Moon Over Golden
Photo by James Cookinham
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What's happening in Golden today?
Events for Monday, Dec. 16th
- All day - CURRENT EXHIBITS AT THE MUSEUMS
- All day - Live Workouts with Community Center Pros
- All day - Golden History Tours
- All day - CSM Women's Basketball vs. Westminster
- 10AM-5PM - Foothills Art Center - Holiday Art Market
- 10AM-5PM - Foothills Art Center - Holiday Art Market
- 10:15-10:45AM - Let's Dance - Registration Required
- 12-12:30PM - Mondays with the Mayor
- 1-2:30PM - Introduction to the Internet
- 2-3PM - Virtual: Active Minds Monday
- 5-6PM - Bell Middle School PTA Meeting
- 5:30PM - Board Game & Euchre Night
- 5:30-7PM - Canceled: Downtown Development Authority Meeting
- 5:30-7:30PM - Holiday Movie Party: Polar Express
- 5:30-7:30PM - The Fundamental Principles of Art
- 6-9PM - Teach Me to Play! Mondays
For more information, click the item above or visit the Golden Today Calendar
Where are the City of Golden’s Open Spaces? Grampsas North
Top Left: Grampsas North Open Space from the bike park. Top Center: “Dwarf Rabbitbrush” — Ericameria nauseosa (Pall. ex Pursh) G. I. Nesom & G. I. Baird var. nauseosa. Top Right: Tony Grampsas Trail along the Church Ditch on the east side of Grampsas North Open Space. Bottom: Grampsas North Open Space from the lower part of the bike park.
By Tom Schweich
Did you know we had an Open Space in Grampsas Park? No!? Well, neither did I. I knew there is a gym, some baseball fields, pickleball courts, an archery range, a dog park, and a mountain bike park (not to mention New Terrain Brewery), but … I did not know there was some open space in Grampsas Park.
As I have written before Golden is working on an Open Space Master Plan. It is a combined effort of city Parks & Recreation staff with consultants Berry, Dunn, McNeil & Parker, LLC, and ERO Resources. They are aided by the Open Space Working Group composed of eight Golden citizens who expressed interest in the Open Space Master Plan. The group's purpose is to provide citizen input on the development and implementation of the plan.
The Open Space Working Group met with city staff and consultants about a week ago. Included on the agenda was a list of open spaces for our review. One open space on the list, Grampsas North, was new to me and the others on the working group.
The City of Golden acquired the land now known as Tony Grampsas Memorial Sports Complex from Jefferson County Open Space in 1999. Coors Brewing Company originally developed the park for company softball tournaments, and, in 2000, the 63-acre park was named after Tomy Grampsas, a former Coors employee and strong advocate for parks and recreation in the State Legislature. Today, the park provides a location for several unique City of Golden amenities including softball fields, a gymnasium, a dog park, archery range, a mountain bike park, and, most recently, four new pickleball courts.
A week ago, Saturday, I went out to look at the Grampsas North Open Space. The first thing I noticed, being a beautiful fall Saturday, was that the parking lot at Grampsas Park was completely full. I found a narrow slot to squeeze my car into and set off to find the open space. Past the pickleball courts, off to the right of the archery range, through the dog park, and up the hill from the New Terrain Brewery (not actually on city property), I found the bike park across the Church Ditch. From the bike park, Grampsas North stretches out to the north. See photos, above.
It is basically a rectangular field about 6½ acres in size, perhaps depending on where the lines are drawn. It is fenced on three sides. The west side is bounded by rural housing and several neighbors who came out for a friendly conversation. The north side has a recent housing development. The east side is bounded by the Church Ditch and the Tony Grampsas Trail, which lines both sides of the ditch. There are cottonwood trees along the ditch. . There might some opportunity for enhancement (I really don’t want to say “development”) of the trail along the Church Ditch, somewhat like the work of the High Line Canal Conservancy.
The vegetation of Grampsas North is western great plains grassland. The plants present are about 2/3 common Golden natives and about 1/3 weeds, a proportion typically seen around Golden. There are a few noxious weeds. I found a few of the uncommon “Dwarf Rabbitbrush” — Ericameria nauseosa var. nauseosa. It is not really a dwarf, just a naturally small plant. It’s big brother that I like to call “Goldy-Locks,” variety graveolens, is also common in Grampsas North. Both of these prairie plants were first scientifically described from collections by the Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery in 1804-1806. A small thicket in the center of Grampsas North has hackberry, chokecherry, and American plum, though none of them are large enough to make shade.
There are the usual deer and elk signs (i.e., poop), and I scared up a few rabbits. The neighbors told me they frequently see hawks in the cottonwood trees, probably eyeing the rabbits and squirrels for dinner.
The view from Grampsas North is the east side of North Table Mountain with numerous mountain bikes and parties of hikers on a pretty fall afternoon
Grampsas North is not the perfect little open space we typically think of when we talk about open space, but perhaps it presents an opportunity to set aside some of our land for the animals and some quiet contemplation. How it develops through the master plan process will be interesting. The weather forecast for the next few days is warm and dry. Go have a look at Grampsas North and prepare your thoughts for the master plan team.
