HOLIDAY HOURS

All Alpine Bank branches will be closed Monday, July 4, in observance of Independence 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!

BALL CORP. GETS FTC OK

The Federal Trade Commission approved Broomfield-based Ball Corp.'s acquisition of Rexam PLC, establishing Ball as the world's largest maker of food and beverage cans. As part of a settlement to appease concerns over anti-competition, Ball agreed to sell off 17 can factories in the U.S., Brazil and Europe for $3.42 million to Ardagh Group SA, a glass and metal container maker based in Luxembourg. Brazilian regulators and European regulators gave approval to the deal earlier this month.

DIA, COLORADO AIRPORTS GET $6.6M FROM FAA

Denver International Airport and airports in Durango, Walsenburg, Yuma and Fort Morgan have been awarded more than $6.6 million from the Federal Aviation Administration. DIA received $5.97 million for rehabilitating taxiways including replacing concrete panels on the taxiway. The Durango-La Plata County Airport received $215,000 to fund similar work.

WHOLE FOODS: REGIONAL HQ MOVING TO DENVER

Whole Foods Market is moving its Rocky Mountain regional headquarters from the Twenty Ninth Street mall in Boulder to lower downtown Denver. About 100 employees will move into a historic, three-story brick building near Coors Field, about a 15-minute walk from Denver Union Station. The company said that the public transportation center at Union Station, including a train to the airport was a key element in deciding to move to Denver.

ROAN PLATEAU SEIS, NO PLAN FOR HUBBARD MESA

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management Tuesday released its final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) and Proposed Plan Amendment. The BLM plan closes nearly 35,000 acres on the plateau top to oil and gas leasing consistent with a 2014 settlement concerning oil and gas development on and around the Roan Plateau. However, one issue not addressed in SEIS was a plan for Hubbard Mesa, a popular recreation spot north of Rifle. At issue was the conflict on Hubbard Mesa between recreation users and target shooters. The BLM noted that any changes related to target shooting were dependent on consensus among stakeholders and the BLM was unable to find broad consensus. More information at: http://www.blm.gov/co/crvfo.

HABITAT: SELL-AND-BUILD PROGRAM

Officials of Habitat for Humanity Roaring Fork have developed a plan to fund and build a project in Basalt that would house teachers and other local workers. Local Habitat officials plan to sell six vacant lots Habitat owns in the Keator Grove subdivision in Carbondale. The officials believe the going rate for the lots is $85,000 per lot, or a total of $510,000. Habitat would use that money in partnership with the Roaring Fork School District to build affordable housing on land owned by the school district behind Basalt High School.

MCCLOUD: GJ LION OF THE YEAR

Brad McCloud was honored as the 2016 Lion of the Year by the Grand Junction Lions Club at ceremonies Tuesday at Two Rivers Convention Center. McCloud was recognized for his work as a volunteer with the Grand Junction Economic Partnership, Club 20, Mind Springs Health and School District 51. McCloud is a past president and current marketing chairman for the club. The club began honoring a Lion of the Year in 1949.

ALLEGIANT: WINTER SERVICE DIA TO MONTROSE

Low-cost carrier Allegiant Air will begin service from Denver International Airport to Montrose Regional Airport during the upcoming ski season. Allegiant is offering twice-a-week nonstop flights on Wednesdays and Saturdays running Dec. 17 through March 25. Allegiant will use an Airbus A319, which has a seating capacity of 156. Flights are priced as low as $44 one way, but there are additional fees for checking skis, snowboards and luggage.

CITY OF MONTROSE: IN OR OUT WITH FLIGHTS ALLIANCE?

Montrose Assistant City Manager Rob Joseph, who also heads the Montrose Office of Business and Tourism, said Monday Montrose is not cutting ties with the Colorado Flights Alliance, but taking "a break, to reassess its part in the program." The city did not provide any money for the CFA's 2016 budget, after making contributions of $270,000 each year in 2015 and 2014. Montrose has provided as much as $320,000 to CFA. The city council has asked Joseph to develop a plan to book more rooms in Montrose by winter visitors who fly into the airport, in lieu of just passing through to stay in Telluride or other destinations.

COUNTING THE BIRDS AT OXBOW

The Avian Productivity and Survivorship study is in its third year at the 38-acre Oxbow Preserve along the Animas River. The study, funded by the city of Durango and Colorado Parks and Wildlife, netted about 300 birds last year, with 76 species identified. After nets are deployed, volunteers and researchers check the nets every 30 minutes. After freeing the birds from the nets, researchers examine their feathers and other markers to determine their age and gender.

