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Golden is fortunate to have a
highly-involved citizenry. This does result in a lot of
groups that we have to keep track of, if we want to follow
what's going on in the city! We've tried to cover most of
the active groups in Golden, but if we have inadvertently
failed to mention yours,
tell us!
This citizen's group is involved in
developing suitable traffic solutions in the northwest part
of the Denver Metropolitan area. There are several forces
outside of Golden, including fast-growing cities North of
our city and the Colorado Department of Transportation, that
are pushing to put a highway through the middle of Golden.
CINQ encourages planners to consider other options. The
City of Golden commissioned a traffic study, conducted by
Muller Engineering, that concluded that traffic congestion
would be better eased by improving several existing arteries
through the west side, including Wadsworth and Kipling
through Arvada, as well as Highway 93 through Golden. Most
of the population in the area is East of Golden, and would
not be well-served by having to drive West to Golden in
order to travel North and South. CINQ members attend all
public meetings regarding highway placement, to ensure that
these fundamental facts are not pushed aside in favor of a
highway (or tollway) running through Golden.
See their web site
to learn more....
(See
the page on The City!)
This group, based in the American
Mountaineering Center (10th and Washington), is dedicated to
connecting people who love the Colorado Rockies. They
gather and disseminate information regarding the Colorado
mountains, including art, science, literature, and
recreation. They organize trips of varying levels of
difficulty, as well as study trips. They also host lectures
and films at the Mountaineering Center.
See their web site to learn
more....
This group gardens some city property just
West of the rec center. The land is divided into fifty
plots. Some are operated by groups that give their produce
to Golden food pantries. Most are just individual gardeners
who enjoy seeing their fellow gardeners at the shared land.
See their
website to learn more....
Golden Cares is the consortium of the local groups that
help people. This group includes many area clubs,
churches, and school groups. They can provide food,
clothing, and financial assistance for Golden residents who
find themselves in need.
The Civic Foundation is a non-profit
organization that was formed in 1970. They fund projects
that do not fall within the City's budget or (sometimes)
purview. As examples, they have financed installing an
irrigation system in the Golden cemetery, help fund the
annual 4th of July fireworks, the Golden Fine Arts Festival,
Buffalo Bill Days, the downtown holiday decorations. They
have provided funding to initiate several downtown
redevelopment projects, including the former Hested's
building, the Table Mountain Inn (formerly the
out-of-business Holland House Hotel), and converting the
former Golden Junior High into the American Mountaineering
Center. In addition, they have provided substantial funding
to the Public Art Program (the bronze sculptures all over
town), and regularly provide grant money to the schools, the
museums, the fire department, etc.
See their web
site to learn more....
The Golden Cultural Alliance includes many
of the non-profit organizations in town, such as the
museums, the symphony, the library, the visitors center,
Miners Alley, Foothills Art Center, etc. They work together
to promote all cultural events in Golden. Their biggest
annual joint effort is the production of "Heart and Soul of
Golden" month. During February each year (traditionally a
time when not much is happening), all GCA members sponsor
special events, such as concerts, a book sale, and special
exhibits.
See their web site to learn more....
Golden Gardeners Club members are, of course,
enthusiastic about their own and other members' gardens. In
addition, they planted and maintain the rose garden along
the creek path, behind the Golden History Center.
The Golden Good Government League is a
citizen's group that is concerned with City politics.
During Council election years, they interview candidates and
issue endorsements for the candidates they consider the
best. In addition, when general issues such as amendments
to the City Charter are proposed, they study the pros and
cons and publish position papers giving their opinion on the
proposed changes. See their
web site to learn more....
Golden Landmarks Association is a citizen's
group that works to preserve historic structures. Their are
supported by membership dues. Their first project was
raising funds and public awareness to save the Astor House,
which was slated for demolition in the 1970s. Their biggest
project at present is preserving the brick house north of
town, at the site of a former brickworks. GLA operates out
of a small office on 14th Street, next to the Higher Grounds
coffee house, but they hope to have a permanent office in
the brick house after its restoration. GLA sponsors the
Living Landmarks dinner each spring, honoring long-time
Golden community members. They also sponsor the annual
Holiday Homes Tour, in partnership with the Golden Pioneer
Museum. In recent years, they have sponsored the "Table
Mountain Tales" writing contest. Their web site is
maintained by local historian Richard Gardner and includes
many fascinating facts about local structures.
See their web site
to learn more....
The Golden Lions Club was founded during
World War II, and is still a thriving service club. Their
major production each year is the Golden 4th of July picnic,
which features live entertainment, free children's rides,
and a big fireworks display (in Lions Park, of course).
