National Trails Day-June 6th

Every year the first Saturday of June is designated National Trails Day (NTD) in the United States. In 1987, a report to President Ronald Reagan recommended that all Americans be able to go out their front doors and within fifteen minutes, be on trails that wind through their cities or towns and bring them back without retracing steps. The recommendation became known as Trails for All Americans and led the American Hiking Society and it's members to create NTD in 1993.



Throughout the country events are planned to raise awareness of local trails and generally getting outside. Some events are like the Friends of Dinosaur Ridge event include hiking, or biking. Others like the Arvada Trails Celebration are just for fun, though Arvada's event does include a 5K walk and a 20-mile bicycle ride. Events like REI Lakewood's National Trails Day on Green Mountain involve organized trail work. Trail work events typically require registration.

To find events around Colorado check out the American Hiking Society website.

Tolls Increase on E-470

photo by Rockymountainroads

It's a simple matter of supply and demand. Traffic on E-470 still isn't what was hoped for and that's driving prices up. That and maintenance, of course. Still, it's the first time in 3 years that the toll has increased.





On January 1st the standard fee on the mainline plazas will increase by $.50 and ramp tolls will increase by $.25. However, for those of with transponders will get a bit of a break at a $.25 discount on mainline plazas, and $.10 discount on ramps. This discount won't hold forever though. The authority governing the toll road is doing away with human toll takers and switching to all electronic systems beginning July4, 2009. At that time cash payments will no longer be accepted.

I'm Sorry that Information is Public.

Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time there was a guy called Pete. One day Pete wanted to drive a car, so he went to the DMV and got a license. Another day Pete wanted to get married so he went to the courthouse and got a license. Then Pete and his bride moved. They went to the Post Office and changed their address. A while later Pete wanted a house. So he took out a mortgage and signed his name to a bunch of papers.

Suddenly Pete started getting lots of mail offers for things like credit cards. He expected that so while he found them annoying, they were fun to put through the shredder. Then Pete started getting offers for refinancing his mortgage and for home equity loans. "Hey," thought Pete, "how do these companies know that I have mortgage? Oooooh I bet that lousy credit union told them! Can't they keep my business private."

Feeling quite betrayed by his favorite credit union, Pete picked up the phone to find out what was going on. But when he talked to the nice people at the credit union they didn't know what he was talking about. Pete was confused. How could this happen?

It's simple. All those things that Pete did in the first paragraph, that we all do because we're supposed to.... Well, they all triggered action in his "Public Record". And anybody who wants to pay a fee can access that information. Solicitors are required to put a little tiny often lightly colored phrase that lets you know that "information was obtained via public record". Don't quote me on the specifics of how they have to word or present this, but you get the idea.

Every state has different laws about public records. In Colorado driver's information actually can't be disclosed. But some states actively sell their driver's license information.

For Pete's sake can't this be stopped??? Sure, stop direct mail solicitations by visiting the Direct Marketing Association's opt-out website.

A Child's Reaction to the Tornadoes

by guest blogger, Lauren Davison, VP of Member Services

My daughter came home from school the other night more than a little fretful about the tornadoes that caused so much damage in Weld County. Apparently, many of her schoolmates had spent the afternoon talking about the homes that had been destroyed, and it was more than her six-year-old mind could process. So she spent much of the evening asking my husband and me lots and lots of questions. She wanted to know what our plan was if we were ever in a tornado, where we would go, what would happen to our house, and of course, what would happen to her toys. As we tried to allay her concerns and reassure her that all was well, she again asked my husband what would happen if our home was damaged in a tornado. He patiently explained to her that our family has insurance to help in situations like this, and that we would likely buy a new home to live in. At this, she looked at both of us and said, “But Dad, I thought you and Mom were trying to pay stuff off?”

Please understand that my husband and I don’t typically have financial discussions in front of our kids, and yet my daughter had somehow picked up on the fact that we are indeed focusing a lot of energy on achieving a debt-free life. With this simple question from my daughter, I was reminded yet again that children learn most of what they know about money from their parents. All of our financial actions - how we talk about money, spend money, save money – it all sets the stage for the financial decisions our children will make as they grow. And so I find myself questioning, yet again, the financial “messages” I am sending to my children, intentionally or otherwise. Every time I use my debit card to pay for groceries, every time I pay more than the scheduled amount on our student loans, every time I complain about the price of gasoline, and yes, every time I stop at Starbucks for a latte, what are my children learning from me?

I think it’s time to dig out my copy of Raising Financially Fit Kids and start reading again.

Don’t like the Housing Outlook? Move Over a Few Miles.

USA Today reports that Green Ranch near DIA is looking like ghost town as for the foreclosure plague moves in. But while the tumble weed may be blowing in the prairie it’s not indicative of the rest of the metropolis. We all know that Colorado, particularly the Front Range, is comprised of a multitude of micro-climates. Well, same goes for the housing market. And so, we seem to fit right into whatever media headline needs to be written.

Need a doom and gloom story? Just last week Forbes included Denver among the “riskiest housing markets”, but with a caveat…

Other spots, Denver, for example, exhibit negative characteristics like foreclosures, lending problems and vacancies, but are adding jobs, a sign that the local economy can better handle these difficulties.

And for a good time…Earlier this year Forbes nominated Douglas County as No. 5 in America’s Richest Counties.

And my point is? Denver seems to reflect what’s happening through the country. While some pockets continue to prosper others fail.

Let's hope that like most storms in Colorado this one passes quickly with beautiful times ahead. It’s a sweet time for investors and new buyers and sad for those who bought into bad loans.

photo by artbabee