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Colorado - Wed. 06/04/25 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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DENVER'S NWSL TEAM ADDS PEYTON MANNING TO OWNERSHIP GROUP
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Peyton Manning, five-time MVP winner and Pro Football Hall of Famer, is the latest big name to join the ownership group behind Denver's yet-to-be-named National Women’s Soccer League franchise. Manning, who retired from football after the Broncos' 2015 Super Bowl victory, is also the owner of Omaha Productions, the company that produces ESPN’s “Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli,” along with other sports productions. Peyton's little brother, Eli Manning, has also invested into an NWSL franchise, New York and New Jersey's Gotham FC team. Eli is another two-time Super Bowl champion with two Super Bowl MVP awards. The franchise plans to announce the Manning news this morning and has added the star to its owners listed on the team website.
The football celebrity joins a group of high-profile Denver NWSL team owners led by IMA Financial Group CEO and NWSL controlling owner Rob Cohen. The group was awarded the team in January after making a record investment to bring the team to the Mile High City. Others in the ownership group include former Washington Commanders President Jason Wright and Mellody Hobson, of Project Level, a subsidiary of Chicago-based Ariel Investments. FirstTracks Sports Ventures LLC, a group led by Ski and Snowboard Club Vail Trustees Jon-Erik Borgen and Kaia Borgen Moritz, Kuvare Holdings’ Dhiren Jhaveri and Neelima Joshi; and Molly Coors, are also involved. Last month, Mikaela Shiffrin — the most decorated alpine skier of all time — also joined the ownership group.
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COLORADO MUSIC HALL OF FAME GETS NEW HOME
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The Colorado Music Hall of Fame has moved to downtown Denver’s Colorado Convention Center, following a decade at Red Rocks Amphitheatre and a months-long search for a new home. The Hall’s exhibits, including memorabilia from Colorado music stars such as John Denver, have relocated to the city-owned facility, where visitors can see installations adjacent to the Bellco Theatre Lobby and box office of the convention center. Founded in 2011, the Colorado Music Hall of Fame is best known for its concerts and induction ceremonies of groundbreaking and popular state musicians, including Joe Walsh, Dan Fogelberg, Lannie Garrett, Hazel Miller, Otis Taylor and Poco (see the full list at cmhof.org.) Nearly 800,000 people visit the convention center each year, giving the Hall a larger potential audience than its former home at Red Rocks’ Trading Post.
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UNITED WAY OF SOUTHWEST COLORADO TO CHANGE NAME, GO INDEPENDENT
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United Way of Southwest Colorado is adopting a new name, Team Up, and breaking away from United Way Worldwide, effective July 1. Team Up will continue to provide grant funding to nonprofits as it has for years as United Way, and the split from United Way Worldwide will allow the organization to invest more dollars directly into the communities it serves, including Archuleta, Dolores, Montezuma, La Plata and San Juan counties. The organization’s annual dues to United Way Worldwide increased 229 percent – from $7,602 in 2013 to $25,000 in 2025. The organization’s income rose 59 percent over the same period. Neither staff, services nor office locations will change due to the separation from United Way Worldwide.
In addition to providing grant funding to nonprofits working in housing, education, food, childcare, health, mental health and violence prevention, it operates 2-1-1 Colorado and an AmeriCorps program. It also supports a number of community collaborations aimed at helping the communities it serves. The most successful partnership in La Plata County is a scholarship program for families who cannot afford to send their children to summer camp. The scholarship program was created to give children free access to summer camps at more than 15 organizations, including the Powerhouse science center, the San Juan Mountains Association and others. This summer, Team Up will introduce a transportation program to get children to and from summer camps. It will operate free bus service. Families can learn more about scholarship opportunities at teamupsw.org/summer-scholarship.
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A-BASIN CLOSING SOON FOR THE SEASON, COPPER MTN. TERRAIN PARK OPENS FRIDAY
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Arapahoe Basin will close for the season either this coming Sunday or the following weekend, but some skiers and riders won’t be putting away their gear for the summer. Copper Mountain’s Summer Hike Park, a terrain park open through the summer, is scheduled to open on Friday. The park will have about a dozen rail features and will be open Fridays through Sundays into September. Day passes will be priced at $25. A season pass goes for $199. Resort crews build the park by pushing leftover snow from adjacent slopes on top of remaining snow just above the Center Village. Skiers and riders will hike a short distance to access the park. Arapahoe Basin, meanwhile, suspended daily operations on Sunday. It will reopen this weekend, Friday through Sunday. It may close for the season on Sunday or might eke out one more weekend, depending on conditions.
