Colorado Springs Business Journal (CO) articles from June 2008

Colorado Springs Business Journal (CO) archives from June 2008

Fat chance: Obesity in the workplace.
June 6, 2008... Byline: Amy Gillentine The more people weigh, the less they're worth at work. Workers who are heavier are paid an average of $1.25 less per hour, and overweight women make about 24 percent less than their thinner counterparts. But...

El Paso County crisis 20 years in the making.
June 6, 2008... Byline: John Hazlehurst Next Monday, the El Paso County Board of Commissioners is expected to ratify more than $9 million in budget cuts, constituting a 4 percent reduction in the county's $233 million budget. The commissioners also will...

Buyer beware: Better know the valuation.
June 6, 2008... Byline: Becky Hurley So you decided to buy a 10,000-square-foot, 30-year-old industrial building south of downtown as an investment for $100-per-square-foot, and you financed the deal with 1031 exchange money last November. It looks sharp,...

Commentary: Compelling arguments why anyone can win this November.
June 6, 2008... Byline: John Hazlehurst -----We should, I guess, be flattered that Colorado has been designated by the national-political-pundits-who-know-everything as a swing state. And no, they're not talking about rampant sexuality -- they're talking...

Attorney Eric Drummond keeps plenty of irons in the fire around Manitou Springs.
June 6, 2008... Byline: CSBJ Staff Report It's not every day that a high-powered energy, utility and telecommunications attorney moves his family from a metropolis like Austin to a quaint community like Manitou Springs, but Eric Drummond made that...

Colorado Springs Financial Briefs: June 6, 2008.
June 6, 2008... Byline: Rebecca Tonn Predictions of impending disasters, such as Y2K or recessions, cause investors to make irrational investment choices for which they often suffer severe financial losses. There is a tendency in humans to think the worst...

Colorado Springs Medical Briefs: June 6, 2007.
June 6, 2008... Byline: Amy Gillentine Health insurance premiums in Colorado grew nearly 60 percent between 2000 and 2006, and the cost of coverage is eating away at an increasing share of business expenses and employees' wages. The Colorado Business...

Colorado Springs Real Estate Briefs: June 6, 2008.
June 6, 2008... Byline: Becky Hurley A 16,000-square-foot industrial condominium space in the former Safetran Building at 1485 Garden of the Gods Road has been purchased by JKR Properties LLC for $990,000. But that's only part of the story. Thanks to a...

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: June 6, 2008.
June 6, 2008... Byline: Joan Johnson Merchants can now relax. The House and Senate approved the Credit and Debit Receipt Clarification Act without opposition last month and the president has signed it into law. The act clarifies a provision in the Fair...

Commission changes gaming tax structure.
June 6, 2008... Byline: CSBJ staff Commission changes gaming tax structure The Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission has amended the gaming tax structure for the fiscal year beginning July 1. Casinos making between $4 million and $15 million will pay...

Corporate social responsibility -- profitable, conscionable.
June 6, 2008... Byline: Rebecca Tonn Consumer and supplier pressure have compelled many companies to adopt formal corporate social responsibility programs, but what started as a pricking of conscience has turned into a financial benefit. Seventy-seven...

Colorado approves accountant mobility legislation.
June 6, 2008... Byline: Joan Johnson Colorado has joined a league of at least 25 states that allow accountants to practice inside their borders even if they do not hold licenses to practice within that state. The CPA mobility legislation was enacted when...

Successful appeals can be key to workable commercial deals.
June 6, 2008... Byline: Becky Hurley Just because the El Paso County Assessor assigns a valuation to a property doesn't mean the figure is carved in stone. A successful appeal can save investors, and their tenants, thousands of dollars. That's the word...

Commentary: Game brings a punch to the head and a tear in the eye.
June 6, 2008... Byline: Lon Matejczyk The punch to the head made a resounding thonk. The blatant punch was directly in front of the most crowded section in the stands and in front of the touch judge. The two players got into a wrestling match coming out...

Commentary: City Council needs to pause before making any rash decisions about Memorial.
June 6, 2008... Byline: CSBJ Staff Editorial City Councilman Jerry Heimlicher, disturbed by the mounting cost of uncompensated care, has called for council to consider selling Memorial Health Systems. Such a sale, some pundits theorized, might bring as...

