Sliver of Moon Over Castle Rock
Photo by Alan Pinkus
Click to enlarge
What's happening in Golden today?
Events for Tuesday, Feb. 4th
- All day - CURRENT EXHIBITS AT THE MUSEUMS
- All day - Live Workouts with Community Center Pros
- All day - Golden History Tours
- 9-10AM - Women's Exercise and Bible Study
- 9AM - Golden Seniors - Coffee Klatch
- 9:15-9:45AM - Baby Time - Registration Required
- 9:30-11AM - Blue & White (or 2 Color) Group
- 10-10:45AM - Storybook Tour
- 10:15-10:45AM - Preschool Time - Registration Required
- 1-3PM - Hexie Ladies - English Paper Piecing Enthusiasts
- 4-5:30PM - After School Art Club
- 5:30-7:30PM - Textile Society
- 5:30-7:30PM - Exploring the Elements of Art
- 6-7:30PM - Book and Media Group
- 6:30-8:30PM - Toad Trivia
- 6:30-8:30PM - Team Trivia Tuesday @ The Buffalo Rose
- 6:30-8:30PM - Trivia Night @ The Golden Mill
- 6:30-8:30PM - Bar Bingo Night
- 7PM - Pub Trivia
For more information, click the item above or visit the Golden Today Calendar
9AM Golden Seniors Coffee Klatch @ the Welcome Center
Hey, Golden Seniors! Join your friends at the Visitors Center for coffee! we will meet in the GWC Heritage Community Boardroom
Sponsored by Golden Pond Retirement Community and Golden Visitors & Information Center
Golden Welcome Center
1010 Washington Avenue (map)
4-5:30PM After School Art Club @ FAC Creative Campus
Come join us to learn how we can apply creative thinking to our lives through diverse projects and activities. This after-school program will not focus on just one single medium, but instead we will dive head first into many creative outlets. Join us as we explore music, movement, food, fashion as well as the visual arts. This program is perfect for students who are interested in a wide range of activities and want to try them all.
Tuesdays in Session 1: 2/4, 2/11, 2/18, 2/25, 3/4 and 3/11
Thursdays in Session 1: 2/6, 2/13, 2/20, 2/27. 3/6, and 3/13
Foothills Art Center
809 15th Street (map)
(303) 279-3922
5:30PM Exploring the Elements of Art @ FAC Creative Campus
Meeting on Tuesday evenings 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., our group of artists takes on advanced explorations in the elements of art, with an emphasis on refining skills, building on strengths, and supporting areas for improvement. Experienced artists working in any medium, including drawing mediums, are welcome as we meet and support one another in a spirit of fellowship with the intent of finding and/or enhancing our own personal voices
February 4, 11, 18, 25
Explorer & Creator Members $40 / Catalyst Members $80 / Non Members $110
Foothills Art Center
809 15th Street (map)
(303) 279-3922
Related
6PM Book and Media Group @ Golden Library
The Golden Anti-Racism Collective will gather at the library tonight to discuss Madness - Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum - by Antonia Hylton
Everyone is welcome, whether or not you read the book!
More information (link not currently working)
Golden Library
1019 10th Street (map)
Golden History: Parking Part 3 - Configuration and Preservation
Diagonal parking and traffic congestion downtown
Click to enlarge
- Part 1 - A Century of Parking in Downtown Golden
- Part 2 - The Unslakable Thirst for Parking in Downtown Golden
As traffic levels grew in Golden, the City began to regard diagonal parking–a great solution in the 1920s–as a waste of lane space. In 1973, City Council gave serious consideration to changing back to parallel parking, though it would have meant losing 56 spaces downtown. Public opinion favored parking spots over traffic lanes. so they stuck with diagonal parking.
In the meantime, businesses began to move out of downtown–or to the fringes of downtown– in order to have their own parking lots. Increasingly, businesses would advertise “Plenty of Free Parking!” Likewise, the church congregations also moved out of downtown, in search of properties big enough to include parking lots.
Residential neighborhoods were also changing to include off-street parking. In 1971, council passed an ordinance (#650) requiring that multiple family dwelling units provide two off-street parking spaces per dwelling.
