Christmas in July?

Summer just began. Which means the holiday season is nearly upon us.

Huh? While the only holiday most of are thinking about is the upcoming Fourth of July, at least one company is looking further down the road.

A press release issued this week for Affirmagy, a Seattle-based speciality blanket business, was titled “Holiday gift idea.” It begins: “With the holidays approaching, it is not too early to begin thinking of special gifts for that someone special, for the home and even for babies and pets.”

Interest high in wireless Internet bid

Colorado Springs officials have sent out 20 bid packages to companies considering submitting bids to build a citywide wireless Internet network.
Ron Cousar, director of the city's Internal Support Services Department, told members of the city's Telecommunications Advisory Committee this month that 20 companies including EarthLink Inc., High Plains Internet,Time Warner Cable, Tropos Networks Inc. and WaveMax Broadband had requested bid packages. EarthLink, Tropos and WaveMax all had approached the city about building such networks.
The city this month began seeking proposals from wireless Internet providers for a local network. Proposals are due to the city’s Purchasing and Contracts Office by July 24. Responses will be reviewed by a committee including representatives from city agencies and civic groups, who will recommend whether the city should negotiate agreements with any providers.

Local news organizations to discuss new technologies

Here's another chance to meet Colorado Springs-area media and learn how they're using the Internet and other new tools to gather and distribute news. Leadership Pikes Peak will host "Meet the Press: Internet and Interconnectivity," from 8 to 10 a.m. Thursday, July 19 at the Pikes Peak Library's Carnegie Room in downtown Colorado Springs. The discussion will touch on topics such as how media outlets are using new technology to meet the needs of readers and viewers; blogging; community-generated journalism; and audio-video streaming. Panelists will include Noel Black, publisher of Newspeak and Newspeakblog.com; Ginny Greene, The Gazette's Internet director; Bob Richards, market manager for Clear Channel Broadcasting; and Nick Matesi, KKTV-Channel 11 news director. The cost is $5 to attend; RSVPs are required and the deadline is July 13. Call 632-2618 or email wendy@leadershippikespeak.org to attend.

Fore! Broadmoor to host U.S. Women's Open golf tournament in 2011

The Broadmoor hotel, Colorado Springs' five-star luxury resort and one of the city's largest private employers, has snagged another major golf tournament that will pump millions of dollars into the local economy. On Wednesday, The Broadmoor announced it will host the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament July 7-10 in 2011. The hotel hosted the same tournament in 1995, when then-newcomer Annika Sorenstam -- now generally recognized as the Tiger Woods of women's golf -- recorded her first victory on the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour. At that time, the tournament generated $10.2 million for the Springs economy, while business leaders estimated it was worth another $2 million in free publicity to the community. In 2008, The Broadmoor will host the men's U.S. Senior Open Championship -- another high-profile golf event -- July 28-Aug. 3.

For more coverage, see gazette.com and Thursday's Gazette.

Progressive recognized for IT innovation

The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies, the third largest auto insurance group in the nation, has been selected by CIO magazine as one of the top 100 companies in the world to excel in information technology.

Progressive received the award based on its Total Loss Concierge service, which helps drivers find a replacement vehicle if their car is declared a total loss after an accident. The software program allows employees to retrieve customers' claim information and find a new vehicle for the driver through a networking of car dealerships and lenders.

Complete coverage of the 2007 CIO 100 awards will be in the Aug. 15 issue of CIO magazine and available online at www.cio.com.

The local Progressive office is at 4925 N. Union Blvd.

Spectranetics stockholders get their wish -- a higher price

Just two day after two frustrated stockholders called on directors of Spectranetics Corp. to sell the company or buy back stock to boost the company's stock price, shareholders got at least part of their wish -- a higher stock price.
Shares of the Colorado Springs-based medical laser manufacturer jumped to a four-month high on Thursday of $11.26, a price the stock matched again on Monday in trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
The gains were came after Piper Jaffray & Co. started research coverage of Spectranetics on Wednesday with an "outperform" rating. Suraj Kalia, a senior research analyst for Piper Jaffray, set a target price of $13 a share for Spectranetics, a level the stock hasn't reached since Oct. 30. He expects the company's revenue to more than double from $78 million this year to $162 million in 2011.
"We believe the excimer laser technology of Spectranetics can be used in over 500,000 procedures per year," Kalia wrote. "The company has slowly worked its way into practices around the country, and good word-of-mouth advertising has helped the sales ramp."
Lawrence McKinley, senior vice president for RBC Dain Rauscher in Boulder, said Spectranetics directors should hire an investment banker to sell the company, while Michael Norvell, first vice president for UBS Financial Services in Evergreen, said directors should spend some of the company's $53 million in cash to buy back up to 2 million shares.
Until Kalia's report, the stock had failed to respond to improving financial results, inlcuing a 47 percent jump in revenue last year to a record $63.5 million.

