Home Care In Golden, CO

A therapy dog with an “infectious personality” is sniffing out glory as he represents Co Armagh in this year’s Nose of Tralee.

Three-year-old golden retriever Binx has been selected from over 1,550 entries as one of 32 finalists in the competition, run by Pet Sitters Ireland.

Now in its 12th year, the annual contest is a play on the Rose of Tralee international festival.

People are invited to submit pictures and stories of their dogs, with the end goal of being crowned the Nose of Tralee.

Binx’s owner, Ruth Parkes, said the duo are “ecstatic” to be representing their home county.

“We entered it for a bit of fun and never thought we would get so far,” she said.

"Armagh has never won it. It would be great to bring it home.”

In 2022, Sadie the Labrador, rescued from Serbia by a Co Tyrone charity, won the competition.

Ruth said Binx, who recently qualified as a therapy dog with the charity Therapy Dogs Nationwide (TDN), “never fails to turn heads” when out and about. He is also training in gundog classes.

She added: “He has an infectious personality and is always smiling and wanting cuddles. He never fails to get attention when we are out for our walks, so he has plenty of dog and human friends.

Now trained to offer emotional support and companionship, Binx and Ruth are looking forward to giving back to their community.

“This is something that has been on my heart for a while,” she added.

"Seeing the love Binx has for people, and them for him, I thought it would be a great opportunity to give something back to the people of Co Armagh and help people who may be feeling lonely and struggling with their mental health.

"It would be great to make someone's day with our visit.”

Ruth said they are hoping to get involved in TDN’s ‘Bark and Read’ programme – an initiative funded by the Kennel Club that brings therapy dogs into schools to help children build confidence in reading.

Reading to dogs has been proven to help children improve literacy and build confidence, as dogs listen without judgment or criticism.

“As someone who loves reading, this is a big passion of mine to help develop a love of reading among the younger generations and to spend time at their local library. We hope to volunteer in local nursing homes, schools, and hospitals,” said Ruth.

“He is a special boy and hopefully we can make a difference in our community, no matter how small.”

The 2025 Nose of Tralee winner will be crowned on August 19, following an island-wide vote to determine who will take home the title.

Voting for the final opens on July 24 and closes on August 18 at 5pm.

The winner will receive a hotel stay, a photoshoot, pet sitting vouchers and a range of gifts from small Irish pet brands.

The staff at Etc Hospitality in Golden can't suppress their joy at their soon-to-open natural medicine healing center. The busload of visitors, many of whom don't live in states or countries with legal psychedelic therapies, are ecstatic as well.

Industry professionals from the United States and beyond — an ayahuasca facilitator from the U.K., a psychedelic journalist from Brazil, a Muslim shroom cultivator, a Brooklyn-based reporter for Law360, among others — hopped on a bus the day before the annual MAPS Psychedelic Science convention in downtown Denver kicked off to take a sneak peek at one of Colorado's new natural medicine healing centers offering psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy.

Short for "etcetera," Etc hopes to begin providing psilocybin therapy by July or August, according to cofounder Erik Vaughan, who's also the proprietor of Epiphany Mushrooms, an Ohio-based culinary mushroom cultivator.

"This is a really long journey that we're on," he says. "We're eager to get started, but also in no hurry."

The space, in a nondescript stretch of Golden Road near Quaker Street, feels as if it has a cosmic hum when you walk inside, with a green, shrubbery-coated wall reading "etc," a kinetic sculpture blending revolutions of separate arrays, and a display of books on a thin shelf, including Be Here Now by Ram Dass and Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.

Beyond the reception area lies an office where natural medicine will be locked up once the facility goes operational, and the doors to the sanctuary, a grand room painted a gentle steel blue with wooden accent shelves, couches and poofy brown chairs and ottomans; there's also yoga mats, zafus, incense, Tibetan singing bowls and a small cart of art supplies tucked off to the side.

For Vaughn, it's all about creating a space that represents the end goal of psilocybin therapy.

"We have a chance, in broad daylight, to show the safety and efficacy of psilocybin mushrooms — and not only track the adverse outcomes, which are very important to understand, but also track and understand the profoundly positive outcomes that we see: the healing, the growth, the profound personal transformation that takes place in these journeys," Vaughan tells visitors while walking through the facility.

