All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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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...
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...
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...
Zachary Scott Swanson April 7, 1984 - February 10, 2024 At 39, our beloved Zack left us far too early. He was born in Niwot, Colorado, and spent his school days at Niwot public schools, graduating in 2002. He received an Associate Degree in Automotive Technology from Front Range Community College in Fort Collins in 2012. He added many automotive technology certificates and achieved Master Mechanic status. Zack had an amazing ability to stay level-headed, even-keeled, and calm throughout life....
Ok. How do we feel about artificial intelligence? First, the term "artificial intelligence" sounds like something from outer space to me. So, I approach the whole concept with some trepidation at the outset. Artificial intelligence, or "A.I.," has many common uses including self-driving vehicles, fraud detection by your bank and facial recognition. And don't forget that our friends, Alexa and Siri, are complete products of artificial intelligence. But, for now, let's talk about the kind of A.I....
With the creation of a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization on December 31, 2023, a new entity called Niwot Community Hall (NCH) now owns the building at 195 Second Avenue in Niwot which has long been the home of Left Hand Grange No. 9. As the name indicates, the intent of the new entity is to recognize the building as the community center it has become and for the organization to be able to accept tax-deductible contributions which will support improvements to the building. The Left Hand Grange No. 9, a fraternal organization, received its...
On March 4, the owner and developers of the "Tennis Center of the Rockies" project requested that the Boulder County Community Planning and Permitting Department table their Special Use Review application to permit the construction of a tennis complex at N. 79th Street in Gunbarrel. Going forward, the applicants may update and resubmit their application or withdraw the application entirely. In a communication to the county planning group, the developers said, "We would officially like to...
A true white cake that is moist and fluffy is not an easy task. First, the color white is difficult to create given our penchant for butter, eggs and vanilla, all of which are yellow. That might be perfect for a yellow cake, but sometimes, only white will do. Also, white cakes tend to be dry and flat. Not ideal. Here are two tried-and-true recipes that will take the risk out of white cake. Fill and top your cake with your choice of fruit, vanilla buttercream frosting, whipped cream, chantilly...
The Niwot Business Association (NBA) took the show on the road to Niwot High School on March 12 for its monthly meeting. The meeting was hosted by the Niwot High School Education Foundation, and after a short business meeting, NBA members heard from the Superintendent of Schools for the St. Vrain Valley School District, Don Haddad, and Niwot High School Principal, Eric Rauschkolb. Haddad, former principal at Niwot High School, spoke of the success of the school district, "We have the highest...
At the plate, on the mound, and in the field, almost everything was clicking for Niwot High School baseball in the first two games of the new season. The Cougars, loaded with a slew of returning starters, hosted Timnath High School in their season opener on Thursday, March 7. In what was a darkness-shortened five-inning affair, Niwot beat the visiting Cubs, 5-0. Senior Brock Rothstein got the start and struck out six in three innings pitched. Despite some early control issues, which resulted in...
Navigating the Class 4A state championships was a new experience for many on the Niwot High School girls swim and dive team. Despite their youth, the Cougars held their own with 94 team points, finishing 15th out of 31 schools. Niwot's best individual result came courtesy of junior diver Izzy Fay, who scored a personal record 538.30 points in the state finals to claim her first title. Although second-year head coach Ella Thramann doesn't work closely with Niwot's divers, she was proud of Fay's...
Admittedly, Niwot High School girls swim head coach Ella Thramann has been pushing her team harder in recent practices. With two major meets on deck, Thramann wants the Cougars to be both prepared and swimming at their best. So far, the tougher practices have yielded some encouraging results. Multiple swimmers have set new personal-record times, including senior co-captain Daisey Bui in two different events, and others simply appear smoother in the pool. "I've seen tons of PRs," Thramann said....
With the girls swimming and diving state championships set for early February, Niwot High School’s list of qualifiers is growing. At the St. Vrain All City Meet on Saturday, Jan. 20, three different Niwot “A” relay teams qualified for state, according to head coach Ella Thramann. The Cougar quartet of Devi Burnett, Emmy Hostelley, Thalia Milam, and Charlotte Heuer punched their state ticket in both the 200 and 400-yard freestyle, while Phoebe Donovan, Reese Lavigne, Hannah Hooven, and Hostelley qualified in the 200 medley relay. Hoste...
Open areas are dwindling as urban areas continue to be developed into more densely populated regions. One location being proposed for development is a vacant parcel on the west side of 79th Street between Lookout Road and Highway 52, next to the Church of the Lookout. An application for development of the parcel to be a private tennis club, "Tennis Center of the Rockies," was dated Nov. 22, 2023 and formally filed with Boulder County on Dec. 5, 2023. Many Gunbarrel residents met on Dec. 17,...
The Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) Advisory Committee approved funding for three upcoming events to be held in January, February and June, 2024, at its Jan. 9 meeting. Mary Coonce, who serves as treasurer of both the LID and the Niwot Business Association (NBA), spoke in support of the events, saying, “The goal is to have an event every month.” In her treasurer’s report, Coonce reported a $10,716 decrease in sales tax revenues collected by the LID through October 2023, compared with...
When Steven Craig joined the Rotary Club of Niwot shortly after building a home on Portico Lane in the Ranch at Clover Basin subdivision two years ago, he didn’t waste any time in making a difference. Sadly, Craig, who was recently chosen as President-Elect for the club, will not have a chance to serve in that position. Craig was attacked in his home on Dec. 19 in the middle of the night, and died of his injuries Dec. 24. Michael Lucky, 32, turned himself in to the Boulder County Sheriff’s off...
Gunbarrel residents met at the Niwot United Methodist Church on Lookout Road on Dec. 17 to discuss the "Tennis Center of the Rockies" proposed to be built at 5701 N. 79th Street in unincorporated Boulder County. The 19.73-acre property is located just north of Lookout Road on the west side of 79th Street adjacent to the Church of the Lookout (formerly Vinelife Church). That area is sometimes referred to as "Gunbarrel Hill." A Planning Application dated Nov. 22, 2023, and filed Dec. 5, 2023, for...
Even when not at full strength, the Niwot High School girls swim team is a formidable opponent. On Dec. 13, the NHS girls swimming team hosted the Roosevelt High School Roughriders at the St. Vrain Aquatic Center next to Silver Creek High School, and came away with a 197-88 victory. Coach Ella Thramann said, “This meet, we had very few of our girls there, but the ones that stood out the most were Charlotte Heuer, who made state [qualifying times] in 50 free (26.44) [and] 500 free (5:46.29), our A relay for 200 free relay, [which] was 2 s...
The Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) Advisory Committee approved two funding proposals from the Niwot Business Association (NBA) at its Dec. 5 meeting. Chuck Klueber presented a request for funding to clean up the area along Niwot Road where Eddie Running Wolf's iconic tree carvings have been removed for restoration. The application requested $862 toward the total cost of $1,062, based on a bid from Niwot arborist company We Love Trees. The NBA and the Niwot Cultural Arts Association each...
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...
With a largely inexperienced roster, Niwot girls swim head coach Ella Thramann is taking things slowly early this season. Originally set to compete in an invite on Dec. 2, Thramann instead scheduled a dual meet against Skyline for Dec. 2, hoping to give her Cougars a lower-stress learning opportunity. "A lot of our girls don't understand a meet, and we have a lot of girls this year who don't know really anything about swimming," Thramann said. "We decided to do a low-key dual where the girls cou...
For the sixth time in six years, the Niwot High School girls cross country team reigns supreme in Colorado. And, not to be outdone, after a disappointing two-year hiatus, the Cougar boys team reclaimed its state title at this past weekend's 4A Colorado State Cross Country Championships. Taking advantage of their outstanding individual leaders and incredible team depth, the Cougars wrapped up their near perfect season with two runaway victories on the Norris Penrose Event Center course in...
After battling COVID-19 earlier in the month, Niwot High School cross country senior Olivia Alessandrini was unsure how well she’d run at regionals on Oct. 19. Her stamina was still in recovery mode, and because the North Area Athletic Complex in Arvada is no easy course, she wasn’t exactly confident heading into the meet. Regardless, Alessandrini embraced the challenge and completed the 5,000-meter race with a personal best time (at altitude) of 17 minutes, 49 seconds. Alessandrini’s confi...
All the hard work . . . all the long hours . . . all the miles of traveling . . . all of it is behind the Niwot Cougars’ cross country teams. Now, there’s nothing left for the runners to do but lace up their shoes and run for their ultimate goal . . . a 4A state championship trophy. Seven boys and seven girls from Niwot will don the green and silver and represent one of the country’s (not county’s) elite programs Saturday as they attempt to cap a nearly perfect 2023 racing season at the 4A State Championship Meet at Norris Penrose Event Center...
Three enterprising and compassionate high school students from the St. Vrain Valley School District are this week's Left Hand Laurel recipients for their creative – and highly successful efforts – to raise money for Ukrainian relief. They are Murray Avila, Tomas Dabove and Zach Rojo. In February 2022, Dabove, a sophomore in high school at the time, started obsessing about the terrible news of Russia bombing Ukraine with thousands of innocent people – adults and children – being killed. So he cam...
Karen Ragland, Niwot's St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) school board representative, joined the Niwot Community Association's (NCA) September board meeting to hold a conversation with members and the public about the banners on the football field fence, an upcoming bond measure, and property valuation and taxes. NCA board members have previously spoken with Niwot High School (NHS) principal Eric Rauschkolb about the advertising banners on the football field fence facing Niwot Road, which...
Niwot recently lost two men who left incredibly large shoes to fill. Both men died unexpectedly in their early 70s, while still very much active in their businesses. Art Stapp was Stapp Interstate Toyota, once located in south Longmont, and now located east of town off I-25. Bert Steele was The Niwot Market, in Niwot’s Cottonwood Square Shopping Center. Though their businesses were very different, each, in his own way, left an indelible mark on our community. There were many similarities, though you might not think so at first glance. Both ran...
The 3rd Annual Niwot Honey Bee Harvest Festival is a family friendly community event that celebrates the crucial role played by honey bees, the 900-plus species of Colorado native bees, and other pollinators' role in pollinating crops and maintaining a healthy ecosystem. The event is sponsored by the Niwot Business Association (NBA) with additional funding provided by the Niwot Local Improvement District. Event co-planners are Niwot residents Victoria Keen, Dawn Server of Meadowlake Honey, and D...
Niwot resident Michelle Law, who was born in Illinois, raised in Ohio and moved to Colorado in 1997, is this week's Left Hand Laurel for her work as the Scout Leader and Advancement Chair of Troop 161-G, a scout troop established in 2021 when the organization simply became known as "Scouts." "The biggest thing I see," said Law, who has been involved with scouts from the time she was a little girl, "is you start as an 11-year-old fifth-grader and mature into a competent young adult." Law...
When Niwot opens its football season on the road at Greeley Central High School on Friday, Aug. 25, the Cougars should have at least 16 seniors suiting up, the most in Coach Nik Blume's four-year stint as head coach. Collectively, they should weigh far more than a ton, with some players checking in at 275 pounds. For perspective, the Cougars had only three seniors last season, when they finished 3-7. "We averaged 30 kids in the weight room and 30 kids at summer practices this year," Blume said. "When I started four years ago, we were lucky to...
Ok. Some of us are starting to go back to the movie theaters after the big Covid drought. I have seen "Maverick" so far, which doesn't make me an expert but was an exciting way to get my movie-feet wet again. I think we are all a bit rusty, so perhaps a movie-manners refresher might be in order. Let me tell you a story so you know what I am talking about. It was date night, pre-Covid. My husband and I had planned for a week to go see the new "Captain America" movie. It was a very popular movie a...
Niwot is no stranger to wildlife occasionally roaming into this neck of the woods every now and then. There have been recent sightings of lynx, bobcats, foxes, deer, raccoons, snakes, prairie dogs, and even bears. While this is not the first instance of a bear making its way into Niwot, it surely is the furthest east that we know of. There have been several bear sightings in the Lake Valley area, closer to the foothills. And there was a bear on the railroad tracks across from IBM during daylight...
Busy is certainly one way to describe Alison Steele, this week's recipient of the Left Hand Laurel award. The mother of a 16-month-old little girl named Elizabeth, who often comes to work with her mother, Alison, 42, is also co-owner, with her father and brother, of the Niwot Market. Alison Steele runs the grocery department doing all the ordering, stocking the shelves, working with distributors, unloading the trucks and "doing all the financials," as she puts it. The market at Cottonwood...
Wouldn't it be an incredible experience, not only to visit New York City with forty-two of your closest friends, but to sing a masterwork at Carnegie Hall? Well, forty-three Niwot High School choir students are able to add that exact experience to their life's resume. The NHS Choir Department departed from Denver International Airport on June 9 for New York City and returned to Colorado on June 13. During that time, their itinerary was jam-packed with visits to several famous landmarks, tourist...
On Thursday, May 18, Governor Jared Polis signed climate legislation into law at Jack's Solar Garden near Niwot. Jack's Solar Garden, located on 95th Street between Niwot and Longmont, serves as a national model for governments, solar developers, and farmers for how to produce renewable energy while continuing agricultural production via agrivoltaics. In fact, it is the largest commercially active research site for agrivoltaics in the USA. Agrivoltaics is the co-location of agriculture and...
The Music Department at Niwot High School is going on a world tour - sort of. In June, the NHS choir is headed to New York and Carnegie Hall, and the orchestra is going to Finland and the Baltics. The marching band is planning to go to Walt Disney World next year. For many years, the Music Department at Niwot annually alternated which "sub-department" (choir, band, orchestra) would get to travel during the summer. In the few years preceding the pandemic, it had become common for each...
