HOLIDAY HOURS

All Alpine Bank branches will be closed Monday, Oct. 10, in observance of Columbus Day. Although our branch locations will be closed, you can still bank with us anytime, anywhere using Alpine Online at www.alpinebank.com, AlpineMobile or by calling the Alpine InfoLine at 888-4-ALPINE (888-425-7463). Have a safe and happy holiday!

FILMING, MOVIE CREW BRING REVENUE TO FLORENCE

Filming of the Netflix film, "Our Souls at Night," starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda has taken over the communities of Florence and Cañon City. On Monday, film crews shut down business at the 2 Sisters Café in Florence for one scene and Wednesday, they took over Brady's Garden and Spa Center and the Humane Society of Fremont County in Cañon City. The business owners were compensated for the use of their properties and movie crews have also been seen frequenting establishments in Florence, such as the Pour House, nearly every day.

FRANCHISING CONFAB IN DENVER THIS WEEK

Colorado is the founding location of national franchisers Re/Max, Qdoba, Grease Monkey, Camp Bow Wow and others, and franchisers account for more than 171,000 jobs across the state. This week, Denver is hosting the largest franchising convention in the western U.S. Representatives of more than 200 franchises are in Denver for Franchise Expo West, which runs through Saturday. For the first time in Franchise Expo history, cannabis franchise companies are represented.

OIL RALLIES BACK ABOVE $50

The price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed at $50.44 Thursday, the first time oil closed above $50 a barrel since June and is almost double the low closing point of $26.21 in February. Traders are expecting oil prices to bump up even higher if Hurricane Matthew disrupts oil supplies in the southeastern U.S. The 36 energy companies on the S&P 500 index have collectively gained $312 billion in market value since crude prices hit their low in February.

ASPEN RETAIL SALES SHOW STRONG GROWTH

Retail sales in Aspen in August totaled $67.65 million, a 12% gain over August 2015. For the first 8 months of the year, retailers have taken in almost $490 million in sales, which is a 5% gain over the corresponding period a year ago. Sales tax collections in the city for the period January – August totaled $10.25 million, which is a 5% improvement over the $9.74 million collected for the same period last year. The city has collected $1.868 million in lodging tax proceeds for the first 8 months of the year, 8% higher than the $1.732 collected in 2015.

DRAINAGE DISTRICT LOOKING AT FINANCING ALTERNATIVES

The Grand Valley Drainage District is still involved in a lawsuit with Mesa County and the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce, which is scheduled for trial in June, but the district board has directed staff to investigate low-interest loans from the Colorado Water Conservation Board to finance improvements for the Buthorn drainage system and improvements in the Appleton area. The debt would be repaid by the district's stormwater fee.

REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY ON SAN MIGUEL BALLOT

The San Miguel Transit Advisory Committee has been working for 6 years to explore the feasibility of creating a regional transportation authority. On the ballot in November will be Ballot Issue 2C, which, if passed, would result in the formation of the San Miguel Regional Authority for Transportation (SMART). SMART would coordinate, not replace, existing local transportation in Telluride, Mountain Village and the contracts that currently run down valley. The measure includes an additional .25% sales tax and .75 mill levy property tax to create a fund of $1.3 million for operating expenses.

LOCAL CONNECTION FOR NOBEL WINNERS

Sir J. Fraser Stoddart, a professor of chemistry from Northwestern University and Bernard L. Feringa, a chemistry professor from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands were in Stockholm, Sweden earlier this week to receive the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Both were in Telluride in the summer of 2014 and again this summer at the Telluride Science Research Center (TSRC). The participated as collaborative scientists in a workshop entitled "Molecular Motors, Rotors and Switches."

DURANGO TRANSIT RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD

The city of Durango's Transportation and Sustainability Director Amber Blake traveled to Asheville, North Carolina this week to receive the Administrator's Award for Outstanding Public Transportation Service in Rural Public Transportation on behalf of Durango Transit. The award was presented by the Federal Transit Administration. The FTA recognized Durango Transit for its work with older adults, people with disabilities and poor residents to ensure they can reach health care and other needed services as well as finding funding to assure buses come at 20- and 30-minute intervals.

YOUR CHANCE TO GET A PIECE OF THE ARC OF HISTORY

Durango artist Tom Holmes created the Arc of History, a sculpture that became a controversial showpiece positioned at the intersection of U.S. Highways 550 and 160 near the DoubleTree Hotel. The sculpture was the source of articles, letters to the editor and eventually vandalism. Now, all that remains of the Arc is 4-and-a-half pallets of native rocks and they are up for auction online, at a starting price of $250, which is less than 1% of the sculpture's original $28,000 price tag. The auction continues through next Tuesday.

ROUTT COUNTY SCHOOLS: MORE STUDENTS THAN EVER

October is the time for official student enrollment counts in public schools in Colorado, and the enrollment count for schools in Routt County totaled 3,337 students, the most ever. There are three public school districts in the county, plus the public Mountain Village Montessori Charter School. Enrollment in Steamboat Springs Schools was down very slightly, 11 students, from a year ago, but still is the largest district in the county with 2,526 students. Enrollment was up in both Hayden and South Routt school districts, and the new Mountain Village Montessori Charter School which opened Sept. 6 in Steamboat Springs, had 103 students.

EMERALD RIDGE RANCH SELLS FOR $7 MILLION

The Lufkin family property, now known as the Emerald Ridge Ranch, a 780-acre ranch about 3 miles south of Steamboat Springs, was sold Friday for $7 million to Reed Sanctuary LLC, a Texas company registered to Randall Reed, the Dallas-based owner of World Class Automotive Group. Reed and his wife already own a home and other property in the Steamboat area and plan to use the Emerald Ranch as a private family recreation compound. The ranch has nearly 500 acres under conservation easements, but the property does have development potential for up to 12 homes.

DAYTONS TURN OVER OPERATION OF FRISCO NORDIC CENTER

Gene and Therese Dayton founded and have operated the Frisco Nordic Center for 28 years and they have announced they are retiring. On Sunday, Dec. 4, the center will hold celebration for the Daytons as they pass the operation of the center on to the town of Frisco. The town has Jim Galanes to manage the center this winter. Galanes was a member of the U.S. Ski Team for 12 years and a three-time Olympian. He was on the staff of the Nordic Center during the 2015-16 season.

BUSINESS OF WATER 2016

Join us for the Roaring Fork Business of Water Forum on Thursday, Oct. 13, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Colorado Mountain College, 1402 Blake Ave. in Glenwood Springs. Guest speakers include Auden Schendler of the Aspen Skiing Co., Eric Kuhn from the Colorado River District and many other business and water leaders. Discussions will focus on the drought and water management in the West. Please RSVP by e-mailing molly@protectflows.com. Alpine Bank is a proud sponsor of this event. To learn more, visit online at www.protectflows.com.

MIDDLE COLORADO RIVER CLEANUP

Join the Middle Colorado Watershed Council, in partnership with Alpine Bank, for their third annual River Cleanup on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 8:30 a.m. Meet at Centennial Park in Rifle, disperse to several cleanup locations, and conclude at noon for a free BBQ and celebration. For more information, visit online at www.midcowatershed.org. Pre-registration is also encouraged at Eventbrite.

BUSINESS TRAVEL RETURNS

• U.S. businesses spent almost $300 billion last year on 459 million individual trips
• Average cost of a U.S. domestic business trip: $518
• Average cost of an international trip: $4,813
• Average U.S. airfare: $469
• Average international airfare: $1,151
• Average U.S. hotel room: $121
• Average international hotel room: $199