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Colorado - Mon. 04/13/26 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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ON THE REBOUND: CU’s CONFERENCE ON WORLD AFFAIRS ATTENDANCE UP
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The University of Colorado Boulder’s 78th annual Conference on World Affairs begins Monday, April 13 and runs through Thursday at the Limelight Boulder hotel, 1295 University Ave. This year’s conference will feature more than 60 panels, workshops and other events, with speakers representing more than 10 countries. Since 2026 marks CU Boulder and Colorado’s 150th anniversary, each day will also have 150th-themed panels. CWA organizers have worked to engage students in planning and last year, that resulted in bringing actress and singer Cynthia Erivo as a keynote speaker. Tickets for her address sold out immediately and overall attendance picked up.
This year, organizers are expecting 2,000 more attendees than last year. The student interest is reflected in the fact that students and alumni now make up about one-third of CWA's overall audience, more than double the level just a few years ago. A complete schedule and more information are available at colorado.edu/cwa.
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AIR CONTROLLER TRAINING PROGRAM OFFERED AT AIMS A FAST-TRACK TO HIRING
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Aims Community College, based in Greeley, will have its first graduates this spring in its Associate of Applied Science degree program in Air Traffic Control which is offered at Aims' Windsor campus. The program has state-of-the-art simulation equipment that makes Aims one of only 30 air traffic control schools in the country with an FAA-designated Enhanced AT-CTI flight control program. Aims is also the first community college in the nation authorized to offer both Terminal (Tower) and En Route air traffic control training pathways.
The program is a partnership designed to modernize air traffic controller training and help address a long-term national controller shortage by expanding high-quality collegiate training options under FAA oversight. The Aims program allows graduates to skip the traditional course at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City and move directly to airport tower or en route facilities for the final phase of training. Metropolitan State University of Denver also offers an air traffic control program within its aviation and aerospace department.
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DU WINS A RECORD-SETTING 11TH NCAA HOCKEY TITLE
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This year’s Frozen Four NCAA final hockey tournament in Las Vegas featured the four schools that, collectively, have won more NCAA hockey championships than any others, with 37 titles won by North Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan and the University of Denver. In the championship game, the University of Denver defeated Wisconsin, 2-1, to win its 11th NCAA hockey championship, more than any other school. The win for DU came after a 4-3 win over Michigan in 2 Overtimes, in a game in which DU was outshot by Michigan 52-26 and freshman DU goalie Johnny Hicks made 49 saves.
Against Wisconsin, it appeared to be a replay as Wisconsin led 1-0 after two periods and Wisconsin had 26 shots on goalie compared to 6 for DU. However, Hicks had allowed only one goal. DU scored twice in the third period, and Hicks, who was named the Frozen Four’s Most Outstanding Player, continued to shut out the Badgers, giving DU the title. DU Athletics invites fans to Magness Arena on Tuesday, April 14 at 6:30 p.m. to celebrate the Pioneers’ championship season and title-clinching victory. The 2026 Denver Hockey National Championship Celebration is free to the community.
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ARTEMIS II SPLASHED DOWN FRIDAY AFTER SUCCESSFUL VOYAGE AROUND THE MOON
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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Artemis II astronauts returned to Earth Friday evening, completing a historic lunar flyby before splashing down off the coast of southern California at 8:07 p.m. ET. NASA’s Artemis II crew, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, were reported to be in excellent condition, after traveling farther from Earth than anyone has previously traveled, circling around the moon’s far side. In their 10-day mission, the astronauts gathered voluminous data about the moon and witnessed an eclipse. They tested life support systems on the Lockheed Martin-developed Orion spacecraft and returned to Earth using a heat shield that seemingly worked very well.
