ALPINE BANK UPDATE

Due to concerns regarding COVID-19, starting today, April 22, the Alpine Bank Customer Service Center (1-800-551-6098) hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For convenient automated account information, please call our Alpine Bank Info-line at 1-800-698-4433, 24 hours a day, or visit www.alpinebank.com. Online banking and mobile banking are available for customers to access their accounts 24/7. To report a lost or stolen debit card, please call 1-888-425-7463. To report a lost or stolen credit card, please call 1-888-284-3703. Thank you for the opportunity to be your bank. We appreciate your business.

ADVOCATE SAFEHOUSE PROJECT DIGITAL SCAVENGER HUNT

The Advocate Safehouse Project presents a Digital Scavenger Hunt on Saturday, April 25, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. This exciting event will be fun for all involved so rally those you are quarantined with and have some fun while supporting healthy relationships! Your team will have 12 hours to complete the riddles and/or submit photos/videos to earn points. Prizes are $100 for first place, $50 for second and $25 for third place. The best part is that you may participate in this fun event from anywhere in the world, all for free! While participating in our fun event, we ask that you respect the recommendations by the CDC and WHO regarding COVID-19 prevention and protection. To learn more, visit the link below.

MERCY HEALTH FOUNDATION CAREGIVER/EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FUND FOR COVID-19

Mercy Health Foundation in Durango has created the Emergency Preparedness and Response fund to offer an opportunity to support the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment, Powered Air Purifying Respirators, ventilators and any other type of equipment, supplies, training and programs needed in order to provide the best care for patients and protection for caregivers on the front lines in times like these and for future emergencies. Please consider giving a gift today to Mercy Health Foundation www.mercydurango.org/foundation. You can select Emergency Preparedness and Response or Caregiver Meals and Appreciation to direct your gift. For more information call 970-764-2802 or email joyhess@centura.org.

SHARE THE LOVE DURANGO

It’s the last week for the Durango Online store! To support our local businesses the Durango Business Improvement District, Chamber of Commerce and Local First created a virtual marketplace for you to shop your favorite stores. With new items being added this week now is a great time to visit DowntownDurango.org and help support local businesses. One hundred percent of the proceeds go to the businesses! Visit DowntownDurango.org and share the love!

NEW ONE-STOP COLORADO WEBSITE FOR COVID-19 INFORMATION

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Higher Education and Department of Human Services teamed with Bitwise Industries, the Kapor Center and several Colorado businesses and foundations to create a new, one-stop website that covers all the resources in the state to deal with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new site, OnwardCO.org, provides information on food, shelter and child care, as well as job training and job opportunities.

SENATE PASSES SECOND SMALL BUSINESS AID BILL

The U.S. Senate Tuesday passed a $484 billion stimulus bill to provide aid to small businesses and hospitals. Also included in the bill was $25 billion for testing. The heart of the bill was the provision of another $320 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program which is aimed at small businesses. Included in the small business program is $60 billion set aside for small, midsize and community lenders. There also is $60 billion for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan fund, which will also be available for farmers and ranchers.

NEW IMMIGRATION BANNED FOR 60 DAYS, SEASONAL WORKERS EXCLUDED

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would sign an executive order to ban new immigration for 60 days, including some family members of U.S. citizens and foreign workers looking to move to the U.S. The executive order wouldn’t impact immigrants already living in the U.S. or foreigners coming on temporary visas for work or travel. That category includes H-1B visas, which allow more than 85,000 high-skilled foreigners to come to the U.S. for at least three years to work. It also includes seasonal migrant workers who come to the U.S. annually to work on farms, where they make up about one-tenth of the agricultural workforce, and at other businesses such as resorts or county fairs.

PITKIN COUNTY RETURN TO "NORMAL" COULD BE SLOW

Pitkin County Manager Jon Peacock told the county commissioners Tuesday that the county's stay-at-home order remains in place until April 30 and there is a chance it could be extended beyond that. Peacock said there is not yet a plan in place for returning to business and the county's return to business could be slower than that of the state's and will depend on testing and a long term plan. Peacock called the strategy for return "box-it-in," meaning testing was required to identify those who are infected and ensuring that those people are in isolation or quarantine. That process could require as much as $1 million.

CITY OF GJ ASKS SHORT TERM RENTERS TO PROVIDE FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS

The city of Grand Junction sent an email to the some 160 owners of short-term rentals in the city asking that they limit their rentals to essential workers and those traveling for essential reasons. They also reminded the short-term rental owners to remind guests to abide by the state's stay-at-home order during the coronavirus outbreak. The request is not a mandate and the city is not enforcing restrictions with regard to short-term rentals.

