San Diego Scene 4.10
The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) and the Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association (SCTCA) will hold the 2010 San Diego Regional Tribal Summit on April 9 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The summit is being hosted by the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians at the Harrah’s Casino and Resort on the Rincon reservation in North County.
The summit is an opportunity for the elected officials from the 18 cities and the county of San Diego who constitute the SANDAG board of directors to meet with the elected leaders of the 17 federally recognized tribal governments in the San Diego region to identify policy-level issues of mutual concern related to transportation and regional planning and formulate a set of priority areas for action that can be addressed over the next few years.
SANDAG is coordinating the next comprehensive update of the Regional Transportation Plan. Tribal transportation issues will be discussed at the summit for inclusion in the plan, scheduled for approval in July 2011.
After the tribal summit of 2006, SANDAG and the SCTCA signed an agreement in which the tribal group joined SANDAG’s board of directors and policy advisory committees as advisory members. At this year’s tribal summit, the two bodies will meet again to assess their achievements, identify new areas of action and develop a set of priorities to be addressed over the next few years.
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The National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) will hold its 2010 Indian Gaming Trade Show and Convention April 6-9 at the San Diego Convention Center. The event opens with registration April 6 at the Convention Center followed by golf tournaments at Barona Creek Golf Club, Oak Glen Golf Course at the Sycuan Resort and at Willow Glen Golf Course at Sycuan Resort. The chairman’s welcome reception will be held at 6 p.m. that night at the Hard Rock San Diego.
The Native American Arts & Crafts booths will open at 8 a.m. on April 7 at the convention center followed by the NIGA membership meeting, workshops, regional caucuses and the chairman’s leadership awards luncheon.
The Indian Gaming Trade Show will open at 9:45 a.m. on April 8 at the convention center followed by workshops, the NIGA annual election and, at 6:30 p.m., the Wendell Chino Humanitarian Award banquet.
Additional workshops will be held on April 9, plus the trade show and, from 3 to 6 p.m., a cultural reception and presentation of the Tim Wapato Sovereign Warrier Award.
Kyocera Solar Inc. will begin manufacturing solar modules in San Diego this year to cater to the U.S. market’s increasing demand for large-scale solar electric generating systems. The manufacturing work will begin at Kyocera’s Balboa Avenue facility. The company has established an initial production target of 30 megawatts per year, which fits in with its global production capacity plans of 1,000 megawatts of solar cells per year ( equal to one gigawatt per year) by March 2013. The one-gigawatt capacity will allow the company to supply 3.5-kilowatt solar-electric systems for about 285,000 homes each year. “Kyocera’s San Diego plant will provide high-quality, high-efficiency solar modules to serve this expanding market,” said Steve Hill, president of Kyocera Solar.
Kyocera currently has solar module manufacturing facilities in Japan, China, the Czech Republic and Mexico. The company said it expects to double its production of solar cells in the two fiscal years from 2009 to 2011. Kyocera established U.S. operations in 1969 and was the first Japan-based corporation with manufacturing operations in California. The Kyocera Group companies employ 4,000 people in the United Statrs. Kyocera Solar Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kyocera International Inc. of San Diego, the North American headquarters and holding company for Kyoto, Japan-based Kyocera Corp.
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Bridgepoint Education Inc. will move more than 100 of its employees into 28,000 square feet of leased office space in the 24-story 600 B Street tower in Downtown San Diego — its fifth location in the region. The added space will support Bridgepoint’s Ashford University and University of the Rockies online programs. The first floor will be the center of the newly formed Bridgepoint Education Foundation and its community partners throughout San Diego. “The purpose of our new Downtown location is to tell our San Diego story and to partner with community organizations that serve the San Diego region,” said CEO Andrew Clark.
