Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce News Newswire

Welcome to Thin City

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Thin City

Dean Reynolds takes us on a trip to the nation's lowest rate of obesity, Colorado and find out why everyone's so healthy.

Welcome to Thin City Video (CBS)

Eight Colorado Springs businesses and nonprofits vying for cash and access to student smarts

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Eight Colorado Springs businesses and nonprofits vying for cash and access to student smarts

October 07, 2009 4:36 PM | WAYNE HEILMAN | THE GAZETTE

Eight Colorado Springs businesses and nonprofits have been selected to work with teams of University of Colorado at Colorado Springs students to develop new products, markets or business models in a competition to win $40,000.

Student teams will be assigned next week to each of the eight organizations and will develop the plans with their managers during the next three months, said Michael Larson, the El Pomar chair of engineering and innovation at UCCS. He is one of three such faculty members who helped put together what they hope will become an annual competition to promote innovation and revitalization in local firms, the EPICC Business Revitalization and Innovation Competition. The plans will be presented to a panel of judges Feb. 15 to compete for one of three cash prizes to be awarded March 1.

The competition is part of UCCS Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak’s Southern Colorado Innovation Strategy, which is looking for ways the university can partner with the community to spur innovation and economic development, Larson said. “This is a unusual competition because in most business plan competitions, the projects that don’t win go nowhere and nothing comes of the effort put into them. In this case, even the plans that aren’t funded still will benefit from the work of student teams.”

View the entire article on Gazette.com

Libertarian activist Paige picked for City Council

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Libertarian activist Paige picked for City Council

October 07, 2009 4:04 PM | DEAN TODA | THE GAZETTE

For years, Sean Paige has fired rhetorical rockets at Colorado Springs’ city government.

Now he’s on the receiving end.

Paige, a libertarian activist and former opinion page editor of The Gazette, was picked Wednesday to fill a vacant seat on the City Council.

He will serve until the next city election in April 2011. He replaces Jerry Heimlicher, who resigned last month. In a fourth round of voting, council members voted 5-3 for Paige over the other finalist, Phil Lane, a local businessman. In the third round, Paige and Lane were deadlocked at 4-4.

The vote was secret, but Councilmen Darryl Glenn, Tom Gallagher, Scott Hente and Randy Purvis spoke from the dais in favor of Paige. Mayor Lionel Rivera spoke up for Lane. Vice Mayor Larry Small supported Paul Johnson, executive director of Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity, then switched his vote to Lane when Johnson was eliminated in the second round.

Of the 19 candidates who sought the appointment, the only other to get a vote was Janet Suthers, a member of the city planning commission and wife of the state attorney general, John Suthers. She was eliminated in the first round.

“I think it’s a tribute to the city officials that they had the courage to bring in somebody like myself, who’s been a pretty well-known critic of Council,” Paige said after the vote. “There’ll be friction occasionally. There’s going to be differences of opinion. But I really, truly believe in that process better outcomes will result for the city.”

Please, go to Gazette.com to view this entire article.

Visitors bureau honors local tourism leaders

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Visitors bureau honors local tourism leaders

October 21, 2009 7:41 PM | Andrew Wineke

Experience Colorado Springs at Pikes Peak, the region's convention and visitors bureau, honored local leaders in the tourism industry at its annual banquet Wednesday night in Colorado Springs.

The Broadmoor Hotel was honored with the "Green Leader" award for its work in environmental stewardship and energy efficiency. The hotel has reduced its energy consumption by more than 13 percent, said Experience Colorado Springs President Terry Sullivan.

Bill Poulin, executive chef at Cheyenne Mountain Resort, earned the "Magnificent Management" award for his 20 years of service at the resort.

Kathryn Bucheger, lead gallery host for the Hyatt Place hotel, earned the "Superior Staff" award as the tourism employee of the year.

Sullivan said the banquet celebrated what was a successful summer tourism season, despite the difficult economic climate. In-state "staycations" were the key to the area's success, he said.