Interim city manager mixes with home builders

You can take the boy out of the economist, but you can't take the economist out of the boy. When the Housing and Building Association of Colorado Springs held a one-hour update June 20 on the state of the local new home market, who was among the 125 people in attendance? None other than Mike Anderson (right), who was named the Springs' interim city manager a week earlier. Anderson had been assistant city manager, served for several years as the Springs' budget director and, before joining city government, was a regional economist for the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments. Wearing his economist hat, he often was asked to speak to local business groups. So, what interest would Anderson have these days in a housing update? Plenty. Purchases of lumber, nails and other building materials generate millions of dollars a year in sales tax revenue for the city. As city officials start preparing their 2008 budget for release in the early fall, it won't hurt the interim city manager to get a handle on how quickly the new home market will recover from its current downturn.

A Hyatt for the Springs -- sort of

Colorado Springs has its first Hyatt hotel, sort of.
The former AmeriSuites hotel at 503 Garden of the Gods Road was converted to a Hyatt Place hotel on May 25 amid a $2 million renovation set for completion June 28. The 124-room hotel was built in 1997 as a Sumner Suites hotel and was converted to the AmeriSuites brand in 2000.
Chicago-based Global Hyatt Corp. acquired the AmeriSuites chain in 2005 and will convert all 120 hotels to the Hyatt Place brand by year’s end. The chain also operates two hotels in Englewood and Lone Tree and is scheduled to open another property in Aurora next month.

The Hyatt Place chain targets business travelers in a niche between limited-service and full-service hotels, meaning the hotel has no bell staff or restaurant, but does have a café and some room service at rates currently ranging from $109 to $179 a night. The lobby area, which Hyatt Place calls The Gallery and is show above, features a check-in kiosk, a coffee and wine café, a television viewing area and computers and printers for guests.

Hospital transcriptionists repond to article

The article on medical transcription jobs being outsourced at Penrose-St. Francis Health Services, which published June 14 in the Gazette Business section, drew several reader comments.

Springs resident Betty Wilson talked about her experience of working for MedQuist, a national transcription service for hospitals and physicians that Penrose and other Centura Health hospitals will outsource its work to. While she was working there, Wilson said, the company started outsourcing half of its work to sites in India, the Philippines and Thailand.

"It's a real sore spot with American transcriptionists, and I was interested to see Penrose is outsourcing to a company that outsources overseas," she said.

Regarding Centura's claim that MedQuist will offer comparable positions to medical transcriptionists losing their jobs at Centura, Heidi, who spent eight years as a hospital transcriptionist, had this to say:

"According to what Centura has stated, MedQuist will be paying those who 'migrate' -- but the base pay will not be comparable. Based on the minimum requirement to stay employed, about 150-160 lines an hours multiplied by eight hours, they'll get about 8-9 cents a line. That will give the average employee only about two-thirds of their previous base pay.

"On top of that, Penrose-St. Francis paid what I believe was the highest bonus (on top of base pay) in the Centura system. I know for a fact that Porter Hospital/Adventist transcriptionists in Denver were only making about 25 percent of the bonus rate when I left there a few years ago, compared with what Penrose/St. Francis had been paying.

"So, this is financially going to severely affect not only those who will no longer receive a bonus for high productivity on top of base pay, it will really hurt those who were pretty much average producers although just as reliable and good employees who were earning just the base wage.

"From many conversations with my peers as well as attending meetings of the American Association of Medical Transcriptionists for the last 15 years, I think we all feel about the same -- that physicians receive quality and timely work turnaround from in-house staff who get to know the dictators, their style, their idiosyncrasies over time and are invested in the organization.

"Another point is that hospital transcriptionists are those who have at least five to 10 years multi-specialty experience in acute-care settings. It is one of those professions where it is difficult to obtain a job at a hospital without hospital experience. We usually intern at a hospital to enter hospital work."

Health foundation awards grants

The Colorado Health Foundation recently approved grants totaling $5.26 million to health-related nonprofits.

Major recipients include:

• Colorado Bright Beginnings: $361,000 to provide parenting assistance to families


• Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment: $895,275 to help seniors manage chronic diseases


• Colorado Center for Law and Policy: $675,000 to ensure low-income residents receive quality health care


• Arapahoe County Early Childhood Council: $385,205 to physicians treating children


• Cerebral Palsy of Colorado: $277,050 to provide services to 700 young children and families


• Mile High Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse: $259,510 to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS by methamphetamine users


• Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association: $805,909 to expand the Moffat County Care Clinic, which serves low-income residents


• Pueblo Community College: $509,405 to provide dental services to low-income residents

Shoe Carnival helps MDA

Shoe Carnival stores have joined the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s battle against neuromuscular disease. Until July 3, patrons can assist MDA’s lifesaving mission by purchasing and signing $1 and $5 mobiles. The stores will decorate their windows and walls with layers of the yellow and blue mobiles. Shoe Carnival is a chain of 277 footwear stores, including two in Colorado Springs.

