Denver Business Journal articles from February 2000

Denver Business Journal archives from February 2000

Lot owners write their own tickets.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Unable to tow or boot parking violators, the city's largest lot owners are doing about the only thing they can to get their money -- ticketing them. But unlike errant parkers who receive a city ticket, those fined in a commercial parking...

Making a monolith.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Monolithic Sculpture crafts unique arch for REI Think Fred Flintstone goes shopping on the South Platte. When Recreational Equipment Inc. opens its Denver flagship store this spring, it'll be impossible to overlook the handiwork of...

Mild winter could chill Gillett's holdings.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Vail-based George Gillett and his Booth Creek Holdings Inc. could be among ski resort owners hit hardest by this year's lack of snow. The company's difficulties could even prompt the sale of some assets, according to industry insiders. ...

Business battles PSCo.(Public Service Company of Colorado)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Energy giant wants entrepreneur land Tom Barenberg feels like David fighting Goliath in his ongoing dispute with Public Service Company of Colorado Inc. Barenberg claims that Public Service Company is strong-arming him to sell a...

Alternative bus services arriving.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Boulder, Greenwood Village subsidize transportation to get cars off the road What started with a HOP and a SKIP is quickly speeding into a ZIP and a DASH. Rather than waiting for the Regional Transportation District to come to their...

BBQ-sauce king eating up publicity.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The Denver Enterprise Center suddenly has become very media savvy. The small business incubator was featured in the Feb. 7 edition of Newsweek and Jay Leno, of "The Tonight Show," is chomping at the bit to have one of the center's small...

ON THE AIR WITH DR. DADDIO.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Radio celebrity wears many hats at KDKO There was a time in Denver radio when KDKO was country when country wasn't cool. Denver had no outlet for African American music. No rhythm and blues. Top 40 was king. All that changed in...

Golden fights NW Parkway link.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Golden may be the poster child for local cities' right to manage growth in the Denver area, not become victims of it. The historic city, nestled in the Rocky Mountain foothills of the metro area's western reaches, can't get much bigger --...

Revenue bonds fund theatrical loft project.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... A nonprofit theater complex, with unusual financing, will break ground between downtown Denver and the Five Points neighborhood sometime before June 1. The Oedipus Complex is part of a much larger multi-use project called the Off-Broadway...

Brown Palace Hotel.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... In the Jan. 28-Feb. 3 story about the Brown Palace Hotel, information about the hotel's builder, Henry Brown, was incorrect. He was not married to Titanic survivor Molly Brown, also of Denver.

Sharper Image.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Information in that issue about the Sharper Image store in the Shops at Tabor Center was also incorrect in the Jan. 28-Feb. 3 issue. The store is still open.

Steve Hritz.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Steve Hritz's name was misspelled in the Jan. 21-27 issue. Hritz authored a column for the Real Estate Quarterly. His e-mail address is hritz@centerre.com.

HR Prime.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... An item in the Briefcase column of the Strategies section in the Jan. 28-Feb. 3 issue should have said that a new company, HR Prime, offers services related to the process of hiring employees.

Who will snatch up an ambulance giant?(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... American Medical Response, the Aurora-based ambulance Service provider that drew national criticism in 1999 for slow response times, bungled emergency care and undermining the efficacy of the 911 safety net, is a festering thorn in the side of...

Largest Colorado Meeting and Convention Facilities.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Largest Colorado Meeting and Convention Facilities Patrick Sweeney (Ranked by total 1999 convention revenue) 1999 ...

House tax chief seeks seller-financing relief.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The effort to undo a tax law change that makes it harder for small-business owners to sell their enterprises found a powerful ally in Congress. Rep. Bill Archer, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, asked President Clinton to...

Clinton proposes tax credit.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... President Clinton wants to give small businesses a tax credit worth 50 percent of the qualified contributions they make to the retirement plans of rank-and-file employees. Businesses with 100 or fewer employees would be eligible for this...

