MAME Awards scheduled for April 19

The 25th annual MAME Awards, which honor members of the Pikes Peak region's housing industry, will take place from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. April 19 at The Broadmoor hotel in southwest Colorado Springs. The awards, sponsored by the Housing and Building Association of Colorado Springs, recognize several different categories of work by builders and developers, including new home, architectural and landscaping designs; company Web sites, logos and advertising; and remodeling projects and interior design. The event includes dinner, the awards presentation and an auction to benefit HBA Cares. More information and to attend: 592-1800 and http://www.cshba.com/.

Architecture week takes place starting April 11

In honor of Colorado architecture week, April 11-17, the state chapter of the American Institute of Architects and four local AIA chapters will host a series of events and educational activities, most of which are free and open to the public. For more information or to make reservations for any event, call (303) 446-2266 or visit http://www.coloradoarchitectureweek.org/. One of the events, "Box City," will include a gathering for children in kindergarten through fifth grade, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., April 12, at Steele Elementary School, 1720 N. Weber St. in Colorado Springs. The free event seeks to promote an understanding of historic preservation and urban design. Children will experience the design and construction industry firsthand by requesting permits, ordering materials, designing buildings and constructing those buildings into a cardboard city. AIA-member architects and design professionals will offer advice and assistance to participants.

Disaboom keeps growing

Disaboom Inc. announced this week its first quarter 2008 shareholder letter, available at http://investor.disaboom.com. The company, founded by Colorado Springs physician Glen House and investor J.W. Roth, had a busy first quarter, launching disaboom.com 2.0 in January and disaboomjobs.com in February.

Disaboom, an online community for people with disabilities, launched last fall. The stockholder letter says it expects a positive cash flow in the fourth quarter of this year, with revenue coming from advertising. Disaboom has contracts with Ford, Cricket, T-Mobile, Cancer Treatment Centers of America and others.

Swing away

This I did not know: There are now not one but two glow-in-the-dark miniature golf courses in the Springs. One's been at Chapel Hills since 2006 and a new "Glowgolf" just opened at the Citadel, near JCPenney.

Seven bucks gets you up to 54 holes of black-light golf action ($5 for kids).

Find more information at www.opryglowgolf.com.

Santa Fe may become studio city

Two weeks ago, The Gazette reported on the failure of a film incentive program in the Colorado state Legislature. Nearby New Mexico, meanwhile, continues its very successful (albeit very expensive) incentive program and continues to attract Hollywood productions.

The latest sign of New Mexico's film supremacy is an announcement that a new, "green," 172,000-square foot studio facility will be built in Santa Fe.

The press release says the studio will be "fully green," although it's unclear exactly what this means. Maybe this:

"Renowned architect Gary Bastien has created building plans utilizing Anasazi principles of traditional architecture and sacred geometry, as well as LEED-certified practices such as recycled materials, passive heating and cooling, water conservation and native landscaping."

The county is buying 65 acres for the studios from the state land office, then turning the land over to the production company that will run the studios. The plan's backers say the studio project will bring 500 jobs and $71 million in economic impact to the area.

The plan still has to be approved by the county.

Local Village Inn restaurant shuts down

The parent of Village Inn yielded to the weakening economy and its heavy debt, filing for bankruptcy and closing 56 restaurants across the country. In Colorado, four restaurants shut down Wednesday, including the one at 8050 N. Academy Blvd. in Colorado Springs. Denver-based Vicorp Restaurants hopes to stay alive through its Chapter 11 petition, keeping its remaining 343 Village Inn and Bakers Square restaurants open.

Falcon follow-up

I spoke with Falcon Broadband CFO Tim Coutts to get a few more details on Falcon’s merger with Englewood-based Prime Time Communications.

Coutts emphasized that the merger would mean “stepping on the accelerator” to provide service to existing communities, focusing on the Powers Boulevard corridor.

As far as Falcon’s existing customers are concerned, Coutts said they shouldn’t see any immediate changes. The combined company will still use the Falcon name here.