Etc had more than a half-dozen of its professional facilitators onsite for the preview, including doctors, therapists, and social workers, who will guide patients through psilocybin-assisted therapy in one-on-one or group settings.

Vaughan says Etc was the twentieth healing center to apply with the state, and expects approval soon. The Center Origin in Denver was the first healing center to be licensed, but until a testing facility was licensed and came online in late May, licensed providers had no medicine to provide.

According to the Department of Revenue's Natural Medicine Division, two standard healing center licenses and nine micro healing center licenses have been issued to date. The testing lab was the last missing element for centers to begin providing psilocybin-assisted therapy, and those eleven licensed facilities can now provide services. The first legal psilocybin patients in Colorado have already had their first experiences in the past month or so.

Etc won't be accepting walk-ins, but it's already offering free consultations in advance of its licensure via its website. Would-be patients must be 21 or older, and in that free consultation an intake specialist will do an exclusionary screening, Vaughan says. People who are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking lithium cannot undergo the psilocybin therapy, and other physical and mental factors taken into consideration, as well.

"This isn't for everyone, and it's not for all seasons," Vaughan tells Westword.

Pricing will begin at $3,450 for an individual, or $2,200 per person for a group of four. Patients accepted to the facility will do a minimum of two one-on-one remote prep sessions with a licensed facilitator before the day of their journey. On the dosing day, patients will have the facility along with facilitators and handlers from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. After the experience, a patient will have a minimum of one one-on-one virtual integration sessions within a couple days of their journey, and access to six months of virtual group integration sessions.

Though there were no psychedelics on hand for the tour, Dr. Jana Lomax, clinical director of the center, offered an example of guidance patients will receive as they "journey" through their psychedelic experiences:

"You may find that you have feelings of loss of yourself, experience a sensation of rebirth, or even death. You may experience a feeling that you have ceased to exist as an individual and are now connected with the world or the universe. If you experience a sensation of dying, melting, dissolving, exploding, going crazy, etcetera, go ahead. Experience that experience," Lomax says. " Trust that whatever comes up in your journey needs to come up, even if you do not fully understand it. ...When approaching challenging experiences or appearances or forms of beings or phenomena, ask what they are there to teach you, or to show you, and then see if you can thank them for what messages they have to offer."

The collected attendees had mostly closed their eyelids for Lomax's talk, immersing themselves in the language of therapeutic psychedelic treatment, which caused a near-placebo affect for those envisioning what the new framework for psychedelic therapy will allow.

As will be the norm when natural medicine healing centers are fully open in the state, Lomax and her staff placed heavy emphasis on the integration work that comes after a therapeutic psychedelic experience, calling it "where the work actually takes place in our lives."

"Someone may leave and opt not to do their integration work, and they'll probably experience some change," she acknowledges. "But if they're really going to make that change stick throughout their life and ripple into the other folks in their lives, it's the commitment to integration [that matters]."

Even with all the construction projects going on across the city, Golden might be a little quieter in the evenings and on Sundays and holidays.

Officials are planning to change the city code regarding construction noise, lighting, fencing, parking and similar items. Nothing has been finalized yet, but proposed changes include shortening the time construction noise is allowed and requiring construction lighting to be shielded so it’s not shining on neighboring properties.

Noise and lighting language changes would go into effect immediately and impact any ongoing projects, staff confirmed.

Other changes, like those around parking, would be based on when a project submitted its applications and permits. Ongoing projects that had already received their permits likely wouldn’t be impacted, but any future projects would be.

Staff members discussed the proposed changes with City Councilors at a June 17 work session, and Public Works Director Anne Beierle said the next step is to get input from construction companies that frequently work in Golden.

Beierle and her colleagues are planning to bring the official ordinance language to the City Council for approval later this year, possibly August and/or September. Approval would require two readings, with a public hearing at the second reading.

Beierle said Golden staff members researched other Colorado municipalities to see what their restrictions were for construction noise, lighting, etc., and referenced those when drafting the proposed changes.

For construction noise, Golden currently allows it between 7 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.

However, city staff is recommending changing it to 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Construction noise would not be allowed on Sundays or federal holidays.

Code Enforcement Supervisor Jamie Segal clarified that this would apply to single-day projects and maintenance projects.