Postal hike protested.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The Magazine Publishers of America plans a $10 million campaign to fight the U.S. Postal Service's proposed 15 percent postage increase for periodicals. The industry association, which also will lobby for overall postal reform, said the...

SBA expands answer desk.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The Small Business Administration has expanded its answer desk to the Internet. Small-business owners and prospective entrepreneurs can now e-mail their questions to www.sba.gov. The answer desk staff also will continue to be available...

Mayors, SBA team up.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The U.S. Conference of Mayors formed a partnership with the Small Business Administration to explore ways cities can work with federal agencies to help small businesses. The two organizations also agreed to share SBA's PRO-Net database of...

PTO starts magazine.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office launched a new monthly online magazine, "PTO Today," that PTO Commissioner Q. Todd Dickenson said will be an "ongoing forum to discuss topics that are of interest to our customers." The magazine, which...

Pay-TV company expands, plans IPO.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Israel, UK. next target for Hallmark An Englewood company will beam American feel-good movies into Israel and the United Kingdom later this year, expanding its reach around the globe. Crown Media Holdings In. is the parent company of...

Merrill Lynch ad spotlights Wahoo's.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Fish taco joint revels in TV exposure A recent investment from Merrill Lynch & Co. did more for Wahoo's Fish Taco than simply provide exposure to capital. The company gained a little media exposure as well. The restaurant is currently...

KBkids.com hoping to raise $210M in IPO.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... KBkids.com, one of Denver's most successful online retailers plans to raise more than $210 million in an initial public offering later this year. The company, formerly known as Brainplay.com, plans to invest proceeds from the IPO into...

JBC refuses to allow end to fraud fighters.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The Joint Budget Committee, which normally keeps a tight hand on the state's budget, has found a budget cut it doesn't like. The Colorado Department of Revenue sought to disband its Motor Vehicle Enforcement Unit in its annual...

Sale soon for Denver health plan.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Centura Health still hasn't found a buyer for its health plan subsidiary, Sloans Lake Managed Care. But company officials said either an outright sale of the organization or a deal with an investment partner could be finalized as early as...

Tax credit aimed at uninsured Americans.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., has enjoyed plenty of medical achievements: As a surgeon, he performed 250 heart and lung transplants; he also established the transplant program at Vanderbilt University. But five years ago he traded his surgical...

'Eye' offers a twisted look at love.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... "Eye of the Beholder" is a romance for the digital age. It tosses all the touchy-feely hype about how the Internet brings people closer together into a cold, rancid trash can. For director/writer Stephan Elliot, the movie is a fable about...

'Dimly Perceived' takes the family apart.
February 4, 2000... Oh, the American family. How often it has been romanticized; how often it fails to live up to the dream. "Dimly Perceived Threats to the System," now in production at the Aurora Fox, takes apart the American nuclear family just as easily...

Roy's worth taking time to find.
February 4, 2000... Denver may be the only market where the Hawaiian restaurant Roy's has the pronunciation of its name confused with a hockey great. But there's no confusion about the food -- it's fresh, delicious and offers something a little different for...

OSHA criticized after home-office debacle.
February 4, 2000... It's a manager's worst nightmare: Your subordinates make a controversial decision without checking with you first, your boss quickly overrides that decision, internal e-mails contradict what you say about the decision and a member of...

The trade show.
February 4, 2000... Bartering helps small firms get more -- without dipping into their cash In the last few years, Denver optometrist David J. Newman has gotten a new fax machine, carpeting and office supplies. And he didn't pay for any of it -- not with cash...

E-mails keep your life on track.
February 4, 2000... AnyReminder.com remembers everything you forget A new e-commerce company is betting its dot.com on a service that could increase your profits, save your marriage and turn you into the thoughtful, well-mannered person your mother always...

Boulder chamber gives awards for 94th year.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The Boulder Chamber of Commerce hosted its 94th annual awards dinner Feb. 3 to honor local business people. Keynote speaker Peter Copeland, editor and general manager for Scripps Howard News Service in Washington, D.C., gave a speech entitled...