Clark said Bridgepoint will partner with the San Diego County Office of Education to use the new Downtown facility for community educational purposes. Also planned are such events as receptions, fundraisers and board meetings, to be held on-site for many local organizations. Information about higher education, to include school options, financial aid and college planning, will be provided at the locationas well. With the new Downtown location, the three buildings at its Sabre Springs headquarters on Evening Creek Drive North, and the Sunroad Spectrum building in Kearny Mesa, Bridgepoint Education now occupies nearly 600,000 square feet of office space in San Diego and employs 2,600 full-time, non-faculty people in the San Diego area, said Clark.
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Point Loma resident Eric Graves has been elected president of the 2010 Pacific Life Holiday Bowl and the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl by the San Diego Bowl Game Association, succeeding Barbara Warden, who becomes chair of the board. Graves was appointed to the board of directors in 2001. He is a 1974 graduate of San Diego State. He came to San Diego from Orange County after three years in the Army. His service included two tours in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division. Graves has worked at KFMB Radio for 28 years. Other 2010 elected officers for the San Diego Bowl Game Association include Chuck Wasker, president-elect; Shannon Rimmereid, secretary; and Alexandra Squires, treasurer.
This year’s Poinsettia Bowl will be at 5 p.m. on Dec. 23 at Qualcomm Stadium and will match a team from the Mountain West Conference against the Naval Academy, appearing for the third time. The date for the Holiday Bowl, which is held after Christmas, has not yet been determined.
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Turner Construction Co. and T.B. Penick & Sons have broken ground on two bachelor enlisted quarters (BEQ) at Camp Pendleton that will cost an estimated $213.3 million. The projects are part of a multi-million dollar expansion at the Marine Corps base that will bring thousands of jobs to the area. One of the projects consists of four BEQ structures on two sites that will house 1,384 Marines. It will include two exterior pavilions, two exterior amphitheaters, four community buildings, new parking, three bike shelters with 138 spaces, a 1,600-square-foot physical training area and 12 BBQ/picnic structures with amenities. It also includes renovations to three existing buildings including renovated office spaces; a classroom; a guard bunk; locker rooms; mechanical, electrical, and telecom rooms; an armory and storage rooms. The estimated cost is $103,725,091. Completion is expected in August 2011.
The other project consists of four major BEQ structures on two sites and will house over 1,500 Marines. It also features an exterior pavilion, two exterior amphitheaters, four community buildings, a 1,600-square-foot physical training area, four picnic areas, three bike shelters with 165 bike spaces, a repelling tower, an off-site parking development and an expansion to the sewer treatment plant. Estimated cost is $109,578,253. Completion also is expected in August 2011.
Both of the projects were designed by MVE Institutional Inc. and Vasquez Marshall Architects. Other projects at Camp Pendleton include a new hospital estimated at $563 million, photovoltaic charging stations, new BEQs, demolition of existing buildings and renovations to existing facilities.
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Four San Diego-area banks affiliated with Capital Bancorp Limited have received regulatory and shareholder approvals to consolidate operations into a nearly $300 million-asset bank. The four that will consolidate bank charters are Point Loma Community Bank, Bank of Escondido, Sunrise Bank of San Diego and Sunrise Community Bank. They began operating as Sunrise Bank last month. “In this economy, being a larger bank makes for a stronger institution together than the four separately,” said Scott Andrews, 52, who will become chairman and CEO of the newly named Sunrise Bank. Andrews currently is chairman of the boards of Point Loma Community Bank and Sunrise Bank of San Diego. The consolidated bank will employ 61 persons. Joining Andrews on the executive management team of the consolidated bank will be Mike Peters, president; Tony Calabrese, Point Loma regional president; Randy Cundiff, San Diego regional president; and Stu Baily, Palm Desert regional president. Others on the management team will be Gary Weitner as chief credit officer and Millie McKibbin as chief operations officer.
