Tuesday, January 10, 2006
BLM: MORE HERBICIDE INPUT
The Bureau of Land Management has extended the public comment period for a proposed herbicide spraying program to Feb. 10, which was originally scheduled to close yesterday. The program is part of a larger national plan to treat and manage vegetation on BLM lands and stipulates the use of chemical herbicides on 932,000 acres in 17 Western states. Information is available at www.blm.gov.
-Aspen Times, 01.10.06

FEST HONORS HAWN, BURROWS
Organizers of the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival announced Wednesday it will award actress Goldie Hawn with the 2006 AFI Star Award for excellence in film and television, and director James Burrows with the USCAF Career Tribute. The festival, now in its 12th year, will be held in Aspen March 8-12.
-Aspen Daily News, 01.10.06

WINTER FIRE BAN
Eight inches of snow blanketed Aguilar Monday, helping extinguish the wildfire that scorched some 5,000 acres, and Gov. Bill Owens issued an unprecedented wintertime open-fire ban, covering all open burning on state-owned land below 8,000 feet.
-Rocky Mountain News, 01.10.06

BOOSTING BIODIESEL
Colorado’s largest maker of biodiesel, Denver-based BioEnergy of Colorado, is acquiring a new $1 million facility near the National Western Stock Show complex that will increase its capacity by 50%.
-Denver Post, 01.10.06

DIA: STILL ON RECORD PACE
A total of 3.36 million passengers passed through Denver International Airport in November, a record for the month and the tenth monthly record in 2005. For the first 11 months of 2005, 39.8 million passengers were recorded at DIA, on pace to break the airport’s busiest year, 2004, of 43.2 million passengers.
-Rocky Mountain News, 01.10.06

CATTLE FIRM: NEW HEADQUARTERS
Five Rivers Ranch Cattle Feeding Co., which claims to be the world’s largest cattle feeding company, will move its headquarters to the Centerra development in Loveland. Five Rivers has a total of 10 feed lots in Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Idaho and Kansas.
-Rocky Mountain News, 01.10.06

DOW AT 11000
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed Monday at 11011.90, the first time the Dow closed over 11000 since June 2001, and the 20th time it has closed over 11000.
-USA Today, 01.10.06

INTERNET.BIZ
This year’s Denver International Sportsmen’s Exposition will be Jan. 26-29, and is the largest outdoor show in the Rocky Mountain region, with 700 exhibitors. More information at www.sportsexpos.com/index.cfm.

COUNTY: $24K WRITE-OFF
Mesa County commissioners Monday wrote off $24,657 in personal property taxes that the county determined it cannot collect. County personnel had attempted to collect the taxes and negotiated with bankrupt businesses and banks. Mesa County collects $90 million in real estate taxes annually, but only $4 million is personal property tax.
-GJ Daily Sentinel, 01.10.06

TOYS “R” GONE
The Grand Junction Toys “R” Us store, which has been located near Mesa Mall for 13 years, is closing sometime this spring, following a liquidation sale. The Grand Junction location’s closing is part of 73 store closings, including stores in Littleton and Pueblo. The retail chain will still have five locations in the state and 587 nationwide.
-GJ Daily Sentinel, 01.10.06

HELP WANTED IN TELLURIDE
The town of Telluride has job openings: the town attorney, the chief marshal, and the town manager. The town manager, Jay Harrington, will not leave his post until June 1, which will allow him to appoint a new chief marshal. The town attorney’s position will be filled by Sanda Stuller on an interim basis; she had previously held the post. The town council is responsible for hiring a new town manager.
-Telluride Daily Planet, 01.10.06

RODEO IN JANUARY
The final event of the All Indian Rodeo Cowboy’s Association Xtreme Native Tour Rodeo was held in Cortez over the weekend. The AIRCA regular season began in April 2005 and had 25 rodeos before the season ended in October. The XNT rodeo season then started, with 11 rodeos before the Cortez final. The AIRCA is in its 48th season, making it the oldest recognized Indian rodeo association in the country.
-Cortez Journal, 01.10.06

BOMB SCARE IN EAGLE
A bomb threat phoned into the Eagle County Court House Monday forced the evacuation of courthouse, offices, the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office and the county jail. Bomb-sniffing dogs were brought in from Aspen and Jefferson County. The county complex did not re-open until 7 p.m.
-Vail Daily, 01.09.06

APRÈS SKI FOR THE MIND
On January 20, the Aspen Writers’ Foundation, celebrating its 30th year as Colorado’s oldest nonprofit literary organization, launches its 2006 Winter Words series of readings and talks with notable authors. The 9th annual season, billed as “Après Ski for the Mind,” features literary wonders Frank McCourt, Ann Patchett, James Patterson, Kent Haruf, Charles C. Mann and Lorraine Adams in appearances in Aspen through March 18. Subscriptions and tickets are available at the Wheeler Opera House, 970-920-5770. Discounted tickets for members, educators and students are available only through the Aspen Writers’ Foundation. More information is available by calling 970-925-3122 or online at www.aspenwriters.org.

AVOID THE ADS
It is estimated 8 out of 10 digital video recorders bought their DVRs to avoid ads on television:
-$60 billion: the amount advertisers will spend this year on TV ads;
-79% of people skip ads and channel surf during commercial breaks;
-44% of households will have a DVR by 2009
-BusinessWeek, January16, 2006

Posted in Community, Alpine Fax | Trackback | del.icio.us | Top Of Page