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DENVER SEES WARMEST SPRING IN 13 YEARS
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Denverites enjoyed one of the warmest springs the metro has logged in more than a decade, largely because of warm temperatures and minimal snow in March, according to the National Weather Service. The average daily temperature from March through May was the warmest in 13 years at 51 degrees, NWS Boulder meteorologist Bernie Meyer said. March was 4.2 degrees above normal; April was 1.7 degrees above normal, and May was just .3 degrees above normal. March’s abnormally warm weather and lack of precipitation was largely the cause of the spring spike, Meyer said. This was the 12th warmest March on record with an average daily temperature of 45.8 degrees and also the eighth least snowy March, with just 2 inches of snow recorded, according to NWS. Coloradans can look forward to more above-average temperatures this summer with a 50 to 60 percent chance of warmer-than-normal weather, Meyer said.
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ASPEN IS TEAMING UP WITH THE CARBONDALE BIKE PROJECT
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The city of Aspen is teaming up with the Carbondale Bike Project to host a used bike drop-off event on Friday, June 13, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Rio Grande Recycle Center, located at 618 Rio Grande Place. Community members are invited to donate used or broken bicycles during the event. Usable bikes will be refurbished and distributed to those in need, while non-functioning bikes will be disassembled and repurposed for parts to build new ones. The effort aims to promote sustainability, reduce waste, and support access to cycling within the broader Roaring Fork Valley. In addition to the drop-off, the event will include prize giveaways, a free “Bike Maintenance 101” course, and light refreshments. For more information, residents can visit aspen.gov/bikedropoff.
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GJ GAS STATION EXPOSED TO MEASLES, LOCALS URGED TO TAKE ACTION
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Mesa County residents who visited the Love’s Travel Stop and Carl’s Jr. at 748 22 Road last Wednesday could have been exposed to the measles. According to the Colorado Dept. of Public Health & Environment’s Sunday advisory, anyone who was in the building between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. is at risk of developing the virus. Mesa County Public Health Epidemiologist Supervisor Kathleen Satterfield added that the risk of infection (in this instance) is low, but anyone exposed should contact the department to guarantee that western Colorado avoids an outbreak. This exposure is the Western Slope’s first since nationwide cases began rising in January, but 11 cases have already been confirmed across the Front Range: in Aurora, Colorado Springs, Denver, Evergreen and Greenwood Village. Eleven cases in six months far exceeds the norm for Colorado, where a total of only six cases were identified between 2014 and 2024.
Because the measles can be contagious four days before symptoms appear — and symptoms can take as long as 21 days to develop — the health agencies advised that anyone exposed take a few steps to ensure they don’t unknowingly spread the virus. Those who were exposed should immediately contact Mesa County Public Health by calling 970-254-4120.
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RIVERFEST RETURNS TO PAONIA JUNE 7
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Back for its 23rd year, the Riverfest Community Fair and Float is a confluence of fun, learning, and community celebrating the North Fork of the Gunnison River and the towns, farms, and people who live around and love it. The fest and fair will be held Saturday June 7 from 4 until 8:30 p.m. at the Paonia River Park. The event is hosted by the Western Slope Conservation Center, Colorado Farm & Food Alliance and The Learning Council. The Float, hosted by the Conservation Center, takes place on Sunday and requires separate, advanced tickets. Food vendors include Southern Belle, Cedars of Mediterranean, and Paco’s Street Tacos serving exceptional U.S. Southern cooking, Lebanese food and fantastic street tacos. The event will also feature community group exhibits, kids’ activities, and all-ages workshops including Geology of the North Fork and All About Invertebrates, a River Watch table, and the River Trailer.
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VAIL VALLEY FOUNDATION UNVEILS AMBITIOUS $72 MILLION CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
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On Tuesday, the Vail Valley Foundation unveiled its $72 million capital campaign that will transform its venues and programming for the next generation. It’s an ambitious undertaking that launched 16 months ago with support from key donors and stakeholders, with $40 million already raised. The list of projects includes facility upgrades to the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek and the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail; securing endowments for the Vail Dance Festival; building a new early childhood education and development center in Avon; expanding the World Cup ski racing festival that has been a hallmark of the nonprofit; and building a community center that would house YouthPower365 and its COPA and middle school soccer programs. The Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater recently ranked fourth among the nation’s amphitheaters in a new study compiled by readers and editors of USA Today, ahead of Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison and the Dillon Amphitheater.
