United States Olympic Committee arrives downtown in Colorado Springs - Colorado Springs Business Journal

Their presence is already making itself known.

About half of the United States Olympic Committee's 400 employeeshave moved in to the organization's new headquarters at 27 S. TejonSt., and downtown is feeling the energy.

USOC Director of Communications Mark Jones confirmed what hasbecome increasingly obvious to nearby restaurants and shops.

About 130 or 140 downtown employees have been added to the mix,with more to come.

'Everyone is thrilled to be downtown. The new building certainlyallows us operating efficiencies which are crucial, but the abilityto walk across the street for coffee or around the corner for asandwich is a great amenity,' he said.

Sonterra and Slayton's managing partner Matt Sharb didn't wastetime putting up a sign welcoming the newcomers.

'They're definitely making their presence known. Our wait staffsees their badges and tries to track the number of USOC guests weserve. So far, during this first week, we've seen about 20 or 30 aday in our restaurants,' he said, adding that his business is up16.5 percent for March on a year-over-year basis.

Former Team Handball Olympian and Concept Restaurants owner LukeTravins says many of the USOC's employees, formerly headquartered atthe Olympic Training Center campus, have been good customers foryears.

'They're not new to town, they've just relocated - but we loveit,' he said. And like Sharb, he says business has been picking upthis spring after a fairly flat first quarter.

Joe and Robin Frode own the La Baguette Bakery and Cafe. So farthey've seen a few customers sporting USOC badges and say March andApril business has generally picked up.

I worry that skiing will never recover from this; From Colorado springs eternal hope but Bell knows Highlander has huge mountain to climb. - Daily Mail (London)

Byline: NIALL AITCHESON

THE SHOCKWAVES of the Alain Baxter drugs scandal were still reverberating around the global skiing fraternity yesterday, as Martin Bell struggled to comprehend the enormity of the situation.

Bell had spent a sleepless night at home in the Colorado resort of Vail following the shattering news from Europe, trying to measure the impact it would have on this most close-knit of sporting communities.

Even from a distance of 5,000 miles, he was not immune to the fallout.

Skiing and controversy are uneasy bedfellows. But when they do collide, the debris is often hard to clear. In most cases, it leaves a cloud of suspicion, prompting even the best of friends to question each other's integrity.

Former British No.1 Bell spent a decade enjoying the highs and lows of the pro tour. He now does promotional work for the Vail Resorts company, but his experiences on the competitive circuit have taught him that appearances can be deceptive.

'There has always been a little bit of distrust between rival skiers. They can act like they are the best of pals for half the week, but when the heat is on, they are thinking only for themselves,' Bell said. 'The camaraderie on the circuit is generally very good. Most ski resorts are not big places and you do get to know people pretty well. You are sharing the same hotels and training facilities, eating in the same restaurants and drinking in the same pubs.

'But no matter how friendly you are with someone, the competitive element within you comes out when the tournament begins.

I knew a lot of guys who would not have anything to do with their fellow racers in the build-up to competitions. They liked to go into the zone and completely shut themselves off.' Bell, whose eighth-place finish at Calgary in 1988 had been the best performance by a British skier in Olympic competition prior to Baxter's bronze medal run last month, added: 'Quite often, the biggest rivalries are between skiers from the same team. It's like Formula One. Everyone wants to be the top dog, the No.1.' While Bell believes the unique friendships which bond the world's leading skiers together will survive this hammer blow to the sport's image, he fears that the collateral damage may prove irreparable.

' Whatever happens now, the publicity surrounding Alain's situation is bound to have a knock-on effect with sponsors,' he said. 'It will be very difficult to persuade some of the major players to remain on board, as no- one is keen to be associated with something that has been tainted.' Bell, who retired from competitive skiing seven years ago, says that even if Baxter manages to win his appeal at a meeting of the IOC's medical committee in Lausanne next week, the stigma will be difficult to erase.

Bell remembers the fall- out when the Norwegian ski team turned up at a race with enhanced muscles, prompting one leading coach to accuse them of using steroids. 'Although the charge was never proven, these kind of incidents always leave a bad aftertaste,' said Bell.

According to Bell, Baxter has only one feasible excuse on which to base his defence - that he unknowingly took the banned drug methamphetamine via a cold cure. At next week's hearing, he expects Baxter's legal representatives to highlight the precedent set by Olympic sprinter Linford Christie in 1988.

Christie tested positive for traces of banned pseudo-ephydrine after finishing fourth in the 200m in Seoul.

Christie was found not guilty by a split decision after successfully proving that the substance had come from nothing more than the ginseng tea he had been drinking.

At the same Olympics, the Briton benefited from the disqualification of disgraced champion Ben Johnson-in the 100m, subsequently being promoted from bronze to silver. 'Linford was able to get off because he proved it was a genuine mistake. If Alain can do likewise, he has a chance,' Bell said.

'I think he made a genuine mistake. The drug concerned would not change his performance.

'In Alpine skiing, drugs are not really an issue, because it is more down to technique and skill.

Cross-country skiing is another story altogether. We have had a lot more incidents involving drugs in cross-country because it is 80 per cent endurance and 20 per cent skill. Alpine is 30 per cent endurance and 70 per cent skill.' This was backed up by Austrian skiing legend Hermann Maier, who said he was surprised and doubtful of the Baxter allegations.

Maier, who has been sidelined this year with a broken leg following a motorbike accident, lives in the Flachau area where Baxter has made his second home.

BRUINS HAVE A SPRING IN THEIR STEP UCLA BASKETBALL: SNEAKER-WEARING HOWLAND SEES TEAM SHOOT 59.6 PERCENT IN HIGH-FLYING VICTORY. UCLA 77, COLORADO 60 - Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)

Maybe it was just the shoes, but UCLA head coach Ben Howland suredid seem to have some extra pep in his step on Saturday afternoon.

Sporting sneakers to support the fight against cancer to go alongwith his suit, Howland was springier than a well-coiled Slinky;still wound just as tight, but ready to let loose.

His players had a little extra bounce, too.

Playing against one of the hottest teams in the conference, itwas UCLA that heated up, shooting 59.6 percent in a 77-60 win overColorado in front of 9,253 at the Sports Arena.

'(Former UCLA head coach and current St. John's head coach SteveLavin) went to the sneakers and stayed in them the rest of the waylast year,' Howland said with a smile. 'I like it, too. Feels betteron my feet.'

The Bruins were better off them.

Their feet, that is, as UCLA converted alley-oop after alley-oop, putting on a show for what was certainly the best home crowd ofthe year at the Sports Arena.

Already up seven but coming off a 3-pointer by Colorado's NateTomlinson with just less than 14 minutes remaining, the Bruins wenton a 13-3 run, capped off by a Jerime Anderson-to-Travis Wear alley-oop dunk, stretching the lead to 17 with 8 minutes, 44 seconds toplay.

'Defensive stops - whenever we're getting stops it definitely isa momentum booster,' sophomore guard Tyler Lamb said. 'It getseverybody up more and then you come down and score, it all startssnowballing. We were in the huddle and we were communicating intimeouts, coach Howland was asking us what we thought would work andour senior guards stepped up a lot.'

Senior guard Lazeric Jones had a team-high 17 points and nineassists, Anderson added eight points and eight assists and Lambadded 12 points and six assists as UCLA finished with 26 on theafternoon. The sharp passing helped the Bruins erase an earlydeficit that was plagued by sloppiness.

The Buffaloes (14-7, 6-3 Pac-12) got off to a nice start in theirfirst matchup with UCLA (12-9, 5-4) as a conference opponent,jumping ahead 12-4 as the Bruins committed four quick turnovers.UCLA climbed back, took the lead with 12:27 left and eventually wentinto halftime up by four, courtesy of a Norman Powell 3-pointer asthe first half expired.

What changed so drastically for the Bruins in the second half?They picked up their defensive intensity.

After letting Colorado shoot 56 percent in the first half on 15-of-27 shooting, UCLA held the Buffaloes, who came into the game withnine wins in their past 11, to 34.8 percent shooting in the secondhalf and ran away with it.

'Our intensity picked up a little in the second half,' said DavidWear, who finished with 13 points. 'There've been a couple timeswhere our intensity dipped off in the second half. It was good tocome up with that much intensity, really talking about our defense,not allowing any second shots.'

Howland credited Lamb with a standout effort as UCLA heldColorado's leading scorer Carlon Brown - who had been averaging 13.6points per game - to just six points in 31 minutes, with two assistsand three of the team's 14 turnovers.

'I really thought Tyler Lamb played great defense on Brown,'Howland said. 'He's a great player, and Tyler Lamb deserves a lot ofcredit for how he played. Thirteen points, six assists - I thoughtthis was one of his best games as a Bruin.'

Added Lamb: 'Carlon Brown, I've known him since I was in middleschool - I played on his AAU team a couple times. I've known what hewas capable of. He's a very good player. Coach stressed that I wouldhave to stop him and I tried my best.'

What had Howland really excited as his Bruins prepare for a toughtwo-game road set in Washington against the Huskies and Cougars wasthe team's passing, though.

'We were really, really making the extra pass,' Howland said.'It's fun to watch. That's how basketball is supposed to be played.I love that our players get joy out of making that play. The funnestthing on offense is to watch a pass that leads to a wide-open shot.I love that as much as anything.'

Maybe even as much as his new shoes.

Snowboarders, skiers fight to co-exist on slopes in culture clash. (Originated from Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph) - Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service

Colorado ski areas are finding themselves playing an unexpected role: peace negotiators between snowboarders and skiers.

The new school vs. the old.

The young rebels against the establishment.

If skiers are ballroom dancers, snowboarders are grunge rockers.

``Snowboarding is high energy, fresh and fun. Skiing is a bunch of stiff one-piece suits,'' said Stephanie Prater, a snowboarder at Crested Butte, Colo.

Ever since Jake Burton set his snowboard down on Stratton Mountain, Vt., more than 15 years ago, skiers and snowboarders have seldom seen eye to eye.

In skiers' eyes, snowboarders use bad language, dress like crotchless hitmen and have manners like Beavis and Butthead. They ride their boards like the getaway car in a B movie. Out of control. Totally.

They collide with skiers and sit down on the busiest routes, forcing skiers to maneuver around them.

To skiers, snowboarders are bad dudes with bad attitudes. Occasionally the differences result in slope-side fistfights.

Yet ski areas are courting snowboarders the way Romeo pursued Juliet. Snowboarding is the only bright spot in a stagnant ski industry, with an annual growth rate of 17 percent. Today it represents 11 percent of lift tickets sold, according to The National Ski Areas Association.

