WHAT’S HAPPENING IN GOLDEN TODAY?
6-6:55AM Cardio Lift Interval (Virtual)
8-8:55AM Tai Chi (Virtual)
8:30-9:30AM Power Training (Virtual)
9AM Golden Walks – Wednesday Morning Celebrating Life @ Golden Library
10AM and 1PM Wild West Walking History Tour
10AM, 1PM and 4PM Wild West Short Tour
10AM-4PM Etui (Needle Box) Construction @ Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum
10-10:55AM All Levels Yoga (Virtual)
10:15-10:45AM Toddler Time @ Golden Library
10-10:55AM All Levels Yoga (Virtual)
11:15-11:45AM Family Time @ Golden Library
2-4PM Public Art Commission Subcommittee @ City Hall Annex (map)
“Discuss Large and Small Art Projects”
3-5PM Hard Times Writing Workshop (Virtual)
4PM PAC Public Art Site Tour @ City Hall Annex (map)
The Public Art Commission will tour a number of potential art sites around the City, including: Lyons Park and Clear Creek Trail near US 6, American Mountaineering Center and Parfet Park, Miner’s Alley Performing Arts Center (former Meyer Hardware), DeLong Park (23rd St.), Triangle near Golden High School, Corner of Johnson Road and South Golden Road, Ulysses Park, Corner of US 6 and SH 58, New Loveland Mine Park, and Corner of Washington Avenue and SH 58.
5-8PM Aprés Wednesday @ Golden Mill
Grab your boards and skis on March 29th and join us for our Spring Powder Bash. Starting at 5 PM, Burton will be here doing FREE waxes. There will also be giveaways, custom hats from New Belgium and a chance to win a pair of New Belgium Skis and jackets from Burton. More information
6-7:30PM Masculinity and Women’s Activism in 20th Century Colorado @ Golden History Museum
Early Twentieth Century Colorado witnessed some divisive battles over political life and economic conditions. After men voted to enfranchise Colorado women in 1893, the state offered exciting opportunities for women activists to promote reform. Yet party machines limited their influence. In this presentation, Laugen explores the visual representations of gender and politics created by Denver Post cartoonist Wilbur Steele. These editorial cartoons highlight the emotional and gendered style of Progressive reformers and their partisan adversaries. We explore whether political cartoons can fight corruption and promote democratic change in public life. Non-member – $10 plus processing fee / Member – Free. Tickets
6PM Sustainability Board @ City Council Chambers
The Sustainability Board will continue their discussion regarding a proposed energy code for new buildings and the plan to electrify the City’s fleet of vehicles. The will review nominations for the City’s annual Sustainability Awards, which will be presented by City Council on April 11th. Staff will provide an update on the planned community solar garden.
6:30PM Book and Media Group @ Private home in greater Golden. Email for the address
This month we’re reading The Persuaders by Anand Giriharadas. The book contains a lot of insight and perspectives worth reading! EVERYONE IS WELCOME – You don’t need to read or listen to join us!
LIVE MUSIC
6-9PM Howard Dlugasch @ Buffalo Rose (Sky Bar Stage)
6-9PM Branden Sipes @ Miners Saloon
GOLDEN HISTORY MOMENT
50 Years Ago
Golden High School celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1973, and they were trying to reach alumni to invite them to Centennial Week celebrations.
The April 2nd Transcript provided the full week-long events schedule. Most of the celebration was held at the high school and then-current students were very much involved. All participants were encouraged to dress in 1873 attire. The school showed a film about life in Golden and hosted an alumni dinner in the cafeteria. They held a box social in the gym, with “girls” urged to provide box lunches and “boys” bidding on them. There was a square dance in the cafeteria, an alumni vs. faculty basketball game, a carnival, and a beard-growing contest.
Just to show that history repeats itself, the class of 1973 is now planning their 50th anniversary gathering, and they’re hoping to find their alums.
If you’re a member of that illustrious class, you can follow the planning efforts through their facebook group. Here’s what they know so far:
Friday, September 8th 5:00-10:00 pm
We kick off the weekend starting with a Meet and Greet Reception at the Colorado Tap House!
Let the party begin on this fun rooftop venue with drinks, music and light appetizers. Plan to stop by anytime during the evening.
September 9th – 6:00-9:30 pm
We will meet at the new Table Mountain Meetings and Event Center in Golden for dinner, music, prize drawings and many more surprises.
