Golden Informer - December 2020

GoldenInformer DECEMBER 2020

A HOLIDAY CELEBRATION Like No Other

2020 Golden City Council

Laura Weinberg Mayor

JJ Trout District One

Rob Reed Ward One

Paul Haseman Ward Two

Casey Brown Mayor Pro Tem District Two

Jim Dale Ward Three

Bill Fisher Ward Four

303-384-8179 E-mail: lweinberg @cityofgolden.net

720-880-5084 E-mail: jtrout @cityofgolden.net

303-431-9891 E-mail: rreed @cityofgolden.net

303-513-2310 E-mail: phaseman @cityofgolden.net

303-900-2003 E-mail: cbrown @cityofgolden.net

303-916-0810 E-mail: jdale @cityofgolden.net

303-588-3389 E-mail: bfisher @cityofgolden.net

To contact the entire City Council, e-mail citycouncil@cityofgolden.net.

The Golden Informer is produced and published monthly by the Golden City Manager’s Office and mailed as a source of news and information to all residences and businesses inside the City limits. Comments on The Informer are welcome.

Please write to: City of Golden 911 10th St., Golden, CO 80401 Attn: Karlyn Tilley Call 303-384-8132 or e-mail ktilley@cityofgolden.net.

IN T H IS ISS U E Cover photo: Courtesy of Andrew Terrill (www.andrewterrillphotography.com)

3 Free Holiday Parking Downtown 3 Volunteering Made Easy 3 Give Where You Live 5 C ommunity Conversation

Golden HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

5 Heart of Golden 6 Community Engagement Updates 7 STEM Programs Honored 7 Silence is Golden 8 Amazing Jolly Rancher Collection 9 Holiday Self Care

9 Fire-Safe Holidays 12 T ree Recycling 12 Toys Needed for Miracle Shop 13 Holiday Lights are Recyclable!

14 S enior Sales Tax Claim Form 15 N ew Downtown Murals

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with Golden Police

City of Golden Department Managers

Jason Slowinski City Manager

Carly Lorentz Deputy City Manager

Dan Hartman Public Works

Rick Muriby Monica Mendoza Interim Comm.

City Clerk & Econ. Dev.

Rod Tarullo Parks and Recreation

Bill Kilpatrick Police

Alicia Welch Fire Chief

Jeff Hansen Finance

Teresa Reilly Human Resources

Karlyn Tilley Communications

Jiles McCoy Innovation and Technology

303-384-8012 303-384-8098 303-384-8063 303-384-8150 303-384-8014 303-384-8120 303-384-8033 303-384-8090 303-384-8020 303-384-8017 303-384-8132 303-384-8010 clorentz@ rmuriby@ jmccoy@ dhartman@ mmendoza@ rtarullo@ bkilpatrick@ awelch@ jhansen@ treilly@ ktilley@ jslowinski@ cityofgolden.net cityofgolden.net cityofgolden.net cityofgolden.net cityofgolden.net cityofgolden.net cityofgolden.net cityofgolden.net cityofgolden.net cityofgolden.net cityofgolden.net cityofgolden.net

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HEADS UP: Important Upcoming Items

ENGAGE in Our Community!

FREE Downtown Parking for Holidays Due to rising COVID-19 cases, the City wants to make it easier for Golden residents to shop local during the holidays and support our downtown businesses. The downtown paid parking system is on pause now through January 1st. While parking will be free during this period, signed parking time limits on city streets, as well as signed permit parking areas, will still be enforced during this paid parking holiday.

Coffee with Councilors

GuidingGolden.com

Grab a cup of coffee and join your District One and District Two city councilors online for a virtual chat. These take place on the first Saturday of every month at 10 a.m. through the Zoom platform. Councilors Casey Brown and JJ Trout will be on hand to listen, answer questions, and exchange ideas. You can find the link to the Zoom meeting at www.cityofgolden.net/Calendar. Look for the listing on the first Saturday of each month.

City Holiday Hours The City of Golden’s administrative offices will be closed on Friday, Dec. 25 and again on Friday, Jan. 1 for the holidays. Offices will return to regular hours with scheduled in-person appointments only on the Mondays following those holidays. The Golden Community Center (GCC) will be open for modified hours from 5:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 24 and closed on Friday, Dec. 25. The GCC will also run on modified hours from 5:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31 and will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. on Jan. 1. All GCC visits are by reservation only. Happy Holidays!