Members of the bank’s board of directors are Dr. Gregg W. Beaty, an oral surgeon; Debra Clark Dixon, CPA with Godecke Clark; Richard J. Fleck, president of Southland Paving Inc.; Theodore Griffith, president of Pacific Tugboat Service & Pearson Marine Fuel; Brian S. Harnik, attorney with Roemer & Harnik LLP; Mark E. Hayes of Mark E. Hayes CPA; John F. McColl, president of Trinity Capital Group; Michael F. Murphy, president of Computer Protection Technology Inc.; and Julius S. Paeske Jr., president of Commercial Facilities Inc.
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The National Association of Women Business Owners San Diego is accepting nominations for its six BRAVO! Awards, which will be presented at a dinner event May 19 at the Marriott Courtyard Airport/Liberty Station, 2592 Laning Road. Nominations will be accepted through April 9. Seats for the dinner are $55 for NAWBO members and $65 for nonmembers. Lisa Nichols will be keynote speaker. More information is available by calling (877) 866-2926. BRAVO! sponsors to date are the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, CoCo & Associates, Staff Smart, Transworld Systems, The Center for Mind & Body Wellness, Avitus Group, Batten Accountancy, Herr Photography, and InToInk.
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San Diego County has some of the highest sexually transmitted diseases (STD) rates in California, according to Planned Parenthood of San Diego & Riverside Counties. Which is why a partnership of health advocates, led by MTV and Planned Parenthood, is urging people to get tested during April, STD Awareness Month. A nationwide campaign that includes the Centers for Disease Control and the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Get Yourself Tested (GYT) Now campaign is designed to educate people about the importance of being tested — and demystify the experience. “Getting tested for STDs is not only a smart thing to do, it’s easy,” says Dr. Katharine Sheehan, medical director at Planned Parenthood. “Most of our patients qualify for free services, so there’s absolutely no reason not to get tested.” Sheehan says some STDs, if left untreated, can have serious health consequences such as infertility, cervical cancer and even death. “Planned Parenthood offers low and no-cost testing and treatment, but we also help people prevent STDs through condom use and education.” Planned Parenthood will be highlighted in April’s episode of the MTV series “Dean’s List.” The GYT edition will feature Planned Parenthood intern Kayla, on her college campus in Connecticut talking about the importance of getting tested and her work with Planned Parenthood. She will also get tested on screen.
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G2 Software Systems Inc., which provides software development and systems engineering services, has been awarded a contract with a potential value of $648.7 million by the Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command. The contract was awarded on behalf of the Command and Control Program Office and will have a three-year base period and up to two one-year extensions. G2, under the contract, is to develop command and control software for the Department of Defense and modify and enhance the department’s existing systems. “We are honored to be the only small business selected to take on this monumental task for the U.S. Department of Defense,” said Pete Keyes, G2 general manager. G2 is owned by Georgia Griffiths. It was formed in 1989.
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Cuyamaca College music instructor Pat Setzer, who was instrumental in the planning and construction of a performing arts complex inside the campus’ $45 million communication arts center, is one of four community college faculty members statewide to receive the 2010 Hayward Award for Excellence in Education. Setzer, an associate professor and chair of the college’s performing arts department, joined his fellow instructors for the award presentation at last month’s community college board of governors meeting in Sacramento. The award comes with a $1,250 cash prize. Setzer served as faculty consultant in the construction of the college’s first performing arts venue. Besides a 364-seat concert hall, the complex includes a 90-seat digital theater, three rehearsal studios, two recording studios, a 24-station electronic music lab, a media lab, 11 pratice rooms and costume construction/dressing rooms.
