All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
Sorted by date Results 151 - 200 of 209
The 2700 registered riders, 150 to 180 of whom are “riding with MS,” had a rest stop in Niwot’s Whistle Stop Park on Saturday, June 29, while riding from Arapahoe Community College in Westminster to Ft. Collins; by far, the most popular route. Left Hand Brewing is one of the sponsors. Many of the volunteers have been helping with this ride for 20 or more years. On a mission to end MS forever, most riders start their own fundraising so they can donate to research to fight the disease. Rider...
Recent vandalism at Niwot Children’s Park, and across the street at Whistle Stop Park, has prompted the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA) to install security cameras at the sites. Tim Wise, a member of the Children’s Park building committee who continues to monitor the park for maintenance issues, removed graffiti from the boys bathroom earlier this year. Jim Fletemeyer, another member of the building committee, noticed that someone had placed pornographic material in the Little Free Lib...
Twenty-eight artists, 59 completed people’s choice ballots, and three judges’ professional opinions have resulted in the winners for this year’s “Why Not Niwot?” Juried Art Show., sponsored by the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA). Displayed at more than 15 businesses throughout town, the eclectic and imaginative entries illustrated what makes the town of Niwot inimitable. Following a musical performance by the Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band at June’s First Friday Art...
The first Rock & Rails concert of 2019, produced by the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA) and the Niwot Business Association, drew quite a crowd. Guests arrived early to grab spots in the shade and close to the stage. The sky set a pretty magical backdrop, its gentle sunset mingling with an approaching evening storm, which held off until after the 9 p.m. end of the event. There was a major difference between this year’s Rock & Rails and prior seasons, felt by volunteers and attendees a...
There’s nothing better than a cold beverage on those hot summer nights at Rock & Rails, and this year, organizers are raising money to make getting one a little easier on concert-goers. Last month, the Niwot Business Association (NBA) and the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA) announced that most of the proceeds from the 2019 series will be used to fund the construction of a permanent building in Whistle Stop Park that will be used for beverage sales, as well as storage of large items u...
Two years after its inception, the J.A.R.E.D. Foundation continues its march forward to bring music education to students who could use a boost. The organization, which stands for Join A Revolution, Educate Drummers & other musicians, was formed in the summer of 2017 by Surinder and Renae Dahiya and Jerry Lizakowski after their son, Jared Lizakowski, died in a motorcycle accident on NIwot Road in October 2016. The Dahiyas and Lizakowski wanted to honor Jared, who had been passionate about music...
Those of us new to the area may not know about the Niwot Garden Club that began in 1938 and disbanded in the late 1980s. Pat Murphy of Niwot Realty was a member for about 10 years. “The garden club started with a group of women who were very knowledgeable and serious about gardening,” Murphy said. “Most members had specific roles and duties and the club was very organized. They were very committed. They built the original gazebo whose replica remains at Whistle Stop Park today.” The founder...
After a long, cold winter, Niwot residents are ready to get out and savor Colorado in all of its summer-time glory. Rock & Rails is back bringing entertaining performances to our community all summer long. Lovingly referred to as the neighbors’ largest block party, Rock & Rails provides tenured residents the chance to bump into old friends and catch up, while also giving new residents the perfect excuse to get involved and be a part of this great community. The 14th annual Rock & Rails kicks o...
It was a busy month for the Niwot LID advisory committee, with a host of summer events on the funding docket, and some new business regarding liability. Things got rolling with Bruce Rabeler and the monthly treasurer’s report. On the revenue side, the county reported that LID businesses collected $25,585 in revenue during the first two months of 2019, down from 2017 ($27,290), but up from 2018, though the latter total is still not finalized due to what appears to be an erroneous credit that t...
Donating money is wonderful, but engaging with a cause by giving your time and energy is likely to have an even greater impact – to that cause, and to you. It’s completely guaranteed that by volunteering you’ll be making the world a better place, and besides the obvious gratification of bringing about positive change for others, you’ll reap the benefits of connecting with others, which is proven to ward off depression and lower your blood pressure, and will generally make life more satisfying. Y...
You can complain about it, but you just can’t change the weather. So why not make the most of the chill in the air by joining fellow whiners at the fifth annual Let’s Wine About Winter event in Niwot, 1 to 5 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 23. Nearly 200 tickets have already been sold for the stroll from business-to-business occasion, but there’s always room for more merrymakers. Over 35 establishments, along 2nd Avenue and in Cottonwood Square Shopping Center, will be serving up samples of wines, beers...
