It’s time for another roundup column. For those unfamiliar with the tricks of the newspaper trade, a roundup column stitches together what are often disparate scraps of information into something of a crazy quilt that just so happens to cover a vacant space. What a coincidence.

I like to assemble roundup columns from time to time to share shorter snippets as well as the stuff that might not otherwise see the light of publication. Stuff that’s interesting, but maybe not as newsworthy as other stories. I’ll also let you in on a secret: Roundups afford a speedy way to complete a column when production deadlines loom like the blade of a guillotine about to fall.

Here goes.

I was delighted to cover an event celebrating congressional recognition for the Business Incubator Center in Grand Junction. U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, whose 3rd District covers Western Colorado, returned to the center to praise the programs and services offered there. I’ve reported on the Business Incubator Center for nearly 25 years, yet remain impressed anew with the resources the center offers entrepreneurs and businesses. The list includes free and low-cost classes and counseling, low-cost space and shared services and access to financing. The center offers a one-stop shop for those interested in starting or growing a business. I can’t recommend the operation highly enough.

I’m perplexed any time I read or hear about the perceptions of businesses as the machinations of robber barons out to bilk the populace. In my long tenure as the editor of a business journal who’s interviewed thousands of business owners and managers, I’ve yet to encounter anyone with that mindset. Just the opposite is more often true. Owners and managers are eager to give back, whether that’s donating prizes for benefit drawings, sponsoring sports teams or awarding scholarships. Here’s a notable case in point. In celebrating 50 years in business, Alpine Bank instructed each of its 853 employees to direct a $500 gift to an eligible nonprofit organization in Colorado. Do the math, and the total contribution came to $426,500. That’s in addition to the more than $55 million in grants, scholarships, sponsorships and other donations Alpine Bank has provided since 1973.

I’ve heard a lot in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic about the evolution of the workforce, in particular what’s become something of a controversy over whether employees should return to work or continue working remotely. While some employees were eager to get back to the office and the camaraderie of their co-workers, others not so much. Like so many other issues in business and human resource management, I suppose the solution depends. Not only on the individual operation, but also the individual employee. All this brings to mind a news release I received about the results of a survey of 3,000 remote employees. Most said they were reluctant to give up the flexibility to which they’ve grown accustomed. They’d consider it, however, in exchange for a lump sum payment. How much, you ask? Remote workers in Colorado said they’d need an average of $15,907 to return to their pre-pandemic places of work.