7/20/11

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has scheduled an open house tonight to gather public input on a parcel of land owned by the U.S. Department of the Interior near the Rocky Flats National WIldlife Refuge in order to determine the "appropriate level of environmental review."  The Service is asking for public comment on the expansion of the refuge and a potential land exchange. 

The City of Golden would like to create a pedestrian and bicycle path along this corridor and has submitted a bid to purchase the land.  The Jefferson Parkway Authority has also bid on the land to use for tollway purposes.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision could have a significant impact on Golden.

The open house is at the Westminster City Park Recreation Center from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. More information is available here.

7/19/11

Golden's active older adults aged 50+ participate in a wide variety of activities sponsored by the Golden Community Center's Front Porch.  Today is the Bark in the Park at Lions Park.  Canines and their adult companions will gather at the East Pavilion, and local vendors will be displaying their pet-friendly wares.  The fun starts at 10:00 a.m.

The Golden Tones Big Band will present swinging sounds of the 40s and 50s at the Golden History Center from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

7/18/11

If the kids are looking for something to do this week, see the calendar for details on the following programs that start today:

Art camp at the Foothills Art Center
Hands On History at Clear Creek History Park
Vacation Bible School

7/17/11

Things to Do on Sunday in Golden:

Take a hike or a bike ride (trail map)
Visit the Golden History Center (open 11-3 on Sunday)
Play golf at Fossil Trace
Spend the afternoon at The Splash waterpark (open 10-6:30)
Visit the Quilt Museum (open 12-4)
Hang out downtown – do some shopping, have some coffee, ice cream, a glass of wine, or dinner
Tour the Astor House (open 11-3)
Take the Coors tour (open 12-4)
Visit the CSM Geology Museum (open 1-4)
See Cowboys and Rockstars at Foothills Art Center (open 1-5)
Visit Heritage Square (open 11-8)
Visit one of the city parks
See A Touch of Spring at Miners Alley Playhouse
See the afternoon show—A Musical: In Perfect Harmony—or the evening murder mystery dinner theater at Heritage Square Music Hall
Go bowling (open 10 AM till midnight)

7/16/11

The Farmers Market runs from 8 till 1 today, so stop by for a meal and your week's worth of produce, then take a free carriage ride.

Don't miss the fundraiser tonight at Foothills Art Center--it should be a blast!  There will be food, drinks, a silent auction, a chance to roam through the incredible "Cowboys and Rockstars" exhibit, and a concert with The Moderators. 
Learn more...

7/15/11

Head to the Clear Creek History Park at 5, to listen to local band, "Save the Grease."  After that, you can stroll over to Washington Avenue for more live music.

7/14/11

City Council is meeting tonight, for the first time in almost a month.  They will be filling two GURA appointments, considering a change to our stormwater quality regulations, and appointing one of the council to represent Golden at the Colorado Municipal League.

If that doesn't grab you, head to the Mountaineering Center for a presentation about nature photography in Europe.  Details appear in the calendar below.

7/13/11

Stop by Read Write and Brew today, starting at 4:30, to enjoy live music by Tim Merkel and Kyle Walker.  Or have dinner on the Briarwood's new patio and enjoy their music from 6 - 9.

7/12/11

Golden's own Jubilant Bridge is playing a free concert tonight at 7 in Lions Park!  Bring a chair or blanket and food, if you wish, but no alcohol is allowed.

7/11/11

You can learn how to make compost at a workshop in the Golden Community Garden tonight.

Fossil Trace is starting an adult golf clinic this evening.

The Golden Urban Renewal Authority is meeting tonight.

7/10/11

Foothills Art Center's Cowboys and Rock Stars exhibit is attracting a lot of attention Denver Post Westword Blog 5280 Magazine Colorado Public Radio Westword Why not go see it today?  They're open Sundays, 1 - 5.

7/9/11

• The Farmers Market will run from 8 AM - 1 PM today, so stop by for breakfast, lunch, smoothies, produce, meat, and a free carriage ride!
• Fossil Trace is offering golf clinics for kids this morning.
• Foothills is offering an outdoor sketching class today, using Golden as its subject!
• The Astor House is hosting a Fancy Nancy tea.  (She's a popular children's book character.)
• The Quilt Museum is conducting a sewing class for kids, where they'll be making a purse or tote bag.
• The Clear Creek History Park and 4-H members will show you what you need to know about raising swine.
• Miners Alley is opening a new play this weekend:  A Touch of Spring.

7/8/11

There are several places to hear FREE live music tonight:

• On Washington Avenue, in front of Avenue Gifts
• At the Clear Creek History Park
• At Pandoro Bakery, 700 12th Street

7/7/11

Tonight, Foothills Art Center will be hosting the opening reception to their new show:

There will also be a community forum at the City Hall entitled "Grow Local.  Eat Local."  This will be a panel discussion including representatives of the Golden Community Garden, a local company that incorporates agriculture into urban planning, and a local caterer that specializes in local foods.

Finally, the Library will host a program about their budget problems, including possible solutions.

7/6/11

Many Golden people ordered xeriscape gardens through the City this spring.  Our partners in that program want us to know that they still have a few of those gardens-in-a-box left, and while they were a great value (about half retail price) in the spring, they're even cheaper now!  The also have drip irrigation systems available.

Sunset Garden	Garden of Gold	Cool Connections
28 Plants Originally $125 NOW $75	40 Plants Originally $80 NOW $50	35 Plants Originally $125 NOW $80

7/5/11

Switching into a somewhat lower gear after the big holiday weekend...there's a band concert today at 11 at the Golden History Center, and a group of Cornhole (that's a game) enthusiasts will gather at Lions Park this evening at 6.

7/4/11

The Lions Club is hosting a big 4th of July celebration today in Lions Park, starting at noon. Bring a picnic or buy food from vendors. There will be live music, raffle prizes distributed throughout the day, free jumping castles for kids, and fireworks capping it all off at about 9:30 pm.

7/3/11

Take the time to go downtown and see the Creek.  It's impressively high and fast.  But look--don't touch.  It's very dangerous when it's this high.  The County Sheriff has banned access to the creek for everyone except people with specialized equipment.

7/2/11

There's a Farmers Market this morning (10th & Illinois) and a Golden Super Cruise this evening (South Golden Road).  The Railroad Museum is offering train rides today, the Nature Center is hosting a children's program about dragonflies, and the Clear Creek History Park has 4-H members showing horses.  Get out there and enjoy it all!

7/1/11

We're having a First Friday Street Fair tonight, and it's going to be a blast!

6/30/11

Golden is going to be hosting a HUGE bicycling event in August.  A professional bike race will be going through Colorado from August 22-28 and the final stage starts in Golden.  A group of Golden volunteers has been working for months to build a whole week of events around this race.  They expect about 30,000 race enthusiasts to attend...which could be pretty exciting for our city of 18,000. 

The weekend of the race, we're going to have an Expo in Parfet Park, focusing on health, wellness, and sustainability.  Other activities include a movie in the park the night before the race, a kids bike rodeo, a Cruiser Paradium, and a citizen's hill climb on Lookout Mountain.

The local organizers have lined up about 400 volunteers, but they could use more, so let them know if you want to be involved.

6/29/11

Music-lovers take note: Read Write and Brew and the Briarwood Inn both have live music tonight.

6/28/11

Tonight is the Golden Cruise, which is a community bike ride based out of Woody's Wood-Fired Pizza.  People start gathering at about 5.  The ride starts at 7.

The Golden Hotel is sponsoring "Yappy Hour" on the creekside patio.  Bring your dog for happy hour.  10% of the proceeds will benefit the Foothills Animal Shelter.

6/27/11

Just a little forewarning:  get ready for a very busy weekend coming up in Golden.  We'll have a street fair Friday night, Farmers Market Saturday morning, SuperCruise Saturday night, and Monday is the Lions' 4th of July celebration from noon till dark, with free rides for kids and fireworks at dusk.