"In these hard economic times, we held our own and we saw huge numbers of Colorado visitors," Sullivan said. "We would say that the summer was very good."

via Gazette.com

Q & A: James Dodd's efforts to prevent teen drug use

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Q & A: James Dodd's efforts to prevent teen drug use

October 31, 2009 4:45 PM | SUE McMILLIN | The Gazette

When you’re in the drug-testing business, you get a pretty good look at the personal and family problems that come with drug use and addiction.

That view led Conspire to seek ways to reach out to teens in the Pikes Peak region in an effort to prevent them “from ever trying drugs once,” said James Dodd, director of marketing and business development for the company. Conspire (formerly known as H&L Drug Compliance Inc.) has been in Colorado Springs about six years and is selling franchises because drug testing is a fast-growing business.

Most of the company’s business is in drug testing and background checks for large companies and government organizations.

But it’s the heartbreaking family stories workers hear when parents bring in teens for drug screening that prompted the company to seek ways it could help educate people about the dangers of drug use, he said.

That, in turn, led to the creation of Intention Prevention, a program aimed at teens that includes sending company-sponsored text messages about free or low-cost activities for teens.

Dodd recently answered questions about the fledgling program.

To view the Q&A, visit Gazette.com

Young, healthy could shoulder costs of health reform

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Young, healthy could shoulder costs of health reform

Amy Gillentine | October 30,2009 12:00 am

Premiums for healthy, young adults could rise as much as 140 percent if health care reform legislation is approved by Congress.

A study by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, which was released last week, considers the following three scenarios: a young healthy 25-year-old man with individual insurance, an unhealthy, 60-year old couple, and a family with two children and a small company that employs eight people.

Who will pay the most after reform? The 25-year old man, whose premiums will increase from $90 a month to $216.

Families and small businesses would see increases ranging from 9 percent to 52 percent. Only unhealthy, older people would see a rate decrease, but still see monthly premiums of $1,200.

“The report clearly shows that premiums would go up, rather than down,” said John Martie, president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield. “Some of the reform bills have flaws that ignore important things like access and costs. These numbers are not cherry-picked. The results show that these bills will affect people.”

The study used data from current insurance policies. The reason for the high increases, Martie said, is that the proposed reforms eliminate or constrain rating factors used by insurance companies that reward younger people with discounts.

“And they require that we insure everyone, but they don’t have high enough penalties for not having insurance,” said Rebecca Weiss, director of government relations for BCBS. “The fines right now start at zero for the first year and go up to $750 in 10 years. That doesn’t cover the costs of insuring anyone.”

Read the rest of this article at CSBJ.com

Despite economy, small businesses remain resilient

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Despite economy, small businesses remain resilient

Rebecca Tonn | October 30,2009 | 12:00 am

Small businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy, comprising half the nation’s nonfarm, private gross domestic product. And small business — along with the rest of the economy — has been struggling during 2008 and 2009.

But Americans are resilient and continue to become entrepreneurs.

Although changes in the economy may make it more difficult to launch a start-up, it doesn’t necessarily change the hows and whys of starting a business.

When would-be entrepreneurs seek the advice of Matthew Barrett, executive director of the Small Business Development Center, the first thing he does is help them determine if the business idea is feasible.

Sometimes an idea is not wrong, but how they plan to implement it can be — for instance, opening a gas station “out in the middle of the country,” instead of closer to a busy intersection.

“Some people get it in their heads that they have to run a business the way they’ve dreamt about it all these years,” Barrett said. “But they need to adapt the plan to the forces that will impact it.”

Social forces, such as social media and Internet usage, will impact a business and need to be addressed — as do economic or legal concerns and changing laws. For example, if blue laws change and “big-box” retailers start selling beer and wine in a region, that will affect liquor store owners.

And entrepreneurs dare not forget their competitors — “are they better than you? More established? How many are out there?” Barrett asked.

And one’s habits and lifestyle must also be considered.

A start-up business creates a new “personal lifestyle.”

People need to know whether they actually want to or are able to work, say, 80 hours per week, or whether they prefer more of a “part-time hobby.”

