Sunflower in Parfet Park
Photo by Richard Luckin
What's happening in Golden today?
Events for Tuesday, Jul. 2nd
- All day - CURRENT EXHIBITS AT THE MUSEUMS
- All day - Live Workouts with Community Center Pros
- All day - Tubular Tuesdays
- 8-10AM - DeLong Park Weedbusters
- 9-10AM - Women's Exercise and Bible Study
- 9AM - Golden Seniors - Coffee Klatch
- 9:15-9:45AM - Baby Time
- 9:30-11AM - Blue & White (or 2 Color) Group
- 10-10:45AM - Storybook Tour
- 10:15-10:45AM - Preschool Time
- 5:30-7:30PM - Textile Society
- 6:30-8:30PM - Team Trivia Tuesday
- 6:30-8:30PM - Toad Trivia
- 6:30-8:30PM - Trivia Tuesdays
- 6:30-8:30PM - Bar Bingo Night
For more information, click the item above or visit the Golden Today Calendar
Art at Night
Golden's Newest Artwork - Photo by Liz Erickson - enlarge
The photos I posted on Sunday showed the new art installation in daylight. Tom Young was kind enough to send these, showing the artwork at the night shift sees it!
More About the New Firefighter Art
Piping in the Unveiling Ceremony at the Fire Department - Photo by Brian Curry
Contributed by Brian Curry
Today we attended the unveiling of a statue honoring 150 years of volunteer fire service in the city of Golden, Colorado. The department started at roughly the same time as the Coors Brewery and the School of Mines both here in Golden. The department is now a hybrid department with mostly paid professional firefighters with an additional volunteer crew. EMS is provided by an outside agency.
"The detail is amazing right down to the stitching on their turnout gear and the air packs." - Brian Curry
Here Come the Tubers!
Yellow flag, indicating that the Creek is now open - Photo by Joyce Davell
The Creek has calmed down enough that the Jefferson County Sheriff and the Golden Police Chief have lifted the restrictions on entering Clear Creek. The yellow flag means "Moderate to High Flows - Not recommended for children under 18."
Learn more about Creek rules & safety.
9:30-11AM Blue & White (or 2 Color) Group
Open group for those wanting to develop and create their own blue and white quilt. (or other 2 color quilt). This group is meeting to provide encouragement, guidance and accountability as members set their own goals in their process of creating 2 Color inspired quilts. More information
Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum
200 Violet Street - Suite 240 (map)
What is Blooming Along Golden’s Trails and in Golden Gardens? Milkweeds!
Figure 1. Left: Showy Milkweed, with seed pods in inset. Right: the Little Milkweed. Both in my garden.Figure 1. Left: Showy Milkweed, with seed pods in inset. Right: the Little Milkweed. Both in my garden.
By Tom Schweich
Tall, large-flowered, and with a distinctive seed pod covered with tubercules, the “Showy Milkweed” — Asclepias speciosa Torr. — is very widely distributed in Golden open spaces and gardens. Usually found in mountain meadows, open woodlands, and along streams, the Showy Milkweed also spreads to roadsides and other disturbed sites. It is easily grown in a garden from seed, though the seed may not germinate in the first year.
First described by John Torrey (1828) from a collection by Edwin James, MD. James collected it on June 14, 1820, as the Stephen H. Long expedition traveled south from the Loup River to the Platte through Merrick County, Nebraska (Goodman and Lawson, 1995).
We have four milkweeds that are native to Golden. In addition to Showy Milkweed, they are:
- Green Comet Milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora Raf.) that can be seen on North and South Table Mountains, Mt. Galbraith, and Apex Park. They are short with yellow-green flowers.
- Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata L) found along Clear Creek just east of town. They are tall but have smaller flowers of a more intense color. (The Internet Color Namer calls the color “Spicy Berry.”) Swamp Milkweed does not need a swamp to flourish.
- And then as a kind of counterpoint to the large Showy Milkweed, we also have a very small milkweed. Called the “Plains Milkweed” or “Little Milkweed” — Asclepias pumila (A. Gray) Vail — it stands just 6 inches tall. It has been found among short grasses on both North and South Table Mountains, but since it is very small and unassuming, and often overlooked, it may be found elsewhere around Golden.
Milkweeds are well-known for being host plants for monarch butterflies, Danaus Plexippus (Linnaeus, 1758). Though Colorado is not on the direct migration path for monarchs, we often see strays that will lay eggs on local milkweeds. Planting local milkweed species is always best. Our native milkweeds are easily garden-grown and seed for Showy Milkweed and Swamp Milkweed is readily available.
Golden History: Golden's Movie Theater
Celebrating Golden Days at the Golden Gem in 1941 – Golden History Museum Collection – Click to enlarge
Downtown Golden had a movie theater for more than 60 years. The Golden Gem opened in October of 1908 in a former church, located across 10th Street from Parfet Park (map). Films were silent at that time, and in 1910, the Gem employed a five-piece orchestra to accompany the films.
