New builder sets up shop

Denver-based Oakwood Homes, one of the latest home builders to enter the Pikes Peak region, will hold an open house from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at Cumberland Green, its development at 7729 Candlelight Lane in Fountain, south of the Springs. Visitors can inspect 11 model homes and partake of free food; they're also welcome to check out Oakwood's new home center at 1290 N. Newport Road, near Powers Boulevard and Aeroplaza Drive, on Colorado Springs' east side. Oakwood bills itself as Colorado’s largest privately owned home builder.

Regional Retail Rumblings

The building leased by Hollywood Video at 1725 Cheyenne Meadows Road has been placed on the market by Sperry Van Ness for $1.745 million, but the video store isn't going anywhere. The store has a six-year lease. ...

Chipotle is reprising its Halloween promotion “Boo-rito” on Oct. 31. Customers who dress up as their favorite menu item and visit any Chipotle Mexican Grill from 5-10 p.m. will receive a free burrito for the effort. ...

Ent Federal Credit Union, the largest financial institution in the Pikes Peak region, broke ground on its 22nd service center Tuesday (Oct. 24) on a 1.5 acre lot at 16050 Old Forest Point in Monument. ...

Denver-based Camp Bow Wow has sold its 150th franchise -- to a Charlotte, N.C. businessman -- making it the largest dog day and overnight care franchise in North America. There is one Colorado Springs location, at 4295 Northpark Dr. ...

Pikes Peak region added to Angie's List

Angie's List, an online source for ratings and reviews of local service professionals, has expanded into the Pikes Peak region. Consumers can now sign up at www.angieslist.com for a free one-year subscription and start sharing information on plumbers, landscapers, handymen and other service companies they’ve hired. The Pikes Peak region was added to Angie's List based on consumer demand. Last month, consumers across the United States were asked to vote online to determine the next Angie's List expansion and of more than 5,000 votes cast, consumers made this area a top vote-getter. "The great thing about Angie's List is that it’s your list," said founder Angie Hicks. "Companies can’t put themselves on the list, nor can they pay to be on the list. Only Angie's List members can put a company on the list after they’ve hired them for a job." Angie’s List will serve consumers in Colorado Springs, Pueblo and the surrounding area, including Calhan, Canon City, Monument and Woodland Park.

Banking boom in the Springs

Already the home to 200 bank, savings bank and credit union branches, the Colorado Springs area soon will sprout a few more as financial institutions continue to expand into fast-growing suburban neighborhoods.

U.S. Bank opened its newest branch, the financial giant's 14th in the Springs area, on Oct. 13 inside a Safeway supermarket at 6925 Mesa Ridge Parkway in Fountain. A grand opening celebration is planned at 10 a.m. Friday. The branch operates seven days a week.

Ent Federal Credit Union, the area's largest financial institution, broke ground Tuesday on its 22nd branch at 16050 Forest Point, across the street from a new Wal-Mart supercenter that opened in Monument last month and Kohl's store that opened earlier this month. The 4,000-square-foot branch is scheduled to open in April 2007 and will employ six.

The Bank at Broadmoor will break ground at 10 a.m. Friday on its fourth branch at 3216 W. Colorado Ave., the site of a now-demolished Arby's restaurant on the far west side of Colorado Springs. The branch will be called The Bank at Broadmoor Westside and is scheduled to open in May 2007 to better serve the bank's customers in western Colorado Springs, said Lisa Dowis, the bank's marketing manager.

Flea market seller finds home

Tired of hauling stuff out to flea markets every week, Darlyn Huttemann and her mother Diane Cordova, found a workable lease at 2228 E. Bijou Street and opened the Two Angry Wives Resale Shoppe last Wednesday (Oct. 18). "They aren't all that angry about anything," said Darlyn's husband, Ronald Huttemann, "they just thought it was a pretty cool name for a thrift shop."

