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  • Peter Silsbee

    Living Stone Ceramics

  • Gabrielle Gewirtz

    Pottery Studio

  • Highline Containers

    20 X 8 feet Storage Containers delivered to your site. Monthly Rentals. Call or email for pricing at (303) 619-9842 or highlinecon@outlook.com

  • Black Hawk Self Storage

    26 Jankowski Dr. Approx. 6 miles N. of Black Hawk on Hwy 119. 303-516-1940

  • Greyson & Leigh Reclaimed Goods

    Read more:  A more convenient way to shop secondhand - The Mountain-Ear (themtnear.com)

  • Basin + Bend

    https://www.themtnear.com/articles/basin-bend-new-outdoor-gear-shop-opens/

  • Boulder Valley School District

    Regular Meetings Regular Board meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month beginning at 6:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted, and are open to the public. The Board frequently holds special meetings, often referred to as worksessions, prior to regular board meetings. These typically begin at 5:00 p.m. Please reference the board agendas posted on BoardDocs for specific meeting dates and times, https://www.bvsd.org/about/board-of-education/board-meetings.

  • Gilpin County School District RE-1

    BOARD OF EDUCATION The School Board meets bi-monthly on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday's of the month. Board meetings are held in the Gilpin County School Board room at 7:00pm and are open to the public.

  • MycoMindful Mushrooms

         

  • Clinica Family Health

    Nederland Clinic Medical Clinic Hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., 1 – 5 p.m. (closed for lunch from 12 – 1 p.m.) Saturday & Sunday: Closed

  • ResInnate Yoga & Permaculture

    ResInnate Yoga & Permaculture offers weekly Yoga classes, private yoga for individuals/groups and yoga retreats in Colorado. We also offer permaculture and regenerative design and implementation services.

  • Mountain Girl Pickles

    Read More:  Local businesses win national food award - The Mountain-Ear (themtnear.com)

  • Skeen Acres

    Read more:  Skeen Acres is the place to be, for chickens

  • Gilpin Car Wash

    Read more:  Gilpin Car Wash: Washing off the dirt - The Mountain-Ear (themtnear.com)

  • Alexander's Handyman Services

    Read more: Alexander’s Handyman Services: Making houses into homes - The Mountain-Ear (themtnear.com)

  • Diner Bar

    Diner Bar Soft Open:  Diner Bar soft opens over busy tourist weekend - The Mountain-Ear (themtnear.com) Read more:  Diner Bar Nederland coming soon - The Mountain-Ear (themtnear.com)

  • Brew Brothers - Horseshoe Casino

    Read more:  Brew Brothers opens in Horseshoe Casino - The Mountain-Ear (themtnear.com)

  • Sweet Freedom Farm

    Read more: Sweet Freedom Farm hosts Pasture Picnic - The Mountain-Ear (themtnear.com)

