News photos gallery
House of Cards Part 3: Holding a losing hand
Taylor Coe, left, and Jamie Waugh build sandwiches at Backcountry Provisions in downtown Steamboat Springs. Store owner Peter Boniface said the downturn in the economy has led to fewer available jobs, which has in turn helped him keep the same staff together for more than a year, far longer than he was able to when jobs were plentiful in the area.
Narciso Silva Hernandez chisels on a stone down while building a limestone walkway behind a house in the Stonewood neighborhood in Steamboat Springs.
Lence Tirco works laying stone behind a Stonewood neighborhood house in Steamboat Springs.
Michael Buccino, owner of Steamboat Interiors, explains how he saved thousands of dollars and likely his business by drastically scaling back the scale of his operation. In its heyday several years ago, he opened Cabin Collections to sell high-end furniture from an east Steamboat Springs storefront. He eventually closed the business, though its sign still hangs in his scaled-back warehouse.
Michael Buccino, owner of Steamboat Interiors, looks over the showroom of his west Steamboat location. To deal with the economic recession Buccino sold part of his store and rented another part out, crunching his operation into about a third the square feet it occupied several years ago. The showroom now splits duty as an office for his two employees.
Michael Buccino, owner of Steamboat Interiors, explains how he saved thousands of dollars and likely his business by drastically scaling back the scale of his operation. In its heyday several years ago, he opened Cabin Collections to sell high-end furniture from an east Steamboat Springs storefront. He eventually closed the business, though its sign still hangs in his scaled-back warehouse.
Michael Buccino, owner of Steamboat Interiors, looks over the showroom of his west Steamboat location. To deal with the economic recession Buccino sold part of his store and rented another part out, crunching his operation into about a third the square feet it occupied several years ago. The showroom now splits duty as an office for his two employees.
Sun comes in through the large windows at the front of Black Mountain Tavern in Oak Creek on a slow afternoon in July. Doug Diamond sold the restaurant on Aug. 1, citing the poor economy.
Rick Lobato stands with the real estate sign in front of his downtown Steamboat Springs home. Lobato moved to Steamboat in 2006 and started Chaparral Construction. Three years later, he said business has dried up. He's trying to sell his home and for the first time in his life, he's relying on unemployment pay.
Brett Bowker, of Johnson Excavation, checks the depth of a hole late last month. Bowker said he was originally one of 40 employees working for the Steamboat Springs company, but was one of just 10 to survive layoffs amid the economic recession.
Chad Johnson and Brett Bowker, both of Johnson Excavation, discuss the best way to get a collection of large boulders from the bottom of a hole they dug on a job off Clubhouse Drive in Steamboat Springs. The company has had to drastically scale back its operation in recent months, cutting to 10 employees from 40.