Easy to Find Volunteer Opportunities in Golden Interested in volunteering for one of Golden's nonprofits? Check out www.volunteergoldenco.org. Nonprofits and volunteers — residents, students, businesses — can easily post and find opportunities. The website is a one-stop, integrated communitywide volunteer recruitment tool supported by a partnership of the City of Golden, the Golden Civic Foundation, and Kim Mangle Consulting LLC. The website fulfills a longstanding community desire to facilitate volunteerism in Golden. Questions? Contact Robin at rfleischmann@cityofgolden.net or 303-384-8080.

Colorado Gives Day Dec. 8 Join thousands of Coloradans to support local nonprofits on Tuesday, Dec. 8 for Colorado Gives Day. This annual statewide movement celebrates and increases philanthropy in Colorado through online giving. Please consider donating to one of our local Golden nonprofits.

Visit ColoradoGives. org/cogivesday and search for nonprofits that are in Golden and/or benefit our city. You don’t have to wait to donate.

Through the website, you can also schedule a donation in advance.

For resources to help during the COVID 19 crisis, visit www.HelpGoldenNow.org.

As of this writing, Council meetings are being held virtually instead of in-person.

Please check the online council calendars for the very latest meeting information at www.cityofgolden.net/agendas.

Dec. 3 Regular business meeting

Dec. 10 Regular business meeting Council’s upcoming agendas, packets and meeting minutes are available online under the City Council link at www.CityofGolden.net.

Public comment is welcome on the agenda at all regular business meetings.

December 2020 | 3

MAYOR’S MESSAGE

By Mayor

Laura Weinberg

Tradition… with a Twist

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hen I was growing up, some of my favorite books were the older ones, Louisa May Alcott’s An Old-Fashioned Girl, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House in the Big Woods, Margaret Sidney’s Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, among others. These books almost always featured a young girl and they described a different time.

There is usually a story about wintertime and the holidays, and I imagine that the people and traditions in old Golden were very similar to those old stories.

The simplicity of spending a holiday at home with your immediate family is not only nostalgic, but also practical in 2020. Decorating inside and outside, planning a special meal, or enjoying a day with your household can create holiday joy this December. A virtual gathering of family and friends can be the 2020 version of a handwritten letter filled with news from far away.

My family celebrates multiple holidays and our traditions should be able to continue this year with small changes. We begin our holiday decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving with a visit to the national forest to bring home our Christmas tree. The first Friday of December usually finds us bundled up and joining the Candlelight Walk. Although there is no Walk this year, the lights will still turn on! I am excited to be able to participate in the first live-streaming event for everyone to enjoy safely, and warmly, from home. (Details on p. 10-11) For Hanukkah, we light candles each night and prepare traditional foods such as latkes for a special Hanukkah dinner. The winter solstice is another occasion to mark in December by practicing yoga or adding a little extra brightness in our day. Every December also includes attending and participating in multiple holiday performances. This year will be different, but holiday music, dance, and theater performances will be enjoyed.

Christmas morning is celebrated with presents and homemade cinnamon rolls followed by a short drive for Christmas dinner with my in-laws (if we can do it safely). New Year’s Eve is one holiday tradition that will be very different this year. The big, annual neighborhood party will perhaps be replaced with a distanced, outdoor toast to finally say goodbye to 2020.

Some new ideas that I hope will become lasting traditions in Golden include “Be Merry, Be Bright, and Share your Golden Light” with homes across the city, lighting a candle in a front window each night at 7 p.m. I am also looking forward to seeing the new holiday additions as we complete our gift shopping in downtown stores and at the Foothills Holiday Art Market. I would love to hear about your family traditions and your creativity for making December 2020 special.

I wish you all peace, joy, health, and safety. Happy Holidays!

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Golden Police Department Working with the Community to Solve Problems, Including Racial Inequity

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he City of Golden strives to be a diverse, inclusive community and a place for all people including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) to feel valued, safe, and welcomed. We are dedicated to listening, learning, and acting to advance racial equity. In light of current events and a loss of trust in law enforcement, we are starting a conversation with the community about how we police and what procedures can use improvement. In late October, City Manager Jason Slowinski and Police Chief Bill Kilpatrick hosted a virtual listening session focused on the topic of racial equity. This was a chance for us to listen to the questions and concerns the community has regarding policing in Golden.

