Small Business

Party On, Dude

Hot Potatoes!

Some farmers in the San Luis Valley were just waiting to be picked.

Win a holiday party at Loews Denver Hotel

If your company has canceled its holiday party because of the economy, there's still hope! Loews Denver Hotel will be giving away a full holiday party to a local small business. To enter, a business manager must create a DVD or YouTube video explaining why his or her company should win, and do it fa ... More >>

Wake-Up Call: Let it snow, let it snow...

Cocktail party conversation isn't easy this holiday season -- if anyone's holding cocktail parties, that is. Two safe topics: the Broncos (since the team's still winning) and the weather -- which is as Colorado-wacky as ever. A beautiful weekend, then snow today; record highs last Tuesday, record ... More >>

Letters to the Editor

From the week of June 8.

Off Limits

No good deed goes unpunished.

Check, Please!

Readers give our food critic something to chew on.

Best Place to Spot a Chick

Greater Prairie Chicken viewing trips

Bite Me

Majority Rules

The latest thank-you for Rocky Mountain News employees: a free massage

All the Rocky Mountain News had to do was spend a couple of months teetering on the edge of oblivion to find out how many people in the community care about it. On the day after last Thursday's well-attended candlelight "migil," an anonymous benefactor dished up a midday feed to newsroom staffers ... More >>

Best Slogan for Boulder Shoppers

"Keep Boulder Weird"

Corner Market

The Mile High Business Alliance helps consumers buy local.

Top of the Town

Kersten Hostetter has the Midas touch for Denver businesses.

Creative Thinking

Denver gets down to business about the arts.

The Alternative Voter’s Guide

The Legislative Council’s ballot-analysis booklet has inspired so many fights, it should be called the black-and-blue book. Here’s our cure.

Cutting Edge

A plan by some Colorado leaders to trim hard-won health-insurance benefits could leave consumers feeling the pain.

Paying the Price

Major gas companies are driving away independent operators, all in the name of greed.

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised!

How Denver’s Hispanic community lost a cable-TV channel but gained a “heritage center.” Maybe.

Movin' On Up

The city takes a wild ride on the Colfax Center Deli's wheelchair ramp.

It Takes a Greek Town

The plan to revive East Colfax: belly dancers, bazouki music, baklava--and blue sidewalks.

Here's a Hot Little Number

US West customers in Louisville and Lafayette reach out and touch...someone.

Did the spontaneity-free climate-change rally in Greeley have a Mr. Burns touch?

As we pointed out yesterday, a climate-change rally in Greeley on Wednesday didn't exactly qualify as a grassroots uprising, given the participation of EnergyCitizens.org, an affiliate of the American Petroleum Institute, which opposes legislation to cap greenhouse gases recently passed by the U.S. ... More >>

Wake-Up Call: Senator Bennet rolls up his sleeves

​Business boosters at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce didn't know what had hit them. On Friday, when Senator Mark Udall offered a healthcare briefing at the Chamber, there hadn't been a single member of the media. But on Monday, when Senator Michael Bennet did the same, the TV cameras wer ... More >>

Jane Norton for Senate: The next great GOP hope

Jane Norton.​Last month, the National Republican Senatorial Committee registered a couple of domain names on behalf of former Colorado Lieutenant Governor Jane Norton -- and today, Norton's using one of them, JaneNortonForColorado.com. Up-front: A news item that declares, "Jane Norton official ... More >>

Support Your Neighbors

Jane Norton.​Last month, the National Republican Senatorial Committee registered a couple of domain names on behalf of former Colorado Lieutenant Governor Jane Norton -- and today, Norton's using one of them, JaneNortonForColorado.com. Up-front: A news item that declares, "Jane Norton official ... More >>

Is the Denver Chamber of Commerce getting into the bar business?