The Rotary Club of Niwot celebrated its 10th anniversary on Dec. 18 with a holiday dinner held at 1914 House. On hand to commemorate the milestone were several of the group’s founding members, including Kamla Chopra, Dennis Daly, Matt Dolan, Marty Wehr, Scott Stockert and Jo Kirkenaer, a Norway native who has been deeply involved with the international service organization for nearly 40 years. Kirkenaer, the club’s treasurer, was pleased with turnout for the event, and even more pleased wit...
Inspired by Niwot’s “wonderful” holiday decorations coordinated by the Niwot Business Association, members of the Niwot Community Association board decided at their Nov. 7 meeting that they wanted to contribute to the town’s holiday ambiance by adding some decorations at the west entrance to town along Niwot Road. “The decorations in Whistle Stop Park, our trees and throughout town are just beautiful, but we know the budget is already prioritized and plans are in place at this time,” NCA area 3 representative Pat Murphy said. She suggested t...
On Tuesday, Oct. 23, the Niwot LID Advisory Committee welcomed county commissioners Cindy Domenico, Deb Gardner, and Elise Jones to the Left Hand Grange for a “very timely” discussion of the state of local affairs during the past 12 (or so) months. Ordinarily used as an opportunity to showcase the town’s recent successes, this year’s presentation to the commissioners was fraught with anxiety about the county’s development moratorium, which was scheduled for a public hearing on Oct. 30. Ackno...
Kelly Morrow and her fourth graders from Boulder Valley Waldorf School pose with a Certificate of Appreciation for visiting historic Niwot with the Niwot Historical Society on Sept. 26. More than a dozen students joined the walking tour, which started at Whistle Stop Park and headed east on Second Avenue. Because there are older post office boxes in the museum, the tour stopped into the Niwot post office to see the post office boxes used today. While visiting, USPS clerk Martha talked to the...
The 2018 season of Rock & Rails closed out with two terrific groups. The concert opened with Summerland Sun to start the evening off, while the incomparable Hazel Miller had the audience up and dancing for the last two hours. Comments from attendees ranged from “Wonderful,” and “Fantastic,” to “I can’t believe my ears.” Thanks to everyone who contributed to the tip jar. Proceeds, which went to Whistle Stop Park for planned improvements, including a small building to house the beverage bar,...
Thanks to his regular gig as a Rock & Rails gargoyle, Griffin Harris was able to check two major items off his summer to-do list: earn 10 community service hours, and have some fun. “I’m trying to get a rank, so I started doing this to get Boy Scout hours,” Harris said. He is hoping to earn his first and second-class ranks in Niwot Troop 161. “But, I’ve already surpassed 10 hours, so I’m just doing it because I love volunteering here. It’s so fun.” Harris especially enjoys hearing from ap...
Sunset Middle School seventh-grader Merrick Blondeau is the Rock & Rails Volunteer of the Week. Like his fellow gargoyles, Blondeau’s reasons for volunteering at Niwot’s weekly concert series are both altruistic and self-interested. “Jill [Whitener], the person who runs the gargoyles, usually has a hard time getting Gargoyles, so I do it for that,” he said, before adding. “There’s also free food.” Now in his third year, the Sunset seventh-grader is among the most veteran gargoyles. He...
Gargoyle Marco Ramirez has both high-minded and pragmatic reasons for volunteering at Rock & Rails. For the Niwot High 10th-grader, helping collect waste at Whistle Stop Park is not only a great way to help the environment, it also helps to foster the town’s “community spirit.” Then there are the more tangible benefits. “If you’re a gargoyle, you get two free slices of pizza from Abo’s and a free drink,” he said. “It takes away a few hours of the day and you don’t have to worry about what...
The Niwot LID Advisory Committee got a taste of winter at its July 3 meeting, and not just because it was a bracing 56 degrees in the conference room at the Mountain View Fire Station. Though Christmas is still half a year away, a twin bill of holiday-themed funding requests topped the evening’s agenda, giving the committee a preview of some changes in store for the traditional kick-off to the town’s holiday shopping season. Boulder County liaison Mark Ruzzin kicked off the meeting with a rec...
