Whitewater Park in Winter
Photo by Nancy Torpey
Click to enlarge
What's happening in Golden today?
Events for Sunday, Feb. 2nd
- All day - CURRENT EXHIBITS AT THE MUSEUMS
- All day - Golden History Tours
- All day - UllrGrass Festival
- All day - Church Services
- 10AM-3PM - Brunch at the Rose
- 1-3:30PM - An Inside Look at Reduction
- 2PM - Morning After Grace
- 3PM - "Poetry and Music" with the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra
- 5-9PM - Board Game Night
- 6PM - Spanish Wine Dinner
For more information, click the item above or visit the Golden Today Calendar
1PM An Inside Look At Reduction (Class) @ Foothills Art Center Creative Campus
February Session
This class will explore reduction firing and glazing. Students must be 18 years or older. Students will create their own pottery and forms and learn about glaze mixing and application for reduction. They will also learn about the safe operation of gas kilns. Enrolled students are welcome to bring in previously bisqued work made in a high-fire clay to class for glazing and firing.
This class includes glaze materials and the reduction firing, which will take place at Judy Madison's studio on the last day of class. Bags of clay can be purchased for $25 each during class. A personal pack of beginner clay tools can be purchased for $20 during class, as studio tools are provided on a first come, first served basis.
Open Studio takes place Saturdays from 9am-5pm as well as Thursdays from 1pm-4pm for each week that classes are active. Students must sign up and pay for open studio before their first class takes place in order to attend. The Saturday time slot and Thursday time slot are separate sign ups. Signing up for one time slot does not permit you to go to the other time slot. Open studio time is only open to students that are concurrently taking a class.
Classes: $185 members, $210 Friends/nonmembers
Sundays:
February 2, 9, 16, 23
Foothills Art Center
809 15th Street (map)
3PM Poetry and Music with the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra
2025 Winter Concert: "Poetry & Music"
Today we feature our talented principal French horn Alicia Watson, who will be performing Hindemith's virtuosic Horn Concerto. Other music based on poems include Mussorgsky's "A Night on Bald Mountain", Richard Strauss' "Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks and the festive Sensemayá by Mexican composer Revueltas.
Colorado School of Mines - Green Center
924 16th Street (map)
Words from the Public
Site of my $100 parking ticket (I was attending a public meeting across the street)
I always enjoy reading the comments that people contribute to our public meetings. Finding the public comments can be a bit of a treasure hunt.
Some boards (Public Art, EDComm, DDA, and GURA) take a month or more before they are available to the public, and some (MTAB) are never posted, but comments sent to City Council are posted on the day of the meeting. In addition, comments sent to their old email address (counclcomments@cityofgolden.net) are published once a week in the "Transparency" section of the City website.
I loved one of the comments posted this week because it was so similar to one in today's Golden History article.
I don’t like the new charge parking especially since I’m have been a Golden citizen for more than 22 years. I think Golden citizens shouldn’t have to pay for parking since we already pay taxes.
Public Comment - January 26, 2025
Phooey on this notion of establishing parking meters on city streets. Citizens are obliged to pay plenty for construction and maintenance of the streets, and it’s certainly rubbing it in to ask that they pay extra for the privilege of using them.
Colorado Transcript - September 23, 1937
You may recall reading that the Public Art Commission met last Monday to consider bike racks that could also serve as public art. During that meeting, staff mentioned that they had received several comments that morning about the suitability of the designs. Those comments were not included in the Art Commission packet, but some apparently cc-ed City Council, because the letters appeared in their packet the next night.
I was horrified at the design of many of the “bike racks” under consideration. While I fully support public art, bike racks are an important piece of transportation infrastructure and must be functional above all...no one cruising into downtown after a bike ride on their $10k+ bike is going to lock just the front wheel to a canoe while they grab a post ride drink or meal.
One of several comments to City Council regarding the bike racks
(They didn't choose the canoe.)
Live Music for Sunday, Feb. 2nd
- 4-7PM MadDog Blues Duo @ Buffalo Rose
- More Live Music
8PM Karaoke @ Ace Hi Tavern
For more information, visit the Golden Today Calendar
Golden History: A Century of Parking in Downtown Golden
Parallel Parking (on either side!) when there were few cars
Click to enlarge
Cars were a rarity in Golden until the 1920s. Once they came, Golden had to scurry to create traffic laws and parking standards. In the early twenties, drivers were able to park their car parallel to the curb. This quickly proved to be an inefficient use of street space, and in 1928, the City passed an ordinance requiring that drivers adopt diagonal parking along Washington Avenue. This bought us several more years.