6/26/11

The German Heritage Festival makes visiting the Colorado Railroad Museum extra special today.  Not only will you be able to ride the No. 346 locomotive, but traditional German food and entertainment will also be on tap.  Crafts and games are scheduled for the children, and radio host Paul Donovan and the KYGO Street Posse will help celebrate from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m.  You might even win a prize!

6/25/11

It's Farmers Market time again!  Should be another beautiful day in Golden.  Head on down early and visit the wide variety of booths, socialize with your neighbors, and pick up some delicious produce.

6/24/11

Ken Waldman, Alaska's Fiddling Poet, is coming to Miners Alley Playhouse tonight, and he's bringing some of Colorado's finest musicians with him. Joining Ken will be Bounder County roots duo, Random Way, featuring Michael and Chris Woods, and Denver multi-instrumentalist Mark Brissenden. Ken Waldman shares poems, stories, and fiddles tunes and will give his band mates an opportunity to take off and do what they do best. He promises a Golden music party. The evening of variety will appeal to anyone who enjoys traditional music, exquisite singing, smart poetry, acclaimed storytelling, or Alaska.

6/23/11

Enjoy live jazz on Clear Creek tonight from 6-9!

6/22/11

There's a neighborhood planning meeting tonight for the Central Neighborhoods.  That term includes the East Street neighborhood and the area by the high school.  The result of this a few future meetings will be a neighborhood plan for future development.  The topics are likely to include commercial development in the area near the bowling area.  If you live in the area and have opinions, remember--decisions are made by those who show up.  6-8 PM at the Community Center.

6/21/11

The Post Secrets Exhibit at Foothills Art Center will close this weekend, so if you haven't seen it yet (or didn't allot enough time when you went), get to Foothills!  It's a fascinating exhibit. Foothills is hosting a lecture on Tuesday night at 6--The Power of Secrets: A Psychological Perspective. 

6/20/11

The Historic Preservation Board will be holding a study session tonight.

To help set the mood, enjoy this excerpt from a 1910 postcard of Golden.  Click on the image to enlarge.

6/19/11

Take Dad to a (free!) car show for Fathers Day.  The Rocky Mountain Corvette Club will be showing their cars at Heritage Square today.  The Mercedes Car Club of Denver will show their cars at the Briarwood Inn.

6/18/11

This should be a perfect summer Saturday in Golden.

The Farmers Market opens at 8.  Come get some fresh produce and bread, then take a free carriage ride through the 8th and 9th Street Historic District.

At 10, you could head over to the community garden (west of the community center, in the former city shops area) and watch a group of volunteers lay out the pattern for a labyrinth.

Alternatively at 10, you could participate in a .5K run that starts in Lions Park.  In case you're wondering, .5K is about 2-1/2 blocks.  This is a benefit for Ralston House, which provides children and teens with professional services to help them recover from sexual abuse.  The race will be followed by a pancake breakfast

The annual Summer Solstice Celebration will run from noon till six at the Golden City Brewery. 

Another Summer Solstice Celebration happens from 5-9 at the Clear Creek History Park.  Several blue grass and folk bands will perform and food and beer will be available for purchase.  This is a fund raiser for the Golden History Museums and is always fun.

All of these events take place within a few steps of Clear Creek, which is roaring with spring run-off right now.

6/17/11

This is the final weekend to see the current play at Miners Alley: Rose Colored Glass.

Come downtown tonight for live music at Pandoro bakery (700 12th Street) and on the sidewalk in front of Spirits in the Wind, the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, and Golden Sweets (1200 Block of Washington Avenue).

6/16/11

6/15/11

There will be lots of action on the Creek tonight, as the weekly community kayak rodeo continues.

There's also live music tonight at Read, Write, Brew and at the Briarwood Inn.

6/14/11

Mayor Jacob Smith made a surprising announcement last night:  he will not be running for re-election this fall.  Happily, Marjorie Sloan (currently the District One representative) has agreed to run for Mayor.

The Economic Development Commission will meet tonight.  Click here to review their meeting packet.

6/13/11

The Golden Urban Renewal Authority recently paid for the production of a new tourism video.  This will be shown at the Coors brewery, to encourage their 250,000 visitors/year to stay around and enjoy the rest of our fair city:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Chb2P1Rbpg4.

6/12/11

Lookout Mountain Nature Center is hosting a free Wildflower Festival today.  Many family activities include guided wildflower hikes, crafts, an informative wildflower talk, and a puppet show.  Native plants will be available for sale.

6/11/11

The Farmers Market is in full swing now with lots of food and local wares.  Make a morning of it and explore the many vendor booths, listen to live music, and enjoy a demonstration and project presented by a Master Gardener.  Park on 12th Street and stroll across the bridge for easy access!

6/10/11

The Golden Civic Foundation is hosting a Good News Golden Social at the American Mountaineering Center tonight.  Food and drinks will be available.  In addition to socializing and learning about the good news in Golden, attendees can meet Carol Chapman, the new executive director of the Foundation.

6/9/11

City Council will be discussing the hotly-contested subject of downtown noise levels.  They will hold a public hearing, so if you have a strong opinion on the subject, tonight is the time to voice it.  They will make some sort of policy decision tonight.

6/8/11

The Community Kayak Rodeo continues this afternoon, so come down and watch the action on Clear Creek! 

The library is hosting both a family story night and UFO (Unfinished Objects, the crafts night) tonight at 6:30.

6/7/11

A women's golf clinic starts tonight at 6, at Fossil Trace, and a women's climbing club starts at 7 at the Community Center.

Those looking for a co-ed and family option might want to join the cornhole league at Lions Park at 6.  Bring a picnic!

6/6/11

A five-day rock climbing class for youth ages 11-15 starts this morning at the American Mountaineering Center.  Monday and Tuesday will be spent on the indoor climbing wall.  Wednesday through Friday will be outdoor climbs. 

Well-known Wilderness advocate Rupert Cutler will be speaking tonight at the Mountaineering Center.

See the calendar below for more details on both events.

6/5/11

The Buffalo Bill Museum is holding their annual commemoration of Buffalo Bill's life and burial.  This was a huge deal in Golden when it happened in 1917, with more than 15,000 people attending.  The Masonic lodge conducted the ceremony, and since they are celebrating their 150th anniversary in Colorado this year, Masons from all over the state are coming to recreate the procession.  The Denver Mounted Patrol and Buffalo Bill Saddle Club will also help celebrate the renowned horseman.

Buffalo Bill's funeral procession on Lariat Loop Road in 1917

The Quilt Museum is hosting best-selling author Sandra Dallas this afternoon at 2.  She'll be reading from and discussing her latest book, The Bride's House, which is set in Georgetown.

6/4/11

Lots of things going on in town today:

• Farmers Market from 8-1.
• Super Cruise this afternoon/evening on South Golden Road.
• A guided tour on the Triceratops Trail, starting at Highway 6 and 19th Street.
• A presentation about mountain lions at the nature center.
• Train rides at the Railroad Museum.
• The library's Whale of a Used Book Sale, at the Jeffco Fairgrounds.

6/3/11

Come downtown for the First Friday Street Fair tonight.  Several Golden restaurants will be selling $3 "tastes" and Coors products will be available, as well as soft drinks.  It's a fun, easy, and cheap way to handle Friday night dinner! As always, there will be live music, free carriage rides, and lots of opportunity to hang out with your friends and neighbors.   Archive of Daily Updates

6/2/11

Don't even consider leaving town this weekend:  you'd miss too much.  The first First Friday Street Fair of the summer is tomorrow night.  In addition to the food & entertainment on Washington Avenue, the Golden History Museum is opening a new exhibit and offering free admission from 6-8 PM.

Saturday morning there's a 5K run at Heritage Square and the first Farmer's Market of the season!  Saturday night is the Golden SuperCruise.

6/1/11

School's out for the summer!  Visit the Golden Library soon to register for the Summer Reading Club which starts today.  Many interesting programs are being offered in conjunction with the reading club over the next couple of months.  Participating readers will also be eligible for prizes and can earn a free book!

5/31/11

The monthly Golden bike cruise will take place tonight.  People will start meeting at Woody's Pizza (1305 Washington) at 5:30.  The bike ride starts at 7.

