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What's Happening in Golden - Wednesday, Mar. 6th

,   and  Barb Warden
6 min read
Click to enlarge

Spring Fishing

Photo by Chris Davell

Clear Creek is currently free of ice and two people seize the opportunity to do some fishing.

What's happening in Golden today?

Golden History Tours
Buffalo Bill Museum - Free Day
Après Wednesday
Ready Set Throw for Couples

For more information, visit the Golden Today Calendar

Annual Tree Sale

The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.

The City’s annual tree sale started March 1st. They offer trees that do well in this climate. This year’s selection includes Bigtooth Maple, Norwegian Sunset Maple, Catalpa, Redbud, Coffee tree, Amur Maackia, Chanticleer Pear, Texas Red Oak, Bur Oak, and Ivory Silk Tree Lilac. Learn more about the sale on the City’s Forestry page (scroll down till you get to the Tree Sale announcement). They tend to sell out quickly!

City Council - March 5, 2024

COUNCIL CORRESPONDENCE

Emails sent to councilcomments@cityofgolden.net are posted once a week. This week’s comments included more requests for gates to close Lookout Mountain Road at night, a suggestion that Beverly Heights Park be locked at night, a request for speed bumps on Illinois Street south of 19th, and a complaint about street musicians on Washington Avenue.

Emails sent to publiccomment@cityofgolden.net will be added to the meeting packet for tonight’s City Council meeting after 3PM.

5PM City Council Regular Study Session @ City Hall
Council will meet with the chairs of each of the boards and commission to discuss accomplishments for 2023 and goals for 2024. These groups include: Investment Advisory Committee, Volunteer Firefighter Pension Board, Mobility and Transportation Advisory Board, Community Sustainability Advisory Board, Planning Commission, Historic Preservation Board, Parks, Recreation and Museum Advisory Board, Economic Development Commission, Public Arts Commission, Downtown Development Authority, Golden Urban Renewal Authority

5PM City Council Regular Business Meeting @ City Hall
Council accepts public comment at the beginning of the meeting. There are no public hearings tonight, so if you wish to address council you must do it during the Public Comment period.

Based on the NextDoor chatter, people have opinions about the new Mines residence hall. Your only opportunity to provide in-person comment will be at the beginning of the meeting. Alternatively, you can email comments to publiccomment@cityofgolden.net.

Consent Matters (no discussion)
They will vote to approve the City’s 2024 fee schedule. Most of the fees are unchanged, but parking fees and fines have gone up considerably. Newly added is a fine of up to $1,000 for “Waste of Water.” They will approve the purchase of two new street sweepers. One will be diesel and cost $386,813. The other will be electric and will cost $769,495, of which $424,200 will be covered by a grant. They will approve on first reading a change to the municipal code regarding GURA and the DDA.

Proclamation
They will read a Proclamation honoring International Women’s Day.

Resolutions
They will vote to approve a new IGA (Inter-Governmental Agreement) with the School of Mines, covering the new 6 story residence hall that they plan to build south of 19th Street and west of Illinois Street.

They will approve their 2024 Strategic Action Plan.

Staff Report on Historic Street Names
They will listen to a staff report regarding new signs that will show the early names of four streets in town that were originally named for pioneer women. The report contains a nice write-up describing each of the women and their contributions to the Golden community.

Golden History: A Celebrated Chef Visits Golden

March 5, 1953 Safeway Ad from the Colorado Transcript

71 Years Ago
The March 5, 1953 Colorado Transcript announced: “Aunt Jemima Will Be Here On Saturday: Jemima To Bake Free Pancakes At Local Safeway Store.” Golden was all a-twitter at the impending visit, and the Transcript had been writing about it for weeks. The February 19, 1953 Transcript said “she will be welcomed by Mayor Everett Barnhardt and representatives from Golden civic clubs in an official ‘Key to the City’ presentation early Saturday morning at City Hall.”

It’s not entirely clear that they knew she was a fictional character. The article goes on to describe her as “a leading culinary expert for more than half a century.”

The excitement continued in the February 26th edition, which reported that a reception committee would meet her at 16th and Washington. A parade, including the Colorado School of Mines band, would escort her down Washington Avenue to City Hall. There, she would receive the key to the city and a bouquet of flowers. After that, she would be driven to Safeway, where she would distribute free pancakes.

The March 5th issue provided the final details regarding the parade. A local woman, who had won a race sponsored by Quaker Oats (the “National Pancake Day Race,” held in Liberal, Kansas), would be riding with Aunt Jemima in the car. Clowns would accompany the parade and scatter free Quaker Oats products to the crowd. In addition to the free pancakes at Safeway, children would receive free comic books and adults would be given free recipe books.

The party seems to have been a success. The March 12th Transcript says that “a few hundred people” were downtown for the 8AM parade and “approximately 1500” people went to Safeway for the pancake shindig.

Golden certainly knows how to show a fictional character a good time.

PepsiCo/Quaker Oats recently decided to rebrand Aunt Jemima pancake mix and syrup because the fictional character is considered to be a racist stereotype.

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's Weather

Overnight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32. Southwest wind around 6 mph.

Wednesday's Weather

Wednesday: A chance of rain showers after 2pm. Partly sunny. High near 55, with temperatures falling to around 51 in the afternoon. West northwest wind 5 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

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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!

MARCH SPONSORS: Buffalo Rose, Buglet Solar, Foothills Art Center, Golden City Brewery, Golden Cultural Alliance, Golden History Museum, Golden Super Cruise, Miners Alley Playhouse, The Golden Mill, Golden Chamber of Commerce, Golden History Tours, Morris & Mae Market, Miners Saloon, Joy and Jack Brandt, Tom Reiley, ML Richardson, Mary Eiberger, Bud Rockhill, and Ruth Hund

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Ongoing Monthly Supporters:
Tall Pines Painting, Baby Doe’s Clothing, Golden Community Garden, Carol & Doug Harwood, Jennings & Litz, Bill Fisher, Brian Quarnstrom, Casey & Gina Brown, Cheryl & Tom Schweich, Robert Storrs, Karen Smith, Sandy Curran, Paul Haseman, Michele Sannes, Kathy Smith, Crystal Culbert, Pat Madison, Donna Anderson, Ann Pattison, Carol & Don Cameron, Tom Hughes, Emeline Paulson, Susan Gray, David Smith, Karen Oxman, Laura King & Scott Wilson, Bill Sedgeley, Mariane Erickson, Carol Abel, Dot & Eric Brownson, Ann Norton & Jonathan Storer, Deb Goeldner, Rosemary Coffman, Jim & LouAnne Dale, Francine Butler, Elaine Marolla, Dixie Termin & Ron Miller, Chris Ball, Tom Hoffman, Patrick & Lisa Vitry, Alice Madison & Jim Kalivas, Lora Haimes, Nancy & Carlos Bernal, Stephanie Painter, Holly Thomas, Julie Bartos & Brad Miller, Bobby German & Alison McNally, and Frank & Marsha Hanou

Highlights