ALPINE BANK OFFERS SCREENINGS OF "ALMOST SUNRISE"

In recognition of Veterans Day on on Friday, Nov. 11, across Colorado, Alpine Bank is presenting free screenings of the independent film "Almost Sunrise" throughout the month of November. "Almost Sunrise" tells the inspiring story of two young men, Tom Voss and Anthony Anderson, who, in an attempt to put their haunting combat experiences behind them, embark on an extraordinary journey - a 2,700-mile trek on foot across America. Donations collected at the film screenings will be matched by Alpine Bank, up to $30,000. The next screenings take place Tuesday, Nov. 15 at the Eileen and Paul Finkle Auditorium at Colorado Mountain College in Breckenridge with donations going to the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center, and at the Durango Arts Center with donations supporting the Durango Elks Lodge. On Monday, Nov. 21, the film will be screened at the Montrose Pavilion with donations going to the Welcome Home Alliance for Veterans. For information on all the screenings, including events in Rifle, Grand Junction, Edwards, Steamboat Springs and Denver, and to learn how Alpine Bank is supporting Veterans Day, click on the link below.

LOVELAND SKI AREA WILL OPEN THURSDAY

The continued warm, dry weather across Colorado has played havoc with snow making at the state's ski resorts and opening dates for ski areas continue to remain in flux, with Arapahoe Basin the only ski area currently in operation. A-Basin will be joined by Loveland Ski Area Thursday, as Loveland officials announced it will open Nov. 10. Also Monday, Copper Mountain Resort announced it was pushing its opening day from Nov. 11 to Nov. 18. Keystone Resort announced last week that it was pushing back its planned opening day from Nov. 4 to a tentative date of Nov. 11 because of the heat.

DENVER: OFFICE RENTS STABLE, TECH JOBS DOMINATE

A report by commercial broker CBRE, the Tech-Thirty 2016, ranked Denver in the middle of 30 cities for rising office rents and documented that one in five new office workers in Denver are employed by a technology company. According to the report, the number of tech jobs in Denver grew 10.1% between 2013 to 2015. The city added 5,361 net new tech jobs, or 20% of all the new office jobs in the area. Denver office rents averaged $25.23 per square foot during the second quarter of 2016. Office rents in San Francisco had average rents of $72.71 per square foot.

STOCKS SOAR, DOW UP 371 POINTS

In another indication of the heightened volatility heading into the U.S. presidential elections, investors rushed back into U.S. stocks sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 371 points and the S&P 500 to its biggest gain since March. The increase in the S&P ended the 9-day skid for the index, it longest losing streak in almost 36 years. Virtually all trading of stocks, currencies, and bonds is expected to be on hold today as foreign markets and U.S. markets await the outcome of the election.

HANGING LAKE TRAIL CLOSED THURSDAY

The Hanging Lake trail will be closed Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016, to all use. Eagle-Holy Cross Ranger District crews will cut and remove approximately 10 trees out of the trail corridor. The crew will be using chainsaws to cut the trees, and in the process impede the trail corridor. For the safety of the crew and the public, the trail will be closed to accomplish this important work to ensure the trail is well maintained for future use. Colorado Department of Transportation will close exit 125 and the off-ramp the night of Nov. 9  and the Forest Service will post staff at the trailhead throughout the day.

GARCO LOOKS TO TIGHTEN PERSONAL POT GROWING REGS

The Garfield County commissioners Monday added amendments to the county land use code to tighten regulations on personal marijuana growing. The amendments restrict personal marijuana growing to 36 plants grown in a 300-square-foot contiguous area for properties of 20,000 square feet or more. For smaller lots, the amendments allow 12 plants per lot, which can be grown in an area of 100 square feet. Under state law, an individual is allowed to grow up to six plants for themselves, but state law also allows people to "assist another person" and also allows individuals to grow marijuana plants as "caregivers" for up to five patients.

RECORD VOTER TURNOUT?

Today is the last day to cast a ballot in the 2016 general election, the first all-mail ballot presidential election in Colorado. About 1.8 million of the 3.1 million active registered voters had already cast a ballot by early Monday morning. In the last presidential election in 2012, about 70.6% of all eligible voters cast a ballot, down slight from the 71.6% casting a ballot in 2008. To date, 652,380 Republicans; 645,020 Democrats and 527,706 unaffiliated voters have voted.

