Golden is a great town. That's what its community says.
And its greatness was celebrated the first week of May during National Travel & Tourism Week.
On May 3, people gathered at the Golden Visitor Center. Residents took photos and mingled with some famous Goldenites --; Marvin the Miner, Spike the Railroad Hound, Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley and the Golden High School cheerleaders.
"Golden's got all the assets," said Donald Tallman, executive director of the Colorado Railroad Museum. And, he added, "the Golden Visitors Center is truly the concierges of Golden."
Barbara Slee has volunteered at the visitors' center for years and years. She enjoys working with all the different people who come to visit Golden. Through the years, Slee has met hundreds of people from all walks of life.
"It's a pleasure talking to everyone," she said.
Another volunteer, Dave Shuey, has been around for about 20 years. The visitors' center is not just for tourists, he said. Lots of community members like to come in and get information about local businesses and nearby regional attractions.
Gary and Cindy Tomlinson moved to Golden in 2012 from Wisconsin. Their son and daughter-in-law moved out here in 2005, and when the Tomlinson's grandson came along, they wanted to be closer to him.
"Golden is a great place to live," Gary Tomlinson said. "There's always fun events going on."
The Golden High School cheerleaders go "all over place," said Abby Wilson, a 17-year-old junior on the team. "It's important to support the school and the community."
Golden is a small community, said her teammate Makenzi Anderson, also a junior, so it's like a big family.
"We care a lot about this place," Anderson said.
Golden is a great place to be and great place to have fun, said Daren Bost, aka Spike the Railroad Hound. The children love seeing Spike, Bost said, because he's relatable and approachable.
"It makes me feel good," he said. "It makes me feel like I'm doing something right."
The children are the best part, said Barb Melfi, aka Annie Oakley. And they don't necessarily have to be children, she added. Grown-ups are "just kids in adult clothes."
Barb Melfi and her husband R.D. Melfi, aka Buffalo Bill, are historians who are biographical performers. "We tell the real stories of the characters as the characters," R.D. Melfi said.
They enjoy doing anything they can for the city.
"We feel it's important for people to come and see where the west lives," R.D. Melfi said.
from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://goldentranscript.net/stories/Celebrating-Goldens-greatness,213399?branding=15
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