During the listening session, there were questions about how our officers are trained, how we build relationships, and how we can attract a diverse police force, to name a few.

There were concerns about implicit bias within the force and throughout the city. One of the big takeaways from the meeting was that our community can be both proud of our Golden Police Department while still asking questions and recommending improvements; it does not have to be one or the other. After the listening session, we researched, discussed, and came back to the community to continue the virtual conversation on Nov. 30. The full conversation is available on www.GuidingGolden. com/striving-for-racial-equity. The website is also a place

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where anyone can leave comments, questions and concerns.

This is just the beginning of what we hope to accomplish alongside the Golden community to address systemic racism, also called "structural" or "intitutional" racism, which creates and maintains racial inequality through policies, institutions, schools, justice systems, media, culture, and everyday interactions. Unlike explicit racism, systemic racism is most often unintentional and unconscious, but works to the benefit of white people and the detriment of people of color and is perpetuated unconsciously through complicity and complacency. We look forward to more opportunities to talk through what can and should be done to address racial inequity in Golden and ensure everyone feels safe and welcome here.

Heart of Golden Moves into 2021

he coming year promises to be very exciting for the Heart of Golden project. Currently, city staff are wrapping up with feedback gathering on the current concepts and will report out to the community on everything we heard and what our next phase of the project will look like. Over the Winter/Spring, we plan on moving into two projects that will help inform the Heart of Golden project moving forward. The first is a task force made up of stakeholders specific to the Creek Corridor management issues and the second is a Cultural Center Feasibility Study.

The last few months were spent in online conversations with various neighborhoods, city boards and commissions, stakeholder groups, and on Nov. 19, a community-wide virtual feedback session. We hope to keep building on the excitement and energy of this project and continue the informative community dialog we’ve been having together. Thank you all for the time you have spent talking with us about this project and keep sharing your thoughts with us. Visit www.GuidingGolden.com for details and to give us your thoughts.

December 2020 | 5

Zoning Code Rewrite Draft Nearly Complete

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rom now until the end of the year, city departments will review the initial pre-draft of the zoning code rewrite. Then early next year, a draft will be made available to the public for review. This will go along with an additional community meeting to explain its contents. The feedback from our community has been crucial in getting us this far and will continue to be vital to this process in 2021. You can find the latest project schedule and information at www.GuidingGolden.com.

The City of Golden held a virtual community meeting on Oct. 29 to update the community on the work completed thus far on the code rewrite process. The October meeting included a presentation from both staff and the consultants that recapped the project’s engagement efforts, an update to the schedule, and a look at the concepts the consultants are building into the code revision draft. During the meeting, attendees had the opportunity to participate in a question and answer period with both staff and the consultants. You can watch a video recording of the presentation on Guiding Golden.

Staff from various divisions within the City of Golden will work diligently to ensure that the draft is as polished as possible before we have our official unveiling and public viewing. Thank you to all who have participated in the process so far. We look forward to additional engagement in the near future.

South Golden Neighborhood Plan – 2020 Update

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he City of Golden holds a virtual community meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 1 to gather neighborhood and community feedback for our South Golden Neighborhoods Plan update. This meeting places an endcap on the first round of public engagement that began in the summer with a series of online surveys. Leading up to the meeting, we had over 160 individuals participate in the survey process! Check out the results on www.GuidingGolden.com.

The December meeting includes an interactive presentation from staff recapping the survey results with additional follow-up questions to refine our understanding of the local preferences for future land uses and development. As a reminder, the 2020 update of the neighborhood plan focuses heavily on West Colfax Avenue as well as the former Heritage Square property.

Staff is also eager to learn about issues concerning the state of South Golden neighborhoods. A recorded video of

6 | December 2020

the presentation will be made available on Guiding Golden for future viewing.

A copy of the slides will also be available for review.

Moving forward, staff will engage with several of the community’s advisory

boards who have a stake in the South Golden neighborhoods’ development.

We will work with those individuals to develop concepts that address the issues identified with the community and then engage again with the residents in 2021.

Golden Named 2020 Top STEM City in Colorado

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o recognize the communities across our country who demonstrate exceptional dedication to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), the data scientists at Insurify indentified the top city in each state for STEM and Golden got the top spot in Colorado!