If none of these questions deters potential entrepreneurs, then the lack of liquidity in the credit market might.

View this article in it's entirety on CSBJ.com

Springs makes BusinessWeek’s ‘40 Strongest’ list

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Springs makes BusinessWeek’s ‘40 Strongest’ list

Rebecca Tonn | October 27,2009 | 11:31 am

Once again, Colorado Springs is in the spotlight for being a great place to live–but this time it’s not for the mountains, the view or the many places to hike, mountain bike or road bike.

The Springs is on BusinessWeek’s 40 Strongest U.S. Metro Economies list.

The Pikes Peak region ranked 24th on the list, which was compiled using data and analysis from Brookings Institution’s new MetroMonitor study.

BusinessWeek ranked the 100 largest metro areas by economic growth, home prices, job growth and employment.

San Antonio, Texas ranked number one, while Memphis, Tenn. trailed in last.

“Some metros across the nation have managed to stay out of the recession’s path and could now be poised for recovery,” stated BusinessWeek.

Colorado Springs metro area gross metropolitan product for the second quarter was down just 2.7 percent from a peak during the third quarter of 2008.

Home prices were flat during the second quarter compared with the same period a year earlier.

And the final reason given for ranking the Springs 24th: The unemployment rate in June was 8.3 percent, up 2.4 points from a year earlier.

via CSBJ.com

Cyber security offers new opportunities for Springs, top commander says

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Cyber security offers new opportunities for Springs, top commander says

September 21, 2009 5:19 PM | WAYNE HEILMAN | THE GAZETTE

Colorado Springs has an opportunity to capitalize on the Air Force Space Command’s new mission to combat threats to the nation’s Internet security much the same way it did when the command was created to oversee military space activities, the Space Command’s top general said today.

“The same opportunities exist for the city in cyberspace as they did 27 years ago in space. We don’t know what it will look like right now, but there is an opportunity for the same kind of partnership with Colorado Springs for cyberspace as we do for space,” Space Command commander Gen. C. Robert Kehler told about 200 business and civic leaders during a briefing sponsored by the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce at the Cheyenne Mountain Conference Resort.

To learn more, visit Gazette.com

Two Springs real estate companies merging

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Two Springs real estate companies merging

September 21, 2009 2:38 PM | RICH LADEN | THE GAZETTE

Stuart Scott Ltd. and ERA Shields Real Estate, two of Colorado Springs’ more well-known residential real estate companies, announced Monday they’re merging.

Both companies are headed by real estate veterans, who say the merger provides their like-minded firms with additional opportunities.

Stuart Scott, 63 and who’s been in real estate since 1972, started his local, independent brokerage in 1977. He specializes in the sale and marketing of high-end homes in the Colorado Springs area.

ERA Shields President Bill Hurt, 65, has been in real estate since 1978. He’s headed ERA Shields since 1996; it’s one of the area’s largest residential brokerages and is a franchise of ERA Real Estate, one of the nation’s biggest real estate companies. Hurt’s also the 2009-10 chairman of the Pikes Peak Association of Realtors.

To get the full story, visit Gazette.com

Federal funds speeding up taxiway work at Springs airport

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Federal funds speeding up taxiway work at Springs airport

September 14, 2009 4:29 PM | WAYNE HEILMAN | The Gazette

The Colorado Springs Airport will receive a $7.2 million grant from the U.S. Transportation Department to accelerate rebuilding three key taxiways that are used with its longest runway, cutting the project’s completion time by about half, airport officials said.

The latest grant, along with $6.28 million in stimulus money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, will help continue rebuilding work on a taxiway that parallels the airport’s east runway and two other taxiways between the first one and the airport’s passenger terminal. The airport hopes to finish rebuilding all of its taxiways within three to five years, said Mark Earle, the city’s aviation director.

“This is an important part of multiyear project to improve the taxiway association with our major air carrier runway,” Earle said in a press release from Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., on the grant. The two grants will “speed up the work and create jobs in the region.” Without the grants, Earle estimated the project would take 10 to 12 years to complete.