Segal described how he frequently receives complaints about construction noise, mostly regarding crews starting loud work too early in the morning.

Mayor Laura Weinberg said she also gets frequent complaints about construction noise, but wondered about reducing the days construction noise is allowed.

“That means the projects are going to go longer, and that’s a concern of mine,” Weinber said.

Beierle and Segal pointed out how certain types of work, especially indoor work, aren’t subject to the time-related restrictions. So long as the work isn’t loud enough that it can be heard on other properties, crews can work at any time on any day, they said.

Councilor Don Cameron was concerned that 7 a.m.-7 p.m. noise restrictions would force crews to work in the heat of the day, and he wanted to avoid that for health and safety reasons.

Beierle clarified that residents or companies can already get special permits to allow for construction noise outside of the allowed timeframe. It must fall under certain criteria and be approved by the city manager.

Those doing so are already required to notify anyone within a one-block radius of after-hours construction noise, she said.

Cameron and Councilor Paul Haseman asked that, when possible, the permittees also post signs about the after-hours noise and how it’s been approved by the city.

Regarding lighting, Beierle and Segal said they wanted to clarify existing city code to ensure that any temporary or construction lighting fixtures are shielded. This means all the light will be pointed downward and won’t be leaving the respective property.

For fencing, Beierle said the current city code language is “pretty vague on what a fence is.” Thus, the city wants to provide clarity, saying a construction fence must be “a sturdy barricade” at least five feet high. These would be required for construction excavations.

A lack of any or proper fencing is the most common complaint Golden’s Code Enforcement department receives, she described.

Weinberg and other councilors wanted to ensure that these fences must be able to withstand strong winds, describing how current ones sometimes blow over.

Councilor Rob Reed also pointed out how requiring fencing for the entire length of a project could help with security concerns, saying it would keep people out of job sites and protect tools and equipment left overnight. If people steal workers’ tools, he said, it’ll only increase construction costs.

For construction parking, Beierle said city staff wants general contractors to submit a parking plan for a project that lasts more than 30 calendar days.

If parking is provided outside the right-of-way, no permit would be required. However, if crews were to park in the right of way, they would need a special permit to do so to ensure “the least interference with rights and convenience of property owners and residents,” she said.

Beierle added that this topic “has been the hardest one to come up with the solution” among city staff, but she envisioned this as a “starting point.”

She added: “We can implement this and then revisit it in six months.”

For right-of-way use, Beierle recommended that Golden require that “no parking” signs related to construction parking in the right of way must be placed at least 24 hours in advance and include the dates when parking is prohibited.

The councilors were overall supportive of these proposed changes, with Councilor Patty Evans saying, “I think this would benefit everyone — that there’s a (parking) plan.”

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Summer in Golden, Colorado, is spectacular. You'll love visiting this small-town suburb of Denver during the warmest months of the year. There's so much to see and do, and Golden really comes alive on summer weekends. Read on to learn more about Golden, Colorado, in the summertime, and plan a visit this year!

Golden is a wonderful place to visit at any time of the year, but it really comes alive in the summertime — there's so much to see and do in this small town of around 20,000 residents. It's just outside of Denver, but it feels like it's deep in the mountains. That's why so many people love it so much.

One of the most popular and fun events in Golden during the summer months is tubing on Clear Creek. There's even an area set aside for this activity with parking and everything. There's always a lot of action at Clear Creek Whitewater Park!

Are you looking for something to do during the weekends in the summer? You'll be in luck as there are concerts all over Golden. You might see one at a local restaurant or attend one put on by the city in a local park. The Golden Farmers Market is one of the best markets in the region. It runs every Saturday during the summer.

Golden's Buffalo Bill Days is a week-long celebration held every July. There's a parade, live music, a car show, and a golf tournament during this celebration. Golden's Fourth of July celebration also can't be missed. And, of course, the Golden Fine Arts Festival happens in August and is another great, local, summer event.

If hiking is your thing, why not climb to the top of North Table Mountain to view Golden from above? Golfers love playing at the Fossil Trace Golf Course. The views of the mountains from it are spectacular! And, if it's really hot, step inside the cool Coors Brewery and take a tour!

