All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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Halloween is the one day of the year children and adults can be anything or anyone else they want to be. Niwot has embraced this holiday for over two decades by hosting the Great Pumpkin Party, giving families the opportunity to dress up and walk in a parade; children can trick or treat at local businesses, take hayrides and visit a petting zoo. Pat Murphy of Niwot Real Estate has been organizing this event, put on by the Niwot Business Association, for nearly 25 years. Since its beginning as a...
Dear Editor, I found the Courier online poll chart in last week’s paper to be very misleading. Close to 1,700 people from Gunbarrel and the surrounding areas have signed the Twin Lakes Action Group (TLAG) petition opposing upzoning to medium density on the Twin Lakes parcels. Therefore, I was surprised to find that 72.7 percent of those who filled out the online LHVC poll were for this development, until I found out that only 32 people filled out the online poll. This omission of the very small sample size gives the impression that the m...
How do people learn to respectfully discuss sensitive topics? On Wednesday, Oct. 5th, the entire Dawson student body, grades K-12, participated in a morning of learning about and practicing Civil Discourse. The goal was learning to debate appropriately while also practicing the art of listening and formulating persuasive arguments. Topics were chosen that would be less emotionally charged than others, while still giving students the chance to formulate and defend a constructive argument about a...
In November, Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) will be asking voters to approve an operational mill levy, ballot measure 3A. Though the ballot language states the levy would support the district’s ongoing construction, technology and maintenance expenses, the school district envisions it as a way to provide for much more. Since the State of Colorado began cutting education spending during the recession in 2009-2010, using a legislative maneuver called the negative factor, BVSD’s funding has...
After spying the excellent work being done by Elaine Fein on the left hand chair situated in front of KL Realty, I’ve learned that Anne Postle and Michelle Henzel of Osmosis Gallery and Architecture have ordered 11 more concrete chairs – eight are adult-size and three are the smaller kids’ chairs. Postle said that the southpaw chairs are available for purchase at the cost of $250 for an adult chair and $175 for a child’s. Buyers need to secure their own artist to decorate the chairs. The Niwot C...
Kevin Sipple Tell voters about yourself: In Boulder County since 1969. Background in business. One of the founders of Eldorado Artesian Springs, Inc. Good practice for being a county commissioner, company owns roads, water utility, Resort, every parking spot in town, and all surrounding property. My specialties: Quality Control, Regulatory Compliance, Operations. Project Manager for construction of new bottled water manufacturing plant in Louisville. Volunteer Service: Placement Alternatives Commission, PAC 1992 to 2002, a social services board...
Elise Jones Tell voters about yourself: I’ve lived in Boulder County for nearly 20 years and was elected County Commissioner in 2012. Prior to my election, I served for 13 years as executive director of the Colorado Environmental Coalition, a statewide conservation advocacy nonprofit. I have a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources from Cornell University and a master’s in Resource Policy from the University of Michigan. I live in Boulder with Karl, my partner of 27 years, and our daughter McKenzie. Q What makes you the best choice? A My policy...
Life for Lora Cantele seems pretty normal from the outside. She lives in Gunbarrel with her husband and two teenage children, both of whom attend Niwot High School, and she has her own aromatherapy business. Besides taking care of her family and her business, Cantele finds herself sitting in a comfortable office every other Monday morning with other moms who are all walking the same path of raising children with special needs. Cantele’s 17-year-old son was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder when he w...
On Oct. 5th, the Niwot Historical Society and President Kathy Koehler kicked off the 2016-17 Niwot: Now & Then lecture series with an examination of baseball and its impact on the town. From its earliest days, when Evart “Toots” Conilogue got together with his brothers and friends to form the Niwot Farmers; to the modern era, when Coach Bob Bote led the Niwot High Cougars to five state championships in eight years, the national pastime has been an integral part of Niwot’s civic identity. In Ba...
On Friday, Sept. 23, the Boulder County Land Use director approved with conditions the site plan requested by Anne and Jim Postle for the property at 240 2nd Avenue in Niwot. The approval was conditional for a 14-day period until Friday, Oct. 7 where the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) had the opportunity to call the docket up for a public hearing. Postle said in an email over the weekend that the commissioners were not going to call the project up for review, meaning the project is approved. The site plan calls for redeveloping the...
The Niwot High School drama department aims to keep its audiences guessing with its upcoming play, Murder in the House of Horrors. “It is the first interactive play that Niwot has ever done, and is shaping up to be a ton of fun,” Drama Teacher and Director Erin Murphy said. The play is set in the Hamilton Museum where audience members attend a lecture by Dr. Dirk Carlson, as part of the museum’s Monsters, Murderers and Mad Men Speaker Series. During the talk, the projector malfunctions and t...
