The "Avenue Flashes" column has been running in the Golden Transcript since 1934. Ever wonder where they got the name?
92 Years Ago
The March 8, 1934 Colorado Transcript tells of the damage caused by a powerful windstorm.
All Golden was awakened shortly after midnight Sunday morning by the roar of a freak wind that swept out of Clear Creek canon into the city. When the wind was at its height one blast of the fire siren after another brought people clothed and partially clad into the streets.
From the residential section many thought the whole business section of Golden to be in flames. Flash after flash of bright light shot into the sky and reflected on the dust that filled the air, which gave the impression of smoke and flames.
The roof of the Everett building had blown off and slammed into the Rubey Bank building, shattering the plate glass windows. The floor of the bank was littered with bricks, glass, and lumber. Pieces of the metal roof had landed on the trolley wires, which carried 600 volts of electricity. This caused the flashes–a dramatic effect, seen all over town.
That same issue of the Transcript included a new column, "Avenue Flashes." The earliest columns were brief news “flashes” concerning the people and businesses along Washington Avenue. Virginia Weigand took over sometime during the ’50s and kept at it until her retirement in 1987. She would report on the stores, their employees, and the seasonal changes in their window displays. She was an enthusiastic gardener and often commented on the state of the gardens around town, and what was in bloom. Dorothy Akal inherited the column after Virginia’s retirement and did a fine job until she passed away in 2012. Her son John Akal is the current columnist.
