Colorado News — April 2024

DENVER — For a long time, convenience stores have had trouble with the homeless loitering and disrupting their business, but never before had the owner of one been forced to endure a camp full of illegal aliens that set up in back of the premises.

That was the situation at a Shell station for three months before the city scraped together enough money to relocate them.

It was doubly troubling for Tip Cordova because she herself was an immigrant who came from Thailand, but she became a citizen and worked hard to establish a business in which she would be able to thrive.

At the peak, 70 tents sat only a few steps from her store, primarily populated by Venezuelans who had exhausted their vouchers to stay in a city-provided shelter.

As the situation grew worse, Cordova said, "I want to cry right now. I can't take it anymore." She watched sales drop 50 percent as those immigrants drove away business by approaching customers for work or just loitered.

In desperation some stole windshield squeegees from the gas station and stood in the intersection hoping to earn a couple of bucks washing car windows. Cordova worried about their children who played in the parking lot for fear they would be hit by a vehicle.

And despite the availability of trash bags provided by the city, rubbish spilled over onto her lot.

She had placed numerous calls to police who told her there was nothing they could do. Recently, the city managed to put together $350,000 to move the inhabitants to other quarters.

"I don't want people to think that I have a dark heart," said Cordova. She said she sympathizes with the plight of the immigrants, but she couldn't run a business under that duress.

Denver saw an influx of more than 35,000 illegal immigrants after opening its doors to the immigrants. It provided transport from the city, food, and temporary housing. Now that offer is creating a major crisis as the number of facilities available dwindle and the crowds keep coming.

In the first instance, surveillance cameras showed a man crawling into the store where he stole $30,000 worth of tobacco products and lottery tickets.

After that, Yehdego strengthened the security but a man believed to be the same thief was so determined to get in a couple of weeks later that he is seen carefully removing the entire glass pane from the front door, so as not to be cut. He was so brazen he paused several times to return to his truck to get more tools. He used a drill to try to remove the bars. Although he failed to gain entry, he caused major property damage.

The owner is afraid he will keep trying until he succeeds. He didn't know why he is being targeted.

AURORA — This city is trying to do something about a widespread problem that convenience stores face: shoplifting.

The city council is considering a proposal to automatically jail thieves who take $100 or more worth of merchandise. They would be incarcerated for three days.

Currently, the threshold for jail is $300, but that has not deterred the criminals.

"We need to let people know that we are open for business and closed for crime," said City Councilwoman Stephanie Hancock.

City statistics show there were 1,702 incidents of shoplifting last year, an increase of about 35 percent from the previous year.

The ACLU told the council if passed, the ordinance could violate the state constitution's promise of equal protection under the law because its retail theft law would be harsher than the state's.

AURORA — Convenience stores are not the only businesses under attack.

The Province Car & Dog Wash has been broken into four times in five months.

"Why are you doing this to me?" lamented Chip Shaw, manager member of the wash as he watched the last episode on camera showing a man break the glass in a failed effort to gain entry. The damage amounted to $38,000.

In the first incident, said Shaw, "He used a Penske truck, came up with the trailer hitch, and ran it into the building. It was a mess. It cost $24,000 to fix."

He's afraid his insurance company will raise his rates by a gigantic amount because of all the claims, or, worse, cancel his policy.

In business for 25 years, he said it is threatening his survival. "They are destroying me."

DENVER — Colorado's minimum wage has jumped from $13.65 to $14.12, the seventh highest in the nation. Localities can offer more if they want to and some have. Denver went to $18.29, the tiny town of Edgewater to $15.02, and unincorporated areas of Boulder County to $15.69.

WESTMINSTER — A federal judge has ruled that Circle K had the right to fire a cashier for attempting to stop a robber with a knife from stealing cigarettes.

Mary Ann Moreno, 72, maintained she was not trying to stop the theft, only to protect herself when the man came around the corner and was too close to her. She plans to appeal.

She had worked there for 16 years when a man came into the store and asked for free cigarettes. She said she couldn't do that, so he came around the counter to grab the smokes. She said she grabbed his arm and shirt because he was so close to her that she feared he would hurt her.

A few days later, after viewing the surveillance tape, Circle K fired her for violating store policy forbidding employees from confronting shoplifters.

Moreno claimed the firing was unlawful because the law allows victims to protect themselves from criminals.

U. S. District Judge Nina Wang rejected both arguments. She said the woman had not shown she was fired for being a victim nor had she shown why the right to self defense applied to a workers rights case.

