Top Denver PR Exec PredictsPulitzer Prize For The Chronicle

6 Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle February 2010

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Former Denver Post writer and now a top public relationsconsultant, Eric Anderson, has predicted a Pulitzer Prize forthe Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle as highlighted in PennyParker’s column in The Denver Post on January 15. It was partof his annual Top Ten PR Predictions For 2010. True he was beinga tad bit facetious declaring, “Pulitzer committee admits error,retroactively gives Public Service award to Glendale Cherry CreekChronicle for two-part investigative series on cougar bars.”

Anderson was referring to the Chronicle’s two part series start-ing in December of 2007 by reporter Laura Lieff titled “CougarBars of the Cherry Creek Valley” and “Welcome to the Jungle,”which followed two young rugby stars descent into the lairs oflocal cougar bars. The articles presaged the national cougar phe-

nomenon in which older women go on the prowl for youngermen. Today there is a television show titled “Cougar Town” star-ring Courtney Cox on ABC and even cruise ship tours for cougarsand their young male admirers.

Reporter Laura Lieff was thrilled declaring, “This is great! Ican’t wait to hold the Pulitzer Prize gold medal, but to tell thetruth I was kind of hoping for the Nobel Prize in Literaturewhich pays you over a million dollars which doesn’t hurt con-sidering what reporters are paid.”

The Chronicle’s Publisher Chuck Bonniwell was also excited.“It’s wonderful that this cougar series is belatedly being giventhe honors it deserves, as I am sure that Eric’s prediction willcome to fruition probably around April 1.”

But he also expressed words of caution. “I am not sure who isgoing to tell the Wall Street Journal that their 2007 Pulitzer goldmedal for its probe into backdated stock options for business exec-utives which triggered investigations and the ouster of top offi-cials has been retroactively revoked and awarded to the Chroniclefor our cougar investigative reports. Rupert Murdoch [the own-er of the Wall Street Journal] can get real touchy at times especial-ly when it concerns backdating of things including prizes.”

Not to worry noted the Chronicle’s Editor-in-Chief Ed Thomas,who was once a Denver homicide detective. “I will pry the Pul-itzer gold medal from Murdoch’s cold, dead hands if that’swhat it takes,” Thomas declared.

Ms. Lieff cautioned her Publisher and Editor-in-Chief thatthe Chronicle had not officially been retroactively awarded theprize just yet.

To view Anderson’s Top Ten PR Predictions for 2010, visit www.glendalecherrycreek.com.

Continued from page 1full color, tri-color, grayscale and mono-chrome and each one has a specific purposeto help business owners draw customers’attention.

The company explains that “the LEDsign is designed to encourage dynamicmessaging to the community about yourbusiness’s product and services. The LEDsign also maximizes your business sign’sattractiveness and effectiveness.” The sitealso goes through the benefits of LED signswhich include bringing in new customers,improving business image, increasingawareness and sales instantly, getting im-portant information out quickly and sav-ing money.

“LED signs are some of the most eye-catching signs out there,” said SigntronixMarketing Director Tom Johnson. “Peoplelook forward to seeing the signs becausethey display new information and theyserve as communication with the commu-nity and business owners’ customers.”

He continued, “It’s even more effectivewhen business owners use their signs todisplay funny sayings or jokes because itmakes more of a personal connection.”

Popular Sign Breeds Business Not all LED signs are unpopular with the

public. The sign in front of Belcaro Paintand Decorating Center on Leetsdale Drivewhich puts out humorous messages is afavorite of many in the Cherry Creek Valley.After being in the same location for 15years, Belcaro Paint moved to their cur-rent Leetsdale location in 2001. Once thebusiness relocated, owners Cindy and JohnHarris decided they needed a way to attractattention so people would know wherethey had moved. Their solution was to buya huge LED sign that would become theirnew landmark. It cost $133,000 and wasbuilt from scratch.

“You lose business when you move sowe knew we would be in big trouble if wedidn’t have a sign that attracted attention,”said Cindy.

Originally they had a graphic of anAmerican flag blowing and they got a ceaseand desist order from the City of Denversaying they weren’t allowed to have it.

“After we were told we couldn’t have theAmerican flag or put up cartoon characterswe came up with the idea of putting sillyquips on the sign in between the time andtemperature messages,” Cindy explained.

Some of the funny messages have includ-ed “Big Tints,” “Get Thinner Here” and“Happy Hue Year.”

Cindy said that the “silly quips” get a lotof attention from people driving by. Thesign has gotten so much attention that a fewyears ago there was a person who sat in

Continued on page 7

Lighting Up Colorado Blvd.

Surprise Coming: The Wall Street Journal staff accepts the2007 Pulitzer Prize. It is not clear whether they have been in-formed that their Pulitzer Prize is being revoked and awardedto the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle for its Cougar series,according to Denver Public Relations guru Eric Anderson.

Hoops For Teens: Youth and Adult Sports Director Nick Tipton helped organize theYouth Basketball Clinic sponsored by the City of Glendale and the Glendale YMCAStrong Kids Campaign. Thirty-seven teens participated in the clinic which took placeat the Sports Center.

City Seeks Input OnEast Side Travel

February 24The City and County of Denver is

holding a public meeting Wednesday,February 24 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at theDenver School of the Arts (7111 MontviewBlvd.) to solicit public feedback on po-tential solutions to mobility issues. Theplan will evaluate and make recommen-dations for improvement to vehicular,pedestrian, bicycle and transit move-ment in the city’s East Side Travel Shed.The shed includes the area betweenMonaco Parkway and Yosemite Street,between I-70 and Leetsdale Drive. Toget more information on the plan or tobe added to the project mailing list, visitthe project Web site at www.denvergov.org/east side.