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Colorado - Thu. 07/17/25 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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COLORADO WILDFIRE UPDATE
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Colorado fire officials Wednesday gave an update of the major wildfires burning in the state. There are five large fires in western Colorado and those fires have burned nearly 21,000 acres. The smoke produced caused the Colorado Dept. of Public Health and Environment to issue an air quality advisory Wednesday afternoon and night for Chaffee, Delta, Gunnison, Eagle, Garfield, Lake, Mesa, Montrose, Ouray and San Juan counties.
- Turner Gulch and Wright Draw fires near Gateway: The Turner Gulch Fire in Mesa County consumed another 5,800 acres Tuesday and is the largest fire burning in the state, having covered some 13,900 acres, with no containment. The Wright Draw Fire is on the opposite side of Unaweep Canyon and has burned 448 acres. The Turner Gulch Fire will likely not be contained in the next two weeks and firefighters are working to protect homes, power and fiber-optic lines along Colorado 141 where the fire has spread for miles. Colorado 141 remains closed and land along the highway from mile marker 120 to mile marker 134 is under mandatory evacuation orders.
- Deer Creek Fire near Paradox: The Deer Creek Fire, which started near La Sal, Utah on July 10 has now burned over 14,760 acres and crossed the state line into Colorado, north of Colorado Hwy. 90 in Montrose County, near Paradox. The fire is about 7 percent contained.
- South Rim Fire, Black Canyon of the Gunnison: The South Rim Fire, burning near to, and in, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park has burned more than 4,100 acres and there is no containment. The national park remains closed to the public with no timeline to reopen, and mandatory evacuations are in effect for nearby homes and trails, including the Botswick Park area.
- Sowbelly Fire near Delta: The one wildfire where firefighters have made some progress is the Sowbelly Fire burning in the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area. Firefighters have a perimeter line around the wildfire, and it was about 13 percent contained as of Wednesday a.m. The blaze was last mapped at 2,274 acres.
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STATEWIDE LARGE INVENTORY OF HOMES FOR SALE, PRICES REMAIN STEADY
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The Colorado Association of Realtors' Market Trends Report for June, issued Monday, showed the inventory of homes continued to rise, with 24,258 single-family homes on the market at the end of June statewide. That is about 9,000 more listings than were available two years ago in June, when interest rates were beginning to slow the pace of sales. Despite the added stock of homes available, prices are holding close to their previous levels. The price of a typical single-family home on the market in Colorado stood at $597,500 this month, down less than a percent from last month, up by 0.2 percent since the first of the year. The typical townhome or condo price stood 3.6 percent lower than a year ago, $406,000. For homes under $400,000, the supply is just over three months; but for homes priced over $1 million, the estimated supply climbs to almost six months.
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$200 MILLION LIMELIGHT HOTEL TO OPEN IN BOULDER WITH LARGE EVENT SPACE
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The six-story Limelight Hotel at 1295 University Ave. on the campus of the University of Colorado and owned by Aspen One’s hospitality arm, Aspen Hospitality, is set to open in time for the opening game of CU's football team on Aug. 29. The 252-room Limelight Boulder is built to attract people visiting CU’s campus for events like graduation, football games and the Sundance Film Festival. It also hopes to attract conventions, academic gatherings and other industry events to the venue with its 26,000 square feet of meeting space, far more meeting space than any other hotel in the Boulder area. The hotel will feature an Ajax restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. The second-floor terrace, jutting out from multiple meeting rooms, includes a large outdoor area with a pool, hot tub, bar, games and lounge area.
The hotel could be a key landing site for those visiting the city for the Sundance Film Festival, which will debut in Boulder in 2027. Limelight, along with other hotels in the area, has already agreed to commit 70 percent of its inventory with a “Sundance rate.”
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METRO STATE CREATES A NEW MAJOR: MARIACHI
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Metropolitan State University of Denver has created a new degree program, Mariachi Performance and Culture, the first of its kind in Colorado. The program is a blend of musical performance, cultural studies and business. Philip Ficsor, MSU Denver music professor and one of the faculty members who developed the program said, “What we’re really trying to create here is the Juilliard of mariachi.” The classes are intended to teach students not just to play mariachi music but to understand where the music came from, what it means and how it impacts the culture. Classes include music theory, voice courses, guitar, Chicano history, Spanish, contemporary Mexican literature, principles of marketing and introduction to business, to name a few.
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“THIS IS UTE HOMELAND” PERMANENT EXHIBIT IN COLORADO SPRINGS MUSEUM
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A five-year collaboration of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation has resulted in the creation of “Until Forever Comes: This is Ute Homeland,” a new permanent exhibit at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum. The exhibit blends historical and contemporary artifacts to demonstrate the resilience of the Utes across their lands in Colorado and Utah. A symbol of that is the horse. A life-size horse sculpture greets visitors at the entrance, accompanied by stories and items reflecting the tribe’s close bond with horses, considered vital members of the community.