Additional special activities in the works include a Golf Tournament on Saturday afternoon, a tour of the new high school and a video presentation of GHS 1873-2023
For more info and updates keep visiting this site or contact steveschaefer@comcast.net.
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!
9-10AM Women’s Exercise and Bible Study @ First United Methodist Church
9:15-9:45AM Baby Time @ Golden Library
10AM and 1PM Wild West Walking History Tour
10AM, 1PM and 4PM Wild West Short Tour
10-10:55AM Silver Sneakers Classic (Virtual)
10:15-10:45AM Preschool Time @ Golden Library
12-12:55PM All Levels Yoga (Virtual)
1-1:45PM Silver Sneakers Yoga (Virtual)
1:30PM Triad Senior Safety @ Jeffco District Attorney’s Office
6PM New World Disorder Movie Night @ Pedal Pushers Cyclery
6:30PM City Council Regular Business Meeting @ City Hall
Tonight’s consent agenda includes a resolution to approve a change order adding $900,000 to our concrete replacement program. This is due to the increased cost of concrete.
They will read a proclamation in honor of National Public Health Week.
Staff will update Council on the rollout of retail marijuana sales in Golden. Four locations have been approved:
• Golden Alternative Medicine at 511 Orchard Street (map)
• Outcrop Dispensary at 18475 West Colfax Avenue #140 (map)
• IgadI Dispensary at 791 Pine Ridge Road (map)
• The Fireplace at 17120 W. Colfax Avenue (map)
The Orchard Street location will be open quite soon (“late March or April”). The others are expected to open “approximately mid-year.”
They will consider an amendment to the Astor House lease. The tenant, Foothills Art Center, has encountered unexpected restoration costs involving the foundation and asbestos remediation. Council will be asked to approve a $500,000 allowance which will be paid back through larger lease payments in the future. Foothills is also requesting a forty year lease term instead of the thirty years in the current agreement.
In 2021, the City purchased the house at 1020 Archer Street for (map) $720,000. It is currently standing empty. Council will consider a resolution engaging Foothills Regional Housing Authority to rent it as an affordable housing unit. The City plans to demolish the house to make way for the Heart of Golden project, but probably not until 2025. The memo mentions that the City could make a similar agreement to rent other properties that it owns. I don’t know how many houses the City owns, but I do recall that they bought 230 Depot Street (map) for $545,000 at about the same time. That one is also slated for demolition for the Heart of Golden project.
They will vote on a set of sustainability rebates, as shown in the table above.
They will consider approval of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plan for the City of Golden. This plan includes both physical assets (such as streets and sidewalks) and digital ones, including the City’s several websites.
They will hold a public hearing on an ordinance that would allow the City Manager to approve exceptions to noise limits for nighttime road work.
They will discuss a proposed ordinance concerning outdoor seating for bars and restaurants using the sidewalks, alleys, and parking lanes. This program is expected to change from previous years in that the stores will no longer be allowed to use the public right of way. They will hold a public hearing on this ordinance at the April 11th meeting.
After the regular business meeting, Council will adjourn into executive session (no public, no cameras) to provide their periodic evaluation of the City Manager’s performance.
To provide public comment on any of tonight’s topics (or any other topics), be prepared to speak at the beginning of the meeting (6:30PM) or send email to PublicComment@cityofgolden.net.
6PM Karaoke with Linda @ Dirty Dogs Roadhouse
6PM Open Bluegrass Pick Night @ Over Yonder Brewing
6PM Trivia Tuesdays @ Golden Mill
6:30-8:30PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Buffalo Rose
6:30-8:30PM Bar Bingo Night @ VFW Post 4171
In honor of Women’s History Month, Councilor Paul Haseman contributed the following article:
Women of CoorsTek
by Guest Historian Paul Haseman
From its humble beginnings in 1910 in a warehouse at 600 9th Street, today CoorsTek is a $1.3B world leader in technical ceramics with 5900 employees in 35 locations, 11 countries and 13 states. Less well known was CoorsTek’s reliance on women employees.
As seen by this 1929 photo, the vast majority of its employees were women—quite a feat for 1929. But the predominance of women employees started even earlier. On February 16, 1916, the Transcript reported that most of the plant’s 48 employees were women. The need for women employees evolved as the business evolved.
While founder John Herold sought to produce low volume artistic ceramic pieces such as Herold’s “Gem of the Rockies,” Adolph Coors was more interested in volume and profit. He sought to move the company toward high production of porcelain kitchenware and by 1915 chemical/lab ware. With de-emphasis on John Herold’s fine artistic pieces, Herold departed back to his former home in Ohio and Herman Coors was the plant manager.
