Friday January 30, 2009 

The business generated by Winter X Games is appearing to be actually better than the original projections.  Although in past years the extreme event packs lodges and hotels throughout the roaring fork valley—-because of the economy the best estimates by local reservations firms was that only about 75 percent of Aspen—and only 70 percent of Snowmass Village would be filled up and as it turns out:  Occupancy in Aspen reached nearly 80 percent and Snowmass at 77 percent! 

The announcement this year that ESPN will continue its partnership with the Aspen Skiing Company to hold the games at Buttermilk  through 2012—-a two year extension—-provides some encouragement for local businesses. 

Read the fine print!  Front Range resident Helen Orr and her husband took advantage of a promotion on their home depot credit card recently for a remodel——the required time to pay back the money expired and within the terms of the deal—-the estimated interest on the remaining loan amount is about 70 percent!!   The family says they hadn’t really paid much attention to the bills—–and now they’re not sure what to do!