Commentary: MAT Part Deux, equestrian outings and tips for summer travel.
June 6, 2008... Byline: Mike Boyd Thought the assassination threat e-mail I received a few weeks ago was going to relieve me of this column writing thing, but I guess either the shooter got cold feet or it really was just a scam. So, since I wasn't...

Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission changes gaming tax structure.
June 6, 2008... Byline: CSBJ Staff Report The Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission has amended the gaming tax structure for the fiscal year beginning July 1. Casinos making between $4 million and $15 million will pay reduced taxes. Casinos making...

Colorado Springs Press Association Media Guide available.
June 6, 2008... Byline: CSBJ Staff Report The Colorado Springs Press Association Media Guide is now available. The guide provides listings of newspapers, radio and television stations, reporters and other outlet contacts for El Paso and Teller counties....

Grants available from Colorado Department of Agriculture.
June 6, 2008... Byline: CSBJ Staff Report The Colorado Department of Agriculture is accepting grant applications from companies that research and develop new uses and markets for food and agricultural products that are grown, raised or processed in...

St. Francis Medical Center in Colorado Springs needs volunteers.
June 6, 2008... Byline: CSBJ Staff Report Applications are being accepted for volunteers at the St. Francis Medical Center. Volunteers are needed for the gift shop, emergency department, concierge/information desk, surgery hospitality and the patient...

Registration opens for State Games of the West in Colorado Springs.
June 6, 2008... Byline: CSBJ Staff Report Online registration for amateur athletes is now open at www.stategamesofthewest.org for the inaugural State Games of the West, July 24-27, in Colorado Springs. About 8,000 competitors of all ages and skill levels...

Colorado Community Revitalization Association accepting downtown excellence nominations.
June 6, 2008... Byline: CSBJ Staff Report The Colorado Community Revitalization Association is accepting nominations for the 2008 Governor's Awards for Downtown Excellence. Categories include best building improvement project, best new construction, best...

City of Colorado Springs accepting applications for Citizens' Academy.
June 6, 2008... Byline: CSBJ Staff Report The City of Colorado Springs is accepting applications for the 2008 Citizens' Academy. The eight-week program about municipal services begins Sept. 10 and will be held on Wednesday nights. Applications are...

Rarefied Air: Colorado Springs not losing air service during fuel cost surge.
June 13, 2008... Byline: Becky Hurley Despite fuel cost surges forcing major airlines to cut routes to dozens of cities across the country, the Colorado Springs Airport will maintain a full schedule of flights. All the airlines have loaded their schedule...

Energy policy: States work to implement renewable programs.
June 13, 2008... Byline: Amy Gillentine The United States doesn't have a single, coherent energy policy, but in the face of rising oil and natural gas prices, states are working to implement renewable programs. In Colorado and Texas, we're focusing on wind...

Commentary: Dems might just get mired in their over-credentialed blog.
June 13, 2008... Byline: John Hazlehurst The Democratic National Convention!! Coming to Denver in August!! Aren't we excited? Not I. I'm certainly glad that it's not in Colorado Springs, and I feel sorry for friends and relatives in Denver. They'll have...

Outstanding customer service pays personal, bottom line dividends.
June 13, 2008... Byline: Becky Hurley Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. -- Microsoft founder, Bill Gates The steady line of cars in the drive-thru lane and the packed parking lot suggested the restaurant was popular. So did...

Shirley Wick successfully transitioned from legal world to hospitality industry.
June 13, 2008... Byline: CSBJ Staff Report Shirley Wick was nearly born in a police car, and she's been speeding along ever since. After a high school teacher said he wouldn't waste time helping her because she was a girl, Wick was even more determined....

Modern inflation not really comparable to '70s or '80s.
June 13, 2008... Byline: Rebecca Tonn Today's inflation is not like that of the 1970s or 1980s -- yet, said Dr. Eugenio Aleman, senior economist for Wells Fargo. Overall inflation is 4 percent, while core inflation is 2.3 percent. Today's inflation is...

Colorado Springs Medical Briefs: June 13, 2008.
June 13, 2008... Byline: Amy Gillentine The move toward online health records has taken a big step forward. Microsoft and Kaiser Permanente plan to test a program that will provide information transfers from Kaiser's health manager to Microsoft's consumer...

