Mountain West Microbrew & Dirty Soda Fountain: Irrelevant chit chat

[Paniolo Man]

What happens after Utah’s coal-fired power plants close?

Brooke Larsen | High Country News | January 23, 2024

[TakeFive]

NVM then.

[MountainSkyline]

Interesting Article about our train stations




https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/2...ilway-stations

[TakeFive]

Malaise -- a general feeling of discomfort or uneasiness whose exact cause is difficult to identify.

Stockholm syndrome? No, Trump syndrome!

Trump's Trade War Is Redrawing The Battle Lines In Negotiations
April 21, 2025 By Matt Wasielewski, National

Jeff Klotz thought he was being smart when he ordered and paid for roughly $200K worth of countertops from China to stockpile before President Donald Trump’s tariffs went into effect. That was before he received a call from the vendor saying the ongoing trade war had bumped up the price by 20%.

How does this impact the apple cart?

Stable materials pricing has been the most immediate casualty in the White House’s high-stakes global trade war. But the cumulative and lasting effects of the on-again, off-again tariffs — along with their own murky future — stretch beyond the cost of countertops. They are already impacting project timelines, site selection and investment and leasing decisions, locking nearly every aspect of CRE in analysis paralysis.

A Pandemic Flashback

For developers and businesses with projects in progress, the tariff push from the White House is reminiscent of the early days of the pandemic, when supply chain disruptions brought rapid price increases for both raw materials and finished products.

“I've got a stack of letters that are almost identical to the letters I started receiving during the pandemic,” said Klotz, whose businesses own more than 10,000 apartments nationwide and have another 6,100 units under development.

[Fritzdude]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Obviously the construction is an understandable issue. But only recently has the city started to make things a little less onerous for retailers in general. To compensate for City stupidity has been expensive.

I’m fairly pragmatic on local politics since their performance is more graded on filling potholes, hiring cops, and making zoning decisions that improve the quality of life. But, the unfortunate reality is that national politics team devotion has made it down to the local level. Holy crap there’s a lot of bitterness being thrown around and general hate towards Denver whenever you read online articles and the following comments. A lot of people view Denver as mad Max with crime rampant, drug use everywhere, and homeless tents everywhere. They feel like they’re going to be victims if they step foot in the city. Is this the result of the media they watch? They cheer for crime reports and let it validate their feelings about national politics. The current revamp of 16th St. and Colfax has put a kink in the perception of Denver, which I hope will soon be alleviated.

[TakeFive]

Interesting Post

Originally Posted by Fritzdude

I’m fairly pragmatic on local politics since their performance is more graded on filling potholes, hiring cops, and making zoning decisions that improve the quality of life. But, the unfortunate reality is that national politics team devotion has made it down to the local level. Holy crap there’s a lot of bitterness being thrown around and general hate towards Denver whenever you read online articles and the following comments. A lot of people view Denver as mad Max with crime rampant, drug use everywhere, and homeless tents everywhere. They feel like they’re going to be victims if they step foot in the city. Is this the result of the media they watch? They cheer for crime reports and let it validate their feelings about national politics. The current revamp of 16th St. and Colfax has put a kink in the perception of Denver, which I hope will soon be alleviated.

FWIW, my favorite news sources are 1) Bloomberg News and 2) NPR/BBC via radio and for web sites I prefer 3) Axios and 4) AP. While NPR is what I would call liberal-friendly they avoid propaganda; it's a quality product.

The Fox News website crowd does like to highlight crime in blue cities. You just have to ignore all that crap.

I did recently give a ride to a guy from Dallas who asserted he was politically neutral (like me) but he 'knew' about Denver's god-awful homeless problem in downtown. His impression is dated by ~ 3 years. Unfortunately, once you get a bad rep, it takes time to change perceptions.

But just ignore what all the conservative hacks have to say.

[Paniolo Man]

Wildfire is a growing threat to the West’s water systems

Faith Kearns | High Country News |August 19, 2025

[TakeFive]

DOWNTOWN



CEDIA Expo/Commercial Integrator Expo (CIX)

Event Details

Sep 3, 2025 to Sep 6, 2025
Colorado Convention Center

Step into the Future of AV and Smart Technology Integration

CEDIA Expo/Commercial Integrator Expo (CIX) is the premier event where residential and commercial integration meet. Whether you’re looking to source cutting-edge AV solutions or showcase innovative technologies, this is the event where the smart home and Pro AV industries converge.

