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Blue Owl suffers flood damage

CHRISTOPHER KELLEY
Posted 1/29/25

Last week, as Nederland experienced high winds and icy temperatures, the severe mountain weather stressed the upstairs plumbing of Blue Owl Books and Boutique.   

“A massive flood originating from the upstairs space of the building...

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Blue Owl suffers flood damage

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NEDERLAND - Last week, as Nederland experienced high winds and icy temperatures, the severe mountain weather stressed the upstairs plumbing of Blue Owl Books and Boutique.   

“A massive flood originating from the upstairs space of the building caused extensive damage,” Kristi Lenart-Rikert wrote to friends, family, and supporters on the official GoFundMe she created for Blue Owl, and for owner Kimba Stefane. “The water poured in for hours, soaking everything and destroying nearly two-thirds of her inventory.”

The following morning, Jeff Chud opened the store to find water flowing from the ceiling and through blown out ventilation ducts, spilling all over the books and merchandise. 

Blue Owl has been a staple of the Nederland community for over two decades, and the news of this recent tragedy has rocked residents. An outpouring of support for Chud and Stefane has spread across social media, with people sharing personal stories of how much that space, the events that are held there, and the environment that’s been cultivated there, means to them.

“The overwhelming sense of love and gratitude out of this has been beyond palpable,” Chud said.

“We tried keeping it quiet; next thing we know we have the whole support of the community, and that’s from 20 years of Kimba keeping this as a safe place and a beacon of love.”   

A week after the flooding, Chud walked around the store as HEPA Air Scrubbers, fans, and other means of stabilization were deployed to mitigate the remaining damage. Among the stress of the ongoing situation, he explained that their remaining inventory was being stored in Rollinsville, and that they were remaining hopeful about reopening.

He focused his hope for the future on Blue Owl’s espresso machine, which sat on the counter, luckily unharmed from the flood. Chud explained that the espresso machine has been in Nederland since 1991, and was passed on to them from the Acoustic Cafe. He expects to give “the old girl” some attention and routine maintenance while the store is closed for repairs. 

Blue Owl has suffered flooding in the past as a result of snow runoff from the highway spilling into the parking lot. Chud, with assistance from Town Works, would lay down sandbags in attempts to dam the waters and protect the store.

Last winter, Blue Owl was out of power for several days after a front end loader took out their ground transformer.

“Kimba and Chud have taken immediate steps to salvage what they can, but the loss is overwhelming” the GoFundMe by Lenart-Rikert reads. “With the store closed indefinitely she is facing a challenging road ahead —both financially and emotionally.”

The fundraiser is to cover the costs of inventory loss and of storage fees, and to assist with living expenses; the current goal is $25,000. 

To donate to this cause, please visit: https://gofund.me/065ec7fb.

“Thank you for your kindness, support, and positive vibes,” Lenart-Rikert wrote. “I am holding onto hope that with your help, we can rebuild and bring Blue Owl Bookstore back to life.”