Daily Business Report — April 16, 2010
40 Under 40 Nominations
Nominations are now open for San Diego Metropolitan Magazine’s 11th annual 40 Under 40 awards. The nomination period ends May 31. The honorees will be feted at our annual luncheon on Sept. 9 at the San Diego Convention Center and profiled in the September issue of the magazine. Visit http://sandiegometro.com/40under40/ for a nomination form.
First Lady Visits City Heights Community Farm
First Lady Michelle Obama visited the New Roots Community Farm in City Heights on Thursday to push her Let’s Move! campaign against childhood obesity and to announce The California Endowment’s Building Healthy Communities Initiative and its partnership with her program. She was joined by Robert K. Ross, president and CEO of the California Endowment.
The Endowment’s Building Healthy Communities Initiative is a 10-year program aimed at improving the health of kids and families in 14 California communities. City Heights is one of the 14.
“The `Building Healthy Communities initiative is based on a simple idea – that healthy children come from healthy environments,” said Obama. “If a family lives in a neighborhood with a grocery store nearby, they’re more likely to put fresh fruits and vegetables on the table. If there’s a safe, inviting park down the street, parents are more likely to let their kids play there after school or on weekends. And if our environment is clean and pollution-free, children are less likely to get sick and more likely to spend time outside. The Building Healthy Communities initiative is all about giving people the tools they need to make healthy choices for themselves and their families.”
The Farm is a 2.3 acre project of the International Rescue Committee that helps more than 80 farmers grow healthy produce for their families and neighbors. Before making remarks, Ross and Mrs. Obama toured the farm and met with two farmers. Mrs. Obama also met with Building Healthy Communities representatives from each of the 14 targeted areas.
“The First Lady’s attention on the issue of obesity and the health of our children has put rocket fuel under the very issue that The California Endowment’s Building Healthy Communities is designed to address,” said Ross. “Where we live profoundly affects our health, it determines the quality of our lives and those of our children. Simply put: if we can make our places healthier, we will make our people healthier.”
Survey Finds Citizen Opposition to More Service Cuts
Generating new revenue, ending service cuts and implementing managed competition are favored by city of San Diego residents, according to a survey released Thursday by the Independent Budget Analyst’s office. The city commissioned the survey, which was conducted by Behavior Research Center Inc. “San Diegans highly value their quality of life and are supportive of a balanced approach in solving the city’s budget challenges,” said Councilmember Todd Gloria. “They are adamant that city services not be further reduced and understand that additional revenues are a sensible part of an overall budget solution.”
Some of the findings:
• 70 percent of San Diegans believe city services should not be further reduced.
• 59 percent of citizens agree that the city should generate new revenues through increased fees to help avoid additional service reductions.
• Further reductions to city employee salaries and benefits are not seen as a panacea, with 48 percent of citizens commenting they approve of the idea and 47 percent disapproving.
The survey also showed that San Diegans are most concerned about essential services. “The increased demands on our budget, coupled with lower than anticipated revenues, makes prioritizing vital services more critical now than ever before,” said Gloria. “Along with San Diegans, I believe that our street infrastructure, public safety and homelessness must be funded first.”
Barona Resort & Casino Achieves Gold Certification
Barona Resort & Casino announced Thursday that it has achieved Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings rating system. Barona is the first tribal resort in the nation to earn the internationally recognized certification for the design and operation of high-performance green buildings. “The Barona Resort & Casino’s certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of U.S. Green Building Council. “The most sustainable way to green the built environment is through retrofitting existing buildings. Barona can look forward to increased water and energy savings throughout the lifecycle of the facility.”
“LEED was in its infancy when we built our resort so the opportunity to retrofit our building to high-performance green benchmark is a major accomplishment for our team,” said Rick Salinas, general manager of the resort. We would also like to encourage other properties to join us in working towards more sustainable operations.”
A few of the resort’s features are Barona’s extensive recycling efforts, including the recycling of paper, cardboard, batteries, plastic, electronics, Styrofoam and guestroom soap; the use of green maintenance and cleaning products; a shuttle program for guests and staff to reduce the property’s carbon footprint; parking spaces designated for alternative fuel vehicles; and an educational program about Barona’s environmental efforts which is available to staff as well as resort guests.
CORRECTION
A Daily Business Report item on April 15 mistakenly reported that Old Town’s Cosmopolitan Hotel is open for tours. Actually, the tours won’t be available until May. The hotel, which has undergone a multimillion-dollar renovation, is not yet open. We regret the error.
Chula Vista High Renovations Nears Completion
Turner Construction Co. is in the final phase of construction of an $18.7 million renovation program at Chula Vista High School. The company and Chula Vista Mayor Cheryl Cox will preside over an 11 a.m. event today celebrating 200 days of jobsite safety with no accidents or injuries. The project includes a new 25,914-square-foot multi-purpose performing arts theater, a new 5,736-square-foot library, a café modernization and 36,053 square feet of modernizations to the PE locker facilities, dance room and gymnasium. The project is expected to receive LEED Gold certification when completed. Turner’s school construction services team includes Joe Ciaccio, superintendent; Chris Beebe, project engineer and safety manager; Mark Sutton, project engineer; and Irene Leeth, project coordinator.
