Lights in the History Park
Photo by Elizabeth Barr
Click to enlarge
What's happening in Golden today?
Events for Monday, Dec. 23rd
- All day - CURRENT EXHIBITS AT THE MUSEUMS
- All day - Live Workouts with Community Center Pros
- All day - Golden History Tours
- 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
- 4:30-5:30PM - Jolly Holly Days Happy Hour Sing-a-long @ Mountain Toad
- 5:30PM - Board Game & Euchre Night
- 6-9PM - Teach Me to Play! Mondays
- 6:30-8:30PM - Holiday Music Bingo
For more information, click the item above or visit the Golden Today Calendar
Where are the City of Golden’s Open Spaces? South Illinois Open Space
Top Left: sign for South Illinois Open space. Top Right: View of South Illinois Open Space with Castle Rock in the background. Bottom: View of Lookout Mountain from South Illinois Open Space.
By Tom Schweich
One of Golden’s smallest open spaces, just over 1/3 acre in size, is on the top of a small hill at the south end of the public vehicle access on Illinois Street, across from Harmony Village.
The acquisition of this city land in 2003 was spearheaded by the residents of Harmony village who recognized the unique 360 degree scenic views from the top of the knoll. The resident group was able to get the Parfet Subdivision housing developer to offer the parcel at market value to the city and the Harmony Village residents contributed landscaping improvements. The city built a trail to the top of the hill that loops through the golf course. Adding the trail area to the open space yields an open space of about ¾ of an acre.
Visitors who look carefully will find a sign at the top of the hill identifying it as Galactic Point. This sign was placed there in memory of a former Harmony Village resident who was very involved in the early history of the open space and liked to apply that name to the hill.
South Illinois Open Space is located just east of the actively mined area of what used to be the Rockwell Clay Mine, operated by the Parfet Family. The former mine is now the Fossil Trace golf course.
No formal vegetation assessment of this open space has been conducted. Walking through the area, there is a mix of native and non-native grasses, with some planted shrubs and small trees. There are several Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii Nutt.), which are native to Golden but planted on this little hill. There are also several shrubs of apache plume (Fallugia paradoxa) which is native to Colorado, but not Golden.
Residents report seeing the Golden elk herd in the winter as well as coyotes and some birds. There is enough elk sign (You know what that is!) to show that the elk pass through and, perhaps, stop for a short time. However, there is neither enough space nor vegetative cover for larger mammals to stay here for long. On the other hand, there are probably small mammals, such as rabbits, mice, or voles in the more vegetated areas.
There are four benches in South Illinois Open Space, and it is far enough from US Highway 6 to mute the highway noise. The knoll is above the roof tops of some nearby homes, which allows for views of the Foothills, and North and South Table Mountains. As reported by the residents, the site is a good place to view the night sky.
More information about the history of South Illinois Open Space and the history of clay mining nearby is available from Anderson & Haseman (2021) and Stewards of Golden Open Space (2019), below.
References
Anderson, Donna S and Paul B. Haseman. (2021) Golden Rocks: The Geology and Mining History of Golden, Colorado, pub. Golden, Colorado. https://doi.org/10.25676/11124/14162
Stewards of Golden Open Space. 2019-2024. Additional Locations. https://stewardsofgolden.org/additional-locations
6:30-8:30PM Holiday Music Bingo @ The Golden Mill
Do you have family in town for the Holidays? Jingle all the way to some festive fun with Holiday Music Bingo! Fill out your bingo sheet and win prizes!
Golden Mill
1012 Ford Street (map)
Puzzle: Flying Reindeer and Interesting Clouds
Photo by Liz Erickson
If you're reading this as part of your morning newsletter, visit the website to work 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.
Golden History: A Woman’s Life in Golden
44 Years Ago
The December 23, 1980 issue of the Golden Transcript announced the release of one of my favorite books: A Woman’s Life in Golden. This is a collection of memories of life in Golden, as told by the members of the Pioneer Delphian Study Club. The stories were arranged chronologically, based on when each woman arrived in Golden.
The book begins with Helen Ryan DeLaat, who was born in Golden in 1902. She told of riding the Colorado & Southern to and from Denver. She remembered the Bella Vista Hotel, which was torn down in 1920, the funicular railways, and two competing movie theaters.
The older ladies described buildings that are long gone and a way of life that most of us have never seen, sans automobiles, airplanes, and antibiotics. Several more arrived mid-century, drawn by jobs at the School of Mines or Coors.
It’s a wonderful set of stories, running from 1902 until 1980. My late friend, Lorraine Wagenbach, edited the collection and left the publishing rights to the Golden History Museum. You can buy a copy there–and you should!
Weather
Overnight: Cloudy. Low around 42, with temperatures rising to around 44 overnight. West wind around 6 mph.
Monday: Partly sunny. High near 56, with temperatures falling to around 51 in the afternoon. Southwest wind around 6 mph.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy. Low around 36, with temperatures rising to around 39 overnight. West wind 5 to 8 mph.
Monday Night: Partly Cloudy, 36°F
Tuesday: Mostly Sunny, 54°F
Tuesday Night: Mostly Cloudy, 37°F
Christmas Day: Chance Light Rain then Chance Rain And Snow, 47°F
Wednesday Night: Chance Rain And Snow then Mostly Cloudy, 29°F
Thursday: Mostly Sunny, 48°F
Thursday Night: Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Light Snow, 33°F
Friday: Slight Chance Light Snow, 47°F
Friday Night: Partly Cloudy then Slight Chance Light Snow, 32°F
Saturday: Slight Chance Light Snow then Mostly Sunny, 51°F
Saturday Night: Partly Cloudy, 37°F
Sunday: Mostly Sunny, 56°F
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, Miners Saloon, Golden Hayride Outpost, Unite Fitness, Tom Reiley, and Michael Mason
Friends:
($50-99.99/month or $550/yr)
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
Supporters:
($25-49.99/month or $250/yr)
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
Members:
($10-24.99/month or $110/yr)
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, 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 & KC Gilliland, 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, the Golden Transcript, Koshare Eagle, Ken and Colleen Krantz, Traci Neuman Lacey, Jo Barber, Jamie Cookinham, Kermit Shields, Meridee Cecil, Vicki Olson, Colleen & Michael Ramey, and Nancy & Pete Torpey
Followers:
($5-9.99/month)
Golden Community Garden, Lora Haimes, Mariane Erickson, J.J. Fraser