PUSHING FERC FOR OK FOR JORDAN COVE

Cities, counties and organizations across northwest Colorado have mounted a letter-writing campaign to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission this month, urging the FERC to reconsider its rejection of a project that would ship natural gas from northwest Colorado to Japan. Letters urging the FERC to take up the matter of Jordan Cove again have been sent from the Mesa County commissioners, the city of Grand Junction, as well as Craig, Rifle and Parachute, as well as Delta, Garfield, Moffat, Rio Blanco and Routt counties.

DURANGO PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVES 194-APARTMENT COMPLEX

The Durango Planning Commission approved a proposed 194-unit apartment complex near Walmart. The complex includes seven buildings, a clubhouse, an outdoor pool, small-business center, bus stop and a dog park on an extension of Escalante Drive between Walmart and Home Depot. The Durango City Council must still annex the land before the project can move forward.

DURANGO COUNCIL TABLES DECISION ON ORGANIC PARKS

The Durango City Council Monday decided to provide full funding, $22,000, for its organic parks program, but the councilors remained undecided on how many parks would be included in the program. The original proposal to council was to have only two parks maintained using organic-only practices. That proposal was amended to have six of the city's eight parks in the organic program, leaving only the highly used athletic parks outside the program. City council will discuss the issue further in December.

STEAMBOAT WATER, SEWER CHARGES GOING UP

The city of Steamboat Springs sent a detailed accounting of the increases in water and sewer charges over the next three years to residential and commercial customers with their November bills. The increases, through 2019, are to fund millions of dollars’ worth of infrastructure repairs and upgrades. Residential water customers will see their monthly charge increase by $2.42 a month in January. Wastewater service charges would go up by $1.30 per month next year.

WESTERN SLOPE VETERANS' COALITION

The Western Slope Veterans' Coalition offers complimentary coffee and donuts to veterans and their families every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Glenwood Springs Library. The next meeting takes place Thursday, Nov. 10. Coffee and donuts are sponsored by Alpine Bank and provided by Sweet ColoraDough. For more information call 303-636-5918.

TIME TO HELP AT THANKSGIVING

Montrose Community Dinners Inc. is preparing for the annual community Thanksgiving dinner that provides a turkey dinner and all the trimmings for all on Thursday, Nov. 24 from noon to 3 p.m. at Montrose County Fairgrounds Friendship Hall. For those unable to make it to Friendship Hall, meals will be delivered. It is a huge community undertaking, with more than 400 volunteers helping out last year. Nov. 22 is the last day to volunteer and it is also the last day to request a delivered dinner. To volunteer call 970-240-4350. For meal delivery call 970-901-7780. Donations are gratefully accepted, and can be mailed to: Montrose Community Dinners, Inc., P.O. Box 2129, Montrose, CO 81402.

SOUP EXTRAVAGANZA

On Saturday, Nov. 12, the members of the Orchard Mesa Lions Club will serve up five delicious soups at their annual Soup Extravaganza being held at the Mesa County Fairgrounds, Building C in Grand Junction from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. All you can eat is only $6 in advance and $7 at the door. Each ticket sold is entered for a door prize including cash and True Value Hardware gift certificates. Funds donated and collected by community members will be used to benefit the community in various areas supported by the Orchard Mesa Lions Club such as the Salvation Army, local vision impairment and Operation Interdependence. The Orchard Mesa Lions Club meets on the first and third Monday at 7 p.m. at A Taste of Heaven Catering on North Ave. in Grand Junction. Lions Clubs are groups of men and women who identify needs within the community and work together to fulfill those needs. To get involved, contact Bob Pena at 970-200-7362. For more information about Lions Clubs International, visit www.lionsclubs.org.

STOCK THE PANTRY FOOD DRIVE

Colorado Mountain Express’ 19th Annual Fill the Van Food Drive takes place on Saturday, Nov. 12. Look for CME’s vans outside of grocery stores in Aspen, Glenwood Springs, Avon, Vail, Breckenridge and Dillon. Non-perishable items and cash donations will be accepted between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The food drive is part of 9News’ 9Cares Colorado Shares statewide effort, and all Fill the Van donations benefit local food banks of Family & Intercultural Resource Center (FIRC) in Summit County, Vail Valley Salvation Army, and Lift Up in the Roaring Fork Valley. To learn more about CME, click on the link below.

TOP SMALL CITIES IN THE U.S.

From Best in the World, 2016 Readers' Choice Awards, Condé Nast Traveler:

1. Charleston, S.C.
2. Aspen
3. Santa Fe
4. Laguna Beach, Calif.
5. Savannah
6. Park City
7. Telluride
8. Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif.
9. St Augustine, Fla.
10. Asheville, N.C.