Regional Retail Rumblings

Colorado Springs' third Dream Dinners franchise at 5855 Palmer Park Blvd. will have its grand opening 5:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 26. Dream Dinners is a meal preparation concept aimed at time-challenged two-paycheck families. Customers go online to www.dreamdinners.com and select from a menu featuring 14 dinner items, then register to attend a meal assembly session at the store. A typical two-hour session will send the customer home with 12 ready-to-cook meals.
The first 100 families at the grand opening will receive a free herb-crusted flank steak.

Massage Envy has opened its eighth massage therapy clinic along Colorado’s Front Range at 5966 Stetson Hills Blvd. It features 12 therapy rooms and 15 massage therapists with 4,400 possible appointments per month.

General Growth Properties has begun construction of a 154,000-square-foot expansion of its Park Meadows mall in south Denver. The project will blend the existing indoor retail mix of 160 stores with an outdoor park and street common area with new stores and four new, full-service restaurants.

List of laptop batteries recalled

Find out if your laptop battery has been recalled. Here's a list.

Grand Junction next site for 2007 Governor's Tourism Conference

The Colorado Tourism Office this month selected Two Rivers Convention Center in Grand Junction as the host of the 2007 Governor’s Tourism Conference.

The Two Rivers Convention Center was one of three locations considered to host the 2007 conference. Grand Junction previously hosted the 2002 Governor’s Conference. Submissions were evaluated on a number of criteria, including geographical location and the ability of the host community to provide local support and logistical assistance for the conference.

The 2007 conference will be held Oct. 10 - 12, 2007. Details about the event, including registration information, will be available on the CTO’s official Web site at www.colorado.com in the coming months.

Enron office furniture in Colorado showroom

Scandal sells. Office Liquidators of Lakewood took delivery of three giant truckloads of used executive furniture from the former Enron headquarters in Houston last week and more than a quarter of it was gone by Monday.

"Our Saturday was the busiest we've had in six months," said Bob Tynecki, Chief Financial Officer of Office Liquidator. "We had a story in the Denver Post and live TV coverage along with the postcards we mailed to customers ... and the response was just overwhelming."

The $178 executive chairs were the biggest sellers, but there are still some of those remaining along with desks, wall units, book cases and credenza sets, some with asset tax tags still attached. Office Liquidator president Dennis Meyer, a 20 year veteran of the business, did two walking tours of the Houston headquarters and "cherry picked the ones in best condition," Tynecki said. Just don't expect to find anything from Ken Lay's executive suite. "As I understand it," Tynecki said, "that's going to be auctioned off later this year on eBay."

More on saving for college

If you're a parent, the article in the Sunday Oct. 22 Business section of The Gazette on 529 college savings plans is a must read. Here's a few points that didn't make it in the story:

• The 529 does not hurt a child’s chance at financial aid. A report by Fidelity Investments said parental assets are given the lowest weight on an aid application. Most of what is considered is the child’s income and assets. The 529 in the parent’s name isn’t the child’s asset.
• Grandparents can open a 529 for a grandchild (or any child for that matter). This makes the 529 a great gift that grandparents can give year after year through contributions. The kids won't be as excited to get it now, but they will thank you later. And it lasts longer than toys.
• If you open a Colorado 529, you can link it with the Upromise service that automatically adds a percentage of certain purchases to your 529. For example, buy a box of Kleenex and get 1% of the cost credited to your 529. Here are the eligible products. You can also get a Upromise credit card and have 1% of your purchases credited to your 529. Be aware, however, that you may be able to save more money by not buying these name-brand products, even with the credit. Buy if they are products you prefer or happen to be the best buy. Upromise will monitor your credit card for credits due. You can also link it to your Safeway or King Soopers card to get automatic credits.

If you have any other questions on the 529, leave a comment here.

Prescription assistance for low income

Since a new low-income prescription program started in May, local doctors have helped about 150 low-income patients get more than $200,000 worth of prescriptions through manufacturers' assistance programs.

The Prescription Assistance Solution Service is offered through the Community Health Partnership, a collaboration of more than 17 local health care organizations, and PracticeNet Solutions, which is affilated with the El Paso County Medical Society.

The service is free to physician offices.

For more information, call Diana Atcheson, 329-7103.