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Colorado - Tue. 11/10/26 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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NOTICE OF HOLIDAY CLOSURE FROM ALPINE BANK
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All Alpine Bank branches will be closed in observance of Veterans Day on Wednesday, Nov. 11. We invite you to use Alpine Online or the Alpine Mobile app for 24/7 banking access, even when we are closed. Learn more at the link below.
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FLOODS BRING RARE RELIEF TO U.S. SOUTHWEST RESERVOIRS AS LAKE POWELL RISES 20 FEET
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Recent flooding across the U.S. Southwest is providing rare relief to thirsty reservoirs that had fallen to record lows amid a yearslong megadrought. Storms in late October and early November sent torrents of water through normally small or dry creeks that overflowed their banks and flooded local communities. Hundreds of people were told to evacuate, and the flooding cut off access to some areas. Yet most of that water will end up feeding depleted lakes and underground aquifers. Lake Powell, the second-largest reservoir in the U.S., rose more than 20 feet from its mid-September low — dwarfing its gains from this year’s snowmelt. Still, the lake remained just over a quarter full, and 15 of its 17 boat launches remained unusable as of Friday.
The floodwaters and additional rain could raise the lake along the Arizona-Utah border further, for a total of over 1.2 million acre-feet — enough to support around 4 million average families for a year. Cities in the region reported some of their wettest weather in decades. Before storms began dumping about 7 inches of rain around Pagosa Springs, in October, more than 10,000 people in the town and surrounding communities were under water restrictions. Restaurants were encouraged to serve water only on request. Those restrictions are now lifted.
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CHRISTMAS CHEER, CHARITY & CHAMPAGNE FILL DENVER'S BROWN PALACE
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The 38th annual Champagne Cascade at downtown Denver’s Brown Palace Hotel ushered in the start of the holiday season on Sunday. With the first sellout in five years, the hotel expected Sunday’s event to surpass the previous fundraising record, set last year at $32,500, with this year’s event benefiting the Denver Rescue Mission. Boosted by a winning $20,000 bid from DraftKings chief legal officer R. Stanton Dodge to pour the champagne over the pyramid, the fundraising record should be smashed, though the hotel will have to calculate in drink sales after the event to get a final number.
The big draw is a champagne pour over a 6,000-plus champagne glass pyramid, as well as trained swordsmen using sabers to pop the necks of champagne bottles, drenching the hotel’s floor in sprayed champagne. Guests to the event filled the seven stories worth of balconies in the hotel atrium to try and get an overhead glimpse of the famous pour. The event sold out as of Saturday, meaning about 800 guests would be in attendance on Sunday. The Brown Palace is especially excited to be supporting the Rescue Mission since it was founded the same year as the Brown Palace was: 1892. The Denver Rescue Mission is a faith-based organization that works to end homelessness.
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'SOUTH PARK' GETTING ITS OWN MUSEUM EXHIBIT SOON IN DENVER
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“South Park” fans will have a unique opportunity to see behind the making of the acclaimed TV show when a new museum exhibit opens in Denver next month. “South Park: Handmade in Colorado” comes to the Colorado History Museum starting Dec. 6. Through a collection of concept art, original scripts, production storyboards, and character designs, the exhibit traces the origins of the show and its creators, Colorado natives Matt Stone and Trey Parker. The exhibit runs through Oct. 3, 2027, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of “South Park” 1997 premiere next August. The exhibit is something of a showroom for the many creative projects from Stone and Parker, who met while attending film school at the University of Colorado in Boulder. The exhibition delves deep into Parker and Stone’s inspirations and creative endeavors from ‘South Park’ to ‘The Book of Mormon,’ ‘Team America: World Police,’ their Red Rocks concerts, and the restoration of the iconic Casa Bonita.
Admission to “South Park: Handmade in Colorado” is included with general admission ($20) to the Colorado History Museum at 1200 N. Broadway in Denver. Attendees must reserve a time to enter the exhibit or fans can buy $50 tickets that allow them to pop in any time during their visit without a reserved time slot. For more information, visit historycolorado.org/exhibit/south-park-handmade-colorado.
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GLENWOOD SPRINGS ELKS LODGE TO HOST VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION
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The Glenwood Springs Elks Lodge No. 2286 will host a Veterans Day Community Celebration at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11 to honor local veterans and thank them for their service. The celebration will kick off with a reception featuring hors d’oeuvres. Veterans in attendance will receive a name tag denoting which branch they served in, helping them connect with fellow veterans. The reception will be followed by an official honoring ceremony at 6:45 p.m. The ceremony will bring together representatives from across the Glenwood Springs community to honor veterans. Veterans, families and community members are welcome to stay following the ceremony. The Elks Lodge will offer cake and coffee, with different cakes denoting each of the branches of the military. The event will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11 at the Glenwood Springs Elk Lodge, 51939 Hwy. 6. Attendance is free, and no RSVP is required.
