eBids online auction benefits Heart Association

Valentine’s Day is known as a celebration of the heart. This year, it will take on a new role, one benefiting many hearts, literally.

On Feb. 14, the Macerich Co., owner and manager of Crossroads Mall in Boulder, is hosting an online auction benefiting the American Heart Association. Called “eBids from the Heart,” the auction will raise money for heart disease and stroke research.

There will be more than 1,000 items, goods and services to bid on. Hot items include a 2001 red Volkswagen Beetle, an autographed pair of Bette Midler’s shoes and a one-week stay in a private villa in Greece. All proceeds will go to the American Heart Association. Visit www.ebidsfromtheheart.com to take part in the auction. Longmont’s mayor, Leona Stoecker, is Longmont Business and Professional Women’s 2001 Woman of the Year.

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Community involvement and leadership earned Stoecker the honor, being presented Feb. 12 at The Raintree Plaza Conference Center, the organization said. Stoecker, mayor for eight years, owns Image Improvement, a professional development firm. Contact Debra DeVilbiss, (303) 545-9908, to attend the event.The movement to boost the Front Range’s technological image in the national eye is humming along well with community business leaders. A meeting held Feb. 1 drew about 60 executives to plan strategy for promoting the Convergence Corridor moniker to describe technology business along the Front Range.

The Grassroots Initiative, a collection of business and government officials, expected about 20 people to show up at FastIdeas incubator at Westmoor for a meeting to divide business volunteers into several councils and task forces. A large conference room was overflowing with people, forcing some to stand at the door and crane to hear Initiative Executive Director Larry Nelson.

Nelson said the councils and task forces will swap ideas and keep on track via a Web community being developed by Denver-based Granite Technologies Inc. Check that company out at www.granite1.com.

The Initiative tentatively announced a town hall meeting on April 26, which will gather about 50 national executives and the governor to discuss the Convergence Corridor campaign and the Front Range’s technology businesses.Collage Children’s Museum is turning 10. To celebrate, the museum is offering free admission and several special events on Saturday, Feb. 10.

Visitors both young and old can take part in decorating a giant cardboard cake, make party hats and play “Pin the Spot” on the Ben & Jerry’s cow. There will be cake and ice cream and the opportunity to karaoke. Festivities will take place between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., but the museum will remain open until 5 p.m.

The Collage Children’s Museum first opened its doors in February 1991 after two years of planning. Today, the museum is regarded as a vital resource for the community. Colorado Shakespeare Festival veteran actor Michael Huftile took to the screen during the 2001 Super Bowl commercials. During Anheuser-Busch’s “what are you doing?” spot, a take off from the famous “Whassup” slogan, Huftile appears as Brad the guy who says “I am watching the market recap and drinking an imported.”

Huftile performed with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival for the last two seasons. In 2000 he sat on the throne as King Henry V after playing Prince Hal in the 1999 productions of “Henry IV, Part I” and “Henry IV, Part II.” When a person thinks of the fast-food restaurant Good Times, most likely hamburgers come to mind. Soon not only will you think of burgers, but the chain will offer frozen custard as a main menu item.

Boulder became the first city used as a test market in late January. The new treat will be added six restaurants per month beginning in March 2001. According to the president and chief executive officer of Good Times Restaurants Inc., Boyd Hoback, frozen custard is a popular food elsewhere and “Coloradans will soon never scream for ice cream again, but for the rich, creamy, smooth taste of frozen custard.”

The Eye will be watching for the aggressive marketing campaign and wait for the rich and creamy treat.City of Boulder Manager Ron Secrist and University of Colorado Chancellor Richard Byyny seemed sincere enough when they told a group of business leaders at a recent Boulder Tomorrow luncheon that they really want the city and university to work together. They each pointed out that compromise is the key. But when the matter arose of creating enough housing on campus to accommodate CU’s student population, it was clear that “compromise,” in this instance, may be one of those empty buzz words. Secrist wants “a bed for every head,” while Byyny said, in a matter-of-fact tone, “25 percent is a good goal.” Neither one looked ready to move toward the middle.

Some developers at the luncheon said they had the solution. “I can build you 4,000 or 5,000 units at Williams Village,” one said. The idea seemed to set well with the regular crowd, but the guests’ responses lacked the room’s enthusiasm.A gas grill lighter turned body stimulator has Better Business Bureaus nationwide, including in the Denver and Boulder areas, warning consumers. Several complaints have been filed against a couple of Ohio companies after they sold ? and the likes of Evel Knievel and actress Lee Merriweather endorsed ? several of the devices. The Stimulator and the accompanying Xtender were supposed to stimulate pressure points to alleviate nerve pains. About 800,000 people shelled out 82 bucks for the thing between 1994 and 1997.

The Denver/Boulder BBB says those people can get their money back by sending a note with name, address, phone number, purchase price and approximate purchase date to: Gilardi & Co., P.O. Box 990, Corte Madera, Calif. 94977, attn: Stimulator.While there are half a million investment club members in the United States, there’s little definitive proof that investment clubs actually make a good return. Online investment club service Bivio Inc. of Boulder, www.bivio.com, has launched an index to determine how successful clubs are at picking stocks. Ion Yadigaroglu, bivio’s chief executive officer, claims “Bivio’s Club Index is the first completely scientific tool to determine how well investment clubs pick stocks.” He said the index represents the collective wisdom of its 5,000 member clubs. The index, launched in January, uses an anonymous and secure computer program to compile the stock ownership of all the investment clubs using its site. That portfolio was assigned a base value of 10,000.

At the end of each trading day, the index is updated with market closing prices. At the beginning of each month, the basket of stocks is adjusted to reflect bivio clubs’ current stock holdings. The Club Index closed at 11,133 on Jan. 26, up 11 percent for the year.