Simtek gets inventive

Colorado Springs-based Simtek Corp. said Thursday it has filed for 10 new patents on its chip design and technology, its first new patent applications filed in nearly five years.

"We are excited to have initiated this significant expansion to our intellectual property platform, the result of a focused effort by the entire global Simtek engineering team," said David Still, the company's vice president of engineering. "Protecting and increasing our proprietary technologies are important objectives for us as we expand into markets and advance our product portfolio."

The announcements comes a day after the company's stock moved onto the Nasdaq Stock Market. Since the patent applications were announced, the company's stock rose 26 cents to $5.95.

PearlDiver moves headquarters to Indiana

PearlDiver, which develops databases for the orthopedics industry, is moving its headquarters and marketing department from Colorado Springs to Fort Wayne, Ind. in February, to become a tenant at the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center. President Ben Young and two other software developers will remain in the Springs, but Young said Fort Wayne is a more logical location for the company's headquarters because it is near the geographic center of the orthopedics industry.

Young will assist with the transition by spending one week per month in the Fort Wayne office. PearlDiver's first product will be a searchable database of information on spinal patients and that will be followed by a database of anoymous patient information that will include costs and other figures from insurance companies that orthopedics companies can use to prove new products can save money. PearlDiver, launched just last August, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pennsylvania-based RRY Publications LLC.

Let it Snow

In light of the recent snowstorms, the Colorado Tourism Office will conduct targeted “Let it Snow” pitches.

The office is planning to showcase Colorado winter activities, sports, deals, and packages, etc. for last-minute getaways. The office is most interested in pitching NEW offerings, packages, deals available now through March.

If you're in the tourism industry and have a package or activity you want to let the tourism office know about, contact Jessica Taveau at coloradopr@mmgworldwide.com

TCF Bank, Well Fargo stay open on holiday

The majority of financial institutions in the Pikes Peak region will be closed Monday Jan. 15 in observance of Martin Luther King Day - but not all of them. TCF Bank, which markets itself as "Colorado's Most Convenient Bank" because it's open 359 days a year, will be doing business as usual and Wells Fargo will open 53 of its 140 banks in Colorado, including all of those in Colorado Springs.

Wells Fargo allows its regional presidents to determine what they want to do about holiday hours. This year that means the Denver Metro and northern Colorado Wells Fargo branches will be closed Jan. 15 while those in southern and western Colorado will stay open. "It's a community by community decision," said Cristie Drumm, Wells Fargo spokeswoman. "All the banks in Wyoming are open Monday. All those in Montana are closed."

Among those taking the day off are 1stBank, Ent Federal Credit Union, Vectra Bank Colorado, Farmers State Bank, The Bank at Broadmoor, KeyBank, First Community Bank, Colorado National Bank, Air Academy Federal Credit Union and American National Bank. Academy Bank will offer service only at its Wal-Mart locations

Rewriting history

Terry Sullivan with Experience Colorado Springs at Pikes Peak, the local convention and visitors bureau, is meeting with Scott Campbell director of the Heritage Tourism Program with the Colorado Tourism Office today to establish guidelines to determine what local tourists attractions qualify as a heritage tourism site. Heritage tourism is a new trend in the travel industry that focuses on tourist attractions related to the history, culture and natural resources unique to an particular area.

The local visitors bureau did give The Gazette a list of local heritage tourists sites, which was published in The Gazette's Business section on Jan. 8. That was complied by the staff at Experience Colorado Springs and did not have qualification guidelines.

Springs franchiser ranked among nation's top 100

LearningRx, headquartered in Colorado Springs, has earned a spot in Franchise Magazine's honor roll of "Top 100 Franchises" for 2006. The company, which specializes in cognitive skills therapy or "brain training," had earlier been named the 45th-fastest growing franchise system by Franchise Times. Founder and CEO Ken Gibson expects LearningRx (www.LearningRx.com) to grow from 47 centers to 300 by 2009. Also receiving mention in the Franchise Magazine Top 100 is Fitness Together, which is based in Highlands Ranch and has two locations in Colorado Springs, at 5903 Delmonico Drive and 202 E. Cheyenne Mountain Blvd.

Let 'er ring

By about 4:20 p.m., Wednesday Jan. 10, repairs on the fiber-optic phone cable serving the passenger terminal at the Colorado Springs Airport were completed and phone service has been restored. The loss of phone service resulted in minimal impact to the passengers and airline operations, according to airport officials.