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Coronado Animal Care Facility.jpg
Coronado has a new, $1.6 million animal care facility built to LEED Silver certification standards from the U.S. Green Building Council. The building at 1395 First St. was built after an existing parking lot adjacent to the Coronado Ferry Landing Marketplace was demolished. The 3,400-square-foot concrete masonry structure houses seven dog adoption areas, three cat community rooms, holding areas, quarantine areas, an examination and treatment area, a “get acquainted” room, food preparation space, a grooming room and exterior dog exercise yard. Gafcon Inc. was the construction manager for the project, which was built in 12 months. Sustainable elements include energy- and water-efficient fixtures, natural lighting, recycled building materials and construction waste recycling. The building is close to public transportation and has an infiltration system to reduce storm water runoff. The Gafcon project team included John Wilson, project manager; Penny Kronberg, constructability review/oversight; Anthony Trinca, constructability review; and Jamie Roberts, labor compliance. Other members of the project team included Bill Cecil, capital projects manager for the city of Coronado; Davy Architecture, architect; Grahovac Construction, general contractor; Stedman Dyson, structural engineer; SB&O, civil engineer; Turpin & Rattan Engineering, electrical engineer; Rao Engineers, mechanical engineer; and Howard Associates, landscape architect.
The project was developed as the result of a joint-funding agreement between the city of Coronado and Pacific Animal Welfare Society, or PAWS, of Coronado. The previous shelter located on Orange Avenue was torn down to make way for senior housing units in 2006. Since that time, animal services have been housed in the basement of the Coronado Police Department.
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The 29th annual Celebrity Chefs Cook gala, a fundraising event benefiting the Moores UCSD Cancer Center, will be held May 15 at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina. The event begins with a 6 p.m. “Celebrity Chefs” reception featuring local and out-of-town chefs, including Billy Bradley of Addison at Grand Del Mar, Jean Michel Diot of Tapenade, Trey Foshee of Georges in La Jolla, Bernard Guillas of the Marine Room, Chris Karetas of Carriage Trade Catering, Patrick Ponsaty of Mistral at Loews in Coronado, Megan Reichman of Baleen at Paradise Point Resort and Spa and John Shelton of the Hotel del Coronado. Out-of-towners will include George Mavrothalassitis and Kevin Chong from Honolulu and Ethan Stowell from Seattle. Each chef’s creation will be paired with fine wines from around the world. At 7:30 p.m., more than 500 guests will move to the ballroom for an evening emceed by Channel 10’s Bill Griffith that includes a dinner created by Sheraton Executive Chef Steve Black, and dancing to the tunes of NRG. For reservations and more information, call Jennilyn Chen at (858) 822-1328.
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UCSD will sponsor a course on June 7-9 to give executives and decision makers a practical understanding of the basic science powering the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. “Biotech Demystified” is offered through the Rady School of Management for Executive Development in collaboration with the Division of Biological Sciences and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The $2,950 course covers science fundamentals, stem cell research, risk management in life sciences, pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine, and cancer and therapeutic approaches. It also includes hands-on exercises in the lab setting. “The major thing that attendees gain is a context for understanding biotechnology as both a discipline and a business,” says UCSD biology professor Steve Wasserman, one of the program’s instructors. “We give attendees a focused introduction to the science behind biotechnology, with examples drawn from the biotech industry. We help them see problems and approaches from a scientist’s point of view.” Further details on the course are available online at rady.ucsd.edu/exec/open/biotech.
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McCarthy Building Companies Inc. has begun construction of a new five-level, 864-space parking structure on the campus of Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas, at 354 Santa Fe Drive. Scripps Health is the developer of the $10,278,964 design-build project. Completion is scheduled for February 2011. The parking structure represents the first phase of the hospital’s overall $200 million expansion project, which will also include a new emergency department that will more than double the current capacity, and add 36 inpatient beds and a new central energy plant. Farther-reaching plans include expansion for outpatient services, medical office space and additional critical care and inpatient beds to serve the community well into the future. The 278,000-square-foot, three-story parking structure will encompass five levels, including one subterranean and one rooftop level. International Parking Design is the architect. Jessen-Wright is the structural engineer, E3 Design Group is the electrical engineer, B&P Associates is the mechanical engineer and Latitude 33 is serving as the civil engineer. M.W. Peltz & Associates is the landscape architect.