Longtime Rock & Rails volunteer Maddie Frary doesn’t mind being one of the only girls on Gargoyle crew. In fact, working with the boys is often pretty “fun” according to her. “I have many friends who are boys,” the spectacled seventh grader-to-be said. “It’s really not that hard.” After all, it was a boy who convinced her to join up in the first place. “My brother did it first,” Frary said, referring to older brother Alex, another longtime volunteer. “When I was young, it looked like a lot of fu...
For Olivia “Livy” Herring, playing for thousands of fans at Red Rocks as a member of the Boulder School of Rock’s House Band was easy compared to stepping onto the bandstand at Whistle Stop Park with her eponymous band to play for friends and family. But that’s just what the recent Niwot High graduate will be doing next Thursday night, when Livy & the Boys opens for Rebecca Folsom at Rock & Rails on July 5. “When I was performing as a student of the School of Rock, if I messed up no one knew...
Singer-songwriter Rebecca Folsom performs in exotic venues all over the world, but there is no place the long-time Rock & Rails favorite enjoys more than the bandstand at Whistle Stop Park in the summertime. “It’s my favorite of the whole year,” the Boulder native said about her upcoming show on July 5. “Coming home and playing for my Colorado people is where I’m very happy. It’s the sweet spot for me, to play for the hometown crowds. I’m in the heart of where I want to be.” Though Folsom i...
Local teenager Jason Champion loves two things: the environment and Rock & Rails. So, if you go looking for him on a Thursday night during the summer, a good place to start is on top of an eco-cycle bin at Whistle Stop Park. “When I came here the first time, I absolutely loved it,” the Boulder Country Day seventh-grader said. He credits a school project for bringing him to the weekly concert series initially. “So, I kept on volunteering. It’s an amazing place.” Champion is a regular on the Ro...
At its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 5, the Niwot LID Advisory Committee considered funding requests for the eighth annual Jazz on 2nd Avenue festival, as well for mowing of the future parking lot west of Old Town. Before hearing the evening’s applications, members reviewed Treasurer Harris Faberman’s report through the end of May. So far, the LID has committed to $109,314 in expenses in 2018, leaving $23,686 from the budget to spend for the remainder of the year. However, the report...
The 13th-annual Rock & Rails summer concert series kicks off on June 7 and organizers are gearing up for another great summer of live music and family fun on Thursday nights at Whistlestop Park. Opening acts take the stage at 5 p.m., for an hour, followed by a headliner, with music resuming around 6:30. There is no charge for admission, and seating is “bring-your-own” on a first-come, first-serve basis. Leading things off this season is longtime local guitarist Dean Himes in the early show, foll...
The Niwot Rotary Club will be having its eighth-annual Wine, Cheese and Chocolate tasting on May 4 at the Longmont Museum on Quail Road. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a silent auction to accompany the refreshments. Rotarian Chris Wiorek said that the event is slated to help both Colorado Friendship and the Longmont Meals on Wheels program this year. “It’s called Wine, Cheese and Chocolate tasting and that’s exactly what we do,” Wiorek said. “This year we have 10 different wines from aro...
More than 400 ticket holders let the wind blow them around Niwot to enjoy wine, art, food, and the hospitality of Niwot businesses. Niwot’s fourth Wine about Winter event took place the afternoon of Saturday, Feb. 24. While the sun was shining brightly, the temperature was still wintery cold and the exuberant wind battered the event’s celebratory balloons. But, the strong breeze didn’t prevent the flow of happy mug-toting participants from moving from one warm welcoming location to anoth...
This month’s progress issue features several area groups, clubs and organizations that are all about volunteerism. Though they may range in variety — such as the Niwot Historical Society, the Niwot Community Association or the Longmont Foundation — they have one common goal, and that is to make the community a better place to live, work and play. The next six pages of this issue feature several of the organizations, what they’re about and ways to get involved. We hope you enjoy learning about the many groups that make this community tick. N...
Current officers of the Niwot Business Association were re-elected at the February 13 NBA meeting, hosted by the Niwot Inn and Treppeda’s Italian Restaurant. In the only contested rate, incumbent vice-president Deborah Fowler was re-elected as vice-president over Jim Ditzel. Tony Santelli will continue as president, Linda Klueber will return as secretary, and Dayna Roane was re-elected as treasurer. The NBA officers also serve as the board of directors. Santelli thanked Ditzel for his interest in serving the NBA and welcomed his continued i...
