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Colorado - Tue. 09/15/26 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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A NEW WAY OF RANCHING SUPPORTS BOTH LIVESTOCK & WILDLIFE
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Erin Michalski left a Wall Street banking career to help her parents, Dave and Jeannie Gottenborg, run Eagle Rock Ranch near Tarryall, which recently became the first ranch in the nation to establish an elk migration agreement. The pact compensates ranchers for providing elk pathways to migrate through private land. The agreement essentially compensates Michalski’s family for fencing damage caused by migratory elk in exchange for them keeping some pastures ungrazed for the elk to come take advantage of during the spring and the winter. The key to making that work is something called laydown fencing. “The concept of laydown fencing is being able to lay down or put away fencing when it’s not needed in order to enable migratory paths that are easier to get through by elk and antelope and deer,” said Michalski. In the summer months, the fence will be up. But in the spring, fall and winter, the fencing will be down.
This year, the Eagle Rock won the Colorado Leopold Conservation Award for its working-land conservation that supports both cattle and wildlife, and it was featured in a display at the Colorado State Fair. Michalski now handles finishing, processing and direct-to-consumer sales of the ranch’s all-natural Black Angus beef. She credits her dad for this new way of ranching. “All the credit goes to my dad,” said Michalski. “We’ve been his support staff essentially.” Dave Gottenborg likes to quote the great conservationist Aldo Leopold as he does his chores around the ranch, his daughter said. Quotes like, “A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.”
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SUPREME COURT BLOCKS TRUMP'S NEW MAIL BALLOT REQUIREMENTS FOR MIDTERMS
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The Supreme Court on Monday blocked the Trump administration from imposing new requirements for mail ballots, averting what state and local officials warned would have been a crisis in the midterm elections. In an unsigned one-paragraph ruling, over the dissent of two conservative justices, the court said the U.S. Postal Service can’t enforce new rules that would have compelled states to quickly redesign their ballot envelopes, submit lists of voters to the federal government and get signoff from postal officials before ballots could be mailed to voters. The Postal Service adopted the new rules last month at the behest of President Trump, who has frequently disparaged mail voting and has said that limiting the practice would help Republicans.
State and local officials argued the rules were unconstitutional and exceeded the Postal Service’s authority. They also said that implementing the rules before the Nov. 3 midterms would be logistically impossible, because many ballots have already been prepared, and some states, including North Carolina and Wisconsin, have already started mailing ballots to voters. Nearly a third of American voters used mail ballots in 2024, and some states conduct their elections primarily by mail.
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ALPINE BANK ANNOUNCES SENIOR LEADERSHIP CHANGES
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Alpine Banks of Colorado and its wholly owned subsidiary, Alpine Bank, announced senior leadership changes effective as of Thursday, Sept. 10.
- The president, CEO and chairman of the company and Alpine Bank, Glen Jammaron, has transitioned exclusively into the roles of CEO and chairman. He will continue to focus on high-level banking directives aligning with Alpine Bank’s culture, brand and values.
- As part of the leadership transition, Alpine Bank Chief Retail Officer Jay Rickstrew has been appointed president and vice chairman of the company and president of Alpine Bank. In these roles, Rickstrew will oversee day-to-day operations of the company and its subsidiaries, including Alpine Bank, and maintain accountability for operational and financial performance.
- Alpine Bank Regional President Matt Teeters has been appointed as chief retail officer of Alpine Bank, where he will oversee all retail banking functions, including retail deposit and loan operations, marketing, mortgage services and wealth management.
Alpine Banks of Colorado is an independent, employee-owned organization founded in 1973 with headquarters in Glenwood Springs. Alpine Bank employs 890 people and serves 170,000 customers with personal, business, wealth management, mortgage and electronic banking services around the state.
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DENVER DRIVERS WON'T HAVE TO GO TO COURT TO FIGHT THEIR PARKING TICKETS ANYMORE
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Denver residents and visitors no longer have to visit the courthouse to dispute their wrongful parking tickets after the city officially reinstated its online dispute system Monday. The new system’s launch ends a year of frustration for unlucky Denver drivers who received parking tickets for things like failing to pay a meter when they had, in fact, paid the meter. Those who fought tickets they claimed were bogus complained of long waits at the backed-up courthouse and months of lead-up time for their court hearings. In August 2025, city officials laid off the five parking magistrates who reviewed the online disputes and shut the system down in September. Mayor Mike Johnston’s administration initially proposed eliminating the online option, but the City Council pushed back, asking his office to keep the digital disputes as an equitable option for those who couldn’t easily visit the courthouse.
