All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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On Dec. 7, Niwot resident Steve H. reported seeing three bobcats in his neighbor's yard on Paiute Avenue, which the Courier published in its Dec. 15 edition. Since then, the Courier has received some feedback from local resident Dr. Sharon Greenleaf La Pierre, on how our community can protect bobcats. Dr. La Pierre was the Founding Chair of the Wildlife Legacy Trust Fund serving the Community Foundation of Boulder County. She currently works at Red Raven Farms to rescue animals and raise...
With star swimmer Mary Codevilla out for the weekend, it was Jamieson Legh’s turn to take charge for the Niwot girls swim team. The junior dominated in a pair of individual races to help the Cougars finish second in 4A at the Mustang Invitational, which concluded on Jan. 8 at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center in Thornton. Niwot also finished fourth overall behind Broomfield, Legacy and meet-winner Regis Jesuit. The Cougars would have been well outside the top-five if it weren’t for Legh. In the 100-yard butterfly, Legh took first place and...
On Dec. 17, the Niwot Rotary Club celebrated 13 years of service, both in the local community and across international borders. As part of the Rotary tradition, a new president's name is added to their podium and all past presidents reunite in celebration. Sadly, the founding president, Eli Buzas, passed away from COVID-19 in January 2021. Current president Karrin Reichen said Buzas was a wonderful friend who inspired her to join the Rotary Club. Reichen is proud to be leading her club since...
We have watched the scenes from Colorado Springs (Waldo Canyon Fire in June of 2012) and California where wildfires reached into our towns and cities destroying hundreds of homes in a matter of hours. Most Front Range inhabitants would never have thought that it would happen so close to home. Our idea that wildfires are confined to forested areas and during summer has been challenged and is no longer the norm. We need to be prepared and able to recover should the unthinkable happen. Our...
This New Year's Eve will see many celebrating the start of 2022 by staying in with friends. If you're one of those who are planning a Niwot night at home, three of our area's local drink masters have suggestions for holiday cocktails. These drinks will keep things festive and help you celebrate the season. Farow Restaurant's Alcohol-free Cranberry Spritz Niwot's newest restaurant has provided its recipe for a celebratory, beautiful winter cocktail. Lighter and fun, it's a festive way to start...
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...
Books are wonderful gifts because of their versatility. Especially now with the holidays, they allow you to travel to different places and times, all while staying comfortably snug at home. Whether you're a library fan, local bookshop lover, or an online shopper, we've got a few holiday/winter suggestions for our Courier readers. Another option, thanks to The Wandering Jellyfish Bookshop, is to buy a bookshop gift card, which supports local bookstores. Niwot's Inkberry Books has a large...
Senior swimmer Mary Codevilla’s Niwot legacy grew a little larger following a pair of historic races at the REX Coaches Invite on Dec. 18. Codevilla, a Notre Dame commit, has been swimming for the USA National Junior Team and the REX Invite was her first meet of the season with Niwot. Her senior debut was a good one as she broke a pair of school records at the Veterans Memorial Aquatics Center in Thornton. Her time of 2:02.56 in the 200 IM and 50.71 in the 100 freestyle were both Niwot bests. Unsurprisingly, both of Codevilla’s record times had...
Tara Shaheen and Stacy Szydlek, owners of the Niwot Tavern, are hosting their third annual winter gear drive. They're accepting donations up until Christmas Eve and will distribute the items on Christmas Day. In addition, the Niwot Tavern will be preparing 100 meatloaf meals, with the help of their supplier, U.S. Foods. Around 40 meals will be served at Roosevelt Park, where the winter gear will also be distributed. The rest of the meals and gear will be handed out to homeless people they find...
Taz Chaudry is full of life, full to the brim and then some. Chaudry's passion for helping others is undeniable in all that she does. Owing to her outpouring of positive energy, Niwotian Chaudry was selected as this month's Left Hand Laurel recipient, coming to the forefront in particular for her volunteering at the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center (CTRC). "I believe we're all here to help each other and my purpose of being...why I'm here, is to remind people of joyful being," Chaudry said....