Preparations for the fourth annual Let’s Wine About Winter event are underway. During this sometimes chilly, but warm-hearted social event, more than 28 businesses throughout Niwot will be serving up a little something from 1-5 pm, Saturday, Feb. 24 as patrons wander the town and enjoy public outdoor art, art galleries and culinary delights. Ducking in and out of businesses, sipping on wines, brews and other beverages, snacking on cheeses, nuts and chocolates, and meeting old and new friends are among the objectives for the afternoon, along w...
Kirk Stewart wears many hats and, a kilt now and then too. A longtime resident of the Niwot area, Stewart steps up in many capacities for the community. Stewart’s professional life was as an aerospace engineer and a civil engineer. He has worked for governmental agencies and aerospace firms. For the past nine years, after leaving working life behind, he amped up his community service activities. Stewart is a very energetic member of the Rotary Club of Niwot. Through the organization he’s bec...
The weekend’s low pressure system had nothing on the high spirits of the Niwot Trot runners. Sunday morning’s cool air and teasing drizzle made for a beautiful setting to run a 5K, to feel the energy of the community, and to contribute to a wonderful cause. Niwot Elementary School’s PTAC organizes the annual race to raise money for the para-professionals who serve NES. The twelfth year of the Niwot Trot brought out 429 entrants, a record number for the event. Participants and spectators were...
A group of youth took notice of a trash problem in the Niwot Children’s Park and decided to take action. Nine-year-old Cormac Easter and his friend Emmett Verhoogen organized a group that they’re calling the Children’s Park Owls. For the last month or so, they’ve met at the park after Rock & Rails concerts to clean up the trash left behind. “What we’ve been doing is me and my friends have trash grabbers and other supplies,” Cormac said. “We distribute them so people can use them to clean. If we...
On Monday, Aug. 7, the Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) Advisory Committee held its annual joint meeting with the Boulder County Commissioners to provide them with a first-hand account of the state of affairs in Niwot. Commissioners Cindy Domenico and Deb Garder (Elise Jones was out of town) along with County staff Peter Salas, Michelle Krezek and Mark Ruzzin were joined by LID Co-Chairs Laura Skaggs, and Carrie Wise, Vice-Chair Jim Eastman, Treasurer Harris Faberman, and members Tony Sant...
Vandals have once again damaged the Niwot Children’s Park, and the Niwot Cultural Arts Association is taking steps to curb the destruction. Two neighbors have reported late-night activity at the park recently, and Building Committee member Riki Frea noticed that someone had carved into one of the posts at the pergola, and that more of the concrete critters adorning some of the play structures had been damaged. Damage to the critters was noticed last fall, and Frea and representatives of L...
Last week’s Rock & Rails had the Women’s International Niwot Club (WINC) as the beneficiary of the tip jars. WINC started a few years ago as a offshoot from Daughters of the British Empire in the area. Club President Deborah Read Fowler said that since its inception, most of the club’s donations have gone to the Niwot Children’s Park, but they also give to Children First of the Rockies and other charities. “At the end of the year we email members and ask them to nominate charities,” Fowler said...
This year’s Why Not Niwot? Juried Art Show as part of the First Friday Art Walk in Niwot produced more winners than ever before as the event continues to grow. Michelle Henzel, an organizer for the show and a member of the Niwot Cultural Arts Association board of directors, said there were a total of 21 entries scattered throughout local businesses. The only requirement for the artwork was to feature Niwot in some fashion. Pieces were displayed at local merchants, including ShopGirl, Pebble A...
Rock & Rails will kick off its 12th summer concert series on June 1 with Mojomama w/ Bass Legends as the headliner at Whistle Stop Park in Niwot. Nick G and Nalani will open the event with music starting at 5 p.m. The headliner usually begins around 6:30 p.m. The weekly event is sponsored by the Niwot Cultural Arts Association in conjunction with the Niwot Business Association, and is free to the public each Thursday from June 1 to August 31. One of the three event managers, Vicki Maurer, said...
The clean-up day for the Niwot Children’s Park planned for April 29 was a casualty of the late-April snowstorm. Jason Thomas was the only one to brave the snow and cold to walk the park with Niwot Cultural Arts Association staff, picking up two pieces of trash. Longtime park supporter Stacey Secatch came by the park earlier in the week and removed dog waste which had been left behind. The NCAA will try again for Saturday, May 6 at 9 a.m. Free donuts will be provided. Volunteers are asked to b...