5/30/11

There will be a Memorial Day service in the Golden Cemetery at 11 this morning.

Heritage Square is in great shape this year--fresh paint, many new stores, lots of new rides and amusements.  Make a point of visiting this summer.

5/29/11

The Foothills Running and Cycling Club meets at 9 this morning at Clear Creek History Park.  Today is a cycling day!

If you don't want to cycle in a group (or don't want to get going that early) but a bike ride still sounds good, check the City's Bicycling brochure.  It suggests three good routes through town:  Historic Golden, the North Loop, and the South Loop.

5/28/11

The Foothills Running and Cycling Club will meet at Clear Creek History Park this morning.  Runners and walkers alike are invited.

The Railroad Museum is offering rides around the museum grounds today.

5/27/11

It may still be a bit chilly, but this is Memorial Day weekend, so it is the official start of the summer season.  The City's waterpark, The Splash, opens Saturday morning at 10 AM.  If that seems a little too bracing, consider some hiking or biking on one of the trails around town or a picnic in one of the City parks.

5/26/11

The Denver Post sponsors a group of bloggers called the Mile High Mamas.  One of them recently wrote a good article about things to do in Golden.  The article ends with a link to a contest page where you can enter to win tickets to all sorts of Golden experiences.  Go ahead--enter!

5/25/11

The Golden Community Kayak Rodeo continues tonight, from 5:30 till dusk.  Take a walk along the creek and watch the competitors!

5/24/11

CANCELLED!  The Foothills Running and Cycling and Club will meet at the Bell Middle School track for workouts starting at 5:45.

The Tuesday Night Book Group will be discussing The Help at the Library.

5/23/11

The high school seniors graduated this past Saturday, but the rest of the students in town aren't done yet.  This is the last full week of classes in the public schools.  They would have finished this week, but because they used some snow days this year, they'll have to come back for one more day next week.

The first of two summer sessions has already been in progress for a week at the School of Mines.

5/22/11

The Front Range Cycling Club will meet at 9 AM today at the Clear Creek History Park for a group ride.  They typically cycle for 2-3 hours, and all are welcome to attend.

A few other suggestions for things to do:

• The Colorado Railroad Museum is open today from 9 - 5.
• The Buffalo Bill Museum is open 9 - 4.
• Foothills Art Center is open 1 - 5.
• The Dinosaur Ridge Visitors Center is open 9 - 5.
• Miners Alley has a performance of Rose Colored Glass at 6 PM.
• Heritage Square Music Hall will give the final performance of Buffalo Bill & Annie Oakley today at 2 PM.

5/21/11

If the cold, wet weather has been frustrating your gardening impulses, today's the day to give in to them.  The city is hosting the "Greener Golden" kickoff at the former site of the city shops, at the west end of 10th Street.  Those who pre-ordered xeric gardens-in-a-box can pick them up, along with any water-wise irrigation equipment they may have pre-ordered.  For those who didn't pre-order, some xeric plants will still be available, as well as water-wise irrigation.  While you're there, you can pick up some free mulch and tour the community garden.

The Golden Gardeners Club will be holding their annual plant sale Saturday morning at 12th and Washington.  The club members sell plants from their own gardens--they're great plants, great prices, and they do well in Golden's climate!

5/20/11

Congratulations to the Golden High School class of 2011!  Graduation is Saturday morning at 9 AM at the North Area Athletic Complex.

Kudos to GHS Senior Margaret Blaha, the subject of this week's cover story in the Golden Transcript!

5/19/11

Are you familiar with Post Secret?  It's an ongoing community art project where people mail in secrets on handmade postcards.  View the project at www.postsecret.com.  The man who started the project compiled some of the secrets & artwork into a book, PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives.  The book and website are wildly popular.  The author, Frank Warren is coming to Golden this Saturday and will be speaking at Foothills Art Center, at 1 PM.

Today only, Foothills is offering a special price admission price.  Check the Local Business News blog for the details!

5/17/11

Our State Representative, Max Tyler, will host a town hall meeting tonight, to review the legislative session that just finished.  That will be in the City Council chamber from 6 - 7:30.

5/16/11

The Golden Civic Foundation would like you to reserve June 10th from 5 - 8 to attend their Good News Social.  The Civic Foundation is a privately-funded organization that provides grants to most of the non-profits in town, including the museums, the schools, symphony, choir, theater, etc.  Learn more about them at their website:  www.goldencivicfoundation.org.

Learn more... 

5/15/11

The Quilt Museum is holding their final "Sunday at the Museum" program for the season today.  To complement their current Fiber Art Innovations exhibit, they'll have a show of wearable fiber art.

If you were put off by Saturday's cold, rainy weather, consider going to the Railroad Museum today instead.  They'll have the old engine running & giving rides again today!

5/14/11

The Railroad Museum is having a steam-up today.  This means they'll be firing up one of their antique engines and using it to give rides around the museum grounds.

Tonight, the Golden Community Choir will be performing along with the Loveland Orchestra.  The performance will be preceded by a cafe and silent auction.  Should be fun!

5/13/11

Congratulations to this morning's Colorado School of Mines graduates:  that's a huge accomplishment!

To those visiting town for the graduation:  if you have a little extra time while in Golden, we can suggest some Places to Go and Things to Do!

5/12/11

The Golden Hotel's Bridgewater Grill offers live music tonight.  This will go on all summer, every Thursday night!

Golden High School will present their spring pops concert tonight.

City Council meets tonight.  They will be presenting several neighborhood grants.  The hot topic of the night, which includes a public hearing, will be medical marijuana clinics--whether we'll allow more, if so, where they would be allowed, etc.  See the agenda for more information.

5/11/11

In case you've been wondering about the numbers that have replaced the M on Mount Zion for the past week...that's the countdown to the end of the semester for the Colorado School of Mines.  On Friday morning, they'll be graduating 672 students!

Golden High School's graduation is a little more than a week away--Saturday morning May 21st.

5/10/11

The Economic Development Commission will meet tonight at 6:30.  They will discuss the summer advertising campaign, which includes radio spots on ALICE (105.9), MIX (100.3) KBCO (97.3), KOSI (101.1) and Fox (103.5).  Tourism provides significant revenue in this City!

The Commission will also discuss attraction and retention of primary employers and possible redevelopment work to be conducted along West Colfax.

5/9/11

The Golden Urban Renewal Authority is meeting tonight at 6:30.  They will be considering several funding requests:  Peak Cycle wants help to buy a sign.  The Bent Gate seeks an energy efficiency grant to install different light.  The owners of the Armory Building want help in replacing the wheelchair ramp on the west side of the building.

5/8/11

The Lookout Mountain Nature Center is holding its annual Mothers Day Wildflower Hike today. We don't always have good weather for this event, but today should be great--sunny and 70's! There will be one hike at 11 and another at 1:30.

In case you were interested in last night's Jefferson Symphony performance of Ode to Joy, you're in luck--they're repeating it today at 3!

5/7/11

Tonight is the first official Super Cruise, so drive along South Golden Road this afternoon or come downtown tonight to see a LOT of great classic cars!

Miners Alley is opening a new play this weekend:  Rose Colored Glass.  Performances are tonight at 7:30 and tomorrow night at 6.

The Jefferson Symphony will be performing Ode to Joy (a fantastic piece!) tonight at 7, at the Green Center on the School of Mines campus.

5/6/11

Big night downtown tonight!  We're having a First Friday celebration--not a street fair, but there's plenty of action scheduled.  In addition to the usual carriage rides, live music, artist visits, and wine-tasting, we'll have a ribbon cutting and a museum exhibit opening. 

The Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum is opening a new exhibit tonight:  "Frontiers: Colorado Inspirations and Fiber Art Innovations by the Front Range Contemporary Quilters."  They are having a reception from 4-7, and admission is FREE! Click on the flyer to the left to see the rest of the events. The evening will end with a bang, and the School of Mines will have their belated E-Days fireworks show.  The fireworks will begin at about 9 PM.

5/5/11

Tonight, from 4-7, is the Ladies Only Sample Tour.  Most of the tickets have been sold, but if you're still hoping to get one, call the Visitors Center at 303-279-3113 to find places that might still have them.  If you're going, start by picking up a map of the participating merchants at 12th & Washington.