And snowboarding is the fastest growing sport in the United States _ from 1.2 million boarders in 1993 to 1.8 million in 1994, an increase of 50 percent that outpaces in-line skating, according to a survey by the National Sporting Goods Association.

Ski areas can't live without snowboarders. Not only are they blowing them a kiss, they're planning the wedding.

``Snowboarding is part of the future of the sport,'' said Monarch ski area general manager Rich Moorehead. ``It's a business decision to pursue them.''

Keystone and Aspen are the only two Colorado ski resorts that don't allow snowboarding. But managers in every other Colorado ski area are turning mediation into an art form, intent on smoothing things over between skiers and boarders.

``It's more of an age difference than anything. The young kid against the old guy. That kind of conflict is everywhere, not just on the ski slopes,'' said Pete Bernard, a 25-year-old snowboarder hired by Monarch to act as an on-slope ambassador. ``Some skiers seem to be looking for snowboarders to do something wrong. A lot of the problems came about because it was a new sport and people just don't like change.''

Bernard is in charge of four ``Courtesy Riders'' making their debut at Monarch this season. They are the Miss Manners of snowboarding, setting a good example and striving to clean up their sport's bad-boy image.

``We try to discourage adverse behavior,'' said Bernard. ``We'll say, `Hey man, that's not cool, we'll lose our privileges.' We're trying to encourage boarders to police themselves.''

They also act as a liaison between skiers and boarders, trained to intervene in on-slope conflicts.

``A lot of times, snowboarders will listen better to someone who's their own kind, rather than a ski patrolman giving them a lecture,'' Moorehead said.

Rowdy snowboarders have recently taken delight in bouncing off emergency telephones and jumping over trash cans and logs they pull onto the slopes, often to the chagrin of skiers content to schuss down an obstacle-free course.

Monarch responded by opening a park this season devoted to and built by snowboarders, where shredders can jump, twist and spin in their own hazard-filled world. They fly over everything from skinned logs to an old car top, all safely away from skiers. Most Colorado ski areas have installed half-pipes _ open tubes of builtup snow that resemble skateboard ramps that shoot boarders into the air.

The Breckenridge ski area changes the obstacles weekly in its shredders garden and consequently is rated tops in the country by one snowboarding magazine.

The snowboard parks have effectively funneled daredevil shredders from the slopes where families frolic.

To take it a step further, Monarch is polling its boarders to see what kind of music they like with the idea of providing amplified tunes in the snowboard park.

Snowboard lessons at Monarch include skier etiquette and safety. ``One of the points of the lessons is what's proper and what's not as far as interacting with others on the mountain,'' Moorehead said. ``Snowboarders often come from surfing and skateboarding backgrounds and are not as likely to know ski etiquette.''

Snowboard shops in Crested Butte, which is hosting the first U.S. Extreme Snowboarding Championships this month, have gotten in on that act. They distribute cards with courtesy tips such as be aware of others on the slope and watch your language. Written in shredder language, they've been well-received by snowboarders, Prater said.

Ultimately, as more older skiers and families take up snowboarding, the cultural chasm is narrowing, industry analysts say.

While most snowboarders are between the ages of 16 and 24, nearly 15 percent are between the ages of 25 and 44, said the National Ski Areas Association.

``It's no longer a teen-age sport,'' said association spokeswoman Stacy Gardner. ``It's a maturing sport and families are starting to get into it.''

``The over-30 snowboarding set is clearly gaining speed,'' said Craig Altschul, publisher of The Insider's Ski Letter, a trade publication. ``The 40-year-old dad who's been taking the family skiing all these years decides to get into it when the kids do.''

``The other day I noticed a family of four on the slopes. Mom and daughter were on skis and dad and son were on snowboards and Dad was about 40 years old,'' said Ken Payne, a 35-year-old Breckenridge spokesman who recently took his first snowboard lesson.

``As a more diverse group enters the sport, snowboarding's reputation will change,'' Moorehead said.

``It was perceived for a long time that snowboarders were out of control and would run over you,'' Payne said. ``But snowboarders have gotten very good at what they do and the tension has decreased. I think skiers and snowboarders cohabit very nicely now.''

Shredders and skiers are not only living with each other, they're traveling together, said the National Ski Areas Association. More than half of the snowboarders surveyed during the 1993-94 season came to a ski area with an Alpine skier.

Colorado Springs Real Estate Briefs: April 11, 2008 - Colorado Springs Business Journal

A 26,500-square-foot Goodwill retail store has broken ground on4.3 acres west of Kohl's department store, near the intersection ofSouth Circle Drive and Janitell Road.

The retail center will replace Goodwill's downtown store at PikesPeak and Wahsatch avenues, which is scheduled to close later thisyear.

In addition to departments such as clothing, housewares,collectibles, sporting good and toys, the new store will include a1,000-square-foot teen department and a book nook with a coffee bar.

Janitell-Childs Design Group is the project architect and G.E.Johnson is the general contractor. The total cost of the project isabout $7 million, said spokeswoman Laura Marth.

Population and construction

Colorado is among a handful of Western and Southern states withfast-growing county populations.

Of Colorado counties with populations of more than 100,000,Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, Douglas, Weld, Montrose and Larimer sawpopulation increases of more than 2 percent between 2006 and 2007.

El Paso County's population grew by 1.1 percent and Pueblo Countygrew by 1.6 percent.

Other growth areas identified by the Population Reference Bureauwere Florida, the interior of California, parts of Nevada, Arizonaand Utah as well 'as in the suburbs and exurbs of large metropolitanareas, such as Atlanta and Washington, D.C.' The biggest declineswere in the rural Midwest, the upper Great Plains and theMississippi Delta region, including New Orleans.

Ken Simonson, chief economist for Associated General Contractorsof America, sees a link between opportunity for the constructionindustry and population growth.

Perhaps as a result of the price of oil and energy, he alsoreported that based on Census data, several suburban counties thatare farthest from urban centers have seen a 'marked deceleration' inresidents moving in, while some urban areas and close-in suburbsthat had experienced steady population losses are seeing the trendreverse.

Residential updates

The residential real estate market is alive and holding its own,despite of headlines to the contrary.

Campbell Homes, for example, has opened a new sales office inMeridian Ranch. The builder also has a presence in PronghornMeadows, Feathergrass, Cordera, Falcon Hills and Indigo Ranch.

Nichols & Comito has sold three custom lots at Cedar Heightssince the beginning of the year, and a fourth is under contract,said Celeste Marren. The Village at Star Ranch also has seen newactivity, with two lots under contract in the Estates neighborhoodand the first residents moving in this month.

Steel prices won't hurt post

Oil and alternative energy sources are not the only commoditiesin high demand.

During the past six months, steel prices and the prices for someother construction materials have increased as much as 50 percentfrom last summer.

As a result, the cost of many industrial, commercial, energy andgovernment projects along the Front Range will probably go up.

Robert Giles, head of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office atFort Carson, said post construction contractors anticipated theincreases.

'Some of our manufactured housing is actually built offsite --and they're using mostly wood,' he said. 'In addition, most of theon-post contractors we work with have switched to wood framing andtrusses because steel is just too expensive. Also, contractors onthe post's new maintenance buildings are using tilt-up concreteinstead of steel which is just too expensive.'

Giles admits that the lifespan of wood isn't that of steel, butstaying within budget requires being resourceful.

Ken Simonson, chief economist for Associated General Contractorsof America's, said he believes that reports from steel producerswill mean an 'unprecedented price spiral at a time of lacklusterdomestic demand, beckoning higher costs for everything fromrefrigerators to new office towers during a period of economicweakness.'

MEN'S SOCCER FALLS 2-0 TO COLORADO RAPIDS OF MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

DENVER, April 15 -- The University of New Mexico issued the following news release:

The University of New Mexico men's soccer team gave up two goals in the first half and lost 2-0, to the Colorado Rapids at Dick Sporting Goods Park today. The Lobos shutdown the Rapid attack in the second half and didn't allow a goal. The exhibition wraps up the Lobos spring play who finished 3-0-2 against collegiate competition.

'This was a great experience,' said head coach Jeremy Fishbein. 'We went out tentative and got caught a little bit in the first half. We had a lot chances in the second half once we got our confidence back. Everyone got to play against top competition and we held our own. That's what the spring is for, so we can evaluate and prepare for the fall.'

Seattle's boom is over, but it remains a fine place to visit.(The Gazette (Colorado Springs)) - Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service

SEATTLE _ Three decades ago, Seattle was known for its rain and the little airplane plant called Boeing. The city had an inferiority complex of sorts _ never a major city, always an also-ran.

But the city has improved its image.

Seattle's march into the spotlight began in 1962 with the World's Fair, which included construction of the Space Needle and a visit by Elvis Presley, where he filmed one of his lamest movies, 'It Happened At the World's Fair.' Nevertheless, it was Seattle's announcement to the world, 'Hey, we're over here.'

The soggy, moss-filled corner of the country began to be recognized. Sporting events helped. College basketball playoffs began regular trips to the county-owned concrete stadium called the Kingdome. The Seattle Mariners baseball team drafted burgeoning superstars Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez, and the Seattle-based University of Washington football team won the national championship.

Then, the city and the Northwest became the backdrop for such films as 'Sleepless in Seattle' and 'Singles' and television shows 'Northern Exposure' and 'Twin Peaks.'

Microsoft's campus was in a Seattle suburb. Seattle-based Starbucks entered the American lexicon for good coffee and market expansion. And Kurt Cobain and friends made muddy music that prompted the country to wear ragged flannel shirts _ a longtime staple of Northwest fashion. National magazines proclaimed Seattle the coolest in the land. In 1996, Newsweek's cover blared, 'Seattle Reigns' and said 'sooner or later everyone moves to Seattle.'

The 1990s may have been the city's coming-out party, but also marked the end of its innocence. Seattle now had big city problems: a wild protest over international economics, traffic jams and a much higher cost of living.

In recent months, Seattle has had its share of bad luck. Griffey and Rodriguez have left. Microsoft has been ordered to split up. Software companies are closing. And just a few weeks ago, Boeing announced it was moving its world headquarters.

In February, a 6.8 earthquake rocked the region. It caused millions of dollars in damage, but for the most part the city survived intact, according to the mayor's publicist, Dick Lilly.

'There is no significant impact to life in the city or tourism in particular,' Lilly said.

Seattle remains a great place to visit. Clear days in Seattle, which regularly occur June to September, bring out its beauty. The Cascade Mountains to the east and the Olympic Mountains to the west provide a perfect backdrop for a downtown that appears to be floating in the middle of an inland sea.

Ferries toot their horns as they cruise commuters to island homes. House boats bob on Lake Union. Seaplanes fly executives to their hideaways. And evergreen trees keep the landscape lush year-round.