Behind any community event in Niwot, there is an unsung army of volunteers, handling details and logistics that most attendees overlook. Among them is the Niwot road crew, a group that has been dedicated to keeping the town's parades and festivals pedestrian-friendly since 2014. "We started with seven, and it blossomed from there," Dick Piland said of the group he founded as Niwot Community Association president nearly a decade ago. "It was amazing. We had people calling up insisting they get...
The Niwot girls swim team has faced its share of challenges over the past few seasons, from lack of a home facility, to a coaching turnover, and, of course, the myriad complications due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But with a new St. Vrain Valley district pool set to open next month, plus a more conventional schedule in 2021-22, senior Rowan Osgood is excited for her best swim season yet. "I absolutely think there's more stability this year," the third-year veteran said of her Niwot swimming...
Niwot's largest and most enchanting holiday display is officially switched on for the season. The annual eye-popping tradition that is Chuck Rodgers' yard atop the hill on 79th Street just south of Highway 52 will be glowing every night until Jan. 6. For over 30 years, the joyful and extravagant display has rung in the holiday season like none other in the area. It's also the perfect COVID-free, no-charge family holiday highpoint. Amongst the thousands of lights, hundreds of inflatable and...
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the latest first measurable snowfall (0.5") in Boulder was November 26, 1910 (although the records prior to 1948 are suspect). The latest first snowfall since 1948 (considered to be more accurate) is November 17, 2016. Either way we are past both dates. On average, Boulder receives 18 inches of precipitation per year. While Boulder has received 20.2" of precipitation thanks to a very wet 2021 spring, since August, Boulder...
October 2021 marked the one year anniversary for the Little Shops at Niwot (7960 Niwot Rd., Suite D-15), a unique small business collaboration that began life last year as the Little Holiday Shops at Niwot. And though the storefront has rebranded and moved across the shopping center, the business, which functions as a type of co-op for local artists and vendors, has continued to see success. "When you think about it, there were a lot of pop-up vendors who lost their opportunity to do farmer's...
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...
You're likely to have noticed this month's Familiar Face, Dr. Jess Johnson, DVM, eating at a local restaurant, browsing in local stores, riding her bike, and on the job at Left Hand Animal Hospital on Franklin Street. She's a quintessential Niwotian because she and her husband are raising their daughter in Niwot and she works in town too. The Courier asked Johnson a few questions to find out about her background and to get to know her better. Left Hand Valley Courier (LHVC) - Where are you from...
When Niwot and Skyline get together in boys soccer, a close game typically follows. That proved true once again on Oct. 22 when the two teams settled on a 1-1 draw. Niwot will now enter the 4A state playoffs as the No. 19 seed and will face No. 14 Regis Groff in Denver on Thursday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. It will mark the third consecutive season these schools have met in the playoffs-the Cougars beat the Fusion 2-1 in last season's quarterfinals matchup in April. Regis Groff finished 9-6 this year an...
Niwot Cougars head coach Nikolas Blume didn't mince his words after the team's 34-0 loss on the road at Thompson Valley (2-4) on Oct. 14. "I'm not sure if we ever got off the bus," he said. "We were bad, 100 percent. We were just bad." It's an assessment that's hard to refute, though there were mitigating factors, notably the absence of junior quarterback Ben Classen, a difference maker on both sides of the ball. In five games for Niwot this season, he has amassed 582 yards, which is good for 10...
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...
Niwot-born Bootstrap Brewing has once again medaled at this year's Great American Beer Festival awards. The brewery received a gold medal for Stick's Pale Ale, a win which placed it among 20 other GABF gold, silver, and bronze medal winners in Colorado. Although the festival portion of this year's event was canceled due to pandemic-related concerns, the awards portion of the ceremony proceeded in person. Brewers, many of whom were already in town for the Craft Brewers Conference, carefully...
