The Daily Sentinel from Grand Junction, Colorado • 1

Wtkb d), wwnr amr tr a Grand Junction, Colorado Vol. 95, No. 46 Tuesday January 13, 1907 cssszessrsczb -ri vxr mi tfEssEsaa newsstand 20 pages ii 1 1 SSukisi Rentier sworn in as new governor Todays news: Natlonworld: Keeping quiet Anglican Church envoy Terry Waite said today he has many people to see and wants to avoid public statements as he resumes efforts to win the release of American and other foreign hostages held in Lebanon. 2A Europe shivers Wind whipped snow into 20-foot drifts today in Britain and trains there froze to the tracks as a Siberian blast sent temperatures across Europe dipping to record lows. 6A Time is of the essence, summit participants told vention center for Denver, and for a new airport near the city, he is committed to those projects.

"Let me lay it on the line, Romer told several hundred conference participants. "Weve got to make a decision Is it or is it not a good idea to have a convention center for this metropolitan community and for the rest of the state? He said he, as governor, may be shot down, but he supports it. Romer, who was formally inaugurated today, announced appointment of a chief executive officer for economic development, a deputy, and a special assistant who will Please check Projects, page 5A Roy Romer, state treasurer since 1977, became Colorados 59th governor during inaugural ceremonies in Denver this morning. West Slope reaps gas tax benefits sion from Rio Blanco County Of the $54 million expected to be raised the first year for state highways by the gas tax increase, $10.8 million will go to the three highway commissioner districts that make up the Western Slope, Brennan said. The bulk of that money, $7.8 million, is slated for the district that includes Mesa County It includes projects such as widening Colorado 82 near Basalt, making improvements to 50 at Fool's Hill north of Delta and widening U.S 50 near Please check Funding, page 5A Bob Sllbornagol Daily Sentinel Six months after Colorado increased its gasoline and diesel taxes, a process that angered many people, the tax is making a dent in needed construction projects in western Colorado and statewide.

As a result, at least one Western Slope legislator is considering the possibility of raising the gas tax another penny for additional projections. The Western Slope has fared very well, said Bill Brennan, a member of the Colorado Highway Commis Associated Press DENVER Roy Romer, the 58-year-old self-made millionaire who worked his way back into politics after a humbling defeat 20 years ago, took the oath of office as Colorados 59th governor today and then urged commitment to improving the states education and pre serving its beauty. Joseph Quinn, chief justice of the Colorado Supreme Court, administered the oath to Romer on the west steps of the state Capitol. Red, white and blue bunting decorated the platform where the ceremony was held. The 100 members of the Colorado General Assembly and thousands of members of the public watched the ceremony, which was favored by 50-degree temperatures and sunny skies.

Members of the Legislature applauded the new governor after he took the oath with his wife Bea at his side. The Colorado Army National Guard then fired a pair of howitzers in a 19-gun salute, and Colorado Air National Guard planes flew overhead in a diamond formation. In his inaugural address, which was interrupted by the Air Nation- Highway Departments 5-year plan Fiscal years 1985-86 through 1989-90 just slow Sometimes it never shows up at all When a general contractor runs into cash flow problems toward the end of a job, he may start looking for excuses not to pay what's know in the industry as retention mon ev That's 10 percent of the contract amount that he withholds un-Please check Payment, page 5A Powderhorn Resort Coip otli cials are angry at the suggestion that anyone might have to write off their accounts Bruce Milyard project manager for Powderhorn Resort Corp re sponded to questions about the firms financial status by saying that everyone will get paid "Our financing is in place he said "The bills are being pm cessed through the normal chan nels and we haven missed a pay roll Many of the people with whom State anxiously awaits federal highway action Associated Press DENVER Gov. -elect Roy Romer warned an economic summit conference on Monday that if agreement cannot be reached on a new airport, a new convention center, and how "windfall" revenue should be spent, members have wasted their time in trying to get the state moving again The meeting, at the Downtown Denver Marriott Hotel, was the last of a series of economic conferences Romer held since his election as governor on Nov. 4 Romer made it clear that while some rural groups might be opposed to putting a priority on a con- al Guard's fly-by, Romer exhorted Coloradans to commit themselves to improving educational quality and preserving the states beauty.

