Business

The new Moore Lumber and Ace Hardware store in Pine Junction is about to celebrate its grand opening.

The store will open its doors at 8 a.m. Saturday, and grand-opening festivities will get started at 10 a.m. with a ribbon “cutting” ceremony — owners Bill Moore and his son Erin will use a chainsaw to cut a board shaped like a ribbon.

Customers of the Intermountain Rural Electric Association will see higher rates starting with their February bills.

The rate increase, which was scheduled to be approved at the IREA board’s Feb. 5 meeting, comes after several years without increases and is an effort by the cooperative to compensate for increases in wholesale power and transmission costs. 

“It’ll go into effect on the next rotation (of bills),” said IREA spokesman Bill Schroeder.

In some ways, the Oct. 3 presidential debate at the University of Denver broke little new ground. 

President Barack Obama criticized former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for supporting policies that “skew toward the rich” and for planning a $5 trillion tax cut. The Republican challenger countered by saying that Obama’s vision of bigger government and higher taxes will inhibit economic growth.

The economy and the climate for Jeffco businesses were discussed by 11 political hopefuls from across the county last Friday morning at a candidates forum sponsored by the Jefferson County Economic Development Corp.

The forum, at the Holiday Inn at Wadsworth Boulevard and U.S. 285, was attended by about 50 people. 

As might be expected, the discussion focused largely on what the candidates have accomplished in the business world and how much they are committed to improving conditions in the business sector.