In the news

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made it to Denver for an announcement Monday that Vail Resorts and the U.S. Forest Service were each pitching in $750,000 over three years to restore areas devastated by the Hayman fire in 2002. Kind of impressive. But then again, Vilsack does have a son who lives in Colorado. (Vilsack joked that guilt and a promise of a job wasn't enough to get his son back to Iowa. "We've lost him to Colorado forever," Vilsack said.)

The former Iowa governor and Democratic presidential candidate gave plenty of plugs to fellow Democrats. He said freshmen Sens. Bennet and Udall and Rep. Markey, all Colorado Dems, were working hard for their constituents. He even put in a plug for Gov. Bill Ritter, whom the GOP is confident they can push out of office next year. (Ritter has had to make unpopular cuts to shave millions of dollars from the state budget as tax revenues have fallen in the tough economy, and he's angered unions) "There is no harder time to be a governor," Vilsack said. He said you can't singlehandedly turn things around in a state or in a country but that hopefully the stimulus package was making that easier. He said Ritter is focused on job growth. "There are new jobs coming to the state, largely because of his commitment," Vilsack said.

So all in all, it was a green announcement for Vail Resorts (which is paying for its share of the Hayman restoration, by the way, by using the money it once used to buy wind energy credits. It's not going to be buying those anymore) But also a chance for some backscratching in a pep rally for Democrats.

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The Colorado winter wheat harvest is way up this year from last year. Too bad sale prices are way down.

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Have you been listening to the Postmarks' quirky retro cinema pop? It's like every song should be in the opening credits of a James Bond movie. Hear them live at the Hi-Dive this coming Monday, 10/5.

Hello Kavita's CD release show is 10/23 at the Hi-Dive! And get this... They play with Grand Archives at the Larimer Lounge 11/20!

Langhorne Slim will be at the Hi-Dive 10/29

Monolith Festival is here! With Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Rahzel, Dandy Warhols, The Walkmen, OK Go, Method Man & Redman and lots more over two days, 9/12-9/13. Bundle up and bring rain gear today. Looks to be a bit better weather tomorrow. You can still get tickets at Red Rocks ($65 at entrance 2. Bring cash so you don't have to pay a service fee). You can also try Things That Glow before 5 p.m. on 9/12, but there will be a fee.

King Soopers is celebrating the new remodel for its store at 13th and Speer with lots of good deals and samples. We got a gallon of skim milk for 99 cents and T-bone steaks for $4.99 a pound. We also sampled some Boulder Sausage bratwurst, new fruit drinks with real fruit in them, and Caribou Coffee. If you sample the coffee (kind of near the milk area), pick up a coupon for $1 off.

Also this weekend, there's a fun 5K (and 10K) on 9/13 that will have you running on the warning track at Coors Field, across the floor of the Pepsi Center where the Nuggets play, and through Invesco Field at Mile High! The Fans on the Field walk/run raises money for the National Sports Center for the Disabled. There's a bbq at the end. $30 to enter, and enter the code "SUFF09" for $5 off. Although actually it may be too late to register online. Anyway, the money is for a good cause, a fun run and BBQ!

Labor Day in Denver...what to do?

_ Free music and jostling of elbows atTaste of Colorado
_ Sniagrab / Ski Rex for cheap lift tix and passes
_ Pick your own veggies for $15 at Miller Farms in Platteville
_ Rockies host the Reds, 1:10 p.m.
_ The Autumn Film plays the early show ($6) at the Hi-Dive, before Rock Star Karaoke.
_ Down in Pueblo, 3OH3! plays the Colorado State Fair, 8 p.m.

Ski deals ... and other Labor Day weekend stuff

Found some $30 snowboard boots and a $65 helmet (was originally marked at $120) at SkiRex today, at the Colorado Ski & Golf store in Aurora. You have 7 days to return most merchandise, or a month to bring it back for store credit, so you can buy stuff and still return it if you find something better at Sniagrab, which is this weekend at the sports castle. The customers have been camped out _ like with tents and stuff _ since Monday waiting for the sale to start.

Also available at SkiRex (and Sniagrab, I imagine): three days at Eldora for $79 (nontransferrable), four days at Loveland for $109 (that's $10 off). A four-pack to Keystone and A-Basin is $139. Colorado Pass, Summit Pass and Epic Pass also on sale.

"Slumdog Millionaire" playing free tonight, 9/4, 8 p.m. at Auraria campus, between Tivoli and the Plaza.

Taste of Colorado this weekend. Civic Center Park, Denver.

Telluride Film Festival this weekend.

Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Festival with Black Eyed Peas, Drive By Truckers, et al. Playing loose with the term jazz