View the entire article on Gazette.com

Kaiser Permanente to open Springs center for seniors

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Kaiser Permanente to open Springs center for seniors

September 14, 2009 5:14 PM | RICH LADEN | The Gazette

Kaiser Permanente Colorado will open its first Colorado Springs medical office Oct. 1, a facility on the city’s north side that will offer primary care for seniors.

The nonprofit health insurance company and medical provider — one of the largest in Colorado and the nation — has had only administrative offices in Colorado Springs since coming here in 1997; its clients receive services from a network of more than 800 physicians.

But as part of a southern Colorado expansion, Kaiser looked at client needs in the Pikes Peak region and determined its senior members need a place to go for primary care, in part because fewer physicians are accepting new Medicare patients, said Public Affairs Director C. J. Moore.

“Let’s face it: Boomers are aging, and they are going to have to have places to go for care,” Moore said. The 20,000-square-foot Briargate Senior Health Centeris at 4501 Briargate Parkway, in a building across from Memorial Hospital North.

The office will provide services to Kaiser’s 800 senior members in the Colorado Springs area; the facility’s services will be optional and members won’t be required to use them, Moore said.

Entire article available on Gazette.com

Yellow Cab to test out the green Prius

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Yellow Cab to test out the green Prius

September 11, 2009 4:32 PM | BILL MCKEOWN | THE GAZETTE

Yellow Cab is going green.

The Colorado Springs taxi company this month will put a brightly colored Toyota Prius hybrid into service ferrying passengers around town.

The year-old Prius, painted the familiar yellow but also bedecked with green vinyl graphics announcing it’s something different, will be used for a year to gauge both its suitability for the rough world of day-to-day people hauling, and to gauge passengers’ acceptance of the armadillo-shaped vehicle.

“It’s the wave of the future,” said general manager Fred Hair. “The way we drive and get around are changing.” Hair said the owners of Yellow Cab Co. of Colorado Springs, four Houston-based brothers, believe Colorado Springs is an environmentally conscious town, and they wanted to make a statement that the company is sensitive to that.

Get more information on Gazette.com

CONGRATULATIONS ... To Stephannie Finley

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT

CONGRATULATIONS ... To Stephannie Finley

CONGRATULATIONS ... To Stephannie Finley, of the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, for being named as the SCWCC's 2009 Accolades Business Leader of the Year. Ms. Finley is President of the Chamber Governmental Affairs and Public Policy Division of the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, and a principal staff member of its Political Action Committee.

Serving on many boards and committees - including Hope Online Learning Academy, Colorado Springs Conservatory, Citizens for Effective Government and the Urban League of the Pikes Peak Region - Stephannie is a very active and dynamic member of the community. She was recognized as one of ten “Women of Influence” by the Colorado Springs Business Journal in 2008, and her work during the past election season was highly regarded by the newly formed Pikes Peak Regional Business Partnership.

Following a early career shift into the world of politics, she gained considerable experience at all levels of government, including the executive branch in Governor Bill Owens’ Administration as Chief of Staff to Lt. Governor Jane Norton, as well as serving on the Presidential Advance Team for the White House in the early 90s. But it was working with Chancellor Shockley and the UCCS team to partner effectively with the community that brought her to the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce in 2006. [ view bio | LinkedIn ]

The SCWCC is pleased to add Stephannie's name to an impressive list of community leaders, as the 16th annual winner of the Accolades Business Leader of the Year award.

For more information, visit the Southern Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce

Something is brewing in northern Colorado Springs Area's first brewpub is on tap

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Something is brewing in northern Colorado Springs Area's first brewpub is on tap

September 10, 2009 4:41 PM | R. SCOTT RAPPOLD | THE GAZETTE

Northern Colorado Springs is known for the religious fervor at its mega-churches, the nationwide reach of Focus on the Family, the military staidness of the Air Force Academy and the rapidly expanding rooftops of suburban sprawl.

Scott Koons says something is missing: cold beer, brewed on the spot. He and some other entrepreneurs hope to change that, with the area’s first brewpub.