Looking for more amazing things to do in Colorado in the summer? Check out our Colorado Summer Bucket List for more ideas — and take a look at our official OIYS road trip packing list if you need help deciding what to bring with you!

US AIR FORCE ACADEMY — Twenty-two years ago, Mark Melancon celebrated on the mound at All-City Field as Golden High School won the school’s first state baseball title.

Fast-forward to Saturday afternoon at Erdle Field at the Air Force Academy. Senior shortstop Jaydon Stroup fielded a bouncing ball and fired it to senior Luca Casali for the final out, giving the Demons their second Class 4A baseball state championship with a 5-1 victory against Cheyenne Mountain.

“I don’t have a lot of words right now. Less than usual,” the soft-spoken Stroup said moments after fielding the final out and throwing it over to Casali at first base. “It felt good to win the game, make the last play. It just feels really good.”

The 2003 state championship team had to defeated Mountain View twice on a Saturday in Denver to claim the state title. Melancon — who went on to a 14-year MLB career as a relief pitcher and four-time All-Star, along with a two-time NL saves leader — got the win on the mound in the first game against Mountain View. His cousin, Luke Roberts took the victory on the hill in the second game before Melancon closed out the game.

This time around, it was senior left Taden Svendsen going six and a third innings to pick up the victory. Svendsen allowed just one run while scattering eight hits.

“It feels amazing knowing we’ll have a 2025 state championship banner hung up on the walls of Golden High School,” Svendsen said. “To take this home is great for the community.”

Svendsen and fellow senior Sawyer Brinkman would have likely shouldered the pitching load if the Demons were able to force a winner-take-all 4A title game two years ago. However, Severance edged Golden 1-0 to send the Demons home with the 4A runner-up trophy in 2023.

“I always worry about it no matter who the player is. It could be a senior. It could be a freshman. How are they respond being on this stage? This is a big deal,” Golden coach Jackie McBroom said. “Taden did a phenomenal job. He came out and pitched his game. He didn’t let the environment dictate how he threw.”

The environment got a little uncomfortable when Cheyenne Mountain won its fifth straight elimination game in the state tournament with a 5-2 extra-inning victory against Golden.

“I looked at my watch and just said, ‘It’s over now. It was time to move forward,’” Coach McBroom said about the Demons refocusing after the extra-inning loss where Golden stranded eight runners on base in the final three innings of the 5-2 loss.

The morning ended the Demons’ 20-game winning streak and set up a winner-take-all second game, but it didn’t derail Golden’s goal to win the state title.

“The focus in between games was just to flush it,” Stroup said about the extra-inning loss to Cheyenne Mountain. “A lot of underclassmen made some really big plays and got some really big hits.”

Casali reached and scored during all three of his at-bats. A 3-run bottom of the fifth inning gave the Demons (26-4 record) a 5-1 cushion. Sophomore Anthony Boucher had a big RBI single to right field that scored Casali to put Golden up 3-1. Sophomore Liam Leffert delivered the dagger with a 2-run triple to push the lead to 5-1.

“It was all just reset,” said Casali, who was 0-for-5 from the plate in the first game before going 2-for-2 with a walk and three runs scored in game two. “This was a fresh game. We knew we were the better game. Let’s build our confidence early and attack early. That was our whole mentality.”

Coach McBroom went to freshman lefty Austin Bittner to finish the game with one out in the top of the seventh inning. It was only Bittner’s fifth appearance in a varsity game this season.

“Not at all,” Bittner said if he imaged closing out the state championship game. “I was defintely trying to work toward it the entire season, starting on JV and then swinging up to varsity for a couple of games. I was working hard to get to the varsity level and pitch.”

Winning the state title will put the 2025 team in the same breath of the 2003 squad.

“First time in a long time and only the second time in 150 years,” Stroup said matching the historic 2003 state championship team. “To be one of the two Golden team to have done this feels really special.”

It also caps off a remarkable four-year run for Coach McBroom’s squads at the state tournament.

“People can look at it that we got the monkey off our back now,” Coach McBroom said of the Demons winning their first state title after multiple trips to the 8-team double-eliminate state tournament. “Ultimately, there aren’t many teams from Jeffco that have been down here four years in a row. I don’t see it as a failure of getting down here and not winning it. We’ve had a lot of success in these last for years.”