COVID Updates
Public Health References
CDC * Colorado * Jefferson County * City of Golden
Jefferson County is at Level Orange, “High Risk.”
The next case summary update will be posted this afternoon on the health department site, and will appear in tomorrow morning’s What’s Happening email.
Mines COVID Testing | Jeffco Fairgrounds COVID Testing | School of Mines COVID-19 case page. | Sign up for exposure notifications.
Appointments to Get the COVID Vaccine (Eligibility)
Safeway | King Soopers | Lutheran Medical Center
Virtual Golden
6-6:55AM Virtual Dynamic Circuit
8:30-9:30AM Virtual Power Training
10:15-10:45AM Spanish Story Time
2-3PM Active Minds
4-5PM Recursos Digitales
4-4:30PM Kids Martial Arts Class
5-6PM Young Readers Book Club
6:30PM Downtown Development Authority Meeting
The Downtown Development Authority will discuss various COVID relief programs for downtown businesses. CARES Act funding ended at the end of 2020, so less money will be available for grants. They will also discuss their work plan for 2021.
Staff will report on the Legacy Fund, the plan to install festive lighting in Miners Alley, the 2020 budget, the ADA improvement at the SE corner of 11th and Washington, safety improvements for Prospectors Alley between 14th and 15th Streets, and potential sidewalk improvements on 13th between Ford and Jackson. See the meeting packet for more information about any of these topics or details about how to provide public comment.
Golden History Moment
For many years, the Golden Fire Department was not only staffed entirely by volunteers, they also had to raise funds to buy their firefighting equipment. Generally they did this by selling tickets to dances hosted by the firefighters.
During the Depression, the Loveland Hose Company (one of three firefighting companies) came up with the perfect fund-raiser for the times: Penny Night. At this event, everything cost 1 cent: admission, the games, sandwiches, coffee, and dances. This was an event that most community members could afford.
Merchants donated prizes, and there were so many that in 1933 they gave away a prize a minute for the duration of the event. The grand prize was a big ham.
The first Penny Night took place in 1933. It attracted approximately 500 people, and 75 couples stayed for the dance. The event was so successful that they repeated it in 1934, ’35, ’36, ’38, ’40, ’41, and ’42. Most years, the newspaper did not report on the amount collected, but the 1935 Night cleared 7500 pennies ($75).
Penny Night was so popular that they always exceeded the capacity of the Loveland Fire House (apparently they didn’t have fire codes at the time). In 1940 and again in 1941, they moved the event to the Golden Plunge Recreation Center (now the Buffalo Rose), but the prices had gone up by then. Admission to attend the dance was 11 cents for ladies and 41 cents for gentlemen.
The final Penny Night was held on April 25, 1942. They moved back to the Loveland Station that year. World War II had started by then, and the Transcript commented that pennies were now being used to buy defense stamps and war bonds, but if you have a few strays, bring them to Penny Night.
The Transcript doesn’t explain why Penny Night ended, but I would speculate that the fire department just didn’t have the manpower to run it. Many of the firefighters were probably fighting overseas. In any case, it was the perfect fund-raiser for the Depression years–a great way to raise both money and spirits in the community.
Many 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!
