reliant on the instant feedback of the internet. In the 1800s, however, residents of Boulder County anxiously awaited the stagecoach, afternoon train, or the rural mail wagon to bring letters from their families back east. Establishing a postal system to serve homesteaders along the Front Range was an impressive accomplishment by the U.S. Post Office Department. New...
The desire for a little spending money is universal among today's adolescents, and youngsters growing up in the nineteenth century were no exception. Wildlife was abundant in Boulder County. Rabbits, coyotes, skunks, and muskrats were plentiful along Boulder and St. Vrain creeks. While their parents hunted deer and elk to augment food supplies, young boys set traps for small animals and shot waterfowl to send to market. Alonzo Allen and Walter Emery often hunted together on Lake Park in...
Editor's Note: Historian Anne Dyni wrote a series of articles for the Left Hand Valley Courier. The series will be reprinted from time to time. Left Hand Men's Club First published February 2005 In 1960, Niwot was functioning much as it had for decades, except that the town newspaper had ceased publication and the train no longer stopped for passengers and freight. Real estate activity was slow, however, and the few businesses remaining in town were barely getting by. Niwot was still very much...
Turning fear into hope was a gift long-time Niwot resident Judy Seaborn drew from her experience of the Marshall fire. For her efforts to assist fire victims and her commitment to provide food to those in need, Seaborn is the recipient of the February Left Hand Laurel. Co-owner with Curtis Jones of Botanical Interests, a large Colorado seed and garden company whose goal for the past 27 years has been "to inspire and educate the gardener in you" by supplying garden centers nationally and home...
The popular weekly concert series Rock & Rails is returning to Niwot's Whistle Stop Park for 13 shows in 2022, and organizers are gearing up for another great summer of live music and family fun on Thursday nights. "We're looking forward to another successful season," co-manager Bruce Warren of the Niwot Cultural Arts Association said. "We're adding some new local talent for opening acts along with the return of popular favorites." Along with Warren, Dan Hawk of Edward Jones and Vicki Maurer of...
Like it or not, 2022 is just around the corner, and if your plans for the new year involve bettering the world, there's no better place to start than your own community. The Left Hand Valley is home to dozens of non-profit organizations that are making a difference, and they need engaged volunteers to help them do it. No experience is necessary; there's a position for you. By volunteering, not only are you helping your community, you'll also reap the benefits from connecting with others, learnin...
Boulder County is seeking applications for one opening on the Niwot Business Local Improvement District (LID) Advisory Committee, a nine-member independent board that "prioritizes expenditures of the LID sales tax revenue," and makes recommendations to the county commissioners, who serve as the board of directors for the district. The Niwot LID was formed in 1992 and was authorized to collect a half-percent sales tax to pay for street, drainage and other improvements in Old Town, beginning in...
Grief is a difficult thing. On one hand, we're often told to go through the stages, heal and move on. But on the other hand, it's not clear how long those stages "should" last, and we can be pressured to feel as though the healing is complete before we're ready. What I love about Niwot resident Ellen Haswell's book, "A Little Book of Words for Those Who Grieve,'' is that the whole book takes you through the process, and while it's a short read, it feels like you can take your time. With only 59...
In 2020, charitable giving rose to an all-time high in the U.S., even as many Americans struggled with uncertainty and disruptions. While that is good news for the nation's non-profit organizations, the unfortunate reality is that much of the bounty went to high profile causes and groups, leaving small and locally-focused charities scrambling to make up for lost fundraising opportunities. As 2021 comes to a close, many of those groups could still use some help to balance the scales. "There are a...
Since 1993, the Niwot Historical Society has been on a mission to collect, preserve, and share memories from the town's rich and storied past, which stretches back nearly 150 years. Starting Saturday, Nov. 27, you can help support that mission and check an item off of your holiday to-do list with the purchase of a limited edition Niwot greeting card, featuring original artwork and a short lesson in local history. "The original watercolor paintings of a Niwot location have been donated for our...
Hundreds of Canada geese take off from the mowed fields around Dodd Reservoir where they have spent the day browsing for food. The evening sky is going purple after a clear day. Some of these geese make a fuss, honking as they take off. Others silently glide away, the turmoil of a disordered flock resolving into a giant V-formation that disappears into the distance. But where are they going? According to the Audubon Society, in North America, seven out of 10 bird species participate in either a...