FIRSTHELPCOLORADO AWARDS FIRST LOCAL GRANTS

Gov. Jared Polis created the COVID Relief Fund and solicited donations for the HelpColoradoNow.org fund to assist the state in providing aid to community groups. As of last week, the fund had raised about $12.2 million, and this week, the governor announced $4.8 million in awards. The awards were to go to assist front line and health care workers with child care, workers without paid sick leave and others impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 206 grants awarded statewide in the first round, 14 Western Slope organizations received a total of nearly $350,000.

BARBARA BYNUM: NEW MONTROSE MAYOR

Incumbents Roy Anderson and Barbara Bynum were re-elected to seats on the Montrose City Council and first-timer Dave Frank also won election to the council. They all were sworn in at the regular city council meeting on April 21, and Barbara Bynum was then selected as the new mayor. Bynum said the current top priority of Montrose City Council is to follow state and federal guidelines to help the community reopen its businesses while maintaining health and safety.

TOWN OF TELLURIDE CREATES EMERGENCY HOUSING FUND

The Telluride Town Council, in a special meeting Tuesday, created the structure for an emergency housing fund, which the town had funded with a $25,000 allocation from money budgeted for employee travel and education. The new fund will be administered by the Tri-County Health Network. Donations to the fund are tax deductible. The maximum amount for each assistance check will be $1,000 or 50 percent of a household's rent or mortgage. Applications will be accepted for two weeks.

DURANGO SUBDIVISION WITH 40 MANUFACTURED HOMES GETS INITIAL GO-AHEAD

La Plata County commissioners Tuesday gave unanimous approval to a conceptual development plan for the Windsong Manufactured Home Community, which would have 40 manufactured homes on about 20 acres off Highway 172 southeast of Elmore's Corner. The conceptual development plan allows the developer up to three years to resolve issues such as water availability, sewer access and traffic impacts.

SUMMIT COUNTY OUTLINES "ROADMAP TO RECOVERY"

The Summit Board of County Commissioners and the Recovery and Resilience Committee on Tuesday outlined a “roadmap to recovery” to ease restrictions and continue combatting the coronavirus. The plan goes before the Summit County Board of Health today and if approved, will go into place Monday, April 27. Among the guidelines: public gatherings limited to no more than 10 people, nonessential retail businesses will remain closed but can take orders online or over the phone, nonessential office operations can resume on May 4, with 50 percent of workers, child care operations can open, no on-site restaurants service, but takeout and delivery still allowed, and places of worship allowed to resume.

MORE ON DONATIONS: YOUR STIMULUS CHECK

If you are one of those who received a stimulus check and you don't need the money right away, there are options available to donate some or all of the check.

• As noted before, think first of local food banks, health care workers and funds for restaurant workers
• Remember also there are underrepresented people in all our communities, including some immigrant workers who do not qualify for stimulus checks because they lack proper documentation
• Check your local community foundation or trust for ways to donate to relief funds for them
• Nationally, GiveDirectly's Covid-19 cash program sends $1,000 directly to SNAP recipients
• The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act allows a deduction of $300 from 2020 taxes for charitable contributions, even if you don't itemize
• As always to ensure safety in giving, check sites such as Charity Navigator, CharityWatch, BBB Wise Giving Alliance and Great Nonprofits

COLORADO TAX & DUE DATE SCHEDULE

With so many changes to tax deadlines due to the impact of the coronavirus, Colorado taxpayers may need a list of filing deadlines. The Colorado Dept. of Revenue has posted a Tax and Due Date Schedule, which keeps taxpayers informed on whether emergency provisions are in place for multiple taxes, including income, sales and use, severance, gasoline and special fuel, cigarette and tobacco products. To see the schedule, visit https://bit.ly/34SivxC or see the full COVID-19 resources page at https://bit.ly/3czjple.

ALPINE BANK THANKS HEALTHCARE HEROES AND FIRST RESPONDERS

Alpine Bank wants to thank our Healthcare Heroes and First Responders for their selfless, brave work during the COVID-19 outbreak. We’re buying a cup of coffee, or any beverage up to $6 in value, for all healthcare workers and fire protection, law enforcement and emergency responders, at these participating local coffee shops and restaurants:

• The Little Coffee Shack, 970-285-0114, 6 a.m. to 12 p.m., 222 W. 1st St, Parachute
• The Little Coffee Shack, 970-625-5713, 6 a.m. to 12 p.m., 829 Railroad Ave, Rifle
• Misty’s Coffee Shop, 970-876-2035, 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., 704 Main St, Silt
• Burning Mountain Pizza & Subs, 970-876-2201, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., 1817 Medicine Bow Ct, Silt
• The Expresso Hut, 970-618-9225, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., 1512 Grand Ave, Glenwood Springs
• Deja Brew, 970-945-9336, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., 1101 Grand Ave, Glenwood Springs

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