Colorado Springs Real Estate Briefs: June 13, 2008.
June 13, 2008... Byline: Becky Hurley An 8,900-square-foot commercial building on 2.77 acres overlooking downtown Colorado Springs soon will become a destination for local wedding parties and special event planners. The single-story structure was purchased...

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: June 13, 2008.
June 13, 2008... Byline: Joan Johnson A high-end, Neapolitan pizzeria has opened in Historic Old Colorado City. Pizzeria Rustica shares space with the Squash Blossom Gallery in an 1889 building at 2527 W. Colorado Ave. The restaurant offers wood-oven...

A prescription for wasting money: health discount cards.
June 13, 2008... Byline: Amy Gillentine Enroll Now, Save Big on Healthcare. No Deductibles, No Forms, No Wait! Promises made by health care discount card traders can be misleading and insurance commissioners from New York to California are issuing warnings...

Colorado Division of Insurance: Beware of faxes promising big benefits, paltry premiums.
June 13, 2008... Byline: Amy Gillentine More than 250 people have been duped by what the Colorado Division of Insurance is calling a health insurance scam -- but Commissioner Marcy Morrison says she doesn't have enough evidence to send the case to the...

Colorado Springs Business Journal News Briefs: June 13, 2008.
June 13, 2008... Byline: CSBJ Staff Report County needs volunteers The El Paso County Board of Commissioners is seeking volunteers to serve on several of its boards. Applications are due by June 13. Associate members who serve for one-year terms are needed...

Quality of hospital care greatly reduced after dark.
June 13, 2008... Byline: Amy GIllentine If you have a stroke, make sure it's between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. -- chances of survival are much higher than during nights or weekends. Nighttime heart attack patients are 66 percent less likely than daytime patients...

FCC to scrutinize cell phone fees, carriers undaunted.
June 13, 2008... Byline: Joan Johnson Increasing irritation about cell phone contract termination fees is causing some service providers to revamp their policies and either drop or minimize the fees. The outcry has even reached the ears of the Federal...

Rising gas prices taking toll far beyond consumers at the pump.
June 13, 2008... Byline: John Hazlehurst During the last year, crude oil prices have soared, reaching the unprecedented level of $138 per barrel. As a consequence, the national average price of unleaded regular has increased from $2.25 at the beginning of...

Prices continue to fuel buying trends.
June 13, 2008... Byline: John Hazlehurst The ripple effect of $4 a gallon gas could magnify trends within the local automobile sales industry, which has seen a shift away from the pickups and SUVs that once dominated the market. Every new car bears a...

Commentary: The SDS environmental impact statement.
June 13, 2008... Byline: CSBJ Staff Editorial Today is the last day for the public to submit comments regarding the draft environmental impact statement for the Southern Delivery System (SDS) to the Bureau of Reclamation. The following comments were...

Commentary: It just makes business sense.
June 13, 2008... Byline: Lon Matejczyk CSBJ's parent company, Dolan Media, got it awhile back, now the State of Colorado is coming around to its one year anniversary of getting it. We offer domestic partner benefits here. We are committed to...

Expressions of Hope Art Show in Colorado Springs benefits Muscular Dystrophy Association.
June 13, 2008... Byline: Diane Wengler As guests arrived at ERA Shields Real Estate's Tech Center office, local firefighters were on hand to escort them down the red carpet for the Expressions of Hope Art Show on May 15. Not only did the members of the...

Alternative energy producers racing to gain market share.
June 13, 2008... Byline: Amy Gillentine The solution to the current energy crisis won't happen quickly, which could give companies focused on providing renewable alternatives to oil and natural gas time to gain a foothold. But securing a share of the...

Slow and steady: Pikes Peak developer moves houses for a living.
June 20, 2008... Byline: John Hazlehurst If you want your household goods moved, you have plenty of options. For starters, just go to the Yellow Pages and pick one of the hundreds of companies and individuals who advertise there. But if you want your house...

Subprime fallout spreads to auto industry.
June 20, 2008... Byline: Rebecca Tonn Buying a home isn't the only thing that's become more difficult since the subprime mortgage crisis led to tighter credit standards. What consumers have to bring to the table to qualify for a car loan has changed, too....