As part of the effort to update the town's five-year strategic plan, the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee invited leaders from more than a dozen local community organizations to a round table discussion at the Left Hand Grange on Nov. 2 to discuss how to prioritize tax revenues over the coming years and encourage cooperation among the groups on community projects. Among the groups represented were the Niwot Business Association, Niwot Community Association, the Rotary Club of...
In its first face-to-face meeting since March 2020, the Niwot Local Improvement District advisory committee heard a request to fund Niwot Holiday Magic, discussed the recent strategic planning meeting, and got an update on the public parking lot. It was also the first meeting for new business representative Keith Waters, who was appointed to a five-year term by the Boulder County Board of Commissioners last month. Waters is a professor at the CU College of Music and co-owner of Inkberry Books...
After a five-hour meeting to review its five-year strategic plan, the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee decided that the best course of action would be to host the leadership of all of the non-profit organizations serving the Niwot community at a roundtable discussion. The purpose of the meeting will be to give each organization, including the LID, a better understanding of each organization’s purpose and short-term goals, as well as start a conversation about how best to share resources. Eight of the nine LID committee member...
Silence and Respect. Thus reads the first trail sign greeting visitors at the Sand Creek Massacre National HIstoric Site. Thirty Niwot-area residents, both young and old, traveled to the site on Saturday, Sept. 25, by bus exactly 17 months after the original excursion was derailed by the pandemic. What originally started as two busloads of Niwotians dwindled to a little more than half a bus, due to COVID concerns and the difficulty of finding a rescheduled date that fit everyone's schedule, but...
"Service above self" is the motto of the Rotary Club International, and for Niwot Rotarian Thom Lynch, no one has embodied that more over the past 18 months than Tara Shaheen and Stacy Szydlek, co-owners of Niwot Tavern. On Aug. 5 at Rock & Rails, he presented the two with the club's third annual Community Achievement Award, given to members of the community "who have displayed a heart of service, dedication, and love for Niwot." "When they bought the Tavern in January 2020, they had big plans...
A trip to the site of the Sand Creek Massacre site in southeastern Colorado is back on track – 17 months after the pandemic caused the original trip to be postponed. The trip, which was originally set for April 25, 2020, has now been rescheduled for Saturday, Sept. 25, with the bus leaving from Niwot Market at 8 a.m. The all-day excursion, organized by the Niwot United Methodist Church as part of its 150-year anniversary celebration, will take participants on a four-hour bus ride to the N...
On June 7, Niwot Boy Scout troop 161 held its spring 2021 Court of Honor ceremony at Whistle Stop Park, where they awarded merit badges, inducted six new Eagle Scouts, and recognized longtime scout leader Bill O’Donnell. “Bill loved all the young men he mentored over 28 years,” wrote Kathy Koehler of the Niwot Historical Society of the ceremony. “If you needed anything scout-related you contacted Bill for so many years - such a proud part of our Niwot community.” According to Koehler, Bruce Gri...
A combination of familiar favorites and new sounds will be making their way to the Whistle Stop Park gazebo this summer when Niwot’s popular weekly summer concert series Rock & Rails returns to the stage on Thursday, June 3. From blues-inspired rock, to Afro-style reggae, the 2021 lineup has a little bit of something for all music fans and even a few surprises along the way, according to longtime talent manager Satir DeMarco. “I wanted to create a combination of ‘comfort food’, to honor the fol...
"I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy.....Born on the 4th of July" The line from "Yankee Doodle Dandy" fits the Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band, which first performed on July 4, 2005, as part of the bandstand dedication ceremony in Whistle Stop Park. "The Niwot Business Association built a bandstand in the park reminiscent of the bandstand that stood for many years on the corner of 2nd Avenue and Murray Street," Biff Warren, one of the founding band members said. "We had everything ready...
Women's International Niwot Club, or WINC, as it has come to be known, has been active in the Niwot community for 11 years, though it was officially incorporated in 2015 by founder and current president Deborah Read Fowler. Fowler, a local realtor originally from England, first brought a chapter of the Daughters of the British Empire to town, but after several years of seeing most of the money raised by the non-profit group go to out-of-state causes, Fowler decided to form a more locally-focused...
Left Hand Grange No. 9 is the oldest institution in Niwot, and the oldest active Grange in Colorado, organized Dec. 20, 1873 and chartered in 1874, before Colorado was even a state..Since then the Grange has evolved from an agrarian organization serving a largely agriculture-based community, to a town center which continues to support the semi-rural character of the community and the values that have sustained the organization for over a century. The Grange building at the southwest corner of Se...