New Chamber head Kelly Brough​The Denver Department of Excise and License has received an application to transfer ownership of a liquor license at 1445 Market Street in LoDo. That's the old home of Ruth's Chris Steakhouse -- but it's also the building that houses the Metro Denver Chamber of Co ... More >>

Medical marijuana debate at Denver city council: Expect a mob scene

Is that your phone ringing, Charlie Brown?​The pot proposal pushed by Denver city councilman Charlie Brown is up for public comment on Monday -- and the Cannabis Therapy Institute, among the most efficient and effective marijuana advocacy organizations in the state, wants to make sure folks w ... More >>

Ken Salazar finds oil spilling from Gulf into Colorado

​The Deepwater Horizon disaster keeps spilling into my inbox, more than 1,300 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, where there's "oil for miles and miles," Attorney General Eric Holder lamented yesterday in New Orleans. Denver is more than 1,300 miles from the Big Easy, but the disaster has spilled ... More >>

Medical marijuana showdown: City council members target Altitude Organic Medicine

Altitude Organic Medicine.​Altitude Organic Medicine received a rave as part of our Mile Highs and Lows dispensary reviews. But AOM may get a much more negative critique at today's city council meeting. Owner Brian Cook says two members are trying to shut down his business over what he sees as ... More >>

Teri G. Sanchez is suburban superhero Brightonator: Kenny Be's Hip Tip

See full-size image below.​Brightonator Real Name: Teri G. Sanchez; Occupation: Empire Builder; Suburb of Operations: Brighton; Hair: Electric; Eyes: Bright Suburban superhero skills: Brightonator is a mutant with the superhuman ability to brighten the lives of all the people she coordinates ... More >>

Petition war update: Cash rolling in to fight tax-slashing measures

​This week's cover story, "Signed, Sealed, Rejected," explores the costs, intrigues and legal hurdles involved in getting citizen initiatives on the ballot in Colorado -- and the massive campaign underway to defeat three controversial antitax measures this fall. That effort just got more mas ... More >>

Dan Maes takes on Denver Post over tax returns, says paper doesn't understand small business

Dan Maes.​After what his critics characterize as a long delay, Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes has released his tax returns -- and they show per annum income as low as $11,000 in recent years. The data prompted the Denver Post, which has never been a big Maes backer, to editoriali ... More >>

Self Support

Dan Maes.​After what his critics characterize as a long delay, Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes has released his tax returns -- and they show per annum income as low as $11,000 in recent years. The data prompted the Denver Post, which has never been a big Maes backer, to editoriali ... More >>

John Hickenlooper still owes the little people $9,500 -- and he'd like your help in paying them

John Hickenlooper.​The election's been over for a month, but people on governor-elect John Hickenlooper's e-mail list got one last fundraising message today. Turns out Hick's campaign still owes $9,500 to small vendors and local businesses, and he's hoping to raise that much by midnight tonigh ... More >>

Carol Boigon: A Denver mayor's race profile

Carol Boigon.​With John Hickenlooper having been elected Colorado's governor, we know Denver will have a new mayor next year, and the race promises to be wide open. To introduce you to the players, we're offering profiles of official candidates. Next up: Carol Boigon. "I'm a person who never ... More >>

Highlands Mommies: Their picks for best food, shops, yoga studios in northwest Denver

​ Much fuss has been made about the Highlands Mommies' relationships to local businesses, as is evident in the comments on our cover story, "The Mommies." Here's a juicy one: The Highland Mommies are run by a self-possessed cadre of mean girls who finally have a voice after what surely were u ... More >>

Colorado Senator Chris Romer keeps pushing his Denver Cupcake Truck petition

​Colorado Senator Chris Romer, who's making a run for mayor now that Hick is the new guv, seems to be making cupcakes -- notably those from the Denver Cupcake Trucks -- one of his top priorities. Last week, we reported that Romer had splashed his official website with a plea to sign a petition ... More >>

After Denver rejects a liquor license for a new craft beer bar, the owners appeal to Governor Hickenlooper, brewer to brewer

​The owners of a proposed craft-beer bar along Seventh Avenue's restaurant row were shocked earlier this month when a hearing officer for the city of Denver's excise and license division suggested that their liquor license request be denied. "There was no public opposition from nearby restaur ... More >>

