I was hit by a car when a man drove around a corner (sort of cut the corner) and hit me in the back, despite my seeing him come and trying to run away. He stopped just short of having the oil pan scrape my back and head. I was bloodied, and only a few houses away from home. I either walked, or let him drive me home, and my sisters threw me in a bath. One of them had the presence of mind to try to get a name and license plate, but he had already gone.

New to my emails? Here is a very brief year end summary as generated by AI, in a scary 5 seconds after having to read 13 PDF files from last year. “The emails reflected an active, engaged community grappling with growth, change, and national political tensions while working to maintain Golden's character and address local quality-of-life issues.”

The stated goal of the experience now, is to “keep it going”, and have fun.  As the parking makes use of private property, by permission, and the route makes use of public roads, it really comes down to dare I say, not being jerks.  Don’t spin-out, don’t roll coal, don’t rev your engine to increase exhaust or turbo noise, don’t speed, drink, leave trash, etc.  In other words, somehow share your love for souped up cars in a very low-key way. 

There may not be as much humanity in the world, as you’d like to see, but there is some, there’s more than one would think….The world is held together, really it is held together, by the love and the passion of a very few people….Look around the street of any city, any afternoon, and look around you. What you’ve got to remember is that what you’re looking at is also you. Everyone you’re looking at is also you. You could be that person, you could be that monster, you could be that cop. And you have to decide, in yourself, not to be.

I saw this Wyoming plated vehicle, with an “ONLY GAY COPS PULL ME OVER” window sticker. What message are they trying to send? It seems pejorative, and aggressive. If a non-gay cop did pull them over, would they take this as an attack on their manhood (or sexual orientation if a female cop)? That would seem to be the point. Click on the picture to read more.

A summary of much of the visible growth from about 1980 onwards from a long term Golden Resident, Charlene Pazar. Click for the picture to read the full post.

While the settlement by Euro-Americans of the Clear Creek Valley created lasting and profound effects for the Indigenous people of the area, it is a secondary, and less important part of their history. More important, were the lifeways and histories that preceded Euro-American settlement for the 12,000 years prior. Ute bands, including the Moghwachi̱, Tabeguache, and Uncompahgre have called the area home since the time of their Creation, and Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes view the Front Range of Colorado as part of their traditional homelands for over three centuries.

...we have a bridge with pretty lights that have failed, powder coat that has failed, and a partner in CDOT who is very constrained for maintenance too. We have investigated the bridge to the degree necessary to ensure it is safe, but it is still shabby.

“For some people, sleeping outside is their only option.” That the local laws impose fines and potential jail time for people “sleeping anywhere in public at any time, including in their cars, if they use as little as a blanket to keep warm or a rolled-up shirt as a pillow” effectively punishes people for being homeless, she wrote. “That is unconscionable and unconstitutional,” Justice Sotomayor said in reading her dissent from the bench, a rare move that signals profound disagreement.

Updated 6/8/2025 with a new reflection and some old news

after a stressful city council meeting, I’m awake for another couple hours trying to “decompress”. I think the message is, A quiet mind is untroubled.

Have an issue you want fixed? Click here to see who to call. Hint…it’s unlikely to be me!

I reached out to the City Streets supervisor, Steve Kurtz, and the director of public works Anne Bierle. Steve said he would add it to the work plan. THE NEXT DAY, the concrete and the corner were torn up and framed in. The ADA ramp, which was not there, was installed immediately after. That’s it!

A very powerful read about how social media is hurting relationships, and media in general is taking away so much of what we value in life. Does creating safe spaces make room for conversation? Or stifle it?

Adjacent to Norman D park, across Tucker Gulch, is a long narrow easement owned by the city of Golden. It would allow for the construction of Mesa Drive to continue as a through street. Woah! What do you think of that idea?

There are definitely people opposed to dropping the speed limit. And they rightly point out that road design is likely the controlling factor on the speed at which people drive. I have previously written about Stroads. And Ford is very much a Stroad. It is neither a well designed street, nor a well designed road. As such, it feels unsafe for most users. Ford needs a serious redesign so that all users have a better experience, and it is not going to be easy or cheap given the constraints. Click for the picture to read the full post.

See when bikers can roll intersections in this post. Click for the picture to read the full post.

I recently borrowed and read some of a book called The High Cost of Free Parking, by Donald Shoup. But at over 700 pages I must say I focused on the highlights. I’ll share my takeaways in this post. Click for the picture to read the full post.

I was told, but never did the research to find out, that I was called, “an idiot” on Nextdoor. And the same person asked, “who voted for this guy?” To prove their point I suppose, I respond to their concerns about retail marijuana sales and a carve-out for an “equity” seller. Click for the picture to read the full post.

I want people to share with me their concerns about Golden, and changes they seek. They may not agree with me, or my approach, but I do hope they will have empathy for me, as I will offer empathy for them. My world view is mine, yours is yours. I will try to offer, as Bill Fisher said during the community celebration on our resilience, “grace”. Click for the picture to read the full post.