by Mark Smiley | Feb 26, 2015 | Travel
by John Edwards
Tired of the endless snow? I-70 traffic jams? Although we know spring will arrive, there will still be sudden snows followed by every afternoon showers. How about a quick getaway, to a state of warmth? We can quickly fly from Denver International Airport to Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas or Phoenix. We’ve been there and the warmth is not guaranteed. Cherry Creek Valley residents should consider a quick, cheap cruise on a big luxury ship in March or April. Below is a sample itinerary which makes this type of trip affordable.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida’s Port Everglades serves 10 cruise lines and 30 ships. The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport is served economically and non-stop from Denver by Southwest and Spirit Airlines. And therein lies the magic.
Have your travel agent book the four day cruise on the Celebrity Constellation ship starting at $349 or consider the Carnival Conquest which comes in at a similar price point.
Take an inside cabin since you won’t be in it except to sleep. The Constellation (www.cruisemates.com/constellation) departs Thursdays for Nassau, Bahamas, then on to Key West and back. Take the Carnival Conquest for six days if you like waterslides, kids and loud music.
Southwest Airlines has numerous daily flights but the non-stop flights are less expensive and only four hours. One flight leaves at 7:30 a.m and arrives at 1:10 p.m. That leaves some of the day, but if there is a flight delay, you cannot make the 3 p.m. deadline to catch a cruise ship departing at 4 p.m.
The alternative is the Spirit Airlines “redeye.” Book online on “everything added-on” Spirit Airlines’ overnight flight that departs evenings at 11:40 p.m. and arrives at 5:15 a.m. the next morning. Pay for your ticket and one checked bag both ways at booking. Bring your own snacks, juices, water, pillow and enough drugs to sleep upright.
Upon arrival at 5:15 a.m., retrieve your bag, eat breakfast at the airport and change into your shorts with bathing suit underneath. (That overnight red-eye flight saved you a $180 overnight hotel stay.)
Head For The Beach
Take the city bus from the airport to the beach at the Bahia Mar Doubletree Hotel. Store your bag with the bellman for $5. Walk across the street to the uncrowded beach. Relax in the sun and sand. After 10 a.m., catch the nearby Water Taxi (water taxi.com) for a guided tour through the waterways, the mansions and yachts. After noon, get your bag and a taxi to the cruise port to check in by 3 p.m.
After checking in, go directly to your room and take a nap. Your bags will not arrive until later. Be gently awakened by announcements for the mandatory life jacket drill as the ship leaves the harbor.
After the cruise, the ship docks early Monday morning. A Budget Rental Car shuttle picks up customers at the port. Rent a car from the nearby Quay Center location and tour the area before dropping the car off at the airport at 6 p.m. for your departure at 8:15 p.m.
For lunch, don’t miss the famous Rustic Inn Crabhouse (rusticinn.com) on a canal at the end of the airport. The roadhouse on the water serves whole garlic steamed crabs and other fresh seafood. Diners are outfitted with a bib and a wooden mall
et to destroy and devour the monster crab. Scraps that fall onto the floor drop through the wooden planks to fish swarming below. The restaurant is easy to find and is located under the low-flying aircraft approach at the airport.
Total these costs and compare them to a traditional 8-day vacation and 7-day cruise. Luxury cruising for less!
Travel Writer John Edwards is President of Golf Travel Writers of America and has been on 19 cruises.
by Mark Smiley | Feb 2, 2015 | Travel
Bombshell Deals, New Structures, Branches
by Glen Richardson
As the first quarter of the New Year gets underway bank mergers and new entries are solidifying Cherry Creek North as Colorado’s banking hub plus the district’s financial influence is rising within the region. In an article, nearly five years ago, the Chronicle (Oct. 2010) first reported the state’s financial hub was shifting to Cherry Creek North.
Growth of banking within the seven-block district plus the increase in number of top performing banks here has pegged the area for expansion. Just three years ago Bauer Financial considered nearly 27 percent of Colorado banks “troubled and problematic.” Today, just within Cherry Creek North there are a half-dozen banks getting five-star ratings from Bauer, and others aren’t far behind.
Three major banking deals feverishly crafted at the close of 2014 were being finalized in the first quarter of this year. On Jan. 16, however, parties to one big banking merger got cold feet and failed to seal the deal.