Award winners were selected for their stellar track record in supporting STEM through both education and employment. The scientists analyzed communities for the strength of STEM within school and workforces, as well as the rate of diversity in STEM professionals. “In a year such as this one when advancements in STEM are paramount to our health and security,” said Insurify CEO Snejina Zacharia, “we are honored to show our support for these exemplary communities.”

It’s no surprise that Golden would be on top, with our commitment to STEM programs in our schools, support from groups like the Golden Schools Foundation, countless innovative companies who call Golden home, and of course, The Colorado School of Mines – among the top engineering universities in the world. Congratulations, Golden!

SILENCE IS GOLDEN

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olden draws cyclists, water sports enthusiasts, hikers, hang gliders, history lovers and motor vehicle enthusiasts. This wonderful place to live and visit, paired with all those individual interests, brings unique challenges that affect our city’s livability.

Among the largest number of complaints received by the Golden Police Department (GPD) are those regarding vehicle exhaust and noise. These complaints come from a variety of things including illegal mufflers, engine revving, excessive acceleration, excessive speed and the use of engine compression brakes for heavy equipment with modified exhaust.

About 15 years ago, the GPD established a community program called “Silence is Golden”.

The purpose of this program was to bring awareness to vehicular exhaust sound and work as a community to improve livability issues. As an agency, the GPD recognizes reasons that motor vehicle enthusiasts modify exhaust systems, purchase high-end performance vehicles and enjoy all the associated performance gains from them. That being said, many modifications to exhaust systems and the way many performance vehicles are enjoyed can be violations of the law. The GPD seeks the cooperation of our community to help recognize the noise pollution that can be associated with some of these activities. We want to see all motor vehicle enthusiasts enjoy their passion, but at the same time allow all members of the community to enjoy whatever passion has brought them to live in or visit Golden. With your help, we can work together and try to limit the need for issuing citations to every

SILENCE

IS GOLDEN Ride & Drive

Community-Friendly PARTNERSHIP

Golden Police 303-384-8045

The Ride & Drive Community-Friendly Partnership values public peace, safety & mutual respect by reducing the impact of vehicle noise from illegal exhaust systems in our Golden community through voluntary compliance rather than traffic tickets.

Silence, Not Citation Thenoise Ridepollution & Drive It’s easy to help silence Golden’s Community-Friendly Just remember: Partnership values public peace, safety & mutual respect by reducing the impact Ride & Drive Community-Friendly of vehicle noise from PARTNERSHIP illegal exhaust systems in our Golden community It’s a community effort!

Golden Police through voluntary Model Traffic Code 225 – Mufflers and 5.15.020(3) - Noise prohibited.

303-384-8045 compliance rather than traffic tickets.

SILENCE

IS GOLDEN Acceleration

REDUCE

Speed RPM’s

modified vehicle and every display of high-performance capabilities.

Notabout Citation If Silence, you have questions the Silence is Golden program, contact Golden Police Traffic Sgt. Matt Porter at It’s easy to help silence Golden’s noise pollution 303-384-8059.

Just remember:

REDUCE

Acceleration December 2020 | 7 Speed

Treasure Trove of Jolly Rancher History

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appy farmers, jolly ranchers and candy cowboys gather ‘round because a premiere Jolly Rancher collection is coming to Golden History Museum & Park! After years of working with members of the Harmsen family, John Harmsen, the grandson to founders Bill and Dorothy Harmsen, decided we’re the best place to preserve this sweet slice of Colorado history. When completed next year, the generous donation will represent the finest public collection of Jolly Rancher history anywhere.

Jolly Rancher is one of Golden’s most recognized exports.

It grew to national fame as the candy from Colorado. From a humble beginning on Washington Avenue dishing up soft serve ice cream in a rented storefront, the Harmsens quickly pivoted to crafting quality chocolates before hitting a winner with a cinnamon hard candy forever known to history as Fire Stix.

Over a year ago I approached John to discuss the sizable collection he inherited from his father, and one-time Jolly Rancher President Bob Harmsen. Bob was passionate about his family’s history and their candy legacy. As a result he amassed a sizable collection, some of which he loaned to Golden History Museum over the years. Safely stored were early documents from the company’s founding as well as several buy outs. The Ward Road plant (that’s right—in Wheat Ridge, not Golden) was closed and finally demolished in 2005.

