FRONTIER AIRLINES ENDS CUSTOMER SERVICE BY PHONE

Frontier Airlines has ended customer service via phone, and instead will have only “fully digital communications.” The Denver-based airline ended the service after a Nov. 15 report from Investor Day called the one-on-one phone service “unscalable, inefficient and expensive” and left room for “customer negotiation.” Customers can access a chatbot or chat live with an agent at the airline’s website, on social media or at WhatsApp. The Investor report indicates the new digital response system would allow the airline to reduce customer service staff by 40 percent, from 575 to about 350.

DENVER LOOKING TO OLD MOTELS FOR HOUSING FOR HOMELESS

The city of Denver has a five-year plan, running from 2022-2026, to reduce by half the number of people who are homeless and living outdoors. A key element of the program is to purchase old motels and convert them into housing. It was the pandemic in 2020 that pushed city leaders and nonprofits to purchase old motels as a long-term strategy to get people into housing. The city of Denver, through partnerships with nonprofits and using federal funding, has helped support the purchase of three motels in recent weeks along the city’s historic east-west thoroughfare, Colfax Avenue, and another in northeast Denver. The city has similar deals in the works. The city’s budget includes more than $77 million in federal funding for homelessness this year.

EV SALES IN COLORADO PICKING UP

The Colorado Energy Office and the Colorado Dept. of Transportation this month launched a $550,000 education campaign and a website called EV CO this month to promote the purchase of electric vehicles. Through the first nine months of the year, the share of EVs reached 9.6 percent of new vehicle sales in the state, according to the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association. That represents a 60 percent increase over the corresponding period in 2021 and comes as overall auto sales have declined. However, it is far short of the goal set out in the Colorado Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap of getting 940,000 battery-powered or clean-technology cars and trucks on the road by 2030, or nearly 20 percent of current registrations.

FLIGHTS INTO ASPEN BEGIN RAMPING UP

The peak number of flights into and out of the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport begins in three weeks, Dec. 17, with 35 to 36 daily flights scheduled from then until Jan. 3. The number of flights begin ramping up this week, going from seven or eight to 11 daily flights on Wednesday. Airport passenger numbers have been very strong, with a total of 46,499 passengers flying into Aspen in September, which is a 7.3 percent increase over September 2021. There were 471 scheduled flights in September, up 6.6 percent over the record number of 442 in September last year. The October passenger count was 32,485, a 9.1 percent increase compared with the same month last year. In October, 319 flights were scheduled, up 21.8 percent from October 2021’s 262.

ASPEN HISTORY, SKI RACING AND NATURE ON THE WILD SIDE AT WEDNESDAY EVENT

Many resorts in Colorado host training and community information events for employees at the beginning of the ski season. That has not been the case in Aspen and city leaders decided to have the city’s special events department create something to bring locals together and acquaint newcomers with the history of Aspen. On Wednesday, Nov. 30, the city will host a free event at the Wheeler Opera House which will feature “Aspen History 101,” a presentation from the Aspen Historical Society; a history of ski racing and the Audi FIS World Cup by the Aspen Skiing Co.; and a multi-media presentation by native local resident and National Geographic photographer Pete McBride highlighting his book, ““Seeing Silence: The Beauty of the World’s Most Quiet Places”. There will be giveaways from SkiCo. The event is free, but it does require people to register at aspenshowtix.com.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS COLORADO HONORS MESA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office has supported Special Olympics Colorado in a variety of ways for more than a decade and raised more than $100,000 for Special Olympics, and Special Olympics Colorado has named the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office the 2022 Law Enforcement Agency of the Year. The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office has a variety of events to raise money for Special Olympics, including a tip-a-cop event, the Glow N Games and selling doughnuts on National Doughnut Day. This year, the Sheriff’s Office has covered one of its SUVs with a Special Olympics decorative theme.

TAILWIND NUTRITION MOVES INTO NEW PRODUCTION/DISTRIBUTION SPACE NEAR DRO

Jeff Vierling and his wife Jenny are the founders of Tailwind Nutrition, the nutrition and hydration products company that was created and still is based in Durango. Tailwind has been on a rapid upward trek since its inception in 2012 and now in addition to selling products directly to consumers, it is sold in more than 1,000 bike and rock climbing stores, through Amazon and is sold in 36 different countries. To accommodate that production and distribution, Tailwind moved into a new 14,400-square-foot facility near the Durango-La Plata County Airport at 325 County Road 309A. The company ships about 200 orders per day directly to customers and five to 10 pallets per week to Amazon and international partners. Each pallet is estimated to carry about 1,500 pounds of product.

BEST CITIES IN THE U.S. FOR SINGLES

Nearly 50 percent of the U.S. adult population is unmarried (never married, divorced or widowed), according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates. WalletHub looked at the most promising cities for singles comparing more than 180 U.S. cities across 36 key indicators of dating-friendliness, ranging from the share of the population that is single to the number of online dating opportunities to the average price for a two-person meal. Topping the list:

1. Seattle, WA
2. Madison, WI
3. Denver, CO
4. San Francisco, CA
5. Portland, OR
6. Minneapolis, MN
7. Austin, TX
8. Honolulu, HI
9. San Diego, CA
10. Atlanta, GA

• Colorado Springs was No. 19

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN GIVINGTUESDAY

GivingTuesday takes place today, Tuesday, Nov. 29. We can transform the world through generosity! There are so many different ways to show generosity on GivingTuesday. GivingTuesday is about giving of all types – some may choose to give a financial contribution to their favorite cause, others will help their neighbors, start an advocacy campaign, donate goods or extra supplies, or just share gratitude. Here are a few ideas, but the possibilities are absolutely endless:

• Discover a local fundraiser, community drive or coordinated event to join others in your area or with your same interests in giving back — they need your help.
• Give to your favorite cause. Check with your employer to see if they match donations!
• Share kindness with your neighbors by checking on those who are alone and may need help with errands or just a friendly voice to talk to.
• Volunteer virtually! Our friends at volunteermatch.org can help you find an opportunity near you (or you can help a nonprofit from anywhere in the world since it’s remote!)
• Share a quick tutorial that offers up a skill or lesson to help others discover something new or helps students add to their at-home learning.
• Encourage others to share kindness and be generous during this time.
• Match others’ gifts to your favorite nonprofit and make an even greater impact!

To learn more, please visit the link below.

ALPINE BANK FORT COLLINS GRAND OPENING DEC. 3

Alpine Bank is set to open its first northern Colorado branch in the heart of Fort Collins, with a grand opening holiday celebration for the community on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 3 to 6 p.m. This event is open to the public and will bring together local businesses and community partners for a celebratory holiday party. Alpine Bank Presents: Holiday Fest will feature an outdoor tree lighting and complimentary, family-friendly holiday activities. Attendees will enjoy pictures with Santa, cookie-tasting, mistletoe-making, prize drawings for tickets to CSU Rams, Colorado Rockies and Denver Broncos games, plus hot chocolate and snacks served from food trucks. Kids can write and send letters and Christmas wish lists to The North Pole in a special mailbox. As part of its grand opening celebration, Alpine Bank is donating $2,500 each to nonprofits RamStrength and Bike Fort Collins.