Contractors working on the west side of the Colorado Springs Airport accidentally cut the primary fiber-optic phone cable that serves the passenger terminal building at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Airport phone service grounded

At approximately 12:30 pm Wednesday, contractors working on the west side of the Colorado Springs Airport cut the primary fiber-optics phone cable that serves the passenger terminal building.

Airline and airport personnel have switched to back-up communications systems and expect flight operations will continue on a normal schedule, with no impact on passengers. Maintenance crews are on site and estimate completion of the cable repair by 7 p.m. Wednesday.

The public can contact the airport through email at www.flycos.com and clicking on Contact Us.

Colorado Tourism Office expanding welcome centers

The Colorado Tourism Office is expanding the Colorado Welcome Center Program. Businesses and organizations can fill out the Request For Proposal to be considered an Official Colorado Welcome Center if they meet the criteria and conditions of designation. The timeline for this RFP is as follows:

Questions from bidders due Jan. 19, 2007
Answers posted on Colorado.com Jan. 22, 2007
Written Proposals due Feb. 23, 2007
Reviewed by CTO staff March
Tourism Promotion Committee review April
CTO Board review and recommendation May

Attachments can be found on the industry page on www.Colorado.com. For additional information, please contact Cindi Meharg, Colorado Welcome Center Program Manager, cindi.meharg@state.co.us or (970) 858-9335 ext. 11.

New way to visit Cripple Creek

Cripple Creek visitors center has a new Web site address: www.visitcripplecreek.com.

The Web site has a new look and links for activities, dining, lodging and gaming plus information on local history and weather.

Design Squad makes stop in the Springs

Intel Corp. will host a training session Wednesday conducted by staff of the Design Squad, a new public television reality show, to show adult volunteers how to stimulate interest among children in science and engineering.

The session will be from noon to 1 p.m. at Intel's Colorado Springs plant, 1575 Garden of the Gods Road, and is free and open to the public. Instructors will discuss and demonstrate hands-on exercises such as a game involving balancing ping-pong balls, said Judy Cara, an Intel spokeswoman in the Springs.
About 30 people from Intel, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the Society pf Women Engineers, the YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region, the local Boys and Girls Clubs, Girl Scouts, Society of Manufacturing Engineers and local teachers are expected to attend the training session to prepare them for classroom visits during National Engineers Week, Feb. 18-24.

The Intel Foundation is sponsoring Design Squad, produced by Boston public television station WGBH-TV, which will feature eight teenagers compete to design and build machines ranging from a peanut butter-and-jelly making machine to race cars. The show begins airing on KTSC-TV in the Colorado Springs area on Feb. 25. Finalists in the last episode will compete for a $10,000 college scholarship from the foundation.
For more information or reservations, contact Cara at 273-1456 or Judith.m.cara@intel.com.

What do Colorado Springs-based Doss aviation and Clark Gable have in common?

The answer is: Pueblo.

Colorado Springs-based Doss aviation opened its new flight screening facility for the Air Force in Pueblo last month. After reading the story in the business section, Bill Stanford, a retired sergeant in the Air Force, called to inform Tthe Gazette that Clark Gable was stationed at Pueblo Memorial Airport, then known as Pueblo Army Airfield, in the early 1940s before he left for England with Army Air Force bomber group.

Check into the Chamber

Gift cards were the big seller last holiday season…and the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce is right in step with this trend.

Local businesses can participate at no cost in the new ChamberChecks program. When a ChamberCheck is presented to a participating business, it works just like a regular check and can be deposited for the full face value. There is no service or discount fee charged.

The consumers who purchase ChamberChecks may use them as giveaways, gifts, rewards and incentives. Every ChamberCheck comes with a list of the participating member merchants and the list also will be posted on the Chamber’s website. For information contact Laura Wiens, 575-4318, laura@cscc.org

Ahhh Bagels gone for good .....Arggg

The Ahhh Bagels shop at 7075 Austin Bluffs Parkway, well-loved for its authentic-tasting goods — crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside — has gone out of business after two years at the Nor’Wood Shopping Center. Co-owner Brenda Moredock died last May, and her daughter Jennifer Peterson held on for six more months in the face of declining sales before closing for good.