A ground-breaking will be held today for Colorado Mountain Brewery, a $3.2 million micro-brewery and restaurant that would be the first brewpub in this part of town and the first locally-owned one on the north side. It is expected to open in May.

The microbrew was once the exclusive toast of downtown, but the brewpub business has been migrating north and east in recent years. National chain Rock Bottom Brewery opened a brewpub off North Powers Boulevard in 2005, and locally-owned Trinity Brewing Co. set up shop on Garden of the Gods Road last year.

Colorado Mountain Brewery will be at InterQuest Marketplace, a mixed-use development that includes Hollywood Theaters, which opened a 14-screen complex in May, and is expected to include a hotel, stores and a bowling alley.

View the entire story on Gazette.com

Springs software firm wins $300M contract, plans 100 jobs

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Springs software firm wins $300M contract, plans 100 jobs

September 10, 2009 4:24 PM | WAYNE HEILMAN | THE GAZETTE

Intelligent Software Solutions Inc. today won the biggest government contract in its 12-year history, a $300 million deal with the Air Force Research Laboratory that will result in the company hiring about 100 employees this year.

About two-thirds of the hires will be at the company’s Colorado Springs headquarters, said ISS President Jay Jesse.

The latest hiring will continue an expansion already under way to work on a four-year, $8 million contract awarded last month for the laboratory’s Autonomous Space and Ground Systems for Space Superiority program and to support a major sale in March of the company’s command and control enterprise software to the Canadian Air Force.

The five-year Web Enabled Temporal Analysis System Toolkit contract will start with about $50 million to complete more than 100 projects for 50 military commands and likely will reach $300 million within two years, Jesse said. Much of the work includes installing the company’s data analysis software on more military computer networks, including some in Afghanistan and Iraq, and expanding use of its software that tracks significant events, such as bomb explosions and troop movements.

View the entire story on Gazette.com

Colorado Springs School District 11 Selects tw telecom to Provide Voice, Internet and Data Services

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Colorado Springs School District 11 Selects tw telecom to Provide Voice, Internet and Data Services

Colorado Springs School District 11 Selects tw telecom to Provide Voice, Internet and Data Services --Multi-year agreement for tw telecom services connects 33,000 students, teachers and staff in more than 50 locations --Company delivers advanced communications connectivity to six Colorado public school districts to serve the needs of 150,000 students, faculty and staff

tw telecom won the five-year contract through a competitive bid process that evaluated technical compliance, past performance and proposed costs. Installation of the services was completed earlier this month.

"After a comprehensive review, we found that tw telecom offers the best package of highly reliable and affordable communications services that our district needs," said Dr. Nicholas Gledich, Superintendent of Colorado Springs School District 11. "And, just as important, tw telecom offers the flexibility and responsiveness to meet our service and billing needs."

With the addition of Colorado Springs School District 11, tw telecom now manages the data and voice services for six school districts and nearly 150,000 public school students, faculty and staff in Colorado. Other public school districts that use tw telecom services include: Littleton Public Schools; Cherry Creek School District; Douglas County School District; Academy School District 20; and Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8.

View the entire article on finance.yahoo.com

tw telecom Wins Five-Year, $1.4 Million Contract to Provide Data, Internet and Voice Services to U.S. Air Force Base

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT

tw telecom Wins Five-Year, $1.4 Million Contract to Provide Data, Internet and Voice Services to U.S. Air Force Base - tw telecom to install and manage services at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs

tw telecom won the five-year contract, valued at $1.4 million, through a competitive bid process that evaluated technical compliance, past performance and proposed costs. Installation of the services will be complete by December 31, 2009.

"As home to the 21st Space Wing, Air Force Space Command, United States Space Command, and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), Peterson Air Force Base is a vital asset to both the military and the city of Colorado Springs," said Rick Corbett, vice president and general manager for tw telecom in Colorado Springs. "When evaluating quality, reliability, and cost, we're pleased the Air Force's competitive bid process determined that tw telecom's solution was the best. We look forward to helping Peterson Air Force Base continue to serve our nation and to deliver them the industry's finest customer experience."

