Ten Years Ago this week in The Colorado Statesman …

Fireworks heralded the long-awaited opening of the convention center hotel, the Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center. Former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, Denver Convention Center Hotel Authority President Gail Klapper and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper cut an enormous ribbon, and then they were joined by Tim Lindgren, a senior vice president at Hyatt, to flip a switch to illuminate the 37-story gem. “Denver and the Colorado Rocky Mountains have long been a favored destination for leisure travelers, but with the recent expansion of the Colorado Convention Center, and now the grand opening of the Hyatt Regency Denver, we expect Denver to quickly become a favorite location for conventions and meetings from around the world,” said Bill Mosher, CEO of the Denver Convention Center Hotel Authority, which owned the new hotel. The 1,100-room hotel was the largest built under the Hyatt name in more than two decades. It was also reportedly the first downtown Denver high rise built in 25 years. “The hotel gives guests a glimpse into the beauty of Colorado’s plains and mountains,” said general manager John Schafer. That included more than 60,000 square feet of new meeting space, perched up above the ground floor so that guests could view the cityscape and the mountains through floor-to-ceiling windows. In addition, six bronze climbers were scaling a 35-foot limestone wall, among the $2.5 million worth of original art installed in the hotel. “As I talk with people from around the country about our new hotel and tell them about all Denver has to offer,” said David Gauthier, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing, “many are surprised to learn that the city has more than 300 sunny days a year, more than Honolulu, Miami or San Diego. It’s our goal to get them here so they can see for themselves that Denver truly has arrived as a top-tier convention city.” At press time, more than $102 million in group room sales had been booked. …

… For the first time in state history, the Colorado treasury had more than $5 billion in assets under management at the close of trading, Treasurer Mark Hillman reported. Investments totaled $5,011,317,295, up from $4,961,317,295 the day before. The biggest boost to state coffers, Hillman said, was the improving state economy, boosting tax collections. “After lagging the recovery of the national economy, the state is seeing signs of solid, sustainable economic growth. That’s the best present Colorado can get this Christmas,” Hillman said. The asset milestone was achieved even despite the Legislature’s transfer the previous year of the Pinnacol Assurance portfolio. Removing the state’s workers comp program from the pool of assets dropped Treasury’s assets under management by $1.5 billion. But the treasurer’s investment strategy and cash management policies meant the state had earned solid returns in a robust economy, swelling coffers accordingly. …

… The week’s hot political rumor was whether Republican Josh Hanfling, well known around the state for his charitable work and “sundry good deeds,” might be weighing a bid for office in 2006. There were already two GOP candidates for governor – U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez and former DU President Marc Holtzman, so talk seemed to be centering on a Hanfling run for the CU regent at-large seat that would be vacated by Dr. Pete Steinhauer. His wife, Juli Steinhauer, was considering a run on the GOP ticket and Democrat Steve Ludwig was running, but activists from both sides of the aisle were nudging Hanfling to throw in his hat. A Republican enthusiast was John Zakhem, local attorney and counsel to the state GOP, who called Hanfling a good friend and said he’d love to see him run. Regent Michael Carrigan, a Democrat and “one of Hanfling’s buddies,” was also complimentary, saying Hanfling would make a good regent, but he added that so long as Hanfling was a Republican, he’d have to forego his support and back Ludwig. …

… The weather outside wasn’t exactly frightful, but the holiday atmosphere inside the Governor’s Residence certainly was delightful at the annual lighting of the Christmas tree. Gov. and first lady Bill and Frances Owens welcomed carolers, students from Steele Elementary School and senior participants in the Rainbow Bridge program, which brought together nursing home residents with youngsters for mutual companionship. The first couple read “The Night Before Christmas” to their guests, including a “quite animated” governor making sure to explain that a sash “means the window shade” and that Santa wasn’t smoking his pipe but rather was “just holding it in his teeth.” There followed a brief question-and-answer session, although it was the governor asking the questions instead of answering them. He discovered that most of the children were getting iPods for Christmas and that one of the elderly women in attendance was the granddaughter of William Lee Knous, Colorado’s governor from 1947-1950. Owens noted that he knew the Knous family well. Then the children shouted “Steele Elementary!” to signal it was time to flip the switch on the tree, sending brilliant blue LED light shining forth.

– ernest@coloradostatesman.com