Johnston’s office agreed, but it took nearly a year for the system to come back online. Nancy Kuhn, a DOTI spokeswoman, said three “dispute technicians” and a supervisor will handle the online disputes. The reviewers will all be employees of DOTI, the agency that hands out most parking tickets, rather than the courts, as was the case under the previous online parking dispute system. The city has budgeted $8.75 million from the Transportation and Mobility Special Revenue Fund for several initiatives, including up to $400,000 to bring the new employees on board and relaunch the parking dispute system. The new system allows disputes only for tickets that are fewer than 20 days old.
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ASPEN SNOWMASS SELLING $3.75 LIFT TICKETS TO CELEBRATE 80TH ANNIVERSARY
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Aspen Snowmass ski company celebrates its 80th anniversary this winter and if you act fast, you can snag lift tickets for less than the cost of a gallon of gas. The resort owner is currently selling a limited number of lift tickets for $3.75 for skiing on Monday, Dec. 14, the anniversary of its founding. That’s apparently consistent with the price it charged when it opened in 1946. Aspen Snowmass is also offering $80 lift tickets to ski on Saturday, Dec. 12 and Sunday, Dec. 13. All passes enable skiers and snowboarders to hit any of Aspen Snowmass’ mountains, including Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk, and Snowmass. Aspen Snowmass is planning special on-mountain events for the mid-December celebration, including après parties. On-mountain restaurants will also run $19.46 food and beverage specials as a nod to the year Aspen Skiing Company was founded. For more information, visit aspensnowmass.com/visit/aspen-snowmass-80th-anniversary.
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$2,187 IN PARKING FINES HANDED OUT DURING SINGLE WEEKEND ON COLORADO MOUNTAIN PASS
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Those following the news know good and well that parking illegally on iconic leaf-peeping route Guanella Pass tends to mean a notable fine or towing – but people are still doing it anyway. Despite the signs, the press releases, and the presence of law enforcement, drivers continue to break the rules. As was recently promised by the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office, numerous citations are getting handed out – 25 this past weekend alone. The cost associated with each of those fines is $87.50 and with peak fall colors around the corner, more will undoubtedly be issued. Parking citations are being given to vehicles parking in no-parking zones, vehicles parked with any portion of the vehicle in the roadway, and vehicles parked in the wrong direction of travel. It’s also worth noting that a parking citation isn’t the only penalty that illegally parked drivers may face, with getting towed also being a risk.
Those parked in a way that impedes traffic may end up being towed at the owner’s expense, likely to the Geneva Basin Road lot that’s located at mile marker 10.5 in Park County. For reference, this is about two miles southwest of the Mount Bierstadt trailhead. For the sake of safety, to prevent impacting leaf-peeping traffic, and to avoid unexpected costs of a backcountry adventure, park legally on Guanella Pass and other routes around the state. If a parking spot is unavailable, keep driving and looking for another one, change your plans, or return at a later time and hope the area has cleared out a bit. To have a better chance of getting a spot, visit during lighter crowds on a weekday or arrive especially early – spots fill up fast.
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RFTA'S NEW BATTERY-ELECTRIC BUS FLEET TO SERVE MAROON BELLS
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Starting this fall, visitors can arrive at the Maroon Bells via a battery-electric bus for the first time in history. This comes as the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority more than doubles its fleet of battery-electric buses. The 11 new buses — which go into service on Sept. 20 — bring the region’s battery-electric fleet to 19. Ten of these were purchased by RFTA, while the city of Aspen purchased one bus separately. The 11 new electric buses will replace the same number of diesel buses. RFTA first piloted eight battery-electric buses back in 2019. With this purchase, the authority has not only increased their electric fleet but also upgraded to more advanced technology. The new buses can travel around 250 miles on a single charge, twice the range of the original electric buses added in the 2019 pilot program.
These technological advances allow RFTA to serve new routes, like the iconic Maroon Bells, whose shuttle system dates back to the 1970s when officials moved to limit car traffic to the area amid concerns over pollution and the impacts to the area’s environment. But the Maroon Bells route is just one of many that the new electric buses will serve. The new buses will fill a gap that the prior electric buses weren’t able to fill — the original electric vehicles could not consistently serve the Brush Creek corridor, peak commuter regional service and Hogback service, as well as the Maroon Bells, due to their significantly lower charge range. They’ll also operate on Aspen routes, VelociRFTA Bus Rapid Transit, the Flyer and local routes.
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MUDSLIDE CLOSES ACCESS TO MAROON BELLS ON MONDAY
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Access to the Maroon Bells was closed to visitors on Monday after a morning mudslide rendered the Maroon Creek Road unsafe to pass. Officials declined to estimate when the road and access to the Maroon Bells — which is just starting to see its aspen trees turn gold — could be reopened. The mudslide covered a 100-foot-wide portion of the road between Silver Bell and Silver Queen campgrounds, around mile-marker 7, said Parker Lathrop, chief deputy of operations for the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office. The road provides the region’s main access to the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. No injuries were reported.
