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Show r rec eece ———— The Salt Lake Tribune Credit Woes Land Grizzlies, E Centerin Court @ Continued from A-1 Therest of the unpaid bills from the team’s first years in Utah they chalk up to poorcashflow, a legacy from those years in the Delta Center problems on a conflict between Nextlink and U.S. West. They explain away Wilkey’s lawsuits and the dispute with Hudson — along bout $50 million in bonds sold to diovisual and Service Blue Repro- hel build the 10,000-seat arena. At the end of each year, Patterson re- Tim Mouser, Grizzlies president. “Tt-is a struggle. In sports business welookat this as an opportunity to makea little or break even. We are notin it for the money.” Elmore acknowledges his companies are late paying thebills. “I'd like to tell you every single bill is paid within 30 days,” he says. “But that’s not the case.” Heinsists most ofthe bills are paid within 45 to 60 days, nothing outof the ordinary. But those who worked with the team say the delay was much longer. Salt Lake City accountantScott Wilkey billed the Grizzlies $10,000 whenheinstalled accounting soft- ware at the arena and trained E Center managers to use it. Mostof the invoices were paid, but Wilkey says about$4,000 was not.In 1998, he sued Centennial — twice — to get his money. “They dragged it out,” hesays.“IfI did business with them again, it would be on a prepaid basis.” Patterson acknowledges he was put in the awkward position of fielding calls early on from dis- gruntled vendors trying to collect moneyfrom the team or the arena managers. “They're a little slow,” he says. As arena owners, city officials Grandmother Sues to Visit Dead Son’s Child ments about quality and service. The vendors, they say, just decided to sue rather than work things out. person, sometimes by phone. They note that of 2,560 vendors, Patterson says the collection calls have stopped. Andheis satisfied the team and the management company are ee their obligations, although the city, finance di- “using other people’s money instead of your own.” and other businesses do it — waiting to cut checks to accrueinterest. But creditors who claim they were shafted by E Center managers or the team figure thereis more toit than that. Hudson Printing Credit Man- ager Tom Jobin says his Salt Lake City companysevered ties with the team after nearly two years of fighting over $31,000 in unpaidbills. Atfirst, Jobin says, the team would pay downits balance and then order a newjob. But eventually, the bal. ance was too big and the Grizzlies went elsewhere for programs and brochures. After suing, Hudson ably bythe majorityofthe justices. “Thepart of Utah’s law that they were citing is the presumption that some weight be given to the parent,” said Rochelle asa a attorney with AARP. the Washington case, [Justice Has Day] O'Connor said she felt no weightatall was given to the parent who was deemed fit. The Troxel case did notin onefell swoop invalidate all other laws.” In 1995, the Utah Court of Ap- peals ruled the state’s grandparentvisitation law constitutional, saying it was “rationally related”to the state’s interest in fostering rela- tionships between generations of family members. But the law has been amended several times, including changes effective in May that madeit easier for some grandparents to petition to see their grandchildren. In Utah,if a child’s immediate family is intact, the grandparents are required to overcome a presumption that the parents’ deci- sions about visitation are reasonable. But the amendment allows grandparents to seek reasonable visitation if their son or daughter has died or has divorced. Copier’s challenge to thestateis based on that change, which the Supreme Court may not have considered in citing Utah’s law. He contends a judge should notbe able to overrule a parent's decision. Althoughstatistics are not kept on grandparent-visitation lawsuits “Wegave them plentyof chances to pay us,” Jobin says. “Without question they were struggling.” Sports Business Journal hockey reporter Andy Bernstein saysit’s not unusual for IHL teams to fight to stay alive. But he says problems paying bills — problemsthat end up in court — are nottypi owners say they have not had the same problems that smudge the Grizzlies’ history. Joe Buzas, ownerofthe Salt Lake tions, but they're fine right now. “For every one you find that isn’t happy with us, there are prob- insist they countersued some of those vendors — Commercial Con- filings. ably 10 or 20 who are very happy doing business with us,” says Fuoco, who has been with Centennial for a little more than a year. Indeed, except for the tax lien filed and withdrawn this year, the small-claims lawsuits against E Center managers and the hockey zlies players were given the IHL’s communityservice award. Even so, other minor-league “We're aware of somepastsi Things maygetbetter than that Last month,the Grizzlies and the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey Buzz baseball team, says paying late or dropping bills can kill a franchise's reputation. “It's so importantto pay on time,” Buzas says. League announced a partnership that could ease the team’s money crunch. Under the agreement, the 1999 Stanley Cup champion Stars would provide the Utah team with “People respect you more. They want to do business with you. You haveto pay on time.” Salt Lake Golden Eagles owner Art Teece acknowledges tough 12 players, freeing up extra cash in the Grizzlies’ annual $5.2 million team seem to havedried up.