Coutts said Prime Time was interested in Falcon founder Randy DeYoung’s cable infrastructure experience, while Falcon should benefit from Prime Time’s internet television expertise.

“One of the things that I think made us attractive to them was some experience they didn’t have,” Coutts said. “In particular the construction aspect.”

Both DeYoung and Coutts will remain with the merged company.

Memorial Star Transport receives accreditation

Memorial Health System's medical transport program, called Memorial Star Transport, has become certified by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems. Colorado now requires medical transport systems to be accredited to be in compliance with nationally established industry standards, said Chris Valentine, spokesman for city-owned Memorial.

"We're proud we got this seal of approval the first time around," he said.

A three-day site visit and review of operations and documentation were conducted on the program, which consists of helicopter services, a critical-care ground ambulance and a fixed-wing plane. The medical transport team is based out of Memorial Hospital Central in Colorado Springs and is available 24/7 within a 150 mile radius.

The helicopter is equipped with life saving equipment for all adult medical trauma, high-risk obstetric patients and pediatric and neonatal patients. It travels at an average speed of 150 miles per hour.

Carol Sturman to receive leadership award

Carol Sturman, founder and president of Sturman Industries in Woodland Park, has been named the recipient of SAE International's J. Cordell Breed Award for Women Leaders. She will be honored April 15 in Detroit, during the SAE 2008 World Congress.

Established in 1999, the annual award recognizes a woman who has significantly contributed to the mobility engineering industry through her service, leadership, innovation, technical skills and involvement in SAE International.

Sturman and her husband, Eddie, founded the company in 1989, as a research and development firm specializing in the application of high-tech digital valve controls technology in mechanical systems. Sturman has had a significant role in leading her company's corporate culture, which emphasizes teamwork, innovation, respect and excellence.

Sturman initiated in 2006 a seminar series focused on innovation, corporate responsibility and digital technology. She works with local colleges and universities, environmental groups and businesses interested in building creative leadership, innovation and cross-cultural understanding.

Green economy lecture at Colorado College in April

Bob Epstein, a California entrepreneur and engineer, will discuss, “The Green Economy: Why Businesses Are Leading the Efforts to Address Climate Change," during Earth Week at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. Epstein, a co-founder of five companies and who currently wears several hats as co-founder of Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), director of New Resource Bank and trustee of the Natural Resources Defense Council, will speak at 7:30 p.m April 22 at the Jerome P. McHugh Student Commons, above the Herb 'n' Farm Café, in the Western Ridge Housing Complex, 1090 N. Cascade Ave. The event is free.

84 Lumber closes Springs store

Pennsylvania-based 84 Lumber Co. closed its lone Colorado Springs store at Platte Avenue and Murray Boulevard on Monday, and will consolidate its operation with a Denver-area store, a company spokeswoman said Wednesday.
The Springs store employed six people. The spokeswoman said she didn’t know if they will move to other 84 Lumber locations. The company catered to contractors; the Springs store was one of nine nationwide to be consolidated with larger and newer locations, the spokeswoman said. The Denver-area store will serve the Springs market, she said.

Apartment, condo conference coming to Colorado Springs

The National Association of Home Builders is coming to Colorado Springs -- but not to discuss single-family homes. The NAHB 's Multifamily Pillars of the Industry Conference, a look at the state of the apartment and condominium markets, will take place from April 1-3 at The Broadmoor hotel in southwest Colorado Springs. The event will include a look at the health of the nation's apartment and condo industries, green building, investment opportunities and workforce housing, among several other topics. The event is designed for developers, builders, lenders, investors, property managers and apartment and condominium complex owners. More information and to register: www.nahb.org/PillarsConference

Holland & Hart launches blog on construction law

Law firm Holland & Hart's construction practice group has launched a blog featuring updates on Colorado construction law: http://www.coloradoconstructionlaw.com/. Holland & Hart partner Timothy Gordon provides information on cases and decisions relevant to construction law in the state, including topics such as arbitration, change orders, claims, defects, economic loss rule, insurance and mechanics' liens. Holland & Hart's construction practice group has handled construction litigation throughout the Rocky Mountain region. Holland & Hart has offices in Colorado Springs and Denver.