If you’ve ever been in the hallways at Sunset Middle School, you’ve likely heard Dr. Macy telling students, “If you can, you must.” This rings true for Sunset Middle School’s Fall Crawl, an all-school walk/run being held at Sunset Middle School on Oct. 21st. Sunset thrives on its support from its PAC, staff and parents. In the coming weeks, students will be asking the community to support them as they raise funds for numerous activities and supplies, such as transportation to field trips, classroom materials and community building incentive...
Integral CrossFit and the Mountain View Fire Protection District will be hosting a free CPR and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) class from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. on October 14 at their 7960 Niwot Road location. There are only 15 slots available for the class, and about half are still open. Jim Pascucci, owner of Integral CrossFit, is hosting the class after the death of a close friend who recently died from a heart attack. He said his friend also owned a CrossFit facility near Lake Tahoe, and suffered the heart attack while eating breakfast...
The Boulder County Transportation Department has lowered the speed limit on Niwot Road between 95th St. and U.S. 287 due to requests from concerned residents about their safety. The speed limit dropped from 50 mph to 40 mph to ensure citizens remain safe when entering the road, according to Boulder County. “They were concerned about speeding overall but more specifically with ‘close calls’ that they had with drivers moving well over the speed limit, similar to complaints we received last year...
The Rotary Club of Niwot’s annual Oktoberfest was met with beautiful, sunny weather on Saturday, Oct. 1. Although it might not have felt like fall, people were in the mood to celebrate the new season with good music, food and fun. The day-long event saw a good crowd even in mid-afternoon. But Rotary club member Margaret Hix said she expected even more people as the day turned into night. She was not disappointed as the 5 p.m. crowd appeared on schedule. Event goers enjoyed traditional German m...
The Niwot Children's Park has had many eyes on it, especially those of little children, for a number of months as they've awaited the opening of the park for play. Their anticipation was finally alleviated when the park finally opened on a sunny afternoon on Sunday, Oct. 2. It was not only eagerly awaited by children though. The many adults who have been working on this project to bring it to fruition were excited that the park is finally open. Fundraising Coordinator Riki Frea had a hard time f...
Boulder County Commissioners held a public hearing on Tuesday, September 27 to make their decision on the land-use change request for Twin Lakes, which would open the doors for affordable housing to be built. The commissioner’s hearing followed the Boulder County Planning Commission’s vote, which ended in a 4-3 approval of the land-use request. The change would allow the land use designation to become mixed density residential on the 20 acres of land next to Twin Lakes in Gunbarrel. Even though the county commissioners took their time on del...
Boulder Country Day School will host a high school fair for all Boulder County middle school students on Wednesday, October 5. This is the third year that Boulder Country Day has held this event, and this year the attending school list surpasses 70 schools, including local, regional and boarding schools. “This is a golden opportunity for middle school students to consider all of the options available to them at one single event,” Susan Boyle, director of admission and marketing for Boulder Country Day School, said. “We are really excited about...
The Centennial State Ballet (CSB) is preparing to kick off its 19th season, The Season of Magic, with The October Showcase, at the Silver Creek High School auditorium. According to Heidi Lawrence, marketing manager, the fall performance is a great way to allow the pre-collegiate dancers larger roles since the production is smaller. “The first performance really highlights the Pre-Collegiate Intensive Ballet Program that we have,” Lawrence said of the first of three performances. “The dancers per...
The Niwot Community Association (NCA) has been stymied in its efforts to host a debate among Boulder County Commissioner candidates. Schedules for the candidates were already filled, Kim Hawksworth, NCA events chairperson, explained. “We found a few dates that we hoped would fit into the candidates’ schedules and the Left Hand Grange’s open dates, but as we contacted the incumbents and the challengers we heard that those dates were already booked,” Hawksworth said. “The alternate dates also had conflicts. So the NCA board decided to concentra...
Homecoming weekend wouldn’t be complete without a reunion, and this year the class of 1976 celebrated its 40th. “For us being the first class that went four years at Niwot, it’s kind of a big thing,” reunion coordinator Terri Ward said. The reunion consisted of a happy hour at Bootstrap Brewery in Niwot on Friday, which included pint glasses printed with a cougar logo from the 70s. In addition, more than 50 members of the Class of ‘76 and their spouses enjoyed a dinner together at Fox Hill Coun...
The Niwot Historical Society is continuing its lecture series, and the newest could knock it out of the park. A panel of speakers will discuss the history of the sport of baseball in the area, each with their own bank of knowledge and insight to provide. “We’re putting together a panel of people or their families who have been involved in baseball in the Niwot area from the very early 1900’s to the present,” organizer Biff Warren said. The speakers include: John Conilogue: His ancestors go way back in the Niwot area, he has a lot of artifac...