Kristina Burgoon is the warm welcoming face at The Niwot Inn & Spa and she's also the face of Niwot through her creativity as the social media coordinator for the Niwot Business Association. The Courier reached out to discover a bit about Burgoon's history and her current life. Left Hand Valley Courier (LHVC) - Where did you grow up and what brought you to the area? Kristina Burgoon (KB) - I was born in Orange, California, and lived there until I was 10-years old. My family moved to Flemington,...
August is the month when gardens prove their worth. If produce, flowers, and pollinators are thriving, the tender of a garden is delighted. This first full summer of cultivating at Jack's Solar Garden is turning out to be excellent according to owner/manager Byron Kominek. In addition to providing solar energy to 300 homes, the garden is successfully growing squash, tomatoes, beans, and then some under and around its 3,200 solar panels. Two hundred pounds of fresh produce was recently donated to...
The persistent turkey at the center of Wendi Silvano's Turkey Trouble series is crushed when he learns that farm animals don't go to school. But with some help from his barnyard friends, Turkey uses his knack for coming up with clever disguises to get them all into a local classroom...almost. That's the story behind "Turkey Goes to School," the latest installment in Silvano's popular series and one of the featured titles at The Wandering Jellyfish Bookshop in Niwot. On Aug. 21, the Grand Junctio...
The first Niwot Honey Bee Harvest Festival will take flight on Aug. 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring hives of fun activity around town. Look for flyers posted with the schedule of the day's activities. Niwot Business Association vice-president Deb Fowler and Niwot resident Victoria Keen have been very "beesy" organizing the festival since early 2021. Honey bees are not native to the United States and were brought over by the pilgrims, but they have long been a part of the Niwot area....
After a long year of weekly Zoom meetings and modified events, the Rotary Club of Niwot is back on more familiar footing in 2021, and newly elected president Kerrin Reichen is looking forward to a busy year of giving back to the community. "Our motto is 'Service above Self,' and we want to get out and get our hands dirty, so to speak," she said. "There are so many things in the community we support, and the money we raise goes straight to them." Reichen assumed the presidency as of July 1, and...
Another championship sweep for Niwot at the 2021 Class 4A cross country meet isn't a foregone conclusion, but it's hard to dismiss the strong evidence in favor of it. Returning to the varsity are two of Colorado's fastest high school distance runners in Zane Bergen and Mia Prok, plus a battle-hardened pack of veterans that is still in shape from the Cougars' recent title run at the state track and field championships. Add to that a coach looking to list another two state titles on his resume,...
It's not an "extreme" makeover, but Niwot High is having a little work done before the 2021-22 school year begins. Last month, construction began on the final phase of the school's 2016 bond construction project, which will bring an updated look to the exterior and help newcomers find their way around. "People that come here that aren't familiar with our setup, a lot of times they'll ring the doorbell at the front and ask, 'Is this the gymnasium or where's the baseball field?', or there are gran...
People strolling along Niwot's Second Avenue looking for a peaceful place to sit in the shade can thank their lucky stars that Chuck Klueber gives his time to Niwot. Klueber, who has been named the 2021 Grand Marshal of Niwot's 4th of July patriotic motorcade parade, is the quiet force in the background making sure that "streetscape" projects are completed in the town. The "bump out" patio in front of Old Oak Coffeehouse, allowing for inviting umbrella tables, chairs and trees, was one of the...
It wasn't easy for Niwot girls soccer coach Jenna Machado to find the positives after the Cougars' 7-0 loss to Windsor in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs on June 16, but she did see opportunities for growth and predicts a bright future for a team that is highly talented, but still learning the ropes of high school soccer. "We're not there yet, competition-wise," the second-year coach said after addressing her emotional team. "This young group is really strong, but they definitely need...
The Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect arises when natural environments are replaced with artificial surfaces such as concrete and buildings, which absorb solar radiation differently. When nature is built on, the benefits of natural evaporative cooling and carbon absorption are lost. In addition, the heat produced directly by new human activity in the area (including transportation and air-conditioning)creates “islands” that are warmer than the surrounding areas -- an effect that has major adverse effects. The Celestial Seasonings development (LU...
I scooped up some scrap hay at a barn where I kept my horse and noticed a dark spot in the midst of the pale green. Between my hands and the hay was a frail body no bigger than my thumb, a mix of black fuzz and feather. I looked up to the 40-foot rafters where I knew there was a barn swallow nest. This little one might have made a too-early attempt to fly or took a tumble after sibling scuffle. At least the baby bird made a soft landing on the loose hay. But it made a hard landing on my heart....
When the Center for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed the mask wearing mandate for fully vaccinated individuals, it caught many people off guard. Nonetheless, state and local authorities, including Colorado and Boulder County health officials, followed suit. As of May 16, Boulder County moved to "level clear" status on the simplified COVID-19 public safety dial. This meant that based on public health order 2021-04, businesses would be able to operate for a 90-day period with no pandemic-rel...
Niwot is an affluent community, and it's also a generous community. And if you're looking to make a bigger impact with a few dollars, Left Hand Giving Circle may be right for you. In 2016, Niwot resident Virginia Dutkin was working at the Longmont Community Foundation (LCF) while finishing up her coursework to get her master's degree in Nonprofit Management at CU Denver. She was first introduced to the idea of 'giving circles' from her work at LCF. Giving circles are philanthropic groups where m...
Led by senior pitchers Hayden Morford and Micah Sheats, the 2-7 Niwot baseball team kept its opponents quiet during a 1-2 week on the diamond. Following a 10-4 loss at Fort Morgan on May 19, Niwot returned home to face Severance on May 20. Morford, making his first start of the season, allowed two runs in six and one-third innings against the Silver Knights. His brilliant effort wasn't enough, however, as the Cougars couldn't get any offense going behind their southpaw starter and lost, 4-0....
Bobcats have become a regular feature on the Nextdoor social media platform. Several people have recently posted photos and stories about seeing them in Niwot and Gunbarrel. Avara Yaron was walking in the afternoon along a ditch on a path north of Lookout Road, just east of King Soopers. "On the other side of that waterway, that canal, I saw a large cat and the first thing that crossed my mind was, 'Is it a mountain lion? No it's smaller, it's a bobcat,'" she said. "We just looked at each other...
Eli Buzas brought the idea of forming an education foundation to Niwot High School from Florida when he moved to Colorado in 1991. Buzas, who died earlier this year of COVID-19 complications, envisioned a foundation that did more than provide scholarships to students. Other school foundations in the school district raised money for scholarships, but Buzas had in mind a foundation that could fund current projects as well as develop a long-range funding program. Through his leadership while workin...
The past year has been challenging for prospective college athletes, particularly those who missed their junior seasons of competition in the spring of 2020. But for 15 Niwot High athletes, the arduous journey through the virtual recruiting process came to a satisfying end at the school's Letter of Intent signing ceremony on May 3. "This is probably the hardest year in the history of college athletics to have an opportunity to play at the collegiate level," Niwot High athletics and activities...
Geologically prominent Haystack Mountain has long been in the midst of area history and now it will be marking another transition. Protruding several hundred feet over the Left Hand Creek Valley, the mountain served as an excellent vantage point to watch over buffalo and a sturdy weather barrier as Chief Niwot's Arapaho tribe spent winters in the valley until they were forced to move to Sand Creek in the 1860's. The US government sold a 240-acre parcel that included the mountain to local...
Senior forward Ismael Dominguez didn't earn the nickname "Big Game Ish" by accident. His penchant for being in the right place at the right time has turned the tide for Niwot more than once, most recently in the final minute of the Class 4A state soccer quarterfinals against Regis Groff on April 24. With the seconds ticking away and the score tied 1-1, Dominguez remembered some timeless advice from his father, turning what came next into an "amazing experience" for the third-year varsity attacke...