Stephen Codevilla, Joshua Dowlin and Hudson Kammerer were three of the biggest contributors, but the Silver Creek High School boys swim and dive team had help from its entire roster en route to finishing second at the Class 4A state championships on May 13. Silver Creek, which holds athletes from multiple St. Vrain Valley schools including Niwot and Silver Creek high schools, was runner-up to Cheyenne Mountain for the second consecutive season after winning the 2021 state title. "I love my...
Boulder Country Day School (BCD) held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Dining Commons and Center for Innovative Learning April 20. The new building will expand the physical facilities on the school's 5.5-acre campus located adjacent to the Twin Lakes Open Space in Gunbarrel. "Our new Center for Innovative Learning will spark collaboration among the arts and technology, accelerating our student experience beyond the norm and placing BCD at the forefront of creativity in the Boulder Valley an...
Pun intended: love between Belle Terre Floral and the Niwot community has blossomed since the business opened in 2021. What many don't know, however, is the story of owner Sarah Cioni, who is one of the best floral designers in the region and has maintained a deep love for the area and the town. Her background as an area florist began a little more than two decades ago, coinciding with one of the most striking moments in our nation's history. "In 2001, I decided it was time to open my first...
Niwot Youth Sports will host Opening Day ceremonies on Sunday, April 30 at 10 a.m. at Hangge Fields at Monarch Park, with speakers, live "baseball" music by the Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band, youth baseball and softball games, and a chance to see the progress on the new Monarch Improvement Project building. The NYS website states, "Our initial goal is to build a permanent structure to house the concession stand, a storage facility, and real bathrooms. No more using...
Interested in learning about the importance of mental health for adolescents? Then come to Boulder Country Day School to hear Dr. Lisa Damour discuss her new book, "The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents." Dr. Damour has also written books about raising teenage girls. She graduated with honors from Yale University and worked for the Yale Child Study Center before earning her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Michigan. She...
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 Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee (LID) welcomed its newest member, Sarah Cioni of Belle Terre, to the March 7 meeting. Cioni was appointed to fill the business position vacated by Bruce Raberler, who did not seek reappointment. Cioni said, "Speaking as a business member, the LID is such a gift to us." Mary Coonce was selected to serve as treasurer of the LID, a position Rabeler previously held. A reception to honor Rabeler and recognize his contributions is planned for a f...
Niwot High School coach Ken Rosales was pleased with his baseball team's first outing of the season, a 13-1 mercy-rule win over Timnath High School. "We should have won big as Timnath is a team of freshmen and sophomores," Roxales said of the new school to the north. But the Cougars dominated, as they should. "Everybody hit the ball," Rosales said. "We did leave a lot of guys on base. Our pitchers only gave up two hits and two walks." Junior Brock Rothstein started on the mound, while sophomore...
Veteran swim coach Debbie Stewart has another strong team at Silver Creek, with swimmers from both Silver Creek and Niwot High Schools. And that's in spite of four unexpected losses from last year's squad. "We're a little smaller this year," Stewart said, "but we did pick up some freshmen." One of the losses was James Story, a Mead High School student who excelled as a freshman last season. "He was one of our top swimmers, but he's shooting for the Olympic trials," Stewart said. "We also lost a...
On Feb. 21, Niwot Youth Sports basketball welcomed special guest Frank Ryder to practice at Flagstaff Academy. Ryder, a Boulder native and former Colorado Buffaloes center, stopped by NYS Coach Jason Christopoulos's practice to share his collegiate and professional basketball insight and experiences with local boys and girls. Ryder spent two years playing for the University of Colorado under coach Tad Boyle before transferring his senior year to the University of Denver. Following his...
People packed Cottonwood Square and Second Avenue last Saturday for the Let's Wine About Winter event, sponsored by the Niwot Cultural Arts Association with partial funding provided by the Niwot Local Improvement District. After a two-year hiatus, the tasting event attracted more than 30 shops, businesses and restaurants who participated in the event, as well as over 400 participants. "We haven't had it since 2019, and we just love the event," business owner Holly D'apolito said. "It brings...
When Niwot resident Carolyn Bradley steps onto the field of battle, she comes armed with strategy. Keep your opponents at the baseline. Get yourself and your partner to the net. Drop the ball low and tight just into the "kitchen." Stay focused. "I'm realizing I don't hit it hard enough so the better players can put it away," Bradley admitted. "I have to improve that as well as my short game." She was talking, of course, about pickleball, the wildly popular racket sport. "I always enjoyed...
Everything is coming together at the best time possible for Izzy Fay, the lone diver on the Niwot girls swim and dive team. In Niwot's final meet before the state championships, Fay ran away with a first-place finish at the Longs Peak League Championships on Feb. 4. Her score of 450.85 was about 85 points higher than the next-closest diver. "This is probably my best meet so far, to be honest," Fay said soon after her final dive at the Mountain View Aquatics Center in Loveland. "But my season is...
