Serving the community since 1866
WEEK OF FEBRUARY 13, 2025
VOLUME 159 | ISSUE 7
$2
Parking downtown? You’ll pay until 7 p.m. GOLDEN AWARDS $500K IN GRANTS
Starting Feb. 17, city extends enforcement times
P4
BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
AN INSPIRED ADVENTURE
hallways as the Outback and the Great Barrier Reef, while other hallways were decorated with Maddie’s favorite movies and TV shows like “Gilmore Girls.” They also used Maddie’s favorite things as inspiration for each day’s attire, such as Camo or Animal Print Day on Feb. 3. Maddie is the second GHS student to serve as Golden’s Wish Kid. Then-sophomore Jordan Obernesser was featured last year. Seniors Lizzy Trapp and Madison Ward, who helped organize Wish Week along with their fellow student council members, said this year’s event would feature many annual favorites. This included Peach Fuzz, the volleyball tournament between junior and senior boys, as well as the wing-eating contest and chucka-duck at the Feb. 5 home basketball games.
The City of Golden and its parking vendor are extending enforcement hours in two neighborhoods with permit parking. Interstate Parking Company of Colorado previously enforced neighborhood permit parking zones, or NPPs, from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Now, permit parking will be enforced until 7 p.m. seven days a week, but only in the Lubahn Trail, Ninth Street and the North Mines/West Downtown NPPs, staff clarified, This is expected to take effect around Feb. 17. The other NPPs, such as the South Mines and Golden High School ones, won’t be impacted. The Parfet Estates neighborhood, which is off 19th Street west of the main Colorado School of Mines campus, will also be added to the city’s agreement with Interstate Parking and subsequently enforced as an NPP from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. Golden established the Parfet Estates NPP in August, after the initial agreement with Interstate Parking was already approved. Thus, City Council approved an amendment with Interstate Parking during its Jan. 28 meeting, adding Parfet Estates as an NPP and extending the NPP enforcement hours around Clear Creek and South Table Mountain. During the meeting, Mayor Laura Weinberg clarified that Golden officials will have “a full parking management discussion” at City Council meeting in April.
SEE WISH WEEK, P17
SEE WISH WEEK, P12
Golden High School introduces senior Maddie Bonilla as this year’s Wish Kid during its annual Wish Week pep rally Feb. 3. Bonilla, who was diagnosed with medullary thyroid cancer when she was 11, said it was an honor to serve as PHOTO BY CORINNE WESTEMAN this year’s Wish Kid and help the GHS community raise money for Make-A-Wish Colorado.
P10
Wish Week off to a jumpin’ start Golden High senior leads community’s 8th annual fundraising event BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
MINES WOMEN LOOK TO FINISH STRONG P16
WESTMINSTER
2025
WINDOW
MINSTER VOTING STARTS MARCH 1!
At 11 years old, Madeline “Maddie” Bonilla was diagnosed with medullary thyroid cancer. As she was going into an eighthour surgery, the surgeons asked her what kind of music she’d want to listen to before they put her under. As she was an 11-year-old girl, they’d already prepared a Disney playlist; but Maddie said she wanted to listen to ‘80s rock instead. So, they played Van Halen’s “Jump.” During a Feb. 3 pep rally, Maddie — now a senior at Golden High School — and hundreds of her fellow Demons listened to “Jump” as she was introduced as Golden’s 2025 Wish Kid. “My heart was beating so fast,” Maddie said of being introduced as this year’s Wish Kid. “ … It’s amazing (to be the Wish
Kid). It’s such an honor.” The Feb. 3 pep rally kicked off the Golden High School community’s eighth annual Wish Week. This spirit week doubles as a fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Colorado at GHS, its partner schools and the surrounding community. Over the past seven years, the Golden community has raised more than $225,000 for MakeA-Wish Colorado — enough to grant about 30 wishes. This year’s goal was $20,000, GHS student-organizers said. During Wish Week, Golden highlights a child from MakeA-Wish Colorado, and bases the week’s events and decorations on the child’s wishes and favorite things. Maddie’s wish is to go to Australia, see its unique animals and environments, and meet the Irwin family. Thus, the organizing students and staff decorated some of the school’s
VOICES: 8 | LIFE: 10 | CALENDAR: 13 | SPORTS: 16
WINDOW
GOLDENTRANSCRIPT.NET • A PUBLICATION OF COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA