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Colorado - Tue. 05/27/25 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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OUTSTANDING WOMEN IN BUSINESS: LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER
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Last week, the Denver Business Journal revealed the 25 winners of this year’s Outstanding Women in Business Awards, as well as the recipient of the Future Outstanding Woman in Business Award. The Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors a woman whose professional life has transformed the way business is done in Denver, Colorado and beyond, has now been announced. This year, the winner of the Outstanding Women in Business Lifetime Achievement Award is Patricia Barela Rivera, a longtime Colorado district director for the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The first Latina in the nation to lead a district office, Barela Rivera ensured small businesses, especially those owned by women and minority entrepreneurs, received the resources they needed and deserved. Barela Rivera spent 11 years with the SBA. By the end of her tenure, her office was giving $1.2 billion in loans to small businesses, she said in an interview for the city and county of Denver’s documentary series “Chicanas: Nurturers and Warriors.” Throughout her career, Barela Rivera encouraged other women to step into leadership roles. In 1980, she helped organize the Adelante Mujer Hispana, the first training, education and employment conference for Hispanic women in the country. That’s according to the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, into which she was inducted in 2022. Barela Rivera will share more of her story at the OWIB awards dinner schedule for Thursday, July 31.
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CPW ASKS FOR HELP FINDING A RARE BIRD NEAR ROXBOROUGH STATE PARK
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The search is on for the Plains Sharp-Tailed Grouse after reports of the bird near Roxborough State Park. Anyone who sees the rare bird is encouraged to report it to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The organization is trying to keep track of the state-endangered bird after receiving reports of sightings in the area. Anyone who sees the bird can take a photo or a video of it and call CPW directly. Sightings of the bird in different areas of the state should be directed to the proper CPW office. The area around Roxborough State Park, including Sharptail Ridge Open Space, used to be home to the small bird, before habitat loss removed them. CPW is looking for more data so that they can help protect these birds.
These specific grouse typically don’t venture farther than a 10-mile range, so if one is spotted then there’s a good chance it will still be in that area for a long time. The Plains Sharp-Tailed Grouse is slightly smaller than a domestic chicken, it is usually light gray or brown in color, and it has a shorter tail when compared to a pheasant. Males have a purplish red sack on their neck. These birds are often mistaken for the Dusky Grouse, which is typically dark gray or almost blue in color. Males have a red and white sack on their neck. The Dusky Grouse is common in Colorado and not of environmental concern.
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WATER MANAGERS GIVE UPDATES ON DILLON & GREEN MOUNTAIN RESERVOIRS
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Both the Dillon Reservoir and the Green Mountain Reservoir are expected to reach capacity this summer, Colorado Division of Water Resources division engineer James Heath said at the State of the River in Silverthorne on May 22. The Dillon Reservoir, Denver Water’s largest reservoir, supplies water to Denver and the Front Range through the Roberts Tunnel, which crosses beneath the Continental Divide. The Green Mountain Reservoir, north of Silverthorne, includes a hydroelectric power plant and delivers water to Colorado’s Western Slope. An about-normal snowpack in Summit County this winter means both reservoirs are expected to “fill and potentially spill,” Heath said.
The Dillon Reservoir is expected to fill around the Fourth of July. As of May 23, it was about 86 percent full. The Dillon Reservoir should reach an elevation of 9,012 feet by June 18, allowing both the Dillon and Frisco marinas to be fully operational by that time. The Green Mountain Reservoir is also anticipated to fill this summer with dam releases ramping up to generate power at the power plant as the reservoir nears capacity in July. From late July through October, releases from the Green Mountain Reservoir are expected to increase as the demand for water in the Grand Valley increases following the runoff season.
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FRONT RANGE CITIES STEP UP OPPOSITION TO COLORADO RIVER WATER RIGHTS PURCHASE
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Denver, Aurora, Colorado Springs and Northern Water voiced opposition Wednesday to the Western Slope’s proposal to spend $99 million to buy historic water rights on the Colorado River from Xcel Energy. The Colorado River Water Conservation District has been working for years to buy the water rights tied to the Shoshone Power Plant, off Interstate 70 east of Glenwood Springs. The highly coveted water rights are some of the largest and oldest on the Colorado River in Colorado. The Front Range providers are concerned that any change to the water rights could impact water supplies for millions of city residents, farmers, industrial users and more. The Front Range providers publicly explained their concerns, some for the first time, at a meeting of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, a state water policy agency.
Most of the state’s water flows west of the Continental Divide; most of the population lives to the east; and water users are left to battle over how to share it. Denver Water, the oldest and largest water utility in Colorado, delivers water to 1.5 million people in the Denver area. The Colorado River District, which represents 15 Colorado counties west of the Continental Divide, wants to keep the status quo permanently to support river-dependent Western Slope economies without harming other water users. The overstressed and drought-plagued river is a vital water source for about 40 million people across the West and northern Mexico. The Colorado River District wants to buy the rights to ensure that westward flow of water will continue even if Xcel shuts down Shoshone. They’ve gathered millions of dollars from a broad coalition of communities, irrigators and other water users. The state of Colorado plans to give $20 million to help fund the effort.
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SEVEN TORNADOES TOUCHED DOWN IN COLORADO LAST WEEK
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A grand total of seven tornadoes touched down in eastern Colorado last week during two separate storms, according to the National Weather Service. One EF1 and three EF2 tornadoes tore across parts of Adams, Arapahoe and Elbert counties on Sunday, May 18, destroying or damaging dozens of buildings. Another EF2 and EF1 touched down on Friday, but the strength of a third tornado spotted during that storm remains unknown. “Most of the observed damage was snapped power poles and trees,” meteorologists stated in the report. “One single-family residence sustained EF1 damage, but there were no injuries reported.” A wave of golf-ball-sized to baseball-sized hail also hit the Eastern Plains during the Friday storm. One spot in northern Washington County reported 3-inch hail, roughly the size of a teacup.
Friday’s EF2 tornado touched down at about 5:37 p.m. near the Prewitt Reservoir in Washington County. The 1,200-foot-wide tornado was on the ground for about 20 minutes, reached wind speeds of 118 mph and traveled 8.72 miles. It damaged one home and snapped multiple power poles. An EF1 tornado was spotted near Willard in Logan County just before 5:10 p.m. Friday. Meteorologists said that the tornado traveled 10.68 miles, was 300 feet across and reached wind speeds of 100 mph. It tore the roof off of two silos in the area.
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'LILO & STITCH,' 'MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE' POWER RECORD-SETTING MEMORIAL DAY BOX OFFICE WEEKEND
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The summer box office is off to a soaring start as “Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning” and the live-action “Lilo & Stitch” powered what could be the biggest Memorial Day weekend in history. “Lilo & Stitch,” a remake of the 2002 animated film about a young Hawaiian girl who befriends a doglike alien, surfed to a domestic box-office-leading $145.5 million opening weekend, while “Final Reckoning,” billed as the final chapter in the story of Tom Cruise’s super spy, Ethan Hunt, extracted $63 million. Both films, along with “Final Destination: Bloodlines” and “Sinners,” are expected to push the four-day holiday weekend total to around $320 million, an all-time Memorial Day record. The previous record was set in 2013 when “Fast & Furious 6,” “The Hangover Part III” and “Star Trek Into Darkness” totaled $314.2 million. Even without the Monday numbers, “Lilo & Stitch” and “Final Reckoning” led what would be the third-highest Memorial Day weekend on record.
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ASPEN-PITKIN COUNTY AIRPORT PROJECTS ESTIMATED AT $518 MILLION
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The Aspen-Pitkin County Airport’s upcoming overhaul of its runway, terminal and west-side general aviation infrastructure is expected to cost $518 million through 2029, prompting the county to plan for significant staffing additions. At a special meeting of the Board of County Commissioners on Thursday, airport and county staff and consultants updated the BOCC on the anticipated project scope and the additional staffing capacity needs. Major runway reconstruction, due to subsurface water issues, is planned for 2027 with an approximate nine-month closure, likely beginning with demolition work after the end of ski season. The airport chose a design firm for runway work but declined to share the name publicly as they are still finalizing a contract.
The BOCC will need to consider and approve a variance request to county construction standards to maintain that timeline. Instead of eight-hour shifts during the weekday, the county will need to allow for 16-hour construction days, seven days a week. The BOCC could deny it, but it would significantly impact the closure. During that work, the runway will be shifted 80 feet west to meet the Federal Aviation Administration standards on wingspan separation between the runway and taxiways for Airport Design Group III airports, widening it from 320 feet to 400 feet. It’s 8,000 feet long and 150 feet wide. Rough order of magnitude cost estimates put the total runway and taxiway work at $165 million, with $13.1 million for design and $151.8 million for construction. The FAA is expected to fund approximately 90 percent of that work.
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EXPLORE THE POWER OF HISTORY: SHOSHONE HYDROELECTRIC PLANT
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The Glenwood Springs Historical Society, in partnership with Xcel Energy, is hosting an Exclusive In-Person Tour of the Shoshone Hydroelectric Plant on Wednesday, June 11, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Take a rare, guided tour of the historic Shoshone Hydroelectric Plant, operating since 1909 in the heart of Glenwood Canyon. Josh Mattson of Xcel Energy will guide the tours. Space is extremely limited, and not ADA accessible. Reserve your spot with a $25 donation at Glenwoodhistory.com. A Speaker Series Presentation takes place on Thursday, June 12, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Glenwood Springs Library. Josh Mattson of Xcel Energy will provide a fascinating look at the construction and modern operation of the Shoshone Hydroelectric Plant. For more information, call 970-945-4448 or visit glenwoodhistory.com.
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KIDS AID BACKPACK PROGRAM ANNOUNCES SUMMER LOCATIONS
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In addition to the Backpack Program that provides kids with meals they can take home over the weekend, so they don’t go hungry, Kids Aid also has a truck — the Kids Aid Caravan — that goes out during the summer. Kids Aid Backpack Program recently announced its summer 2025 schedule. Anyone 18 and under is welcome to come to these “pop-up stops”, where food items will be distributed while Mesa County Valley School District 51 schools are out for the seasonal break.
Pop-up stops are:
- Garden Village Apartments at 2601 Belford Ave. in Grand Junction (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m.)
- The Mesa County Library in Palisade at 119 W. 3rd St. (Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2-6 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
- The Mesa County Library in Clifton at 3270 D½ Rd. Building A (Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
- The Mesa County Library in Orchard Mesa at 230 E. Lynwood St. in Grand Junction (Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
- The Mesa County Library in Fruita at 324 N. Coulson St. (Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
- The Mesa County Library in De Beque at 730 Minter Ave. (Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2-6 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
- The Mesa County Library in Collbran at 124 Main St. (Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2-6 p.m.; and Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.).
Additionally, food will be served at other locations every Thursday from June 5-July 24 (with the exception of July 3). Kids Aid Backpack Program encourages those in need to call 970-712-2847.
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KDUR HOSTS FURNITURE AS ART AUCTION
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For more than 20 years, KDUR, Fort Lewis College Community Radio, has been hosting its Furniture As Art fundraiser, offering residents the chance to bid on one-of-a-kind pieces that are cool and functional. This year’s auction will be held Friday, May 30 in the Ballroom in the Student Union at FLC. Forty bucks gets you in the door, where drinks and appetizers await, along with the live and silent auctions and music provided by FLC piano student Brooke Pasmick. Doors open at 6 p.m., auction begins at 7 p.m. This year’s contributing artists include Amy Vaclav, Dan Groth, Ilze Aviks, Janet Kenna, Tim Kapustka and Tom Joyner are just a few of the people who have donated work to the fundraiser. Tickets are available at tinyurl.com/ysrmu7p5. While Furniture As Art is an important source of money for the radio station – it’s one of its biggest fundraisers of the year – it’s also a way to celebrate our local artists and community as well.
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11TH ANNUAL GOLF FOR THE TROOPS AT COBBLE CREEK MAY 31
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Enjoy an unforgettable day of golf at the 11th Annual Golf for the Troops Tournament, proudly hosted by Welcome Home Alliance for Veterans. This year's event, which includes an awards lunch, takes place Saturday, May 31 at Cobble Creek Golf Course in Montrose. Check in begins at 7:30 a.m., and the shotgun start is at 9 a.m. This event benefits local veterans and their families in Montrose, Delta, Ouray and San Miguel counties. Sponsorships are available. To register or to become a sponsor, e-mail April.heard@whafv.org, call 970-765-2210 or visit the link below.
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COUNTRY AMERICANS WANT TO MOVE TO MOST
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U.S. travel to Portugal has boomed in recent years, and it’s now the No. 1 country where Americans are hoping to move abroad. That’s according to a survey of 116,363 Americans who looked into leaving the U.S. throughout 2024 administered by Expatsi, a company that provides relocation tours and expat resources. Visitors to Expatsi’s website are invited to complete a 20-question assessment to see which country might suit them best, based on their lifestyle preferences (like weather and local policy), future plans (like studying or working), financial means and other factors. Survey-takers are asked about the countries they’re most interested in learning more about.
The top-requested countries include:
- Portugal
- Spain
- UK
- Canada
- Italy
- Ireland
- France
- Mexico
- New Zealand
- Costa Rica
The top reason people give for wanting to move out of the U.S. is for adventure, enrichment and growth, according to the survey. Some 56 percent of respondents say the U.S. is too conservative, while 53 percent feel the country is too divided. Roughly half of the expat-curious say they want to move for more or different freedoms, and to avoid the threat of gun violence; 41 percent say they hope to save money while living abroad.
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MOST POPULAR SUMMER DESTINATIONS AROUND THE GLOBE FOR U.S. TRAVELERS
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This month, Tripadvisor released its annual Summer Travel Index, which revealed the top trending international destinations for American travelers. The report found that U.S. travelers are looking abroad for both major cities and laid-back beach vacations, with 51 percent of travelers citing their primary reason to travel is to relax and rejuvenate. To rank the cities, Tripadvisor used data from an online survey of over 2,800 consumers conducted between March 26 and April 8, 2025, in six countries: Australia, Japan, France, Singapore, the U.K., and the U.S. It also used searches made by travelers on Tripadvisor between Feb. 1 and April 10, 2025, for travel between June 1 and Aug. 31, 2025. Four out of the top 10 trending destinations for U.S. travelers are in the Caribbean.
Top Global Destinations for U.S. Travelers:
- Cancún, Mexico
- Paris, France
- London, United Kingdom
- Rome, Italy
- Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
- Barcelona, Spain
- Oranjestad, Aruba
- Venice, Italy
- Cap Cana, Dominican Republic
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MOST POPULAR U.S. SUMMER DESTINATIONS
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According to a recent report from Tripadvisor, Americans looking to travel domestically this summer want a blend of bustling city activities and laid-back beach vacations. The report ranked the top domestic summer travel destinations for U.S. travelers using two key sources: an online survey of over 2,800 consumers conducted between March 26 and April 8, 2025, and searches made by travelers on Tripadvisor between Feb. 1 and April 10, 2025, for travel between June 1 and August 31, 2025.
The top 10 domestic destinations for U.S. travelers:
- Las Vegas, Nev.
- New York City, N.Y.
- Myrtle Beach, S.C.
- Ocean City, Md.
- Chicago, Ill.
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Panama City Beach, Fla.
- Key West, Fla.
- Clearwater, Fla.
- Nashville, Tenn.
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MARKET UPDATE - 05/23/2025 Close
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(Courtesy of Alpine Bank Wealth Management*)
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Canadian dollar (per U.S. dollar)
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Mexican peso (per U.S. dollar)
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30-year fixed mortgage rate (Freddie Mac 05/22/2025)
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*Not FDIC insured. May lose value. Not guaranteed by the bank.
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Alpine Bank is an independent, employee-owned organization with headquarters in Glenwood Springs and banking offices across Colorado's Western Slope, mountains and Front Range. Alpine Bank serves customers with retail, business, wealth management*, mortgage and electronic banking services. Learn more at alpinebank.com.
*Alpine Bank Wealth Management services are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not guaranteed by the bank.
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