springinto aclean car!...beginnings e-waste day at the community recycling drop off center 75 s....

Vail Daily 06/14/2012

All contents © Copyright 2012 Swift 06/14/2012

June 14, 2012 1:29 pm / Powered by TECNAVIA

Copy Reduced to %d%% from original to fit letter page

A4 || Thursday, June 14, 2012 THE VAIL DAILY || 970 • 949 • 0555 || vaildaily.com

Serving lunch & dinner daily 11am-10pm

926-3613

Steaks, Seafood and Wild Game

Happy Hour/Aprés Ski 4:00pm-5:30pm Daily30% OffDrinks

30% OffAppetizers

www.gashouse-restaurant.com

Steaks ~ Seafood ~WildGame

LARGE SELECTION OF GAME, HAND CUT STEAKS AND MUCH MORE…

Prime Rib • Ribeye Steaks • Porter HouseFilet Mignon • NY Strip • Buffalo Ribeye

Elk Tenderloin • Venison Chop • Duck • QuailRack of Lamb • Ribs • Chicken Pastas

½ lb. Burgers & more…

LARGE SELECTION OF SEAFOODLobster Tails • Shrimp • King Crab

Crab Cakes • Salmon • Mahi • TroutStuffed Sole • Calamari • Little Neck

Clams • Clams Casino • Malpaque Oysters Baked Oysters

KIDS MENU AVAILABLE

Pre-order tix @MontanasAfterDark.ticketleap.com

8 2 E . B e a v e r C r e e k B l v d . • A V O N • 9 7 0 . 9 4 9 . 7 0 1 9

Late Night Bar Menu ‘til 1AM Thur - Sat

Eternalwith Special Guest

Killah Priest

Wu Tang Presents:

Friday June 15Doors at 9PM

We are OPEN

6am to 8pm daily!

970-949-1423 • 20 Nottingham Rd • Avon

Hello, I’m Patty.We’re having so much fun serving up Chef Noah’snew dinner menu, that we’ve decided to continue

TWO-FOR-ONE DINNERS for another week.

If you haven’t heard,12-ounce Filet Mignon $29.95,Chipotle Lemon Roasted Half Chicken $19.95,14-ounce Rib Eye $25.95,Wild Salmon $24.95, Shrimp Scampi $22.95 andsome others I forgot. All dinners come with alarge garden salad and homemade bread.

Also,we will be serving Father’s Day Brunchall day Sunday until 5 p.m. Let dad sleep in and then treat him to the Northside.

YUMMY!

Pre-order tix @MontanasAfterDark.ticketleap.com

8 2 E . B e a v e r C r e e k B l v d . • A V O N • 9 7 0 . 9 4 9 . 7 0 1 9

Late Night Bar Menu ‘til 1AM Thur - Sat

COMEDY NIGHTSaturday, June 16 • 8:15pm

JIMMY SHUBERT JIMMY SHUBERT

from Los Angelesfrom Los Angeles

HEATHER SNOW from Denver

Located in Avon | 855-FLEX-WASH | FLEXWASH.COM

$68from

INTERIOR & EXTERIOREXPRESS DETAIL

SPRING INTO A CLEAN CAR!

Some ofRosenfeld’s workerswent monthswithout being paid,records showBy Randy [email protected]

EAGLE COUNTY — Several of an EagleCounty commissioner candidate’s formeremployees say they had to turn to a stateenforcement agency to get paid.

The Colorado Department of Laborordered Johnie Rosenfeld,president of Johnie’s Gar-den, to pay five claimstotaling $17,319.45, theagency’s regional directorsaid.

A sixth claim, $1,246.43to Miguel Gonzalez,brings the wage claimsagainst Rosenfeld to$18,656.88.

Some of Rosenfeld’sworkers went months without being paid,records show.

He paid all of those claims, he said.A small-claims action filed Thursday

morning by The Computer Guy of Vail asksthat Rosenfeld pay six months worth ofinvoices for $4,555.30.

Among the ordersColorado Labor Department cases

involving Rosenfeld stretch back to 2010,with more possibly on the horizon.

Rosenfeld said some of those filing wagedemands still need to turn in things such ascellphones and truck keys.

Cean Whitmarsh quit Johnie’s Garden onJune 1 and sent Rosenfeld a demand forunpaid wages, claiming he had not beenpaid for two months.

Roberto Parra Jr. turned to the ColoradoDepartment of Labor to win his$13,580.45 settlement from Rosenfeld,records show. Parra calculated he wasowed $17,463.97.

They settled at $13,580.45 after SaidaMontoya, a Department of Labor compli-ance officer, negotiated a deal.

Rosenfeld wrote the check on Jan. 10,noting in the memo line, “Final PayrollCheck-Paid in Full.”

