Mountain Metropolitan Transit (MMT) will begin operating a new FREE shuttle service in downtown Manitou Springs on Sunday, May 19. The shuttle service will run through September 7, 2013. The circulator route will run along Manitou Avenue and connect riders to the Pikes Peak Cog Railway and the Manitou Incline along Ruxton Avenue.

Manitou Springs received a Federal grant for this project, made available through the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, and chose Mountain Metropolitan Transit to run this new shuttle service to help reduce traffic congestion and provide some parking relief.

To view a map of the new route and a detailed bus schedule please visit mmtransit.com. Opening day festivities will include refreshments, live music and much more. Final details of the event will be provided next week.

Mountain Metropolitan Transit provides local fixed-route bus service and Metro Mobility ADA paratransit service for Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region. All buses are wheelchair-lift equipped. Mountain Metropolitan Transit also provides other services such as Metro Rides’ ridesharing, vanpool, and bicycling programs. For added convenience, there are bike racks on all buses for riders who want to utilize the bike-n-bus program. For additional information regarding Mountain Metropolitan Transit please visit www.mmtransit.com, or call (719) 385-RIDE (7433).

Press Release
by Jeff Clay, May 9, 2013

Roofing Supply Group, LLC (“RSG”), a national leader in the wholesale distribution of roofing supplies and related materials, announced today that it has opened a new satellite location at 2250 Reliable Circle Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80906. In addition to Colorado Springs, this location will service surrounding areas such as Pueblo, Cañon City and Woodland Park.

This location is led by Kelly Woods, a 17-year veteran with RSG who brings expertise in product knowledge and customer service. Mr. Woods is building a winning team that shares his passion for the roofing industry and for bringing unsurpassed service and support to local roofing contractors, remodelers and homebuilders. This location is the 17th branch in the Rocky Mountain/Midwest Region under the direction of Mr. Jeff Willis, Senior Vice President.

The opening of this latest branch in Colorado Springs aligns strategically with RSG’s overall growth initiative which includes organic growth, opening of new locations and planned acquisitions.

Jeff Willis, Senior Vice President Rocky Mountain/Midwest Region, commented, “We are excited to announce the opening of this new satellite location in Colorado Springs. This will allow us to significantly expand our Denver footprint into the surrounding areas under the very capable direction of one of RSG’s top talents, Kelly Woods.”
About Roofing Supply Group

Owned by parent company Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, LLC, Roofing Supply Group, LLC (“RSG”) is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and is one of the largest wholesale distributors of roofing supplies and related materials in the United States. Through its network of 61 locations in 24 states nationwide, RSG provides one-step distribution services from roofing product manufacturers to roofing contractors and homebuilders. Each branch carries a complete line of roofing products for residential and commercial roofing, including composition asphalt shingles, underlayment and associated ancillary products. For more information regarding Greenfields & Acquisitions, please contact Jeff Clay at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | 214.956.5184 – VP Strategic Planning & Corporate Development

About Clayton, Dubilier & Rice
Founded in 1978, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice is a private equity firm with an investment strategy predicated on producing financial returns through building stronger, more profitable businesses. The Firm’s partners and advisors include a combination of skilled investment decision-makers and seasoned corporate leaders from major global enterprises. Since inception, CD&R has managed the investment of more than $18 billion in 56 businesses with an aggregate

By Ron Phillips

There are thousands and thousands of acronyms floating around. New ones are cooked up on a daily basis. Here are a few of my favorite recipes from the investment community.
   
BRICs

BRIC represents a group of emerging economies. They’re Brazil, Russia, India and China. They’re popular because of the extraordinary growth they have boiled up. China has quickly become the second-largest economy. They recently steamed past both Germany’s and Japan’s GDP. There’s a reason this blend is so popular. According to CME Group, the BRIC nations have gone from 8% of global GDP to 25% of worldwide production in 2010. China and India are estimated to be the first and third largest economies, respectively, by the year 2050. The U.S. will be sandwiched between the two. The BRICs have several funds dedicated to them. One is the SPDR S&P BRIC 40 (symbol: BIK). It has a 2.52% annual yield and a small yearly expense ratio of 0.50 percent.

CIVETS

This lesser-known cocktail consists of Columbia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey and South Africa. CIVETS are considered the next generation of tiger economies. Being emerging markets they’re very volatile and aggressive. Indonesia is the fourth most-populated country on the planet. A potentially good market. Turkey is a bridge between Europe and the Middle East. Both very important, and large, markets.

PIIGS

This meaty group has gotten a lot of press lately. Made of Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain, they have been tenderized by recessions, austerity measures, currency fears and more. But remember: these economies were once hot markets with stellar growth. Ireland is still a tech hub that attracts investments. Italy and Spain are the fourth- and sixth-largest economies in Europe. There could be value here at a cheap price.

CARBS

For a vegetarian choice we have CARBS. These are Canada, Australia, Russia, Brazil and South Africa. This is a unique mix, including both emerging and developed economies. All of the CARBS are large producers of commodities. Together they have 29% of the global landmass and only 6% of the world’s population. This makes them ripe for exporting large amounts of “stuff.” These producers of stuff could be a good inflation protector. WisdomTree Commodity Country Fund (symbol: CCXE) provides about a 60% exposure to these five countries, a 3.69% yield and reasonable expenses of 0.58% annually.

Congratulations! You’ve survived all of these bad food puns without getting indigestion. Take a closer look at this alphabet soup of countries. You may discover a tasty morsel.
   
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“Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art.”

--Andy Warhol--

Ron Phillips is an Independent Financial Advisor and a Pueblo, Colorado native.  He and his wife are currently raising their two sons in Pueblo.  Order a free copy of his easy-to-read investor report Creating Your Own Pension That You Can’t Outlive by visiting www.RetireIQ.info or leaving a message on his prerecorded voicemail at (719) 924-5070. Simply mention Promo Code #2001 when ordering.


PIIGS:  Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece     and Spain
BRIC:  Brazil, Russia, India & China
CIVETS:  Columbia, Indonesia,     Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey & S.     Africa
CARBS:  Canada, Australia, Russia,     Brazil & S. Africa

Press Release (VisitCOS.com) – Airing Sunday, May 12th at 6pm Mountain Time, Travel Channel personality and TripFlip series star Bert Kreischer takes the lead on a 3-day, all-expenses-paid trip to the Rocky Mountains with a couple from Los Angeles. The adventure includes parasailing in the Rockies, a night in a famous haunted hotel and an afternoon training session with Olympic athletes at Colorado Springs very own U.S. Olympic Training Center.

According to the show’s website, professional fun-seeker and travel expert Bert convinces two random people to spontaneously agree to a 3-day surprise vacation. Kreischer delivers an action-packed itinerary stacked with the kind of VIP access, accommodations, gourmet food, unexpected twists and celebrity appearances that only Travel Channel can deliver. And forget about guidebooks and tour buses, because every Trip Flip is designed to get vacationers off the beaten path, out of their comfort zones and into the mind-blowing, life-changing experiences that inspire us all to travel in the first place.

The episode will air again at 1am Mountain Time on Monday morning. Find more information and behind-the-scenes photos here.

The Colorado Springs Film Commission, run through the Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau, creates exposure and economic opportunities for Colorado Springs and the region by bringing more film, video and photography projects to the destination. The Film Commission’s main purpose is to act as a liaison for people, places and permits.