Don't worry--you can be finished in time to watch the City Council study session at 7.  (You were worried about that, weren't you?)  They will be discussing the Historic Preservation Board's current work plan and the economic development possibilities along West Colfax.

5/4/11

Leadership Golden is now accepting applications for its 2011-2012 class.

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, or to apply for a spot in the class....

5/2/11

This Sunday will be Mothers Day.  If you want to be a good son or daughter and do something good for the environment at the same time, buy her a Garden-in-a-Box.  These are complete gardens, with a planting guide, and all of the plants are xeric (drought-tolerant).  The City is sponsoring this program, buying in bulk and enabling us to get high quality plants at a very good price.  This year they're also selling low-water irrigation systems and even providing local contractors who will do the planting for you!  Click on the image below to order your garden.

5/1/11

Starting today, May 1st, we're going to dedicate part of this page to our Golden businesses.  We should all make an effort to spend our money right here in Golden. Here are two good reasons why:

1. Shopping in Golden keeps your sales tax dollars in Golden. Every purchase you make preserves our history and provides funding for all the amenities we enjoy in Golden, such as walking trails, pedestrian bridges, museums, and parks.
    
2. It's better for the environment. Why waste time and gas driving somewhere else?

We make it easy to tell what's "local," by providing the shopping, services, lodging, and dining guides above. Now we're going to sweeten the pot by telling you about Golden-based deals and special events!

4/30/11

GOLDEN PRIDE DAYS IS THIS WEEKEND, SO GET RID OF YOUR EXCESS STUFF! See p. 6 of the April Informer for the details. Local author David Wann will be signing books this morning at Read Write & Brew. There's a class on photo transferring at 1 PM, at Foothills Art Center. The Library is offering a program this afternoon on household energy savings.  You'll walk out with a free compact fluorescent light! Acoustic Alley is presenting Wendy Woo tonight in the Miners Alley Playhouse.

4/29/11

Foothills Art Center is hosting the opening reception tonight at 6:30 for two new shows: Post Secret and INTENTION;  The Nude.   Acoustic Alley is presenting Loose Cannon Bluegrass tonight in the Miners Alley Playhouse.

4/28/11

Lots of interesting things happening in town tonight:

• A cake and cookie decorating class for teens at the library at 4.
• The ever-popular Powers-Rucker Quintet playing jazz at the Golden Hotel, starting at 6.
• An intense-sounding training session at Pedal Pushers at 6:30.
• A presentation at the Mountaineering Center about backpacking gear and skills at 7.
• A performance by the high school's award-winning percussion ensemble and drum line at 7.
• A City Council meeting (admittedly not everyone would call that "interesting," but a small and deeply disturbed group of us do).

Details for all appear in the calendar.

4/27/11

4/26/11

The Golden Library's Tuesday Night Book Group will be discussing Olive Kitteridge tonight.

The Sons of the Burbs are playing tonight at Noa-Noa Coffee Shop.

4/25/11

There will be a GURA meeting tonight in the City Council chambers.  To see the topics of discussion check their website.

4/24/11

4/23/11 The School of Mines of hosting a triathlon this morning.  The public is invited to either watch or participate.  If nothing else, it's a chance to see the inside of their gorgeous new recreation center!

Golden Family Easter happens today--one of our most charming community events.  The Kiwanis, the high school and CSM Key Clubs, and the Downtown Merchants put out thousands of plastic Easter eggs containing candy and certificates good for prizes.  Meet at Parfet Park before 10, because if you're late, you'll miss it!  Afterwards, stroll up and down the Avenue with the kids, enjoying special treats and prizes in the stores and restaurants. Heritage Square is also hosting an Easter egg hunt this morning, with different starting times for different ages groups (see the calendar below for the details).

4/22/11

Golden is fortunate to have one of the best theaters in the Denver metro area--Miners Alley--and the current (but soon to close) show, Fiction, is one of the best they've ever offered. The set is gorgeous, the acting is shear perfection, and the show is engaging and captivating. WHY HAVEN'T YOU GONE TO SEE IT? The Post has given it three stars. If you love theater, if you enjoy superb acting in an intimate setting where you actually see the facial expressions on the actor’s faces, you don’t want to miss Fiction.  AND YOU WILL, IF YOU DON'T MOVE ON IT NOW!  This weekend is your last chance.  Tonight's and tomorrow night's performances are at 7;30 and Sunday's is a 2 PM matinee.  You can buy tickets online or at the box office. If we want Miners Alley to stay in business (AND WE DO) we need to actually attend their plays, not just admire them in theory...so gather your friends and go see a play this weekend.  You'll have fun!

4/21/11

The Mountaineering Museum has a new photography exhibit:  "Colorado's Forests in Focus," which shows roadless areas in our seven national forests.  Attend their Thirsty Third Thursday tonight, and you can see the exhibit while enjoying Boulder Beer and live music.  Following that, there's a presentation on fly fishing, also at the Mountaineering Center.

City Council has a study session tonight.  The main topic (one hour) is the Public Works Director, Dan Hartman, discussing street maintenance.  The Planning Director, Steve Glueck, will then give a brief intro to this year's neighborhood planning work.

4/20/11

Wendy Goins of the Golden Bodyworker was recently named Woman of the Year by the National Association of Professional Women. That honor coincides with an expansion of her business, so she's hosting a party to celebrate both! Come to the Golden Bodyworker offices today between 4:30 and 6:30 for food, prizes, chair massages, and a live Hawaiian band.

4/17/11

4/16/11

4/15/11

4/14/11

Get set for an action-packed Thursday night in Golden:

• The Powers-Rucker Quintet will be playing jazz at the Golden Hotel.
• National Geographic's "Adventurer of the Year" will be describing his journey through Alaska and the Yukon Territory at the Mountaineering Center.
• The Briarwood is hosting a murder mystery dinner.
• There's a City Council meeting, including a public hearing on the Clear Creek Corridor Master Plan.

4/13/11

4/12/11

There's a class tonight at the community center on xeriscaping.  In case you're unfamiliar with the term, it means building gardens that require minimal water. If you want to skip the learning part and just have someone pick out the perfect plants for you, order a xeric garden-in-a-box.  For several years now, the City has been partnering with the Center for Resource Conservation to offer low-cost, low-water consumption gardens.  Each garden-in-a-box contains the plants and a planting guide.  The plants are chosen for their great colors and great performance in Golden's climate, and the gardens do well here.  Order now and your garden will be available for pickup in Golden on May 21st.

4/11/11 What will the kids be doing this summer?  Check our Youth Programs page to see the summer camps offered by the Clear Creek History Park, the Quilt Museum, the Golden Community Center, and Foothills Art Center.

4/10/11

Street sweeping starts tomorrow so watch for the signs near your neighborhood indicating when your particular area will be serviced.  The City asks that you sweep your sidewalks clean of any sand into the street and park your vehicle in the driveway.  Sweeping will begin in north Golden and continue to the south as weather permits.

4/9/11 It's spring, and the flowers are beginning to pop out of the ground.  Take a walk around Golden and see what's blooming!

4/7/11 Steve Friesen, the Executive Director of the Buffalo Bill Museum on Lookout Mountain, has written a book:  Buffalo Bill: Scout, Showman, Visionary.  It's well-written and interesting, with lots of photos.  Steve will be speaking at the Golden History Center today at 5:30.  The topic is "Buffalo Bill Cody in Golden," for he did indeed spend quite a bit of time here in Golden.  Should be an interesting talk!

4/6/11

You don't have to spend money to be fit & limber.  Here are some free options:

1. There's a free yoga class at the Unitarian Church today at 11.
2. There's a free Pilates class for high school students at Golden Pilates at 3.
3. Golden has an extensive network of bike trails and walking/hiking trails, plus open space and parks.

4/5/11

Golden is gaining a reputation for its high-end consignment stores. Rewind, at 13th and Arapahoe, was recently named "Best Consignment Store" by Westword. That store specializes in furniture, art, and household items.

