WINTER PARK SKI TRAIN: SECOND YEAR

Amtrak will begin operation of its Winter Park Express ski train on Friday, Jan. 5. That will be one of three Friday roundtrip trains on this winter's schedule. After beginning Friday, the train will run each Saturday and Sunday from Jan. 6 through Sunday March 25, with two more Friday round-trips on Feb. 2 and March 2. Each train can hold more than 500 riders. Adult tickets start at $29 each way. Complete information at: www.amtrak.com/winterparkexpress.

HOW ABOUT A SUPERHERO FILMFEST?

Cinemark Theatres in Aurora and Lakewood are hosting Marvel Studios Week beginning today and running through Aug. 31. The film fest at Century Aurora and Century 16 Bel Mar will show 11 of the studio's biggest superhero blockbusters, including films with Captain America, The Avengers, Iron Man and Guardians of the Galaxy. Tickets are just $5 each per film. The films play Friday through Wednesday at 1, 4, 7 and 10 p.m. and on Thursday at 1 and 4 p.m. Attendees also get "super" $2 and $3 concession specials.

AMAZON-WHOLE FOODS DONE DEAL, PRICES DROP MONDAY

Amazon and Whole Foods Market announced Thursday that their $13.7 billion deal closes Monday and they will immediately drop prices. Whole Food shoppers Monday will see a markdown Monday on items including salmon, avocados, baby kale and almond butter. Other foods that will be cheaper next week: bananas, eggs, ground beef, rotisserie chicken, butter and apples. The announcement by Amazon and Whole Foods sent stocks of the nation's largest grocers into a tailspin with the six largest retail grocers, including Kroger and Wal-Mart, losing about $12 billion in value after the announcement.

SNOWMASS LOSES PARKING FOR SKI SEASON

With continuing construction of the Limelight Hotel in the Base Village at Snowmass and the new fire station on the Owl Creek Road, day skiers will lose about 160 parking spaces this ski season. Lot C, at the bottom of Snowmass Ski Area, has lost 120 spaces from Base Village construction, while a temporary station in Town Park to accommodate firefighters and their vehicles and equipment will take about 40 Rodeo Lot spaces during the 2017-18 ski season.

ZINKE: REDUCE SIZE OF MONUMENTS, NO DETAILS

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke Thursday presented his recommendations on his review of 27 national monuments, and according to The New York Times, parts of Bears Ears and at least three other national monuments would have boundary adjustments and lose their strict protection and could be reopened for mining or drilling. Among the other monuments targeted for a reduction in size was the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

MIND SPRINGS HOSPITAL GETS $2 MILLION DONATION

The Colorado Health Access Fund of the Denver Foundation donated $2 million toward the $34 million expansion of the Mind Springs Psychiatric Hospital in Grand Junction. It is the largest single contribution ever given by the Colorado Health Access Fund. The donation brings the construction fund to $12.7 million, or 70 percent of its goal of raising $17.5 million. It is the only psychiatric hospital on the Western Slope, serving 10 counties across 23,000 square miles.

MARY VADER NAMED WOMAN OF THE YEAR

The Montrose Daily Press and Elevate Fiber presented the inaugural Women of Distinction awards Thursday night to 25 women in Montrose, including the top honor of Woman of the Year presented to Dr. Mary Vader. Vader's award was accepted by Val Knapp, a friend, as Vader was out of the country. Montrose Press publisher Tonya Maddox initiated the Women of Distinction awards, modeled after a program she had launched in Missouri. In the process of selection, some 90 women were nominated before the list was pared to the final 25. The finalists selected Vader, who came to Montrose in 1990 and was the only female doctor at Montrose Memorial Hospital.

SKI & SNOWBOARD CLUB VAIL: NEW $25M CLUBHOUSE

The Ski & Snowboard Club Vail has been in existence since the first year of operation of Vail Mountain in 1962. This week, the club announced it will replace its aging clubhouse at the base of Vail Mountain with a $25 million, 28,000-square-foot facility. The current clubhouse has been operating since 1977. The new building will be five stories tall. Club facilities include locker rooms, offices, conference rooms, video rooms, warm up and warm down rooms, a tuning facility, gym and a medical treatment center. Ground breaking is expected next week with completion by the 2018-19 ski season.

THE FALL WINE & FOOD CLASSIC

The Taste of Vail is recognized as a premiere food and wine festival and it will add a fall festival to complement its spring event. The Fall Wine & Food Classic will be held Sept. 22 and 23. The Fall Classic will feature wines from the Southern Hemisphere from more than 35 wineries. There will be 30 guest chefs, restaurateurs and sommeliers from the Vail Valley. Friday, Sept. 22 will feature wine from the Southern Hemisphere joining with Vail restaurants for special dinners. On Saturday, Sept. 23 there will be a hike on the Berry Picker Trail followed by brunch, along with fly fishing and biking activities and yoga, with the Grand Tasting, from 4 to 7 p.m. Information and ticket purchase at: http://www.tasteofvail.com.

MOST WORKERS LIVE PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK

According to a recent report from CareerBuilder:

• 78 percent of full-time workers say they live paycheck-to-paycheck
• That's up from 75 percent last year
• 71 percent of all U.S. workers said they are now in debt
• That's up from 68 percent last year
• 46 percent said their debt is manageable
• 56 percent said they are over their heads
• About 56 percent save $100 or less each month