Colorado Gives Day
Today is Colorado Gives Day, and I can assure you that every non-profit in town is on pins and needles, hoping that you will support them. Whether you want to support our cultural organizations, support the schools, feed people, or help people stay in their homes, there’s a non-profit that aims to do just that. This link will show you many of Golden’s non-profits, but if you don’t see the one you’re looking for, just type the name in the search box.
Why give today, in particular? The Community First Foundation has a special fund that they divvy up amongst qualifying organizations, based on the contributions each organization collects today.
Virtual Events
9-9:55AM Silver Sneakers Classic
10-10:45AM Virtual: TriceraTOTS – Jurassic POOP Cookies
10:15AM Baby Time @ Golden Library
10:15AM Virtual: Toddler Time with the Library
5:30-8PM Virtual: Accelerate Your Career for Mature Job Seekers
5:30-6:25PM HIIT & Sculpt
Real World Events
9-10:00AM Women’s Exercise and Bible Study @ First United Methodist Church
10AM-5PM Holiday Art Market @ Foothills Art Center (through December 29)
11AM-12:30PM Golden Community Table @ First United Methodist Church
1-3PM Hexie Ladies @ Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum
4-5PM Teen Advisory Board @ Golden Library
5:30-7:30PM Textile Society @ Golden Library
6:30-8PM Golden Area 5th Grade Band Concert @ Bell Middle School
6:30-8:30PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Buffalo Rose
6:30PM City Council Regular Business Meeting @ City Hall
Council will convene early for an executive session (no public, no cameras) to evaluate the Hearing Officer. They will also ask the City Attorney for advice regarding the proposal to amend the Plan of Development for the DDA. They will reconvene at 6:30 for the normal business meeting.
The consent agenda calls for award of a $877,500 contract for repairs on one of our water tanks.
They will hold a public hearing on the aforementioned proposal to change DDA’s plan to allow them to assist property owners within the DDA area to acquire property, using the Legacy Fund, DDA reserve fund, or other funds. The meeting memo cites Miners Alley Playhouse as the example, since they plan to purchase the Meyer Hardware building.
The next public hearing will amend the 2021 budget to allow funds to be moved around to support the DDA loan to Miners Alley Playhouse.
A third public hearing proposes moving the RV Park Supervisor from part time to full time, with benefits.
The fourth public hearing concerns the mill levies, which are proposed to remain at 12.340, plus an additional 5.000 mills in the DDA area.
The fifth public hearing covers Ordinance 2170, which will enact a lodging tax as of January 1, 2022. This tax was approved by voters in the recent election.
Council will be asked to approve an Extension of the Declaration of Local Emergency for COVID-19. This declaration would allow boards & commissions to meet electronically. This will be in effect until the City Manager declares the Emergency over.
After the business meeting, Council will reconvene in their role as Directors of the Golden Downtown General Improvement District. This entity is responsible for downtown parking, including maintenance of the lots and the parking garages.
If you want to comment on any of these issues, you can attend the meeting (starting at 6:30) or send an email to publiccomment@cityofgolden.net by 3PM.
COVID Update
NOTE: These numbers were updated last Friday, December 3rd. Jeffco Public Health will be switching to Thursdays for their weekly update starting this week (December 9th), so the updates will appear in “What’s Happening in Golden?” on Fridays, starting this week.
78.1%
of residents 5+ have received at least one shot (+0.3% since last week)
71.8%
of residents 5+ have received at least two shots (+0.5% since last week)
24.4%
of residents 5+ have received 3 shots (+1.3% since last week) – source
Jefferson County Case Summary:
Cases in Jeffco – Nov 29th: 72,796 | Dec 2nd: 73,276 (+480)
Deaths in Jeffco – Nov 29th: 1,055 | Dec 2nd: 1,065 (+10)
Currently Hospitalized in Jeffco – Nov 29th: 97 | Dec 2nd: 101 (+4)
Recovered – Nov 29th: 68,902 | Dec 2nd: 69,915 (+1,013)
Known Cases in Golden – Nov 29th: 2,800 | Dec 2nd: 2,807 (+7)
COVID Vaccine Appointments
State of Colorado: Where You Can Get Vaccinated
Jeffco Public Health Vaccine Call Center: 303-239-7000
State Vaccine Hotline: 1-877-268-2926.
Golden Testing Sites
Mines COVID Testing | Jeffco Fairgrounds COVID Testing
More Public Health References
Sign up for exposure notifications | CDC | Colorado | Jefferson County | City of Golden
Where to get vaccinated
The retail outlets have long wait times right now, but it’s fairly easy to get an appointment with Jefferson County Public Health at the Jeffco Fairgrounds (map).
Golden History Moment
Contributed by Paul Haseman
Just a year after its founding, Golden began getting its mail and many passengers via stagecoach – the Central Overland California & Pike’s Peak Express Company. Traveling on further west, the Overland trip to Blackhawk cost a steep $2.00. The first stage stop in Golden was at the Miner’s Hotel owned by John and Jeannette Ferrell (the parents of Helen Berthoud) at the corner of now 11th and Washington. Ferrell built the original Washington Ave bridge conveniently near his hotel. One early Overland stage driver was young Bill Cody. Although it is not firmly established if Cody was a Pony Express rider, he was clearly a stage driver. Cody later retraced part of his stage route by auto in a 1907 trip through Golden.
Leaving Golden, the early stage route went up Clear Creek Canyon five miles to Guy Gulch and then north up a precarious road to link up with the Golden Gate Canyon Road and then west to the gold fields in Blackhawk and Central City. W.A.H. Loveland had a hand in this route as he had a Territorial charter for the road up the canyon, which in 1872 became the route of the Colorado Central Railroad up the canyon.
Meanwhile, in May 1861 Edward Berthoud documented a new pass over the Rockies – yes, Berthoud Pass. A month latter Overland engaged him to survey a route to Salt Lake City, which he completed that July. This route became an Overland route for many years and is known today as US 40.
By 1867 Golden’s stage stop was the Overland House on Washington Ave and as advertised by the Colorado Transcript, the “Wells Fargo & Co’s Overland Stage Line, leaves Golden City, going east at 2 o’clock, P.M. Leave for the mountains at 8 o’clock, A.M.” Interestingly, the Overland stagecoaches originally did not carry valuables such as the miners’ gold from the mountains. Only Wells Fargo carried the gold. When Wells Fargo acquired Overland in 1867, the coaches carried any type of freight, including people, that could fit in or on top of the stagecoach.
Those coaches made in Concord, N.H., had an interesting suspension. Not metal springs used in other coaches but thick bullhide leather straps. This innovation made for “smoother” riding over America’s early rough roads. Mark Twain, in his book Roughing It, recalled the stagecoach “a great swinging and swaying stage, of the most sumptuous description — an imposing cradle on wheels.” We’ll take his word for it.
Meanwhile, by the 1880’s Edward Berthoud had purchased the Overland House, known then as the Overland Hotel. Berthoud moved to his Overland Hotel in 1887 following the death of his wife, Helen. He remained there until a fall at the hotel took his life in 1910. Both are buried side by side in the Golden Cemetery.
Today we know the site of the Overland Hotel as the Buffalo Rose. An historic plaque out front commemorates the Overland Hotel and its early days as a stage stop.
Thanks to Paul Haseman for this interesting article!