Gonzalez filed a wage claim in small-claims court and was awarded $230 on Jan.20, 2011.

On Nov. 2, Rosenfeld also wrote Gonza-lez a check for $1,246.43, writing in thememo line that it was a replacement checkfor two others. Gonzalez said it was for

wages that Rosenfeld never paid.Gonzalez was a supervisor, running a

crew for Rosenfeld’s Johnie’s Garden land-scaping company.

“Guys are owed money. He’s promisingand promising. I don’t know how theseguys can survive. Now he wants to be acommissioner,” Gonzalez said.

“If he’s doing this, imagine what he willdo when he has the power to do muchmore.”

Gonzalez said he put up with it for thepast four years.

The workers live in big groups to keep theirrent payments low so they can send moneyhome to their families, Gonzalez said.

“We are here for one reason: to help ourfamilies and create a better life for them. Ifthey wanted to suffer like this, they couldstay there,” Gonzalez said.

Rosenfeld’s sideRosenfeld called it a symptom of tough

economic times and Eagle County’s hostilebusiness environment.

“Over the last four years, we’ve had ourline of credit called twice. We’ve had tomove the Garden Center and had the worstyear for plowing snow in the Vail Valley inmemory,” Rosenfeld said.

“We operate a seasonal business withperishable inventory. Trying to do thatwithout a line of credit is impossible.”

He’s shifting the way his business han-dles cash flow, requiring more payment up

SPECIAL TO THE DAILY

Several former employees of JohnieRosenfeld’s Johnie’s Garden say theyturned to the Colorado Department ofLabor to get wages they were owed.Rosenfeld said it stems from the tougheconomic times and Eagle County’shostile business environment. Rosenfeldis running for Eagle Countycommissioner.

Candidate orderedto pay wage claims

JOHNIEROSENFELD

Rosenfeld, page A10





Mon-Fri 7AM–8PMSat-Sun 9AM–5PM

Riverwalk Center | Edwards, CO | (970)926-7323 | bookwormofedwards.com

Heading Out to WonderfulBy Robert Goolrick$24.95, Algonquin Books

Karin says: Robert Goolrick does it again. A doomed love story with lots of soul. Enigmatic Charlie Beale, just returned from WWII, lands in small town Virginia. Through his charisma he becomes revered by the locals es ecially veyear old am. When Charlie becomes

infatuated with the beautiful young wife of the town’s richest citi en, the small town life is turned u side down with turmoil. An electrifying lusty read with lots of forewarning. I couldn’t put it down. Great audio version too!

LOCALLY FLAVORED | COMMUNITY MINDED | INDEPENDENTLY OWNED

OPEN HOUSE | SATURDAY, JUNE 16 | 3-5 P.M.celebrate 15 Years & 15 More with an open house event

featuring Bookworm founders Kathy Westover & Neda Jansen

Bookwormbeginnings

e-waste day at the community recycling drop

off center 75 S. Frontage Rd. Vail

Friday, June 15th9am-3pm

Out

Get

the

Lead

Paper shredding also availablelarge item fee: $5-$15

Contact K. Bertuglia for more information: 970.477.3455 or [email protected]

4 Eagle RanchHoward Head Sports MedicineSonnenalp – Bully RanchCountry Club of the RockiesCordilleraBase Mountain SportsWildfl ower FarmsRiverwalk BarbersHenry’s Chinese CaféThe Golden EagleMarkos PizzaVintage MagnoliaWoody’sBanglez SalonBonjour BakeryCosbarKitchen CollageMary Kay – Sue Godac

to all of the sponsors who helped send the Mission Team from Gracious Savior Church in Edwards to help recovery efforts in Henryville, IN.

Thank youColorado Business BankNicky’s QuickiesAlpine BankEdwards LiquorsZino’sVail Valley Massage Co-op – Cheryl GoldbergCharlie Karn – Local ArtistPaul Brown – Golf Lessons

front, he said. His flower business clients,for example, are required to pay in thespring rather than later in the summer, hesaid.

Johnie’s Garden cuts paychecks every twoweeks but doesn’t release them until theyhave the receivables to back them, Rosenfeldsaid.

“We’re putting together a team that will dothe best possible job, so our customers aresatisfied and this is no longer a problem,”Rosenfeld said. “If you choose to be part ofthat team, we’re glad to have you. If not, havea nice day.”

He said he’s running for county commis-sioner to change Eagle County’s hostile busi-ness environment.

“We’ve lost 300 businesses, and more arestruggling,” Rosenfeld said. “If it takes mestanding up for not only Johnie’s Gardenand myself but for all the other businesses,as well, I’m willing to do that. There are aheckuva a lot of businesses in this exactsame situation and are embarrassed tocome forward.