Canon City gets its first Office Depot

Office Depot will celebrate the opening of its first store in Canon City with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2 p.m. Thursday. As part of the celebration, the Office Depot Foundation will present $500 donations and children's backpacks to Starpoint, Family Crisis Services Inc. and Warm the World.

The store is at 2765 E. Main St. Hours are 8 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays.

Comcast offers new Internet pricing

Comcast is offering customers subscribing to its $42.95 a month "Performance" Internet service a price-for-life guarantee. Qwest has a similar offer for its DSL customers, but requires a two-year commitment - Comcast is offering its deal with no long-term commitment. Comcast says the Performance tier is its most popular Internet package.

Free copies on tax day

On April 15, two Colorado Springs Staples Copy & Print Centers will provide free copies (up to 20 sheets) to taxpayers who want to make a copy of their 2007 tax return.

The participating stores are:

• 4520 Centennial Blvd.
  
• 2955 New Center Point

CIOs remain optimistic about hiring

Chief information officers in the Denver area remain optimistic about hiring information technology professionals during the second quarter, according to a quarterly survey by Menlo Park, Calif.-based Robert Half Technology.
Fourteen percent of the 200 Denver-area CIOs interviewed expect to add staff during the April-to-June quarter, while 2 percent plan to reduce personnel, which is unchanged from the hiring outlook during the current quarter. The Denver results are identical to the national results from the most recent Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report.
The results in Denver reflect a two-quarter rolling average based on interviews with 200 CIOs from companies in the Denver area with 100 or more employees; the national results are based on results from 1,400 executives.
"Executives are taking a measured approach to hiring, making sure that there is an ongoing need for additional staff," said Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director of Robert Half Technology. "At the same time, CIOs are finding that competition is tight for IT professionals with experience in areas such as applications and web development, database management and network administration."
The California-based information-technology staffing company defines the Denver area as including much of northern and western Colorado as well as parts of Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. The survey does not include Colorado Springs or Pueblo.
For more information, go to http://www.rht.com.

Teen job fair participants weigh in

Pikes Peak Workforce Center hosted a job fair for teens March 7, and 900 to 1,000 youth attended, said Jeanne Cotter, spokeswoman for the employment service in Colorado Springs.

Several teens who blogged about their experiences on a Gazette-hosted blog, however, had no luck securing jobs from companies at the fair.

Names of those who reigstered will be placed on file to be referrred for jobs from other employers who announce openings in the next few months, Cotter said.

New Hampton Inn opens

Executives from Chartwell Hospitality were in Colorado Springs Friday for the official opening of the new Hampton Inn and Suites at 2910 Geyser Dr. — the company’s 1,500th hotel under the Hampton brand. Hampton, a sponsor of USA Cycling, donated 150 bicycles to the local Boys and Girls Club in honor of the milestone.

TAEUS helps EU go after Microsoft

Colorado Springs-based TAEUS International Corp. played a key behind-the-scenes role in a record $1.3 billion fine imposed Feb. 27 against Microsoft Corp.
The European Union hired TAEUS (Tear Apart Everything Under the Sun) in 2005 for nearly $1 million to investigate whether Microsoft violated a 2004 antitrust decision. The EU ordered the company to share interoperability information with rivals and sell a version of its Windows computer operating system without its Media Player software.
If the software giant appeals the fine, TAEUS President Art Nutter said last week he hopes the EU will award another contract to the company to continue working on the case. Rob Fetter headed the six-person TAEUS team in the Springs working on the Microsoft case.
TAEUS employs about 20 along with more than 200 independent contractors worldwide who focus on reverse engineering used in patent infringement cases.
“We had to reverse engineer Microsoft’s software code to determine if they were doing what they said they would — making other software interoperable with Windows — and found repeatedly that they are not,” Nutter said.
In case you’re wondering, Nutter said most of the computers TAEUS uses are made by Apple Inc. and use the Mac operating system.
For more information, go to http://www.taeus.com/.