April is National Volunteer month, a moment when the US acknowledges and honors the impressive impact volunteers make by giving their time and energy. We can all make the world a better place by volunteering in big and small ways, and while pitching in, you're also bringing health and happiness to yourself. Here's a list of nearby organizations where volunteers make a huge difference. Note: For the past year, we've been told to stay socially distant during the pandemic, but many organizations...
The poignant Shel Silverstein book, The Giving Tree, speaks to the gradual, but ultimate sacrifice a tree makes for a little boy. This month's Niwot Historical Society's lecture topic of Culturally Modified Trees (CMT) is close to that premise, but it displays more respect, and there's no unhappy ending. Archaeologist Marilyn Martorano has been studying the phenomenon of CMTs since the mid-1970s. Fresh out of college, Martorano was tasked with surveying in the Rio Grande Forest. She said she...
Niwot Historical Society president Kathy Koehler went for more than a year without a haircut and last week, Liz Edge, owner of Ivy and Thistle hair salon on Second Avenue, styled Koehler's hair so it could be donated to Hair We Share. The non-profit organization makes wigs and hairpieces and provides them at no cost to those suffering with hair loss due to a medical condition. Koehler and her two daughters have donated their long tresses in the past. Koehler said of her new hairdo, now more...
Railroad historian Larry Dorsey will open this year's Niwot Historical Society lectures series with a presentation highlighting the advent of the railroad and its impact on Colorado's history. The lecture is titled In the Footsteps of the Iron Horse – The Influence of the Railroad on Colorado History. The term Iron Horse refers to steam locomotives which came on the scene in the 1800s gradually replacing actual horses which had been the prominent means of transportation. Dorsey, a long-time r...
The Niwot Historical Society recently elected two new directors who were inadvertently omitted from the How things get done in Niwot series in the March 10, 2021 issue. Amy Scanes-Wolfe and Kirk Stewart have joined the board of directors, and Joe Betts, who now resides in Wyoming, has become a consultant to the board. The website of the organization is www.niwothistoricalsociety.org....
The plat of Niwot was filed in the Boulder County records on March 30, 1875 by Porter Hinman and Ambrose Murray, laying out streets, alleys and lots on both sides of the railroad tracks, but Niwot was never officially incorporated as a town under state law. As a result, Niwot does not have a mayor or city council, and is governed by the Boulder County Commissioners. All of the buildings west of the railroad tracks are long gone, moved or demolished when the Diagonal Highway was built beginning...
Have you ever wondered what life was like in Longmont when settlers first came 150 years ago? If your answer was yes, then look no further--former Courier reporter Amy Scanes-Wolfe has turned her writing talents toward historical fiction and released the first of her "They Came to Stay" series in February. "I've always loved writing," said Scanes-Wolfe. "I got away from it when I got into farming, but I really wanted to tell this story [of Longmont]." Scanes-Wolfe grew up in Longmont and said...
Roses are red Violets are blue Here are things we love (About living in the LHV) And we bet you do too Our Incredible Trail System Whether you are out for a leisurely stroll, a serious hike, run, or a bike ride, the Left Hand Valley's miles of trails offer something for everyone. Every season offers its unique vistas near and far, from snow-capped peaks in the distance, to the beautiful architecture of bare branches against the sky in winter, to the verdant fields and flowers in the summer....
The COVID-19 pandemic turned life upside down for most of us over the past 12 months, but it was especially hard on the local non-profit community, which saw its donations dry up as traditional fundraising events and activities were postponed or canceled. Fortunately, there's still time to help balance the scales as we count down the final hours of 2020. Among the many provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) passed back in March, was a change to an IRS rule...
In 1975, the Lutheran Medical Center Foundation was created as a way to support a nonprofit hospital in West Denver. Since then, it has been renamed the "Community First Foundation" (CFF) and has sought to create change beyond just the Denver Metro. Then, CFF became involved with ColoradoGives.org, an online tool that is a way to connect with and support nearly 3,000 nonprofits around the state. In 2010, CFF and ColoradoGives.org kicked off Colorado Gives Day, which has garnered $355 million in...
In the closing line of the poem First Things First, W.H. Auden writes, "Thousands have lived without love, but not one without water." Water is the topic of author and retired water resource manager Bob Crifasi's lecture for the Niwot Historical Society's latest Now & Then lecture series set to be released on Nov. 18. Crifasi's lecture, "From Desert To Oasis, A Land Made From Water," will be available for the public to watch on the Niwot Historical Society's YouTube channel. Crifasi worked for...
