SENTENCE IN REVENUE THEFT

Denver Daily News staff report

Friday, September 25, 2009

SENTENCE IN REVENUE THEFT: The man convicted of stealing more than $11 million dollars from the Colorado Department of Revenue with help from a former girlfriend has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term yesterday by a Denver District Court judge. Hysear Randell, 42, was sentenced to 58 years in the Department of Corrections following arguments that included segments of tape recorded jail conversations in which Randell noted that the state would have to pay the expense of his imprisonment and would bear the burden of caring for his children. Denver Deputy District Attorney Kandace Gerdes argued for a significant prison term on behalf of the citizens of Colorado, noting the defendant has never taken responsibility for his actions and has never shown remorse. In addition to the 58 years in prison, Randell was also ordered to pay $11,862,398.39 in restitution. Co-defendant Michelle Cawthra was sentenced earlier to 24 years in prison; Randell’s wife Trudy is currently on probation.

VAIL RESORTS POSTS RESULTS: Vail Resorts, Inc., yesterday reported results for the fiscal year that ended on July 31. Highlights include: Resort reported EBITDA — which includes the company’s mountain and lodging segments — of $171.1 million, a decrease of $59.6 million, or 25.8 percent over last year; real estate reported EBITDA of $44.1 million, a decrease of $1.9 million, or 4.0 percent; net income of $49 million, a decrease of $54 million, or 52.4 percent; and a net debt leverage ratio of 1.96 times, trailing 12 months total reported EBITDA, $69.3 million of cash and cash equivalents on hand, and no revolver borrowings under the company’s $400 million senior credit facility.

COLORADO CANCER DAY: This Saturday is Colorado Cancer Day, with activities at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. Education — along with early detection, aggressive treatment and breakthrough clinical studies — offers the best hope in the fight against cancer. Cancer patients, cancer survivors and their supporters will spend a half-day learning more about diagnosing, treating and surviving four of the most common cancers (breast, lung, prostate and colorectal). Individual sessions will be scheduled by cancer type and presented by some of the region’s top cancer physicians and researchers from the University of Colorado Cancer Center. Health care professionals can also attend Colorado Cancer Day and earn continuing medical education credits. The event starts at 9 a.m. on the Anschutz campus at Education 2 North, 13120 E. 19th Ave. To register, visit ColoradoCancerDay.com.

PARK HILL HOME TOUR: Six stylistic gems of the east Denver neighborhood of Park Hill will open to the public during the annual Park Hill Home Tour, which run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27. The tour also includes a street fair on Forest Parkway, between 19th Avenue and Montview Boulevard, featuring a silent auction, a food court and artists’ booths. Proceeds of the tour benefit Greater Park Hill Community, Inc., a nonprofit neighborhood organization established in 1961, which sponsors a food bank, neighborhood safety programs, Summer Scholars, a bike club and the area’s only community-owned and operated monthly newspaper. More than 30 percent of GPHC’s income comes from the Home Tour. Tickets are available at King Soopers, the Park Hill Cooperative Bookstore and Spinelli’s Market, both on 23rd Avenue, and the GPHC office at 2823 Fairfax St. They can also be purchased at any of the featured homes on the day of the tour. Tickets cost $12/$15. For more information, call 303-355-4492, 303-388-0918, or e-mail robertalocke@aol.com, or gphc@ecentral.com.

REMEMBERING MURDER VICTIMS: The Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance is hosting a local ceremony today to mark our country’s formal observance of National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims. The event will take place at noon at the Highlands Masonic Temple, 3550 N. Federal Blvd. Families and friends of murder victims are encouraged to bring a picture of their loved one to display and a representative of each family may present the name, date of birth and date of death of the victim.

UNION BOSS WILL STEP DOWN: Union boss Ernie Duran, Jr. yesterday said he will step down from his position as president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 when his term expires at the end of the year, according to the Denver Post. Duran’s daughter, Crisanta Duran, said on Wednesday that she and her father plan on using membership dues to challenge the election he lost to challenger Kim Cordova. But Ernie Duran told the Post that he will use his own money to fund the challenge, contradicting his daughter’s remarks.

FORBES: COLORADO NO. 4 BEST PLACE TO DO BUSINESS: Gov. Bill Ritter yesterday praised Forbes.com for naming Colorado as the fourth best state to do business, up from number six last year. The ranking measured six categories for businesses — costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, current economic climate, growth prospects and quality of life. Colorado finished in the top 15 in four of the six main categories, including quality of its work force (1st) and prospects for growth (2nd).

MARKEY VOTES FOR MEDICARE PREMIUM FAIRNESS ACT: Rep. Betsy Markey, D-Colo., yesterday voted in favor of H.R. 3631, the Medicare Premium Fairness Act. Markey says the resolution will protect seniors from unfair increases in their 2010 Medicare Part B premiums. The resolution passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 406-18.

TANCREDO SLAMS OWENS: Former congressman Tom Tancredo yesterday slammed Bill Owens after the Denver Post reported on the assistance Owens gave an illegal immigrant in 2002. “Bill Owens should utter the words that stick in the throat of all egotistical politicians — I’m sorry,” said Tancredo. “He won’t, of course.” The story Tancredo was referencing was a piece that said Owens helped pay the tuition of a teenager who was born to illegal immigrants.

PUMPKIN WEIGH-OFF: At Jared’s Nursery in Littleton, 10500 W. Bowles Ave., people can see the Rocky Mountain Giant Vegetable Growers pumpkin weigh-off. The event is going on Saturday and starts at 10 a.m. Admission is free, and last year’s event featured a record setting 1,100-pound pumpkin that measured over 12 feet in circumference.

GALACTIC GATHERING: A Galactic Gathering: A Conference on Extraterrestrial Civilizations is going on this weekend at the Doubletree Hotel Denver Tech Center. The event will feature information about the alleged existence of extraterrestrial civilizations and supposed evidence that they have been interacting with humanity for eons. Eight speakers, including three former college professors, will be giving presentations. Over 300 people are expected to attend the event.

PAWLENTY ON HARBER SHOW: At 7 p.m. tonight on KBDI-TV Channel 12, “The Aaron Harber Show” will feature an exclusive interview with Minnesota Governor and likely 2012 Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty. KBDI will rebroadcast the program Monday at 12:30 p.m. On the show Pawlenty talks about the state of the Republican Party, President Obama’s economic policies, educational reform in America, and social issues such as intelligent design.

BENNET, MARKEY, UDALL PUSH FOR RELIEF FOR DAIRY PRODUCERS: With Colorado’s dairy producers caught between a credit crunch and sinking commodity prices, Michael Bennet and Mark Udall, U.S. Senators for Colorado, and U.S. Rep. Betsy Markey, all Democrats, urged leaders in both the House and Senate to preserve funding that would provide $350 million in emergency relief and assistance for struggling dairy farmers in Colorado and across the country. The relief for dairy farmers was approved last month as part of the Agriculture Appropriations Act of 2010 through a bipartisan amendment cosponsored by Bennet and Udall, with support from the National Farmers Union, Dairy Farmers of America, the National Milk Producers Federation and Western United Dairymen.

STREET BEING RENAMED IN HONOR OF SAKIC: Mayor John Hickenlooper, along with Denver Public Works Traffic Engineering Services, will rename 19th Street in celebration of Joe Sakic’s illustrious career with the Colorado Avalanche. Sakic will be presented with his own street sign at the event. The event will take place at 4:30 p.m. today at the corner of 19th and Market streets.

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