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Colorado - Tue. 12/16/25 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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XCEL MAY SHUT OFF POWER TO UP TO 500,000 COLORADO CUSTOMERS AMID DRY, WINDY WEATHER
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As many as 500,000 customers along the Front Range may lose power this week as strong winds and critical wildfire conditions hit the state, Xcel Energy warned Monday. Strong winds will blow across Colorado starting Wednesday afternoon and may prompt a “targeted public safety power shutoff” to reduce wildfire risks beginning around noon, according to an Xcel alert. The shutoffs could impact the following counties: Adams (approximately 127,000 customers), Arapahoe (2,000), Boulder (102,000), Broomfield (26,000), Denver (9,000), Douglas (800), Jefferson (155,000), Larimer (22,000) and Weld counties (87,000), according to estimates posted on Xcel’s outage map Monday afternoon. Fire danger will be elevated because of warm, dry weather over the last several weeks. Xcel customers can monitor current outages online and report outages from their accounts. Customers may also report an outage by texting "OUT" to 98936 or "STAT" to check the status of an outage.
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BOULDER'S ST. JULIEN LISTED AS ONE OF THE BEST SPAS BY ELLE MAGAZINE
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Elle Magazine has released its 2025 best spas awards, a curated and highly editorial list of 42 spas from around the world. The roundup included sweeping retreats in Hawaii, Tokyo, Las Vegas — and one Boulder favorite tucked at the base of the Flatirons. The Spa at St. Julien is one of two Colorado spas to make the cut. The Spa at The Little Nell in Aspen is also on the list. The editorial team at Elle evaluated hundreds of spas across the globe using four criteria: atmosphere, integration of local offerings, design and overall experience. The Elle write-up describes The Spa at St. Julien as a sweet spot for “hippies with a taste for luxury,” highlighting the spa’s Alpine Arnica massage, which incorporates local arnica oil and add-ons like warm Himalayan salt stones and foot scrubs. Guests are encouraged to relax afterward on the outdoor terrace, cocktail in hand, with a clear view of the Flatirons.
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DENVER DINING HOTSPOTS LAND ON ESQUIRE'S BEST NEW RESTAURANTS LIST
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Two Denver dining hotspots owned by a pair of Denver's most award-winning chefs have earned spots on Esquire's list of the best new restaurants of 2025. Michelin-starred chefs Johnny Curiel and Toshi Kizaki have both added another notch to their belt after Curiel's Alteño and Kizaki's Kizaki were named as two of the year's best debuts nationwide. Esquire recognized 33 restaurants on its list. Alteño, at 249 Clayton St., in the Cherry Creek neighborhood, opened in March. In the nine months since debuting, the restaurant has already been recognized as one of the 100 best restaurants in the country and landed a Michelin recommendation. Curiel’s other restaurants, which include the Michelin-starred Alma Fonda Fina and Mezcaleria Alma, have also received recognition.
Kizaki’s newest venture opened in April and has attracted its share of national recognition, including its first Michelin Star and being named to OpenTable’s top 100 restaurants in the nation. Esquire reporter Jeff Gordinier described the restaurant's chef-driven omakase menus as some of the “most generous” and “labor-intensive” meals he’s ever had, adding that the soups alone can make a customer close their eyes “in a silent prayer.” Chef Kizaki, who the Colorado Michelin Guide called a “veritable trailblazer” of Denver's sushi scene, has been building a dining empire in the Mile High City since he opened Sushi Den on South Pearl Street in 1984.
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COLORADO LAKE NAMED AMONG BEST PLACES FOR ICE FISHING IN U.S.
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Once winter finally sets in, it will be ice fishing season. Coloradans looking for one of the country’s best fishing spots need to look no further than the mountains along the Front Range — more specifically Lake Granby. That’s according to FishingBooker, a website that connects anglers with guiding companies and excursions across the U.S. The site recently ranked its top 10 ice fishing destinations, in no particular order, and Lake Granby was the sole Colorado locale to make the list. Located at nearly 8,300 feet in elevation, Lake Granby offers alpine serenity as well as plenty of lake trout and kokanee salmon to make your fishing excursion both peaceful and invigorating, FishingBooker said. Lake Granby was featured on the list, alongside Green Bay in Wisconsin and Flathead Lake in Montana.
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OLD SNOWMASS MONASTERY ANNOUNCES DATE OF LAST MASS
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The monks of St. Benedict’s Monastery in Old Snowmass have spent nearly seventy years building a contemplative community rooted in prayer, work and a deep connection to the Capitol Creek Valley. Since the 1950s, generations of monks have tended the hayfields, hillsides and forests surrounding their chapel and cloisters, believing they would live out their lives in this quiet mountain setting. Many who shaped the monastery’s spiritual identity, including Fathers Thomas Keating and Joseph Boyle, now rest on the hillside above it. As the community’s numbers have dwindled, Father Damian Carr announced that the final Mass at St. Benedict’s will be held on Jan. 11, followed by a reception honoring the remaining monks and their decades of service.