Small towns like Niwot are an endangered species throughout the US. For a small town to survive or even thrive, is heroic. What makes Niwot different? Our Voice, which speaks to us weekly, is a large factor behind Niwot's success. Our Voice reminds us that Niwotians' are really a special breed. Our Voice reminds us that unlike other towns, we volunteer and govern ourselves. Our Voice helps us celebrate our volunteer leadership associations with fancy nomenclature that make things happen, like the NBA, NCA, NFL, NCAA, LID, and not so fancy,...
4 marks the centennial anniversary of the 19th Amendment which guaranteed women the constitutional right to vote in the United States. However, this year does not mark the 100th year of women voters in Colorado as the state actually granted women voting rights in 1893, 27 years before the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920. The Niwot Historical Society will be exploring the history of women's suffrage in Colorado with Dr. Rebecca Hunt in the latest NHS Now & Then fall lecture series. Hunt's...
For her 48 years of "service, dedication, and love for Niwot," the Rotary Club of Niwot honored longtime resident Kathy Koehler with its second annual Community Achievement Award. "This year's winner could not be more deserving," RCN member and past president Doug Montgomery said during the presentation, held at Old Oak Coffee's OctoberFeast Celebration on Oct. 3. "To say that her love and care for the Niwot community has been on full display since she moved here in 1972 would be a colossal...
Leonard Sitongia is an essential worker, or more fittingly, an essential volunteer for the Niwot community. Even before Leonard and his wife Christine moved to their Niwot home in 2014, while waiting for their North Boulder house to sell, he stepped up to be an area representative for the Niwot Community Association (NCA). For the past three years, he's also been the organization's secretary. Hearing about his history, it's clear that connecting through community engagement is Sitongia's modus...
The ability to travel during COVID-19 may feel sidelined, but time travel is still possible thanks to the Niwot Historical Society's lecture series. Unfortunately, the annual NHS lecture series can't take place in person at the Left Hand Grange, so the organization has come up with another venue in which to immerse the public in local history. The first of three speakers will take to the internet in September with a lecture titled, "The Switzerland Trail, a Boulder County Railroad," presented...
Though difficult to comprehend in our current environment, the events of COVID-19 mark an unprecedented moment in our shared human history. Focusing on local historic impacts, the Niwot Historical Society has put out a call for pandemic-related information in an effort to, as its mission states, "preserve, collect, and protect the history of Niwot." The historical society is asking volunteers from the community to help document this moment and the impacts of COVID-19 in Niwot's history. The...
She howls, sews masks, plots to honor grads, helps kids learn, gets them moving, organizes the occasional birthday car-parade, and that's just some of the stuff Diane Zimmermann does during a pandemic. Supporting others is a way of life for the Niwot resident. "Anywhere there is room for helping out. I'm always up for that," Zimmermann said. Some of her volunteering is organized, such as her work for the Niwot Community Association and the Niwot Historical Society, and some she does on her own....
Last week's surprise winter storm might have seemed out of place in April, but as a recently donated artifact to the Niwot Historical Society (NHS) attests, spring blizzards are nothing new in the area. According to the April 6, 1957 edition of the Niwot Tribune (1921-1958), the area was "buried" under 18 inches of snow, which disrupted local phone service for four days. The Tribune clipping was one of several items donated to the NHS in March by longtime member Judy Gould Dayhoff, who has been...
Left Hand Water Effective March 16, 2020, the Left Hand Water District has closed its administrative office building to the public through March 29. The District will continue to provide services to customers, with staff rotating work schedules or working remotely or in the field. Payments can be made over the phone or online through Xpress Bill Pay; customers are strongly encouraged to make payments via these methods. The District's water remains safe to drink; as all drinking water...
When a Channel 7 News crew showed up on Second Avenue on Saturday, January 28th, Kathy Koehler was ready to give them a tour of the Fire House Museum and an overview of Niwot's history. Little did she know they weren't there for the town--they were there for her. "I've volunteered with Kathy on the board of the Niwot Historical Society and Niwot Community Association," said Leonard Sitongia. "I think she volunteers with just about every organization in Niwot. Her volunteering is on a heroic...
There's a bushel of phrases about pie: "It's as easy as pie," "Bye, bye Miss American Pie," and "You're such a sweetie pie." Pie is quintessential fare around the world, whether it's filled with custard, fruit or something savory. For John Lehndorff, the highly respected food critic and, more to the point, renowned pie expert, this particular pastry has been at center stage throughout his 40-year career. The Niwot Historical Society asked Lehndorff to share his knowledge of all things pie at...