Another popular consignment store is "The Clothes Mine." This store did so well at 14th and Washington that they're moving to a higher-traffic location at 1205 Washington Avenue. To celebrate the new digs, the Chamber is hosting a relocation ribbon cutting tonight from 4-6. Stop by, enjoy some refreshments, admire the stock, and celebrate the store's success! 10% off all purchases during the celebration.

Finally (as long as we're on the subject) if you are a consignment store fan, check out Zen and Now, which operates out of 1111 Washington Avenue.

4/4/11 The April edition of the city's newsletter, The Golden Informer, is available online.  Among other topics, it includes useful information about the spring pick-up dates for yard waste and the dates and details for this year's Golden Pride Days (annual clean-up time, with extra waste removal services provided by the city). Tonight's Historic Preservation Board meeting has been canceled.

4/3/11 There will be a an interesting show this afternoon at the Unitarian Church on 32nd in Applewood. Susan Marie Frontczak will present a one-woman stage show called "Eleanor Roosevelt - in War and Peace."

4/2/11

For those who can't wait until the Golden Super Cruise officially starts for the year next month, there will be an unofficial cruise tonight (Saturday).  Just show up on South Golden Road with your cool car!

Westword has published their annual "Best of" awards, and Golden did well this year:

• Best Consignment Store - Rewind

• Best Arepa - Empanada Express

• Best Community Orchestra -  Jefferson Symphony

• Best Ensemble - The cast of Art at Miners Alley

4/1/11

Today is First Friday!  The evening should be pleasant, and many activities are planned as usual.  If you haven't experienced a horse-drawn carriage ride, they start on 12th Street next to the Old Capitol Grill and are free!  It's a wonderful way to enjoy the downtown.  Golden's First Friday flyer lists participating merchants and the scheduled events.

3/31/11

The American Mountaineering Museum is worth a visit even if you aren't a mountain climber.  The displays and interactive exhibits are educational and engaging. The model of Mount Everest is amazing.

The Museum hosts changing exhibits as well, and acrylic paintings by Jesse Crock are currently on display.  Crock is based in Colorado and shares his love of the outdoors vividly.

3/30/11

The Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum is nationally known and is run by locals who are passionate about quilting.  The quilts on display are gorgeous and impressive.  Who knew whole scenes could be sewn onto a fabric canvas!  They are true works of art.

People of a certain age will remember the war effort at home during World War II.  Now on display at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum are quilts lovingly made during that time period for the boys far away from home.

3/29/11

The Foothills Art Center is hosting the Colorado Watercolor Society's 20th annual state juried exhibition.  Approximately 80 paintings are on display.  All of the artists are from Colorado!

Also on display in the Community Gallery is a sampling of Charles Lovett's many paintings spanning several decades.  He was a member of the Colorado Watercolor Society and won an award in the 2009 Rocky Mountain National Watermedia exhibition.

3/28/11

Many thanks to the brave firefighters who did a terrific job of containing the Indian Gulch Fire.

This week is Spring Break for Jefferson County Public Schools.  The Community Center is open.  The Foothills Art Center has camp all week.  Storytimes are happening at the library.  A variety of interesting exhibits are on display at the Golden museums. 

3/27/11

International Young Artists Competition winner Sungpil Kim will be performing at the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra's Spring Concert this afternoon at the Green Center on the Colorado School of Mines campus.  He will be performing Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11.

3/26/11

Jefferson County requires that all residents license their dogs.  The Foothills Animal Shelter is offering a pet licensing clinic this afternoon.  They will also vaccinate and microchip cats and dogs.  Check out the new facility at 580 McIntyre Street!

3/25/11

This might be a good weekend to see a play.

Miners Alley Playhouse - Fiction
Heritage Square Music Hall Children's Theater - Billy the Kid
Heritage Square Music Hall - Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley

3/24/11

The American Mountaineering Center is toying with us this month, holding their Thirsty Third Thursday on the FOURTH Thursday of the month. Head on down for live music, beer, and a look around the museum.

Dave Powers (who took three of the four images in today’s header) will be playing jazz at the Golden Hotel tonight, along with his quintet.

3/23/11

Golden resident Jeff Warner has posted some amazing photographs of the fire:  http://jeffwarnerphoto.blogspot.com/.

3/22/11

Two of our coffee shops are featuring live music tonight:  Noa Noa is hosting Sons of the Burbs, and Read Write Brew will have Kristen Meyers.

3/21/11

• 4PM - Denver Post: Golden Gate Canyon residents evacuating
• 9News Report with good footage shot from a helicoptor
• Denver Post:  Golden Fire Grows to 700 Acres
• Denver Post:  Wildfire near Golden calms but remains threat to nearby homes
• 9News:  Indian Gulch Fire near Golden passes 700 acres, 15 percent contained
• Channel 7 News:  Fire Near Golden Grows To 700 Acres
• City of Golden Update
• Jefferson County Update

Councilor Bill Fisher's Photos of the Fire

3/20/11 part 2 - Fire on Mount Galbraith

Sunday 10 PM - According to 9News, The firefighters on the Mount Galbraith blaze have quit for the night and plan to resume work at 5 AM Monday morning.

News Stories:

• www.9news.com/news/article/188604/339/Indian-Gulch-Fire-grows-to-550-acres
• www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_17658845
• www.thedenverchannel.com/news/27255474/detail.html

3/20/11

Do you ever stop to admire the mural on the side of the old Foss Drug building?  The side panels show notable people from Golden's past, including Buffalo Bill, Adolf and Louisa Coors, and Bishop Randall, who founded the School of Mines.  The long central panel is particularly interesting:  it depicts downtown Golden as it looked in 1913--the year Foss Drug was founded.  The streets were dirt, the sidewalks were wooden, and we had trolley service downtown, but most of the same buildings were there.

A section of the mural on the Foss Building at 13th and Washington

3/19/11

The Mountain Fest happens today at the American Mountaineering Center. They'll have a rock climbing competition and several outdoor skills clinics, ending with a happy hour and live music.

3/18/11

Foothills Art Center is hosting a reception tonight to celebrate the opening of the Colorado Watercolor Society State Exhibition.

3/17/11

There's a fly fishing presentation tonight at the American Mountaineering Center, followed by a discussion of fly fishing mayflies.  Bring your friends and fishing buddies and get fired up for spring!

3/16/11

The Golden Library has a great storytime program. Librarians who know and love children's literature lead the sessions, which are designed for specific age groups.  If you have little ones, bring them to the story time for their age group.  You'll both (or all) enjoy it.  It's free!

3/15/11

The Bonfils Bloodmobile will be at the library today.  Make an appointment to give blood by calling Call 303-363-2300, or online at www.bonfils.org. 

The Parks and Recreation Board will probably give their final approval to the Clear Creek Master Plan tonight.

3/14/11

The Golden Urban Renewal Authority meets tonight.  Their focus for the past twenty years has been the historic downtown.  If you were here in the late 1980s, you'll appreciate how well they've done in reviving downtown. They are now studying other sections of Golden that might benefit from urban renewal assistance. 

3/13/11

Did you remember to reset your clocks? If you're feeling spring-deprived, here's something you can do while you wait:  order your xeric garden-in-a-box.  For several years now, the City has been partnering with the Center for Resource Conservation to offer low-cost, low-water consumption gardens.  Each garden-in-a-box contains the plants and a planting guide.  The plants are chosen for their great colors and great performance in Golden's climate, and the gardens do well here.  Order now and your garden will be available for pickup in Golden on May 21st.

