Moonrise Over the Courthouse
Photo by Linda Cobb
Click to enlarge
What's happening in Golden today?
Events for Wednesday, Jul. 16th
- All day - CURRENT EXHIBITS AT THE MUSEUMS
- All day - Live Workouts with Community Center Pros
- All day - Golden History Tours
- 7:30-9AM - Citizens Budget Advisory Committee Meeting
- 8:30-10:30AM - Golden Walks
- 10:15-10:45AM - Toddler Time - Registration Required
- 2-3:30PM - Learn to Paint: Wooden Bookmarks
- 3-5PM - Virtual/Call In: Hard Times Writing Workshop
- 5:30PM - Golden Cornhole League
- 5:30PM - Leadership Golden Meet & Greet
- 5:30PM - Planning Commission Study Session @ City Hall
- 6PM - Foothills Running and Cycling Club Track Practice
- 6PM - Trivia Night
For more information, click the item above or visit the Golden Today Calendar
7:30AM Citizens Budget Advisory Committee @ City Hall
- Meeting Agenda
- Watch the meeting streaming live starting at 7:30AM
- Attend the meeting @ City Hall Council Chambers - 911 10th Street - (map)
Staff will provide an overview of May tax revenue and the City's Financial Trend Monitoring System. They will give a 15 minute presentation on the upcoming improvements to the water and wastewater systems. The City Manager will provide 15 minutes on City Updates. CBAC and staff will discuss "community conversations," which may include topics residents are discussing.
2-3:30PM Learn to Paint: Wooden Bookmarks @ Golden Library
Join us for a beginner-friendly painting class where you will learn step-by-step how to paint a sunset. We will be working with acrylic paints and wood bookmarks to create our own mini artworks. All materials provided.
Registration required. This program is for teens ages 12-18.
Location:
Golden Library
1019 10th Street (Map)
When:
2-3:30PM on Wednesday, Jul. 16th
5:30PM Leadership Golden Meet & Greet @ Golden City Brewery
Photo by Richard Luckin
Join Leadership Golden Board and Steering Committee members plus alumni for an informal Meet & Greet to learn more about the fantastic opportunity provided by Leadership Golden!! Free pizza and beer provided!
Applications are now open for the 2025/2026 Leadership Golden class:
https://www.leadershipgolden.org/application
Location:
Golden City Brewery
920 12th St. (map)
6PM Community Sustainability Advisory Board Meeting @ City Hall Council Chambers
- Meeting Agenda
- Watch the meeting streaming live starting at 6PM
- Attend the meeting @ City Hall Council Chambers - 911 10th Street - (map)
- Provide public comment during the meeting, starting at 6PM.
Tonight, the Sustainability Board will discuss:
- The pay-as-you-throw (curbside trash/recycling/composting) program
- Planned 2026 vehicle replacements for the City's fleet
- Progress on CSAB's 2025 work plan
Tomorrow Morning: Washington Avenue Flower Walk with the City of Golden's Very Own Horticulturists
Open to the 50+ Community (free)
We’ll be meeting at 7:00 A.M. (before it gets too hot) at the Windy Saddle (1110 Washington Ave. - map) for coffee then at 7:30, Horticulturists; Shawn Sprenger, Cynthia Hastings & Kelsa Warner will give us a flower tour along Washington Avenue of what they have planted and why.
Please register for this activity (scroll to the bottom) so we know how many people to expect. Activity Number: 45651-01
The Golden Community Center’s, FRONT PORCH
303/384-8130
Front Porch open M-F 9:00-2🕛
The Kiwanis and the Campground
Front page photo – Golden Transcript, July 16, 1970
55 Years Ago
This photo appeared on the front page of the Golden Transcript on July 16, 1970. The City campground was a point of considerable civic pride, and it made frequent appearances in the Transcript.
The area along 10th Street went through big changes during the 1950s and 1960s.
- In 1952, we built a new water treatment plant.
- In 1953, we closed the city dump, which had been located at the west end of 8th Street.
- In 1959, Golden voters approved construction of a new municipal center.
- In 1960, we opened a new recreation center (now the Golden Library) and a new outdoor swimming pool (now the lot where the Golden Farmers Market is held).
- In 1961 the new Fire Station/Police Station/City Hall opened at 911 10th St.
There’s a good reason why that land hadn’t been developed earlier: it was very much in Clear Creek’s flood plain, and much of it was either low and gravely (the sometimes creek bed) or low and swampy. It took a lot of earth moving and brush clearing over the years to make the area usable. The channel of the creek was straightened and deepened to deter future flooding.
In 1963, some community members began to speculate about building a city campground out near the water treatment plant. In 1964, the Golden Kiwanis Club took on the project and began clearing the scrubby growth out of the future campground. They cleared so much land that it went along the south side of the treatment plant (now the campground), behind it (now settling ponds), around to the north side (now the community garden area), and east of the treatment plant (now Lions Park).