View the entire article on finance.yahoo.com

LT. GOV. O’BRIEN CONGRATULATES FOUR COLORADO CITIES ON BEING NAMED TO BACKPACKER MAGAZINE’S “BEST CITIES TO RAISE AN OUTDOOR CHILD”

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT

LT. GOV. O’BRIEN CONGRATULATES FOUR COLORADO CITIES ON BEING NAMED TO BACKPACKER MAGAZINE’S “BEST CITIES TO RAISE AN OUTDOOR CHILD”

Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien congratulated four Colorado cities that made the top ten list of Backpacker Magazine’s “Best Cities to Raise an Outdoor Child.” The cities included: Boulder, Durango, Colorado Springs and Ft. Collins. Colorado is the only state with more than one city in the top ten and has the most listings in the top 25.

Click here to read the full article.

“Backpacker Magazine and the Outdoor Foundation officially recognized what we already knew,” said Lt. Gov. O’Brien. “Colorado has a culture of health and is fortunate enough to have spectacular natural resources at its doorstep. We need to ensure that our children are connected to nature so they are healthy, balanced, and ready to learn,”

Lt. Gov. O’Brien has been conducting Colorado Kids Outdoors forums since May to encourage more activity towards reconnecting kids to the outdoors and to explore what communities are already doing to get kids excited about engaging the outdoors. National figures indicate that children ages 8-18 spend an average of 6 ½ hours a day connected to an electronic device. Outdoor activities by children have declined by half over the past 20 years, while obesity rates have doubled.

Backpacker Magazine and the Outdoor Foundation looked at several factors in creating the rankings, including: livability, landscape, pollution, health factors, adult activity, weather, and proximity to water, trails, mountains, and parks.

Lt. Gov. O’Brien concludes her Colorado Kids Outdoors tour this month with stops in Frisco on September 10 and in Golden on September 23. A report on the tour will be released later in the fall. She will also participate in a “Hike for Youth” event at Golden Gate State Park on Saturday, September 12. It will be presented by Mile High Youth Corps, city WILD and Colorado Mountain Club’s Youth Education Program

Colorado healthy, at peace with self

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Colorado healthy, at peace with self

Amy Gillentine | March 17,2009 | 8:43 am

Colorado ranks fourth in the nation in terms of well being, according to a national analysis of 350,000 interviews conducted in 2008.

Only Utah, Hawaii and Wyoming rank higher, with Michigan, Tennessee and Oklahoma having the lowest well-being ratings, according to the Gallup Healthways WEll-Being Index, one of the largest survey of its kind.

The Well-Being index ranks the nation and each state based on life evaluation, healthy behaviors, work environment, physical and emotional health, and access to necessities.

The nation’s average is 65.5, with each point representing 2.2 million people — meaning that 144 million people have a favorable well-being. In Colorado, the ranking is 67.3, while Michigan’s ranking is 64.

The sense of well-being is higher in western states and lowest in the midwest and the south.

Courtesy of CSBJ.com

Colorado Springs rated number 18 for best fishing/hunting town out of 200 by Outdoor Life

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Colorado Springs rated number 18 for best fishing/hunting town out of 200 by Outdoor Life

John Taranto | May 28, 2009

> Outdoor Life recently named Colorado Springs #18 out of 200 in a complete list of America's 200 best hunting and fishing towns for 2009.

View the entire list on outdoorlife.com

Chambers Combine to Form ’Single Voice’

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Chambers Combine to Form ’Single Voice’

Amy Gillentine | August 25,2009 | 10:54 am

Eight chambers of commerce and the Colorado Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau have collaborated to form the Pikes Peak Regional Business Partnership to pool lobbying efforts.

The group has been meeting for nearly four years, but only recently gained status as a separate 501(c)(6) organization.

“We’re looking at four different areas,” said Chairwoman Debbie Miller, president of the Greater Woodland Park Chamber of Commerce. “We’re going to create a concerted effort to speak for the region in the legislature, in public policy. We want to be the lead organization to help with military support, educational opportunities and community building.”