3/12/11

Foothills Animal Shelter is offering a drop-in clinic today from 2-4.  They will provide dogs with low-cost licenses, vaccines, and microchips.  Learn more... Foothills Art Center is offering a watercolor painting class at 10 and a surrealism painting class at 1. The Railroad Museum is holding one of their SCFD Free Admission days today! For some of the participating restaurants, tonight is the final night of 5280 week.  Others are offering it through tomorrow, so if that's a deciding factor for you, call before you go. thebriarwoodinn.com thegoldenhotel.com/food-drink/bridgewater-grill grappabistro.com/ www.tablemountaininn.com

3/11/11

The City is looking for public input on the next version of our comprehensive plan.  This document is the end result of the two-year-long 2030 Vision process.  If you have a long-term interest in how Golden will evolve, you'll want to weigh in on this document. Several Golden restaurants are participating in 5480 Restaurant Week.  This is an annual deal where restaurants offer special menus for a fixed price of $52.80 for a party of two (or $26.40 for one!).  They come up with some really good and interesting dinners at a good price.  Restaurant Week ends on Sunday night, so try to hit one of these this weekend: thebriarwoodinn.com thegoldenhotel.com/food-drink/bridgewater-grill grappabistro.com/ www.tablemountaininn.com

3/10/11

The Golden History Center is doing some interesting restoration work.  In preparation for an upcoming music-themed exhibit they're having several of their old instruments restored, including a player piano, a melodeon, and a pump organ.  The craftsman doing the work will be in the museum every Wednesday and Thursday this spring.  Read more about the project on their blog.  Stop by the museum today to see the restoration happening.
The Mountaineering Center has a free program tonight at 6:30 called "Mountain Lions Live in Golden." City Council meets tonight.  During the business meeting they will be approving a $43,150 contract for architectural work on the public works/planning offices and choosing a new member for the sustainability board.  During the study session they will review the Clear Creek Corridor master plan, interview applicants for the planning commission, discuss acceptable noise levels for outdoor music downtown, and discuss easements needed to extend the Clear Creek paths on the south side of the creek through CSM land.  See the agenda.

3/9/11

After a two month hiatus, UFOs (Unfinished Objects) is back at the library tonight.  This is an open crafts session, where people bring whatever they're working on and enjoy the company and seeing each other's projects.  The library provides refreshments.

3/8/11

The Economic Development Commission is meeting tonight.  Their meeting agenda is available at www.cityofgolden.net/Agendas.asp?AMID=1156.  For more detail, check the meeting packet.

3/7/11

Help!  I would like your opinion on a couple of changes I'm considering for GOLDEN.COM.  Please take a minute to fill out my survey.  Really--it will take you less than a minute.  (3/20/11 - Survey is no longer active.)

Thank you!
Barb Warden
Webmaster, GOLDEN.COM

3/6/11

There's a Sunday Afternoon at the Museum program at the Quilt Museum.  Sue Reich will be discussing the topic of their current exhibit "Over Here: The Quilts that got U.S. through World War II."  It's a great exhibit and the talk should be of interest to both quilt enthusiasts and World War II buffs.

3/5/11

• Foothills Art Center is offering a digital photography class this morning at 10.  This is also the last week to visit their Habitat show, since it's over on March 13th.
• The Colorado Railroad Museum is offering train rides around the museum grounds today, included with a regular admission ticket.
• Miners Alley is hosting a concert tonight.  Travis Stevens is a classical guitarist who will play a variety of music, ranging from rockabilly and folk music to classical and original songs.

3/4/11 There's a First Friday tonight, so come down for a free carriage ride between 5 and 7.  There will be a visiting artist at Spirits in the Wind, discussing Navaho textiles; free live music at Pandoro's bakery, and special menu at Windy Saddle Cafe.  Baby Doe's is offering 60% off Wooly Bully Fleece tonight, and Avenue Gifts will offer a 20% discount on any purchases made tonight between 5 and 8. Acoustic Eidolon is in concert tonight at Miners Alley, hosted by Acoustic Alley.

3/3/11 The Foothills Animal Shelter is now offering dog training classes, and the first two are starting tonight.  Puppy training, for 4-8 month-olds, starts at 6.  For pups who have already graduated from puppy school, basic Obedience for Dogs starts at 7. City Council is meeting tonight and among other things they'll be discussing backyard chickens and beehives.

3/2/11

A tax expert will be speaking at the library tonight at 6, going over the changes you need to know for your 2010 tax returns.  Bring your questions!

3/1/11

We made it!  It's March!  Of course, statistically it's our snowiest month, but still, we're on the way to spring.

After a two month hiatus, the library will resume the Intercambio program tonight.  This is a chance to practice your conversational Spanish (or English). 

2/28/11

The big public meetings about the Clear Creek Corridor master plan are over now, but if you'd like to see the close-to-completed plan, attend the Parks & Recreation board meeting on Tuesday evening at 7 pm at the Golden Community Center. http://www.clearcreekplan.net/about

2/27/11

The final performances for both Miners Alley's Don't Dress for Dinner and Heritage Square's Loud--this is It are today at 2 pm.  Incidentally, Heritage Square's next play starts next weekend and is called Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley.

The Powers Rucker Quintet is playing tonight at the Bridgewater Grill in the Golden Hotel.  Really good jazz!

2/26/11

2/25/11

Windy Saddle Cafe will be open for dinner tonight and tomorrow night.  They're featuring "Stews and Brews" this weekend, offering both a vegetarian and a beef stew.  They also offer a number of interesting beers.  They'll have live music both nights.  Until quite recently Windy Saddle was open only for breakfast and lunch, so many Golden people who work out of the city have never been there.  Now's your chance!  It's a beautiful place and their food is excellent.  Visit their website to learn more. AOL Travel recently posted a good travel video about Golden.  Watch it!  It will make you want to go...well, right here!

2/24/11

Thursday - Tonight will be a big night at City Council:  they'll be hearing public comment and making a decision on our next moves regarding the beltway.  Expect a standing-room only crowd.  If you want to submit your comments but can't make the meeting, use the e-comment form on the city website.

If you're feeling conflict averse, just go listen to jazz in the bar at the Golden Hotel.  The Powers-Rucker Quintet will be playing from 6-9.

2/23/11

It's movie night at the Buffalo Rose, but they haven't posted what they're showing.  If you're interested, give them a call or take a chance and just show up!  8 PM, 2 drink minimum, no admission.

2/22/11

GOLDEN.COM (yes, that's us!) will be hosting a "Business After Hours" this evening from 5-7 pm at the Windy Saddle Cafe (1110 Washington, right under the arch).  If you enjoy this website we'd love to meet you, so please stop by!  We're supplying appetizers and iced tea.  Windy Saddle will also be offering a cash bar.

There will be a drawing and some lucky attendee will win One Enchanted Evening in Golden, which includes a private carriage ride, dinner at the Windy Saddle, and a night at Pansy's Parlor Bed and Breakfast.

We'll hope to see you there!

2/21/11

Attention all you geologists, archeologists, and paleontologists (and we know your numbers are legion in this town):  The Arthur Lakes Library and the Geology Museum on the School of Mines Campus are both starting their annual book sales today.  In addition, the Mining History Archive is holding an open house from 10 till noon, so that should draw in the mining history fans as well.  Don't miss this once a year opportunity to stock your bookshelves and brush up on mining arcana.

2/20/11

2/16/11

The Golden History Center has an exceptionally interesting exhibit right now, called "Show and Tell."  If it's been a while since you visited, you may remember a lot of emphasis on pioneer-era artifacts.  The pioneer collection is still there, but this new exhibit focuses more on the 20th century, and includes some interesting commercial art, among other things.  Remember the giant neon sign that used to hang on the Foss Drug store?  You can visit it at the museum.  Did you know that the Jolly Rancher candy company got its start in Golden, in a store located right under the Welcome arch?  Lots of good Jolly Rancher stuff on display too.

They're also showcasing some of their historic photos right now, and if you see some you like, you can purchase copies & hang them in your own home or business.

2/15/11

Tuesday is a big day for service club meetings in Golden.  The Optimists and Rotary meet Tuesday mornings and the Kiwanis meet in the evening.  Services clubs in many parts of the country (and the world) are not thriving as they once were.  In this, as in so many other things, Golden is an exception.  In our small-town culture, with the high value we place on volunteerism and civic involvement, the Rotary, Optimists, Kiwanis, and Lions clubs thrive, and make huge contributions to our quality of life.  Check out their websites to learn more about any of the clubs, and what they do for the Golden community.

