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Colorado - Wed. 08/26/26 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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DOLLY PARTON, BELOVED CULTURAL ICON, DIES AT 80
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Dolly Parton died Tuesday at age 80 in Nashville, Tenn. The cause of death wasn’t released. In May, Parton canceled a Las Vegas residency because of health issues. Parton put out more than 50 studio albums, resulting in 27 gold and platinum albums and total sales over 100 million worldwide, including 113 charting singles. She starred in films including “9 to 5” (later adapted into a Broadway musical), “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” and “Steel Magnolias.” In addition to 11 Grammy Awards (out of 50 nominations), she received nominations from the Academy, Tony and Emmy Awards. In 1999, she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame; in 2001, into the Songwriters Hall of Fame; and in 2005, she received the National Medal of Arts. Her entertainment empire, worth more than $500 million, spanned multiple venues including the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., which draws more than two million visitors annually.
Parton’s philanthropic efforts were legendary. To honor her father, Robert Lee Parton, who never learned to read and write, she started the Imagination Library, which donated more than 200 million books to children around the world. In 2020, she contributed $1 million to Vanderbilt University for virus research, which helped kick-start Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine. Dolly Rebecca Parton was born Jan. 19, 1946, in a two-room cabin in Pittman Center, Tenn., a town bordering Gatlinburg, Tenn., and the Great Smoky Mountains. She was the fourth of her sharecropper parents’ 12 children. She wrote her first songs at age 5, and when she was 10, she became a regular on Knoxville’s “The Cas Walker Farm & Home Show.”
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CANADA HITS BACK AT U.S. WITH TARIFFS TARGETING MIDTERM HOT SPOTS
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Canada plans to impose tariffs of up to 50 percent on roughly 700 American products in retaliation for new U.S. levies, Canadian officials said Tuesday, escalating tensions between two of the world’s most closely integrated economies. The Canadian tariffs were designed to protect domestic companies hit by a fresh set of hefty U.S. tariffs and to sting President Trump and his Republican Party as they head into a difficult midterm election in November, Canadian officials said. The new levies would go into effect Sept. 8, affecting about $20 billion worth of goods, or roughly 7 percent of total U.S. imports. Analysts noted that the tariffs targeted products made in states with hotly contested congressional elections, including processed cheese from Wisconsin, seafood from Maine, and washers and dryers from Kentucky, where General Electric has a major operation.
Most of the tariffs are between 15 percent and 50 percent. U.S. steel and aluminum were already subject to a 25 percent tariff, but that will now double to 50 percent, officials said. Canada imposed the tariffs after the U.S. slapped new import duties on $20 billion of Canadian goods over the weekend after trade talks collapsed, targeting hockey sticks, cement, paper, chemicals and a host of other products. Canada is the U.S.’s second-largest trading partner by country, behind Mexico and ahead of China, making the escalating dispute particularly consequential for both economies.
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DENVER WATER CONSIDERS BANNING ALL LAWN WATERING AS DRY, HOT SUMMER CONTINUES
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Denver Water is set to decide Wednesday whether to ban its 1.5 million customers from all lawn watering starting in October, as drought conditions continue across the region. The new rule, building on current twice-weekly outside watering restrictions, would prohibit customers from watering grass after Sept. 30, before the typical first freeze. A few exceptions would apply, such as for public parks and athletic facilities, with approval from Denver Water. The Denver Board of Water Commissioners will decide whether to update the utility’s drought response rules during its meeting at 9 a.m. Wednesday. Denver Water is the largest water utility in Colorado and serves much of the metro area. The new rules, if adopted, would still allow people to water trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables by hand or by non-spray irrigation systems, but not by using sprinklers.
In addition to new watering rules, restaurants would be able to serve water only upon request if the resolution is adopted. Streamflow into Denver Water’s reservoirs was less than a quarter of normal and the lowest recorded in 110 years of recordkeeping. The mountains from which the utility draws its water are in extreme drought. This summer is the hottest on record for metro Denver, with temperatures routinely several degrees above normal. The drought and heat have left Denver Water’s reservoirs only 73 percent full at a time when they are normally 94 percent full, according to the utility. The reservoir system’s levels may drop to only 60 percent full before next spring’s runoff, it says. Banning grass watering after Sept. 30 could save 5,000 acre-feet of water, according to the resolution. An acre-foot of water is enough for at least two families’ annual use.