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ARCHIVE PHOTOS (TRAVEL SEATTLE) available on NewsCom-PressLink.

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Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

(c) 2001, The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.).

Visit GT Online, the World Wide Web site of The Gazette, at http://www.gazette.com

Auditors demanding changes in Air Force's athletic program.(Originated from Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph) - Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. _ Federal auditors are demanding controversial changes in the Air Force Academy's athletic program after a sweeping review of the institution's sports-related spending.

The demands _ some of which are being hotly contested by academy athletic officials _ come after a seven-month Department of Defense audit raised numerous questions about the way academy athletic officials spent hundreds of thousands of dollars during the past three years.

At the heart of the issue: When it comes to college sports, should a unique institution like the Air Force Academy follow the spending policies of the military or the civilian schools it competes against?

Most of the disclosures in the audit are linked to the Air Force Academy's Athletic Association, a privately funded organization that supports the Falcons by generating about $6.5 million annually.

After the audit criticized the athletic association for several practices

_ such as buying goods and services without comparing prices or paying unjustified overtime _ academy athletic officials agreed to make several changes.

But academy officials are fighting auditors on other issues, saying their demands would make it too hard for them to compete with regular colleges. Among the disputed demands:

Stop the practice of coaches reaping personal gain when they endorse commercial sports products.

Auditors criticized a deal between football coach Fisher DeBerry and Reebok that promised DeBerry personal rewards if the academy purchased Reebok shoes.

Later, on DeBerry's recommendation, the academy bought 630 pairs of Reeboks for more than

$28,000 without seeking competing bids.

Academy athletic officials say such endorsement deals are common with coaches throughout the country and are among the incentives that attract them.

They also note that academy coaches' contracts have been rewritten to make it clear that they don't have the authority to decide which products the academy buys for its athletes. They say the academy will seek the best deal regardless of which product the coach is endorsing.

Stop housing football players in local hotels one or two nights before a home game.

Auditors said the practice was unnecessary and a waste of money. They also noted that the academy doesn't supply hometown lodging for its other sports teams.

Academy officials say the money comes from sporting events and related fund raising, not from tax dollars.

The practice is common for football teams at NCAA Division I colleges. Academy officials say it's important to keep players away from the distractions of the campus dorms and build ``esprit de corps'' before the game.

Place the athletic association under the rules of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Auditors say it is associated with the military and should therefore follow military policies.

Academy officials say that would make fund raising more difficult. For example, they would no longer be able to open the sports gift shop to the public or mail gift-shop catalogs to sports fans.

Academy athletic director Col. Randy Spetman said nothing ``in violation of (NCAA) rules'' was disclosed by the audit, conducted at the request of a congressional subcommittee seeking cost savings at military academies.

But NCAA officials said the academy may have violated an NCAA rule forbidding extra benefits when its football players in recent seasons were given meal money.

The audit revealed that players were given $10 to $15 to buy game-day meals even though some of those meals were provided by the academy.

``Member institutions are bound by our financial regulations as to what they can and can't provide,'' Athena Yiamouyiannis, the NCAA's director of legislative services, said Monday from Overland Park, Kan. ``They're not supposed to double dip as far as providing the meal and then giving the meal money.''

The academy has already changed that practice.

``We're aware of the audit, and we're going to fix the problems that were found,'' said Spetman, a former academy football player who replaced Col. Ken Schweitzer on March 1. ``We're doing the right things here, and we'll continue to do the right things.''

Spetman said the academy is waiting for a response to items in the report that they have not agreed with.

It may take a long time for the remaining disputes to be resolved because both parties are standing firm in their arguments. The disputes could eventually reach the deputy secretary of defense for resolution although that's rare.

Most of the audit disputes boil down to a philosophical issue: What exactly is the Air Force Academy when intercollegiate sports are involved _ an elite college like Stanford, with high standards but subject to NCAA rules, or a military institution under the regulatory eye of the Department of Defense?

``The bottom line is: there's no other institution in the Air Force like the Air Force Academy,'' said Col. Joe Purka, the academy's top spokesman. ``It's just inappropriate to put the Air Force Academy athletics under the same guidelines as would be enforced at any other air base, considering the two are just not comparable.''

Auditors don't see how placing the athletic association under military rules would do anything to hurt its ability to compete. They say that the Army follows such policies and is able to compete.

Indeed, similar audits were performed at the Army and Naval academies, where far fewer questions were raised about athletic spending practices, said Harlan Geyer, audit program director for the Department of Defense's Office of Inspector General.

``This isn't a collegiate institution; it's a military operation,'' said Geyer, the audit supervisor. ``If they need to attract a top-rate coach, they should do it another way _ like a salary increase or bonus _ than a way that just doesn't look right.''

Quiz: Match the movie with the merchandise.(The Gazette (Colorado Springs)) - Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service

The current blockbusters 'Cast Away' and 'What Women Want' are more than movies. They're also feature-length commercials.

Product placement, the practice of advertising stuff by getting it in movies, is hitting new heights as merchandise becomes almost as prominent in some films as the living actors. (Don't be surprised if you see a volleyball up for best supporting actor this year.)

Generally, product placements don't bother me. They can lend authenticity to a film. In some cases, they actually add a punchline, as in the jeans McFly (Michael J. Fox) wore in 'Back to the Future.'

But they cause problems when (as in 'Cast Away') a company with a key product placement (FedEx) gets script-approval rights and helps shape the story.

Then films become less about entertaining or enlightening and more about selling.

As a tribute to the selling of our film medium, I offer the following quiz. Match the products or companies with the movies that promoted them. Answers at the end of the column.

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THE QUIZ

1. Wilson Sporting Goods

2. Merrill Lynch investments

3. Apple Powerbook

4. Oakley Inc. sunglasses

5. Ray Ban sunglasses

6. Papa John's

7. Zoloft, an anti-depressant

8. Reese's Pieces

9. BMW Roadster

10. Nike

11. Wal-Mart

12. Pepsi

13. AOL

14. PanAm

15. Shell oil company

16. Phillips Electronics cell

phones

17. Starbucks

18. Huggies diapers

19. Skittles

20. Mercedes Benz sports-utility vehicles

21. Triumph motorcycles

22. Toro Snowblowers

23. Calvin Klein

24. Taco Bell

25. Armani

26. Jack Daniels

A. 'Twister'

B. 'Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'

C. '2001: A Space Odyssey'

D. 'The Ninth Gate'

E. 'What Women Want'

F. 'The Sixth Sense'

G. 'Where the Heart Is'

H. 'Analyze This'

I. 'Mission: Impossible 2'

J. 'GoldenEye'

K. 'Mildred Pierce'

L. 'E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial'

M. 'Risky Business'

N. 'Raising Arizona'

O. 'Inspector Gadget'

P. 'American Gigolo'

Q. 'You've Got Mail'

R. 'Dr. T & the Women'

S. 'Nobody's Fool'

T. 'Enemy of the State'

U. 'Jurassic Park'

V. 'Cast Away'

W. 'Barb Wire'

X. 'Back to the Future'

Y. 'Mission: Impossible'

Z. 'Demolition Man'

Answers: 1. V; 2. H; 3. Y; 4. I; 5. M; 6. R; 7. F; 8. L; 9. J; 10. E; 11. G; 12. A; 13. Q; 14. C; 15. D; 16. T; 17. B; 18. N; 19. O; 20. U; 21. W; 22. S; 23. X; 24. Z; 25. P; 26. K.

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Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

(c) 2001, The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.).

Visit GT Online, the World Wide Web site of The Gazette, at http://www.gazette.com

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: August 15, 2008 - Colorado Springs Business Journal

One might think that during the Olympic Games in Beijing,merchandise at Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center's retailstore would be flying off the shelves.

But, that's not so, said store manager Paul Duran.

The busy time will be when spectators, athletes and coachesreturn from China in a couple of weeks.

'During an Olympic year sales always go up,' Duran said. 'Butright now people are either in Beijing or consumed with watching thegames on TV, but when they're over, they'll be coming in.'

However, at that time, Duran said the store's challenge will beto get rid of all the sports wear that says 'Beijing,' becausepretty soon it'll be yesterday's fad.

'We might have to have a tent sale,' he said.

And, after the 'all-Beijing-merchandise-must-go sale,' Duran saidit'll be time to look to the future.

'It'll be Vancouver in 2010,' he said.

Dems open Denver store

The Democratic Party, seeking to meet all convention-goersapparel and accessory needs, will open its own retail shop in theDenver Pavilions shopping center later this month.

The store doesn't have a name or phone number yet, but will sellconvention necessities such as T-shirts, water bottles and bumperstickers.

Surely there will be plenty of Barack Obama donkey embossedmemorabilia as well.

The Democratic National Convention Committee hired merchandisevendor Financial Innovations of Rhode Island to design and sell theretail items.

Big box green energy

One good thing about big box retail stores is that they have bigrooftops.

Well, that's a good thing if companies are looking for largesurface areas for solar panels.

Retail chains such as Wal-Mart, Kohl's, Safeway and Whole FoodsMarket have installed solar panels on the roofs of their stores togenerate electricity.

During the coming months, 85 Kohl's stores will get solar panels.Forty-three already have them.

Macy's has solar panels atop 18 stores and plans to install themon another 40 by the end of the year.

Safeway has plans to put panels on 23 stores.

Wal-Mart, the nation's largest retailer, has 17 stores anddistribution centers with solar panels in operation or in thetesting phase.

Depending on location and weather, the solar panels can generatebetween 10 percent and 40 percent of the store's power needs.

Troop influx drives openings

Fountain is preparing for the arrival of 5,000 new troops at FortCarson during 2009 and retailers are booking locations.

Ent Federal Credit Union, Little Caesar's Pizza and Papa Murphy'sbroke ground this week in the Markets at Mesa Ridge shopping center,which is near the intersection of Mesa Ridge Parkway and FountainMesa Road, about a five-minute drive from Fort Carson's Gate 20.

'The Fountain Valley is a market unto its own trade area,'Fountain Economic Development Director Lisa Cochrun said. 'Peoplechose to live here because they want to avoid going north. The small-town atmosphere attracts them. Because we share two gates with FortCarson, we expect retail to boom as Fort Carson expands. It shouldbe a highlight in an otherwise gloomy economy.'

Commute-time analysis shows new troops are most likely to locatenear the post, Cochrun said.

New apartment buildings and housing developments are planned, andthe Interstate 25 interchange and bridge at Exit 132 is developingfaster than expected, Cochrun said.

'What our studies show is a sustainable demand for electronics,clothing, casual sit-down name brand restaurants, recreation andamusement centers, medical services, sporting goods, hobby stores, amovie theater ... all things families want close to home,' she said.