A major donation like this requires a work plan. I’ve spent a couple of days with John over the past few months sorting and sifting through countless items and boxes scattered across different rooms on two levels of the family offices. We’ve been assessing value and quality, looking for the best items to tell the story. Our work isn’t done. In September, I retrieved nine different company films and interviews from John’s basement and sent them out to be digitized.

Top: Design detail for original exterior signage on the Golden Jolly Rancher store, about 1949. Photo by Justin LeVett Photography.

Above: John Harmsen and I examine old Jolly Rancher scrapbooks and artwork depicting the Sugar Bar Ranch turned plant in Wheat Ridge.

Golden History Museum, City of Golden Collection.

• Memorabilia like belt buckles and hat pins • Custom sports sponsorship materials (In the 1980s the company sponsored a rodeo team; John donated a custom team jacket, chaps, and team photo) • Corporate archives on the early franchising efforts and more

The donation will be known as the Harmsen Family Collection.

While work continues on our multiyear Legacy Collection OTHER HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: • Product packaging and design (including original works by Inventory Project, we’re committing time to processing this important new collection to add to our publicly available industrial designer Otto Kuhler and Bob Cormack) online resources.

• Chocolate candy molds If you have a Jolly Rancher memory to share or are hanging • Signage and advertising • Various media (including original photographs, films, and onto something that belongs in the museum, I’d love to talk.

- Mark Dodge, Curator interviews) Golden History Museum & Park • 923 10th St. • 303-278-3557 Check GoldenHistory.org for hours of operation, calendar of programs, and special event details.

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Maintaining Mental Wellness During the Holidays

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his time of year brings many things: holidays, expectations, traditions and more time spent inside. For many, this is a time of joy and cheer; for others, this time of year may bring feelings of stress, sadness or isolation. As we head into what will likely be remembered as one of the most extraordinary holiday seasons in recent history, it’s important to focus on maintaining mental wellbeing and coping. Here are some ideas to start you off, courtesy of Jeffco Public Health:

FOR THE HOLIDAYS: • Keep expectations manageable and flexible. Set realistic goals and pace yourself. Since COVID-19 has forced us to change former routines and adjust plans, it’s important to remember that the holidays are no different. Enjoy what you can as it comes. Take time to grieve what you are letting go.

• Do less! Use this time as an opportunity to take things off your plate, rather than take everything on. How can you prioritize slowing down?

• Try something new. Since we may not be able to host large gatherings or enjoy certain traditions, find new ways to celebrate the holiday and create new rituals just for 2020.

• Made a gratitude list. Finding moments of gratitude for the small things (loved ones, nature) can shift your attention away from stressors and help you focus on the positive.

• If you have lost a loved one, honor their memory in the way that feels right to you. You could set out a special ornament, candle, wreath or centerpiece. Take part in an activity that your loved one used to do.

• Nourish your body. Try a new recipe or prepare a favorite traditional meal. Drink more water during these drier

•

• •

•

months and be mindful about alcohol consumption.

Maintain social connections creatively. Instead of hosting a large in-person gathering, schedule smaller ones online with friends and family. Reach out to someone you have not connected with in a while.

Enjoy outdoor activities. Take a drive to look at holiday decorations, walk a pet or build a snowman.

Engage your senses during the season to ground

yourself in the present. Light holiday candles or scented items, listen to holiday music, cook delightful meals or look out the window at the changing season.

Find moments for laughter. Watch silly videos, tell jokes with your friends or play with your children. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases production of the body's natural feel-good chemicals.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: • Colorado Crisis Services: 1-844-493-8255 | coloradocrisisservices.org • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255 | suicidepreventionlifeline.org • Jefferson Center: 303-425-0300 | jcmh.org

FIRE-SAFE HOLIDAYS SELECTING AND CARING FOR A LIVE TREE FOR THE HOLIDAY

them where they cannot be easily knocked over; place them away from curtains or any flammable material. Never leave Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back the room or house with candles burning. As an alternative, get from the branches. Bounce the tree trunk on the ground, if electric candles – place them in your front window to be part many needles fall off, the tree is too dry and could be a fire of Golden’s Candlelight Nights (see pgs. 10-11 for details). hazard. Cut a couple inches off the bottom of the tree, place in FIREPLACES AND WOOD STOVES a tree stand, and keep the stand filled with water at all times. Clean and inspect your chimney or wood stove annually.