System integrators, tech managers, designers, architects—and the brands who power their projects—come together to explore next-gen products, immersive demos, and technologies that transform connected spaces.

From smart homes to corporate campuses, hospitality to light commercial spaces, this event is your platform to discover what’s new.

Announcing Keynote Address featuring Emmy-Award Winning TV Host and Producer, Chip Wade

Thursday, September 4, 2025
8:00am – 9:00am
Mile High Ballroom 2

Join a can’t miss keynote from Emmy-winning television host and producer, Georgia Tech engineer, HGTV designer, and third generation craftsman, Chip Wade. His career is dedicated to helping people and business make educated and inspired decisions in the home and lifestyle category.

[TakeFive]

DOWNTOWN

Speaking of Mayor Mike, one last downtown post.

Denver mayor, city councilman show how it’s done on the dance floor
Updated Sep 3, 2025 By Joanne Davidson Special to Colorado Politics -- The Denver Gazette

Their jobs require Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and City Councilman Darrell Watson to approach complex issues affecting the city and its residents with caution. Which may have served them well as they prepared for the 15th "Dancing with the Denver Stars," signature fundraiser for Cleo Parker Robinson Dance

.....

.....
Photos by Steve Peterson / StevePeterson.photo

Johnston, partnered with CPRD pro Caeli Blake for a blazing hot cha-cha, and Watson, who came very close to outdoing pro Melvin Sutton with some crazy hip-hop moves, brought down the house with prolonged standing ovations from the 800-plus who’d gathered at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel for this Aug. 23 event emceed by actor-comedian Shed G.

I'm Big Fan of Mayor Mike.

That's all.

[TakeFive]

Changing the Mood

Industry Leaders Say Colorado Must Upgrade Facilities, Infrastructure To Remain Aerospace Leader
August 25, 2025 By Jonathan Rose, Denver Bisnow

Colorado’s aerospace industry may be booming, but the state’s infrastructure and regulatory hurdles risk slowing its trajectory. That’s according to panelists at Bisnow’s Colorado State of Aerospace event Thursday, who warned that Colorado’s position as the nation’s No. 2 aerospace economy won’t hold without serious investment in flexible, cost-effective facilities and smoother permitting.

“Power is a big deal. Water is a big deal. Hyperconnectivity is a big deal,” Colorado Air and Space Port Director Jeff Kloska said at the event, held at The Inverness Denver.

Not sure how much of an issue this is but let's call it "a concern."

Kloska said the state’s reliance on quality of life as a selling point isn't enough, as other states spend heavily on incentives to attract companies. “These other states are writing zeros on the check — ‘tell me when to stop and you’ll move to my state’ — we need to pay close attention,” Kloska said.

Metro Denver Economic Development Corp. Director Morgan Alu, who moderated the discussion, said states like Texas, Alabama and Florida are building “war chests” to compete with Colorado and attract aerospace and defense companies. Yoder said while Colorado has recruited “great companies,” she questioned “whether we’re going to be able to keep them.”

Aerospace runs from many small to medium-sized shops all the way up to Lockheed Martin.

BTW, recently the state in solving their budget shortfall eliminated a bunch of tax incentives for business; apparently they were the low hanging fruit. Obviously, business incentives weren't on their mind.

[Paniolo Man]

The big data center buildup

An AI server farm tsunami threatens to overwhelm the West’s power grid and water supplies.
Jonathan Thompson | High Country News | November 25, 2025

[Paniolo Man]

Intermountain Power Plant coal-fired units are no longer operating as state government searches for buyers

Alixel Cabrera | December 5, 2025 | Utah News Dispatch

[Paniolo Man]

The coming failure of Glen Canyon Dam

As Colorado River negotiations build toward a Feb. 14 deadline, few are talking about design flaws in the dam that holds back Lake Powell.

Wade Graham | High Country News | February 11, 2026