• www.rotaryclubofgolden.org
• www.goldenkiwanis.org
• www.goldenoptimists.org
• www.goldenlionsclub.org

2/14/11

The Powers-Rucker Quintet are playing tonight at the Bridgewater Grill (in the Golden Hotel).  Come hear them play jazz, standards, Latin music, and ballads, and you'll see why they've developed such a devoted local following.  The restaurant is offering a special menu for Valentines Day, and it all sounds scrumptious!

2/13/11

The forecast calls for a high of 55 today.  It's been a while since we've had a day that warm, so get out and enjoy it if you can.  Stock up on vitamin D.  And UV rays.

The Quilt Museum has a guest lecturer today, talking about transferring images (even photographs) to fabric.

This is your LAST day to stock up on romance novels at the Golden Library's book sale.

2/12/11

2/11/11

7 Valentines Date suggestions:

1. See a play:  Don't Dress for Dinner at Miners Alley or Loud, This is It at Heritage Square.
2. Take a walk.  Golden has many walking/hiking trails, all with great views.
3. Go out for dinner/coffee/a drink.
4. Go on a bike ride.  We have miles of bike trails.
5. Take the Coors Tour:  the tour is free and you get free beer!
6. Go bowling.  The Golden Bowl is a classic, and their alleys are in good shape.
7. Visit one or more museums:  Foothills Art Center, the Golden History Museums, the Quilt Museum, the Railroad Museum, the Buffalo Bill Museum, or the Mountaineering Museum.

2/10/11

Thursday - City Council meets tonight, starting at 7.  They will have a regular business meeting (public comments allowed), followed by a study session.  The business meeting will include several awards: 

• Carol Christiansen will be proclaimed this year's Golden Cultural Alliance "Sweetheart."  That title is given to an extraordinary volunteer every year. 
• Dan Hartman will receive an award from the American Public Works Association. 
• Several past board and commission members will receive certificates thanking them for their service. 
• One citizen will be appointed to serve on the RTD West Corrodor Contingency Committee.

The study session will begin after the regular business meeting.  Golden-based o2 Group will be presenting preliminary design options for the new city website.  This will be followed by a discussion of Community Solar Gardens and a discussion as to whether the city should offer a warranty program to cover privately-owned water and wastewater lines.

2/9/11

The final two city-hosted meetings about the beltway are being held today.  The afternoon session is at 1, at City Hall.  The evening session is at 6:30 at Mitchell Elementary.

On a lighter note, the Buffalo Rose is showing The Blues Brothers tonight at 8 PM.

2/8/11

Last night's Scrambowl was fun and it raised a lot of money to help pay for the holiday lights along South Golden Road.  Looking forward to next year!

The Economic Development Commission will meet tonight.  Click here to view their meeting packet.

2/7/11

The annual Scrambowl is happening tonight at the Golden Bowl.  This is a fund-raiser to pay for the holiday lights along South Golden Road.  The bowling slots are all filled up, but come down to watch and eat dinner.  Food tickets are only $5 and they get a huge spread of food, so come have an inexpensive dinner and hang out with friends.

2/6/11

For those who are planning to watch the game, our restaurants would love to provide take-out, and most of our bars will be showing the game.

2/5/11 The Golden Library's annual Sweetheart Book Sale starts today and runs for one week.  Used romance novels are for sale at 25 cents apiece or 5 for $1.  This is the best week of the year to stock up on romance novels...not that any of us read them. 2/4/11

The cold snap is over, and a balmy high in the mid-40s is predicted today...so get out of the house and come downtown for First Friday!  Several of the stores have winter clearance sales going on, and some of the restaurants have live music planned, including the new bakery, Pandoros.  There will also be free carriage rides.  The big event of the night is the opening reception for the new exhibit at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum.  They're featuring a collection of quilts from World War II.  If you've never been to the Quilt Museum this would be a great night to go, because admission is free! Check the First Friday Flyer to see the rest of the action, and see our write-up in Mile High on the Cheap.

2/3/11

Tonight's City Council study session will be held at Fossil Trace, rather than City Hall.  They will be discussing strategic plans for The Splash and off-season operations at Fossil Trace.

2/2/11

• Beginning/Intermediate Drawing  at 10 AM
• Beginning Acrylics at noon
• Beginning Watercolor at 2 PM
• Digital Photography at 5:30.

There are still a few tickets available for The Waymores tonight.

2/1/11

1/31/11

The first of several public meetings about the beltway, hosted by the city, will be held tonight at Shelton Elementary.  It's an emotionally-charged topic for many in the community.

• The city's view of the controversy is summarized on their website:  www.getthefactsgolden.org.
• The viewpoint of longtime beltway opponent group CINQ is covered on their website:  www.gothebetterway.org.

1/30/11

If you're wondering what to do today, check out our TOP THINGS TO DO IN GOLDEN on a date, for free, with kids, for art-lovers, for nature lovers...

1/29/11

Have you tried the new bakery downtown yet?  It's called Pandoro's and they serve sandwiches (and great panini) as well as baked goods.  They're having some live music tonight from 6-9, so this might be a good night to try them out!  They're located at 700 12th St.

1/28/11

Every year at this time the Heritage Square Music Hall revives their play from the previous summer for just one month.  For the past several years, this has been one the "Loud" plays.  The "Loud" series is a lot of fun, and the music is great.  The cast perform hits from the 50s through the present, with a thin (but funny) plot weaving the songs together.  It's very enjoyable, so if you missed Loud: This is It last summer, now you have another chance to see it.

1/27/11

There's a surprising amount going on tonight, for a Thursday: A program at the Mountaineering Center tonight about wolverines, 6-8, free. The Powers-Rucker Quintet playing jazz tonight at the Golden Hotel, 6-9. City Council meeting at the City Hall starting at 7. A gallery talk at Foothills Art Center at 6:30.  It's members-only, so this would be a good night to join. The Foothills Running and Cycling Club will be doing workouts from 6:30-8:30.

1/26/11

The Buffalo Rose is showing South Park tonight at 8--an important film about life in the Colorado hinterlands.

1/25/11

Golden author David Wann has published a new book, The New Normal: an Agenda for Responsible Living.  Many local readers have followed Dave's work since his first book, Affluenza (which was also produced as a show for PBS).  Simple Prosperity, which came out in 2007, discussed personal choices we can make to live a less stressful, more healthy, and more sustainable life.  The new book takes that philosophy to the next level, outlining changes we need to make at a societal level, including:

1/24/11

The Golden Chamber of Commerce held its annual meeting last week, installed its 2011 board of directors, and presented several awards. 

• Roger Tapia of Creekside Jewelers is the 2011 Chairman of the Board
• Bob List of Golden Sweets and Dennis Eggemeyer of Spirits in the Wind Gallery jointly won the Charlie O'Brien Award, for launching the highly-successful and popular First Friday Street Fairs last summer.
• The Golden Hotel won the Business of the Year Award for their many contributions to Golden's economic vitality.
• Barb Warden won the Civic Award for providing this website!  As the presenter said, "When folks want to know what to do, where to shop, what’s happening in Golden, they search on www.golden.com."  Thanks to the Golden Community for making this such a popular site!  Please tell your friends about us, and Like us on Facebook!

1/23/11

Check out the new exhibit at Foothills Art Center today.  A visiting artist, Molly Dillworth, will give a gallery talk at 2 PM.  She is on site for a couple of days, creating a painting in the front gallery.

1/22/11

If you're interested in events down at the capitol and/or want to express your opinions about decisions facing the legislature, attend the town hall meeting this morning at 10 at the city hall.

If you've been curious about GPS and how to use it, you might want to attend "Where on Earth Are You?" at the Nature Center at 1 PM.

The Railroad Museum will be giving train rides today, included with the regular admission price.

1/21/11

Foothills Art Center is hosting a reception tonight to celebrate the opening of their new exhibit, Habitats.  Tonight's reception will run from 6:30-8:30.  The show will run until March 13th.

1/20/11

Thursday 1/20/11 - There will be a Thirsty Third Thursday celebration tonight at the Mountaineering Museum.  Local brew, live music, and you get to hang around in the museum.  Meet some friends there!