Members of the Boulder County Planning Commission voted 4 – 3 to support changing the land use designation to medium density for 20 acres in the Twin Lakes area in Gunbarrel at its Sept. 21 meeting. But that vote could have had a different outcome if it had happened before board chairwoman Natalie Feinberg Lopez had to leave the meeting early to catch a plane. Earlier in the meeting, Feinberg Lopez had indicated that she did not support the land use change, and her vote could have pushed the o...
The Longmont Museum is debuting a new exhibition on Sept.17 featuring classic, lowrider cars and their lengthy history in Colorado. The exhibit runs to May 14, 2017. The exhibit has been nearly two years in the making and will give visitors a look into how the vehicles were made, including the upholstery, hydraulics, paint and wheels. “There’s a really strong lowrider scene in Colorado and Longmont,” Exhibit Curator Jared Thompson said. “Longmont alone has over 200 lowriders in itself. We just...
Before I comment on Charles Bell’s letter, I would like to give thanks to Don Sherwood. You were right on with each paragraph. Thank you! Mr. Bell, your comment stating that you “didn’t feel proud of my community” is highly offensive. First of all, this is not “your community.” If you aren’t proud of Niwot and the residents that live here and are fighting to keep marijuana out of Niwot, then I suggest you move yourself and business out of town. I’m sure Boulder would welcome you. Second, for the parents and children who were in the picket line...
Students at Niwot High School have been enjoying a week of fun leading up to homecoming this weekend. Monday was Class Day for the assembly, freshmen wore white, sophomores wore black, juniors wore green, and seniors wore camo. Tuesday was Tie-Dye Day and Wednesday students wore pink. Thursday will be “Stocks, Crocs, and Socks,” and Friday is Mardi Gras day, the theme of Saturday’s dance. From 3 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, a free BBQ will be held at the lower athletic field during the soccer and softball games. The parade through downtown Niwot...
The Rotary Club of Niwot is bringing it’s Oktoberfest fundraiser back to Niwot for its eighth year. The event, which will take place on Saturday, Oct. 1 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., is one of the biggest fundraisers the club puts on each year. “It gets more popular every year,” Niwot Rotary Club member Margaret Hix said. “I think more and more people are [attending], and it’s now become a community event. People come over, they stay, they hang out, they have a great time.” The event will feature the...
Leslie Swirhun, age 61, died at her home after a long illness. She worked for Boulder County Transportation on many projects in the Niwot and Heatherwood areas. A memorial Open House was held Sept. 10, 2016. Contributions in her memory can be made to a charity of the donor’s choosing....
Dawson has launched a new feature to its schedule this year: periodic days throughout the year designed to promote collaboration and integration between grades and disciplines, called Mustang Days. Increased flexibility built into Dawson’s schedule allows the school to spotlight larger topics and to create even more opportunities for student-driven, hands-on learning. On August 31, the focus was design thinking. Design thinking is an established learning method that integrates creativity, p...
Boulder County Area Agency on Aging (AAA) is helping coordinate more than 40 events around the county as part of Falls Prevention Week, September 19 – 23. A fall can have devastating consequences for an older adult and is a common concern for the families, friends and caregivers of the aging. Every 11 seconds an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall, and every 19 minutes an older adult dies from a fall. Many older adults limit physical and social activities due to fear of f...
The Niwot Community Association plans to hold a candidates’ forum in early October for the four candidates for two open seats on the Boulder County Board of Commissioners. Democrat incumbent Deb Gardner of Longmont is being challenged by Republican Paul Danish of Longmont. Republican Kevin Sipple of Eldorado Springs is running against incumbent Democrat Elise Jones of Boulder. Commissioners are elected by all Boulder County voters but represent districts where they reside while on the board. The forum will be informational and not a debate, the...
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...
The Left Hand Valley Courier talked with new staff and teachers at Niwot High School to find out why they love teaching and what they’re looking forward to this school year. Kelly Christensen School Counselor, Head Cross Country Coach, Assistant Track Coach Education and Experience: Three years school counseling, previously at Palmer Ridge High School, Monument Colorado. What are you most excited about with a new school and a new year? It’s all new for me this year, so everything! What is you...
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 third floor of the Boulder County Courthouse was filled once again as people attended a joint public hearing of county commissioners and planning commission on Tuesday, August 30, to discuss the proposed affordable housing at Twin Lakes. County Commissioner Elise Jones explained that the reason for the joint hearing was so that people don’t have to come multiple times to give their testimonies. She said they wanted to hear from everyone who has something to say on the issue, “Everyone has...
Dear Editor, Once again I am writing to the Courier to thank all those responsible for the beautiful flowers all around Niwot in hanging baskets, pots, wheelbarrows, a piano, and a bicycle, among other things. They are glorious this year, even more bountiful and colorful than in years past, and I know it takes a lot of planning and maintenance to produce such a wonderful display. My husband and I walk around downtown Niwot almost every day and marvel at the beauty all around us. Many kudos to...
