TODAY IS COLORADO GIVES DAY!

Colorado Gives Day is celebrated today, Tuesday, Dec. 8, and is especially important this year as nonprofits across the state are in need of donations and the one-day effort serves some 3,000 Colorado nonprofits. Colorado Gives Day runs for 24 hours. You can go online now, at the link below, and donate to any of the participating nonprofits.

IT COULD TAKE UNTIL 2023 TO GET ALL JOBS BACK IN COLORADO

Colorado is on track to lose nearly 149,000 jobs this year. Even with the prospect of vaccines being available early in 2021, the 2021 Colorado Business Economic Outlook from the Leeds Business Research Division at the University of Colorado Boulder, projects it will take until 2023 to get all those jobs back. The forecast in the Economic Outlook is for the state to add 45,000 nonfarm jobs next year. The Outlook calls for the state unemployment rate to average 6.7 percent next year. The CU researchers note that making projections in the pandemic environment is extremely difficult, as some of the changes brought about by COVID-19 may be temporary, permanent or somewhere in between. That applies to issues like remote working, online shopping, and whether small independent businesses regain business lost to large corporation during the shutdown.

FRONT RANGE RAIL SYSTEM: A NEW REPORT

A new report was presented to the Front Range Passenger Rail Commission last week which outlined a passenger rail service that could operate two to six daily round trips from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs. The first phase cost could reach $2.5 billion. A second phase would add service between Colorado Springs and Pueblo and cost $200 million to $300 million. Trains would average 45 mph, most on existing freight rail tracks.

AURORA GIVES FIRST APPROVAL TO POT DELIVERY

The Aurora City Council Monday gave preliminary approval to cannabis delivery in the third-largest city in Colorado. There will be a second vote in two weeks, and if it passes, deliveries of marijuana could begin in early 2021. Aurora council members noted that because of the pandemic, delivery is necessary. A similar plan is being proposed in Denver by the Division of Excise and Licenses. It is not known if, and when, Denver City Council will take action on the proposal. Recreational pot delivery is expected to begin in 2021 in Longmont, Superior and Boulder, all locations that gave approval to delivery this year.

FOR GARCO, GLENWOOD SPRINGS, IS IT RED LEVEL OR YELLOW LEVEL?

The Garfield County commissioners Monday decided not to move the county to the more stringent Red Level of COVID-19 restrictions on the state scale. As soon as today, it is possible for the state to move Garfield County to Red on the COVID-19 dial. Even if the state does not move the county to the Red level, municipalities can act on their own to adopt Red level restrictions. Moving to Red level would mean closing restaurants to indoor dining, moving last call for alcohol to 8 p.m., but continue to allow take-out and open-air dining. Moving the Red level would allow businesses and restaurants to apply for one-time assistance payments of $3,000 to $7,000.

PLAN FOR X GAMES SUBMITTED TO PITCO COMMISSIONERS

ESPN submitted a plan for the 2021 X Games in Aspen to the Pitkin County commissioners Monday as part of their request for a special events permit. The annual event would still be held at Buttermilk, but the 2021 event would be held over three days instead of the normal four and would have only skiing and snowboarding events, no motorsports. The X Games would have no spectators and there would be only 500 pre-approved people, limited to athletes and event support, inside the fenced-in venue at Buttermilk. Since the X Games is a professional sports event, in addition to the county approvals, the plan must also be approved by the Colorado Dept. of Health and Environment.

CDPHE REQUIRES CHSAA TO CHANGE PLAN FOR WINTER SPORTS

The Colorado Dept. of Public Health and Environment on Sunday issued a letter to the Colorado High School Activities Association denying a variance that would have allowed boys and girls basketball, boys and girls wrestling, girls swimming and diving, skiing, ice hockey and competitive spirit to begin practice Jan. 4 as CHSAA had proposed in their Season B schedule. CHSAA now proposes a Season B schedule for seven weeks with practice beginning Jan. 25 and competition from Feb. 1 to March 20; Season C would be seven weeks, with practice starting March 15 and competition March 22-May 8; Season D would be seven weeks, practice starting May 3, competition May 10-June 26.

PROSPECTS FOR SNOW IN FOUR CORNERS NOT GOOD

A strong La Niña weather pattern has set up and the result is the jet stream has moved farther north, keeping storms from reaching Colorado and especially southwestern Colorado. According to Jim Andrus, a weather observer for the National Weather Service, "it's the strongest La Niña in 10 years." The result is the long-term forecast for the Four Corners is below-average precipitation and above-normal temperatures. Snowpack is currently well below average in southwest Colorado with Snotel stations showing the snowpack in the Dolores and San Miguel river basins at 48 percent of normal as of Dec. 7. The Animas River Basin stood at 38 percent of normal and the Gunnison River Basin was 53 percent of normal.

NOT JUST COLORADO GIVES DAY, IT IS EAGLE COUNTY GIVES DAY, TOO

It is Colorado Gives Day today and it is also Eagle County Gives Day. There are some 50 local nonprofits participating in this year's Eagle County Gives Day. All participating Eagle County nonprofits work together on organizing the campaign for the annual giving day. All the participating nonprofits have been vetted via financial statements and other information to ensure donors’ dollars have the most impact. To give to a local nonprofit on Colorado Gives Day, go to eaglecountygives.org.

HOTTEST CLASSIC CARS FOR COLLECTORS IN 2021

McKeel Hagerty, CEO of classic car insurer Hagerty, released his 2021 Bull Market list to USA TODAY. The annual list defines the collectible vehicles it projects will have the most momentum in the new year. Of course, there is a Ferrari and a Jaguar on the list, but how about a Honda, Jeep and Land Cruiser? The top 10 with price when new; Hagerty estimate today:

• 2011-12 Lexus LFA: $350,000 (price when new); $558,000-$582,000 (Hagerty estimate today)
• 2006-10 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8: $39,700; $29,500-$36,000
• 1984-91 Ferrari Testarossa: $164,950; $96,000-$108,000
• 2005-17 Aston Martin Vantage: $110,000; $45,000-$52,500
• 1964-70 Honda S600/S800: $1,600; $29,500-$38,000
• 1980-91 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia: $9,540; $27,000-$36,000
• 2005-06 Ford GT: $150,000; $337,000-$395,000
• 2000-06 Audi TT Quattro Coupe: $30,500; $10,000-$16,000
• 1948-54 Jaguar XK 120: $3,945; $121,500-$144,000
• 1993-97 Toyota Land Cruiser FZJ80: $41,000; $23,500-$37,000

HOLIDAY DONATION DRIVE IN DURANGO

Four Corners Broadcasting is hosting a Holiday Donation Drive. The events are drive-through/drop-off and in compliance with San Juan Basin Public Health. The Holiday Donation Drive schedule is set for every Saturday, through Dec. 19, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Dec. 12 – Brennan Oil (Carbon Junction Exxon) – benefitting the Boys and Girls Club of La Plata County
• Dec. 19 – La Plata Electric Association – proceeds benefitting the La Plata Family Center Coalition

For those who are not able to attend, there is a safe and secure online donation portal set up at the link below.

FRONTIER HISTORICAL MUSEUM IN GLENWOOD NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT!

Please consider donating today, on Colorado Gives Day to the Frontier Historical Museum in Glenwood Springs! Any amount helps, and every donation is meaningful and appreciated. Give today directly through Colorado Gives, a local collective of screened non-profit organizations. To donate through Colorado Gives, click on the link below.