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ROICE-HURST HOSTING SPANISH INTERPRETER EVENT THIS WEEKEND, THEN MONTHLY
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Roice-Hurst Humane Society plans to hold an event it has dubbed “Spanish Saturday” on Dec. 20 from noon to 4 p.m. at its animal shelter at 362 28 Road, where organizers say they hope to repeat the program on the third Saturday of each month moving forward. It’s part of an effort to increase adoptions at the no-kill, nonprofit animal shelter in Grand Junction. Roice-Hurst plans not only to have an onsite, volunteer translator for the events, but will also make its various adoption materials, paperwork and brochures available in Spanish. Roice-Hurst Humane Society CEO Zebulon Miracle said, “Our goal is to make pet adoption accessible to everyone, and we saw this partnership with Best Friends Animal Society as an excellent opportunity to improve how we serve our Spanish-speaking community here in the Grand Valley.”
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COLORADO'S UNCLE JOEY, GLOBAL MTN. BIKING AMBASSADOR, IN THE HALL OF FAME
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Colorado trail builder Joey “Uncle Joey” Klein, a longtime force in the mountain biking world, was inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame after more than 26 years with the International Mountain Bicycling Association. Klein, who began as a ski bum at Arapahoe Basin and discovered mountain biking during the sport’s late‑1980s boom, went on to design and build trails across 14 countries and 45 states. Colleagues describe him as a visionary educator whose influence extends from high‑alpine projects in Colorado to major systems in Alabama and Arkansas, with many crediting him for shaping modern sustainable trail design.
Klein’s career grew from early work at Keystone Resort and racing feats like Montezuma’s Revenge to decades spent traveling the world teaching drainage, tread, and collaborative planning. Mentors became peers, and former students now cite him as a defining influence. Known for prioritizing land‑manager concerns and fostering cooperation, Klein is celebrated for his humility, creativity, and relentless enthusiasm. Friends and colleagues recall him as part artist, part mad scientist, and always focused on the joy of seeing riders smile on a well‑built trail.
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POLIS NAMES J.B. HOLSTON AS NEW HIGHER EDUCATION DIRECTOR
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Gov. Jared Polis appointed J.B. Holston as the next executive director of the Colorado Dept. of Higher Education, succeeding Angie Paccione, who departs Jan. 9 after nearly seven years. Holston, who began shadowing Paccione on Dec. 15, brings experience spanning academia, business and civic leadership, including serving as dean of the University of Denver’s engineering and computer science school and developing the TechHubsNow! initiative that helped Colorado become a federal Regional Innovation Hub finalist. Polis said Holston’s background positions him to better connect higher education with workforce needs. The announcement follows a new report recommending the consolidation of higher‑education and workforce development functions under one agency, with lawmakers planning related legislation for the 2026 session.
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MUSEUM AT DINOSAUR JUNCTION HOSTS WINOS & DINOS FUNDRAISER
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The Museum at Dinosaur Junction in Edwards will host its Winos & Dinos fundraiser on Wednesday, Dec. 17, from 6 to 8 p.m., featuring seventeen Italian wines from Terra Madre Wine Imports, appetizers from Mountain Fish House, live music and complimentary caricatures. All wines were donated, and bottles can be ordered at the event, with proceeds from ticket sales and auction items supporting the museum’s work. Executive director Billy Doran says the evening highlights recent discoveries, including 230‑million‑year‑old footprints, while giving guests a chance to explore exhibits spanning the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. A silent auction will offer lodging, gift cards, a fly‑fishing trip and a family adventure package, with tickets available at the museum, at Riverwalk Wine & Spirits or online at DinosaurJunction.org.
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STEAMBOAT BILLIONAIRE BUYS LUXURY APARTMENTS & SLASHES RENTS FOR LOCAL WORKERS
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Billionaire investor Mark Stevens, through 970 Steamboat LLC, bought the 104‑unit Riverview Apartments in downtown Steamboat Springs for $95.3 million and immediately offered deeply discounted rents to local workers, with studios at $925, two‑bedrooms at $1,600 and three‑bedrooms at $2,125. The buildings were originally developed as luxury units, but Stevens — who has a history of philanthropy and investment in the community — shifted them to workforce housing with no income qualifications beyond working 30 hours a week in the valley. More than 100 residents have already moved in, and local officials say the acquisition offers a rare fast‑track solution in a region where housing projects often take a decade. The move comes as mountain towns struggle with soaring prices, limited supply, and voter resistance to large‑scale developments like the rejected Brown Ranch.