“I don’t AYAMSSe think there’s anything unresolved,” says Centennial Chief Fi- nancial Officer Kevin Bruder. Bruder, Elmore, Fuoco and Mouserwouldrathertalk about the Patterson is not concerned. He insists the interests of the city and the public are protected. Elmore and Tuttle have signed personal guarantees for the rent. “They have never missed a payment. Theyhavenever notpaid us,” Patterson says. “If they weren't doing well, there would be other signs. Elmore says he has invested too much in Utshto ruin his reputation by missing a few bills here and there. His Grizzlies have a 25-year” contract with the E Center. And he has opened an office for Cartan, the official U.S. ticket broker for the Olympics. Altogether, Elmore says, he has invested $15 million here. “Can we do better job? Obviouslywe can,” he says. “This enterprise in West Valley City is a major investment. It’s fragile. We have lotof pride. We don’t wantto have the babythrown out withthe wash.” "ENHANCE YOUR NATURAL BEAUTY”| TSMayesMt team’s philanthropy. Each year the l— Pi, WHAT'S NEW IN COSMETIC SURGERY “Latest Techniques in Make-Up” “Derma-Peel” “Soft Skin”hair removal ‘Whole House Package|| ‘79° We’re Utah’s Largest Up to 15 vents_ Duct Cleaner’ cat Duct Pros COMP! 355- i Lecture Series Presented by THE INSTITUTE OF FACIAL COSMETIC SURGERY Andfeaturing Lori Chapman from Phazes 5929 So. Fashion Blvd, Murray you hear of a team like that not paying its bills, you're shocked.” Grizzlies and Centennial Managementofficials blame the phone in Utah’s court system, it is clear there are far more than just a decade ago, said Frederick Green, an attorney and memberof the Utah State Bar family-law section. “They certainly aren’t uncom- America’s Best FURNITURE mon,”Green said. “As you see more children are seeking.” Behind the legal wrangling in Pasquin vs. Souter lies the shattered relationship of two women whohaveindicated they regret the loss of a once-comforting bond. Andthatis not the only lawsuit. Pasquin has sued her ex-husband, John Pasquin, over her role in a business that father and son started. Kory Pasquin left behind two other children, born to twodifferent women whom,like Souter, he never married. Souter is in court with those two women over how Kory Pasquin’s inheritance should be GOING OUT OF BUSINESS BANKRUPTCY SALE distributed. Pasquin disagrees with Souter’s position. If Nehring rules against Pasquin, Middleton said she would appeal. If so, an appellate decision could set a precedentclarifying the rights of all Utah grandparents. Souter, who is now married but uses the same surnamein court filings,has said sheis willing to allow Pasquin to see the girl. However, the women have been unable to work out a visitation schedule. Pasquin last saw her granddaughter in the summerof1997. In the meantime, Souter and Pasquin appear to want to humanize what has become an impersonal process fraught with legal implica- tions that perhaps neither could have foreseen, as Souter indicated during a May 12 interview with attorneys. “I do love [Pasquin],” she said tearfully. “Ijust. . .everythingjust got bad. And everybody says things and everybody does things. Sometimes you don’t mean things you say and things you do.” o® Volunteers, ages 12-50, who experience Participants will receive compensation. e The Grizzlies’ current printer, however, gives the team a less- budget. The Grizzlies “are not a Joke operation,” Bernstein says. “When asththa symptoms whenthey exercise and ‘ : use asthma medicationsto controltheir @ symptomsareinvited to participate in ° an investigational drug research study. f= “S&359-ASMA 7 a.m. - 4 p.m., Mon.thru Fri. Tokerrneiaiais Allergy & Asthma Clinic Intermountain Clinical Research 150 S. 1000 E., Salt Lake City 2. 2m.oe°*,. oe” time. But we never reneged.” tract Group and American Graphies — nullifying their small-claims only a handful has sued. And they for $27,000. e e e. e@ ‘ bills were probablylate some of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Primary Children’s Medical Center and the Susan G. Coleman Breast Cancer Foundation. And two Griz- than-ringing endorsement. “They're meeting their obligations,” was all Danny Caldwell, controller for Provo-based Rocky Mountain Printing, would say. trict Court two years ago andsettled when you EXERCISE? b our heads above water,” Teece recalls. “We had a difficult time. Our won default judgmentin 3rd Dis- "© reee? Do you have AATHMA e times running a minor-league hockey team for 16 years. But, he says, he never was sued. “I had to borrowconsiderable moneyto keep tion outside of the visitation their However, the decisionalso cited grandparent-visitation statutes, including Utah’s law, viewed favor- ? graphics — as legitimate disagree- AS Monday, June19, 2000 Grizzlies donate 300 tickets a game to schools, the Salvation Armyand youth organizations.In three years, the Grizzlies and the Utah Freezz, an indoor soccer team also owned by Elmore, have raised about $300,000 for, among others, the divorcesoftheir children, you have more grandparents seeking visita- @ Continued from A-1 o® with small claims from Davis Au- views the management company’s $4 million budget — sometimes in and businesses that defaulted oe. nox has camped outin E Center fices to collect late rent checks. Grizzlies bills for advertising or “It's Just conservative business Centersuites. “If everybody who owed us practices,” the city manager says, moneypaid, we would be fine,” says UTAH have some wees of Centennial Mategceeet et the Grizzlies. Elmore and partner Donna Tuttle pay $1.2 million a year in rent. The ped uses that money to pay off 2, e ° NOW TAKE AN ADDITIONAL 0% OF ANY REMAINING ITEM IN THE STORE PRICES REDUCED EVEN FURTHER L BANKRUPTCY SALE U.S. FEDERAL BANKRUPTCY COURT CASE. NO. 00-21299 JHA _. STORE ROURS: MMOH - SAT: 1AM - 8 Pil ~ CLOSEDSUMDAY 1066 SOUTH STATE STREET OREM |