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THURSDAY'S LUNAR ECLIPSE ISN'T TOTAL IN COLORADO, BUT IT WILL COME CLOSE
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Coloradans have a chance to see a lunar eclipse this week during which the Earth’s shadow will cover more than 90 percent of the full moon. Thursday night’s celestial event is technically a partial lunar eclipse, but it’s about as close to a total eclipse as we will see for another several years, said Nick Conant, education and theater manager at the University of Colorado’s Fiske Planetarium in Boulder. An added bonus is that sky watchers don’t have to stay up too late to see the best of the eclipse. The Earth’s shadow is expected to start covering the moon at 8:34 p.m. with maximum coverage peaking at 10:13 p.m. By midnight, the eclipse will be over. This month’s full moon is the Sturgeon Moon, named for the giant lake sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain.
Folks near Boulder can join astronomers from the Fiske Planetarium and the neighboring Sommers-Bausch Observatory on the CU campus for a special event on Thursday evening. From 8:30 to 11:15 p.m., experts will be on hand with telescopes to amplify the view of the eclipse. The event is free to attend, though Conant advises arriving early since about 1,000 people came to the last watch party.
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ROARING FORK CONSERVANCY ACQUIRES EMPLOYEE HOUSING UNIT AT MIDLAND RESIDENCES
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Roaring Fork Conservancy has announced they have acquired one of 17 new employee housing units in the Midland Residences in Basalt. The Midland Residences are located at 140 Basalt Center Circle and include 65 residences plus 10,000 square feet of “locals-first” retail, including Jimbo’s Liquors and a new steakhouse with prepared take-out foods by the CP Restaurant group. Midland Residences workforce housing was created by LB West Developers and the town of Basalt. Contributions by Atlantic Aviation and a handful of additional donors made Roaring Fork Conservancy’s purchase of a studio possible. The tenant of the new studio unit is Matthew Anderson, a native Basaltine and Roaring Fork Conservancy water quality technician. His family owns and operates the community-focused Basalt Clinic Pharmacy, and Anderson remains involved in the family business with a three-minute commute to the pharmacy and six minutes to the RFC River Center.
Roaring Fork Conservancy aspires to own the studio without debt, which will create a permanent income endowment in addition to critical housing for its staff. In early 2025, Atlantic Aviation — the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport’s Fixed Based Operator — offered an initial donation of $25,000, which was met and exceeded with matching donations by Eleanor Davis, Anne Tobey, Maryann and John Virant, Margie Weber, Leila and Walt Mischer, Margaret and Andy Paul and Dianne and Jim Light. Atlantic Aviation will match $1 for every $3 raised on the project. The $340,000 acquisition also included a loan from Alpine Bank. Roaring Fork Conservancy is an independent, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. For more information, call 970-927-1290 or visit roaringfork.org, and for more information on Midland Residences, visit midlandresidences.com.
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MARY RYERSON RECEIVES 2026 BANKHER AWARD
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Alpine Bank Aspen Branch President Mary Ryerson has been named a recipient of the Colorado Bankers Association's 2026 BankHer Award, recognizing her leadership in banking and longstanding commitment to community service. The award honors two women annually and celebrates professionals whose careers exemplify excellence in banking while creating lasting positive change in the communities they serve. Ryerson was recognized during the Colorado Bankers Association's Women in Banking Conference on Aug. 3 in Steamboat Springs. Ryerson has been a leader in Colorado community banking since 1978. She began her career at the Bank of Aspen and joined Alpine Bank Aspen in 1992, ultimately serving in nearly every role within the organization before becoming branch president. Throughout her career, she has been known not only for her banking expertise, but also for her dedication to community service.
"It is truly an honor to receive the BankHer Award," noted Ryerson. "I have been fortunate to spend my career working alongside incredible colleagues, customers and community members who inspire me every day. Community banking is about building relationships and helping people achieve their goals, and I'm grateful to be part of an industry that makes such a positive difference." Ryerson is widely recognized for her volunteerism and civic leadership throughout the Aspen area. In 2024, she was inducted into the Aspen Hall of Fame in recognition of her decades of service, and she has received numerous awards for her work supporting local nonprofit organizations and community causes.
