Twilight
What's happening in Golden today?
Events for Monday, Jan. 13th
- All day - CURRENT EXHIBITS AT THE MUSEUMS
- All day - Live Workouts with Community Center Pros
- All day - Golden History Tours
- 3:26AM - Full Moon
- 10:15-10:45AM - Let's Dance - Registration Required
- 2-3PM - Virtual: Active Minds Monday
- 5:30PM - Board Game & Euchre Night
- 5:30PM - GURA Board Meeting @ City Hall
- 5:30-7:30PM - The Fundamental Principles of Art
- 6-9PM - Teach Me to Play! Mondays
- 6:30-8PM - Golden Anti-Racism Collective Policy & Policing
For more information, click the item above or visit the Golden Today Calendar
Where are City of Golden’s Open Spaces? Kinney Run South
Photos of Kinney Run South in the winter. Top Left: Kinney Run Trail at the end of Tripp Drive with one of our new wayfinding trail signs. Top Right: Kinney Run South, from the end of 4th Avenue. Bottom Left: Kinney Run South looking toward Heritage Dells Park. Bottom Right: Bridge over Kinney Run with cliffs of Lyons Sandstone in background.
Kinney Run South is a middle-size open space, as Golden open space goes, that is squeezed in, east to west, between the Lakota Hills neighborhood and Shelton School and, north to south, Tripp Ranch and Heritage Dells Park.
The largest part of Kinney Run South, about 8 acres, was acquired by the city when the Tripp Ranch neighborhood was platted in early 1993. It was known then as Tract C of Tripp Ranch and dedicated for “open space/drainage purposes.” There are some other little parcels, such as part of Tripp Ranch, Tract D, and part of Lakota Hills (1986) plat, Tract B that could be considered part of the Kinney Run South Open Space. If those spaces are included, then Kinney Run South is close to 10 acres.
The rocks of Kinney Run South are primarily Permian-age Lyons Formation, roughly 270-285 million years of age with alluvial deposits along the stream of Kinney Run. The cliffs in Kinney Run South are formed by Lyons Sandstone (Anderson & Haseman, 2021).
The plants in Kinney Run South are the common grasses and shrubs we find around Golden. There are two interesting plants found right up against the cliffs formed by the Lyons Sandstone. One of them is Rubus deliciosus Torr., the “delicious raspberry.” It was described from collections that Dr. Edwin James made in 1820 somewhere along the Front Range. The joke, of course, is that the delicious raspberry can be described as “insipid at best.”
While surveying the vegetation of Kinney Run with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program in 2021, Scribner’s Needlegrass —Eriocoma scribneri (Vasey) Romasch, was found in the soft soil at the base of the cliffs (Sovell & Panjabi, 2021). Kinney Run South is the only place this grass has been found in or near Golden. The nearest other collections are found at Rocky Flats and at Chatfield Farms, two of the most studied pieces of ground in Colorado.
Like other Golden open spaces, Kinney Run South has its problems. While walking in the open space I found discarded tree limbs, a dead bicycle, and a wheel-less desk chair, all apparently yeeted over the cliffs. [Def: yeet. v. To throw something forcefully, often with enthusiasm.]
Even in dead of winter, the Kinney Run Trail is popular for a daily walk. Away from busy streets there is little traffic noise, and the open space is quiet, punctuated by the cheerful shouts of Shelton School students at recess.
And … The project page for the Golden Parks & Recreation Master Plan and Open Space Master Plan project, called Path to Play, has returned to Guiding Golden! You can read the results of the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Survey, or enter a question or comment about Golden’s Open Spaces.
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
Sovell, John R., and Susan S. Panjabi. 2021. Biological Survey of Golden Open Space Property, Jefferson County, Colorado. Fort Collins, CO: Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, 2021. https://cnhp.colostate.edu/download/documents/2021/CNHP-Golden-Open-Space-Survey-final-report.pdf
5:30PM GURA Board Meeting @ City Hall
- Meeting Agenda
- Watch the meeting streaming live starting at 5:30PM
- Attend the meeting @ City Hall Council Chambers - 911 10th Street - (map)
- Provide in-person comment during the meeting, at 5:30PM.
- Send email comments to gura@cityofgolden.net.
Confluence Companies is under contract to sell their West 8th Apartments. They have a TIF agreement with GURA, and the agreement will transfer to the new owners.
Construction continues on the Lena Gulch drainage project. An RFQ has been issued for a consultant for a PROTECT Grant. They are set to begin evaluating detention plans (a pond in the new park-to-be). They have chosen Muller Engineering for that project. Council will approve the $1,844,092 contract tomorrow night.
They will review their accomplishments for 2024, prior to sending them to City Council. The 2024 accomplishments (p. 7 of the meeting packet) include
- contributing $400K to the Jefferson County Housing Authority to help them buy another property in the Central Neighborhoods
- establishing a TIF agreement with Confluence Companies for their "Col" development on West Colfax
- contributing $996K to the Lena Gulch project
- establishing a small business grant program in the Central Neighborhoods and West Colfax URAs
Their goals for 2025 (p. 10 of the meeting packet) include:
- Seek or respond to redevelopment opportunities, especially for affordable housing
- Identify more urban renewal areas
- Contribute to more infrastructure and other community investments.
Puzzle: Bridge Lights and a Full Moon
Photo by Chris Davell
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Golden History: Camp George West Concerns
49 Years Ago
The January 13, 1976 Golden Transcript reported that Governor Lamm was proposing a new correction facility to be built at Camp George West, to relieve crowding at the state penitentiary. The article raised local concerns. Golden-area residents–particularly those living in Pleasant View–didn’t want an expanded correctional facility. A second article followed two weeks later, providing more detail.
The January 26, 1976 article recalled that Camp George West had been the home of the Colorado National Guard since before World War II. During the war, military police used the facility. In 1969, the Colorado Law Enforcement Training Academy was established at the east end of the property.
In 1970, a minimum security “honor camp” was added to the mix. There were problems there over the years, as inmates escaped into the community fairly often.
The January 26 article included assurances that, if any changes were made to the Camp George West facility, they would be improvements to make the environments safer and more humane for the residents. The current number of inmates was 40, but the camp had housed as many as 70 in the past. If the camp was upgraded, it would house no more than 70.
The new director of the correctional facility explained that–unlike his predecessor–he was able to select and approve the inmates sent to Camp George West. He felt confident that the number of escapes would decline decisively.
Weather
Overnight: Mostly clear. Low around 15, with temperatures rising to around 19 overnight. West northwest wind around 7 mph.
Monday: Sunny. High near 35, with temperatures falling to around 28 in the afternoon. West wind around 7 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 17. West wind around 7 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly Clear, 17°F
Tuesday: Mostly Sunny, 39°F
Tuesday Night: Mostly Clear, 20°F
Wednesday: Sunny, 46°F
Wednesday Night: Mostly Clear, 28°F
Thursday: Sunny, 56°F
Thursday Night: Mostly Clear, 32°F
Friday: Light Snow Likely, 47°F
Friday Night: Light Snow Likely, 15°F
Saturday: Chance Light Snow, 23°F
Saturday Night: Chance Light Snow, 6°F
Sunday: Chance Light Snow, 18°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, Joy Brandt, and Vic DeMaria
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, 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, Nancy & Pete Torpey, Jax Baker, Simon Maybury, John & Carol McEncroe, and Rose McLaughlin
Followers:
($5-9.99/month)
Golden Community Garden, Lora Haimes, Mariane Erickson, J.J. Fraser