MK Centennial honored.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... MK Centennial, a subsidiary of the Morrison Knudsen Corp., was awarded the Women's Transportation Seminar's "Company of the Year" award for 1999. The transportation engineering firm received the award for its continued support of the WTS...

Maui Wowi wins contest.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Maui Wowi Unlimited, an Englewood-based marketer of mobile smoothie carts in high schools, won a $10,000 grant in the third annual U S West New Ventures Seed Money Competition. The company, founded just last year, beat out 2,000 other...

Home-based biz strategies.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The Small Business Development Center at Front Range Community College will share strategies for succeeding in a home-based business at a morning seminar on Feb. 16.

Good deeds for Earth.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The Colorado Contractors Association honored two member companies for environmental excellence: * Recycled Materials Co. of Arvada, which was commended as an industry leader in recycling concrete and asphalt rubble into aggregate products....

Women entrepreneurs.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The second annual Working Woman Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards event, sponsored by Bank One, honored eight women entrepreneurs from Colorado: * Julie Ainger-Clark of Baby Einstein Co. for original product and service, social...

APG Security.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Denver's APG Security purchased SOCAL Security of San Diego. The new company will have operations in Anaheim, Long Beach and San Diego. APG provides security for corporate, high-tech, real estate development and property management clients in...

On the move.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Semple Brown Roberts, an architectural firm offering interior design and theater planning/design services, relocated to 1160 Santa Fe Drive. Supplier integration products provider RioLabs moved from Interlocken to the second floor of 1201...

Changes in tax regs worth a closer look.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Mileage rate back up, IRS accepting credit cards for taxes in advance Recent legislative developments were not nearly as sweeping or interesting as the Revenue Act of 1997, but there are some items of interest or use that you should know....

Certain credits.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Certain credits are now allowed to the extent of the full amount of regular tax without regard to the tentative minimum tax. Before, you were only allowed a credit to the extent your regular tax exceeded your tentative minimum tax. Tricia...

Taxpayers with an adjusted gross.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Taxpayers with an adjusted gross income above $150,000 must now pay in 108.6 percent of the previous year's tax liability to escape the penalty for owing taxes on April 15, 110 percent for 2001 and 112 percent for 2002. If you have no better...

Installment sales.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Installment sales are no longer allowed for accrual based activities. Tricia O'Connor, CPA is owner and president of Total Service Accounting, a Denver-based tax and accounting practice for small businesses and individuals.

The allowable deduction for self-employed health insurance.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The allowable deduction for self-employed health insurance deductions was accelerated to 60 percent for 1999 through 2001, 70 percent for 2002 and 100 percent for 2003 and thereafter. Tricia O'Connor, CPA is owner and president of Total...

You can now pay your taxes by credit card.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... You can now pay your taxes by credit card beyond just the balance due with the return. You can pay a projected balance of tax due on a request for automatic extension for 1999 and for an estimated tax payment for the year 2000. The IRS is still...

Revenue Procedure.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... A "Revenue Procedure" now provides guidelines for automatic permission to change depreciation methods when too much or too little was previously claimed. This Rev-Proc also provided for automatic permission for 30 some other specific...

The standard mileage rate.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The standard mileage rate is back up to 32.5 cents and you can now claim standard mileage for leased autos. Tricia O'Connor, CPA is owner and president of Total Service Accounting, a Denver-based tax and accounting practice for small...

For taxpayers who are not eligible to fund an education IRA.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... For taxpayers who are not eligible to fund an education IRA for their children because of AGI limitations, keep in mind that someone else can make the contribution on their behalf, including relatives, friends and the children themselves. ...

NEWSMAKERS.
February 4, 2000... Architecture Lisa Goodenough, former owner of Boulder Business Environments, joined the Bechta Group LTD where she will provide interior design and project management services. Goodenough worked as a project manager/designer for a...

How to improve your staff's energy, output.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... These days, many smaller companies are finding ways to stay in the ring with the largest players and sometimes even deliver a knockout. The Internet helps to level the playing field in many industries, and advances in technologies often allow...

