Morning Ride
Photo by Barb Warden
What's happening in Golden today?
Events for Monday, May. 20th
- All day - CURRENT EXHIBITS AT THE MUSEUMS
- All day - Live Workouts with Community Center Pros
- All day - Golden History Tours
- 10:15-10:45AM - Let's Dance
- 12-12:30PM - Mondays with the Mayor
- 2-3PM - Virtual: Active Minds Monday
- 5:30PM - Downtown Development Authority Meeting
- 6-9PM - Teach Me to Play! Mondays
For more information, click the item above or visit the Golden Today Calendar
5:30PM Downtown Development Authority @ City Hall
This sidewalk between two Millstone buildings may be the trail proposed for widening as part of the Jackson Street redesign.
The Commissioners will hear an update on the Jackson Street Corridor redesign. The second open house on this topic was not well-attended, so the Planning Department will look for other ways to solicit input. Tonight's memo says that
DDA staff has requested that the consultant start to work on the 30% design plans for 11th Street as we think that the feasibility and constructability of this block may be more technical in nature, and it would be helpful to know more about this block and the proposal to widen the trail north to the creek from the intersection of 11th and Jackson sooner rather than later.
The current proposal calls for a significant reduction in on-street parking.
Jackson St. 11th-12th
Now: 14 parking spaces
Future: 0
Jackson St. 12th-13th
Now: 26 parking spaces
Future: 13 parking spaces
Jackson St. 13th-14th
Now: 23 parking spaces
Future: 11 parking spaces
13th St. Jackson to Ford
Now: 19 parking spaces
Future: 11 parking spaces
TOTAL
Now: 82 parking spaces
Future: 35 parking spaces
The proposed plan is posted on GuidingGolden. They say they are accepting public comment until June 7th.
What Is Blooming Along Golden's Trails?
Figure 1. Oxytropis lambertii Pursh "Purple Locoweed" on North Table Mountain.
By Tom Schweich
Oxytropis lambertii Pursh “Purple Locoweed” is a very common spring wildflower along trails and in Golden open spaces. The plant has compound silvery-hairy leaves at the base and one or more stalks with clusters of pea-shaped deep pink to purple flowers that later turn blue. The flowers become silvery-hairy seed pods called legumes. Some common names that wildflower books attribute to O. lambertii include "Colorado locoweed," "Lambert locoweed," "locoweed," "purple locoweed," "stemless locoweed," and "woolly locoweed."
Oxytropis and some Astragalus get their “Locoweed” name because they are toxic to cattle, sheep, horses, elk, and dogs. All plant parts contain Swainsonine, an indolizide alkaloid that inhibits an enzyme essential for normal sugar metabolism in cells, adversely affecting all body systems. It is currently thought that the Swainsonine is produced by a fungus that lives inside the plants rather than by the plants themselves.
Our plant is known from a published account by Frederick Pursh (1814) in his Flora Americae Septentrionalis or “North American Flora.” Pursh wrote that he saw the plant growing in the London, England, garden of Aylmer B. Lambert. Pursh resided at Lambert's estate while writing his Flora, and Pursh named the plant for his benefactor. The plants in Lambert's garden were grown from seed collected by John Bradbury in 1811 along the Missouri River. Bradbury was exploring America's newly acquired Louisiana Territory under the sponsorship of the Edinburgh, Scotland botanic garden. He returned to Scotland via New Orleans as the War of 1812 was brewing.
The first plant collection made in Golden was of Purple Locoweed. Edward L. Greene, an Episcopalian minister from Denver made the collection here on May 1, 1870. After years of plant study in Colorado, Greene moved to California where he became the first professor of botany at the University of California. Greene later moved east, and his collection of Purple Locoweed from Golden is now at Brown University.
Golden History: An Artisan Village
Plans for the 1959 Magic Mountain amusement park – Golden History Museum collection
Magic Mountain was a short-lived attempt to recreate Disneyland in Golden, Colorado. It opened in 1959, closed the following year, and stood empty for the next decade. In 1969, it was purchased by Steven Arnold, a real estate developer.
Arnold had a different vision for the ersatz Victorian village. He didn’t want to build an amusement park; he wanted to establish an arts and crafts venue, with individual artists renting studios and selling their goods.
In January of 1971, Golden City Council approved rezoning of Heritage Square to allow limited manufacturing facilities. The request was made on behalf of two craft groups, including one that made ice cream. Councilman Frank Leek expressed the fear that this change might attract “an undesirable ‘hippie element.'”
53 Years Ago
The May 20, 1971 Golden Transcript announced that a candle factory and a silversmith were getting ready to open their doors to the public. Eventually, they were joined by a glass blower, a blacksmith, a leather worker, a potter, and several other artisans.
Arnold’s company declared bankruptcy in 1984 and the property was eventually purchased by the quarry next door.
The quarry allowed Heritage Square to continue for three more decades, and in that time many tenants occupied the grounds and buildings, including an amusement park, alpine slide, miniature railroad, the long-running Heritage Square Opera House, and many stores and restaurants. The entire complex was closed by the property owners in 2015.
Thanks to the Golden History Museum for providing the online cache of historic Transcripts, and to the Golden Transcript for documenting our history since 1866!
Weather
Overnight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 50. West northwest wind around 5 mph.
Monday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. East northeast wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Monday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight, then showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. North northwest wind 6 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Monday Night: Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Showers And Thunderstorms Likely, 45°F
Tuesday: Showers And Thunderstorms, 59°F
Tuesday Night: Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 40°F
Wednesday: Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 67°F
Wednesday Night: Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy, 46°F
Thursday: Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 76°F
Thursday Night: Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy, 47°F
Friday: Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 69°F
Friday Night: Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy, 48°F
Saturday: Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 69°F
Saturday Night: Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy, 48°F
Sunday: Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 72°F
News Relating to Golden - May 20, 2024
Windsor’s Mikey Munn, Golden’s Abigail Trapp sweep in wild day for sprints at state track
By Braidon Nourse
Denver Post
...Interestingly, her Kryptonite of the day turned out to be another athlete who swept the sprints: Abigail Trapp, a freshman from Golden... Read more...
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Tall Pines Painting, Baby Doe’s Clothing Paul Haseman, Donna Anderson, Carol & Doug Harwood, Beth Bidwell, Stephanie Painter, Greg Poulos, and Joy Brandt
Supporters:
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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, and Stephen Pero
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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, and the Golden Transcript
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Golden Community Garden, Lora Haimes, Mariane Erickson