In 1911, they moved to a bigger and better facility in the Bella Vista Hotel (12th and Jackson). The owner installed “The finest electric sign ever placed in Golden.” (Colorado Transcript, 6/1/1911)
In 1911, a new, modern building was constructed at 13th and Washington. The Golden Athletic Club rented the second floor and the Golden Gem Theater rented the first floor. The Theater moved in June 1912 and stayed there for the rest of its existence.
Early films came on large reels, each reel weighing about 5 pounds and running for about 11 minutes. Advertisements would describe a film as a 2-reel film. An evening’s program would commonly include several films. The films weren’t necessarily stories–they often showed real events, such as a rodeo. In one case, they showed movies of a hunting trip taken by Theodore Roosevelt. The Gem showed their first “talkie” (movie with sound) in 1929.
The theater ran many promotions over the years. In 1928, they partnered with the Fromhart Motor Company and the Transcript to give away a car to “the most popular young lady in Jefferson County.” During the Depression, they would give away silverware on Tuesday nights, and at times they held drawings for a box of groceries.
The Gem was “refreshed” several times, to update the look (and often the seats). One major remodel took place in 1949. The newly-updated theater, with a brilliant new neon marquee, had its grand opening the same night the Golden Welcome Arch was illuminated for the first time (it used to have neon letters). Ah that time, the owner changed the named from the Golden Gem to the Golden Theater.
The movie theater was always a centerpiece of our visitor attraction efforts. Golden was “the” downtown for many people living west of Denver and in the mountains, so people would come to Golden for a night out–dinner and a movie.
The Golden movie theater, along with Golden’s downtown business district, slowly eroded throughout the 1960s and 70s. It went through several owners. One even showed x-rated movies. The Transcript mentioned that some young people referred to the place as “the Golden Germ”. Finally, the Foss family (of Foss Drug Store fame) bought the building and divided it into several retail spaces.
Steve's Corner Western Wear Store occupied that building for about 25 years, followed by several restaurants on the first floor and offices above.
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: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 5am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. West northwest wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tuesday: A slight chance of rain showers before 9am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tuesday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Mostly clear, with a low around 60. West northwest wind 3 to 8 mph.
Tuesday Night: Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Clear, 60°F
Wednesday: Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 90°F
Wednesday Night: Mostly Clear, 58°F
Independence Day: Sunny, 82°F
Thursday Night: Mostly Clear, 55°F
Friday: Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 81°F
Friday Night: Mostly Clear, 59°F
Saturday: Sunny, 89°F
Saturday Night: Mostly Clear, 59°F
Sunday: Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 87°F
Sunday Night: Mostly Clear, 58°F
Monday: Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 87°F
News Relating to Golden - July 2, 2024
Restricted Access on Clear Creek Lifted
Jefferson County Sheriff's Department
Jefferson County, CO. – Effective at noon today, July 1, 2024, Jefferson County Sheriff Reggie Marinelli, in conjunction with the City of Golden, will lift restrictions that previously limited waterway activities on Clear Creek. The boundaries affected by the restriction order issued on June 5, 2024, extended from Jeffco’s western border at State Highway 119 eastward along the canyon through the city limits of Golden to Vanover Park... Read more...
HOW TO REPORT ILLEGAL FIREWORKS IN JEFFCO – PLEASE DO NOT CALL 911
By Golden Police Department
Crimewatch
Citizens are strongly encouraged to download the Jeffcom911 phone app to report illegal fireworks. Simply download the app and click the “Report Fireworks” button to submit a report that goes directly to emergency dispatchers at Jeffcom911. This will help reduce the volume of calls received by Jeffcom’s limited staff over the holiday and eliminate any wait times residents will experience while holding in queue for the next available staff member. Online reporting is also available to residents at http://www.jeffcom911co.gov/... Read more...
Summer Golden Informer
City of Golden
Mount Galbraith offers a great way to squeeze in a hike before work
By John Meyer
Denver Post
In the summer, when there are 14 to 15 hours of daylight each day, hitting Mount Galbraith near Golden for a beautiful and vigorous hike before work is glorious... Read more...
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Buffalo Rose, Buglet Solar, Foothills Art Center, Golden City Brewery, Golden Cultural Alliance, Golden History Museum, Miners Alley Performing Arts Center, The Golden Mill, Golden Chamber of Commerce, Golden History Tours, Morris & Mae Market, Miners Saloon, Colorado Railroad Museum, Golden Hayride Outpost, Kona Bowls, Unite Fitness, Tom Reiley, Michael Mason
Friends:
($50-99.99/month or $500/yr)
Tall Pines Painting, Baby Doe’s Clothing, Goozell Yogurt & Coffee Paul Haseman, Donna Anderson, Carol & Doug Harwood, Beth Bidwell, Stephanie Painter, Greg Poulos, Barbara Banks & Ed Imatani, and Joy Brandt
Supporters:
($25-49.99/month or $250/yr)
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, Stephen Pero, Meg Van Ness & Steve Kalasz, Steve & Karla Schaefer
Members:
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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, Heather Duncan, Lee Ann & Pete Horneck, Carol Cameron, and the Golden Transcript
Followers:
($5-9.99/month)
Golden Community Garden, Lora Haimes, Mariane Erickson
