European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 22, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Laundromat entrepreneur Art Cormier presides mr3w Wathen and dryers a ant likes to do things Rolf Way Smiley s makes Denver no. 1 in suds by Julia Rubin associated press a super re Fth. He Mihalios  the unkind Metis of a National to Curn i Jondell  signed Denver s in 11-Irnage. But it nothing Smiley and his Ivond 5 largest laundromat can t gel Oul Smiley 5 is ends As .1 Knockdown Locos correspondent Bob Mcnamara s Sug Goshon that Denver 15 i inv a that s hover Boon no \ in anything bul Ca Ibuki monoxide Levels " Mcnamara s comments Drew anger irom Denver Resi riels Allor being broadcast nationally during a reaction Story the Day a Ter the Broncos loss Iho National football league championship to the Washington redskins. 42-10 kure toy s Whiee beige buildings occupy an entire Block 011 Denver s rough and Lumblo Collar Avenue Smiley s 340 washers and dryers can handle up to goo loads at any Given limit or about 10,000 pounds of clothes an hour said Smiley who was born Art Cormier but says he never is called that on a Good Day he said up of 1,000 Puoplo bring their clothes in. Smiley s Atso oilers dry cleaning and rents formal attire customers Range from celebrities like Ray Charles and Michael Jackson when they re in town to East Collar s Streel people. Smiley s eight doors have no locks the laundromat never closes. Cormier tried operating 20 other laundries around Denver before going Lor the world Lite with Smiley s. I bought this property on East Colfax Lor that purpose in 1979," he said smiling. No one likes to do things Halfway " Smiley gave to insurance and piano playing a spin Botaro he hit on laundry. Now. He strolls around the laundromat changing Bills or customers and chatting in 12 hours a Day seven Days a week. He attributes his Success to location customers and his bubbly personality. You can Wash your clothes anywhere. A lot of people come hero As much or the show lha intrigue the unusual Ness he said. How does Smiley who lives m an apartment two stories above the laundromat know his establishment is really the world s largest the equipment distributors Lell us so he Bald. They Veall told us there s nothing As targe As we Are anywhere  outside Are signs proclaiming Smiley s Denver s friendliest and world s largest discount laundromat. It s Aboul a mile East of the Capitol near Denver s wealthiest Homes and some of its poorest. That makes Smiley what its proprietor likes to Call a melting  it Broadens your Outlook i be gotten into More deep conversations Here with All different kinds of people. This is reality said 33-year-old Marion Crawford who was waiting Lor a Load of Wash to finish 9pinning. Ohm customer said she would t go to Smiley s alone because of the clientele and the neighbourhood. But Smiley says he s never been robbed although he does have to break up occasional list lights Over washers and dryers. At Busy times there s just a lot of people he said. His typical customer to said is someone irom the planet Earth who does t even live in the Capitol Hill area. Lisa Gonzales and Crlin Eagle horse for example drove across town and past several other laundromats to gel to Smiley s they said they liked Smiley s prices so cons Lor a single Toad Washer 25 cons Lur 12 minutes in a dryer compared with 75 cents to Wash 50 cents to dry elsewhere and the fact they usually did t have to wait Lor machines. Smiley says a lol of people make friends in his laundromat and at least iwo have gotten married. Smiley who dabbled in real estate and Gol burned when Denver s Economy Sank in 1982 with the Oil Industry says tie landed in a business thai actually does belter in hard times i think right now there s More people using laundromats because of Iho depressed Economy in Denver than Over before " he plans to expand his operation on East Colfax this year and someday open two laundromats in Iho suburbs. On a smaller scale though he said. You could t a this again. You would t have inc personality there s just no location like this anywhere else " and it would have to have him to said. Iii Weie to leave inc customers would leave. I give the personality. I guess i  Erma Bombeck a couple of years ago a or wig school in California noticed Hal students old belter in class when it Wir instructors had a sense of humor. So the owners discarded then original business concept and went Tor the laughs they hired 40 professional  Loncher and renamed their Enterprise the Lei Luce amuse u late n learn terrific school today their business has increased 50 per cell my him Simon is How Long will those comedians be Able to hang on to their sense of humor once they be started leaching people How to drive look Lor a big Lur Novar in personnel-1 had a sense of humor once. Hones you re not going to believe this. But i actually used to do a Tunny column Aboul raising children. And then one Day my daughter said. Momma i m going to be 16 in 39 months. When arc you Gong to take me out and Walch to drivel i already know How " we a had a Good laugh Over that. Imagine this Small child whose Onty accomplishment to Dale was taking a Bell Oul of a rubber Ball in 13 seconds wanted so drive Rny car on her i6lh birthday to took our Leam to drive act on Ino Road Lor eight weeks. Ii was t the material-1 told her. Our car should be painted red on one Side and yellow on the other so that when we have an Accident. All the witnesses can contradict one  t said i could jus see the head mos Mother of three killed for failing 10  we just did t have Iho fun we thought we would. Life was just beginning to have some meaning Foi me again when our second child said. Dad s Busy. Can you Lake me out to drive of sure i was amused when he put a Riel cola in the Radiator when it bated Over and everyone laughed when e Laid my husband we had a phone in our car and he said. Cellular " and 1 sad no it s still in the Booth with a person talking on  but somehow it was t Tho same. When the third child waved his Temps at me i tried to psych my humor up for it. But when the policeman slapped him for driving 40 Miles an hour in a 25-mile zone and he said impossible i Haven l been Oul an hour Somo Lhing in me snapped. I lost in. Nothing was funny anymore not the blaring radio that gave me Chest pains inc Way he drummed on the steering wheel Between lights the eight limes a changed lanes in a City Block and the carpet worn thin on the passenger Side trom my loot Hilling an imaginary Brake comedians Ora used to living on the Edge. In terms of risk and danger they re right up there with men who disarm bombs and arc double agents Lortt Cia. When you think of it. There is Only one difference Between comedians who die waking a Small loom in Indiana and those teaching someone to drive a station Wagon in California the latter can t walk out on you. C 19b& Urt a Page 16 the stars and stripes monday. February 22,1988