July chain-store sales up

Chain stores are still showing a slight increase in sales despitea supposed lack of American discretionary spending.

Sales increased 2.6 percent compared to July 2007, according tothe International Council of Shopping Centers.

June's sales increased at nearly double that rate, at 4.2percent, but July's performance was in line with the 2.5 percentaverage monthly year-over-year growth rate trend.

Goodwill opening 14th donation center in Colorado Springs - Colorado Springs Business Journal

Goodwill is opening a new drive-through donation center April 30at its administrative campus, 1460 Garden of the Gods Road.

The center will be open from 7 a.m to 5 p.m. Monday throughSaturday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Donations of clothing, shoes, housewares, furniture, appliances,sporting goods, computers and electronics, books and other items arewelcomed at the center. Items are tax deductible.

The donation center is the organization's 14th attended donationfacility in southern and western Colorado. There are eight locationsin Colorado Springs.

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: November 21, 2008 - Colorado Springs Business Journal

Flavors on Tejon, a breakfast and lunch restaurant that opened at321 N. Tejon St. during May, will expand its operation to includedinner on Friday and Saturday nights beginning Dec 12.

The restaurant's owners also are hoping to obtain a liquorlicense during the coming months.

'We're six months in and doing real well,' said Joe Ierisi.'Given the current economy we're feeling grateful.'

A 35-year restaurant veteran, Ierisi owned a similar restaurantin Fort Collins for 20 years.

Flavors on Tejon is an upscale breakfast and lunch eatery, butIerisi said he anticipated opening the restaurant for dinner onFridays and Saturdays even upon the restaurant's May opening.

'There is a lot of activity going on downtown here on Friday andSaturday nights,' Ierisi said. 'We're going to run our regular menuand once we get our liquor license people will be able to buyeverything from eggs Benedict and a cup of coffee to a burger and abeer.'

Army orders mountain boots

Danner, a subsidiary of LaCrosse Footwear Inc., has received a $2million order from the Army for Combat Hiker boots for deliveryduring the first quarter of 2009.

The company has been working with the Army to develop and testfootwear for harsh mountain terrain.

The boot is a full-grain leather with a Vibram soul, created fortraveling over uneven terrain while carrying heavy loads. Itincludes a breathable Gore-Tex lining and rubber to protect againstabrasion and damage.

The boot is shorter than standard-issue military boots and isexpected to provide greater mobility during steep ascents anddescents.

Production will take place at the company's manufacturingfacility in Portland, Ore.

October slump confirmed

The Commerce Department reported that U.S. retail sales forOctober fell 2.8 percent compared to September and 4.1 percentcompared to October 2007.

Automobile dealers were hit hardest, as sales fell 6.2 percent.Furniture, electronics and appliance stores dropped more than 2percent, while sporting goods and clothing stores felt the pinch toa lesser extent.

In response, retailers, fearing a decline in sales for the all-important holiday shopping season, have adjusted the way they dobusiness. Some have responded by loosening return policies, whileothers have brought back layaway plans.

According to the National Retail Federation, more than half ofretailers say their holiday return policies will be more lenientthan their policy for the rest of the year. Common changes includeextending the amount of time for returns to be made and also beingmore flexible to customers without a receipt.

After seeing a strong response from customers at its Kmartlocations, Sears Holdings Corp. is bringing back the layaway optionat its Sears stores.

Nike pulls SportBand

Citing faulty displays, Nike Inc. is pulling one of its populartraining devices from the market just prior to the holiday shoppingseason.

The company is conducting a voluntary recall of its NikeSportBand, which uses sensors in an armband and shoe to trackrunner's workout progress.

It seems a faulty seal in the arm band is the culprit. Moistureseeps into the display and interferes with its ability to downloaddata from Nike's online training site.

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: June 20, 2008 - Colorado Springs Business Journal

Retail shipping service owners have found that offering U.S.Postal Service products and services makes good business sense andpays dividends.

Since its inception two years ago, more than 2,000 retailshipping service operators have surpassed $40 million in sales byparticipating in the Postal Service's Approved Shipper program.

'The Approved Shipper Program enables the Postal Service tobecome more competitive in the retail package market while providingour customers with alternate access to postal products andservices,' said Kathy Ainsworth, USPS retail vice president.'Retailers have the option of adding a surcharge while continuing tosell competitor products and services.'

Other benefits include the program's no-fee license agreement,free signs and other materials.

To offer postal products and services, retail shippers must:

Currently use a postage meter or PC Postage account.

Ensure physical security of the mail.

Properly display Postal Service signs.

Comply with aviation security and hazmat requirements.

Follow the Postal Service product guide for approved shippers.

Accept Click-N-Ship and other prepaid packages.

Obtain approval of the Postal Service's local district manager.

May sales boost industry

With a little help from Uncle Sam, consumers headed back to thestores during May. According to the National Retail Federation,retail industry sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, andrestaurants) jumped 3.8 percent unadjusted compared to last year and0.9 percent seasonally adjusted month-to-month.

May figures released by the U.S. Commerce Department show totalretail sales (which include non-general merchandise categories suchas autos, gasoline stations and restaurants) increased 1 percentseasonally adjusted from the previous month and 3 percent unadjustedyear-over-year.

'Thanks to the tax rebate checks consumers received last month,the economy got a nice shot in the arm,' said NRF Chief EconomistRosalind Wells. 'It's evident consumers are feeling a bit moreconfident about their expenditures, especially with both April andMay sales seeing positive increases in many sectors.'

As predicted in NRF's tax rebate consumer spending surveys, mostshoppers hit discounters and grocery stores, stocking up onnecessity items.

Sales at grocery stores increased 0.6 percent seasonally adjustedfrom April and 8.5 percent unadjusted year-over-year. Generalmerchandise stores sales increased 1.2 percent seasonally adjustedmonth-to-month and 7.4 percent unadjusted compared to last year.

While many consumers focused on groceries and other necessaryitems, some did splurge. Sales at electronic and appliance storesincreased 0.7 percent seasonally adjusted month-to-month and a solid4.4 percent unadjusted year-over-year. Clothing and clothingaccessory stores sales increased 0.5 percent seasonally adjustedfrom April and 2.4 percent unadjusted compared to last May.

Sporting goods, book and hobby merchandise also benefited, withsales last month increasing 0.7 percent seasonally adjusted month-to-month and 4.4 percent unadjusted year-over-year.

Health and personal care stores sales also were a bright spot,with sales increasing 0.8 percent seasonally adjusted from lastmonth and 4.9 percent unadjusted year-over-year.

2nd Whole Foods location

Whole Foods Market has opened a second location in ColoradoSprings, at First & Main Town Center in the former site of WildOats.

'We've made mammoth changes to the store ... shoppers will seejust how much more than just the name has changed,' said LeonardChabiel, store team leader at 3180 New Center Point on PowersBoulevard. 'The difference is tangible.'

Gas prices affecting Fourth

With the rise in gas prices, consumers are thinking twice abouttheir July 4th plans.

According to the National Retail Federation's 2008 IndependenceDay Consumer Intentions and Actions survey, conducted byBIGresearch, 59.4 percent of consumers say increased gas prices willimpact their spending for the holiday, up from 42.1 percent ofconsumers last year.

Additionally, almost 200 million Americans (87.8 percent) believethat gas will cost more by the Fourth of July than it does now.Consumers expect that the average price of gas nationwide will be$4.39 per gallon on July 4.

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: September 12, 2008 - Colorado Springs Business Journal

Steve and Barry's, which operates a two-level 60,000-square-footstore in The Citadel mall, was recently purchased out of bankruptcyby B.H. S&B Holdings, a newly formed affiliate of investment firmsBay Harbour Management and York Capital Management.

Upon the purchase, B.H. S&B Holdings announced it would close 106of the 276 Steve and Barry's stores nationwide.

The Colorado Springs location at The Citadel and a store inWestminster will remain open, while stores in Pueblo, Littleton andLongmont will be closed.

Steve and Barry's would not comment about how it decided whichstores to close.

Work from home networking

Running a business or working from home can be an isolatingexperience.

So, two people have created a worldwide network called 'Jelly,'which hopes to offer some of the advantages that stay-at-homeworkers miss.

Launched by Amit Gupta and Luke Crawford during 2006 in New YorkCity, Jelly allows at-home workers to meet at coffee shops orrestaurants for brainstorming, collaboration and coworkercamaraderie.

Locally, a Jelly group meets at Summit House Coffee, 12225Voyager Parkway, Suite 3. The Summit House offers tables, chairs,sofas and wireless Internet. Participants meet from 11 a.m. to 2p.m. the second and fourth Monday of each month.

To find other Jelly meetings, visit wiki.workatjelly.com

Foot Locker most recognized

The Foot Locker retail brand is the most recognizable of allsports or outdoor retail brands in the United States, according to aSportsOneSource survey.

The survey, 'How America Shops,' found that 89 percent of allrespondents were aware of the Foot Locker brand name.

Dick's Sporting goods was second with 72 percent and SportsAuthority third with 70 percent.

Foot Locker was dominant across all genders, economic groups,ages and regions.

Sector hemorrhaging jobs

Retail employment shrunk by more than 19,000 jobs nationwideduring August, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Motor vehicle and parts dealers shed the highest numbers,followed by food and beverage stores.

The report comes on the heels of recent bankruptcy filings bySteve and Barry's, Mervyns, Sharper Image and Linens 'N Things.

Anti-drinking campaign

Pocket Shot, the maker of single-serve, flexible-flask alcoholproducts, has launched an aggressive anti-drinking campaign targetedat young people.

The company has come under scrutiny from Mothers Against DrunkDriving, which contends the product is meant to conceal alcohol andonly serves to worsen the under-age drinking problem.

The Pocket Shot was created by Jarrold Bachman of Denver, whodeveloped the idea of the flexible flask, a 50 milliliter, three-layer clear pouch, which is intended to combine the appeal of atraditional airplane, shot-sized bottle with the benefits offlexible packaging.

Renovation gives second life to Mission Trace Center in south Colorado Springs - Colorado Springs Business Journal

Academy Boulevard got a welcome boost in the 1980s when theMission Trace Shopping Center opened.

For the first 15 years or so, the 289,000-square-foot retailcenter, featuring the area's first bank, Kentucky Fried Chicken, DosHombres Restaurant and busy King Soopers, attracted thousands ofshoppers daily.

It soon became the place to shop in south Colorado Springs.