Valentine's Day e-cards from Loveland: Chamber of Commerce is feeling the love

Big pics below.​Updated, 10:48 a.m.: Loveland promotes itself as "the Sweetheart City" via a remailing program that stamps Valentine's Day cards with the community's postmark. WithLoveFromLoveland.com, a website that offers free V-Day e-cards, isn't an official part of this project, which is ... More >>

Paid Sick and Safe Time proposal has Denver restaurateurs feeling ill

​Denver restaurateurs are some of the most generous people in town, donating food, labor and cash to all the good causes forever hitting them up. But while the idea of a generous paid time-off policy for employees sounds good in theory, restaurant owners -- and former restaurant owners, like ... More >>

Restaurateurs feeling sick about Denver's Paid Sick and Safe Time initiative

​Denver restaurateurs are some of the most generous people in town, forever contributing food, labor and cash to worthy causes and charity events. Many are also very generous to their employees -- but they like coming up with policies that work for their unique, often small businesses, not get ... More >>

Listeria hysteria: Paid Sick Leave backers allude to outbreak in sick campaign literature

​The listeria outbreak that's killed at least thirteen people has been traced to cantaloupe from Jensen Farms in Holly. While the FDA has been looking for the cause of the contamination there, the feds have never suggested that the problem was sick workers. But that hasn't stopped the Yes on 3 ... More >>

Michael Hancock stars in No on 300 ad (VIDEO)

Video below.​Today, Keep Denver Competitive, the organization fighting against the Denver Paid Sick Leave Initiative is releasing an ad, on view below, starring one of the measure's highest-profile detractors: Mayor Michael Hancock. Does that make Hancock the face of No on 300? Not exactly, s ... More >>

Medical marijuana & unions: Cannabis Business Alliance says it's too soon to organize industry

​News that the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 had organized medical marijuana workers turned out to be less sweeping than it first seemed. Only staffers at several Fort Collins dispensaries have joined, with the UFCW's contributions to fighting an MMJ dispensary ban there likely in ... More >>

Wells Fargo to be targeted by Denver protesters in week of actions "to restructure Wall Street"

​Update, below: Wells Fargo will be the target of several actions this week by the Colorado Progressive Coalition, including plans to "move in" to a branch on Thursday with lamps, pillows and coffee pots to protest the bank's high number of foreclosures. Dubbed the Mile High Showdown, the acti ... More >>

Initiative 300 goes down; local restaurateurs savor their victory

​Initiative 300, the paid sick-leave proposal on yesterday's ballot, would have affected just about every business in Denver -- but restaurants became the real poster child of the campaign, on both the pro and con sides. The Yes on 300 campaign used scare tactics -- including pictures of cant ... More >>

Food & Wine magazine names the fried chicken from Jus Cookin's some of the best cluck in the country

​ If what Food & Wine magazine writes is true, then I guess it's high-time to haul my ass to Jus Cookin's, an unabashedly American-as-apple-pie farmhouse-cum-restaurant that's hustled homemade soups, double-decker hamburgers, chicken pot pie, chicken salad sandwiches, chicken-fried steak, chic ... More >>

The real story behind "Black Friday"

This dude is a Black Friday expert.​As we prepare for the commercial holiday that follows a little thing called Thanksgiving, the debate over whether stores should begin opening at midnight on Black Friday is raging. But when and where did Black Friday come from? What does it really mean? We a ... More >>

Tobacco-Free Aurora pushes for city ordinance requiring retailers to be licensed

​What Tobacco-Free Aurora lacks in longevity and membership, it makes up for in ambition. Founded a little more than a year ago with a rotating volunteer staff of twelve to thirty, the group recently pushed the entirety of its efforts toward creating a city ordinance regulating the sale of tob ... More >>

Wash Day

​What Tobacco-Free Aurora lacks in longevity and membership, it makes up for in ambition. Founded a little more than a year ago with a rotating volunteer staff of twelve to thirty, the group recently pushed the entirety of its efforts toward creating a city ordinance regulating the sale of tob ... More >>