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Colorado - Wed. 07/02/25 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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METALLICA SHATTERS DENVER'S EMPOWER FIELD ATTENDANCE RECORD: 152,000 FANS
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Metallica ended their "M72 World Tour" by breaking the attendance record in Denver. Metallica drew over 152,000 fans across two sold-out nights at Empower Field at Mile High. The performances set a new two-show attendance record for the Denver football stadium. The Denver shows featured different sets each night and different supporting acts, with Pantera, Limp Bizkit, Suicidal Tendencies and Ice Nine Kills joining the concerts. Metallica and the band’s All Within My Hands foundation partnered for a blood drive in Denver in the days before the concerts. Held at Empower Field at Mile High, the drive became the largest in Denver Red Cross history, collecting 240 units of blood. In its third year, the "M72 World Tour" played 21 North American stadium shows in April, May and June.
A behind-the-scenes look at setup for the concerts:
- 150 traveling Metallica crew members (plus 90-100 local stagehands, and hundreds of local security guards)
- About 90 semi-trucks to move the production from city to city
- Two days to unload and install equipment
- Eight towers around the stage, each weighing more than 14 tons
- 588 speakers
- 72 lights on the field, 72 lights on towers, and about 650 moving lights
- Band members each have about a dozen show-ready guitars/basses, plus more backstage
- The band goes through 4,000 to 5,000 guitar picks every show (most are thrown out to fans)
- Drummer Lars Ulrich has six drum kits
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DENVER OKS SPENDING $19 MILLION ON SALVATION ARMY SHELTER SERVICES
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Three contracts for homeless shelter services by The Salvation Army totaling just over $19 million were approved by a 7-3 vote of the Denver City Council on Monday. The contracts for $4.2 million, $8 million and $7 million will provide programmatic services to three of the city’s largest homeless shelters – Stone Creek, 4595 Quebec St.; The Tamarac Family Center,7525 E. Hampden Ave., and The Aspen at 4040 Quebec St, respectively. The Salvation Army has said that the “sheer volume” of Denver’s homeless demand has been a challenge. Two of the three contracts approved on Monday were extensions of previous agreements. Jennifer Forker, spokesperson for The Salvation Army said, “Everyday, The Salvation Army shelters up to 1,800 people, including at least 300 children — work no one else stepped up to do — and we do it with professionalism and care. We remain steadfast: with open hands, compassionate hearts, and a deep sense of purpose.”
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VEHICLE TRAVEL STARTS FRIDAY ON 11,817-FOOT ALPINE ROAD IN RMNP
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Rocky Mountain National Park announced that the opening day for Old Fall River Road, the 11,817-foot-high uphill-only dirt road in Colorado's largest national park, will be Friday. Beginning at 6 a.m. on Wednesday through Thursday, the road will be closed to all uses for dust abatement. The road follows the steep slope of Mount Chapin’s south face and due to the narrow and winding nature of the road, the scenic 9.4-mile route is one-way uphill only. Vehicles over 25 feet and vehicles pulling trailers are prohibited.
During certain hours of the day, visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park will need a timed entry reservation. There are two reservation options available: Timed Entry or Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road. Timed Entry Reservations are required to enter the park between the hours of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. These reservations provide access to areas of Rocky Mountain National Park located outside of the Bear Lake Road corridor, including access to Old Fall River Road. To learn more visit go.nps.gov/romo/timedentry.
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COLORADO GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES $250,000 GRANT FOR PLACES OF WORSHIP FOLLOWING BOULDER ATTACK
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Gov. Jared Polis announced that $250,000 is available for organizations at "increased risk" of threat following the attack on a group of Jewish demonstrators in Boulder earlier this month. The funds, made possible through the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, will be available to synagogues, mosques and other places of worship. The governor said the state is reaching out to previous applicants to encourage them to apply for the additional funding. The Nonprofit Security Grant Program, established by a 2022 legislation, provides funding to organizations that are at risk of terrorist attacks. A similar grant program is run at the national level by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Awardees can use grant funds for security equipment, security-related planning, exercises and training, hiring security personnel, and other security enhancements. The Colorado General Assembly provides $1 million in funding to the program each year.