“I am not willing to accept the status quo.If I can do something about it, I’m going to.”

Sign of the times?A sign in a window of the Johnie’s Garden

offices in Minturn told workers that theywould not be paid.

“Attention! Payroll will be released on anindividual basis as funds become available.The goal is to release the entire payrollA.S.A.P. Thank you for your cooperation andunderstanding,” the sign said.

That’s not the law, said Bill Thoennes, withthe Colorado Department of Labor andEmployment.

“If work has been performed, the employ-er owes salary or compensation to theemployee who performed that work,”Thoennes said.

Businesses have all sorts of excuses for notpaying their employees, Thoennes said. Latepayment or nonpayment is not excusedbecause the company has fallen on hardtimes, Thoennes said.

“It could be for several reasons, but moreoften than not, they’re on the ropes and theydon’t want to be bouncing paychecks all overthe place,” Thoennes said.

“It can sometimes be a tipoff about thecompany’s financial solvency.”

Megan Bonta mediates wage disputesbetween workers and employees for CatholicCharities. She helps her clients composewage demand letters and then lays out theiroptions for things such as small-claims courtor asking the Department of Labor to heartheir case. She said the problem of employersrefusing to pay workers is more widespreadin Eagle County than almost anyone realizesand that it follows a familiar pattern.

Employers pay workers fully for the firstfew weeks and then partially for a few morepay periods. Eventually, they stop paying andthat’s when she gets involved, she said.

She has helped dozens of clients file claimsin small-claims court and with the stateDepartment of Labor.

Sometimes, they’re successful in collectingwages; sometimes, they’re not, she said.

“Many companies are late, but they pay,”Bonta said. “Sometimes the check really doesget lost or the hours don’t get logged correctly.”

It’s a widespread problem, especiallyamong seasonal workers, Bonta said. In 2011and 2012, she said she has mediated wagedisputes with 18 Eagle County businesses for$269,821. She calculates that for every workerwho comes to her for help, five others don’t.

“Relief agencies are getting hammeredwith rent-assistance requests from peoplewho should be getting paid but aren’t. It’s agrowing problem,” Bonta said.

Families can’t buy food or pay rent. Onefamily was trying to figure out how to pay fora family member’s cancer treatments, Bontasaid.

Bonta said a new influx of summer season-al workers with similar complaints is alreadyrolling through her office. The Internal Rev-enue Service charges these workers incometaxes on wages earned, whether theyreceived them or not, Bonta said.

The Colorado Department of Labor getsabout 5,000 claims per year, and they havebeen increasing since the recession hit, saidMike McArdle, a regional director with theagency. Colorado’s U.S. Department of Laboroffice gets around that many, he said.

“The vast majority get paid, just like hepaid his,” McArdle said. “Many are businessowners who don’t know what the law is. Weexplain it to them.”

If someone quits, they have to be paid onthe next regular payday, McArdle said. Ifthey’re fired, they have to be paid within 24hours. If you can’t pay them on the spot andyou’re mailing the check, it has to be post-marked within 24 hours, McArdle said.

ROSENFELDFROM PAGE A4




Copy Reduced to %d%% from original to fit letter page

their helmets on their heads, so itprobably wouldn’t work that well forDavid Gergen. I’ve never seen himwear a helmet.

Then, of course, there’s the pow-dered wig. Kings, aristocrats, presi-dents, politicians and composers worethem throughout history. Present-daybarristers in England still wear them.

It all started with King Louis XIII ofFrance. He suffered from male patternbaldness and was sick of beingmocked by the king of England, so hewore the biggest wig he could find.

By 1665, anyone with aspirations ofmoving up in European society wore awig — the bigger, the better — althoughI don’t think it would catch on now.Despite television commercials to thecontrary, you really can’t swim or runon the beach wearing a powdered wig.

Men continue to express their indi-vidualism by wearing full beards,chinstraps, goatees, handlebar mous-taches, neckbeards, Shenandoahs,sideburns, soul patches, two-day stub-bles, toothbrush moustaches and Van

Dykes. Both sexes continue to choosefrom a variety of hairstyles that havebeen around for decades: the afro,bob cut, bowl cut, bun, buzz cut, corn-rows, crew cut, dreadlocks, duck’s ass,finger wave, flattop, French twist, thejarhead, Jheri curl, liberty spikes,mohawk, mullet, pageboy, pigtails,pixie cut, pompadour, ponytail, shag,updo and waves — with and withoutbangs.

On the other hand, women battlehirsutism by shaving, tweezing,depilating or waxing unwanted hairfrom every nook and cranny of theirbodies.