The group plans to use the resources of all the member organizations, she said, providing smaller groups with a louder voice and additional support.

View the full article at CSBJ.com.

UCCS Expands Homeland Security Certificate Offerings

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 04:00:00 GMT

UCCS Expands Homeland Security Certificate Offerings

August 25,2009 | 8:04 am

The Center for Homeland Security, part of the National Institute of Science, Space and Security Centers at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, has added certificates in security intelligence and disaster public health to a growing list of educational services in homeland security and homeland defense.

CHS, in partnership with the School of Public Affairs, is offering the certificate in intelligence for graduate students. The center, in partnership with the Beth-El School of Nursing, is offering the Public Health Certificate for both graduate and undergraduate students.

The Graduate Certificate in Homeland Security Intelligence will be comprised of four courses: national security intelligence; democracy, policy and security; counterterrorism intelligence; and analytical intelligence methodologies.

View the rest of this article on CSBJ.com

American Dream Award Winner Alice Serves Delectable, Made-From-Scratch Texas Border Food

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Alice serves delectable, made-from-scratch Texas border food

By NATHANIEL GLEN, THE GAZETTE

You can't get everything you want at Alice's restaurant.

Everything else about this hidden downtown spot pretty much lines up with the old Arlo Guthrie song "Alice's Restaurant": walk right in, it's around the back (behind Josh & John's), just a half a mile from the railroad tracks (actually 0.35 mile, but close enough). And the name of the restaurant isn't Alice's Restaurant. It's actually Alice's Mexican Cuisine.

But even if you can't get anything you want, you can get something very, special and rare: real, honest-to-God Tex-Mex made from scratch using owner Alice Ballesteros's old family recipes and fantastic ingredients. This place is so authentic, it's museum quality.

The whole thing started about 50 years ago when Alice was growing up on the border in El Paso, Texas, with five brothers and sisters. Her mom made all the hearty meals that became the standards of every Mexican restaurant: tacos, tamales, chiles rellenos and eggs with chorizo.

In the 1960s and 1970s, that now well-known Tex-Mex menu was introduced to the country by a wave of restaurants that simply called the food "Mexican." Something was lost in translation. A lot of that first wave of taco joints, with their ketchupy salsa and shredded yellow cheese, were nothing like the food in Alice's mom's kitchen, nor like the food in Mexico. That started to give Tex-Mex a bad name. People were pretty sure they weren't getting the real thing. And over time, that original single beam of Mexican dining was split by a prism of immigration and increasingly sophisticated tastes. The result was a rainbow of different kinds of Mexican: dingy taquerias, yuppie mango salsa bistros, northern New Mexican places with blue corn and green chili, Baja-style fish taco joints and made-for-immigrant family restaurants with thick pumpkin seed molés from Oaxaca. Tex-Mex became a slur for that dreadful, proto-Taco Bell Mexican you might get in a school lunch line, with bland ground beef and Styrofoam tomatoes under a toupee of shredded lettuce.

Anyway, it was about 50 years after Alice (Remember Alice?) learned to cook her mother's traditional Tex-Mex recipes that she got tired of a corporate job she had been working for decades and decided it would be nice to open a little restaurant with her son, John, a trained chef.

But even she doesn't call her food Tex-Mex.

"I call it Texas border style," she said on a recent visit.

Don't split hairs over the name. Just sit down and order anything on the menu. You can't go wrong.

View the entire article...

Springs a hot spot for young professionals

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Springs a hot spot for young professionals

Story By: John Romero | Source: KOAA |Published Wed Jun 24, 2009, 05:31 PM MDT

A new study done by Next Generation Consulting names Colorado Springs as one of the “Next Cities” in the country for young professionals. The study cites a growing job market as one of the top reason. “There are a lot of thing that come into play, but job opportunity is probably on the top of the list.” says Mike Kasmierski with the Colorado Springs Economic Development Corporation. “We have a lot of different opportunities.” says Sandy Wenger with the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, “We have the small business development center to help get us started. We have a lot of different entrepreneurial opportunities here.”

