San Juan County seeks land of man suing ski-area owner
San Juan County commissioners Thursday voted to begin condemnation of 21 parcels of private land owned by an Aspen businessman who is suing the owner of a ski area for trespassing.
Jim Jackson, who once proposed a large hotel resort and gondola in Silverton, sued Silverton Mountain owner Aaron Brill last year, accusing him of allowing skiers to trespass on mining parcels he owns in the middle of the ski area. Jackson’s suit also claims debris from Brill’s avalanche control work – part of which he does to keep county roads open – impacts his land.
San Juan County commissioners launched the condemnation process because Brill’s avalanche control work allows public access on two county roads – the avalanche-threatened 110 and 52 – and because Jackson’s suit could hinder safe public access on those roads.
“In order to be able to continue avalanche control work, we are going to proceed with condemnation. The county’s position is that we need to protect the safety of people who use those roads,” said Willy Tookey, county administrator.
LAKEWOOD
May a big winner for Colorado casinos
Colorado casinos in May recorded their second-best month since limited-stakes gaming started in 1991, the Colorado Division of Gaming reported Tuesday.
In May, gaming establishments statewide generated $66.2 million in adjusted gross proceeds, up 6.4 percent from $62.2 million in April and up 4.1 percent from $63.6 million in May 2004. The May revenue was surpassed only by the $67.3 million in adjusted gross proceeds, the amount wagered minus payouts, in July.
Black Hawk’s 21 casinos produced $46.6 million in May, up from $44.1 million in April. The 19 casinos in Cripple Creek totaled $12.9 million in May, up from $11.9 million in April. Central City’s seven casinos generated $6.6 million in May, up from $6.1 million in April.
DENVER
Liquor-store tasting first since Prohibition
The Distilled Spirits Council, a Washington, D.C.-based trade group, on Thursday will mark the first in-store tasting event to be held in a Denver liquor store since before Prohibition.
The event, to be held from 3 to 7 p.m. at Argonaut Liquors, will be attended by City Council and state legislature members.
In-store tastings are allowed under a state law that took effect July 1. Municipalities must approve the tastings, which Denver is allowing under a 6-month pilot program approved in April. Other cities, including Aurora, Glendale, Thornton and Wheat Ridge, already allow tastings.
AURORA
Victoria’s Secret, Express expand
Limited Brands on Tuesday opened two renovated and expanded stores in Aurora Mall.
The Victoria’s Secret store tripled in size to 6,000 square feet. Express opened a new-concept shop that combines its men’s and women’s clothing stores in an 8,289-square-foot location.
DENVER
VCG opens upscale Tabu dance lounge
VCG Holding Corp., an operator of adult nightclubs, announced the grand opening of its new upscale lounge, Tabu.
Located above the Diamond Cabaret on Glenarm Place in downtown Denver, Tabu is an 8,000-square-foot, high-end dance lounge.
NEW YORK
Scripps forecasts ad-revenue growth
E.W. Scripps Co. said Tuesday it expects ad revenues to grow by 23 percent to 28 percent in the second half of the year at its cable networks, and by 5 percent to 7 percent at its newspapers.
The Cincinnati-based company, whose properties include the Rocky Mountain News, the Boulder Daily Camera, HGTV and the Food Network, made the forecasts at an investor conference sponsored by the Newspaper Association of America.
WASHINGTON
Spitzer “poaching,” ex-SEC chairman says
Harvey Pitt, the former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, said New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is “poaching” on the turf of federal regulators.
“To the extent Eliot Spitzer has gone after fraud, he has provided a real benefit,” Pitt said Tuesday on Bloomberg Television. “Where he goes astray is deciding that he and he alone can create a regulatory environment for industries that he has no business trying to regulate.
“He doesn’t have the knowledge base and the like, and he is poaching on the turf of the SEC and the comptroller of the currency.”
DETROIT
Ford lowers outlook, plans to cut positions
Ford Motor Co. on Tuesday lowered its earnings outlook for the year, citing continued weakness at its North American operations, and announced plans to cut salaried positions at its North American operations by 5 percent.
Ford said it now expects to earn $1 to $1.25 per share, 25 cents lower than its previous forecast issued in April.
DES MOINES, Iowa
Maytag studying higher buyout offer
Maytag Corp. said it will review a $1.28 billion buyout offer from two private equity firms and a rival Chinese manufacturer, a month after Maytag agreed to be acquired by Ripplewood Holdings.
Maytag said late Monday it had received a preliminary bid from another group – Bain Capital, Blackstone Group and Haier America – of $16 per share, $2 more per share than the offer from Ripplewood.
CINCINNATI
Kroger’s earnings rise 12 percent over 2004
Kroger Co., the parent of King Soopers and City Markets, said Tuesday that lower prices and improved customer service helped drive first-quarter earnings up 12 percent against strong competition from Wal-Mart and other grocers.
Kroger said it earned $294.3 million, or 40 cents per share, in the quarter ended May 21, compared with $262.8 million, or 35 cents per share, a year ago. Sales increased to $17.9 billion.
PEOPLE
Sisneros to head bar; Toys “R” Us CEO
Guadalupe J. Sisneros, a commercial litigator in the Denver office of Snell & Wilmer, has been named president-elect of the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association. In 2006, Sisneros will serve as the CHBA’s president.
Toys “R” Us Inc. chief executive John Eyler, who engineered the company’s $6.6 billion sale to an investment group, will resign after the transaction is completed. Shareholders will vote on the buyout Thursday.