Finding a consultant that fits your neeas.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Any growing business ultimately learns the lesson that you can't do everything yourself; eventually, you have to depend on the expertise of outsiders. Whether you're installing computer equipment, embarking on a new marketing campaign or...

Racial prejudices must be eliminated.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Racial discrimination is still an issue -- one that can be ignored at the peril of any business. In late January, Fred S. Kummer, president of the St. Louis-based Adam's Mark Hotels, met with a group of minority leaders in Denver to...

Denver finally gets its New Year party.(Abstract)
February 4, 2000... If Denver missed an opportunity to promote itself as a "party city" last New Year's Eve, there will be another opportunity come Dec. 31, 2000. Mayor Wellington Webb hopes to silence critics who pooh-poohed him for not planning a big bash...

Problem in eye of beholder.(urban growth restrictions in Denver, Colorado)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... About 20 years ago, my in-laws visiting from Southern California marveled at the beauty of our state after a leisurely day driving around Denver and the nearby foothills. "Everything is so close... the city, the mountains, the open spaces....

The hazards of computers, travel.(taking a computer to a foreign country poses problems)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... "Poof!" a vile little cloud of black smoke burst out of the adapter. My computer problems were just beginning. The plan was to move to Barcelona, Spain, for six months and focus on writing. The challenge was to set up an office in our...

LETTERS.
February 4, 2000... Speaking out on problems with slopes I enjoyed Neil Westergaard's column very much and totally agree with him ("It's the value, stupid," Jan. 28-Feb 3). Having been a skier for over 40 years as well, the hassle factor has become so...

DBJ STOCK REPORT.(stock prices)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... DBJ STOCK REPORT DBJ Index 5.6% 2017.18 NASDAQ 8.22% 3887.07 S&P 500 5.6% 1360.15 Dow Jones Industrial 4.5% 10736.67 Top 10 Weekly...

DBJ FUNDWATCH.(prices of mutual funds of companies based in Denver, Colorado)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... DBJ FUNDWATCH Our exclusive weekly report ranks the top Denver-managed mutual funds, ranked by year-to-date total return. For Week ended Jan. 27. ...

United wants more gates.(expanded service by airline at Denver International Airport)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Airline hopes to expand jet service from DIA United Airlines is hoping to expand regional jet service from Denver International Airport and wants 35 new gates on Concourse A to accommodate the growth. The airline met with DIA officials...

Stapleton on fast track.(redevelopment of old Denver, Colorado, airport into housing)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Denver Mayor Wellington Webb is putting the redevelopment of the old Stapleton International Airport on a front burner. The mayor, who faces the end of his last term in a few years, announced this week that the project will be his...

Ascent board dwindles.(Jim Cronin and Peter Barton leave Ascent Entertainment Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Denver-based Ascent Entertainment Group Inc., a company that's trying to disassemble itself, inadvertently took another step in that direction last week when it lost two key board members, Jim Cronin and Peter Barton. Cronin also left his...

Writer to sell company.(Writer Corp. sold to Standard Pacific Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Denver home builder George Writer Jr. plans to sell his company, Writer Corp., to Standard Pacific Corp. of Costa Mesa, Calif., in a $54 million stock and debt deal. The sale forestalls a takeover bid by Dennis Coughlin of Coughlin & Co.,...

Largest Denver - Area Catering Companies.(Directory)
February 4, 2000... Largest Denver - Area Catering Companies Patrick Sweeney (Ranked by number of full time employees) No. of ...

WHAT'S HOT... WHAT'S NOT.(housing in the Denver, CO, area)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... This used to be the easiest column to write. Just do the research, and the numbers told the truth. So much is selling these days, sometimes for prices that surprise even me, that my crystal ball seems a little fuzzy. IN BRECKENRID REAL...

Breckenridge is the #1 Ski Resort in North America!(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The results of the 1998-1999 ski season are in and Breckenridge ranks #1, beati1g Vail out of this top position. This was probably a big surprise for Vail. The ranking comes from an actual count of skier visits in Norffi America--including...