In 1935, The Colorado Transcript suggested that locals walk downtown, to make parking spaces available for tourists.
In 1937, the Transcript regarded tight parking as a sign of economic prosperity, and bragged that “it has been almost impossible on Saturday afternoons to find a parking place on Washington Avenue.”
The City considered installing parking meters downtown. The Transcript said “Phooey on this notion of establishing parking meters on city streets. Citizens are obliged to pay plenty for construction and maintenance of the streets, and it’s certainly rubbing it in to ask that they pay extra for the privilege of using them.”
In February of 1940, the Mayor published a detailed set of rules concerning parking–which streets should have parallel parking and which had diagonal parking. The new rules went into effect on March 18th, but Golden soon learned that publishing the rules in the paper wasn’t enough–they needed signs, too. The new parking rules were put on hold.
In 1941, the City painted stripes on the street to indicate the location of parking places, and they introduced a 2 hour limit on downtown parking. In 1944, the Chamber of Commerce asked that all parking regulations be suspended for the duration of World War II. In 1946, despite wartime rationing of gasoline and tires, parking was so bad that City Council voted unanimously to install parking meters. The Chamber of Commerce asked them not to, so the meters were not installed.
In 1947, the Transcript conducted a poll of downtown merchants and wrote an editorial saying that parking meters were the only solution. Council was still operating on the Chamber’s request and delayed installing meters. In 1949, the City began widening streets to allow for more diagonal parking and to make space for turn lanes.
Also in ’49, the School of Mines began to restrict parking on campus.
In 1950, talk of parking meters was circulating again. They decided to cut the parking time limit from two hours to one on Washington Avenue. Cops began ticketing. The merchants howled about the ill-treatment of their customers. The Chamber protested the tickets and all fines were forgiven, but officials were baffled as to the next step.
As the 50s progressed, concern about parking reached frantic levels. Nearly every issue of the weekly Transcript included an article about “Golden’s Biggest Problem.” Safeway moved from Washington Avenue to Ford Street, and the new store included a parking lot. Store owners and employees were asked to park in more remote locations. Parking meters were a recurring topic of conversation. Police resumed ticketing motorists who parked improperly or exceeded their time limit.
In 1954, the Planning Commission said we must either widen more streets to allow more diagonal parking or buy a half block, raze the buildings, and provide a parking lot.
Tune in tomorrow to see what they decide!
Weather
Overnight: Partly cloudy. Low around 41, with temperatures rising to around 44 overnight. Southwest wind around 7 mph.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. High near 61, with temperatures falling to around 58 in the afternoon. West southwest wind 7 to 39 mph, with gusts as high as 64 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy. Low around 48, with temperatures rising to around 51 overnight. West southwest wind 14 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly Cloudy, 48°F
Monday: Mostly Sunny, 67°F
Monday Night: Partly Cloudy, 44°F
Tuesday: Mostly Sunny, 64°F
Tuesday Night: Mostly Clear, 40°F
Wednesday: Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Light Rain, 61°F
Wednesday Night: Slight Chance Rain And Snow, 36°F
Thursday: Slight Chance Rain And Snow, 53°F
Thursday Night: Slight Chance Rain And Snow, 33°F
Friday: Chance Rain And Snow, 56°F
Friday Night: Chance Rain And Snow, 34°F
Saturday: Chance Light Snow, 47°F
News About Golden - February 2, 2025
Sherpa House brings taste, aroma of Himalayas to Golden
By John Meyer
Denver Post
It never fails. Whenever I walk into the Sherpa House Nepalese restaurant in Golden, my olfactory receptors whisk me back to the Himalayas and a three-month expedition to Mount Everest nearly 40 years ago... Read more...
Jeffco Open Space Seasonal Wildlife Closures to Begin February 1
Jefferson County Open Space
Each year Jeffco Open Space uses seasonal wildlife closures at the parks to protect species at sensitive times in their life cycles. This year’s seasonal wildlife closures affect numerous Jeffco Open Space parks and trails. Protect the wildlife you love... Read more...
City of Golden Police Blotter
Crimewatch
January 22, 2025
January 23, 2025
January 24, 2025
January 25, 2025
January 26, 2025
January 27, 2025
January 28, 2025
January 29, 2025
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, Kristie Brice & Mike Schwartz, and The Golden Hotel
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, Rose McLaughlin, and Cameron Chambers
Followers:
($5-9.99/month)
Golden Community Garden, Lora Haimes, Mariane Erickson, J.J. Fraser