Do not place your tree close to a heat source, including a Always use a metal mesh screen with fireplaces. Never use fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out the tree. flammable liquids to start a fire. Use only seasoned hardwood.

Never burn cardboard boxes, trash or debris in your fireplace HOLIDAY LIGHTS Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots, or wood stove. Do not leave a fire in the fireplace unattended. broken or cracked sockets and excessive wear before putting When cleaning, put all ashes in a metal container with a lid and them up. Do not link more than three light strands, unless the store outside your home. directions indicate it is safe. Make sure to periodically check the FINALLY… wires – they should not be warm to the touch. Do not overload Be sure every level of your home has a working smoke alarm electrical outlets. and CO detector and remember to check and clean them on a monthly basis. Replace the batteries at least once a year.

CANDLES Make certain they are in stable holders or containers and place Happy Holidays from the Golden Fire Department!

December 2020 | 9

2020 Golden Holiday Happenings A lthough we may not be gathering in person, it’s important to find safe and meaningful ways to connect with family and friends. It is in this spirit that the Olde Golden Christmas Committee presents Candlelight Nights, a series of opportunities and experiences to “get your holiday on” in safe and healthy ways.

Information listed here could change based on current COVID-19 health requirements. Head to VisitGolden.com for the most up-to-date information.

First, the traditional Candlelight Walk that happens on the first Friday of December will be replaced with a live event on the City of Golden’s Facebook page. Tune in at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 4 when Mayor Laura Weinberg will flip the ‘virtual’ switch and illuminate the Clear Creek path with holiday lights that will glow for the rest of the season.

During the month of December, we encourage everyone to Be Merry, Be Bright and Share Your Golden Light. Golden residents, we ask you to place a nonflammable candle in the front window of your homes to celebrate the warm glow and solidarity of the season.

FREE Commemorative LED Candle Golden residents can pick up aa free free, LED commemorative candle! To make sure Nights Candlelight your house LED candle gets a the at commemorative Golden Visitors candle, Center call theWashington (1010 Golden Chamber Ave.), or of Commerce from our atcandle 303-279-3113 sponsor, or pick oneCredit OnTap up at Union On Taplocated Credit Union, at 816 Washington 816 Washington Ave., while Ave., after November supplies last.

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Dec. 5 - Golden History Museum presents CHRISTMAS IN THE PARK • Register in advance Take a holiday stroll back in time at the Golden History Park. Visit the Pearce Cabin and imagine the warm hearth of a pioneer winter, make a holiday craft to take home, hear seasonal music and learn the history behind some holiday traditions.

This is a family event, but attendance will be timed to limit capacity. Activities will be dependent on public health orders in place at the time.

For more information and to register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/christmas-in-thepark-tickets-126468983133. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturdays in December: 5, 12, 19, 26 Schedule: 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

PARADE OF OLDE GOLDEN CHRISTMAS PAST GCO.tv Channel 880 Exclusive A half hour show of previous Olde Golden Christmas parades. Also On Demand on GCO.tv. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dec. 4, 11, & 18 HOLIDAY ICE SCULPTURES Every weekend in December look for a new holiday ice sculpture to be placed in the locations listed below. The cool beauty of sculpted ice will reflect and enhance your visit downtown and make a great photo opportunity for your family holiday card. One sculpture will be placed on each Friday, Dec. 4, 11 and 18. They’ll be illuminated with holiday lights, so get your photos while they last!

• Dec. 4 - Goozell Yogurt, 1200 Washington Ave. • Dec. 11 - In the pocket park between 11th & 12th Streets on Washington Ave. (next to NELI, 1101 Washington Ave.) • Dec. 18 - Icelantic Skis, 1300 Washington Ave. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dec. 5, 12, & 19 HOLIDAY CHEER ON SATURDAYS in Downtown Golden Now more than ever, it’s a great time to go downtown and shop where you live and support our local businesses. Stroll Washington avenue on Saturday

afternoons in December and you just might run into some special characters spreading merriment and holiday cheer! The Visit Golden website will post special holiday offerings by some of the local eateries and retail shops. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Through December 29 HOLIDAY ART MARKET Foothills Art Center, 809 15th St. A great place to shop for unique and hand-crafted artisan gifts, featuring works from over 100 local Colorado artists in many different mediums. It’s always free to come in and look or shop, but in order to provide a safe and comfortable shopping experience, entry will be timed and ticketed, with limited capacity. For more information or to schedule your visit, go to FoothillsArtCenter.org/hart. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Through December 14 SANTA’S MAILBOX Mail your letter to "Santa at the North Pole" to 1010 Washington Ave. Golden, CO 80401 or drop them off when the Vistors Center is open. Your letter will be delivered directly to the jolly man in red himself.