City Council will hold a study session tonight, in which they will hear special reports on GURA, the City's investment strategy for the coming year, the land use approval process, and the comprehensive plan. 

1/19/11

This is movie night at the Buffalo Rose. They're showing the highly-educational Step Brothers.

1/18/11

As you may have heard, the beltway issue has heated up again recently.  Golden has been fighting the prospect of having a highway put through our town for years.  The City has recently been negotiating with some of the other involved parties, which include Boulder County, Jefferson County, Broomfield, Arvada, and the state Department of Transportation.  One possible compromise is that Golden will drop its opposition to the beltway if we get certain highway improvements that we want, such as a less dangerous intersection at Highway 6 and 19th Street.  Many Golden citizens are strongly opposed to making that compromise, arguing that any form of beltway completion would inevitably lead to reduced air quality, increased noise, and urban sprawl.

The City has planned four neighborhood meetings to discuss the issue, and Citizens Involved in the Northwest Quadrant (CINQ) have planned still another.  The CINQ meeting is tonight at 7, at the Mountaineering Center.

CINQ:  Tuesday, January 18, 2011, 7-9 p.m.
American Mountaineering Center
710 10th Street Golden, CO 80401

The City-organized meetings are scheduled as follows:

* Southern Neighborhoods: Monday, Jan. 31 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Shelton Elementary
* Central Neighborhoods: Tuesday, Feb. 1 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Fossil Trace Clubhouse
* Northern Neighborhoods: Wednesday, Feb. 9 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Mitchell Elementary
* Daytime Open House: Wednesday, Feb. 9 1-3 p.m. at City Council Chambers

1/17/11

Mitchell Elementary is hosting a good event this morning:  their third annual Day of Giving Back.  This event is designed to help children understand the value of serving others.  Martin Luther King Day is a holiday for the students, teachers, and administrators, but they use their day off to work on projects for many worthy organizations.  They host a book drive, collect food for local needy families, hold a bake sale to benefit Flight for Life, make Valentines to send to soldiers, collect food and supplies for the Foothills Animal Center, and collect bicycles for the Golden Optimist Club to redistribute to people who need a bike but can't afford it.  The community is invited, so come if you'd like to contribute some time or materials or to buy some yummy baked goods!

This week's city meetings:

Tonight:  Historic Preservation Board Tuesday:  Parks & Recreation Board Wednesday:  Planning Commission Thursday:  City Council

1/16/11

Are you familiar with Golden Freecycle?  Freecycle is a global grassroots movement to help people give away their excess stuff and, at times, find stuff they need.  There are nearly 5000 Freecycle groups, and, happily, we have an active one here in Golden.  In the past year or so, members have given away furniture, TVs, computer equipment, clothes, construction materials, kitchen appliances, and much more.

Members post items they would like to get rid of and generally the first person to respond gets it.  The "giver" leaves it out somewhere like near the front door, and the "getter" picks it up and carries it home.  No payment and no social interaction.

To learn more about Golden Freecycle, visit their Yahoo Group page:  http://groups.freecycle.org/GoldenCoFreecycle.  

1/15/11

There will be running/cycling/walking at the Clear Creek History Park this morning, train rides at the Railroad Museum all day, a program about owls at the nature center this afternoon, and the new Miners Alley Play this evening.

1/14/11 Miners Alley Playhouse is opening a new play tonight:  Don't Dress for Dinner.  Tonight would be a great night to attend because they'll be having their opening night party afterwards.  Go hang with the cast!   1/13/11

Catch some live jazz tonight at the Bridgewater Grill--that's in the Golden Hotel.  The Powers-Rucker Quintet will be playing there from 6-9.  Click the flyer to learn more. There's also a City Council Meeting tonight.  They will be voting on the number of housing permits to be issued this year, to stay within the 1% grown limit raising the compensation rate for the city attorney and special counsel making a zoning change to allow CSM to construct a new classroom building re-appointing Bill Fisher to represent Golden on the Rocky Flats Stewardship Board awarding the bid to re-build the cemetery office ($189K) replacing the golf carts at Fossil Trace ($270K) A study session will follow the business meeting, during which the Council will discuss this year's communication plan and this summer's upcoming Quiznos Pro bike race.

1/12/11

The Buffalo Rose is showing Airplane! tonight--a ridiculously funny movie.  Admission is free but they have a two-drink minimum.  The movie starts at 8.

1/11/11

If you still have a (formerly) live Christmas tree around, gathering dust and becoming a fire hazard, remember that the city recycles trees at the Golden Recycle site, just west of Hwy 93 and north of Golden Gate Canyon Road.  The City turns the trees into mulch, which is available free to residents.

1/10/11

Here's a run-down on this week's city meetings:

• Tonight - 6:30 in City Council Chambers:  Golden Urban Renewal Authority.  Agenda
• Tonight - 6:30 in City Hall Conference Room:  Sustainability Advisory Committee. 
• Tuesday - 6 pm in City Council Chambers:  Economic Development Commission.  Agenda
• Thursday - 6:30 pm in City Council Chambers:  City Council Regular Business Meeting.  Agenda

1/9/11

The Quilt Museum is fortunate enough to have best-selling author Sandra Dallas as a friend and supporter.  In fact, Ms. Dallas wrote a book entitled The Quilt that Walked to Golden, and the proceeds of the book benefit the museum.  Amazon.com describes the book as follows:

Drawing its inspiration from letters, journals, and—most importantly—quilts, this engaging account chronicles the history of the women who settled the town of Golden, Colorado, over the course of two centuries. Laced with true stories drawn from American quilting history, the narrative follows the transformation of the shanty mining village into a thriving community, moving through the Depression and up to the present day. Throughout the decades, the art of quilting provides a window into the lives of these women, their successes, and their sorrows.

At 2 o'clock this afternoon the museum will host a special program in which historian Jan Coates will present stories from The Quilt that Walked to Golden.

1/8/11

The Quilt Museum is starting an education program for kids today: the second Saturday of every month, they'll be holding a class with a make-and-take project. This is a good chance to expose your child to sewing and quilting. It's open to 7-17 year olds, and the fee is $10 per class.  The class is being held at 10 AM, at the Methodist Church (15th and Jackson).

1/7/11

Tonight's a First Friday.  Before or after your carriage ride (through the holiday-lit streets), you might want to have dinner downtown.  In addition to the usual places (Golden Hotel, Table Mountain Inn, Sherpa House, etc.) there are a couple of new options.  Windy Saddle will be open this evening, and will be serving Cajun food.  Cafe 13 in the Armory Building will also be serving dinner, along with "Art and Music."

The Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, which is right on Washington Avenue near the ice cream shop, is going to stay open for First Friday.  If you've never visited, tonight might be a good night to check it out!

1/6/11

There's a First Friday tomorrow night.  They are quiet events during these winter months, but January is a bit of a sweet spot, in that there are no lines for the free carriage rides and the holiday lights are still up.  The carriages are equipped with heavy blankets, so snuggle in and enjoy the experience.  It's an enchanting time to take a carriage ride around downtown Golden!

1/5/11

Visit Read, Write, & Brew tonight if you're ready for some live music.  Cindy Karr will play acoustic country and blues.  The Buffalo Rose is continuing their weekly movie night, but they haven't posted what they're showing, so take a chance and just show up!  Admission is free, but there's a two drink minimum.

1/4/11

Foothills Art Center is starting a couple of new classes today:  Beginning Colored Pencil Drawing runs from 2 to 4 and will go for six weeks.  Creative Journaling is 5:30 to 7:30 and runs for three weeks.

1/3/11

If you have a novel in you, struggling to get out, consider attending the Golden Wannabe Writers Meetup tonight at Read Write Brew, the coffee house at Heritage Road and Highway6.  This newly-formed group is led by a writing coach.  The members discuss the writing process and their projects and the group leader provides one-on-one advice to those who want it.  The first session is free.  After that it's $10/session, with discounts available for advance purchase.  No one is turned away for inability to pay.

1/2/11

If you need to go to the library, today would be a good day to do it.  Starting tomorrow, all Jefferson County Libraries will be closed every Monday.

1/1/11