Similarly with displays of beadwork, as elders and young people both contributed beadwork. Also with language, as tribes are revitalizing language. The Southern Ute Tribe has partnered with Fort Lewis College in a language program that graduated 27 certified Ute language teachers. Complete information about the exhibit and the museum is available at cspm.org.
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GARFIELD COUNTY IMPLEMENTS STAGE 2 FIRE RESTRICTIONS
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Garfield County Emergency Management issued a release stating, "The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, BLM lands in Garfield County, and the seven fire districts in Garfield County are implementing Stage 2 Fire Restrictions effective at 12:01 a.m. Thursday July 17, 2025. This applies to all of Garfield County."
Under Stage 2 restrictions:
- Fireworks are not permitted
- No burn permits will be issued, and all previously issued burn permits are cancelled
- No recreational fires are permitted
- There are other restrictions on the use of cooking equipment, smoking and welding equipment depending upon the areas where they are in use.
Complete information is available at garfieldcounty.net.
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FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN 20 YEARS, THE NBA LOOKS AT EXPANSION
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At a news conference Tuesday, Adam Silver, commissioner of the National Basketball Association, said the NBA’s board of governors, which includes one representative from each of the NBA’s 30 teams, directed the league office to conduct, “an in-depth analysis of all the issues around expansion both economic and non-economic.” The official start to expand the league is the first expansion for the NBA since 2004 when the franchise in Charlotte, North Carolina, now called the Hornets, began playing. While there is no timeline nor indication where the league will expand, Las Vegas and Seattle are considered to be the favorite cities for expansion.
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EUROPEAN COUNTRIES HAVE THEIR OWN PROBLEMS WITH BORDER CONTROL
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Some 40 years ago, the countries of the European Union began establishing agreements that allowed citizens of one country to cross into another without having to clear border security. However, those pacts allow countries to temporarily reimpose border controls “as a last resort” in the event of a serious threat to national security or public policy. Two years ago, Germany began patrolling its border with Poland, as German leaders were seeking to turn away asylum seekers who entered Europe somewhere outside Germany. Now, in addition to Germany and Poland, Austria, France, Italy and the Netherlands have all cited immigration concerns and reinstated border checks this year. This week, Germany will convene a summit with ministers from Poland, France and elsewhere to discuss plans for stricter migration policies.
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ARE THE FRENCH ALWAYS ON HOLIDAY?
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The popular image holds that France has more national holidays than any other country in the world. In part, the image is supported by the strong tradition of worker protests, meaning any challenges to work hours, holidays, etc. face strong opposition. That is what French Prime Minister François Bayrou is facing right now, as on Tuesday he proposed cutting two holidays, Easter Monday and May 8, which celebrates Victory in Europe (May 8, 1945). However, for all the belief in the abundance of French holidays, in actuality, the French actually have fewer national holidays than the European average. France has 11, like Germany, the Netherlands and the U.S. Slovakia has the most, with 15, and England, Wales, and the Netherlands have the fewest, with 8.
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SUMMER IS HERE AND SO IS THE METEOR SHOW
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After a few months without any notable meteor showers, two get underway this week. The Perseid and Delta Aquariid meteor showers begin on Thursday, July 17 and Friday, July 18, respectively, with dozens of shooting stars possible when they peak later this month and in August.
- The best-known and most popular annual meteor shower, the Perseids, are active from July 17 through Aug. 23, peaking overnight on Aug 12-13.
- Active between July 18 and Aug. 12, the Southern delta Aquariids will peak overnight on July 28-29, just hours after a close conjunction between a crescent moon and Mars in the post-sunset night sky.
- Although there is a peak night when about 25 shooting stars per hour is expected, the Southern delta Aquariids have a broad peak, so heightened rates can be seen for three or four nights on either side of the peak night, according to the American Meteor Society. Southern delta Aquariids are known to be faint.
- The alpha Capricornids meteor shower is also currently live, having begun on July 12. It's a minor meteor shower with only about five shooting stars per hour during its peak night on July 29-30, though bright "fireballs" are common.
- The Perseids are the best-known and most visible of the meteor shows. This year, the Perseids will be reduced by about 75 percent, according to the American Meteor Society, because the full moon comes on Aug. 9. That means there will be a lot of moonlight during the peak of the Perseids. That means the best time to view the Perseids will be later this month or in mid-August when skies are darker, although the meteor rates will be below the 50-75 that are visible on the peak night.
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MOST LIVEABLE CITIES IN THE WORLD, 2025
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For more than 20 years, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has been publishing its Global Liveability Index. EIU’s liveability index ranks 173 cities based on more than 30 indicators across five categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.
The Most Liveable Cities, 2025:
- 1. Copenhagen, Denmark
- 2. Vienna, Austria (tie)
- 2. Zurich, Switzerland (tie)
- 4. Melbourne, Australia
- 5. Geneva, Switzerland
- 6. Sydney, Australia
- 7. Osaka, Japan (tie)
- 7. Auckland, New Zealand (tie)
- 9. Adelaide, Australia
- 10. Vancouver, Canada
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MARKET UPDATE - 07/16/2025 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 07/10/2025)
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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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