|
Colorado - Fri. 09/25/26 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
|
|
View in Browser
|
|
|
| |
UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE TO BRING TEAM TO COLORADO SPRINGS, WEIDNER FIELD IN 2027
|
| |
|
|
| |
On Wednesday, the United Football League announced its intent to bring a professional football team to Colorado Springs for the 2027 season. The team will play its home games at Weidner Field, home of the Colorado Springs Switchbacks of the USL Championship. Colorado Springs is one of two markets the league is expanding to next season, with Rhode Island being the second. The UFL will bring teams to Oklahoma City and Salt Lake City in 2028. By 2030, the UFL, which currently has eight teams including the expansion teams in Colorado and Rhode Island, hopes to have 12 teams. The Colorado Springs team’s name, logo, colors and brand identity will be unveiled at a public event at Weidner Field on Oct. 25.
Colorado Springs’ first home game will be on April 11 at 1 p.m. on ABC. The UFL season will begin on March 26 at the home of the reigning champion Louisville Kings and will culminate at the United Bowl, usually in mid-June. The UFL’s spring season will run concurrently with the Switchbacks’ 2027 campaign, which will likely kick off in early March. At 8,000 seats, Weidner Field will be the smallest stadium in the UFL, with Centreville Bank Stadium seating 10,500 and Lynn Family Stadium hosting 11,600.
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
NIKE FOUNDER DONATES $1 BILLION TO UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
|
| |
|
|
| |
Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife Penny have committed $1 billion to the University of Oregon. The gift, the largest in the university’s history, will be used to establish an engineering school in Eugene. The announcement indicated that the money will be used to attract new faculty and add facilities as part of a long-term plan to develop the new school, which will be located at the existing Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact. It will emphasize bioengineering and related disciplines. Phil Knight earned his business degree in 1959 at the University of Oregon, graduating in three years while winning three letters as a middle-distance runner for the Ducks’ track and field program, under the direction of its famed coach, Bill Bowerman. After graduating from Oregon, he served in the Army for a year and then enrolled in the Stanford Graduate School of Business, completing his MBA in 1962.
As part of an entrepreneurship class called “Small Business Management,” he had to complete an assignment where students were required to describe how they would start a business and develop a marketing plan for it. Knight wrote about something he knew well — shoes — with a paper entitled, “Can Japanese sports shoes do to German sports shoes what Japanese cameras did to German cameras?” As it turned out, the answer was “yes,” leading Knight and Bowerman to found Nike, which over the decades has grown into one of the most famous and profitable shoe, apparel and sports equipment companies in the world. Knight is now worth more than $25 billion, according to Forbes, putting him 101st on the Forbes 400 list of wealthiest Americans.
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
HEAVY BEAR ACTIVITY SHUTS DOWN JEFFERSON COUNTY TRAIL
|
| |
|
|
| |
Frequent sightings of a protective bear and her cubs prompted Golden officials to shut down a popular walking trail Wednesday. Tucker Gulch Trail was closed between First Street and Seventh Street for “heavy bear activity in the area,” according to the city of Golden. The trail is a 1.1-mile trek along an abandoned railroad bed and the Tucker Gulch drainage, stretching from Vanover Park to Norman D. Park. The Golden Police Dept. received several reports of a sow with two cubs in the trail closure area. Please avoid the closed area and do not approach or attempt to interact with bears or other wildlife. Barricades will remain on either side of the closed section of the trail until further notice. The closure is roughly five miles north of Apex Park, which Jefferson County officials temporarily closed earlier this year after a bear attacked a hiker.
Colorado’s drought has increasingly pushed bears into urban areas in search of food. Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed last week that wildlife officers have responded to 10 bear attacks so far this year. That’s a record high. Between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31, Colorado Parks and Wildlife also received 8,672 reports of bear sightings and conflict, more than double the reports during that timeframe in 2025 and more than three times the five-year average.
