Shanghai, China – For the second time in weeks, a Chinese drug or food product has been singled out as a threat overseas.
On Monday, authorities in the Dominican Republic said they had removed 10,000 tubes of the Chinese toothpaste brands Excel and Mr. Cool from shelves after learning they contained diethylene glycol, a chemical commonly used in antifreeze and brake fluid.
That came weeks after pet-food ingredients from China tainted with the chemical melamine were blamed in the deaths of dogs and cats in North America, prompting a massive pet-food recall.
In both cases, Chinese producers said they believed the use of the chemicals to be safe and knew of no rules regulating their use.
Chinese authorities, fearing the loss of valuable export markets, have investigated what they have labeled rogue exporters, though safety concerns remain.
“Enforcing food-safety regulations is costly for both China and the United States,” U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt said in Washington on Monday while hosting Chinese Health Minister Gao Qiang.
DENVER
Daniels Fund OKs $7 million in grants
The Daniels Fund approved $7 million in funding for programs serving youth, the homeless and disabled people at its quarterly meeting Tuesday.
The fund also elected Daniel L. Ritchie chairman of the board, succeeding John Saeman, whose term as chair expired, but will continue to serve on the board.
Major grant recipients include the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver; The Classical Academy charter school; Colorado League of Charter Schools; Family Resource Center Association Inc.; Fellowship of Christian Athletes; Girls Scouts Mile High Council; Habitat for Humanity; and the National Foundation for Dentistry for the Handicapped.
CRESTED BUTTE
Ski area will offer free “test drives”
Early-season skiing will be free this year at Crested Butte Mountain Resort. The resort is giving away lift tickets to everyone who shows up between Nov. 25 and Dec. 15.
“We want guests to come ‘test drive’ Crested Butte,” said Randy Barrett, vice president and general manager. “We have done so many improvements since the (owners Tim and Diane) Muellers took the helm; we want to show them off.”
BROOMFIELD
Level 3 optimistic on bandwidth boom
Broomfield-based Level 3 Communications Inc., which operates a global fiber-optic communications network, will benefit from increased demand for bandwidth used in video downloads on the Internet, according to Jefferies & Co.
“Given the very large bandwidth demands of video – we believe as the Internet is increasingly used as a distribution mechanism for video, demand for Level 3’s services is likely to expand,” analyst Jonathan Schildkraut wrote in a note.
DENVER
Qwest kicks off new mobile broadband
Qwest announced Tuesday that it is offering a new mobile broadband service through evolution data optimized technology.
With a Qwest Wireless Mobile Broadband access card inserted in a laptop, and a subscription to one of three Qwest Wireless Mobile Broadband plans, customers can connect to the Internet at broadband-like speeds. The company resells wireless service through Sprint Nextel.
DENVER
Occupancy rate, room costs up in metro area
Hotel-occupancy and average room rates in metro Denver and Colorado improved in April compared with the same month last year, according to the monthly Rocky Mountain Lodging Report released Tuesday.
Statewide, occupancy rates rose by 2.3 percentage points, to 57.9 percent, while room rates increased $12.06, to $111.02.
In the metro area, occupancy rates rose 2.9 percentage points, to 63.2 percent, and room rates jumped $10.96, to $108.80.
AUSTIN, Texas
Whole Foods extends deadline on Oats deal
Whole Foods Markets Inc. announced Tuesday it has extended the expiration date for its tender offer to buy Boulder-based Wild Oats Market Inc. until June 20. It is the third time that the deal, which was scheduled to expire Tuesday, was extended.
Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods announced in February that it planned to buy Wild Oats for roughly $700 million.
The natural foods retailer acknowledged in a regulatory filing last month that Federal Trade Commission staff members have voiced concerns about the merger.
DENVER
DIA near bottom of satisfaction ranking
Denver International Airport ranked near the bottom in a ranking of 17 large airports by J.D. Power and Associates in its 2007 North America Airport Satisfaction Study.
DIA came in at No. 16. Dallas/Fort Worth International was No. 1, while San Francisco International was last at No. 17.
The study was based on a survey of 10,200 passengers who took a flight between May 2006 and April 2007.
DENVER
Frontier takes off for Costa Rica on Nov. 30
Frontier Airlines will begin flying from Denver to Costa Rica on Nov. 30, the carrier announced Tuesday.
The airline said its introductory fares on the Denver-San Jose, Costa Rica route start at $298 roundtrip. The carrier will fly to Costa Rica on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays.
TOPEKA, Kan.
Payless stepping into shoe rival Stride Rite
Payless ShoeSource Inc. said Tuesday it will buy competing shoe-store chain Stride Rite for about $800 million.
Once the deal is complete, Payless said it will change its corporate name to Collective Branding Inc., a holding company that will operate the Payless and Stride Rite chains under their own names.
In March Payless said it was buying Denver-based Collective International LP for $91 million.
JUNEAU, Alaska
No clues yet on what caused oil-field leak
BP officials said Tuesday it was too early to determine what caused a water-pipe leak that led to the second partial shutdown in 10 months of the nation’s largest producing oil field.