Public works officials spent the morning cleaning up the road and clearing a one-way path out of the area for any trapped campers. Several early morning hikers remained on the trails into Monday afternoon, including a group of about 15 from Crested Butte. At the time of publishing, local Roaring Fork Transportation Authority buses were on standby near the end of the road and the Maroon Bells trailhead, waiting to shuttle hikers back to the Aspen Highlands parking garage. Buses ferried several people to the trailhead prior to the mudslide.
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MEALS ON WHEELS IN WESTERN GARFIELD COUNTY CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF SERVICE
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Grand River Meals on Wheels is celebrating 50 years of delivering meals to seniors across western Garfield County. The program’s records date to 1976, when hospital and church volunteers began delivering meals to residents in their homes. “Our records start in 1976, but it may have been going on before that,” said Kaaren Peck, director of volunteer services. “It was organized by hospital and church volunteers, and the different churches used to do different days, like the Lutherans would do Tuesdays and the Catholics would do Fridays. The Catholic Church actually still helps out.” Peck has been in her role for nearly 20 years. When she started, Meals on Wheels had three routes, serving Parachute, Rifle and Silt. “We have seven total now, we’ve added New Castle to the towns we serve, and we’ve served just under one third of a million meals since 1976,” Peck said.
The program now has about 100 active volunteers, many of whom are in their 70s and 80s. More than 1,000 people have volunteered with the program over the past 50 years. “Our oldest volunteer was 99, and they passed away in the spring,” Peck said. “We’ve had students step up and there was a waiting list that started after COVID.” The further west you go, Peck said, the greater the need. Grand River Meals on Wheels serves an area roughly the size of Rhode Island, requiring volunteers to travel into some of the more remote parts of western Garfield County. The program has also begun providing pet food once a month called Portions for Pets. Colorado Animal Rescue provides about one-third to one-half of the pet food the program needs. Grand River Meals on Wheels will celebrate its volunteers with a gala on Sept. 18 at the Grand River Health ballroom. To apply to volunteer, visit grandriverhealth.org.
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COLORADO ASSOCIATION FOR VITICULTURE & ENOLOGY SELECTS ITS NEXT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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The Colorado Association for Viticulture and Enology (CAVE) has selected Alexandra Mize, an experienced leader in corporate responsibility — including in the beverage industry — as its next executive director. Mize began her career managing Fulbright, an educational and cultural exchange program, in Belgium before joining the Kentucky Distillers’ Association as the trade group’s first director of social responsibility. In addition to her experience in the Kentucky Distillers’ Association, Mize served as vice president of sustainability at Neiman Marcus Group and Alterra Mountain Company. She currently lives in Evergreen and will be based on the Front Range.
CAVE will maintain and staff its Palisade office and its presence on the Western Slope. Mize succeeds longtime Executive Director Cassidee Shull, who is stepping down after nearly 15 years leading the organization. During Shull’s tenure, CAVE expanded its statewide educational and advocacy efforts, elevated Colorado Mountain Winefest to national recognition and helped increase national awareness of Colorado wine. In her new role, Mize will work with CAVE’s board, members, industry partners, the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board, state agencies, tourism organizations and others to strengthen the industry’s statewide voice, advance legislative and regulatory priorities and expand recognition of Colorado wine both within the state and nationally. Mize is set to begin working in her new role this month.
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OAK CREEK AWARDED $161K FOR 550 BEAR-RESISTANT RESIDENTIAL TRASH CONTAINERS
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The town of Oak Creek has been awarded $161,625 in grant funding from Colorado Parks and Wildlife to purchase 550 96-gallon bear-resistant residential trash containers, furthering the town’s efforts to minimize local bear conflicts and promote conservation efforts. Each of the town’s residential trash customers will receive one free container, which will be accompanied in the near future by the adoption of an ordinance by the town trustees mandating compliance across both residential, commercial and multi-residential properties. According to the grant application, the town is providing a 25 percent local match of $53,875, adding up to a total project cost of $215,500, inclusive of the container costs — $370 per “tote” — and $12,000 for shipping. Once Oak Creek officially receives the award funding, the town plans to order bear-resistant containers for the 2027 season.
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YAMPA VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION GRANTS NEARLY $726K TO 91 AREA NONPROFITS
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The Yampa Valley Community Foundation has announced the recipients of its 2026 Community Grant Cycle Awards, giving out nearly $726,000 in grant funding to 91 nonprofit organizations serving Routt and Moffat counties, marking a record in dollars awarded by the foundation, according to a statement released Wednesday. Requests for up to $10,000 were accepted for this cycle. Every award meets at least 50 percent of the requested amount, with the average award receiving 83 percent of its request. Grants were awarded across all categories tracked by the foundation. The 2026 grant cycle included two types of funds: general operating grants and program grants. Just under half of the total awarded dollars, or around $331,500, were allocated toward program grants, which are designated for a specific project or program, are required of applicants with budgets over $1 million, or faith-based organizations.