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
SNOWMASS MOVES TO GIVE $1 MILLION TO CAVERN SPRINGS
|
| |
|
|
| |
Snowmass Town Council unanimously approved on first reading Tuesday a contribution of $1,000,000 to support the purchase of the Cavern Springs Mobile Home Park, which sits in unincorporated Garfield County just outside of Glenwood Springs, by current park residents. The contribution is intended to assist in the preservation of affordable housing, the improvement of long-term housing security and the support of “durable and sustainable homeownership.” The Cavern Springs property has 98 homes with 300 residents, many of whom are earning below 80 percent of the median income. The residents of the mobile home park are currently under contract and scheduled to close in late October. The funds are coming from housing funds within Snowmass’ Capital Improvement Program. With this contribution, Snowmass is joining 17 total donors and contributors who have helped raise roughly $13 million toward the $24 million purchase.
West Mountain Regional Housing Coalition donors
- Main Line Social – Chester & Molly White: $50,000
- Larry and Susan Marx: $100,000
- Michael and Laura Kaplan: $100,000
- Karen Kribs: $5,000
- King and Tracy Grant: $15,000
- Sakin Family: $5,000
- Anonymous donor: $500,000
- Pending request from a private family foundation: $1,300,000
Aspen Community Foundation donors
- ACF housing justice: $231,000
- ACF housing justice 6/11: $487,000
- Colorado Health Foundation grant to ACF: $4,500,000
Government
- Town of Snowmass Village: $1,000,000
- City of Aspen: $2,000,000
- Pitkin County: $1,500,000
- Town of Carbondale: $500,000
- City of Glenwood Springs: $500,000
- Basalt Water and Sanitation District: $50,000
- In 2025, the town of Snowmass Village also contributed $1,000,000 to help fund resident purchases of Aspen-Basalt and Mountain Valley mobile parks.
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
PITCO PREVENTS PRIVATE CONCESSIONAIRE FROM MANAGING MAROON BELLS SCENIC AREA
|
| |
|
|
| |
The Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved on second reading Wednesday the authorization of a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service and the creation of an enterprise fund for management under the permit for the Maroon Bells Scenic Area. This action will help prevent the management from falling under that of a private concessionaire — the alternative for the U.S. Forest Service as it faces no choice but to seek support in running the scenic area operations amid staffing and budget shortfalls. With the new special use permit and enterprise fund, which will directly receive all of the fees collected in the area, most of which are increasing beginning in 2027, Pitkin County will be able to ensure a safe and high-quality visitor experience while protecting habitat and natural resource health and providing adequate staffing, in addition to maintaining and improving infrastructure and addressing significant deferred maintenance needs.
Schuller clarified that the special use permit will give Pitkin County management over the day use group areas, campgrounds, trails, roads and other associated infrastructure — it will not include management of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area. The U.S. Forest Service will retain its ownership of the land.
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
ASPEN AIRPORT MOVES INTO DESIGN DEVELOPMENT PHASE
|
| |
|
|
| |
Two pieces of the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport modernization project moved forward Wednesday, as the Board of County Commissioners gave their approval for the new terminal to enter its next design stage while also taking steps toward relocating rental car operations during construction. The terminal will now shift from Schematic Design into Design Development, a roughly 16-week phase that will refine terminal layouts, building systems and materials. The latest round of approvals brings the project closer to its major construction period — the airport is set to be closed from April through November 2027 to target work on the runway. Construction on the terminal, landside and apron is expected to continue through 2029. The terminal plan that will move into Design Development includes eight gates, with adjacent seating on the second level and space for future expansion to the north and south. Ticketing and baggage claim will be located on the ground floor.
Staff is also tasked with moving the rental car lot ahead of the upcoming construction. Commissioners approved on first reading a lease that would turn Lot A of the Brush Creek park-and-ride into a temporary rental car facility beginning in spring 2027. The lease for the lot would begin April 1, 2027, and run through March 31, 2030. Mahoney, however, asked if the language could be changed for the second reading to start the lease in January, which the board had no issue with. The airport would pay the county a one-time $100 payment, according to the resolution, and cover the costs of preparing, operating and finally restoring the site. The lease includes plans for restroom trailers, car-washing, fueling and other amenities. But commissioners raised concerns about the fueling stations. The lease will go before commissioners again on Oct. 14 for a second reading and public hearing.