LOCAL GIFT CARD KIOSK - NEW!!

Need a gift for someone but don’t know what to get? The Golden Chamber is sponsoring a display of gift cards from Golden-based businesses. Keep it local folks! Contact nola@goldenchamber.org or call 303-279-3113 to arrange your gift card shopping. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Through December 31 HOLIDAY STORY STROLL in Downtown Golden Take a stroll through Golden at your leisure and find displays that highlight various holiday traditions from around the world. Created in partnership with the Jeffco Public Library, these engaging displays offer an inspirational way to celebrate our global connections and promote peace on Earth.

From your Smartphone, download the Scavify app and search for “OLDE GOLDEN CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY STORY STROLL” to join, or simply pick up a map outside the Golden Visitors Center (1010 Washington Ave.) for the location of all of the displays. Anyone who joins on the Scavify app will earn points and a chance to win prizes!

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Recycle Your Tree

nce the holidays are over, those of you who bought live trees will want to get it (and all the falling needles!) out of your home. The City of Golden has an easy way for you to get rid of your tree, and help give it a second life by turning it into mulch.

Drop off your trees from Dec. 26 through Jan. 24 at the former Golden Recycle site, just west of Hwy 93 and north of Golden Gate Canyon Road. Please leave trees at the south end of the site; there will be a sign there for tree recycling.

Trees must be stripped of all ornaments, hardware, strings of lights and tinsel.

The trees will be turned into mulch, which will eventually be available for free at the public pickup site on 11th Street, just west of the Clear Creek History Park. For further details, contact the City of Golden Forestry office at 303-384-8141.

MAKE MIRACLES HAPPEN

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e all realize that this year has been different from anything we’ve known, and there are more people than ever who will struggle to get gifts for their kids. The Rotary Club of Golden wants to make sure no child is left without a gift for Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or any other holiday celebration. Their project, The Miracle Shop, is an annual holiday pop-up store set up in Calvary Church which gives financially struggling parents the ability to shop for new and quality toys at garage sale prices.

Each year, more than 500 children receive holiday gifts chosen and purchased by their parent/guardian. The adjusted pricing allows a population of underserved adults to purchase items they normally wouldn’t be able to afford, and more importantly, it reinforces a sense of dignity.

For anyone who has the means The Miracle Shop 2020 to donate to The Miracle Shop, Drop off donated toys: your generosity is needed. Last • Dec. 7 – 10, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. year, even with a great deal of • Dec. 12, 8 a.m. to noon donated toys, the Shop ran out.

Calvary Church Golden Rotary wants to make 1329 Arapahoe St., Golden sure that doesn’t happen again.

Donate online at Donate in person or shop for www.themiracleshop.org toys online through their website www.themiracleshop.org.

Toy Drive Drive-Thru The Miracle Shop will be open for parents on Dec. 14, 15 & 16. t. rS te Wa

Saturday, December 5, 2020 10:00am-4:00pm Parfet Park | Golden, CO Drive Thru - Drop Off

The Miracle Shop of the Golden Rotary Help fill the candy canes with new toys for local children this hoiday season

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Donate without getting out of your car!

Saturday, Dec. 5 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Parfet Park

Toy Drive

THEMIRACLESHOP.ORG

Social, Economic & Environmental Issues

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Don’t Toss Those Holiday Lights!

id you know that the wiring inside holiday string lights can be recovered and recycled? Action Recycling at 7610 W. 42nd Ave. in Wheat Ridge not only accepts string lights for recycling but pays $0.10 per pound for them. Tell your neighbors and plan a trip to Action Recycling; they’re open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Compostable Rebate Program

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ongratulations to Woody’s Wood Fired Pizza for being the first recipient of the compostable container rebate offered by the Community Sustainability Advisory Board! Let your favorite Golden restaurants know they are eligible for $250 when they commit to compostable containers. More info at www.cityofgolden.net/ sustainabilityrebates.