  • The Canyon Tavern

    Every once in a while, I have great difficulty putting my thoughts into words. Nothing thus far has been more challenging than this one. Not because I had a bad experience but because my experience was beyond remarkable; it’s going to be impossible for words to do it any justice. Nonetheless, I will try. They say that entering the unknown is one of the scariest things humans can do. Yet, it often comes with big rewards. I was reminded of this as I heard Kathy Ott share her life, dreams, and plans as an entrepreneur. This is an introduction to how Ott, a Colorado native, became the owner of not one but two restaurants in Coal Creek Canyon. Ott’s father and grandfather built a cabin in Eldora in the 60s, which became the family vacation getaway. Ott shares, “I have fond childhood memories of hiking into the cabin over the creek in the winter.” Her parents instilled in her a love of the mountains and, “particularly, the love of the little Eldora valley and surrounding mountains.” Ott went to CU undergrad and DU law. With an undergrad degree in molecular biology, Ott planned to attend med school. However, after her children went to elementary school, she couldn’t pass up an opportunity to be involved in science and law. Ott has been a patent attorney for about 15 years, becoming a shareholder at Merchant & Gould in 2017. Ott and her husband, Ted Ott, whom rumors confirm makes incredible sourdough bread, met while they were in college. They’ve been married for nearly 30 years. The couple purchased a cabin in Coal Creek Canyon in 2018. The Otts have two adult sons they are incredibly proud of and who have both graduated from college and are off pursuing careers in aerospace engineering and business. When asked how the family was impacted by the pandemic, Ott responds, “We all sheltered together at the cabin during COVID, which was awesome for me and my husband and less than awesome for the boys!” In January 2020, she lateraled as a partner in a large general practice firm, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath. As a patent prosecutor, Ott’s practice focuses on “obtaining patent protection for her clients’ inventions and offensively and defensively protecting those inventions in the marketplace,” says Ott. After moving to Coal Creek Canyon, Ott discovered a newfound love of the unique community. That love began with Adeline Clairmont, which inspired Ott to purchase the Wondervu Café. Though Ott had never been a business owner, she has worked as a partner at a large law firm down the hill. On October 4, 2021, Ott signed on the dotted line and entered a life of unknowns. Little did she know, she would be changing the lives of the residents in Coal Creek Canyon. The first step in Ott’s plans was to ask the community for feedback. She didn’t just hear them either. She listened. The most common recommendation she received was the pricing of food. Working with her team, they consolidated items on their menu, allowing for a 19% drop: A solution almost unheard of in the restaurant business. The good news is that food remains as delicious as when Clairmont owned the cafe. Several months later, a few cosmetic changes began. Ott waved her magic wand, remodeled the bathrooms, painted the walls to accentuate the log cabin feel, and gave the community more reasons to feel at home. “I want people to come for the view, stay for the food, and make plans to return,” shares Ott of her goals. Marinating the creativity and innovation of her staff, guests will soon have additional drinks and dishes to enjoy. The café’s gift shop will transform into a small mountain market where residents can purchase produce, milk, and savory sourdough bread, to name a few. With more renovations planned for the future, I’m sure more and more people will enter and not want to leave. And it’ll be for more reasons than just the view. The Wondervu Café is a place for families to enjoy and bond over Rocky Mountain food. Don’t forget to pick up a jar of Clairmont’s salsa when you visit. Less than two miles from the Wondervu Café is the Last Stand Tavern, soon the Canyon Tavern. One year and two weeks after her first purchase, Ott makes her second Coal Creek Canyon purchase. Like the cafe, the tavern also underwent a few alterations. Though the menu remains the same, one of the most drastic upgrades has been the quality of the food. Plan on staying a while when you visit the tavern. Lots of treats to enjoy, and they start with meals. The Philly Cheesesteak sandwich should be a good starting point, then work through the menu. The house made ranch and blue cheese dressings make the perfect companion for your French fries. When I say housemade, I mean from scratch. As are the chicken tenders and several of the items on the menu. Are you drooling yet? Need more reasons to visit the tavern? Every other Friday, you can partake in tavern karaoke. On Saturdays, you can continue singing with live music. The Canyon Tavern is the gathering place for friends, where regulars claim their barstools, strangers become friends, and Ott “wants people to leave feeling better than when they came in.” Welcome to the Canyon Tavern, what I’m calling the “Cheers” of the Rocky Mountains. Next time you could use a friend, make it a point to visit the Canyon Tavern, where everybody knows your name. If they don’t, they will. The various dishes, entertainment, staff, and ambiance of the restaurants offer something different for everyone. These are more than just a couple of places to eat or drink and Ott isn’t just another restaurant owner. Ott is so dedicated to the progress of these two community staples, she’s starting her own part-time law firm to make more time for the restaurants, her staff, and the Coal Creek Canyon community. I can’t decide what I love more. Ott’s passion for the community, her plans, the new feel of the Wondervu Café and Canyon Tavern, or the fact that she wasn’t just talking about plans; she was taking action in front of my eyes. Perhaps, it’s the sum of all these things that seem to make Ott the perfect person for entrepreneurship. I hope Coal Creek Canyonites realize how lucky they are that Ott purchased these two restaurants and not some random Joe who only cared about money. She cares. She truly does care. Trust me. Give her time. When entrepreneurship comes from the heart, it can be a slow and creative process, especially when you try to get things right the first time. You will see, as I saw, in mere hours, the beauty she has already started to bestow upon your community. From my humble experience, the restaurant business could use more people like Ott. The Wondervu Café is at 33492 Highway 72, Golden, Colorado. The cafe can be reached by phone at 303- 642-7197. To learn more, visit http:// wondervucafe.net/. Find them on social media at https://www.facebook.com/ WondervuCafe. The Canyon Tavern is at 32138 Highway 72, Golden, Colorado. The tavern can be reached by phone at 303-642-3180. Find them on social media at https://www.facebook.com/ Coalcreekcanyontavern.

  • Highlands Camp and Retreat Center

    Read more:  Highlands offers camp, retreat, event space, and more - The Mountain-Ear (themtnear.com)