They leveled ground for campsites and installed concrete fireplace rings with grills and picnic tables. The Arapahoe National Forest Service donated some super heavy-duty wooden picnic tables, which the Kiwanis painted green. The city laid gravel to form a central road within the campground and also graveled the individual campsites.
The campground opened in 1964 and was immediately popular with tourists. 1965 was the 50th anniversary of Kiwanis International, and the Golden club continued to work hard on improving the campground and the picnic area in celebration of that anniversary. They added electric lights and water fountains. They planted trees on arbor day.
A Transcript reporter interviewed several campers that year to see what they thought of our campground. They all loved it and thought Golden was a great town. One young woman said she particularly liked all the School of Mines boys, running around in their white shorts.
Letters to the editor of the Transcript came in regularly, thanking the town for the magnificent campground. Virginia Weigand, who wrote the Avenue Flashes column in the Transcript, checked on the campground frequently, and reported which states were represented by the campers. Her husband Fritz was a Kiwanian, so they had a strong family interest in the project.
There was an interesting event in 1969. One of the campers reported seeing a 55 gallon drum labeled “612 pound incendiary bomb – Rocky Mtn Arsenal” laying within the swirling waters of the creek. The Golden Fire and Police Departments found it, plus three other barrels in the bushes. They called the bomb disposal unit from Fort Carson, who retrieved the one from the creek and then carefully removed the lids from the barrels. “it was discovered that only some white gooky substance was inside. The drum in the stream was emptied then pulled up on the bank.” They speculated that the drums belonged to the School of Mines Research Foundation and had been used to store waste material of some kind.
Note that this event happened pre-EPA. I can’t help but wonder what the “white gooky substance” was.
The Kiwanis and the City continued to improve the park. In 1972, they replaced the porta-potties with permanent rest rooms. The campground had been free from the year it opened until 1972, but in that year they started charging $1/space/day, and hired someone to run the campground and keep it clean.
To this day, the campground continues to be an asset to the city. While most parks cost the city money to maintain, the campground is actually a revenue-generator.
The Golden Kiwanis Club went on to do more projects for the community. For many years now, they have partnered with Boy Scout Troop 130 to post American Flags all over town on Federal Holidays.
Live Music for Wednesday, Jul. 16th
- 6-9PM Jordan Yewey @ Miners Saloon
- More Live Music
4-8PM Chrispy @ Mountain Toad
5-8PM Wylie Jones @ Golden Hotel
6PM Live Music @ Rock Rest Lodge
For more information, visit the Golden Today Calendar
Weather
This Afternoon: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny. High near 94, with temperatures falling to around 89 in the afternoon. Northwest wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Tonight: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 63. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Wednesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely between noon and 3pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely. Partly sunny. High near 84, with temperatures falling to around 78 in the afternoon. East northeast wind 2 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Wednesday: Partly Sunny then Showers And Thunderstorms Likely, 84°F
Wednesday Night: Showers And Thunderstorms Likely then Mostly Cloudy, 60°F
Thursday: Partly Sunny then Showers And Thunderstorms Likely, 85°F
Thursday Night: Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy, 64°F
Friday: Partly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 90°F
Friday Night: Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy, 64°F
Saturday: Mostly Sunny then Showers And Thunderstorms Likely, 87°F
Saturday Night: Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy, 63°F
Sunday: Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 89°F
Sunday Night: Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy, 64°F
Monday: Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 91°F
Monday Night: Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy, 66°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 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, Michael Mason, Colorado Railroad Museum, and Goosetown Station
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, Vic DeMaria, and Joy Brandt
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, Cynthia Merrill Tamny, Stephen Pero, Meg Van Ness & Steve Kalasz, Steve & Karla Schaefer, Bud Rockhill, Steve Enger, Kristie Brice & Mike Schwartz, The Golden Hotel, Kurt & Janet Siegfried, Ella Lyons & Jeanne Fritch, and Robert Thresher.
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, 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, Rose McLaughlin, Cameron Chambers, Joyce Gravina, Patrick Klein, Barb Robie, and Mary Rains, Richard Caldwell, Janice Waring, Sam & Marilyn Baron, Carmen Johnson, Cherryln Parker, Mary Eiberger, Kevin Nichols, Ed & Carol Freza, Laura Moore, Ruth Hund, Curtis Moore, Shelley & Jerry Devitt
Followers:
($5-9.99/month)
Golden Community Garden, Lora Haimes, Mariane Erickson, J.J. Fraser, Mel Perkins, Bob Hamilton, Kim Linton, Steve Stevens, Vicki Olson, and Emily Kurzinski