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ROCKIES TEAM WITH YORK SPACE SYSTEMS FOR TEAM'S FIRST UNIFORM PATCH
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The Rockies announced on Tuesday that it is teaming up with York Space Systems for a jersey patch partnership, effective immediately and running through the 2030 season. The advertising patch will be the first on a Rockies uniform. York Space Systems is a Denver-based leader in aerospace and defense technology. York becomes the first aerospace company to partner on a jersey patch deal across any professional sport. The patch, measuring 4 inches wide by 2.2 inches high, will display the York logo — “York Space Systems” — in white lettering on a black background on all Rockies jerseys. It will be featured on the left sleeve for right-handed batters, the right sleeve for left-handed batters, the throwing arm for all pitchers, and the left sleeve for coaches. York was founded in 2012 by aerospace executive Dirk Wallinger and is “a defense technology company transforming how the United States builds and operates space-based capabilities.”
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STAGE 1 FIRE RESTRICTIONS ISSUED FOR MUCH OF SOUTHWEST COLORADO
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County, state and federal land agencies implemented stage one fire restrictions Tuesday. According to news releases from San Juan National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management, prohibited activities under stage one restrictions include welding, setting off explosives like fireworks, smoking outside a building or vehicle, and building campfires and cooking with charcoal outside of designated metal or concrete pits. The restrictions apply to all lower elevations of the San Juan National Forest and BLM lands within the boundaries of Archuleta, Dolores, Hinsdale, La Plata, Montezuma, San Juan and San Miguel counties. Restrictions also apply to the Canyons of the Ancients, Mesa Verde and Yucca House national monuments. La Plata County also announced stage one fire restrictions that took effect Tuesday.
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$50,000 GRANT AWARDED TO PRESERVE WETLANDS ALONG ANIMAS RIVER
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La Plata Open Space Conservancy has received a $50,000 grant from Great Outdoors Colorado to help finance a conservation easement for a 67-acre piece of property along the Animas River. Jim Johnson, property owner, has a deep connection to the land and wanted to ensure its ecological integrity and vibrant ecosystem would be preserved for decades to come, said Jennifer Zahratka, executive director of LPOSC. The Johnson Property, along U.S. Hwy. 550, just north of Durango in the Animas River Valley, includes 10 acres of wetlands, including a half mile stretch of riverfront along the Animas River, and an oxbow – a naturally formed pond from a former stream path.
The land provides important habitat for migratory birds, deer, elk and a range of aquatic species, and serves as a wildlife corridor between nearby public and private lands. Additionally, the wetland ecosystem helps maintain water quality, watershed health and ecological connectivity in the region. The grant is part of Keep It Colorado’s Transaction Cost Assistance Program, which repurposes GOCO funds to nonprofit land trusts for the specific purpose of financing conservation easement transactions.
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EAGLE COUNTY AIRPORT LANDS ANOTHER DIRECT FLIGHT FOR WINTER SEASON
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On Tuesday, Eagle County Regional Airport officials announced new seasonal nonstop service to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, operated by American Airlines, from Dec. 18 through Jan. 5, 2026. The addition brings Eagle County to 16 nonstop winter destinations. American Airlines will operate the daily seasonal service during the peak holiday travel period, utilizing an Airbus A319. American Airlines’ new service to Charlotte provides one-stop access from numerous cities throughout the Eastern United States and internationally. Flights will depart daily at 9 a.m. from Charlotte Douglas International Airport and arrive at Eagle County Regional Airport at 11:15 a.m. The return flight will leave Eagle County Regional Airport at 11:55 a.m. and arrive at Charlotte Douglas International Airport at 5:30 p.m. Tickets for the new service are expected to be available for purchase starting Sunday, July 6, on AA.com.
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CPW TO LAUNCH FIRST-EVER STATEWIDE INITIATIVE TO ENGAGE TRIBES & NATIVE COMMUNITIES, FUNDED BY GOCO
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At its June commission meeting, the Great Outdoors Colorado board approved six unique projects for funding through the CPW Director’s Innovation Fund, a joint initiative between CPW and GOCO. The fund, designed to elevate creative projects that are not typically funded through GOCO or other sources, supports innovative, small-dollar efforts that advance the missions of both CPW and GOCO. Final project endorsement comes from the CPW Director before submission to the GOCO board for funding consideration. One project, “Engaging Colorado’s Tribal Communities,” was awarded $50,000 to help CPW engage Tribes and Native communities about Tribal priorities related to Colorado state parks through a series of listening sessions.