Puzzle: December Evening Reflections
Photo by Carol Freza
If you're reading this as part of your morning newsletter, visit the website to play the puzzle.
Pro Tips!
You can make the puzzle harder or easier to work by choosing the number of pieces contained in the puzzle. Before clicking "OK" to start the puzzle, click the 9-Dot symbol and select the number of pieces you want to tackle.
You can start with only the edge pieces (just as you might with a real life puzzle). Click the Frame button, as shown above. Once you've completed the frame, all the other pieces will appear.
Make the puzzle bigger (and easier to see as you work) by clicking the "Full Screen" button.
2-3PM Virtual/Call In: Active Minds Mondays - Wine
At Jefferson County Public Library, we foster continuous learning and connections. Keep your minds engaged every Monday! Be sure to explore our website for additional weekly event options, including call-ins and livestreams.
Today’s theme: Wine
The story of wine is as rich and diverse as the lands where the grapes are grown. It is a tale intertwined with the influences of civilizations, agricultural methods, cuisines and more. This session of Active Minds describes the history of wine as well as explore some other important issues related to wine.
Save your spot for this Zoom program. Log-in instructions will be emailed out approximately 30 minutes before the start of the program. For your security, please do not include your last name or only use your last initial when you register. If you are 13 years old or younger, please be sure you have a guardian’s permission to participate in this online program.
5:30 – 7:30PM Holiday Movie Party: Polar Express @ The Library
Celebrate this classic holiday story with a festive movie party, complete with refreshments, props and music! Bring pillows, blankets or comfy seating to snuggle up on.
Golden Library
1019 10th Street (map)
Golden History: Get It While You Can
Colorado Transcript Ads – December 16, 1943
Click to enlarge
The Colorado Transcript had an endless number of ways to say “shop local!” I recently reprinted their 1921 reminder that if you shopped in Denver instead of Golden, you might be murdered, run over, or catch small pox.
81 Years Ago
The December 16, 1943 Colorado Transcript urged people to hurry out to the stores before they ran out of merchandise. They announced this with an unsettling headline:
Attacks on Golden’s Stores This Season Without Precedent
Moving past that alarming introduction, the reader learned that sales were brisk in Golden’s stores.
There seems to be a determination on the part of Christmas shoppers this year to clean out all the stores of every article that can possibly be used as a gift and every card that expresses Christmas cheer.…
The buying started almost two months ago when the postal officials announced the time for mailing presents to the men overseas, and has continued without abatement. Many are still sending presents to their soldier boys in hopes that they will reach them early next month.
For several weeks, and this week in particular, there is and has been advertised in the Transcript by responsible home stores a large number of specially selected articles that will make nice Christmas gifts and remembrances. Be sure and look these ads over before going shopping, as they will help you to save both time and money.
Then as now–shop local!
Weather
Overnight: Mostly clear. Low around 31, with temperatures rising to around 33 overnight. West wind around 9 mph.
Monday: Mostly sunny. High near 51, with temperatures falling to around 41 in the afternoon. West wind 3 to 9 mph.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy. Low around 36, with temperatures rising to around 38 overnight. West wind 5 to 9 mph.
Monday Night: Partly Cloudy, 36°F
Tuesday: Mostly Sunny, 55°F
Tuesday Night: Partly Cloudy, 32°F
Wednesday: Mostly Sunny, 56°F
Wednesday Night: Partly Cloudy, 41°F
Thursday: Mostly Sunny, 60°F
Thursday Night: Partly Cloudy, 36°F
Friday: Mostly Sunny, 61°F
Friday Night: Mostly Clear, 38°F
Saturday: Sunny, 61°F
Saturday Night: Mostly Clear, 39°F
Sunday: Mostly Sunny, 59°F
News About Golden - December 16, 2024
String of burglaries in Golden-area neighborhood leaves woman missing $10K in jewelry
By Ethan Carlson
Denver Channel 7
GOLDEN, Colo. – On Thursday, Sharon Pate was finishing up a long shift at work when she arrived home to find her front door barricaded shut and thousands of dollars worth of jewelry and other items stolen... Read more...
When the Buffalo Bill store atop Lookout Mountain closes Dec. 31, it will end a Colorado family legacy
By John Meyer
Denver Post
Bill Carle has been dreading the end of 2024 for the past 15 months.
On Dec. 31, he must vacate the Pahaska Teepee Gift Shop and Café beside Buffalo Bill’s Grave atop Lookout Mountain, which his family ran for 48 years. Denver Parks and Recreation has decided to shutter the 103-year-old building and leave it vacant in 2025. In doing so, the city will put an end to his family’s 68-year run as concessionaires at various Colorado tourist spots... Read more...
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Tall Pines Painting, Baby Doe’s Clothing, Goozell Yogurt & Coffee Paul Haseman, Donna Anderson, Carol & Doug Harwood, Beth Bidwell, Stephanie Painter, Greg Poulos, Ann Norton & Jonathan Storer, Mary & Don Parker, Saré Merrigan, The Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, and Joy Brandt
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Laura King and Scott Wilson, Bobby German and Alison McNally, 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, Bud Rockhill, Steve Enger, and Kristie Brice & Mike Schwartz
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