Niwot Elementary's Jessica Easley says she has an amazing job. Her passion for teaching and dedication to her students earned her Teacher of the Year for her school, an award she's won multiple times in her career. "It is a tremendous honor to have been chosen for this award," Easley wrote in an email after being honored at the Tribute to Teachers celebration on Friday night. "I am very grateful. I have taught for 26 years, most of them in Niwot. I love my job and my students. I am excited to...
It's not every teen who can find an emergency bandmate in their house, let alone one who can play Zimbabwean music. When Niwot High senior Noah Randall couldn't play in-person with his band during the pandemic, he would say, "Hey Mom, can you play with me?" It makes sense since she is the one who introduced him to music from Zimbabwe. She saw a band in Boulder and decided to take lessons on the marimba, an instrument similar to a xylophone. Randall was in elementary school at the time and had...
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...
On April 3, the Longmont Farmers Market started in full swing for the 2021 season. The market, which is held at the Boulder County Fairgrounds, will run from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday through November 20. "It was great that we were able to open on time this year," said Brian Coppom, executive director of the Boulder County Farmers Markets (BCFM). Last year, the opening day for the Boulder County markets was delayed by eight weeks due to COVID-19 restrictions. For the 2021 market,...
The Rotary Club of Niwot is currently the only nationally chartered service club meeting in Niwot. While the Niwot area has in the past had Optimists,Lions, Jaycees and Kiwanis clubs, the local rotary club now serves the community in a variety of ways, with a focus on education. “We just celebrated our 12th anniversary,” Doug Montgomery said of the organization which was formed in 2008. “It’s alive, it’s active, it’s growing.” Montgomery served as president of the Niwot club until July of 2020, and will become president of the affiliated ch...
There wasn't much drama in Niwot soccer's 6-0 rout of Roosevelt on April 5, but at least one play will always be memorable to Carter Kruse, a longtime varsity defender who suddenly found himself with an unprecedented chance. "There was not much of a lead up to it," the senior said of the play that resulted in his first-ever high school goal. "Orlando [Lopez] was fouled inside the edge of the box...and then Coach Dimit called me forward to take [the penalty kick]. While it was fun to score, I...
From historic droughts and wildfires, recent air quality scandals, unwanted dam expansion, rapid development, and population growth, Colorado is facing both challenges and opportunities in the management of the state’s natural resources in light of climate change. The Longmont Museum is tackling these tough topics with a week-long virtual program to discuss these big issues facing our environment. The Climate Change series will examine climate change, its impact, and potential solutions. ...
The Niwot High School Education Foundation is gearing up for its annual online auction, and thanks to robust support from sponsors, it should be an exciting one for potential bidders, according to the group's president Mako Shimoda. "This year, everybody's been so generous, knowing that we've been unable to do our normal fundraising," she said, noting that there are donations from businesses in Niwot, Longmont, and Boulder. "So we have a fair amount of items-lots of various restaurant gift...
Spring is always a busy time for gardeners, and this year Jack's Solar Garden is finding the season to be super-charged with activity. Last March Jack's, the largest U.S. commercially active agrivoltaic system, was just preparing to have 3,200 solar panels installed. What a difference a year makes. By November 2020 the system was up and running, and now it's nearly 100% sold out, seeds for grasses and wildflowers have been spread, a unique 2021 Artist on the Farm has been selected, a grant for...
It seems the old Chinese adage (curse?), "May you be born in interesting times," continues to play on from 2020 into 2021. Atop Covid-19, business pivots from farmers markets and foodservice accounts to increased CSA and online sales. Working outdoors in very smoky conditions last summer/fall, and doing their best to keep farm workers safe from both, Boulder County farmers are now staring down a 2021 snowpack in the Indian Peaks portion of the South Platte River watershed that varies from...