Big Bank Pact
The biggest and boldest change is the acquisition of Colorado’s only bank ranked in the Top 100 Best Performing Community Banks by SNL Financial. Cherry Creek-based Steele Street Bank was acquired by MidFirst Bank — one of the nation’s largest privately held banks — rated in the top five percent of all U.S. financial institutions for Bank Safety by IDC.
By combining the two financial giants under the MidFirst name, Steele Street — headquarters at 1st Ave. and Cook in Cherry Creek North — will be able to compete more effectively with larger banks now entering the Rocky Mountain market. Moreover Oklahoma City-based MidFirst will provide Valley locations with a broader array of products and services.
With other Valley Banking Centers located on South Colorado Blvd. at University Hills and downtown on 17th St., MidFirst’s trio of offices “will continue to offer customers a genuine community banking experience that emphasizes local decision-making, security and stability,” CEO Bob Malone stresses to the Chronicle. For further details on the transaction see Acquisition Of Steele Street By MidFirst Bank Packs Punch, at right below.
BofA Bear Hug
The second Valley banking bombshell was Bank of America’s opening of its first full-service branch in Colorado as the year closed at Fillmore Place on the northeast corner of 1st Ave. and Fillmore. The new venture marks the first time that the nation’s second-largest bank will serve retail customers in Colorado. In addition to the flagship Cherry Creek location, the bank is opening at least two additional retail branches within the state this year and is likely to expand further by opening other branches or acquiring other banks. Previously BofA operated a Creek location for commercial and business clients but never retail customers.
Bank of America made its first big entrance into the Colorado market in 2008 —during the height of the financial crisis — through the acquisitions of both Merrill Lynch and Countrywide Bank that had locations in Cherry Creek North. Countrywide’s location has since closed and Merrill Lynch has relocated into the Fillmore Place Banking Center. In June of last year FDIC ranked BofA as the 22nd largest bank in Colorado.
Nationally, Bank of America Corp. and the U.S. Justice Department are negotiating a settlement under which the bank would pay a major penalty for allegedly selling risky mortgage-backed securities that contributed to the 2007-08 financial crisis. The Justice Department reportedly is seeking a $17 billion settlement with the bank. At the end of 2014 the bank’s Countrywide Financial mortgage subsidiary was ordered to pay a nearly $1.3 billion penalty for a similar program that caused significant losses to government-backed mortgage finance agencies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Approval Seal Pulled
Lastly Denver-based First Western Financial (First Western Trust Bank & First Western Capital Management) signed a definitive agreement at year’s end to merge with Salina, Kansas-based Sunflower Financial (Sunflower Bank). Both banks have locations in Cherry Creek North. However, Sunflower Financial got cold feet and the two banks called off the deal.
Originally Scott Wylie, Chairman and CEO of Denver-based First Western, would have become Chairman and CEO of the combined bank and investment management subsidiary, as well as CEO and President of the holding company. Additionally, Denver would have been headquarters of the combined company.
Ironically, the deal was terminated the day after the Colorado Division of Banking had approved the merger. The combined company would have had approximately $2.5 billion in banking assets and $5.5 billion in trust and investment assets under management. “Although the original rationale for the merger had merit, the parties determined that terminating the merger was in the best interest of both companies and their respective shareholders,” the companies said a in joint statement issued on Jan. 16.
Sturm Staying Power
All of these developments were big news, but the fact Cherry Creek and other Colorado banks and credit unions are getting healthier is also influencing the district’s outlook. In addition to Steele Street, four other banks located or headquartered in Cherry Creek were on Bauer Financial’s top rated list. Not surprisingly, leading that list is Cherry Creek North headquartered ANB Bank, short for American National Bank.
The remarkable roots of Cherry Creek North banking go back to when Donald Sturm jumped into banking by purchasing five ailing banks including what was originally Cherry Creek National Bank. Now Sturm and his wife Susan run 33 banking centers located in Colorado, Wyoming and Kansas City from their Cherry Creek headquarters. The bank’s parent company, Sturm Financial Group, Inc., is also headquartered here and has financial strength embodied in over $2.3 billion in assets and ranks in the top 6% of banks nationwide by size. The bank has constantly achieved a Five-Star rating with Bauer Financial, the highest rating.