- Steamboat Free Summer Concerts was awarded a general operating grant to support its mission of bringing people together through free, family-friendly concerts that feature high-quality artists, benefit local causes and model environmental and social responsibility. The all-volunteer organization partners with other groups to expand awareness on a range of topics, including substance-use disorder, food insecurity and environmental stewardship.
- The Next Page Learning Center, also awarded a general operating grant, helps serve struggling readers and their families through individualized intervention, diagnostic assessments and advocacy. One sixth grader in the program noted improvements after just half a school year.
- Of this year’s grant cycle awards, 17 percent went toward organizations in arts, culture and humanities; 16 percent toward human services; 14 percent toward recreation and sports; 9 percent toward environmental organizations; 8 percent toward youth development; 8 percent toward education; and 7 percent toward mental health and crisis intervention.
The remaining awards were allocated to organizations working in poverty, animal welfare, civil rights and advocacy, healthcare, disaster preparedness and emergency response, agriculture and food production, and community building and economic development. For the full list of 2026 grant recipients, as well as past winners, visit YVCF.org/Past-Grant-Recipients.
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SUPPORT OUTDOOR STEWARDSHIP: SHARE VOC’s 2027 PROJECT & TRAINING APPLICATIONS
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Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) is now accepting project and training applications for the 2027 season—and your network may be able to help spread the word. VOC partners with a wide range of organizations across the state to engage thousands of volunteers in hands-on stewardship projects, from trail building and habitat restoration to wildfire mitigation, urban greening, community gardening, and more. We invite you to share this opportunity with nonprofits, community groups, or land managers that could benefit from VOC’s support in engaging volunteers for on-the-ground work. VOC is also accepting applications for trainings to help increase the stewardship capacity of local volunteers or staff. These trainings cover skills such as trail design, crew leadership, ecological restoration, and more—and may be useful to individuals or groups in your broader community. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but we encourage submissions by Oct. 15, 2026.
- Learn more about partnering with VOC on a project at voc.org/partner-resources.
- Request a stewardship training at ositraining.org/training.
- For questions about partnering with VOC, contact Kelly Clouse at kclouse@voc.org or Sam Hutchins at sam@voc.org for training inquiries.
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MICHELIN'S FIRST GUIDE FEATURING ALL OF COLORADO PUTS AURORA ON THE MAP
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This year’s Colorado Michelin Guide is out and broader than ever. More than 60 restaurants were featured in Michelin’s first-ever guide to include all of Colorado, including restaurants in new cities to be showcased such as Aurora, Colorado Springs and Telluride. This is the fourth Michelin Guide in Colorado since it was introduced in 2023, but previous editions were limited to Denver, Boulder, Aspen, Snowmass Village, Vail and Beaver Creek Resort. Michelin is brought into the state with the financial support of the Colorado Tourism Office and the tourism agencies for those cities. But cities like Aurora and Colorado Springs that had not previously paid into the Michelin Guide are now eligible to be inspected.
- Annette, a self-described scratch-to-table kitchen located at Stanley Marketplace, is one of the first restaurants in Aurora to get recognition from Michelin with a Bib Gourmand award. Bib Gourmand awards celebrate good food at great value prices inspectors would order during their personal time. Dân Dã, a Vietnamese restaurant at 9945 E Colfax Ave., got a Michelin recommendation, as well.
- Telluride and Colorado Springs were also featured with several Michelin recommendations. Telluride was represented by Mediterranean restaurant The National at 100 E. Colorado Ave. and Colorado Springs was featured thanks to Four by Brother Luck, a southwestern-style restaurant at 321 N. Tejon St. in the city’s downtown, and The Penrose Room at The Broadmoor hotel.
- The biggest new recognition this year went to acclaimed Chef Johnny Curiel’s new restaurant in Denver: Milpero. It was the only new restaurant this year to get a prized Michelin star. It’s his third restaurant in the region to get a Michelin star, after Alma Fonda Fina and Mezcaleria Alma. Other distinctions include Cozobi Fonda Fina with a Bib Gourmand and Alteño with a Michelin recommendation.
- Two other new Bib Gourmand awards went to Pig and Tiger and Rougarou, both located near Denver’s Five Points neighborhood. It also gave recommendations to Casa Juani in Boulder; Dear Emilia, Florence Supper Club, Heretík and Madeline in Denver and Radicato and Rootstalk in Breckenridge.
- Michelin also gave an Exceptional Cocktails Award to Kyle McNerney at Four by Brother Luck, a Sommelier Award to Theo Adley and Jenessa Reiman from Heretík, an Outstanding Service Award to Joseph Freyre at The Penrose Room and a Young Chef/Culinary Professional Award to Cameron Baker of Radicato.
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MARKET UPDATE - 09/14/2026 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 09/10/2026)
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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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