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PROJECT THAT WOULD INCLUDE LOGGING APPROVED FOR NATIONAL FOREST OUTSIDE NORWOOD
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The South Uncompahgre Hazardous Fuels and Ecological Resiliency project identified an area of opportunity for silviculture treatments of 116,000 acres. The National Forest Service has completed an environmental assessment and approved a project that will open up to 50,000 acres of forest land to the north of Nucla and Norwood to both commercial and non-commercial logging. Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests’ Norwood and Ouray Ranger Districts have published a report finding “No Significant Impact” from the project. The proposed action document outlines the details of the plan, which includes between 20,000 and 50,000 acres of silviculture treatments — a type of sustainable forest management. Those treatments would include “commercial and non-commercial timber harvest, primarily accomplished by conventional ground-based logging methods.” It would also require up to 82 miles of temporary road to access the full project area.
The SUHFER project area covers approximately 267,300 acres, with about 245,000 acres taking place on National Forest Service lands. The first project to be implemented under this decision is expected to occur in the Naturita Division, south of Norwood. In addition to the silviculture treatments, the project will include hazardous fuels reductions through broadcast burning, pile burning, chipping and mastication. The project is expected to treat between 1,000 and 3,000 acres annually.
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DURANGO NONPROFIT HOSTING BUFFET LUNCH TO RAISE FUNDS FOR FLOOD VICTIMS
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As community efforts continue to help flood victims throughout La Plata County, the Karma and Jyamu Bhotia Foundation is raising money for county residents and members of Indigenous nations impacted by the flooding. The foundation is hosting a fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16, at the Himalayan Kitchen. With a $40 donation, donors get a buffet-style lunch, or they can opt for take-out. Online donations are also accepted. The foundation hopes to raise $40,000 from the fundraiser – the same amount it raised earlier this year for the flooding in Nepal. “We wanted to make sure that we were helping our own community and to give back to the Durango community who had given so generously to the Nepal flooding victims,” said Julie Korb, the foundation’s lead fundraising and event coordinator.
All profits will go directly to families and individuals in need, Korb said, adding there will be no “middleman” in the process. The foundation is hoping to collaborate with other local organizations that are raising funds or spearheading volunteer efforts to coordinate the distribution of proceeds. Exactly who those partners will be is still being worked out, Korb added, though she does have a shortlist in mind.
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VAIL MOUNTAIN COO 'CONFIDENT' IN SNOWMAKING EFFORTS, ON TRACK FOR FRIDAY OPENING
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First-year Vail Mountain Chief Operating Officer Shaydar Edelmann on Monday told local business owners at the Vail Chamber and Business Association that he’s confident Vail is on track to open on schedule Friday. With highs pushing 50 degrees and little precipitation in the immediate forecast, it’s not the kind of start ski industry officials were hoping for after record low snow last season. Still, four nearby ski areas are up and running, with Breckenridge scheduled to crank up its lifts on Wednesday. With Keystone already open, that’s two Epic Pass resorts in the mix by mid-week, and then three with Vail on Friday.
“The good news is that four ski areas are open in the northern mountains, and the snowpack is pretty deep in the southern mountains,” opensnow.com meteorologist Joel Gratz wrote Monday. “The bad news is that it’s going to be warm and dry this week. Thankfully, next week is when snow will return to the forecast, with a low-ish chance around Saturday, Nov. 14, and a higher chance around Wednesday, Nov. 18.” Vail Mountain reported on its Facebook page on Friday: “ONE WEEK OUT! Snowmaking is moving along, and the team is in full preparation mode as we gear up for Opening Day on Nov. 13. Winter is almost here!” Despite the ongoing drought, Vail Resorts has the water rights and the available water to continue snowmaking efforts.
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AFTER DELAY, BRECK ANNOUNCES NEW OPENING DAY
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Breckenridge Ski Resort had planned to open for the 2025-2026 winter season on Nov. 6, but it indefinitely delayed the opening in an announcement on Nov. 5, stating warm overnight temperatures leading up to the big day prevented adequate snowmaking. Copper Mountain Resort had the same planned opening date and same issue. Copper’s delay ended with its opening Nov. 8, and Breckenridge announced Nov. 9 that its belated opening will be Wednesday, Nov. 11. The BreckConnect Gondola and Colorado SuperChair will start spinning at 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. respectively so skiers and riders on Peak 8 can access intermediate terrain on Springmeier. Festivities for opening day will include free donuts, live DJ sets and a first chair banner break, the release stated. The resort will look to continue making snow and expand open terrain as conditions allow.