They have helped build many of our parks facilities,
including the gazebos in Beverly Heights, Ulysses, and
Norman D parks. They also make substantial financial
contributions to projects such as the Golden Visitor's
Center and fund many of the benches placed around town,
several of the public restrooms, and one of the planter
boxes downtown. They provide financial support to Golden's
needy families through the Christian Action Guild.
Internationally, the Lions organization is
very involved in vision programs. They collect eyeglasses
and clean and distribute them to third world countries.
Here in Golden, they are actively involved in a program
called Kid Sight. They screen preschool children for eye
problems, basically lazy eye which can be corrected at an
early age. They do this with a special camera and the photos
that are forwarded to doctors who analyze the photos and
refer the families of children to Eye Doctors. Lions assist
those who can't afford exams from professional eye doctors.
Golden Lions screened 788 preschoolers just this past year!
This group meets twice monthly at the
Buffalo Rose. See
their web site to learn more....
The Chamber promotes business interests in
the City and operates the Visitors Center, with the help of
scores of volunteers. They help organize many of the Civic
Events, such as the Farmer's Market, the Fine Arts Festival,
the Old Golden Christmas parades, and the candlelight walk.
Businesses pay dues to support the chamber, which is run by
a full-time executive director (Gary Wink).
See their web site
to learn more....
The Health is Golden Coalition aims to
foster healthy, tobacco-free environments in the city of
Golden, Colorado.
See their
web site to learn more....
The Kiwanis Club of Golden, founded in 1921,
sponsors several youth activities, including a service club
at Golden High School and a local Boy Scout troop. They are
responsible for the hundreds of flags that decorate the city
on several national holidays, they host the annual Easter
Egg hunt in Parfet Park, and they serve breakfast each year
to the participants in the Relay for Life cancer fund
raiser.
See their web site to learn more....
Leadership Golden was established in 1984,
to encourage more people to take part in the Golden
community. The annual 9-month program offers a series of
classes that teach participants about how the City and
county governments operate, area history, cultural
organizations, and the schools. The program is designed to
help people see the opportunities to become involved in the
community, by volunteering with one of the local
non-profits, serving on a city board or commission, or
running for public office. The program is run entirely by
volunteers and is funded by the Leadership Golden Alumni
Association. The Civic Foundation, Chamber of Commerce, and
Coors provided seed money to get the organization started,
and the tuition-free program is now self-sustaining through
a combination of Christmas ornament sales and the proceeds
from an endowment fund.
See their web
site to learn more....
The Golden Optimist Club also focuses on
youth support. They sponsor a long-running program to
collect used bicycles, refurbish them, and distribute them
for free to local children. They raise money, in part,
through their annual Christmas tree sale at the corner of
Ford and 13th streets.
See their web site
to learn more....
The Rotary Club of Golden meets once a week,
at Rolling Hills Country Club. This is a very active
group. They do quite a bit of work with the Golden area
schools, providing scholarships to high school seniors and
sending several junior high and high school students to an
annual leadership development camp. They sponsor a foreign
exchange student each year. They also raise a lot of money
to support local as well as international projects. They
support local families in need through cash and food
contributions to the Christian Action Guild. In 2004, to
celebrate Rotary International's 100th birthday, club
members constructed the amphitheater along Clear Creek,
behind the fire station. In addition to substantial
contributions by club members, Rotary raises money through
their annual golf tournament (at Fossil Trace in June) and
their annual sale of Colorado Peaches.
See their web
site to learn more....
This is a citizens group formed to protest
and stop development of North and South Table Mountain. The
two mesas were threatened with various types of commercial
development over the years, including a plan to put a gravel
mining operation on South Table Mountain and the possibility
of establishing a corporate campus near Castle Rock (the
Northwest corner of South Table Mountain). The group
brought a lot of public attention to the possibility of
development, and helped drive public sentiment toward
acquiring the land to be used as public Open Space. Most of
both Table Mountains now belong to Jefferson County Open
Space and are available for hiking, biking, and equestrian
use. See their web
site to learn more....
This non-profit organization was formed to
raise money to help save the mesas (North and South Table
Mountains) from being developed. They, working with many
others, have succeeded in preserving most of the land as
Jefferson County Open Space. Several key parcels of South
Table Mountain remain privately-held, and this group
continues to work and gather funds to try to make those Open
Space as well. See
their web site to learn more....
Golden is fortunate to have two garden
clubs. The Table Mountain Garden Club planted and maintain
the "Friendship Garden" at the south end of the pedestrian
bridge over Clear Creek.
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