USFS RESTORES FALLS CREEK WETLANDS

In the 1990s, Utah Power and Light entered into talks with developers to build homes on the 53-acre tract in Falls Creek, at the north end of County Road 205 northwest of Durango. A grass-roots movement prompted Congress, in 1992, to allocate $1.9 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund to buy the land to prevent development. The land and attendant water rights were turned over to the U.S. Forest Service. This summer, the Forest Service completed a project to restore the nearly 20-acre wetlands on land which is lush with plant life, birds and a popular hiking area.

BEAVER CREEK FIRE NOW IN THE WILDERNESS AREA

The Beaver Creek Fire, which has been raging about 15 miles north of Walden, has now covered 9,114 acres and is still only 5% contained. The fire has also reached the edge of the Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area, near the trailhead to the Seven Lakes on the east side of the Continental Divide. Once it enters the Wilderness Area, the Forest Service will no longer dedicate resources to fighting it and it is likely to go in any direction, as has been its pattern to date, and could even go over the Continental Divide.

YAMPA RIVER CLEANUP DAY

The national conservation organization American Rivers will team up with local river organizations, Friends of the Yampa in Steamboat Springs and the Northwest Colorado Chapter of Parrotheads in Craig, for a Yampa River Cleanup Day from 9 a.m. to noon July 9 to remove any trash that may have been left by floaters during the long Fourth of July weekend. Volunteers in Steamboat are asked to meet at Little Toots Park and those in Craig should meet at Dorsey State Wildlife Area, mile marker 99 on U.S. Highway 40 between Hayden and Craig.

WHERE YOUR "PLAY" MONEY GOES

Where your disposable income goes, by percentage:

• Travel: 30%
• Home and beauty: 22%
• Eating out: 20%
• Clothing: 17%
• Recreation: 11%

4TH ANNUAL MONTROSE CMU SCHOLARSHIP FROM ALPINE BANK

Alpine Bank is pleased to offer the Alpine Bank Scholarship for students attending the Montrose CMU campus for the fourth year. The scholarship is open to part time and full time students with a 2.5 GPA or above. “We strongly believe in giving back to others through the opportunity of education. Our customers who utilize their Education Loyalty VISA Debit Card do too. Each time an Education Loyalty VISA Debit Card is swiped, we donate 10 cents to education related projects in the Montrose community,” states Allison Nadel, Alpine Bank Community Relations Director. The scholarship is worth $1,000 and is non-renewable. Scholarship applications can be picked up at either Alpine Bank location in Montrose or at the Montrose CMU Campus. Applications are also available at www.alpinebank.com/Scholarship-Opportunities.htm. Application deadline is Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016. All applications must be returned to the office at the Montrose CMU Campus.

ALPINE'S UPGRADED FRAUD PREVENTION SERVICE

In Alpine Bank's continuing efforts to keep your accounts secure, we've improved our alert system for potential fraud by introducing text message alerts. Here's how it works:
1. When potential fraud is detected, you will receive a text alert from 32874 – Fraud Center between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. local time. You will be able to respond to the text to specify if the transaction is legitimate or not. (You may opt out of text alerts at any time.)
2. If there is no response received from you via text, five minutes after the text alert, you will receive automatic phone calls between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. local time to confirm or deny fraud*.
3. To avoid inconvenience and any possible card disruptions, please respond to the text or phone calls.
*The phone number for our Fraud Center is 1-800-417-4592. You may choose to add this number to your phone contacts and label it "Alpine Bank Fraud Center," making it easy to see whenever you get a call from this number. Please remember, our messages will never ask for your PIN or account number.

SALUTE TO AMERICAN 4TH OF JULY IN DURANGO

A day of family-oriented activities is set for 4th of July in Downtown Durango as Alpine Bank and the Durango Business Improvement District (BID) present “A Salute to America.” The Independence Day activities begin with an All-American Breakfast –organized by the Rotary Club of Durango – at Rotary Park, the Freedom 5k, a fun run/walk along the Animas River Trail, American Voices - a Public Reading of the nation’s founding documents accompanied by the Southwest Civic Winds orchestra. Family Fun in the Park continues in Buckley until 5 p.m. with food, beverages, face painting, bouncy house, arts and crafts vendors, and live entertainment. At 6 p.m. the Stars & Stripes Parade marches up Main Ave. The evening events continue after the parade with the Street Dance on Main. For more information or to view the complete 4th of July schedule, visit www.DowntownDurango.org/July4.