CoCo's Column.(dog narrative)(Brief Article)(Column)
February 4, 2000... It's a dog's life... By Coco Chanel Contino Usually Coco writes this article but she asked me to tell you about ownership of an aging dog, and how great it is to be a dog in Summit County. She will be fifteen in December which is "very...

The Expansion of Breckenridge Golf Course.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Leave it to Jack Nicklaus to find that place where heaven meets earth--and then make it better. At the Breckenridge Golf Club, the only Nicklaus-designed municipal course in the world and one of Golf Digest magazine's Four-Star courses, the...

A Young Family Uproots from the Bay Area and Settles in Breckenridge.(Stacey and Peter Joyce)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Meet Stacey and Peter Joyce. Stacey is a graduate nutritionist who worked as the staff nutritionist specialist for the Breckenridge Recreational Center. Peter is a local custom homebuilder. They are both graduates of the University of...

The Migration of the Mountain People to Denver.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The Reverse Migration Call it reverse migration. While the rest of the world is all clambering to buy a piece of our wonderful mountain resorts, many of us long-time mountain folk are buying our second homes in Denver and the Front Range!...

Just a Few Tickets Left to the Breckenridge Millennium Ball!
February 4, 2000... Limited to just two hundred people, there are just a few tickets left to the very special evening. It's black-tie, so if you didn't pack them run over to the factory outlet shops. The Bergenhof Ski Lodge at the bottom of Peak 9 will be...

Empowering Those with Special Needs.(Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center For those of us who live here in Summit County year-round, outdoor activities are as frequent and natural as the sunrise. So its no surprise that we want to share the experience with everyone. The...

The Summit Historical Society.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The Summit Historical Society gives locals and visitors a chance to learn the history of Breckenridge while strolling through the streets of downtown, which is listed in the National Historic Register. With more than 250 buildings from the...

What's New Breckenridge?(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... A Sampling of Restaurants & Galleries RESTAURANTS Same old, same old, but some are better than others. On the top of our list is Cafe Alpine, good for lunch or dinner, but especially fun for tapas and wine tasting at the upstairs tapas...

New Ice Rink.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Breckenridge Prepares for a New Ice Rink As most of us prepare for our winter vacations, some' hardworking people with the Breckenridge Recreation Department are excited that the ice-cold winter has just arrived. Some might call.. them...

Ladies--Renew Your Interest in Downhill Skiing.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... If you are like me, reaching 50 has calmed my interest in downhill skiing. I love. snowshoeing, as I can take my best friend along, and I love the peace and quiet. I have also fallen in love with cross country skiing. But I live in a ski...

About Our Schools.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... The Summit County School District serves all of Summit County except its extreme northern portion. Its six elementary schools are conveniently located in each of the county's four towns: Breckenridge, Frisco, Silverthorne, and Dillon. Each of...

The Baja Highway.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... If you've ever thought about travel to Baja, stop dreaming and start planning now For the Adventure Traveller, this 800-mile long peninsula has everything -- sea kayaking, desert flora, cave paintings, hiking, deep sea fishing, ATVs, dining,...

Reflections.
February 4, 2000... THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE ON EARTH! No, surprisingly I am not going to say Breckenridge. After twenty years here, I still love it and Want to spend the rest of my life. here, with the exceptions of our travel. Winter is very long at...

Meet Our Staff.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... A native of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, Karyn Contino has lived in Breckenridge for about twenty years and has been buying and selling real estate for the last nineteen years. She has assisted her clients through more than $200,000,000 worth of...

The financial institutions list.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Listed are the effective annual yields, after compounding, on a variety of savings instruments offered in the Denver area. Yields are fixed rate for all certificates of deposit (CD). Rates paid are for deposits of $2,500. except jumbo CDs,...

National Interest Rate Index.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... National Interest Rate Index Current rate Previous Net change (%) week (%) (+ or -) SHORT-TERM INTEREST RATES Prime rate ...

Borrowing Rates.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Borrowing Rates Auto terms: $10,000 loan. 48-month ...