Then, in 2003, the supermarket, which had been the center'sanchor, moved to a competing center across the street. Shoppertraffic immediately declined. The center's smaller mom-and-pops,ethnic restaurants and services like dry cleaners and shoe repairbusinesses saw customers move on to trendier or busier centers tothe north and east.

The situation wasn't helped by deteriorating conditions along theentire Academy Boulevard corridor. Mission Trace was left behind,forgotten. Vacancies rose to more than 70 percent and, in 2006, theproperty fell into foreclosure.

The situation was so bad that in 2009 Mayor Lionel Riveraidentified the center as a target for the city's Academy Boulevardredevelopment efforts. The city's planning department today is inthe midst of a Great Streets Academy Boulevard transportation studydesigned to identify the need for federal funding to revitalize thearea.

But Mission Trace Shopping Center's owners didn't have time towait.

Over the past two years, they've spruced up the place and filledit with tenants. Shoppers are once again returning to Mission Trace,offering one of the few examples of a retail turnaround at a timewhen the economy is only beginning to recover.

The center's rebirth has been led Matt Craddock of CraddockCommercial Real Estate.

Craddock acquired a note on 180,000 square feet of the center'sreal estate in 2006 for $4 million.

He gave the retail hub a million-dollar facelift in 2008 and2009. Today it is home to 32 businesses and nonprofit organizations.

Occupancy is better than 95 percent.

Regulars frequent its dozen or so bars and restaurants, use itspack-and-ship store or chiropractic services, shop its ethnicboutiques or do their banking at the center's Key Bank branch.

Hundreds of cars fill parking spaces near the Gloria de Scion andAll Peoples Praise Center each Sunday -- or drop off students at theHope Online K-12 charter school.

The Alternative Source, an auto accessory, stereo and electronicsstore that moved its operation to another shopping center just amile away, has returned.

One of Craddock's proudest achievements was working with the cityto sign USA Discounters -- a large national military-focused retailchain -- to a 50,000-square-foot lease in 2009.

'We were in competition with at least four other sites,' he said.

So far the store's business is not only meeting, but is exceedingprojections, said store manager Homer Haley.

'We're happy to be near our best customers,' he said of thestore's growing Fort Carson population.

Re-inventing and revitalizing

Craddock attributes the center's transformation to finding themarket's sweet spot and to collaborative partners.

Mission Trace's rents are among the most affordable in town.

Two spaces currently advertised on the company's website quotelease rates of $6 to $7 per square foot. That's well under the$10.63-per-square-foot average rent quoted by Turner Commercial RealEstate for comparable space in southeast Colorado Springs.

Another key factor in the center's progress came right beforeCraddock purchased the property in 2006.

At that time Key Bank Community Development banker Andrew Romerohad just been assigned the job of finding a developer to work withon redeveloping the struggling shopping center. At that point, thecenter was 50 percent vacant.

Key Bank branch manager Lisa Baird mentioned that the Craddockswere interested in buying the property to Romero.

Five years later, not only has Key Bank financed much of the $1million or more needed to remodel the center's facades andlandscaping, but has partnered with Craddock on other projects.

'I think our partnership gave Matt confidence that he had alender who would stay with him. Five years later and look what he'sbeen able to accomplish,' Romero said.

'Their mission fit with ours. It's worked out very well.'

Tenant mix thrives on diverse stores, shoppers

But even a well-financed retail center won't make it withoutsuccessful tenants.

While Mission Trace has not yet attracted key 'junior anchors' --5,000- to- 20,000-square-foot national retail operators like Ross,Dick's Sporting Goods or Payless Shoes -- it is home to some locallyowned shops that are doing alright.

2 Dog Tavern owner Bonnie Allen opened her business in 2007, justas the recession took hold.

Allen credits Craddock with providing the support necessary forher start-up neighborhood bar to grow.

'He's worked with us on the rent and on fixing this place up.Another tenant referred us. He's been great,' she said.

Two doors down, 'It's All Good Soul Food' is preparing to openOct. 1. The cafe, which wil serve collard greens, fried catfish,ribs, black-eyed peas and other Southern favorites, had closed acouple of years before. Owners Gregory and Cheryl Barnes moved on,starting a church, Spoken Word International Ministries, nearby.

The re-opening of the soul food restaurant is designed togenerate cash flow, not only for the entrepreneurs but for theirministry.

Craddock said he has used 'every bit of creativity I have' tocome up with ways to fill Mission Trace.

One of his brainstorms was to create a 'church mall.' Not onlyhave three churches so far leased space in a once-vacant 50,000-square-foot building, but all seem to be thriving.

That's where Gloria de Scion, a Spanish-speaking ministry and theAll Peoples Praise Center are located. Gloria de Scion serves as afood bank on Mondays, providing food boxes for up to 50 families aweek and counts a congregation of about 400.

On another side of the center, Ace Morrison is the generalmanager of Creative Design of New York. The boutique shop carriesdesigner handbags and shoes, athletic shoes, artwork and portraitsof well-known performers and sells a few electronics and CDs. In theback of the store is a single-chair barber shop.

Fort Carson soldier Tony Periman stopped by for a haircut lastweek.

'A lot of guys from Fort Carson come here. Some shop for theirgirlfriends. It's a cool place,' he said.

Where from here

While it might be tempting to fill up the center's remainingspaces with tattoo parlors and a marijuana dispensary, Craddock'snot interested.

'I've got to look out for my tenants and they want a safe, family-friendly environment,' he said.

There's one big challenge remaining for him: an empty spaceamounting to 52,000 square feet once occupied by that King Soopers.

The building's Denver-based owner also owns a competing shoppingcenter across the street that attracted Kings Soopers away.

'The (owner) just hasn't been motivated,' Craddock said. 'I'vetried to talk to him, but got nowhere -- but I've heard he'sstarting to get serious about selling.'

Craddock believes that the empty building would make an idealbowling alley or sporting goods store.

That's now a more realistic hope than it would have been fiveyears ago.

80916 demographics

Population: 60,000-64,000 residents

Average 2008 household income: $49,328

Average 2008 household income citywide: $56, 993

Households below the poverty level: 15.6 percent

Colorado households below the poverty level: 11.4 percent

Median 2008 house or condo value: $158,375

Median 2008 house or condo value statewide: $242,000

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: March 30, 2007 - Colorado Springs Business Journal

After a long, cold winter, consumers are eager to shop thisEaster, according to the National Retail Federation's 2007 EasterConsumer Intentions and Actions Survey.

This year, shoppers who plan to celebrate Easter (79.5 percent)are expected to spend an average of $135.07, up 11 percent from lastyear's $121.72 per person. Total holiday spending is expected toreach $14.37 billion.

Spending is likely to increase across the board, with the averageshopper planning to invest the most for a spring outfit ($26.03) andfood for an Easter meal ($37.56). Other popular Easter purchasesinclude candy ($18.53), gifts ($20.61), flowers ($9.63) anddecorations ($7.63).

'Easter is a critical time for apparel retailers,' said NRFPresident and CEO Tracy Mullin. 'Retailers will be looking to thewarmer weather to help stimulate the sale of spring apparel.'

Department stores will be a popular shopping destination, with 22percent more consumers planning to shop there this year than lastyear (36.8 percent vs. 30 percent). Other popular shopping optionsfor Easter include specialty clothing stores (26.7 percent),specialty stores (23.7 percent), online (12.7 percent) and catalog(5.6 percent). Although discount stores will see the most traffic,they won't see as much as last year (57.2 vs. 59.6 percent).

Shoppers between the ages of 25 and 34 will spend the most perperson this year ($147.47). Coming in second is the 45 to 54 agegroup ($144.13), followed by 35- to 44-year-olds ($139.36) and 18- to24-year-olds ($137.30).

Borders changes focus

For the past six years, Borders Group has made it a priority toexpand its brick and mortar stores, ignoring the increasing trendtoward online book and music sales, according to the InternationalCouncil of Shopping Centers.

The retailer is now changing course, having announced it willcreate a Web site and will halt store expansion plans. It also saidit plans to close up to half its 564 Waldenbooks stores and sell orfranchise its 73 overseas stores by the end of 2008.

The book retailer operates 499 Borders stores in the UnitedStates.

The company also plans to unveil a revamped design for its coreBorders stores, which will include 'digital centers' that provideinformation and products for digital entertainment such as e-booksand MP3 players.

The company is forming an e-commerce division after pulling out ofa deal it made in 2001 to sell its merchandise through Amazon.com.

Borders recorded a net loss of $151.3 million in 2006, compared toa net profit of $101 million in 2005. For 2006, total sales increased1.5 percent to $2.75 billion. For the fourth quarter, same-storesales decreased 2.8 percent. For the year, they decreased 2.2percent.

Souper Salad buys Grandy's

Souper Salad Inc., the 87-unit buffet restaurant chain, hasacquired most of the assets of 72-unit Grandy's Inc. from SpectrumRestaurant Group.

Terms of the deal, which was part of a bankruptcy court auction,were not disclosed. However, Souper Salad said it was acquiring onecompany-owned restaurant, four units managed by Grandy's andfranchise agreements to 67 stores.

Souper Salad has units in 12 states, including Arizona, Coloradoand Texas.

In August, Spectrum Restaurant Group of Irvine, Calif., filed itssecond Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in three years.

In 2005, Grandy's reported systemwide sales of $60.1 million.

International retailer sold

Claire's Stores Inc., a specialty retailer offering costumejewelry and accessories, has entered into a definitive agreement tobe acquired by an affiliate of Apollo Management L.P., a New York-based private equity firm.

Under the terms of the agreement, Claire's Stores Inc.shareholders will receive $33 for each share of common stock or ClassA common stock that they hold, which represents a transaction valueof about $3.1 billion.

Claire's co-chairwomen and co-CEO's Bonnie Schaefer and MarlaSchaefer, who own a significant percentage of the voting power of theequity of Claire's Stores Inc., entered into a separate agreement tovote their shares in favor of the merger.

Completion of the transaction is subject to customary closingconditions, including regulatory review and the approval of thetransaction by Claire's Stores Inc.'s shareholders.

Dick's, Zumiez going strong

According to Forbes, Dick's Sporting Goods and Zumiez have provento be contenders in the sports apparel and equipment retail business.

The Everett, Wash.-based Zumiez, a sports apparel and equipmentretailer, said that it expects to post a fiscal 2007 profit abovecurrent Wall Street predictions.

Zumiez expects to post a profit of 94 cents to 96 cents per sharefor the year. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial predicted a profitof 92 cents per share. The company earned 73 cents per share in 2006.

Dick's said it expects earnings and same-store sales growth duringthe first quarter and full year.