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CONSUMER SPENDING SOARED IN MARCH, UP 3.3% OVER A YEAR EARLIER
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Consumer prices soared in March, pushed higher by skyrocketing gasoline prices. Underlying inflation, however, was relatively tame. The consumer price index increased a seasonally adjusted 0.9 percent for the month, putting the annual inflation rate at 3.3 percent, pushed by a 10.9 percent surge in energy costs. Both numbers were in line with the Dow Jones consensus. The annual rate was the highest since April 2024 and up from 2.4 percent in February. Prices excluding food and energy categories, i.e., the so-called core measure economists watch in an effort to better capture inflation’s underlying trend, rose 2.6 percent, slightly below forecasts for a 2.7 percent increase. U.S. stock indexes were mixed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 were in the red. The Nasdaq composite rose. Treasury yields rose slightly.
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MORE FORECASTS FOR THE COLORADO RIVER SUPPLY, “WE HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE”
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On Tuesday last week, the Colorado River District held a State of the River meeting; on Thursday, representatives from water utilities and the National Weather Service held a press conference at Riverbend Park, and speakers at both meetings stressed that the warm weather, low snowpack, low river flows and drought are all critical problems and conservation actions are necessary. Data on the Colorado River Basin goes back 130 years. Experts say 2026 will be worse than any of those, likely by a longshot. In addition, Erin Walter, service hydrologist for the National Weather Service, said at the Thursday press conference that if the warm weather continues through the next three months, it could result in the worst drought on record.
Colorado River District Interstate and Regional Water Resources Director Raquel Flinker said Tuesday, “What we’re going to see play out with water supply, we have never seen before.” In addition to the low water levels, the persistent drought and warm temperatures could contribute to additional wildfire danger. Fires aren’t just a danger because of their destructive nature; they can also pose a significant risk to the water supply.
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PITKIN COUNTY EXPANDS REACH OF ITS BIENNIAL SURVEY: IT IS OPEN TO ALL
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Every two years, Pitkin County officials conduct a Biennial Survey, and this March the survey was mailed to residential addresses across the county to get a broad and statistically valid sample of people. The mailed surveys were to be returned in April. Now, the county is asking all individuals 18 and older to take the survey at pitkincounty.com/378/Community-Surveys. Pitkin County Strategic Communications Manager Alycin Bektesh said the statistical mailing to residential addresses does not reach many people who use county services, workers who live in Garfield and Eagle counties, for example. Because of that the county opened the survey to all those 18 and over. The survey asks individuals a range of questions about the county: how safe the participant feels, how welcomed, what is the participant’s assessment of Pitkin County services like utilities and satisfaction with elected leaders, among many other questions.
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BROWN RANCH DEVELOPMENT RENAMED AS “SLATE CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD”
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The Brown Ranch development, a proposed 534-acre mixed-use affordable housing project west of Steamboat Springs, which had some 2,300 proposed residential units, did not move ahead following the rejection of annexation to Steamboat by voters in March 2024, which was necessary to proceed. The defeat paused development and prompted city leaders and housing advocates to seek new ways to engage the public and find consensus on Brown Ranch’s future amid the region’s affordable housing crisis. Early this year, the Steamboat Springs City Council, Routt County commissioners and Yampa Valley Housing Authority convened the Brown Ranch Governance Group to oversee the future direction of Brown Ranch. At their meeting March 26, the group moved to formally rename the project the Slate Creek Neighborhood. “From here on out,” the minutes state, “the property and initial efforts to create a development proposal will be referred to as the Slate Creek Neighborhood.”
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EAGLE RIVER WATER DISTRICT DECLARES WATER SHORTAGE, IMPOSES REGULATIONS
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Last Wednesday, the Eagle River Water and Sanitation District Board of Directors passed a resolution declaring a water shortage, which enacts Stage III water restrictions under the district’s water shortage response plan, affecting customers with the highest levels of water use. The water district defines tiers determined by amount of water use. The lower tiers are typically residential customers who use less than 4,000 gallons a month. Tier 4 and 5 customers only make up 14 percent of residential customers but use 45 percent of all residential water. Customers using water in Tier 4 will see a 15 percent surcharge on water used in that tier, under the water shortage response plan. Customers reaching Tier 5 will pay a flat fine of $400 and an additional escalating surcharge on Tier 5 water use, meaning each additional gallon will cost more than the previous gallon.