I would like to lay a new challenge out today, said Romer "I see $222,650,000 or 18.2 Glenwood Canyon WUm photo Bruce Milyard Powderhorn is dome business said Monday however that they are being told the project went over budget and the Powderhorn loan ran out They said company representatives were calling and meet ing with them Friday and Monday lo explain why they cant meet their obligations now and to reas sure people that they will get pa id as socui as new financing is found What makes people so nervous said Brooke Burkev ol Burkey Bum ber Vo i- that Powderhorn offi Please her Powderhorn. page 54 The Rockies: Top priority Minority Democrats in the Colorado Senate joined their GOP colleagues Monday in saying the states struggling economy is the No. 1 issue for this legislative session. 3A Comment: Lamms legacy Dick Lamm was the right governor for the right time in Colorado. Check The Daily Sentinels editorials.

4A v0 Here and now: Swearing in Three judges, a new district attorney and county officials took oaths of office this morning in two swearing-in ceremonies at the Mesa County Courthouse. IB Arenas: Guess who? The guest speaker lined up for the National Junior College World Series banquet in May can only be described as Marvelous, from that marvelous National League team that won a World Series last fall, but set a major league record for losses in 1964. a V0 Business: Wage debate Labor Secretary William E. Brock III today indicated a willingness by the Reagan administration to negotiate on a bill that would require employers to give workers advance notice of plant closings and said no decision has been made yet to support or oppose an increase in the minimum wage SC Index Business 5C Classifieds ID Crossword 4B Editorials 4A Horoscope 4B Local news IB Movies 3B Nationalworld news. 2A Obituaries 3B Sports 1C Television 4B Regional news 3A Weather 2A The last paga: Flood town The Pennsylvania city mat rebounded from three killer floods and is weathering the collapse of its steel industry hopes to lay the cornerstone of "a tourist trade when it marks the centennial of the 1889 Johnstown Flood AD Bob Sllbarnagsl Daily Sentinel As Congress returns to session next week, one of its first orders of business will be to attempt to pass a new Surface Transportation Act, the law that provides federal high-w ay money to the states It needs to be done quickly, said Jim Golden, a member of the Colorado Highway Commission from Grand Junction no reason that this state ought not to be able to set the example of being the best-educated group of people in the United States." He also made a pitch for a new Please check Romer, page 5A Sentinel graphic toy MHtto irshlne Employee charged in hotel fire Associated Press SAN JlAN.

Puerto Rico Federal officials today arrested an employee of the Dupont Plaza Hotel and charged him with setting the New Year's Eve fire that killed 96 people at the luxury hotel District Court sources identified the arrested man as Hector Escudero Aponte and said he was a maintenance worker at the hotel and a member of the Teamsters union The sources spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Escudero Aponte was being held at the judicial center in suburban Hato Rev Court documents concerning his arrest were filed at Federal Court in Old San Juan Escudero Aponte was charged by US Magistrate Justo Arenas and was ordered held without bail until Fndav A hearing was set for Jan 20 Gov Rafael Hernandez Colon has said tense labor management rela tions may have been a motive for the fire but has refused to blame either the Teamsters union that Please check Arrest, page 5.4 Companies sweat out Powderhorn payments Bad debts plague businesses Olngr Rlcs Da be' ne At least a dozen subcontractors The most recent transportation act expired in September, and Colorado could run out of money to contract for this summer by March if no new act is passed, he said Not only might the state run out of money for contracting. Golden said, but some layoffs of engineers could occur, he said U.S. Rep Ben Nighthorse Campbell, D-Ignacio. said the new Sur Please check Act. page 5A dinger Bio Da It happens all the time In the construction industry, payment doesn't follow work with anything like the promptness that was demanded in the performance of the work itself Sometimes, says finish contractor George Harville.

the payment is may be out of business Several people who originally said they had similar slow payment problems later told The Daily Sen tinel they didn't want to lie quoted in a story They said they don't want to jeopardize their shot al future contracts with a developer they believe will eventually get its prob lems ironed out Past due accounts and bad debts are not uncommon in the construction industry cspei tally in this val ley. but local contractors say they can afford to write this one off and suppliers in the Grand Valley say they haven't been paid for work they performed at Powderhorn Ski Area last fall Some are waiting for payment on work done in October Others have received partial payments and some say the Powderhorn bills are only slightly past due However, all are sweating the prospect of a protracted period without pay because the money owed them constitutes their opera ting capital Some said they have had to borrow to pay their own suppliers and they resent having to support a multimilhon-dollar ski area project with iheir own funds Oth ers say that payment isn forth coming soon they may have to close their own business doors George Harville co-owner of In tenor Space and Form the compa ny that supplied tile, carpet and linoleum for the resort lodge, said Monday that Powderhorn owes him $20,000 and without that money he.