The Sturms’ philanthropic foundation gifts, when combined with the charitable endeavors of his companies, provide about $4 million a year to communities across five states. They have given money to fund charter schools, helped libraries, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Denver Art Museum and myriad charities. Other local banks on the top-performing list include Bank of Denver. CoBiz Bank and Guaranty Bank & Trust.
New Branches Opening
A newcomer to Cherry Creek, Alpine Bank — an employee-owned $2.4 billion-dollar organization — is scheduled to open its first Cherry Creek branch in the new Coors Foundation Building at 215 St. Paul on April 1. A year ago April, Alpine Bank opened its first Denver branch in the Union Station neighborhood’s IMA Building. Chartered in 1973, the bank’s headquarters are in Glenwood Springs, with 37 western and southwestern Colorado offices.
Building new digs in Cherry Creek North on East 1st Ave. is First Citizens Bank. The building now under construction at 3611 E. 1st Ave. is on the northeast corner of 1st Ave. and Monroe and will join a nest of neighborhood banks located on the east end of 1st Ave. near Colorado Blvd. First Citizens new bank is just west of Compass Bank and across 1st Ave. from Colorado State Bank & Trust and First National Bank. Heartland Bank and Young Americans Bank are also in proximity. The Raleigh, North Carolina-based bank initially opened a branch in Cherry Creek several years ago at 311 Steele St. under its IronStone Bank subsidiary name. That name was later converted to First Citizens. The new branch is expected to open near the end of the first quarter of this year and the Steele St. location will then be closed.
In addition to area banks, there are a dozen financial institutions with offices in Cherry Creek North. In addition to BofA’s Merrill Lynch, major firms include BNY Mellon Wealth Management, Cambiar Investors, Charles Schwab and Edward Jones. Also with a major presence here are Janus, MorganStanley SmithBarney, R.W. Baird and Scottrade.
Cherry Creek Becoming
Wall Street Of The West
Somewhat comparable to the eight block financial district in Lower Manhattan, Cherry Creek North’s seven-block district once known for its fashionable boutique shops is quickly becoming Denver and the Rocky Mountain West’s financial district. Cherry Creek is now home to 32 banks, many with their headquarters here. There are also a dozen major financial firms. Moreover, the east-west route running along 1st Ave. from University to Colorado Blvd. has become the district’s “banking row” with 15 banking locations.
by Mark Smiley | Dec 22, 2014 | Travel
(BPT) – It’s that time of year again, the time of year when you forget about sunburns and start worrying about windburn. Yes, sadly, the cooler months are here and winter is in full swing. That means long coats, scarves and an entirely different skincare routine.
Skincare you say? True, it’s easy to forget about your skin when it’s covered by all those extra layers, but dermatologist Dr. Anne Chapas, who is the founder and medical director of Union Square Dermatology, says cooler months are when skincare, particularly lip care, is most important. “The skin is our first line of defense against environmental elements, but the skin on our lips has extremely unique properties. It is one of the most sensitive areas of skin, so they require special attention in order to maintain a healthy appearance,” says Dr. Chapas.
With that in mind, Dr. Chapas offers these tips to help you keep your lips and the rest of your skin feeling and looking healthy no matter the temperature.
* Nurture your lips. The cooler months are hard on your lips. Not only are they exposed to cooler temperatures daily, behavioral habits like biting or licking your lips can also be damaging. “What most people don’t realize is that common behaviors such as drinking wine or coffee and eating salty or acidic foods can dry out the lips,” says Dr. Chapas. “But drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated and applying a moisturizing lip balm can help counteract the effects of these activities and improve your lip health.” Chapstick Hydration Lock Moisturize and Renew is a dual-ended lip balm that delivers long-lasting moisture to the lips and works great to keep the skin on the lips moisturized and replenished in the cooler months.
* Protect your hands. Your hands are often left exposed during the cooler months, especially if the cold air has dried your skin, making gloves or mittens painful to wear. Dr. Chapas says products that contain shea butter and lanolin are great for counteracting the abuse your hands endure.
* For your scalp. A thicker, moisturizing shampoo will reduce dryness on your scalp and prevent itchiness as temperatures drop.
* Remember the time of day. Don’t use the same skincare products for day and night. Instead, use products with protective, moisturizing benefits to guard your skin during the day. At night, switch to heavier creams that offer more hydration. Your skin will absorb this extra moisture while you sleep. For example, ChapStick Hydration Lock Day & Night contains two distinct formulas specific for day and nighttime use.