The district is also implementing a new two-day-per-week outdoor watering schedule, according to the plan. Customers may water outdoors on two designated days based on the number of their street address, and watering is only allowed between midnight and 8 a.m. or 8 p.m. and midnight on those days. Customers are being asked to delay turning on sprinkler systems as long as possible despite the warm, dry weather, and to wait until June.
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ILSE IS NEW USFS DILLON DISTRICT RANGER
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David Ilse is the new U.S. Forest Service’s Dillon District Ranger. Ilse began working in his new post last week. The Dillon District had been without a district ranger for almost a year. The long-time Forest Service employee most recently spent nine years as the public services staff officer for the El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico. Before that, Ilse managed district recreation teams at the Chugach National Forest in Alaska and held several positions at the Eldorado National Forest in California, including his first job with the agency as a seasonal trail crew member. He is a native Californian. The Dillon District spans 312,000 acres, has 8.5 million visitors, has four ski resorts, two wilderness areas and more than 450 miles of trails. The district has about 20 permanent and 30 seasonal employees.
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THE MASTERS: AN EVENT THAT IS TOPS FOR PRIVATE JETS, TOO
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It is known as “A Tradition Unlike Any Other,” and The Masters at Augusta National, is recognized as an event that is more than just a golf tournament, and that is substantiated by the private jet traffic it generates. On the private jet calendar, Davos, the Super Bowl, Cannes, the Kentucky Derby, the Monaco Grand Prix and Art Basel all attract plenty of private jets and wealthy attendees. But the Masters has a unique combination of tens of thousands of well-heeled attendees and a full week of events, creating a constant flow of clients flying in and out.
The swarm of Gulfstreams, Phenoms and Challengers is straining Augusta Regional Airport. Kenneth Hinkle, director of aviation services at the airport, said it had 3,294 flights last year and he expects an increase this year. The airport raised its “special event fee” this year by 25 percent, to between $150 and $4,000 per plane, depending on size, and expanded its jet parking area to accommodate 200 jets at a time. NetJets, the industry leader, expects more than 775 flights into and out of Augusta, marking a 35 percent to 40 percent increase from last year, the company said. Flexjet projects about 350 to 400 flights, and Vista projects over 20 flights a day.
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AVs & NUGGETS ON TV: NOW ANOTHER DISPUTE & NO CABLE BROADCAST
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The Colorado Avalanche have three more games in the 2025-26 season, with the regular season ending Thursday, April 18. The Stanley Cup playoffs begin on Saturday, April 18. The NBA regular season ended Sunday, April 12 and the Playoffs also begin on Saturday, April 18. ESPN/ABC is slated to air roughly 18 NBA postseason games during the first two rounds, and likely one of the two conference finals series this spring. ESPN/ABC will air the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Finals exclusively. The broadcast schedule poses a problem for fans of the Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets, with both teams playing in their respective playoffs.
Xfinity dropped channels owned by E.W. Scripps earlier this month in a contract squabble. Denver’s KMGH-TV (Denver7) is one of those Scripps stations, and, as an ABC affiliate, will be carrying some of the NBA Playoffs and Stanley Cup Playoffs. ESPN/ABC is slated to air roughly 18 NBA postseason games during the first two rounds, and likely one of the two conference finals series this spring. ESPN/ABC will air the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Finals exclusively.
If the contract issue is not resolved, here are some options for watching the Avs and Nuggets:
- Buy a digital antenna: easy to purchase, easy to install
- Go fully digital: if you go to x.com/Avalanche there are instructions for getting the ESPN app
- Pay for a streaming option: such as Hulu, YouTube or Fubo
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MARKET UPDATE - 04/10/2026 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 04/09/2026)
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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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