BOULDER

Greed: What a price to pay

Opas Sinprasong of Boulder has lost it all including his freedom and citizenship. Sinsprasong, a Thai national, was convicted earlier this month of harboring and exploiting undocumented workers and for failing to pay taxes. He has been ordered to pay more than $500,000 to his Thai employees in restitution, nearly $250,000 to the IRS and a $4,000 fine. He will forfeit $766,000 as well as the two homes he owns in Boulder. He will begin serving a twelve month federal prison sentence this week after which he will be deported from the United States.

CONIFER

Think twice before making that claim

On Feb. 3, a Conifer woman was ordered to pay more than $53,000 in restitution to the Social Security Administration after applying for supplemental Security Benefits for a minor child for whom she was the custodial parent. She did receive assistance for several years, but failed to report that a member of her household had earned significant income during that time. As a result neither she nor child was entitled was entitled to the money and she must now pay it back. Ten thousand dollars of it is due within 60 days, which may be tough to do as she has also been sentenced to six months of house arrest and five years probation.

EMPIRE

Staying alive, Hard Rock for sale

Just 45 minutes west of Denver along I-70 you will come to U.S. 40 where the original Hard Rock Café sits — and it can be all yours. Opened in 1934 this restaurant/town hall would be a great buy, more than 6,000 vehicles pass by it daily during the ski season. You can’t go to Winter Park without going right past it. The town is hoping someone will buy it and help keep the town alive. Its only gas station closed two weeks ago and the economy has been tough on this once proud gold and silver mining town.

MONARCH

And if you don’t think there is money to be made in them there hills, think again. A group of local investors who bought the Monarch ski area a few years ago are skiing all the way to the bank. While other Colorado ski areas saw declines in visits and revenues, Monarchs’ family friendly, low priced approach has paid off big time. The place is growing by leaps and bounds. A $1.2 million lodge expansion is scheduled for 2012 and a $1.7 million terrain expansion is planned for 2014. All the while, owners enjoy nearly a million dollars in paid dividends each year. Hmmm… that Hard Rock Café in Empire is starting to sound better and better. Monarch is 157 miles from Denver via U.S. 285 and U.S. 50 between Gunnison and Salida.