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
SOUTHERN UTE TRIBE REQUESTS REMOVAL OF 2,500 ACRES IN UPCOMING OIL & GAS SALE
|
| |
|
|
| |
The Southern Ute Indian Tribe says the Bureau of Land Management’s proposal for the upcoming Colorado oil and gas lease sale impedes tribal sovereignty and has the potential to undermine tribal efforts to protect their resources, rights and cultural heritage. In December, the BLM will auction off 113 parcels of land covering about 126,445 acres across the state, including nine parcels within the boundaries of the Southern Ute reservation. The parcels total roughly 2,500 acres on the eastern side of the reservation, crossing both La Plata and Archuleta counties.
The tribe is “adamantly opposed” to including the nine parcels in the sale, according to comments submitted to the BLM. Offering the parcels for lease would undermine tribal sovereignty and would threaten an area it has deliberately kept relatively undeveloped because of its wildlife habitat, watersheds, hunting opportunities and cultural significance, according to the comments. It also challenges the environmental analysis the BLM used to determine whether the parcels should be offered for lease.
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
WEST SLOPE STARTUP WEEK WILL BE HOSTED FOR ITS FOURTH YEAR IN DURANGO
|
| |
|
|
| |
Entrepreneurs at any stage of building a business can take part in Startup Colorado’s West Slope Startup Week in Durango next month for a series of free events designed to connect founders to one another and important resources. The events run from Oct. 5-9, with 60 scheduled sessions. About 400 people have registered for the event so far, but about 500 participants are expected. The sessions for West Slope Startup Week are centered around 9 different tracks: climate, people, fun, communications, Latine, money, toolbox, creatives and tech. The full event schedule can be found online at bit.ly/3To74uZ. Some examples of the sessions’ topics are storytelling strategies for brands, financial literacy, the use of artificial intelligence, human resource management and entrepreneurship frameworks for Spanish speakers. After last year’s event, organizers sent out a survey to attendees to measure the economic impact on Durango’s during West Slope Startup Week.
- The post-event survey found that attendees spent around $571,164 in Durango during West Slope Startup Week in 2025.
- More than half the attendees traveled to Durango for the event and stayed at hotels for an average of three nights at an average cost of $302 per night, according to Startup Colorado’s report.
- Attendees spent around $142,076 at restaurants, and around $189,215 was spent on shopping and other services, according to the report.
Startup Colorado is hosting its first fundraising event at 6 p.m. on Oct. 6 at the Powerhouse Science Center Museum in celebration of its 15th anniversary. The second Rural Creative Collective Night Market will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 7 at the Powerhouse Science Center Museum. This event is open to the community for people to come and shop. The night market will feature booths for creative vendors from across southwest Colorado, with items like art, dog accessories and soaps.
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
NEW PROJECTIONS SHOW DILLON RESERVOIR COULD HIT 45% CAPACITY BY NEXT SPRING
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
The Dillon Reservoir may drop to lower levels by next spring than initially projected, according to estimates from Denver Water. According to Nathan Elder, Denver Water’s water supply manager, the reservoir is now “forecast to decline to roughly 45 to 50 percent full by next spring before runoff begins.” If water levels bottom out at the lower end of these projections, the reservoir could be lower than it was during the 2002-2003 drought, when water levels dropped to 48 percent full. Last month, Denver Water said its entire system would reach between 60 percent to 62 percent capacity before refilling. As of Sept. 23, the reservoir is already close to reaching those earlier-season projections, as it currently sits just 65 percent full. The amount of water flowing into the reservoir has also been “well-below expectations” throughout the summer, as dismal snowpack from last winter failed to fully fill the reservoir, which peaked earlier than normal at 80 percent full.