USD Offering Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture
USD students can now earn a four-year bachelor of arts degree in architecture. The university has offered a minor in architecture since 2004 but the board of trustees approved of the major last month and 11 students have already enrolled. About 20 students are expected to enroll by next fall. The program could grow to as many as 40 students in the next few years, said Can Bilsel, associate professor of USD’s art department and the director of the new program. The program is housed in USD’s College of Arts and Sciences. “We are very excited to introduce our students to a major discipline and to train designers and visionaries of the 21st century,” said Bilsel. In addition to careers as designers, the program also will prepare students for graduate programs in architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, urban design, urban planning, historic preservation and art and architectural history.
UCLA and USC both offer architecture programs. The USD program will be the only one offered at a major university south of Los Angeles. It will offer a minor in architecture for students majoring in engineering.
Credit Union Offers ‘Ultimate You’ Symposium
Point Loma Credit Union will stage a second free Ultimate You Symposium from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on April 22 at its Rancho Bernardo branch, 10413 Craftsman Way, Suite 102, in the 4S Commons Town Center. “These forums provide people with the unique opportunity to learn and ask questions about procedures from medical professionals,” said Carol Corey, manager of PLCU’s Rancho Bernardo branch. “While PLCU won’t give medical advice, our desire was to provide a comfortable, non-sales environment for an honest discussion.” The symposium will include a discussion by Dr. Mark E. Gold on cosmetic procedures. Hors d’oeuvres will be served, and there will be a drawing for a $500 spa gift basket. To make a reservation, call Amy Alexander at (858) 495-7172 or e-mail her at aalexander@plcu.com.
Dates Set for Holiday Bowl and Poinsettia Bowl
This year’s 33rd annual Pacific Life Holiday Bowl will be played on Thursday, Dec. 30, at Qualcomm Stadium and will match teams from the Pac-10 and Big 12 conferences. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. The game will be aired by ESPN. The San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl will kick off at Qualcomm Stadium at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 23.
Business Datebook
April 17
FREE WORKSHOP: Entrepreneurial Excellence Workshop sponsored by the Universiy of Phoenix Kearny Mesa Learning Center, 3870/3890 Murphy Canyon Road, San Diego. 9 a.m. to noon. Topics include outllook for small business in San Diego, business opportunities, legal issues for small businesses, search engine marketing, among others. Sports psychologist Casey Cooper to talk on “Home Run Leadership Styles.” To sign up, contact Gray Miller at (858) 650-4612.
April 20
PRESENTATION: Juval Aviv, president and CEO of Interfor Inc., will discuss some of the major financial fraud cases he has investigated during 30 years in the corporate investigations field, including personal anecdotes. Sponsor: Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) San Diego. 7 a.m. registration, 9 a.m. program, Doubletree Hotel Hazard Center, 7450 Hazard Center Drive, SanDiego. Free for ACG members, $50 for nonmembers. Make reservations at acteva.com.
April 21
PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP: San Diego Press Club hosts a panel of photojournalists to discuss new digital tools and share tips on taking compelling photos and videos. Panelists: Nancee Lewis, photojournalist; Sam Hodgson, former reporter-photographer for voiceofsandiego.org; and Joe Little, 10News Team reporter for ABC affiliate KGTV. 6 to 8 p.m., Essy’s Studio (adjacent to the Sports Arena). Free for Press Club members, $10 for nonmembers. For reservations, call (858) 274-6160 or e-mail to: reservation-sdpc@cox.net.
LUNCHEON: Joon Han, founder and strategy specialist with Better San Diego, to speak on “Getting Ahead by Giving Back” at the luncheon meeting of the National Association of Women Business Owners San Diego. 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Sheraton La Jolla, 3299 Holiday Court, La Jolla. Early bird pricing for members and guests available through April 15. For more information and online registration, visit nawbo-sd.org.
April 28
WORKSHOP: Grossmont College Career Center will present “Job Interview Fitness,” a free workshop from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at the Career Center, Room 627, on campus. Topics: job interview tips, ethics and etiquette. Speakers: Nancy Davis, Grossmont College student development services supervisor, and Carole Martin of The Interview Coach. For more information or to reserve a seat, phone (619) 644-7614.
April 29
PROGRAM: The World Trade Center presents “Standards, Connections, Pathways and Problem Solving — the DNA of Lean,” featuring Samuel Obara of Honsha demonstrating why so many companies fail when trying to implement lean strategies. 7:30 to 9:30 a.m., World Trade Center conference room, Downtown. $35 for members, $45 for nonmembers. Walk-ins, $55. For information, call (619) 615-0868, Ext. 111. To register, visit wtcsd.org.
The Daily Business Report is produced by REP Publishing Inc., publisher of San Diego Metropolitan Magazine, the North Park News, Kensington News and the West Coast Craftsman. (619) 906-4104.