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STEAMBOAT RESORT HOSTS FREE MOBILE FOOD PANTRY
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Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. is partnering with several local organizations to host a drive-through, pop-up mobile pantry for Yampa Valley residents from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, in the Meadows parking lot. The free food pantry will offer bags filled with holiday meal staples. Each bag will include an assortment of seasonal food items, including breakfast, lunch and holiday dinner offerings. All community members are welcome. Guests arriving by car will be greeted by a volunteer who will check them in, then proceed through the drive-through line to receive the bag directly in the car. During the 2024-25 season, SSRC and Food Bank of the Rockies hosted three mobile pantries, serving 726 individuals and distributing 14,579 pounds of shelf-stable and fresh food, according to a news release. The goal for the Friday mobile food pantry is to provide holiday meals for 300 households in the Yampa Valley.
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WINTER BIRDS IN COLORADO’S HIGH COUNTRY ARE BUILT FOR SURVIVAL
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Colorado’s high‑elevation resident birds endure brutal winters through remarkable adaptations, according to Mary Harris of the Roaring Fork Audubon. Species like the white‑tailed ptarmigan turn fully white, dig snow caves for shelter and grow feathered “snowshoes” on their feet to walk atop drifts. Steller’s jays cache nuts and seeds in summer and rely on sharp spatial memory to retrieve them months later, while seeking dense conifer roosts for warmth. Clark’s nutcrackers bury up to 100,000 seeds—often at the perfect depth for germination—and their survival is tied to the threatened whitebark pine. Tiny mountain chickadees stash as many as 80,000 seeds and experience seasonal hippocampus growth that boosts memory. Golden‑crowned kinglets, weighing about two pennies, huddle in tree cavities and maintain body temperatures up to 111 degrees Fahrenheit to survive frigid nights.
Harris warns that global bird populations have declined sharply due to habitat loss and climate change and urges residents to protect birds by keeping cats indoors, maintaining clean feeders and supporting habitat conservation.
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HIGH COST OF GOODS CAUSING CONSUMERS TO SPEND LESS FOR THE HOLIDAYS
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Inflation looks to be sapping some of Americans’ holiday cheer as they head out to buy gifts this Christmas season, according to the CNBC All-America Economic Survey. The survey found the high cost of goods has emerged as a major factor affecting how much shoppers spend and where they spend, suggesting inflation of the past several years and the rise in import goods prices from tariffs are being felt at the checkout counter. The survey of 1,000 people nationwide found that the high cost of goods is the top reason Americans are spending less and, in a first for the survey, the main reason they are spending more.
- Among those spending less, 46 percent say it’s because of the high cost of goods, a 10-point increase from the 2024 survey.
- Even more striking, 36 percent of those spending more say it’s because of high prices, an 11-point increase from last year. The past six years, most Americans said they spent more because they were earning more and the economy was in good shape; they tended to spend less because they earned less or felt the economy was weak.
- Almost 70 percent say that prices are higher now, and it’s affecting people both who are spending more and who are spending less in a much bigger way than it ever has.
- Sixty-one percent reported they believe prices are rising faster than their incomes, including 74 percent of those with incomes between $30,000 and $50,000 and 78 percent of those earning $30,000 or less.
- Overall, 41 percent of Americans plan to spend less this year, with 42 percent saying they will spend about the same and 16 percent saying they will spend more. Americans generally say they will spend less each year, but this year’s number is 6 points higher than a year ago, for the biggest gain since the inflation surge in 2022.
- Americans plan to spend on average $1,016 this year on holiday gifts, about flat with last year. But the figure is $1,199 among those Americans who are actually buying gifts, for a decent 3.9 percent increase over 2024.
- The survey found 60 percent of the public is pessimistic about the current state of the economy and pessimistic about the outlook, the highest level since December 2023. The percentage who are optimistic now and about the future ticked down by three points.
- The survey found that when Americans were asked where they are shopping or are planning to shop for the holidays, there was a 9-percentage point increase in Americans saying online retailers, a 3-point gain in those indicating big-box stores such as Walmart and Best Buy, and a 6-point gain in those saying wholesale retail outlets.
- Fifty-seven percent say they have at least some debt going into the holiday shopping season, up 11 points from last year. There was a five-point gain among those who say they have a lot of debt.
- Among the age groups with the biggest change: 18–34-year-olds, which could reflect a change in the status of their student debt payment.
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MARKET UPDATE - 12/15/2025 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 12/11/2025)
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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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