* Don’t forget the sun. Just because you’ve traded in your sunburn for windburn doesn’t mean you don’t need SPF. “UV damage can happen year-round,” says Dr. Chapas. “In fact, we are closer to the sun in the wintertime, and the sun can reflect off the snow, further amplifying its rays and causing sun damage. This makes it so important to incorporate sun protection into your skincare routine, regardless of the season.” Areas like the lips where skin is thinner will need even more attention and protection, since they are so sensitive.
On those coldest days when you’re bundled in layers, remember your skin needs extra protection and these simple tips will help your skin stay healthy during the cold weather season. To learn more about protecting your lips visit ChapStick on Facebook or Twitter. For more information on Dr. Chapas visit the Union Square Dermatology website.
by Mark Smiley | Nov 24, 2014 | Travel
(BPT) – You know that moving into a new home can be one of life’s biggest stressors – the packing, the paperwork, the unpacking and of course finding the nearest coffee shop. Making your new house feel like your home can help alleviate some of this stress and provide a safe-haven for some much needed relaxation.
“Everyone has a different sense of what home is,” says Elizabeth Lindmier of The Art Institute of Colorado. So while the same aesthetic won’t work for everyone, she offers her top five tips to start you in the right direction.
1. Texture and textiles – Instead of having a bunch of hard surfaces, cozy up your home with something soft or textured. This could be a blanket, curtains or area rugs. These items will also provide some acoustical value so noises aren’t echoing in an empty space.
2. Comfort – Have some place in your home where you can relax, recharge and feel at ease. “Make a space where you would like to spend time,” Lindmier says.
3. Color – A monochromatic scheme with pops of colors can bring you into a place where you feel comfortable and happy. “Do your research on color theory before painting any space,” says Lindmier. “Different colors can spark different moods, emotions and even behavior. Discover what you’d like a given space to accomplish, and use colors as a tool to create such environment.”
4. Lighting – There should be aesthetically pleasing lighting. Look at the difference between warm and cool lighting colors to decide what helps achieve the look you want. Also consider task, ambient and accent lighting for your space. “Lighting plays a key role in any home,” Lindmier says. “Through lighting design you can highlight design and architectural features, create lighting which is more useful to the human eye, and work with natural light while keeping energy use to a minimum.”
5. Clutter/stuff – “Less is more, but make it more meaningful,” says Lindmier. Get rid of your clutter. When sitting in your space, make sure you can look around and adore the things you see.
“Mies van der Rohe’s old adage, ‘less is more,’ certainly holds true here,” says Jackie Barry, Interior Design instructor at The Art Institute of Houston – North. “Select significant pieces of furniture and art to move. You don’t need to have or show everything you have all in one room.”
Barry also advises incorporating a concept called biophilic design, which recognizes the inherent need of humans to interact and affiliate with nature to achieve and maintain optimum health and well-being. “Bring the outside in; don’t neglect good views to the outside, accentuate them,” she says. “Let your garden and landscaping work for you on the inside. Connecting with nature can also have a calming and a comforting effect.”
For more information about The Art Institutes, visit artinstitutes.edu.
by Mark Smiley | Oct 24, 2014 | Travel
by Mark Smiley
It started out as a small teen center at the former YMCA in Glendale. The common area space had a pool table, a couch, and a ping pong table. Now, devoted space in the Glendale Sports Center has over 20 teens enjoying everything from Xbox and Wii to computers and tablets. Caroline Davis has been with the Glendale Sports Center for almost two months and she has jumped into her role with both feet. She is the teen coordinator for the Center and has begun to take the program to the next level. The primary focus of the teen program, which services teens ages 13 to 18, is to get them to be more active and involved and learning life skills. “We are trying to get the kids more active and more learned in life skills. We are working to put a ski and snowboarding trip together this winter at one of the four major resorts,” said Davis.
Most kids come from the Denver Public School system, West Middle School, and Cherry Creek High School. They are 7th to 12th graders and the majority of participants reside in Glendale. It is a drop-in program and open to anyone who is a member of the Glendale Sports Center. More programs for teens are being developed. “We have opened up the music, arts, and dance classes to the teens and are pushing for enrollment,” said Davis. “We are also going to bring in salsa and yoga instructors to enrich the program even more.”