They’ll attack superfluous hair overtheir lips, underneath their arms, theirsideburns, nipples, middle of theirchest, belly buttons, beards, arms andlegs.

And then there’s the pubic region.Even though no one’s supposed to seeit, women will let their pubic hair goau naturel, or trim it into a triangle,landing strip (ironically, called aHitler’s moustache), heart, diamond,spade and club, arrow, pyramid, freestyle, attach pubic hair extensions ordo away with the entire growth with a

Brazilian wax.It wasn’t until after I got home and

did a little research, that I discoveredhow many ways there are to interpret“touching up my eyebrows a bit.”

Originally, I thought my barber justwanted to cut them with scissors. Ifound out later that had I said yes, hemight have started tweezing, waxing,restoring or threading.

I don’t have a unibrow, so he prob-ably wasn’t thinking of doing an eye-brow transplant. Nor do I think I needan eyebrow lift.

Besides preventing sweat, waterand other debris from falling into youreye sockets, eyebrows are importantin communication and facial expres-sions. It’s hard to imagine Sean Con-nery being very sexy without eyebrows.

So the next time someone asks youif you’d like your eyebrows “touchedup a bit,” pause before you answer.You may have no idea what you’re get-ting yourself into.

Allen Smith, of Vail, is the author of“Watching Grandma Circle the Drain”and “Ski Instructors Confidential.”


TURTLETUBING.COM • 970.471.0547TURTLETUBING.COM • 970.471.0547

TODAY!TODAY! CALLCALL

JUST FLOATIN’JUST FLOATIN’

LOW WATER MEANSMORE FLOATIN’MORE FLOATIN’

TUBING

Call to book your tee time 970.926.5950

Father’s Day at Cordillera…

The Chaparral is now

open for lunch and dinner!

9 Holes with Dinner and 2 Beers…$75

18 Holes with Dinner and 2 Beers…$125(after 12pm) Kids menu too.

Father’s Day Brew and BBQBonfi re Brewery beer tasting and cook out!

Food and beer pairing for Dad including Stout braised brisket

Father’s Day Golf Specials!

719-486-2176 / 888-909-6966

Just west of Historic Leadville.A short, scenic drive from Vail and Summit County.

The The 55 county pass county passLake, Eagle, Summit, Chaffee & Park

County residents Join our eclub and get up to 30% off our rates.

9 holes - $22 $1418 holes $38 $26

Carts $13 $10 per 9 holes...Plus, every 5th round you play is freeThese rates will be good all season!

Juniors, 12-18 years 9 holes for $12, 18 holes for $24Super Juniors, under 12 with a paying adult 9 holes for $8, 18 holes for $12 in the mornings,FREE in the afternoons

Junior program Junior program

“Johnie will be transparent andresponsive to the needs expressed

by Eagle County citizens.”Dr. Geri Schmidt, Eagle

“Johnie will make a greataddition to the Board of

Eagle County Commissioners.”Minturn Mayor Hawkeye Flaherty

Have things to say about life in Eagle County and beyond?

SHARE YOUR VOICE!

We’re looking for people like you to write a column for the Vail Daily’s opinion page. Send your best column idea to [email protected].

SMITHFROM PAGE A5

LETTERS TO THE EDITORHaymeadow needed

Having built a notable commercialbuilding in Eagle Ranch, it is clear thatI am a true believer in the Eagle community.

The struggle to fill the building withflourishing businesses has been a chal-lenge. We are blessed to currently havetwo wonderful tenants with viablebusinesses, but it has taken three yearsto achieve this and there is still a vacan-cy. It has become clear to me that inorder to see Eagle’s local businessesthrive, we need more residents.

A town’s character and economicvitality is created through the strengthof its local businesses. Strong business-

es provide increased financial securityfor every member of the community:commercial real estate owners, localgovernment through the collection oftax revenues, residential real estateowners by making the neighborhoodsin which they live more desirable andincreasing their property values.

A town that achieves critical masscan support its business communitywithout the need for a large influx ofconsumers from elsewhere. Eagle sim-ply hasn’t reached that sweet spot yet.

I believe that by utilizing the meas-ured and steady growth proposed bythe Haymeadow project, Eagle canachieve critical mass while addingvaluable assets to the community,

including the proposed school andtrail system and the various openspaces, community parks and build-ings in their plan.

Savvy and sustainable growth overthe next 20 years is the key to successin Eagle’s business and residentialcommunities.

This includes the availability ofhomes for Eagle to grow and supportits population.

Now, more than ever, we needmore people calling Eagle home.Haymeadow is currently the bestoption our town has to achieve thegrowth it needs.

Barbara Scrivens

springinto aclean car!...beginnings e-waste day at the community recycling drop off center 75 s....

Documents