Fountain Valley School students concoct biodiesel

For the past six weeks, students from Fountain Valley School, a boarding and day high school with an enrollment of 240, have been collecting kitchen grease from the school’s dining hall and concocting biodiesel with equipment they designed and built in science class.
This week, Venetucci Farm began using the homemade alternative fuel in tractor engines.
Susan Gordon, director of the Venetucci Farm, which offers educational agricultural programs, said the cost savings are noticeable. The biodiesel fuel costs about 70 cents a gallon, she said, compared with regular diesel, which is retailing for about $4 a gallon.
The homemade system is capable of producing 30 gallons of biodiesel per month, and the project to fuel the farm’s tractors will be ongoing, said Jeanne Olive, Fountain Valley’s spokeswoman.

Wildwood casino license approved

The Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission voted today to approve the license for American Gaming Group's Wildwood Casino in Cripple Creek.

When it opens - possibly as soon as May - Wildwood will be Cripple Creek's biggest casino, and also the first one visitors encounter as they enter the business district. The casino will feature as many as 1,300 slot machines and card tables, 65,000 square feet of floor space and a five-floor underground parking garage.

The casino was originally scheduled to open in December, 2007, but construction delays have pushed the date back several times.

Experience Pikes Peak annual meeting

Experience Colorado Springs at Pikes Peak, the local convention and visitors bureau, held its annual membership meeting and presented its report today at a luncheon at the Garden of the Gods Trading Post.

Some highlights:

- Bureau president Terry Sullivan said Experience Colorado Springs is hoping to jump on the Olympic bandwagon with both feet, putting the Olympic rings and labeling Colorado Springs "Home of the U.s. Olympic Committee" in advertisements, mailings, business cards, a welcome sign at the city's south edge and anything else that they can get approved.

- Jim Cassidy, the bureau's CFO, said this February was the first month since January, 2007 that hotel tax revenue declined year-over-year.

- The other big item was a first look at the new Experience web site from Denver's Verbena design, which is still a work in progress.

- Not much talk on tourism prospects for the rest of this year, although visitors services director CJ Seals said the number of requests for information has remained steady.

"My research shows the price of fuel may effect the distance people are traveling, but they are still traveling," Seals said.

Anthem launches Colorado initiative to prevent serious medical errors

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Colorado will stop paying for preventable problems that occur at hospitals to protect its 854,000 members from paying extra for errors such as surgery performed on the wrong part of a body, surgery performed on the wrong patient and the wrong surgery performed on a patient.

Such "never events," as they are called in the health care industry, should never happen to patients, Anthem officials said, adding that they will work with hospitals and physicians to find ways to improve patient safety and clinical care.

In addition, Anthem said it will pay only an appropriate amount and no additional charges for events such as objects left in a body during surgery, certain infections following surgery, hospital-acquired injuries, blood incompatibility and others.

The changes in reimbursement will take effect later this year, Anthem officials said, and are aimed at eliminating preventable adverse events.

CarMax hiring: No automotive experience necessary

CarMax Inc., known for hiring outside the auto industry, is looking for 85 part- and full-time people to work at its store in Colorado Springs, which will open June 5 at 4011 Tutt Blvd.

The nation's largest retailer of used cars, CarMax typically hires people who have worked for other national retailers, such as Target, Lowe's, Home Dept, Wal-Mart, Macy's and The Gap. Employees also have come from the food and beverage industry, insurance sales and education, according to CarMax officials.

For its local super store, the first CarMax in Colorado, the company will hire sales, buyers, business office workers, customer service reps, service technicans and inventory workers, with no automotive experience necessary.

Job seekers can apply online at www.carmax.com, or call 597-0098 to schedule an appointment.

CarMax is headquartered in Richmond, Va and operates 91 used car super stores in 41 markets. It is known for its hassle-free sales approach, low prices and a wide selection of vehicles.

SRC Computers forms partnership

SRC Computers Inc. has formed a partnership with Atrato Inc. to market computer software and hardware to offer faster access to large databases.
Colorado Springs-based SRC, which was started by supercomputer pioneer Seymour Cray and employs nearly 50, sought out Westminster-based Atrato to improve data access for a government customer the company did not identify and recently installed the first system.
“To address all levels of our customer base, we search nearly three years for the right solution before we found Atrato,” SRC President Jon Huppenthal said. “This is pretty exciting for a group of customers that represent a potentially large market.”
SRC spent 10 years and $60 million trying to bring the power of a supercomputer to a much broader market, but instead developed a technology that combines microprocessors with a type of semiconductor that can be reprogrammed on the fly to do a specific task.

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.