View from North Table Mountain
Photo by Nancy Torpey
Click to enlarge
What's happening in Golden today?
Events for Friday, Aug. 9th
- All day - The Friday Tour
- All day - CURRENT EXHIBITS AT THE MUSEUMS
- All day - Live Workouts with Community Center Pros
- 10:15-10:45AM - Toddler Time
- 6-7:30PM - Back to Basics: Overnight Camping Essentials
- 6PM - Unframed Gala
- 7:30PM - School of Rock - The Musical
For more information, click the item above or visit the Golden Today Calendar
A Fond Farewell
Foothills Art Center is holding their annual gala tonight. Online bidding is open for their silent auction. Bid now and win original art, private painting classes, weekend getaways, knives from Spyderco, drinks, meals, jewelry, nights on the town, and much more! Register here.
There is a sad note to the revelry: Hassan Najjar, who has served as Executive Director at Foothills Art Center for the past eight years, is leaving. Tonight will be his last official duty. He will be moving to Dover, Deleware, to serve as Executive Director of the Biggs Museum of American Art.
Best of luck, Hassan. Our loss is Dover's gain!
You must stay in town this weekend!
Golden Fine Arts Festival - Colorado Railroad Museum - Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum
Click to enlarge
There's just too much going on in Golden. To ensure you don't miss anything, here's a brief preview:
- Friday, Saturday, and Sunday - School of Rock at Miners Alley
- Saturday and Sunday - Golden Fine Arts Festival
- Saturday and Sunday - Gold Rush Days at the Railroad Museum
- Saturday and Sunday - Rock, Mineral, and Fossil Sale at the Mines Museum
- Sunday Morning - Yoga in Parfet Park and Brunch at Kona Bowls
- Sunday Afternoon - Sunday at the Museum: Appliqué is My Super Power at the Quilt Museum
- Sunday Evening - Sunday Swing Supper Club at the Buffalo Rose
Live Music for Friday, Aug. 9th
- 8-10PM The Margarita Brothers @ Buffalo Rose
Buffalo Rose (main venue) - More Live Music
5-8PM Live Music @ Eddy Taproom
5:30-8:30PM Andy Eppler @ Barrels and Bottles
6-9PM Digg Band @ Goosetown Station
6-10PM Jewel & The Rough @ Wrigley’s
7-10PM Conal Rosanbalm @ Buffalo Rose
9PM Karaoke @ Ace Hi Tavern
For more information, visit the Golden Today Calendar
Golden History: Golden’s 6th Ave
6th Avenue passing the Remington Arms Plant on the way out to Golden - Denver Public Library Western History Collection
Click to enlarge
by Paul Haseman
U.S. Hwy 6 across America has a long history but Golden’s section of the road from the intersection at Colfax/US 40 to Hwy 58 and left up Clear Creek Canyon makes for a far shorter tale.
As background, early US 6 / 6th Ave west of Denver was formerly an unpaved two-lane road to the Remington Arms Factory (now the Denver Federal Center). In 1941, Hwy 6 became the first four-lane paved road in Colorado in order to transport supplies and munitions to and from the factory. From there it was later extended to intersect with US 40/Colfax (near the Marine Memorial/Home Depot). And in 1950 plans were afoot to keep it headed northwest from Colfax along the western boundary of Golden. Good news for Golden, but not so good news for the School of Mines.
As reported by the Mines Oredigger, on 7 March 1950, the new alignment of Hwy 6 would cut right through 80 homes recently constructed homes for student veterans after WWII requiring, the movement of 80 buildings. These homes, known as Prospector Park, were to the north of now 19th Street on the west side of campus. What to do? What to do?
Well, a shiny white knight in the form of William G “Bill” Parfet had a solution. The Parfet family had been mining clay on the west side of the Mines campus since 1877 including, further east, its Rockwell Mine. This clay mining involved deep trenches between vertical sandstone “fins” in the Laramie Formation. As told by his son “Chip,” dad Bill Parfet told the Highway Department that even with “reclamation” by refilling the trenches, the planned roadbed would be susceptible to subsidence and be unstable. Parfet convinced the Highway Department to move the alignment 100 yards west to more stable ground. Phew!
His helpful persuasion saved the day. The Veterans’ housing remained and later the current Mines intramural fields along Elm Street and “Greek” house beyond would become part of the Mines campus. Of course, this Mines addition would not occur until the later gift by Parfet to Mines in 1964 of his Ruby Clay Mine in exchange for Mines-provided clay mining acreage further east. This easterly acreage became Parfet’s Rubey Standard Mine. This new mining land and Rockwell Mine became part of the Fossil Trace Golf Course, opened in 2003.
Meanwhile, Hwy 6 meandered down the hill, still on the west side of Mines toward Clear Creek, which required two 200-foot bridges over the Creek and the Church Ditch. Here Hwy 6 took a sharp left turn up the canyon following in large part the former Colorado Central Railbed to Idaho Springs with the addition of several tunnels. Work on the canyon section had begun as early as 1933 but could not become truly feasible until the last train went through the canyon on 4 May 1941. At this point, WWII stopped construction and after the war Hwy 6 construction up the canyon was renewed with the road finally opening on 22, June 1952.