Coors hiring advertisements sought women. “Girls Wanted – Apply to Herold China & Pottery Co.” Transcript 3/8/1917. You might believe with cynicism that Coors wanted to employ women in order to pay them lower salaries. Au contrarie, mon ami. In fact, Coors paid equal or better wages to women with an annual bonus of a month’s pay. (Transcript 12/28/1916) Such bonuses were clearly a reward for good work, but more subtly a retention incentive.
Was Adolph Coors a champion of women’s rights? Surely, not. He was a smart, hard-nosed businessman and employed these women because he had to. Yes, for Coors Porcelain to flourish, Coors must have realized that these women had necessary skills lacking in a male workforce. As the plant evolved to higher tech products such as spark plugs and battery cells for the Denver Mint, these women skills came to the fore.
It’s my thinking that to a degree women have certain skills superior to men. These skills become a priority in a high production high-tech setting. These include finer motor skills (and smaller hands), patience, tolerance of tedium, and a detail orientation. The traits Coors recognized and sought in 1915 were the same strengths that were recognized by my company, Raytheon.
As an aside, in 2000 my boss Mr. Clare Carlson, at a Friday staff meeting asked why production of hybrid microcircuits had fallen. Our factory manager said that several of the women were out sick and that the women were the only ones who could do the assembly. Carlson, incensed, said he would come to work on the factory floor on Monday. At next Friday’s staff meeting, Carlson sheepishly admitted that he only lasted one day and to give the women a raise. (Smiles abounded). In certain high tech assembly position, same preference for women, same skills and same success (but not the same bonuses).
Among the successful women at early CoorsTek was the Company Secretary and Office Manager, Carrie Critchfield. Critchfield joined CoorsTek on 1 June 1924 as Carrie White and retired after 47 years on 30 September 1970. She is surely in the photo above. In April 1970 she became the first Coors-wide employee to receive a recognition plaque. Transcript 3/17/70. In addition to her management ability, she incidentally was elected in 1967 as the first woman City Councilor in Golden. She is emblematic of the many, many women that made and still make CoorsTek successful.
[Herold China and Pottery – 1910; Coors Porcelain – 1920; Coors Ceramics – 1986; CoorsTek – 2000]
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!
6-6:55AM Dynamic Circuit (Virtual)
8:30-9:30AM Power Training (Virtual)
10AM-12PM DeLong Park Weedbusters
Golden Parks and Recreation is using DeLong Park as a pilot project for the City’s first organic park location. This means that they will be using only natural, organic products for all plants and grasses. No synthetic chemicals will be used in our maintenance practices.
A group of weed-busting volunteers meets weekly at DeLong Park on Monday mornings from 10:00 a.m. to noon to weed out invasive species. Interested community members can join the group on Thursday mornings. The DeLong Park Weed Busters are always happy to bring in new members, and training on weed identification is provided!
10-10:55AM All Levels Yoga (Virtual)
10AM and 1PM Wild West Walking History Tour
10AM, 1PM and 4PM Wild West Short Tour
10:15-10:45AM Let’s Dance @ Golden Library
11:15-11:45AM Let’s Dance @ Golden Library
12-12:30PM Mondays with Mayor Weinberg (Virtual)
2-3PM Active Minds Mondays (Virtual)
4-5PM LEGO Build and Play @ Golden Library
4-4:30PM Kids Martial Arts Class (Virtual)
6PM A Roadmap to Net Zero Community Discussion @ City Council Chambers
Join the Golden Planning Commission and the Community Sustainability Advisory Board for the first of three public meetings hosted in March and April to discuss and finalize recommendations regarding a proposal for new building energy codes for all new construction projects. This first discussion will consider onsite solar placement and offsite options such as a cash-in-lieu program, community solar garden subscriptions and relief from renewable energy requirements. The meeting will be streamed live, as well as recorded and available to watch at your convenience on the Agendas and Meetings page on the City website.
7-8PM Colorado Trivia League @ Morris & Mae
6-8PM The Office Trivia @ The GoldenMill
7-8PM Colorado Trivia League @ Morris & Mae
Golden has had electric power since 1887. M.T. Morrill was working as a schoolteacher in Georgetown in the 1880s, but was keenly interested in electrical power generation. As a sideline, he built the first electric light plant in Georgetown. When the time came for the City of Georgetown to contract for a larger scale plant, they gave the job to someone else. Georgetown’s loss was Golden’s gain. Morrill moved his equipment to Golden in 1887 and persuaded our City Council to allow him to illuminate our streets.. He and his wife both attended classes at the School of Mines to expand their engineering skills.