The Golden Downtown Improvement District continued to acquire and demolish old buildings to make way for parking lots–as did Mines, and Coors, and Jefferson County, and the rest of the country.
In 1971, the GDID acquired the Astor House, planning to demolish it and turn it into a parking lot. For some Golden residents, that was the last straw. In the past few years, we had lost the Courthouse, South School, North School, several churches, and many old houses. People didn’t think that trading the Astor House for 8 parking spaces was worth it.
The Golden Landmarks Association was formed to fight the demolition. What followed was an amazing display of grassroots advocacy, and in 1972, the citizens of Golden voted to have the City purchase and preserve the building.
The endless search for parking slowed in the 1980s. Downtown Golden was in an economic decline, with many empty storefronts, and we actually reached a point where our parking was adequate to our needs. We had plenty of other things to worry about (notably the dying downtown), but for a few years, we had enough parking.
Tomorrow: Golden’s Renaissance and the Love-Hate Relationship with Parking
Golden History: Parking Part 2 - The Unslakable Thirst for Parking in Downtown Golden
Downtown Golden, circa 1950
Click to enlarge
Yesterday, I wrote about the first 30 years of Golden’s learning to accommodate automobiles in downtown. It was a never-ending quest. Golden has always attracted its share of non-residents: the School of Mines and Coors both bring people to central Golden; ranchers and farmers traditionally shopped in Golden, and the town has always attracted tourists.
The City responded to the ever-increasing number of cars by widening the streets and trying to use available space more efficiently. Yesterday, I left you with this cliffhanger:
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.
More Street Widening
As it turned out, we did both–and more! Throughout the late 1950s, the City widened the downtown streets and added stripes for diagonal parking. With those changes, the City estimated that downtown could go from 60 parking spaces to 110. Arapahoe Street “went diagonal” in 1957.
Denver Public Library Western History Collection # Z-12056In 1957, the City doubled the price of business licenses and raised the mill levy to finance purchase of downtown property to be used as parking lots. Not content to wait for public parking, Heinie Foss purchased a large home and yard behind his store to be turned into a parking lot. In 1959, Mr. Foss bought the other home behind his store–the home that had belonged to Gertrude Bell (of Bell Middle School fame). Both houses were demolished and the land made available for Foss customers.
In 1961, the Chamber of Commerce purchased the old Baptist Church at 12th and Jackson, to be demolished and used as a public parking lot. The Baptist parsonage followed in 1962, and eventually they were able to acquire that entire half-block, behind the stores in the 1300 block. It served as a 48-slot public parking lot until GURA built the parking garage and sold the 12th and 13th Street ends of the lot for development in the 2010s.
Golden’s new municipal center on 10th Street opened in 1961, and the old city hall on 12th Street (between the Old Capitol Grill building and the Astor House) was demolished to make way for more public parking.
More buildings were razed: the Catholic Church became the Coors visitor parking lot; the Methodist Church became the Holland House (now the Table Mountain Inn) parking lot. Homes near downtown made way for new businesses with their own parking lots.
In 1971, the Golden Downtown Improvement District (GDID) voted to acquire the 1867 Astor House and turn it into a parking lot.
Come back tomorrow to see how that turned out…
Weather
Overnight: Mostly cloudy. Low around 31, with temperatures rising to around 33 overnight. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Partly sunny. High near 60, with temperatures falling to around 56 in the afternoon. Southwest wind 5 to 8 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear. Low around 41, with temperatures rising to around 43 overnight. West southwest wind 9 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly Clear, 41°F
Wednesday: Sunny, 63°F
Wednesday Night: Mostly Clear, 37°F
Thursday: Sunny, 54°F
Thursday Night: Mostly Clear, 35°F
Friday: Mostly Sunny then Chance Rain And Snow, 63°F
Friday Night: Chance Rain And Snow, 33°F
Saturday: Chance Light Snow, 46°F
Saturday Night: Chance Light Snow, 25°F
Sunday: Slight Chance Light Snow, 39°F
Sunday Night: Slight Chance Light Snow, 21°F
Monday: Chance Light Snow, 35°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, 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