The five other projects funded by GOCO include:
- Fossil Bed Protection Structure ($25,000) – Funding will support the construction of a protective structure at the Indian Springs Trace Fossil Natural Area to preserve one of North America’s most significant 450-million-year-old fossil beds.
- Black-footed Ferret Monitoring ($10,000) – In a groundbreaking move, CPW will collaborate with the Smithsonian and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to monitor endangered black-footed ferrets using radio collars for the first time in over three decades.
- Aerial Herbicide Drone Deployment ($25,000) – CPW will purchase a drone-based herbicide application system to manage invasive species in State Wildlife Areas that are difficult or unsafe to access by ground equipment.
- OHV Stakeholder Engagement ($25,000) – Working with NoCo Places, CPW will lead a stakeholder engagement initiative to determine future uses of the Lefthand OHV Area, which has been closed to motorized use since the 2013 floods.
- Wolf Drone Monitoring ($15,000) – CPW will pilot drone-based technology to monitor gray wolf movements and test hazing techniques to deter conflicts with livestock.
Additionally, the GOCO board awarded $9.94 million in grants to partners across the state, including $150,000 through the Director’s Innovation Fund to support the six CPW-led efforts. For more information on GOCO’s latest round of funding, visit goco.org. To learn more about CPW’s programs and initiatives, visit cpw.state.co.us.
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HEAVY TRAFFIC EXPECTED AS COLORADO RANKS AMONG TOP U.S. DESTINATIONS FOR FOURTH OF JULY
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Colorado mountain residents should expect a busy Fourth of July as a record number of people nationwide are expected to travel for the holiday, according to the American Automobile Association. A record-breaking 72.2 million people will travel for the holiday this year, including 61.6 million people traveling by car. That’s a 2.2 percent increase from last year. In addition to drivers, a record number of people nationwide are expected to travel by airplane this Fourth of July, with 5.48 million flyers, up about 1.4 percent from last year. Another 5 million people in the U.S. are expected to travel by bus, train or cruise ship. Denver is ranked seventh this year among top destinations for U.S. travelers over the Fourth of July.
Meanwhile, data from Hertz Car Rental shows Denver International Airport as a top destination for car rentals over the summer holiday weekend. Residents and visitors can expect traffic over this holiday period in the usual spots: At the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels, getting off I-70 Exit 205 to Silverthorne, along Colorado Hwy. 9 toward Grand County and the turn to Steamboat Springs and on Colorado Hwy. 82 from Glenwood Springs to Aspen.
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WHICH COLORADO COUNTIES HAVE THE YOUNGEST POPULATIONS?
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The age of the U.S. population is trending older, and Colorado is no exception. And for the first time in Larimer County and five other counties, people 65 and older now outnumber children under 18. It's not an unexpected change: If you look back at the last 20 years across the nation, it's been trending that way, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The 65-year-old population nationwide was 12.4 percent in 2004 but rose to 18.0 percent in 2024. Meanwhile, the share of children declined from 25 percent to 21.5 percent. That means seniors are now outnumbering children in more places. Overall, in Colorado, that isn't the case. People under 18 make up 20.7 percent of the population, while people 65 and older make up 16 percent of the state population. But it's expected to happen by 2030.
In almost two-thirds of Colorado counties, the 65-and-older demographic is now greater than the number of youths. And 2024 census data released June 26 shows that is now true in Larimer County. In 2023, there were more children than seniors in Larimer. In 2024, it was the other way around. Other counties that made the same switch are Boulder, Jefferson, Summit, Washington and Gunnison counties. There's another way of understanding how old or young a county's population is: median age. The national median age is 39.1: Half of the population is older, and half is younger. So, which counties in Colorado are the oldest and the youngest?
Here are Colorado's 'youngest' counties by median age:
- Alamosa: 33.1
- Adams: 35.1
- Denver: 35.5
- Elbert: 35.5
- Morgan: 35.7
- Weld: 35.7
- Yuma: 36.7
- Prowers: 37.2
- Arapahoe: 37.6
- Larimer: 37.6
Here are Colorado's 'oldest' counties by median age:
- Hinsdale: 57.9
- Custer: 57.6
- Huerfano: 55.1
- Ouray: 55.2
- Mineral: 52.7
- Archuleta: 51.9
- Teller: 51.7
- Park: 51.1
- Jackson: 50.9
- Saguache: 49.6
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MARKET UPDATE - 07/01/2025 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 06/26/2025)
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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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