A new attorney has joined the team at Warren, Carlson and Moore (WCM) from another Boulder County law firm. Jeff Foltz started at WCM just a couple weeks ago, coming from Hensley and Kennedy law firm in Boulder. Foltz, who lives in Gunbarrel, moved out to Colorado to attend law school at CU Boulder in 2002. After working in Boulder County for awhile, he said his interactions with the attorneys at WCM led him to apply for an open position there. “I had worked with some of the attorneys here b...
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...
“I'm so tired of living this life. Fooling myself, believing we're right, when I've never given love with any conviction of the heart.” Kenny Loggins Songwriters, poets, authors and artists often express themselves from a place of heart. We tend to look upon works of art with awe, curiosity and mystery. Some things are simply beyond words. We call this the heart. We listen to the heart from a different place than our ears. We feel with the heart. We know when something feels congruent, yet we...
On Thursday, August 25, the Boulder County Commissioners held a business meeting to discuss various requests and proposals, including a grant request for the Niwot Children’s Park and a ballot measure for the paving of subdivision roads in Boulder County. Ramona Faireneau, from Boulder County’s budget office, presented the request to Boulder County Commissioners Elise Jones, Cindy Domenico and Deb Gardner. She explained that the park’s organizers are asking for financial support from the count...
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...
Parents need to know the latest youth social media trends and potential dangers in order to help guide their child to post responsibly and stay safe. But how? For most parents, social media is overwhelming. There are thousands of apps and it’s a moving target; what is popular today is out tomorrow. Boulder Country Day School (BCD) is holding an interactive parent presentation that will review what parents need to know about teen social media use. It will also provide helpful resources to help th...
The Residences at Balfour, a retirement community in Louisville, announced the opening of an office of Wisdom Health, a new geriatric primary care medical practice located within the community at 1336 E. Hecla Drive. The practice is owned and operated by Dr. Anne Giesen, D.O., and is currently accepting patients from Balfour and the greater Boulder County community. “It’s a pleasure to expand our medical practice in Boulder to include Balfour, and provide outstanding geriatric care to the res...
Auburn Meisner, daughter of former Niwot dentist David Meisner, recently opened her own business in Niwot, Intimate Inquiries, located at 376 2nd Avenue. Meisner obtained her social work degree from Washington University in St. Louis, MO, and went on to work with sex offenders, but felt she needed to work in a less regulated field. She’s continued her education in human sexuality and sex therapy, leading her to open her own private practice in sex therapy and intimacy. “It’s such a field that...
Alternative Family Medicine and Chiropractic in Longmont recently welcomed Dr. Jennifer Christian, DC, to its family. Christian joins Dr. Ann-Marie Barter, DC, a Niwot chiropractor, who has served Boulder County for several years. Christian only moved to the Denver area just over two weeks ago from her small hometown of Taos, NM, where she was working in her family’s practice. “My dad is a chiropractor with his advanced practice and my uncle is a doctor of oriental medicine,” Christian said....
Local advertising agency, Tool Studios, announced it will celebrate 15 years of doing business in Boulder County next month. The company opened on the fateful morning of September 11, 2001, but in weathering its rocky start, company owner and principal Charles (Charlie) Bell said, “We really had nowhere to go but up.” Tool Studios moved its offices to downtown Niwot by the end of that first year. Operating with a core of in-house, full-time staff (referred to as the company’s “Tool...
There’s been a lot of exposure in the local press for the voices opposed to the marijuana dispensary, which was approved in June by county commissioners for the Niwot location on 79th Street in Cottonwood Square. Before the Niwot Business Association meeting in March of 2015, when building owner Ernie Craumer first addressed the community about his plans, I was shocked and disappointed to see a picket line, with children and their enraged parents brandishing “No Pot in Niwot” signs. It was the first time I didn’t feel proud of my communi...
On the Nov. 8 ballot, the St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) will have a bond measure to address critical school and student needs, including renovations and additions to existing schools and building new schools. Superintendent Don Haddad said the process of putting the bond measure together included a community task force of about 50 people from various geographic areas of the district. It decided on the district’s construction needs, which stemmed from growth, needed repairs and safety issues. “What we have right now in St. Vrain is...
Sugar Beet Station will soon leave the brick and mortar business world to focus more on the online business. Owner Erin Brooke said that the reason for the shift is an increase in costs of having a storefront. “It’s morphing into something else,” Brooke said. “The physical store itself won’t be here, but I’ll still be taking special orders on the creative parts that we do.” The store has been open for four years, with Brooke focusing on creative paper artwork. “Everything you can think of wi...