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RENTAL PROPERTY OWNERS: KNOW THE TAX RULES
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As year-end approaches, rental property owners should review their tenant payments carefully. Advance rent and security deposits can have different tax treatments. Advance rent is generally taxable in the year it is received, regardless of the period it covers or the landlord's accounting method. By contrast, a refundable security deposit generally isn't taxable when received if it's intended to be returned to the tenant at the end of the lease. However, if the landlord keeps some or all of the deposit to cover unpaid rent or other lease obligations, the amount retained generally becomes taxable. A payment intended to cover the final month's rent is considered advance rent and is taxable when received, even if it's called a security deposit. For more information about reporting rental income and security deposits, visit the IRS: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/rental-income-and-expenses-real-estate-tax-tips.
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COLORADO'S POPULATION STILL GROWING
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Packed with PowerPoint slides and fresh data, state demographers at their annual summit Friday spoke about how Colorado is changing (we’re more diverse), needs more housing (affordable, preferably) and is losing its edge (the “secret sauce”). But the one thing that Neal Marquez, who became the Colorado state demographer in July, wanted to iterate was this: “There’s this sort of idea that Colorado is on this downward spiral. And that there are news articles that more people have left the state and there’s this decline in population, when actually, we’re still growing,” Marquez said. “That’s not true of all states across the U.S. And we’re expected to continue to grow over the next 20 to 30 years and again, at a rate, faster than the United States.”
- With the new data, the state’s population, as of July 1, 2025, was 6,011,146, up 0.4 percent from a year earlier. That’s 23,725 more people.
- Fewer deaths and more births added 20,000 people to the state’s population, or the “natural increase” that takes the net of births minus deaths. It was the highest number of births since 2017.
- International migration also added a net 15,000 more people to Colorado last year.
- But one important measure did decline: domestic migration, which was negative for the first year since the early 2000s. More people left Colorado than moved in during the 12 months ending July 1, 2025, for a net loss of approximately 3,451.
- Colorado demographers dug further into the population trends because they can get better data by requesting it from local municipalities and counties. While Colorado didn’t see its population decline last year or in the past six years, 23 counties did. Jefferson and Boulder counties lost the most people, at around -3,302 and -2,442, respectively. Both followed the state trend, with an increase in births but a loss of people moving to another state. Weld County gained 46,639 people, thanks to more births and more new residents.
- Colorado’s specialty has been attracting a highly educated workforce that is coveted by industries with higher wages. Since 2001, the state’s payroll job growth has increased 32 percent, compared with 20 percent nationwide.
- Last year, the state shed 4,898 jobs, “the first time that we saw that (outside) one of those recessionary periods,” he said. Domestic migration had a net loss of about 3,400 people who moved out of state.
- The healthcare industry did well, gaining more than 13,300 jobs. But add up all the other sectors and they lost a combined total of 18,300 net jobs. Job growth was slow for the U.S., too, up 0.5 percent, but Colorado fell further behind last year at negative 0.1 percent, he said.
- Meanwhile, Coloradans are living longer with life expectancy, at 79.9 in 2024, reaching 83.4 by 2060, according to demography data.
- And growth, albeit slower growth, is expected for years to come with the state’s population expected to be around 7.5 million by 2060, according to state demographic models.
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FREE MEALS FOR VETERANS ON ALPINE BANK
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In celebration of Veterans Day, Alpine Bank would like to say thank you for your service and your sacrifice. Let the participating restaurants below know you're a Veteran when you place your order. Your meal will be covered by Alpine Bank. Offer available, Nov. 11, until noon. Offer covers Veterans only.
Carbondale:
- Bonfire Coffee, 433 Main St.
- Village Smithy, 26 S. 3rd St.
Basalt:
- Two Rivers Cafe, 156 Midland Ave.
Snowmass Village:
- Daly Dinner, 16 Kearns Rd. #103
Aspen:
- Paradise Baker, 3320 S. Galena St.
- Poppycock's Cafe, 665 E. Cooper Ave.
Glenwood Springs:
- 19th Street Diner, from open until noon, 1908 Grand Ave.
Rifle:
- WingNutz, 8 to 11 a.m., 2178 Railroad Ave.
Battlement Mesa:
- Grand Valley Rec Center, 4:30 to 7 p.m., 398 Arroyo Dr.
Grand Junction:
- Pufferbelly Station Restaurant, 337 1st St.
- Dream Cafe, 314 Main St.
Fruita:
- Starvin' Arvins, 555 Raptor Rd.
- Strayhorn Grill, 456 Kokopelli Dr.
- Cattlemen's Cafe & Catering, 435 US-6
Clifton:
- Starvin' Arvin's, 3247 F Rd.
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MARKET UPDATE - 11/09/2026 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 11/05/2026)
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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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