Consider goals, motivations before buying home exercise equipment. (Originated from Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph) - Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service

    Welcome to the world of virtual exercise, where you can ski without snow, row without water, and lift heavy objects without fear of dropping them on yourself.     It's a high-tech world filled with rowing machines, ski machines and other gizmos manufactured by an ever-growing fitness products industry that had sales of $1.6 billion in 1992, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association.     Millions of Americans are sweating it out on equipment set up in their home; millions more get their exercise just by shopping for expensive pieces of equipment, carting them home and setting them up.     For those millions, that's where the benefits of their purchases end. No one knows the exact numbers _ having exercise equipment at home but not using it is a shameful secret _ but many owners of stair machines, or ski machines, or weight sets have found them perfectly fine places to hang plants.     Let's face it. Working out is just that _ working. It takes time and effort. Working out at home on your own equipment takes even more dedication, and that is why there are so many plant hangers that resemble stair machines.     Experts suggest that, before you buy, you should consider your goals and your physical restrictions, and think about how you will stay motivated enough to exercise at home. If you do decide to buy, spend some time shopping and consider price and which type of equipment can best suit your needs. Most important, however, is deciding whether you are ready to stick with a home fitness program.     ``The hardest part is getting started,'' says Jeff Reinardy, weight room coordinator-assistant at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.     ``People get frustrated when they find out it's work _ that they just can't have (the piece of equipment) sitting in their living room and lose weight.''     Reinardy, who works with a variety of Olympic-quality athletes at the center, suggests a cheap, easy way to begin a home-exercise regimen before making a big equipment purchase.     ``Walk. It forces you to commit to exercise, and it doesn't cost anything. As soon as you find you like that, move up to something else.''     When you're ready for that next step, how do you know what to buy? The price range and variety of equipment available can be overwhelming.     Basically, the more gizmos, the more money. Consider not only your bank account, but also your particular desires. Strength-training machines (free-standing weight machines) run from a few hundred dollars to thousands. So do treadmills, stationary bikes and cross-country ski machines. Plastic steps, used to bring the popular concept of step aerobics into the home, also vary, from under $20 to nearly $100. There are elastic or rubber cables, used to target specific muscles; rubber balls to exercise hand and wrist muscles; tension devices to work stomachs or legs (think Thigh Master); free weights, dumbbells and weighted jump ropes.     In an article in Women's Sports and Fitness, author Jay Shafran suggests examining different types of home equipment before buying. Whatever you buy, whatever you spend, Shafran recommends buying beyond your workout level, so you won't progress beyond what the equipment has to offer and become bored and undertrained.     Once you've decided what to buy, examine the equipment closely. For consumers who purchase cheaply made equipment, exhaustion can be paired with frustration over machines that squeak or pull or grind, have parts that don't work, or screws that work their way loose. Whether to drop a hundred dollars or a thousand on a stationary bike; whether to buy a plastic step for $49.95 or pound one out of a 2-by-4 and nails _ how much to spend is a personal decision. But in home exercise equipment, the old adage generally applies: you get what you pay for.     Ray Burget, retail sales manager at Fitness Systems Inc., believes buying good equipment is the first step toward a satisfying home exercise routine.     ``That's the first thing you can do to help take away the stress.''     It's wise for people to consider their physical limitations and personal goals, says Bill Allerheiligen, director of education for the National Strength and Conditioning Association, based in Colorado Springs. ``There are four types of people who exercise _ the competitive athlete, the competitive exerciser, the person interested in fitness and the person interested in health.''     All four types use the same training principles, says Allerheiligen. ``But the volume and intensity vary. Only after they decide their goals can they design their program, and they should only do that after consulting their physician.''     Many consumers believe that the mere purchase of a piece of home equipment will be motivation enough to make them keep using it, but they fail to consider the time factor.     In ``Tracking the Fitness Movement,'' a publication of the Fitness Products Council of the Sporting Goods Manufacturers' Association, 43 percent of survey respondents listed time constraints as a major reason they don't exercise.     To figure out how to sandwich a regular exercise time into your daily routine, Burget suggests that ``when you get your new equipment home and set up, don't do a workout right away.''     Instead, he says, ``put your piece of equipment in front of the TV, and just play with it.''     ``For example, watch TV while you walk slowly on the treadmill. Try that every other day for 30 minutes, until you figure out the time factor.''     Great motivators, Burget says, are electronic heart monitors or other high-tech gadgets that help gauge exercise levels and offer feedback.     But some people can't be motivated by all the gadgets in the world. For them, Allerheiligen has this advice:     ``Find something you enjoy doing. ... What you choose has to be right for you.''

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: August 17, 2007 - Colorado Springs Business Journal

Facelogic, a day spa franchise which offers products and servicesexclusively for the face, is opening three additional ColoradoSprings-area locations.

Marion Swafford and Clara Mueller's franchise is scheduled to openSept. 8 at 5735 Constitution Ave. The duo plans to open two more in2008.

Sherryl Ford, Shari Nevarez and Evangelina Eastman started thefranchise when they opened a spa next door to a Curves gym in SanDiego about two years ago.

The businesses began offering dual memberships. Facelogic isseparate from Curves now, but has the same target market, women ages35 to 70, Ford said.

Within two years, Facelogic opened 21 locations, and the businesshas sold franchise agreements for 76 more, including three in Canada.Ford hopes to have 100 sold by the end of year.

July retail sales strong

Driven by back-to-school spending for electronics, apparel andother necessities, July retail sales rebounded from a slow start tothe summer.

According to the National Retail Federation, retail industry salesfor July (which exclude automobiles, gas stations and restaurants)rose 4 percent unadjusted compared to last year and 0.5 percentseasonally adjusted from June. June retail sales were also revised upfrom 3.4 percent to 3.8 percent.

The U.S. Commerce Department report shows that total retail sales(which include non-general merchandise categories such as autos,gasoline stations and restaurants) increased 0.3 percent seasonallyadjusted from last month and 3.1 percent unadjusted year-over-year.

'Back-to-school shopping sprees and summer clearance promotionsdrove consumers to department and specialty stores in July,' said NRFChief Economist Rosalind Wells. 'While concerns of a housing marketslump and high gas prices still weigh heavily on consumers' minds,many people still hit the stores last month, giving retailers a nicerebound from earlier this summer.'

While apparel sales were expected to remain flat this summerduring the essential back-to-school shopping season, seasonallyadjusted month-to-month sales show clothing and clothing accessorysales increased 1.3 percent from June and 4.1 percent unadjusted year-over-year.

New MP3 players, laptops and other electronics also helped boostJuly sales. Electronics and appliance stores sales increased 1percent seasonally adjusted from last month and 2.5 percentunadjusted year-over-year.

Health and personal care stores did surprisingly well, increasing0.7 percent seasonally adjusted month-to-month and 6.3 percentunadjusted over last July. General merchandise stores sales increased0.9 percent seasonally adjusted from June and 4.7 percent unadjustedyear-over-year. Sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores salesincreased 0.4 percent seasonally adjusted from June and a solid 5.6percent unadjusted year-over-year.

Culinary to commerical

The National Food Laboratory Inc., an independent affiliate of theGrocery Manufacturers Food Products Association, has created a 30-member in-house team to help lead companies from product conceptionto commercialization.

The Innovation Group uses experts in new product strategy, marketintelligence, consumer design and execution strategies to helplaboratory clients translate culinary concepts into commercialproducts.

The group is comprised of individuals with years of brandmarketing, product development, and consumer insight experience.Heading up the effort is newly named Vice President of InnovationLucinda Wisniewski, most recently a laboratory sales director.

The organization's clients include Subway, PepsiCo, Bush Brothers,Tyson, Tree Top, Clorox and POM Wonderful.

Springs' Cerrone part of 11-fight WEC card in Broomfield Thursday - The Gazette (Colorado Springs, CO)

If an 11-fight card, including former Colorado Springs residentDonald Cerrone and a world title bout between pound-for-pound kingJose Aldo and Manny Gamburyan wasn't enough, World ExtremeCagefighting announced that several of the sport's biggest starswill be heading to the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield to take part infight night festivities.

WEC General Manager Reed Harris said that UFC Hall of Famer ChuckLiddell, former WEC featherweight champ Urijah Faber, and top UFCheavyweight Shane Carwin are scheduled to sign autographs onThursday at the 1STBANK Center. Joining the trio will be DenverNuggets star forward Chris 'Birdman' Andersen and Punkass andSkyskrape from Tapout. The event will be located at Roadhouse 36located outside the north entry of the 1STBANK Center from 1-3 p.m.

Those who have purchased tickets for WEC: Aldo vs. Gamburyan areeligible to take part in the signing.

'For the fans in Colorado, this is a once-in-a-lifetimeexperience,' Harris said. 'To attend a title fight is always aunique experience. To also meet the six stars we're bringing makesthis a can't-miss event.'

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: June 5, 2009 - Colorado Springs Business Journal

Stacy Thomson, a veteran retail store employee, has taken theownership plunge and opened a store in Old Colorado City.

Thomson, along with her husband, Vern, opened Recess, achildren's consignment boutique at 1721 W. Colorado Ave. on May 26.The pair plan a grand opening June 13, when they'll offer food,music and a drawing for gift certificates.

For the past five years, Thomson has worked with fellow west sideretailer Eve Carlson at Eve's Revolution, a women's clothing store.Her experience kept her in touch with customers who often spokeabout the lack of affordable children's wear in town.

'With this recession happening, now couldn't be a better time toopen a consignment store,' Thomson said. 'We're offering affordablechildren's clothing, but they're still name brand and qualityitems.'

Recess will offer some handmade items, but 90 percent of saleswill be through consignments. Customers will find items for boys andgirls from newborns to size 10.

Sporting a bright turquoise facade, the store is hard to miss,and it succeeds in portraying a nostalgic feel. Thomson even hungthe 'Recess' store sign from an old swing set out front.

'We chose the name because we wanted the store to be kid friendlyand nostalgic and most people have good memories of recess,' Thomsonsaid.

Recess will stock brand name apparel from names like Gap,Gymboree, Children's Place, Carters, Sweet Potatoes, Baby Lulu,Charlie Rocket and Oilily. Prices range from $1.50 to $20.

Consignments are taken by appointment Monday through Saturdayfrom 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Items are kept on consignment for 60 daysand consigners receive 40 percent of an item's sale price.

Customers also can find Recess online at www.recessconsign.com.

Otho's arrives

Chapel Hills Mall shoppers will soon notice a fresh new aromanear the upper level Dillard's wing. Otho's Cookies and Brownies isscheduled to open July 1.

Citing increased foot traffic on the north end of town, ownerOtho Spencer closed his store at the Cheyenne Mountain ShoppingCenter on the south end and converted all baking operations to thenew retail location.