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NATIVE TROUT SPECIES RETURN TO THE NEW COLORADO RIVER CONNECTIVITY CHANNEL NEAR GRANBY
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Native fish populations are returning more quickly than anticipated in the Colorado River Connectivity Channel near Granby, according to the latest Colorado Parks and Wildlife electrofishing survey of the trout population along the newly constructed 1-mile river channel. In May, Parks and Wildlife biologists estimated that approximately 848 brown trout and 221 rainbow trout over 6 inches in length live within the channel. The $33 million connectivity channel project sought to establish connectivity along the Colorado River after the construction of the 445-acre-foot Windy Gap Reservoir in 1985 disrupted flows in the region. The reservoir and dam — which were constructed to help divert water to two northern Front Range cities — impacted stream flows, caused sediment buildup and decimated fish populations.
The Colorado River Connectivity Channel project was led by a coalition group that included the reservoir’s operator, Northern Water. It was completed in the fall of 2023. While the full benefits of the connectivity channel could take years to manifest, the latest fish survey, as well as one conducted in 2024, already show river health improving. The fall 2024 survey found evidence of native sculpin — a bottom-dwelling fish — returning to the upper Colorado River and new channel after several decades of absence in nearly 30 miles of their former habitat. Biologists have also observed “extensive” brown trout spawning activity and “moderate” rainbow trout spawning activity in the channel. Currently, the new river section is closed to public fishing access.
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SILVERTHORNE RECREATION CENTER EXPANSION PROJECT TO CAUSE LIMITED CLOSURES
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It’s been around a month and a half since Silverthorne started its near 25,000-square-foot recreation expansion project, and elected officials recently received their first update at a May 28 meeting regarding construction progress and upcoming closures. The project is set to be completed in Fall 2026. The expansion project includes space for new state licensed, school-aged programs, a new multi-activity court gymnasium with a gymnastics area, expanded weight room space, a viewing and lounge area, two new multi-use rooms and expanded storage and administrative space.
The first project-related, single-day closure is coming up June 9. Passholders can go to the Breckenridge Recreation Center that day. Silverthorne staff members said the closure is for construction-related projects, including a new water line and the relocation of an Xcel Energy transformer. Most of the indoor track is closed for the first phase of construction due to a temporary construction wall. Recreation director Steven Herrman said there’s no other closure planned at this time, except for when the town typically shuts down the aquatics area for annual maintenance in the fall.
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CANADIAN WILDFIRES ARE HAVING BIG IMPACT ON U.S. AIR QUALITY
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Smoke from wildfires raging in Canada has drifted into the United States, affecting air quality as far south as Florida and creating a "very unhealthy" situation in parts of Minnesota on June 3. The smoke is expected to waft across the country, causing a moderate air quality level over much of the East Coast by the end of the day, according to the air quality forecast at AirNow.gov. The entire state of Iowa and most of Minnesota and Wisconsin are under an air quality alert through at least midweek, with parts of Minnesota seeing unhealthy to very unhealthy air quality levels from smoke particulates.
There are over 200 wildfires burning in Canada as of June 3, with over 100 classified as "out of control." The fires have forced thousands to evacuate. Iowa issued a new air quality alert covering the entire state through June 5, warning people to avoid outdoor activity. The smoke has drifted south and east, creating moderate air quality levels for a large swath of central and southeastern states, all the way through Florida. By the morning of June 3, air quality in Tallahassee, Jacksonville and Gainesville, Florida, was at a moderate level. You can monitor the air quality in your area at AirNow.gov.
- If air quality worsens in your area due to wildfire smoke, it's a good idea to limit time outdoors, experts say.
- Avoid physical exertion, including indoors, if air quality becomes unhealthy.
- While inside, keep windows and doors shut. Leave off any air conditioning or fan systems that pull air from outside and use air filters or air purifiers. If you can’t buy a commercial portable air filter, you can create your own. One example is the Corsi-Rosenthal box made from simple materials of an air filter, box fan and duct tape.
- If you must go outside, you should wear a high-quality, well-fitting N95 or P100 respirator mask to protect yourself. Keep your trips outside short.
- You should also watch out for your pets when air quality is bad because they can't wear a respirator mask to protect themselves but still may need to go outside. Keep their bathroom trips outside short and watch out for signs of distress such as red or watery eyes and nose, coughing or gagging and increased respiratory rate.
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MARKET UPDATE - 06/03/2025 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 05/29/2025)
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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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