Coronavirus Update
Public Health References
CDC * Colorado * Jefferson County * City of Golden
The governor is now asking everyone to wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth when they leave the house. The State-Wide Stay-at-Home Order is in effect through April 11, 2020. City and County fire restrictions are also in place.
Jefferson County’s case count page says that as of 3PM yesterday, there were 477 (up from 417) “confirmed, probable, suspected, or under investigation” cases in Jefferson County. There have been 14 deaths (up from 10) and 118 are hospitalized (up from 99). There are 39 known cases in Golden (up from 35).
Judy Denison asked Jeffco Public Health for some clarification on the Golden numbers, and they supplied the following: “Golden” includes anyplace with a Golden mailing address, not just places within the Golden City Limits.
The age breakdown for Golden cases is as follows:
<20 = 6 | 20-39 = 7 | 40-59 = 13 | 60+ = 9
I don’t generally provide links to things that don’t have a direct Golden connection, but I found this video both helpful and reassuring regarding food handling (both groceries and take-out). I asked Dr./City Councilor Jim Dale whether the advice was sound. He said it was, and if anything it was extreme. He also recommended a much shorter video that covers grocery-handling only.
For those feeling anxious about the shortage of hand sanitizer, here’s a source–a local distillery, who’s manufacturing it:
Local Distilling-VANJAK VODKA
417 Violet St., Golden (map)
I’ve seen two versions regarding their hours. The website says Saturdays 10AM-2PM, but a recent Facebook post said Saturday 9AM-5PM. They’re selling it in large (64 oz) bottles. Learn more….
Virtual Golden
10AM Councilors Casey Brown and JJ Trout will be having a Virtual Coffee with Councilors this morning via Zoom. You can join by phone-only by calling (346) 248-7799 (when you are prompted, type in the ID: 971 620 804#). To add video, join https://zoom.us/j/971620804. You can join as early as 9:30 a.m. to test out the equipment and chat. The meeting will get started at 10 a.m. Bring your own coffee.
One thing causing a lot of (virtual) conversation around town is the boarding house to be built near the new Red Rocks Origin Hotel. The plans for the boarding house were very undefined when the Planning Commission approved it, and we keep learning new things. For instance, the design submitted by the developer (Confluence Companies) emphasized that his rental units were not subject to the 1% growth limit because they were not officially deemed dwelling units. “Why not?” you may wonder. It’s because they do not include kitchens.
Excerpt from the document submitted to the Planning Commission:
A Boarding House is defined as an establishment where, for direct or indirect compensation, lodging without kitchen facilities in individual rooms or units, is offered for one month or more for one or more boarders and roomers (18.04.020). This project proposes approximately 170 boarding house units that do not contain individual residential kitchen facilities. Shared community kitchen facilities with cooktops and ovens will be available for use at central locations within the building.
A Business Den article published on March 30th stated that each unit would have its own kitchenette. The Planning Manager tells me that the rooms can have refrigerators, microwaves…presumably popcorn makers, hot pots, blenders, electric skillets and George Forman Grills–just no stove or oven. So by moving the stoves/ovens to a common area, this developer has added 170 new “boarding house units” without adhering to our 1% growth limit. The number of new dwelling units permitted in 2020 under our 1% growth limit is 78.
Colorado History Moment
In search of some happy news, I turned to the August 16, 1945 Colorado Transcript so I could read about Golden’s celebration of the end of World War II. Radios up and down Washington Avenue were turned on, waiting for the message that the war was over. World came through at 5:08M on Tuesday, August 14h. After the announcement, the station played the Star Spangled Banner.
From the Transcript:
First indication of celebration in Golden was a car that whizzed down Washington Avenue, horn blaring. That started it. As if on signal, people poured into the street, and the bell at the city hall began to clang; the fire siren and the Coors whistle added their noisy voices to the growing din. Car horns beeped, honked, and tooted their way up and down the Avenue in a spontaneous parade.
Fred Robinson, who owned a bookstore in the Rubey block, brought out his miniature cannon and fired volley after volley into the air. Mr. Robinson had done the same thing on November 11, 1918 at the end of World War I and on VE (Victory in Europe) Day in May of 1945.
Paper floated down from the roof of the Alpine Drug Store (now Goozell Yogurt). Firecrackers popped. Cars sped up and down Washington Avenue. The 84 streetcar blew its horn continuously, and the conductor grinned “like a Cheshire cat.” Mines students built a bonfire at the corner of Washington and 13th, fueling it with an old wooden fence and Colorado Transcripts. A car full of fraternity boys with two kegs of beer drove by, on their way back to the campus. Someone set off dynamite in Clear Creek.
Other articles in that edition reported on the status of Golden’s boys in service, rejoiced that gasoline would no longer be rationed, spoke of the need to keep raising food, and reminded people of the importance of earthworms in gardens. George M. Kimball, grandson of the Transcript’s founder, George West, included a column expressing his doubts about the atomic bomb. He suggested that any remaining bombs, and all the scientists who knew how to build them, should be taken to the middle of the ocean and detonated together.
The back page of the paper held a full-page ad for Golden Days (a precursor to Buffalo Bill Days). The event had been planned for quite some time, but the words “Celebrate VICTORY and PEACE” had been added at the top.
Many thanks to the Golden History Museum for providing the online cache of historic Transcripts, and many thanks to the Golden Transcript for documenting our history since 1866!