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TELLURIDE FIRE PLANS STATION EXPANSION IN PLACERVILLE
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In response to the region’s continued growth, Telluride Fire Protection District (TFPD) plans to expand Fire Station 3 in Placerville and build the district’s first training facility. The expansion will include a new apparatus bay to house additional emergency vehicles and a remodel of the existing station to add a fitness area, day room, dorm rooms and gear storage. The Placerville station is typically staffed by three or four firefighters, with additional personnel brought on during wildfire season. Fire Station 3 was constructed in 1973 when TFPD was still a volunteer department and was most recently remodeled in 2000. The project is being funded through a combination of the district’s operating budget and a $575,000 grant from the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control.
The first phase of the project will involve constructing the new training facility. The grant requires that the facility be completed and operational by August 2027 to avoid forfeiting the funding. The three-story training tower will provide firefighters with the opportunity to participate in live-burn exercises, allowing them to experience realistic fire conditions and hone their skills in a safe, supervised environment. For more information about the project, visit telluridefire.com/placerville.
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PAC-12 RETURNS TO THE FOOTBALL FIELD WITH 8 TEAMS FOLLOWING YEARS OF UNCERTAINTY
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The Pac-12 is back with a new look and a host of schools that might seem unfamiliar to longtime fans of the Conference of Champions. Oregon State and Washington State are the lone holdovers after a mass exodus in 2023 that threatened the existence of a conference founded more than a century ago and with a long and storied history across multiple sports. The league has patiently reloaded with six new football programs, adding Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State, Utah State, Texas State and Fresno State. The rebirth of Pac-12 football will include a seven-game round-robin schedule followed by a “flex” game designed to enhance its College Football Playoff and bowl game chances. There is a new television deal that ensures every game will be on linear TV, so the entire country will get a chance to watch “Pac-12 After Dark” instead of searching channels and platforms to find its games.
Boise State enters its first season in the Pac-12 as the favorite to win the title after winning three straight Mountain West Conference championships. Now that the Pac-12 is in the Group of Six, it no longer receives an automatic bid into the College Football Playoff. To strengthen its CFP chances, the Pac-12 will have “flex” games the final week of the regular season, creating a rematch that will count as a non-conference game. The flex matchups will be determined the weekend before the games and come a week prior to the Pac-12 title game on Dec. 4. Utah State, Colorado State, Fresno State and Washington State will host the flex games to ensure every Pac-12 team has four conference home games.
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COLORADANS ARE TURNING LIGHTS OFF TO PROTECT BIRDS AS MORE THAN 5 MILLION FLY OVER THE STATE SOME NIGHTS AMID FALL MIGRATION
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As millions of birds start to head south for the winter, Coloradans are turning off outdoor lights to help darken the path for these nocturnal migrators. Every year, billions of birds migrate south in the fall, starting from about early August through November. Nearly 70 percent of bird species worldwide are migratory, and about 80 percent of migratory birds travel at night. Already on the night of Aug. 24, the BirdCast project, which uses weather radar to detect migrating birds, showed more than 5.5 million birds flying over Colorado. “Birds when they migrate at night, they’re navigating via the stars, via the moon, Earth’s magnetic pole, landscape features they can see while up in the sky at night — so shorelines and mountain ranges,” said Jacob Job, the senior director of engagement and development at the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. “And, for some reason, birds are attracted to artificial lights produced by humans.”
Lights Out Colorado asks residents to take simple actions to help protect the birds traveling at night. This includes shielding outdoor lights to prevent light from being emitted upwards and turning off lights as early as possible during the bird migration season. One study estimates that building collisions kill as many as 1 billion birds in the U.S. each year — and it’s not just skyscrapers that birds are crashing into. Nearly half of the birds that die from flying into buildings in the U.S. collide with homes and smaller buildings. Bird populations across the world have seen steep declines in recent years — and the Audubon Society lists building collisions as a top cause of mortality. One study, published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology found that North America has lost nearly 3 billion birds in the last 50 years, a nearly 30 percent decline in the overall population of birds across the continent.
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FRIENDS OF THE YAMPA SEEKS VOLUNTEERS TO COLLECT DRAGONFLY LARVAE
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Friends of the Yampa is seeking 12 to 15 volunteers to collect dragonfly larvae in the Yampa River from Sept. 15-17, helping the local organization, along with Dinosaur National Monument and the Dragonfly Mercury Project, to determine the source of mercury contamination in the river. Mercury bioaccumulates in dragonflies and, because they complete their aquatic life cycle in a single location, they are an “excellent proxy” for mercury contamination. Volunteers may join for one, two or three full days of fieldwork, regardless of weather, at remote locations in Routt and Moffat counties along the Yampa. Dinosaur National Monument staff will provide the appropriate equipment and expertise.