New retirement mentality.
June 20, 2008... Byline: Rebecca Tonn Odds are that you know you won't retire the day you turn 65, nor are you planning to collect a pension. The three-pronged driver of this new retirement mentality is rising health care costs, fewer pension plans and the...

Commentary: Were you there when the general broke the cardinal rule of politics?
June 20, 2008... Byline: John Hazlehurst What's history? The dull recital of dates, battles, kingdoms and presidents? The slow process through which societies grow, adapt and change? Or, is it what we experience ourselves -- the events that define us, our...

Roalstad fulfilling goal as leader of Women's Resource Agency in Colorado Springs.
June 20, 2008... Byline: CSBJ Staff Report Beth Roalstad is training for her second sprint-triathlon -- but running the Women's Resource Agency and chasing two daughters doesn't qualify as part of her regimen. Growing up during the Cold War with a...

Colorado Springs Financial Briefs: June 20, 2008.
June 20, 2008... Byline: Rebecca Tonn Growing companies eventually need a chief financial officer. Titles seem cut and dry -- chief operating officer, chief executive officer, CFO -- but the function of each position can vary widely from one company to the...

Colorado Springs Medical Briefs: June 20, 2008.
June 20, 2008... Byline: Amy Gillentine New rules issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will allow medical researchers access to millions of Medicare prescription drug benefit claims. The rules limit studies to the commercial parts of...

Colorado Springs Real Estate Briefs: June 20, 2008.
June 20, 2008... Byline: Becky Hurley With the Hollywood Theater grand opening behind them, Interquest Marketplace partners Nor'Wood Development and Classic Cos. have closed on the $2.17 million sale of a 5.3-acre parcel planned to accommodate a...

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: June 20, 2008.
June 20, 2008... Byline: Joan Johnson Retail shipping service owners have found that offering U.S. Postal Service products and services makes good business sense and pays dividends. Since its inception two years ago, more than 2,000 retail shipping service...

The keys to designing a productive working office.
June 20, 2008... Byline: Joan Johnson Whether your office has the best view of Pikes Peak or faces a brick wall, many options can make work easier. A Microsoft Hardware Poll found that 90 percent of employees said their office space design had a direct...

Coloardo Springs Business Journal News Briefs: June 20, 2008.
June 20, 2008... Byline: CSBJ Staff Report Cheyenne Mountain Resort selected as a top workplace Cheyenne Mountain Resort has been chosen as one of the Best Companies to Work for in Colorado for 2008. The resort was the only hotel among the 15 companies...

Commentary: Bold vision from an unlikely source.
June 20, 2008... Byline: CSBJ Staff Editorial Let's dredge up some cliches, reflecting once-popular beliefs that subsequent experience has disproved. White men can't jump. Women should stay home. Girls can't do math. Rock 'n' roll will destroy America's...

Commentary: If the sheriff is voting for Newsome, then so am I.
June 20, 2008... Byline: Lon Matejczyk At CSBJ's Rising Stars event several weeks ago, District Attorney John Newsome brought me papers to come back to the Republican Party. There was a sticky note saying we will have you back. This was after I wrote about...

Bernice E. Holland golf tournament VIP party in Colorado benefits colon cancer.
June 20, 2008... Byline: Diane Wengler Almost a million dollars has been raised for colon cancer research during the nine years Rick Holland has hosted the Bernice E. Holland Golf Tournament. The event was started to honor Holland's mother, who died during...

The changing loan landscape: Then vs. now.
June 20, 2008... Byline: Rebecca Tonn Fannie Mae. Freddie Mac. Credit crunch. Tightened credit. In plain English, what does such alphabet soup and euphemisms mean for consumers? Times have changed, but not as much as all the hoopla would indicate. Yes, the...

Billboard industry would like Colorado Springs ordinance revised to embrace new technology.
June 27, 2008... Byline: John Hazlehurst Billboards in Colorado are regulated by a patchwork of federal state, and local laws. Douglas County bans all billboards, while El Paso County permits most forms of roadside advertising. The City of Colorado...