Cancer treatment expands

Physicians of Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers now are providing services at the Colorado Springs Health Partners Cancer Center at 209 S. Nevada Ave.

Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers is the state's largest provider of cancer care, with two locations in Colorado Springs and 65 physicians statewide.

Colorado Springs Health Partners is the largest physician-owned, multi-specialty practice in Colorado Springs with 80 physicians and 11 practice locations.

Ent is losing Hope -- literally

Ent Federal Credit Union is losing hope, literally.
Southern Colorado’s largest financial institution will close its Hope branch July 6 because its lease on the building expires July 31, said Jim Moore, Ent’s senior vice president. Ent sold the branch in 2005 to partnership headed by developer Chuck Murphy.
Ent acquired the branch at 555 E. Costilla St. in a 1989 merger with Hope-Coronado Federal Credit Union, but got a larger, more convenient downtown branch at 123 S. Weber St. in a 2001 merger with Mountain Bell Credit Union. The Weber Street branch will remain open.
The four employees at the Hope branch will be relocated to other branches, Moore said. The credit union is expanding — it plans to open its newest branch by July 31 at 16050 Old Forest Point in Monument and is studying expanding branches in Briargate, Falcon and Fountain.

Coast IRB opens local office

Coast Independent Review Board LLC, a company that monitors the safety of drugs and medical devices, opened a temporary office in Colorado Springs on May 14. Within 60 days, the company will move into a permanent, 10,000-square-foot office at 5475 Mark Dabling Blvd., suite 351. The new office is undergoing remodeling, said Bill Darnell, project manager.

The Orange County, Calif.-headquartered Coast IRB announced in February it would open an office in Colorado Springs and bring 180 jobs in the next five years.

The work force is at 16 now, Darnell said. He expects employees to number 50 by the end of this year.

The company focuses on protecting patients of clinical reserach trials.

VillaSport memberships available

VillaSport, which will be the city’s largest athletic club, has begun selling memberships at its onsite membership office, 5904 Prairie Schooner Drive, near the southwest corner of Woodmen Road and Powers Boulevard. The club, with 88,000 square feet of space on 11 acres, is expected to open this fall.

Birthday bash for King Soopers

Happy birthday, King Soopers. On Saturday, King Soopers stores will offer a 60-cent sale on a variety of items to mark the 60th anniversary of the grocery store chain. At noon, each store will celebrate with a cake that will be shared with customers. The first King Soopers store opened June 16, 1947, in Arvada. Today, the chain has more than 100 stores along the Front Range.

Self-Service Shredder gets patent

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted a patent recently for The Self-Service Shredder, built and marketed by Springs-based RealTime Shredding Inc. Patent No. 7,213,777 was granted for the “pay-per-use shredding system.” Inventor Johnny Podrovitz, vice president of business services for RealTime Shredding, filed the patent application in July 2005. RealTime Shredding’s first self-service shredding kiosk was installed at the Chapel Hills Mall in September 2005; there are now Self-Service Shredders in several Colorado locations and in seven other states.

Denver has great year for tourism in 2006

Best ... year .... ever!

Denver enjoyed a record-breaking year for tourism in 2006, according to a study released today. The study by Longwoods International found Denver welcomed 11.7 million overnight visitors last year, a 13 percent increase over the year before. Metro Denver visitors spent a record $2.76 billion in 2006.

Leading the trend were increases in visits to friends and family, up 17 percent, “marketable” visitors, which climbed a record 12 percent, and business travelers, up 7 percent. Marketable visitors are defined as visitors who are not visiting friends or relatives and could therefore travel to any destination, but chose to visit Denver. They’re the most valued because they stay in commercial accommodations and spend more money. Marketable visitors spent an average of $93 per day per person in 2006, vs. $43 per person per day for people staying with friends and relatives.

First three-wheeled roadster comes to Colorado

A new on-road vehicle called the Can-Am Spyder from Bombardier Recreational Products will be sold beginning this fall at three dealerships in Colorado: Xtreme Performance Center Inc. in Castle Rock, RPM Motorsports in Lakewood and Twin Peaks Power Sports in Longmont.

The Spyder is the first three-wheeled roadster that can be driven on the street. It has two wheels in front and one in the rear and is described as part motorcycle, part convertible sports car. It offers the open-air benefits of a motorcycle and safety features of a car, including antilock brakes, traction control and stability control.

Farewell to Longs, hello to Walgreens

Say goodbye to the last of Longs. The transformation of two west-side Longs Drugs stores into Walgreens will happen Monday night. The stores at 3143 W. Colorado Ave. and 4315 Centennial Blvd. will close at 5 p.m. Monday and reopen Tuesday morning as Walgreens. Illinois-based Walgreen Co. announced in early May that it had agreed to acquire the two stores after Longs Drugs announced it was pulling out of Colorado. The three other Longs Drugs stores in the Springs have closed.