The adult prep initiative is another program that has been launched. The Sports Center brings in different experts to lecture or present, such as Whole Foods in Glendale lecturing on nutrition and healthy snacking.
One of the biggest things to happen to the program over the years is receiving the tobacco grant from the Tri-County Health Department. It generated $30,800 over a two year span. The program was able to upgrade its computers and even add a tablet to its fleet of electronic devices. “The grant is aimed at preventing and teaching the youth on how to recognize big tobacco’s advertising toward the younger population, specifically teenagers,” said Steve Martinez, Programs and Teen Coordinator for the Glendale Sports Center. “Our work is advocating for different kinds of policies to be put into place such as tobacco free public spaces or stricter fines for those that litter with tobacco waste.”
One of the biggest projects from the tobacco grant was a public service announcement on smoking. The teens put together a public service announcement by directing, editing, and filming a basketball game between smokers and non-smokers. For those who are interested, the non-smokers won the game.
The teens also picked up cigarette butts around the Glendale Sports Center on National Kick Butts Day. This year, it coincided with Earth Day, April 22, 2014. Kick Butts Day is a day of activism that empowers youth to stand out, speak up and seize control against big tobacco at more than 1,000 events planned by independent organizers across the United States and around the world. Next year, Kick Butts Day is on March 18, 2015.
Also, the teens picked up 60 bags of trash, covered graffiti at Whole Foods, and worked all summer on other beautification projects.
For more information on the teen program at the Glendale Sports Center at Infinity Park, call Caroline Davis or Steve Martinez directly at 303-692-5778 or stop by and visit them at 4500 East Kentucky Avenue in Glendale. You can also visit their website at www.denverymca.org/glendale.
by Mark Smiley | Sep 29, 2014 | Travel
by Glen Richardson
Glendale staple Shotgun Willie’s is now open and will be serving liquor until 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights thanks to a new Common Consumption law (C.R.S. 12-47-103 et seq.) passed by the legislature in 2011.
State Senator Pat Steadman, a sponsor of the 2011 law that paved the way for Glendale’s extended drinking hours said, “Local governments should be allowed to set the hours of their establishments.” After the law was passed, the Glendale City Council approved the extended hours by a unanimous vote.
Shotgun Willie’s is the first establishment to get approval under the new law although casinos in Black Hawk and bars and restaurants in Morrison are considering it. “Now that casinos are allowed to stay open 24 hours, there is a lot of interest in Black Hawk of having later drinking hours,” said Steadman.
It is perhaps not surprising that Shotgun Willie’s was the first business to utilize the new law as Glendale was one of the prime backers of the new legislation.
The new hours brought the club to the attention of Brian Maass the investigative reporter for CBS4 Denver News. Maass, throughout his career, has made a living on doing specialty pieces on Shotgun’s and Glendale, usually in a negative light, and the latest story was no exception. Maass brought hidden cameras into the club for no apparent reason other than to have an employee on camera confirming the new hours which Maass acknowledged were wholly legal. On camera Maass made a Freudian slip first saying “wholly illegal” before correcting himself.
Westword’s Michael Roberts, in an article on the matter, made fun of Maass’ use of “hidden camera techniques even though everything the club has done is completely overboard [meant ‘aboveboard’].”
Maass then had the male executive director of the Colorado chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving Fran Lanzer, predictably declare that they were against extended hours. He stated what’s happening with Glendale in his opinion is a risky proposition. “If we have a uniform statewide cutoff limit, then every bar has to close by 2 a.m. and that means there is no incentive to leave one bar to try and get to another bar that is going to close later. If there is an option where people could go and potentially continue drinking and continue their night, that would be an incentive for people to drive drunk and take that risk,” said Lanzer.
On his 710 KNUS morning show, Dan Caplis then praised the Maass piece and took calls on the subject. Michael Brown also covered the topic on his drive time radio show on 630 KHOW.
The net effect of the publicity was packed crowds now on the weekends after 2 a.m. “It’s incredible,” said Marguerite Lucas, Shotgun Willie’s spokesperson. “Brian Maass really knows how to gin up business for the club and we are very grateful.”
The club even put in huge letters on their marquee on Colorado Boulevard, “Thank You Brian Maass.” The club indicated thanks to the boost given to it by Maass and the related publicity, they may consider adding some other days of the week to the extended hours program.