Commodity price increases testing building industry.
June 27, 2008... Byline: Becky Hurley Consumers are getting used to the new reality that just about everything costs more today than it did a year ago. But among businesses, construction companies and subcontractors might be taking the hardest hits. Prices...

Patients increasingly spelling primary care 'E.R.'.
June 27, 2008... Byline: Amy Gillentine As it becomes harder to schedule an appointment with a primary care physician, more people are turning to the emergency room for routine treatment -- and those visits are driving up health care costs, creating long...

Commentary: Capitalist leanings could make Springs 'Capitol City' USA.
June 27, 2008... Byline: John Hazlehurst We should all be delighted/excited to note that our peerless governor, the honorable Bill Ritter (D-Colorado, in case you'd forgotten) has thrown out the Democratic playbook. No more of the watered-down socialism...

Kandi Buckland's dabble into El Paso County's public health turns into long-term deal.
June 27, 2008... Byline: CSBJ Staff Report Kandi Buckland discovered a passion for public health 23 years ago in South Dakota. Now, she organizes responses to food-borne illness, disease oubreaks and coordinates restaurant, pool and daycare inspections for...

Colorado Springs Financial Briefs: June 27, 2008.
June 27, 2008... Byline: Rebecca Tonn Vectra Bank Colorado's Small Business Index registered 87 during May, up from a revised 86.9 during April. A higher index number means more favorable business conditions for the state's small businesses. Colorado's...

Colorado Springs Medical Briefs: June 27, 2008.
June 27, 2008... Byline: Amy Gillentine Cost continues to be the most significant barrier for small businesses when deciding whether to offer health insurance. The National Association of the Self-Employed surveyed 4,000 micro-businesses -- businesses with...

Colorado Springs Real Estate Briefs: June 27, 2008.
June 27, 2008... Byline: Becky Hurley Designed as a benefit for Pikes Peak United Way, this year's Celebration Home kickoff event will provide a preview of one of the area's most exclusive estate homes, built for a local family by Nichols & Comito in the...

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: June 27, 2008.
June 27, 2008... Byline: Joan Johnson The Home Depot has expanded its commitment to the environment and sustainability by launching a national in-store, consumer compact fluorescent light bulb recycling program at all 1,973 locations. The Home Depot Canada...

Communication key to blending Eastern and Western medicine.
June 27, 2008... Byline: Joan Johnson As Eastern medicine meets Western prescription drugs, communication is vital to prevent harmful drug interactions. For example, Ephedra or Ma Huang, an herbal weight loss product, was banned by the U.S. Food and Drug...

Colorado Springs Business Journal News Briefs: June 27, 2008.
June 27, 2008... Byline: CSBJ Staff Report Challenger Learning receives grant for e-Planetarium The Challenger Learning Center of Colorado has received $58,500 from the Daniels Fund to support its e-Planetarium program. The money will allow CLCC to offer a...

Green push could destroy farms, firms, schools, warns Western Business Roundtable.(Discussion)
June 27, 2008... Byline: Amy Gillentine Climate change regulations could force 750,000 farms, businesses and schools into bankruptcy. At least that's what the Western Business Roundtable, headquartered in Lakewood, wrote in a letter sent to Stephen...

Commentary: Why not 'shift' the focus to increasing the Lodgers and Automobile Rental Tax?
June 27, 2008... Byline: CSBJ Staff Editorial For politicians, talking about new taxes is like talking to your kids about sex: you might not want to do it, but sometimes it's necessary. And like parents, our pols are awkward, embarrassed and speak in...

Commentary: Yummy Tummies in Charleston -- businesses journal discussions.
June 27, 2008... Byline: Lon Matejczyk What do you get when you put a bunch of business journal publishers and executives in a town like Charleston, S.C.? I am not sure, but it was a lot of fun. As I sometimes do, I played bag carrier (read, shopping...

Colorado Springs-area construction firms weathering storm better than others.
June 27, 2008... Byline: Becky Hurley The El Paso County construction industry has fared better than other areas of the country during the run up in construction commodity prices. While residential building permits are off more than 40 percent from the...

Costs crippling some projects, forcing others to get creative.
June 27, 2008... Byline: Becky Hurley The price volatility of construction commodities, combined with price spikes in other materials, has some building owners opting to delay projects. They've put jobs on the shelf for while, but costs aren't going to...