'I've been looking for a mall location for some time,' he said.'The lease came up on my former location, and I believe cookies andbrownies belong in a mall.'

Otho's is not a chain, and Spencer uses his own recipes, as wellas a few passed down from his grandmother, who owned a wedding cakebakery during his childhood.

He'll shutter his catering business to focus solely on thelocation at Chapel Hills Mall, and depending on performance willconsider opening another store in Cherry Creek Mall.

'I want to see how this location does before I make a decision,'he said. 'In this economy, anything can happen.'

Spencer's most popular cookies are the spiced chocolate and oldfashioned raisin, while people seem to like the dark chocolateraspberry and toffee brownies most.

He renovated the 600-square-foot space in the mall to fit theoven in up front, in view of shoppers, and said he'll be baking 24hours a day during the holiday season. Otho's also accepts onlineorders of a dozen or more at www.othos.com.

Burlington earns award

Burlington Coat Factory has earned the National Partner Awardafter raising $1.6 million for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Societyduring 2008.

The company raised more than $1 million for LLS during 2007 aswell and has accrued more than $5 million in its total fundraisingeffort for the organization, which is dedicated to blood cancerresearch.

Powell profits are beautiful/ Colorado Springs-based manufacturer thriving despite economic downturn - The Gazette (Colorado Springs, CO)

Earning a record profit when the economy is limping seems thestuff of wishful thinking.

But that's what Colorado Springs-based Powell Products Inc. did in2002.

The maker of cosmetic applicators and swabs for the cosmetics,health care and high-tech industries, to all outward appearances, ison track to do well again this year.

'Last year was a big year,' said Stephen Robards, president of theprivately held company. 'All of the divisions are doing well (thisyear). We are on track to grow in all the markets we serve.'

Powell, which moved to the Springs in 1992 from California,employs about 75 at its factory in the shadow of Interstate 25 andGarden of the Gods Road. The factory cranked out more than 220million swabs and applicators last year.

More are on the way.

Powell plans to install additional machines early next year,boosting the factory's production capacity about 25 percent.

'It will mean more jobs - 25 to 30 people,' Robards said.

In June, Powell and a joint venture partner bought a factory inChina that makes brushes that are sold to cosmetics companies.

The factory, owned jointly with Anisa International Inc., anAtlanta-based cosmetic brush supplier, employs 300. That numbershould increase to 1,200 next year.

China is becoming a global manufacturing center. More than 760,000U.S. manufacturing jobs have moved to China since 1992, according tothe U.S.-China Security Review Commission.

Most of those jobs were in eight industries: electronics andelectrical equipment, chemicals and petroleum products, householdgoods, toys, textiles, plastics, sporting goods, and wood and paperproducts.

The two Powell factories will not compete against each other. Muchof the work done in China is labor-intensive.

Its brushes can't be made at the Colorado Springs factory, whichis more automated, Robards said.

It is the diversity of Powell's markets that kept the bottom linestrong last year, said Scott Herrera, director of Powell's clean roomand medical division. When one market is depressed, other marketsfrequently are strong.

The cosmetics industry was in a buying mood last year, whichcompensated for weak sales to electronics firms, Robards said. Thatpattern is typical when the U.S. economy is struggling.

The electronics industry is showing signs it is recovering. Ordersfrom companies that manufacture computer storage devices havestrengthened in the past month, after five years of weakness, Robardssaid.

Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: December 12, 2008 - Colorado Springs Business Journal

Goodwill has opened its newest Colorado Springs store at 2007South Circle Drive.

With 26,500 square feet, the store is the largest Goodwill in thecity.

The thrift store chain had operated a store at the intersectionof Pikes Peak and Wahsatch avenues for 35 years but closed thatlocation last month.

The Circle Retail Center was designed by Janitell-Childs DesignGroup and built by G.E. Johnson Construction Co.

Including the purchase of 4.28 acres, the project carried a $7million price tag.

'It was within our long-term strategic plan to relocate thestore,' said spokeswoman Laura Marth. 'We like to position ourretail stores where the rooftops are, and we knew there was a needfor a donation and thrift store in that area of town.'

Shoppers might notice quite a few differences from typicalGoodwill stores.

The Circle Drive store features a 900-square-foot teen clothingdepartment called 'Threads,' which will be managed by HarrisonSchool District students.

The store also features a two-lane donation drive thru.

'We wanted to have the drive thru donation, and there wasn'tspace for that downtown,' Marth said. 'We're moving a lot of ourstores to the decentralized locations, where people can donate andshop at the same location. It's more efficient. Donated items arenow showing up in stores on the same day they are donated.'

Goodwill has embraced the green concept as well. Among manyenergy-saving measures incorporated, the new store was designed withmore windows than older stores and carpeting was made with recycledfibers.

The store will employ about 50 people.

Burlington collecting coats

Burlington Coat Factory has kicked off its second annual WarmHearts and Warm Coats Drive.

Coats collected will be distributed locally.

Drop off boxes can be found at the city's two Burlington CoatFactory stores, at 820 Citadel Drive East and 1730 Briargate Blvd.Coats should be in good condition with working fasteners and no ripsor stains.

Donors will receive a receipt for tax purposes.

Last year, the program collected more that 175,000 coats forpeople in need nationwide.

Springs in fashion guide

Rocky Mountain News fashion columnists Judie Schwartz andEvelinda Urman have released a second edition of 'A Fashion Lover'sGuide to the Best Shopping in Denver and Beyond.'

The book features a section for Colorado Springs and reviews 220boutiques, department stores and national chains.

It contains chapters about the best places to buy denim, petiteand plus-size clothing, professional wardrobes, eco-friendlyclothing and accessories, and even places to shop for women who hateto shop.

Schwartz and Urman also offer tips and gift ideas for savingmoney during our tight economy.

The book, which sells for $16.95, is available at the TatteredCover, major bookstore chains and at www.stylematters.us.

Retailers shed employees

The U.S. Department of Labor's employment report showed that theretail segment of the economy shed 91,300 jobs during November.

That's the 12th consecutive month that retailers have cut jobs.

Hardest hit were the motor vehicle and parts dealers, who cut27,000 jobs, but losses were wide ranging.

Valor Christian kept out of Colorado Springs-area football league by 1 vote - The Gazette (Colorado Springs, CO)

AURORA - Valor Christian will not play in a football league withColorado Springs teams, a decision that came down to a single vote.

Valor will still play a full schedule in the 2012-13 seasonsagainst Pioneer League teams - including Doherty, Fountain-FortCarson and Palmer - but the games will be nonleague contests.

The vote was the second of Thursday's Colorado High SchoolActivities Association Legislative Council that went against Valor,which has become a lightning rod of controversy.

The first discussion, which grew contentious, resulted in a 57-11 vote that denied Valor membership in the Jefferson County Leaguefor most sports, excluding football.

That set up an anticipated afternoon battle over football, whichsprang to life when Doherty athletic director Chris Noll proposed anamendment to the annual football report that would remove Valor fromthe newly formed 5A football league.

Noll stressed competitive balance and travel costs in his plea tothe CHSAA legislative body to keep Valor out of the new league.

Valor had made efforts to be included in other leagues but hadbeen denied membership. The school has gathered detractors asrapidly as it has championships because of its giant budget -reported by the Denver Post to be $1.2 million for this school year -and for allegations of recruiting.

Valor won its second consecutive 4A title in December, setting achampionship game scoring record in routing Pine Creek 66-10.

The growing controversy prompted CHSAA Commissioner Paul Angelicoto speak at length over his concerns. He was specifically worriedthat Pioneer League members might not honor their commitments toplay Valor, but also worried about the number of personal feelingsthat had influenced decisions.

'We can't make everybody happy, but in the name of sportingbehavior, we have to get past that,' Angelico said. 'I don't have agood answer for what it will take to get past this, but until westop this we're going to get further and further in a hole that isgoing to be detrimental for high school sports.

'It appears to be all adult-driven stuff that has nothing to dowith high school sports,' Angelico added, referring not only toValor's controversy but also to Mullen's recent firing of celebratedfootball coach Dave Logan.

Valor athletic director Rod Sherman tried to lighten the mood,saying it was good to be back at the microphone after the morningdiscussion.

'With all due respect to our friends in the Colorado SpringsMetro League, we'd like to give our kids a chance to compete,'Sherman said.

But the vote went against Sherman by the slimmest possiblemargin. The amendment required a two-thirds majority to pass and thevote was 40-20 in favor of keeping Valor out of the league that alsoincludes Castle View, Heritage, Legend and Rock Canyon. One vote inValor's direction would have secured its spot in the league.

The news immediately elicited reactions on social media. PineCreek kicking coach Richard O'Cain said he didn't like the idea ofshying away from a new state power.

'How do we expect to get better as football teams in ColoradoSprings if we do not increase our competition,' O'Cain said on thegazettePreps Facebook page. 'Playing teams like Valor just makes uswork harder as coaches.'

All Pioneer League teams will go into Friday's footballscheduling meeting with the intent of keeping Valor on the schedule.

Small Businesses Scrambling to Compete with Growing Number of Superstores. (Originated from The Gazette Telegraph, Colorado Springs, Colo.) - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.--Oct. 11--In the mid-1980s, Sam and Lynn Dollar owned four office supply stores with 21 employees. But then the economy slowed and Office Depot and OfficeMax moved into town.

Today their Dollar Office Supply is down to three employees in a small storefront in a warehouse district near The Citadel mall.

'Retail was a big part of our business seven years ago when we had the four stores,' Lynn Dollar said. 'But since then we cut our expenses by two- thirds by going entirely to a commercial business and moving to this location 2 1/2 years ago.'

It took years to reorganize their company and shift to another market niche, but the Dollars have come to believe they will survive their competition. In fact, they say their business is now even more profitable.

'We are doing better now than when we had a ton of employees and all the insurance costs that went with them,' Lynn Dollar said.

Welcome to retailing in the 1990s. As if the city's 1987-91 recession was not enough, discount superstores have moved into town, forcing local store owners to transform their businesses or lose them.

Several local businesses have found they could not compete with superstores, which often are called category killers because they specialize in a narrow category of merchandise and offer selection and prices few can match. Superstore category killers have spread to everything from office supplies to pet food and toys.

'These retailers use a huge selection and low prices to overwhelm the competition,' said Tom Thomson, retailing analyst for Richmond, Va.-based First Wheat Securities Inc. 'They provide the consumer one-stop shopping for a variety of products. They are triggering a lot of consolidation in the retailing industry.'

Thomson said competition from Minneapolis-based Best Buy Co., which expanded into Colorado two years ago, and other electronic superstores is probably at least partly responsible for a planned merger of the parent companies for the Silo and Fred Schmid appliance and electronics chains. Schmid and Silo each operate two local stores.