CORTEZ — Love's Travel Stops has opened a new facility here as part of the growth plan for its 60th anniversary.

In honor of the occasion Love's donated $5,000 to the local high school.

The corporation intends to improve its network as it adds 20 to 25 new locations.

DENVER — A bill in the state Senate would allow county commissions the authority to regulate the sale of flavored cigarettes, tobacco and nicotine products. It is meant to clarify a previous regulatory measure that did not include flavored products.

LOVELAND — A bogeda-style convenience store has opened here to serve nearby residents and downtown visitors.

"There was a need for basic goods down here," said co-owner Melody Bettenhausen. "It's for people to pick up a bag of chips or something to drink while they are on break from work or fill in what they forgot grocery shopping."

She, Ashley Smith, and James and Jean Baranowski had been thinking about doing it and when a storefront became vacant they decided to act. Jack, the Baranowskis' dog, is featured in the logo, holding a loaf of bread in his mouth.

GRAND JUNCTION — When a woman made her usual trip to the car wash she got the shock of her life.

"It sounded like an explosion. I thought I was being shot at," said Crystal Johnson. "I ducked, then when I looked back I realized I had no rear window. "

She was almost through the automated process at Canyon View Car Wash Express, she said, when the equipment apparently malfunctioned, taking out her window and damaging her brake light trim.

She said she was left with a $600 repair bill, which the car wash management refused to pay.

DENVER — Colorado offers a lower octane option for fuel that often helps keep gasoline prices lower than in other parts of the country.

Most states only provide octane rating choices of 87 regular, 88-90 midgrade, and 91-94 premium. Colorado offers 85 octane.

It is allowed to do so because regulators have determined that "at altitudes above 3500 feet you can safely operate a vehicle without any engine knock using the lower octane," said Skyler McKinley, spokesman for AAA Colorado. "The 85 octane performs as well as 87."

WESTMINSTER — Another long-time Colorado carwash has closed, citing minimum wage increases and overhead.

Wave Car Care Center had been in operation for thirty-five years. Wayne and Angela Palinck bought the business in 2003. He had worked there since 1988 and felt it was time to buy.

It became a family business, with their children, his brother, and nephews helping.

"We love the area," said Angela. She said they serviced generations of residents.

"We're sad because it was our whole entire lives for so many years. Unfortunately, as the minimum wage rose and car wash prices did not, it became harder to stay open. We were not going to be able to afford to give the customers the product without making it so pricey that it just wasn't fair to them."

Competition also played a role. A nearby car wash was able to charge lower prices because it didn't need the labor.

The void left by their departure is being filled, however. Cobblestone Car Wash plans to operate it.

The cost of running a car wash and labor shortages caused another iconic wash to close earlier this year. 7thWave in Colorado Springs cited those factors as it shut down after twenty years.

DURANGO — While independent car washes are having a rough time, chain operations are apparently doing so well that the competition doesn't bother them. A Champion Xpress wash will open soon to compete against Cascade Xpress opened last year along Camino Del Rio.

The new wash will be 5,486 square feet, with a 3,584-square-foot tunnel. The owner has 30 locations in the country, including five in Colorado and 16 in New Mexico.

Not all the residents are happy. Durango already has four stand-alone washes, five detailing establishments, and multiple washes attached to service stations in a small town. "Just what we don't need," said resident Bobbie Caril.

PUEBLO — Teenage girls are conducting heists at convenience stores and it is getting violent.

Shortly after midnight the two, unnamed but identified as 15 and 16 years old, allegedly entered a Loaf 'N' Jug, where one took a case of beer and tried to leave through an exit door. She dropped the beer when the door wouldn't open. When an employee approached one hit him in the face with a wine bottle before they left. The employee was treated for a facial cut.

Police quickly arrested the pair who face charges of aggravated robbery, second-degree assault, and criminal mischief.

DENVER — Three gasoline brands hold 61.2 percent of the top 10 fueling stations in Colorado.

Conoco has 383 across sixteen cities; Circle K, 183; and Phillips 66 has 146.

AURORA — Afficionados of Japanese snacks and other goods can find them in a convenience store here.

Ebisu customers are greeted by 6.5 feet Dragon Ball figures flanking the exterior. The store offers include anime products as well as other Japanese goods like specialty ramen noodles, seasoned tofu sticks, beauty supplies, cleaning goods, toys, hot drinks, and tableware. There even is a clothing boutique inside.

Although the labels are in Japanese, they are accompanied by translations.

Originally published in the April 2024 issue of the O&A Marketing News.
© KAL Publications Inc. 2024