Upon receiving approval from the City in August of 1887, Morrill and his team immediately began sinking poles and stringing wires. By December of that year, we had lights on our principle streets and in some of the buildings. Opera House events became very bright, dazzling affairs.
Morrill’s firm was called the Golden Illuminating Company because at that time, “illuminating” was seen as the main job of a power company–there were few other uses for electricity in 1887. Rates were determined by “Candle Power” and time of day. Customers purchased their lamps, fixtures, and cords from the power company.
Within a few years, other uses began to develop. Golden had an “electric steam laundry,” which was located right at the power plant. The Transcript acquired electric presses and became one of the company’s biggest customers. One of the downtown merchants (Nick Koenig) acquired an electric cigar lighter and that was a focus point of his advertising for months to follow.
The plant ran on steam, and so burned coal. The number and size of boilers increased as demand for electricity increased. Imagine having a coal-burning power station half a block east of Washington Avenue! Over the years, the possibility of using water power was discussed, but water was so precious that people didn’t like the idea of allowing anything to interfere with the flow of water to Golden. In about 1906, the Golden Illuminating Company began buying its power from a Denver firm and was able to stop generating it on Jackson St.
By all accounts, the company provided good service by the standards of the time, but it had its limitations, as described in this Transcript article from 1930:
UNWRITTEN HISTORY
In this day when even a slight flicker of the electric lights is the signal for a rush of “trouble shooters” a few Golden people remember the old Golden Illuminating Company and its brand of juice.
Power was generated here in Golden, with steam. In the evening the engineer in charge would fire up and then adjourn to the Opera House Cigar store for a game of cards. There he would stay until the lights began to grown dim, when he would rush back to the power house, fire up again an hasten back to the game. Some evenings when the hand was particularly interesting and the game hard fought, the lights in Golden would be almost indistinguishable before the engineer could get back and get sufficient steam in his boiler.
Colorado Transcript – July 10, 1930
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!
10AM-3PM Brunch at the Rose @ Buffalo Rose
10AM-noon Breakfast Burritos @ The Golden Mill
10AM Wild West Short Tour
11AM CSM Softball – Orediggers vs. CSU Pueblo @ Joe Coors, Jr. Softball Field
12-2PM Full Walking Tour @ Dinosaur Ridge
12-5PM Final Day for the Current Exhibits @ Foothills Art Center
For 54 years, Foothills Art Center has exhibited a wide variety of art and artists. Today will be the final day to see exhibits at the 809 15th Street location. Their galleries at the Astor House will open in late summer. Come get a last look at the old exhibit spaces–they’re open today from 12 till 5PM!
1PM CSM Softball – Orediggers vs. CSU Pueblo @ Joe Coors, Jr. Softball Field
10AM-1PM DJ Eva – Outlaw Country Music @ Buffalo Rose (Sky Bar Stage)
4-7PM Hank Cramer @ Buffalo Rose (Sky Bar Stage)
4-7PM YepOK @ Over Yonder
1-6PM Colorado Blues Society Members Choice Awards @ Buffalo Rose
8PM Karaoke @ Ace Hi Tavern
121 Years Ago
In 1902, the front range (and Golden along with it) was in the throes of oil fever. Oil had been discovered the previous year in the Boulder area, and people were optimistic that more would be forthcoming. Oil speculators frantically sought investors to help fund oil exploration, and Golden residents were excited at the prospect of oil-borne prosperity.
Several wells were sunk in the Golden area, including one in Golden Gate Canyon, another on the Churches Ranch, just north of North Table Mountain, one on the Welch Ranch (approximate area of Colorado Mills Mall), one on the east side of North Table Mountain, one near the Church Brick Yards (west of 93, north of Golden Gate Canyon Road), and one two miles east of Golden on the Middle Golden Road (32nd Street).
By the end of the year, hope was fading for the Golden-area wells.
We have now waited since March to witness the apotheosis (that’s what we call it) of the Golden Basin Oil Co.; not one thimbleful of oil…has been struck.
Colorado Transcript, October 8, 1902
Oil frenzy flared a few more times after that, but by about 1905 the dreams of Golden as an oil town had faded away.
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!