But small, local businesses are the most frequent victims of superstores,

Thomson said. To survive, they must offer better customer service and carry specialized merchandise their larger competitors do not offer, he said. Category killers tend to focus on the most popular merchandise, like Barbie dolls and Nintendo games, he said.

'A small retailer needs to go to school on whatever category killer is in his market,' Thomson said. 'They need to study their price, service level and merchandise mix and then find their niche.''

The Dog House Inc., a downtown dog training and pet supply store, opened six months before superstore Petsmart expanded into Colorado Springs and has been successful by focusing on training, customer service and high-end dog food, co-owner Shelly Bergstraser said. Her store's prices are competitive with Petsmart on specialty items, she said.

'Our big draws are service and personality,' Bergstraser said. 'We build a relationship with each customer so they keep coming back. The superstores don't have the time to do that.'

But not all stores can find their own niche after a category killer moves into their market.

Just before Toys-R-Us opened its store here four years ago, Alan Worrell decided to close the city's oldest toy store, Levine's. He weighed the prospects of shifting the business to more upscale merchadise in a still- declining local economy and decided he probably would not survive.

'We just couldn't sell merchandise at the same prices they could and make enough to stay in business,' said Worrell, now a vice president of the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce.

Toys-R-Us is the prototype category killer. A little more than a year after opening its Colorado Springs store, both of its major competitors - Lionel Playworld and Children's Palace - closed their local stores after filing for bankruptcy. The company now controls one-third of the local toy market and is looking for locations for a second store, said regional manager Gary Gilliland.

'We have the space to carry manufacturers' entire lines of merchandise, so when we go buy from them we can get the best prices,' Gilliland said. 'It also allows us, for example, to devote a 188-foot-long wall just to games so customers don't have to go to two, three or four places to get what they want. We try to offer them price, selection and value.'

But not all category killers have been as successful as Toys-R-Us. The Phar-Mor chain of drug superstores closed all of its Colorado stores earlier this year after filing for bankruptcy. The chain was hobbled by an alleged embezzlement scheme involving some of its executives. And owners of the HomeBase chain of home improvement stores ousted management recently after poor financial results.

The mixed record of category killers has not deterred companies from searching for new retailing segments to exploit, Thomson said. Sporting goods and books are the latest segments to spawn category killers.

Musicland Stores Corp. plans to open a 46,000-square-foot superstore today near The Citadel. The store - as large as many supermarkets - will focus entirely on books, videocassettes, stationery, compact discs and computer games. Ironically, the store will open in the location left vacant when Phar-Mor closed earlier this year.

A Tampa, Fla.-based chain of sporting goods superstores, Sports & Recreation Inc., will expand into Colorado Springs and Denver during the next six months to challenge the Denver-based Gart Bros. Sporting Goods Co. chain. The company's 40,000-square-foot store will open in December and carry a broad array of merchandise from boats to shoes and skis.

Sports & Recreation last month paid $1.22 million to Salt Lake City-based Price Development Co. for its 11-acre site southeast of Academy Boulevard and Montebello Drive, said Rich Walker of Banc Commercial Colorado Inc., who - do Springs Sports, will employ 80 people.

'We don't go into a market to destroy anyone,' said Sports & Recreation chief executive Jim Bradke. 'We consider ourselves a value-oriented or discount retailer that offers competitive prices.'

Gart is responding to superstore competition by building its own superstores. The company announced plans in August to open five superstores in the Denver area by 1995 and remodel its existing stores to focus more on shoes and apparel. The company is no stranger to superstores: Its flagship store, near downtown Denver, covers 100,000 square feet.

'Our goal is to maintain our dominant position in the Rocky Mountain region while offering customers greater convenience, low everyday prices and enormous selection,' Gart President John Chase said.

Marty Wakelyn, owner of SportsTrader USA in Mall of Bluffs, said he plans to focus more on used sports equipment and customer service so he does not become a casualty of Sports & Recreation.

'We will try to stay on the low-cost end with our used equipment,' said Wakelyn, a former professional hockey player. 'We also believe the experience of our staff will make us unique. We have a former judo champion selling fitness equipment and an international figure skater selling skating gear. Their expertise helps make sure we provide customers the proper equipment.'

But Lynn Dollar, the local office supply store owner, is worried that most small businesses, especially in small towns, eventually will fall victim to discounters and category killers.

Boulevard of oblivion: Academy Boulevard in Colorado Springs awaits redevelopment effort - Colorado Springs Business Journal

About one year ago, city planners presented the 'AcademyBoulevard Corridor Revitalization Plan Update' to city council.

First conceived during 2007, the report focuses on opportunitiescharacterizing abandoned shopping centers and weed-strewn vacantlots as 'redevelopment opportunities.'

The plan defined the corridor as that portion of Academy andsurrounding neighborhoods that extends from Maizeland to Drennanroads.

But, despite the optimistic calls for revitalization, little haschanged and it remains a picture of commercial decay.

'It happens everywhere,' said former planning commissioner LesGruen, owner and president of Urban Strategies, a commercial realestate consulting firm. 'You can applaud the city's recognition ofthe problem, but (comprehensive area redevelopment) is verydifficult to do because of the demographics you're fighting.'

Academy, like all other deteriorating arterials, once had itsheyday, but it has a peculiar history.

Since 1950, Colorado Springs has had four 'main streets.'

There was Tejon Street, Nevada Avenue and Academy Boulevard, andnow Powers Boulevard has joined them to enjoy a time in the sun asthe city's major commercial artery.

Tejon and Nevada were part of the city's original plat, whilePowers was a planned arterial.

Academy just happened.

The route evolved from a wagon track to a dirt road, from a dirtroad to a paved street, and from a paved street to a six-laneboulevard stretching 15 miles from Cheyenne Mountain to the AirForce Academy.

But as Academy shouldered aside Nevada and Tejon, and waseclipsed by Powers, the once-dominant 'main streets' declined.

Retailers hopped over to the east and north, seeking new markets.

Downtown booms, declines

The automobile created Nevada, the city's first modern commercialboulevard.

U.S. Highway 85-87 connected Colorado Springs with Denver, FortCollins and Cheyenne to the north and with Pueblo, Trinidad, andSanta Fe to the south. By 1950, the neon lights of motels,roadhouses, drive-in burger joints, used car lots, pawnshops andbars lit up the night, beckoning the weary, the hungry, the thirstyand the penniless.

But growth was accelerating and with it, change.

In the city's north end, Cut-a-Corner, one of the earliestsupermarkets in the state opened during 1949 at the intersection ofWeber and Fontanero streets. And two years later the Bon ShoppingCenter opened a few blocks away on Wahsatch Street, servicing thethen-new Bonnyville development.

Downtown, the city's then unrivalled retail center, wasunaffected by such early strip centers. The city's core boasted halfa dozen movie theaters, three sporting goods stores, five shoestores, three department stores and more than a dozen hotels, aswell as the city's leading automobile dealers restaurants,pharmacists, and hardware stores. Nevada fed the city's residentsinto downtown, while businesses to the north and south servedtourists and travelers.

When Interstate 25 opened during 1958, the city entered into anera of swift, irrevocable change. I-25 drained through traffic awayfrom Nevada, and businesses suffered. Downtown began a prolongeddecline as retailers headed for the exits, following the rooftops tothe burgeoning suburbs.

Business explodes

By 1970, Academy Boulevard started its 30-year reign as thecity's chaotic, lively, unplanned and apparently haphazardcollection of big-box retailers, strip centers, auto dealers,apartment complexes and office buildings.

Thanks to Academy's designation as U.S. Highway 83, state andfederal highway construction money was available to build, maintainand improve the route.

During the early 1960s, some city officials embraced the idea ofmaking Academy a limited access throughway which would speed trafficaround the city's eastern perimeter. That idea came to naught,thanks to sustained lobbying from developers who wanted to maximizethe development potential of their properties and the demands ofgrowth, which created a ready market for developable parcels.

At its zenith during the 1980s, Academy was the commercial heartof Colorado Springs. The boulevard was anchored at the north by thenewly opened Chapel Hills mall, at its midpoint by the Citadel mall,and at the south by the Satellite, an iconic 1960s high-risecondominium/hotel. To many, Academy's future seemed as promising asits present.

Powers' popularity

But even as Academy's malls, strip centers, and big boxesdominated Colorado Springs, a rival appeared.

Pursuing the elusive dream of an eastern bypass, a high-speedroute from I-25 to the airport, a city-county task force establishedthe final route of Powers Boulevard.

Powers would be different, according to elected officials andplanners. It wouldn't be the Wild West. Access points would berestricted to designated intersections. It wouldn't be a free-for-all commercial hodge-podge, like Academy, but a useful high-speedarterial that would open up the undeveloped plains on the city'seastern fringe to orderly, planned development.

Financed by a combination of developer-created specialimprovement districts and a 1989 voter-approved bond issue, Powersdrew interest from developers large and small.

During 2000, Norwood Development opened the First and Main TownCenter between Constitution and Carefree on Powers. At its opening,First and Main featured a 16-screen Cineplex and the city's firstiMax theater.

'Retailers chase demographics,' said Norwood Development VicePresident FredVeitch, 'and the demographics of the area that weserve (with First and Main) are very attractive.'

Today's retail leviathan includes 53 merchants, and is anchoredby five major retailers. First and Main caters to the affluentfamilies in the city's northeast quadrant, offering the kind of post-mall retail experience that shoppers now seem to prefer.

Blight overtakes Academy

But as Powers flourished, much of Academy declined. Almostdirectly west of First and Main, shopping centers at the once-vibrant intersection of Academy and Palmer Park are largely vacant,deserted by national retailers such as Longs Drugs, Hobby Lobby, andRoss Dress for Less. Farther north, the decline is less apparent,but visible, as long-established businesses such as Liberty Toyotamoved to the Woodmen/Powers corridor.

As ripe as Academy Boulevard might be for redevelopment, somewarn that such plans should not be approached too hastily.

Veitch noted that even the best-intentioned redevelopment effortsmay have unanticipated side effects.

'Look at the Woodmen/Academy deal,' he said, 'building thatintersection may impact a (nearby) grocery store. To the extent thatyou lose retail, especially a grocery store, the surroundingneighborhood is impacted. For there to be a collaborative effort,you have to have collaboration. I've toured what Dallas and Atlantahave done with revitalization, and have seen how they've succeeded.You get everybody on the same page, and that may not be the casehere -- we're very compartmentalized.'

Will Powers and its now-healthy development meet the same fate asAcademy in years to come?