View the entire article.

Member news: Braxton CEO Frank Backes Named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2009

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Member News

Braxton CEO & Chamber MAC Member, Frank Backes Named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2009 Award Winner in the Rocky Mountain Region.

Permalink: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20090619005805/en

2009 Monday Report Link's

Thu, 28 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT

2009 Monday Report Link's

October

October 5
September

September 28th
September 21st
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August

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August 3rd
July

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June

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May

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April

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March

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Armed Forces Week Images

Tue, 19 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Click on links below to view images.

Thanks to:

Edward G. Martens, Visual Masterworks, (719) 362-7530 for images 1 - 11.
&
Paul D. deBerjeois, www.colorbandit.com for images 12 - 28.

El Paso County has halted its downward trend.

Mon, 18 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT

The Business Conditions Index for El Paso County has halted its downward trend.

For more information click here.

Chamber offers health insurance options for small businesses

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Chamber offers health insurance options for small businesses

Amy Gillentine (CSBJ)
November 7, 2008

The Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Humana Inc. to offer a health benefits program for chamber members.

The program is available to businesses that have as few as a single employee or as many as 99, and includes drug, dental, vision, wellness, employee assistance programs and life insurance coverage.

“We know Colorado Springs small business owners want to provide health benefits to employees, but often the increasing costs of health care can prevent this from becoming a reality,” said David Csintyan, the chamber’s chief executive officer.

Members will have access to several health-plan options, including high-deductible health plans with health savings accounts and more traditional benefit plans with lower deductibles and co-payments.

For information, contact Humana at (303) 694-1044 or (800) 825-7496.

Uninsured children

There are 170,000 uninsured children in Colorado — more than one of eight children in the state — according to a report by Families USA.

The report, based on Census Bureau data, reflects the three-year period 2005 to 2007 and does not include the worsening economic situation during 2008.

“Left Behind: Colorado’s Uninsured Children” spotlights the following facts:

Colorado ranks 13th in the nation for the number of uninsured children, and seventh nationally for the percentage of children without health insurance. Colorado’s uninsured children come from working families. Nearly all uninsured children (93.9 percent) come from families where at least one parent works, and more than two-thirds of uninsured children — 71.3 percent — live in households where at least one family member works full-time, year-round.

Nearly two-thirds, 65.1 percent, of Colorado’s uninsured children come from low-income families who are likely eligible for Medicaid or CHP+.

Medicaid ID law

Changes implemented two years ago by Medicaid are making life difficult for community health centers.

The problem lies with identification demands that have resulted in coverage delays and interruptions in health care, according to research by the Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative.

The requirements also jeopardize the ability of health centers to practice recognized standards of quality and access because of delays in enrolling patients and getting paid for services.

The two-part study that looked at the effects of Medicaid citizenship documentation requirements found that nine of 10 health centers reported problems that affect eligible patients. During 2007, health centers served more than 16 million patients at more than 6,200 sites nationwide, including more than 5.6 million Medicaid beneficiaries and 5.8 million low-income children.

The law requires some proof of citizenship, but many low-income residents don’t have drivers’ licenses and the wait to get state identification can delay services.

Other findings include:

Three-quarters of all health centers continue to experience significant problems with citizenship documentation requirements for patients who are eligible for the benefits.

Nearly one-half of health centers report Medicaid application and enrollment disruptions and delays continue to affect their ability to arrange for specialty care for eligible patients and many affected centers report increased costs associated with helping qualified patients with application and enrollment problems.

Documentation requirements appear to have particularly affected access for several specific patient categories, including U.S.-born newborns, whose need for rapid management can become serious.

New training office

QShift Travel Nurses of Colorado Springs has opened a Cascade Healthcare Training Center at 212 E. Monument St.

The company, which was founded in 1991, provides professional health care staffing to more than 300 facilities and associations across the nation.

Amy Gillentine covers health care for the Colorado Springs Business Journal.