Thank you, Bill Parfet.
Many thanks to Esther Kettering for sponsoring Golden History Moments for the month of August.
Weather
Overnight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy. Low around 50, with temperatures rising to around 52 overnight. North wind around 3 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Friday: A chance of rain showers before 9am, then showers and thunderstorms likely between 9am and 3pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy. High near 72, with temperatures falling to around 69 in the afternoon. Northeast wind 3 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Friday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely before 3am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. North wind 3 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Friday Night: Showers And Thunderstorms Likely, 58°F
Saturday: Partly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 83°F
Saturday Night: Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 63°F
Sunday: Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 87°F
Sunday Night: Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy, 63°F
Monday: Partly Sunny then Showers And Thunderstorms Likely, 85°F
Monday Night: Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy, 63°F
Tuesday: Partly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 86°F
Tuesday Night: Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy, 62°F
Wednesday: Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 86°F
Wednesday Night: Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy, 63°F
Thursday: Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 87°F
News Relating to Golden - August 9, 2024
Golden officials apologize, make amends to nonprofit serving disabled kids
By Elizabeth Hernandez
Denver Post
Golden is making amends with two moms who oversee a nonprofit serving disabled children after city officials referred to their organization as “pretty belligerent” and “a thorn in our side” because it didn’t have the proper permit to raise money at a summer arts festival... Read more...
Golden’s National Night Out highlights public safety agencies’ new resources
By Corinne Westeman
Golden Transcript
While their missions remain the same, the public safety agencies participating in Golden’s annual National Night Out have experienced some changes over the last two years... Read more...
As season winds down, tubers note improvements to Golden’s creek corridor
By Corinne Westeman
Golden Transcript
Golden’s tubing season is winding down.
The once-rushing Clear Creek is now low and slow, and before too long, the city will be evaluating its changes it made to the Clear Creek corridor before summer to improve user experiences... Read more...
Supporters
Many thanks to the people and organizations who support What’s Happening in Golden? If you would like to support local news, please CLICK HERE!
Sponsors:
($100/month and up)
Buffalo Rose, Buglet Solar, Foothills Art Center, Golden City Brewery, Golden Cultural Alliance, Miners Alley Performing Arts Center, The Golden Mill, Golden Chamber of Commerce, Golden History Tours, Morris & Mae Market, Miners Saloon, Colorado Railroad Museum, Golden Hayride Outpost, Kona Bowls, Unite Fitness, Tom Reiley, Michael Mason, and Esther Kettering
Friends:
($50-99.99/month or $500/yr)
Tall Pines Painting, Baby Doe’s Clothing, Goozell Yogurt & Coffee Paul Haseman, Donna Anderson, Carol & Doug Harwood, Beth Bidwell, Stephanie Painter, Greg Poulos, and Joy Brandt
Supporters:
($25-49.99/month or $250/yr)
Laura King and Scott Wilson, Bobby German and Alison McNally, Ann Norton & Jonathan Storer, Forrest Jones, Barry & Liz Bettis, Cheryl & Tom Schweich, Marjorie Sloan, Chris and Joyce Davell, Rick Flint, Forrest Jones, AC Development, Cynthia Merrill Tamny, Stephen Pero, Meg Van Ness & Steve Kalasz, Steve & Karla Schaefer
Members:
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Brad Miller & Julie Bartos, Holly Thomas, Jim and LouAnne Dale, Ann Pattison, Thomas Hoffman, Carol Abel, Brian Quarnstrom, Sandra Curran, Bobby German and Alison McNally, Kathy Smith, Karen Smith, Carlos & Nancy Bernal, Robert Storrs, Michele Sannes, Elaine Marolla, Dixie Termin & Ron Miller, E Tom Hughes, Crystal M Culbert, Patrick A. Madison, Alice Madison & Jim Kalivas, Deb Goeldner, Christopher Ball, 6th Chair Home Services, Dot & Eric Brownson, Rosemary Coffman, Emeline Paulson, Casey & Gina Brown, Sandy Schneider, Mark and Cathy Pattridge, Cheryl G Leidich, Jen Rutter, Carol Abel, Frani R Bickart, Jennings and Litz, Bill Sedgeley, Nancy Hughes, Justin L Wade, Kathi Eggers, Traci Case, Donna Owen, Leslie D Lutz, Karen Oxman, Catherine Skokan, Ross Fraser, Lynne Haigh, Elizabeth Hilliard, Frank Young & Terre Deegan-Young, Kathy Hirons & Jack Markin, Jess & Anthony Monasterio, Ella Lyons & Jeanne Fritch, Heather Duncan, Lee Ann & Pete Horneck, Carol Cameron, Cheryl Williamson, San Daugherty, Jim Garner, John and Carol McEncroe, the Golden Welcome Center, and the Golden Transcript
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Golden Community Garden, Lora Haimes, Mariane Erickson, J.J. Fraser