At its Feb. 7 meeting, the Advisory Committee to the Niwot Local Improvement District (LID) got a preview of the expense side of the 2017 ledger when the Niwot Business Association (NBA) unveiled its budget for the year. Members also reviewed the final treasurer’s report for 2016, considered two funding requests, and heard updates on a new LID merchant and Jazz on 2nd Avenue. The meeting was called to order by co-chair Laura Skaggs. The committee heard from LID treasurer Harris Faberman who p...
The Niwot Children’s Park has apparently been vandalized, according to a posting from Jan. 24 on the Niwot Children’s Park Facebook page. One of the park’s most notable and unique features are the small, custom-crafted, painted stone creatures—such as bats, insects, frogs, and lizards that inhabit the area—in various locations on the play structures and other elements throughout the park. Several of these stone animals have been severely damaged or destroyed, some appearing to have been chis...
Tired of the snow and cold and short winter days? Well, it’s time to stop whining about it, and instead start wining about it. This February, take the opportunity to turn those wintertime frowns upside-down at “Let’s Wine About Winter in Niwot.” This will be the third edition of the local annual event, which has grown in popularity each year. “We’ve had horrible weather and it was a blast, we’ve had beautiful weather and it was a blast,” said co-organizer Anne Postle, who owns Osmosis Gallery at 290 2nd Ave. in downtown Niwot. The event’s fir...
The construction fencing was replaced with a new wooden fence, and those that have helped push the cause couldn’t be happier. Biff Warren, president of the Niwot Cultural Arts Association and one of the organizers for the new park, said that the project has really taken a village to complete. “We need to thank and recognize literally hundreds of people who have donated to the park in some fashion,” Warren said. “There were kids who sold lemonade and donated proceeds, businesses that hosted...
Niwot’s annual jazz festival is getting ready to kick off its sixth year of jazz music, food and fun, but this year also brings some changes. Organizer Howard Treppeda, who also owns Treppeda’s Ristorante, has enjoyed bringing top jazz music to Niwot, and is excited about this year’s festival. Historically, the event has been held on a Friday night and Saturday in August; however, this year the event is scheduled for one day, on Saturday, September 17. Treppeda said even though he’s been putting...
Rock & Rails ended its summer concert series last week, and organizers say it was the best so far. More than $81,000 in beverage sales was raised over the 13 weeks of concerts at Whistle Stop Park in Niwot. Vicki Maurer, one of the event’s organizers, can usually be found pouring drinks for concert-goers on Thursday evenings in the summer. She said she is very happy with how this year turned out. “It was our most successful concert series so far,” Maurer said. “And it all goes back to the com...
The 11th-annual Niwot Trot will have a different route on September 18, but will keep the same mission - raising funds for the Niwot Elementary School PTAC. Previously the race used the Niwot Loop Trail, but as numbers grew, organizers like Gretchen Johnson started to consider a new route. "We're extremely excited for the new location," Johnson said. "We moved because of an increasing number of participants. We had over 375 last year, and we wanted to have a more structured race and more room for our runners." The race will start and end at...
The Mwebaza Foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes cross-cultural exchange between schools in Africa and Colorado, held a children’s concert fundraiser on Sunday, August 28 in Niwot. The event, which took place at Whistle Stop Park Sunday afternoon, featured The Pop Ups, a Grammy nominated children’s music group, along with other activities for kids. With the support of the community and the event’s sponsors, Founder Dale Peterson was hoping for a better turnout. “We think the kids t...
With only five Thursdays left in the season, Rock & Rails is enlisting a noteworthy lineup to end the summer with a bang. Headliners such as Chris Daniels and the Kings with Freddi, The Hazel Miller Band, and Face are expected to attract plenty of fans to Niwot’s popular summer concert series. Since its inception in 2006, Rock & Rails has grown to be one of Niwot’s most well-known summer events, with locals and visitors alike filling Whistle Stop Park every Thursday evening. Attendance has bee...
As Wise Buys Antiques in downtown Niwot celebrates its 30th anniversary, owners Tim and Carrie Wise reflected on the ups and downs they’ve experienced over the years. Wise Buys Antiques opened on July 15, 1986, and was originally located where Little Bird is today on Second Avenue. Prior to opening the store, Tim worked in another local antique store in Niwot for five years, giving him the passion for antiques and restoring them. “We are very thankful for Jim and Erma Knoch,” Tim said of the o...