Volunteers should be comfortable walking in water, possibly up to hip-deep, and should bring water and lunch and wear clothes suitable for river-walking. Long pants, layers, rain gear, sunscreen, sturdy closed-toe shoes and a hat are recommended. Volunteers may be asked to kick the river bottom to stir up aquatic insects; boots are not recommended. To sign up, visit FriendsoftheYampa.VolunteerLocal.com.
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SMART BELLIES TO HOST BIRTHDAY BASH FUNDRAISER IN FRISCO THIS FRIDAY
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Smart Bellies will celebrate eight years of serving local children with its annual Birthday Bash fundraiser Friday, Aug. 28, at 10 Mile Music Hall in Frisco. The 21-and-older event will feature food from local restaurants, games and dancing, with proceeds supporting the nonprofit’s work to provide consistent, nutritious food to children in the community. Tickets cost $60 and include food, a drink, games and dancing. An online silent auction benefiting the organization is also underway ahead of the event, featuring a selection of items and experiences. More information, including tickets and access to the auction, is available at SmartBellies.org/birthdaybash.
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PARIS, ANYONE? UNITED AIRLINES TO ADD NONSTOP FLIGHTS FROM DENVER
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United Airlines will begin daily nonstop service from Denver International Airport to Paris on May 27, 2027, giving travelers a direct route to the French capital. The airline announced Tuesday that the year-round service will be operated on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The new route will complement existing service from Newark/New York, Washington Dulles, Chicago and San Francisco. The announcement comes as United continues to expand and invest in Denver, which the airline calls its fastest-growing hub. Patrick Quayle, the airline’s senior vice president of global network planning and alliances, told reporters on a call Monday that Paris was the only new international destination from Denver under consideration at this time.
- United has invested nearly $1 billion at Denver International Airport since 2021. The airline provides service to more than 200 total destinations from Denver, including more than 20 international destinations.
- Beyond Denver, United announced 10 new international destinations and three new routes across Europe and Asia, while introducing its newest international aircraft: the “Born to Explore” Airbus A321XLR.
- Beginning as early as March 2027, United will offer new nonstop flights to Okinawa, Japan, from San Francisco International Airport; Toulouse, France, from Washington Dulles International Airport; and eight destinations from Newark Liberty International Airport: Luxembourg City, Luxembourg; Marseille, France; Ibiza and Valencia, Spain; Terceira, Portugal; Ljubljana, Slovenia; Olbia, on the Italian island of Sardinia; and Catania, on the Italian island of Sicily.
- United will also add new flights from Los Angeles to Osaka, Japan, and from Washington, D.C., to Milan, Italy. The airline said it plans to resume flights from San Francisco to Tel Aviv, Israel.
- United’s Airbus A321XLR will support service to destinations including Ibiza, Luxembourg, Marseille, Toulouse and Valencia.
- The A321XLR is scheduled to begin flying select domestic routes in September and transition to international service Dec. 1, starting with flights from Dulles International Airport to Amsterdam and Dublin. Tickets for the first international flights will go on sale Thursday, Aug. 27.
- United also plans to bring back the international destinations it added in summer 2026 for summer 2027, including flights from Newark/New York to Split, Croatia; Bari, Italy; Glasgow, Scotland; and Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
- The airline said it will serve more destinations in Japan, Spain, Portugal, Italy and France than any other U.S. carrier, according to Tuesday’s announcement.
- The airline now flies to more than 160 international destinations.
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MARKET UPDATE - 08/25/2026 Close
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(Courtesy of Alpine Bank Wealth Management*)
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Canadian dollar (per U.S. dollar)
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Mexican peso (per U.S. dollar)
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30-year fixed mortgage rate (Freddie Mac 08/20/2026)
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*Not FDIC insured. May lose value. Not guaranteed by the bank.
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Alpine Bank is an independent, employee-owned organization with headquarters in Glenwood Springs and banking offices across Colorado's Western Slope, mountains and Front Range. Alpine Bank serves customers with retail, business, wealth management*, mortgage and electronic banking services. Learn more at alpinebank.com.
*Alpine Bank Wealth Management services are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not guaranteed by the bank.
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