First Impressions of Colorado

My first few hours in Colorado have been rather uneventful. . a nice way to ease into a working weekend that begins in earnest tomorrow.

It's hard to believe it's been 10 years since the new DIA-- Denver International Airport opened. I vividly remember writing multiple updates on the FAILED baggage system at DIA in 1995.

Coming into the airport today-- on a DIRECT flight from Atlanta, I was relieved to pick up my bag without incident.

The shuttle ride from DIA to Greeley (about an hour's drive north) took nearly 90 minutes as there were TWO LEGS to the trip. The shuttle ride required me to transfer to second van in Loveland, Colorado. Along the way, I got a chance to see some of the commercial ventures from the WEST that we don't have (or used to have)" back East."

Besides, the Western U.S. version of Hardees-- called Carl's Jr, there are others..

The first of these is the SEARS GRAND store, which is the retailer's answer to the Wal-Mart SuperCenter and the Super-Target. We didn't stop at the store just northeast of the airport. But, it's been reported that the Sears Grand concept started here in the Western U.S. with the first store opening in Salt Lake City.

Another blast from the past--- Safeway Supermarkets (which used to operate in my home state of Virginia and in Washington, DC) STILL operate here in Colorado. It was great to see the old Safeway.

The big story here today is the aftermath of several referenda on the ballot across the state--one of which legalized marijuana in city of Denver. Police say since most arrests are made under state law, don't expect much to change. Still, the Denver vote is NATIONAL news as it joins Oakland, Calif. and Seattle, which also took votes on this issue.

The Post, which publishes a PM edition of the paper on its website, focuses on what Colorado legislators are doing. What a delight to come to a two-newspaper town (at least for now) as the Scripps (which recently shutdown its afternoon paper in Birmingham) publishes The Rocky Mountain News.

The Rocky Mountain News today reports that the weather guy at CBS affiliate, KCNC, is retired to guess where? Alabama. How's that for a connection back home.