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
WHERE DID COLORADO'S WOLVES TRAVEL IN SEPTEMBER?
|
| |
|
|
| |
Colorado’s collared gray wolves explored across the Western Slope in September, with movements extending south through the San Juan Mountains as pack activity persists in the north. This is according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s monthly wolf activity map, which highlights the watersheds where collared wolves were located between Aug. 25 and Sept. 22.
- The latest map shows continued activity in the northwest in watersheds spanning portions of Jackson, Routt, Grand, Summit, Eagle, Rio Blanco, Garfield, Pitkin, Delta and Gunnison counties.
- The northwest region is currently home to Colorado’s four reproducing packs: the Piney Ridge Pack in Eagle County — the only new pack to form this year — as well as the One Ear Pack in Jackson County, the Copper Creek Pack in Pitkin County and the Three Creeks Pack in Rio Blanco County.
- Compared to the previous month, the latest map shows activity extending south into watersheds through Mesa, Montrose, San Miguel, Ouray, San Juan, Hinsdale and Archuleta counties.
- Parks and Wildlife estimated that Colorado had around 32 wolves as of March 31, around half of which are collared.
- This count included 18 adults and 14 yearlings that were born in 2025. It did not include the number of wolf pups born to its four reproducing packs this spring.
- Since March 31, six uncollared wolves have died, the vast majority of which were killed by Parks and Wildlife in response to repeated livestock attacks by several of the state’s packs. The exception is the death of an uncollared wolf in northwest Colorado in July, which is still under investigation.
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
WORLD'S BEST AIRLINES OF 2026
|
| |
|
|
| |
The annual Skytrax World Airline Awards named Singapore Airlines the world’s best airline of 2026. U.S. airlines were notably absent from the top 10, and none made the top 20. Air Canada, which ranked No. 17, was the only North American carrier to make the global top 20. The awards are based on passenger surveys covering more than 300 airlines globally. Singapore Airlines reclaimed the top spot from Qatar Airways, which ranked No. 2 this year. It marks the sixth time Singapore Airlines has received Skytrax’s top honor since the awards began in 1999.
Here are Skytrax’s 10 highest-ranked airlines for 2026:
- Singapore Airlines
- Qatar Airways
- Cathay Pacific Airways
- ANA All Nippon Airways
- Turkish Airlines
- Emirates
- Air France
- Hainan Airlines
- Japan Airlines
- Korean Air
The top 10 include six Asia-based airlines, two from the Middle East and two from Europe. Qatar Airways moved down one spot after winning the overall award in 2025. The airline still received four major honors this year, including World's Best Business Class Airline, World's Best Business Class Lounge and World's Best Onboard Wi-Fi, a new award category for 2026. No U.S. airline appeared among Skytrax's top 20 global carriers. Delta Air Lines ranked No. 26 and United Airlines ranked No. 45 in the overall rankings. U.S. airlines did appear in individual categories. Delta, for example, ranked No. 10 for best economy class and No. 6 for in-flight entertainment.
Other notable airline awards:
- Singapore Airlines also won World's Best Economy Class and World's Best Economy Class Onboard Catering
- Cathay Pacific, which ranked No. 3 overall, was named World's Best Cabin Crew
- Air France won World's Best First Class
- EVA Air received the World's Best Premium Economy award
- Starlux Airlines, No. 13 overall, was named World's Cleanest Airline and received its second consecutive five-star Skytrax rating
- AirAsia was named World's Best Low-Cost Airline for the 17th consecutive year
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
MARKET UPDATE - 09/24/2026 Close
|
| |
|
(Courtesy of Alpine Bank Wealth Management*)
|
| |
|
Canadian dollar (per U.S. dollar)
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Mexican peso (per U.S. dollar)
|
| |
|
|
|
|
30-year fixed mortgage rate (Freddie Mac 09/24/2026)
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
*Not FDIC insured. May lose value. Not guaranteed by the bank.
|
| |
|
| |
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.
|
| |
|
|
| |
| Make changes to your subscription or unsubscribe here. |
| © 2026 Alpine Bank. |
| |
|
|