SUSTAINABLE TAKEOUT PRACTICES Due to an increased use of disposables during the pandemic, never has it been more important to work together to reduce waste in Golden. Here are a few simple tips to reduce takeout waste: • REDUCE Let the delivery service or restaurant know that you do not need plastic utensils, straws, napkins, or condiment packets—use your own instead.

Repurpose sturdy plastic containers for food storage. Plastic bags can be repurposed as small trash bags or pet waste bags.

• RECYCLE Rigid plastic containers, labeled #1-7, can be recycled. Please empty and rinse. Hot beverage cups, paper soup containers, non-greasy pizza boxes (not greased through to the other side) and aluminum trays/containers are also accepted.

• COMPOST Bi-weekly green waste service is available for all residents at a subsidized rate of $9.45 a month.

Meat, bones, dairy products, and processed foods are accepted, along with a wide variety of products including napkins, paper bags, greasy pizza boxes, and wooden chopsticks. Call 303-2778727 to sign up.

• TOSS The following cannot be recycled or composted curbside so avoid these whenever possible: condiment packets, plastic bags, plastic utensils, Styrofoam containers, plastic clamshell containers, straws, lids, and plastic pieces smaller than 2x2 inches.

December 2020 | 13

2021 Claim Form for 2020 Sales Tax Refund The sales tax refund is limited to senior, low-income or disabled individuals who have lived within the city limits of Golden for at least 90 consecutive days in 2020 and cannot be claimed as a dependent on any other person’s tax return.

The refund amount for 2020 is $50. This will be adjusted for partial year residency in Golden and partial year at age 65. Please email salestax@cityofgolden.net or call 303-384-8024 with questions.

Please check one box only:

q q

Senior Refund (must be 65 years or older) Low Income Refund Proof required. Attach a photocopy of one of the following: • State of Colorado Property Tax/Rent/Heat Rebate approval notification • Proof of Medicaid benefits • Proof of LEAP eligibility • Proof of eligibility for food stamps

q

Disabled Refund Proof required. Attach a photocopy of one of the following: • State of Colorado Property Tax/Rent/Heat Rebate approval notification • Proof of full benefits from Social Security Disability Income, SSI or the Department of Human Services • Proof of total disability from a public or private insurance plan

Please print or type: Name: Mr(s).

Age: Name: Mr(s).

Age:

Date of Birth: Date of Birth:

Physical Address:

Golden, CO ZIP

Mailing Address:

City

State

ZIP

Phone: How many months did you reside in the city limits of Golden during 2020?

Were you claimed as a dependent on any other person’s income tax form?

Signature:

months

q yes

q no

Signature:

This form must be submitted by no later than April 15, 2021.

Refund Donation Option: You have the option to donate your refund to a City of Golden program or department by checking one of the boxes below:

q Golden Volunteer Fire Department q Golden Cemetery q Other City program or department (please identify): Office Use Only: Account #01-3031-61900

STR Vendor #

q Community Grant Program q Golden Senior Front Porch

Received

Payable

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New Downtown Murals

he holiday lights aren’t the only eye candy you’ll see in downtown Golden! Check out three new painted murals that local artists created to brighten up our downtown year around. These works of art are possible thanks to a collaboration between the Public Art Commission (PAC) and the Downtown Development Authority (DDA). These first three pieces were selected by PAC from many that were submitted to its call for entries. Below you’ll see photos of the artists working on their creations. We encourage you to go check out the finished pieces in person!

Horizons - Artist: Julia Williams Located at the Colorado+49 Cidery and Pub on Arapahoe Street

Picasso: Spirit of the West Artist: Christina Morrison (also a Golden resident) Located at the southeast corner of 11th Street and Washington Avenue Alien Abduction Selfie Station #42 Artist: Becky Hawley Located at Bob’s Atomic Burgers on Ford Street

PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID GOLDEN, CO PERMIT #26

POSTAL PATRON

Experience Christmas in the History Park, Holiday Art Market at Foothills Art Center, Golden Pop-Ups: Ice Sculptures, and more!

Check out a list of Golden's holiday events:

VisitGolden.com