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The Port of San Diego has activated Wi-Fi Internet service in the B Street Pier Cruise Ship Terminal as a courtesy to cruise ship passengers. Called OpenPort, the service offers users four hours of Wi-Fi access, free of charge at a lower bandwidth. Higher speed access is also available for all-day use at $5 per day. The Wi-Fi landing page site includes information about the most popular San Diego attractions as well as port tenants within walking distance of the cruise ship terminal, such as the USS Midway Museum, Seaport Village and the Maritime Museum of San Diego. Also available on the site are maps and links to port tenant dining specials and hotel accommodations via thebigbay.com. During a cruise ship call, there are typically 50 to 100 people connected to the service, said Thomas Lockwood, a network systems analyst. The Broadway Cruise Ship Terminal, currently under construction, will include the service. There also are plans to expand coverage outdoors onto the Embarcadero in front of the cruise terminals. The system was installed at a cost of $10,000.
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San Diego-based Illumina Inc. has sequenced the DNA of actress Glenn Close — the co-founder of a nonprofit organization that raises awareness about mental illness — believing that it may help in discovering the genetic aspects of mental illness. “There is bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in my family, illnesses that, like other medical conditions, are thought to have genetic underpinnings,” said Close. “As human sequencing becomes increasingly routine, my hope is that researchers will unravel the genetic aspects of mental illnesses to bring greater awareness about the diseases, de-stigmatize them and pave the way for more effective treatments.” Close is affiliated with the organization called BringChange2Mind, which provides support and information to the mentally ill and their families. She also appears in the FX Network’s television series “Damages.”
Illumina said Close is the first publicly named female to have her DNA sequenced to full coverage. The sequencing was completed in Illumina’s laboratory using its Genome Analyzer technology. “Ms. Close’s DNA was sequenced to an average depth greater than 30 fold, providing information on SNP variation and allowing for the analysis of other structural characteristics of the genome such as insertions, deletions and rearrangements,” the company announced. “Specifically, over 95 percent of the known genome was reported, including over 12 million genotype calls on previously documented SNPs. In addition, 379,000 SNPs previously not reported in any public database were found.”
“We are very excited to work with Glenn Close to produce the first named female sequence,” said Jay Flatley, president and CEO of Illumina. “We are entering a new era in genomic health where information from an individual’s genome will increasingly inform lifestyle decisions and ultimately assist with health management. Ms. Close has been active in health issues, and her participation helps bring attention to the potential benefits of individuals gaining access to their genetic information. With this information, physicians will be able to make better healthcare decisions for their patients in the future.”
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Stephen T. Pelletier and Christine De Santis have been named partners at Higgs Fletcher & Mack in San Diego. Pelletier concentrates his practice in the areas of business and tort litigation, real estate law, product liability disputes, contract law and construction litigation. He attended UCSD and California Western School of Law. De Santis is a graduate of Southwestern University School of Law and the State University of New York College at Plattsburgh. Her practice includes handling all aspects of family law. She also handles step-parent adoptions and child support cases through the San Diego County Department of Child Support Services.
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Jennifer Bryant, CFO of Valley View Casino in Valley Center, has been named “Chief Financial Officer of the Year” for 2010 by the Native American Finance Officers Association. The designation recognizes innovative thinking in developing the financial plans of a tribe, exceptional leadership and success in implementing ideas for the overall benefit of the tribe. Bryant was nominated for the award by Leilani Marquiss, Valley View Casino’s director of finance. Marquiss cited Bryant’s participation in the acquisition of $35 million in financing for Valley View Casino’s hotel project on behalf of the San Pasqual Casino Development Group Inc. and her involvement in the effort to be the first tribal entity in the country to take advantage of the federal stimulus program. Bryant has more than 18 years of finance experience. Before joining Valley View Casino in 2007, she served for five years as the CFO at Viejas Enterprises. Bryant has also worked for Reuters America and held the position of European financial manager and controller for the Walt Disney Co.’s European film distribution division.
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Chris Van Gorder, president and CEO of Scripps Health, has assumed the office of chairman of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
As chairman, Van Gorder will serve the second part of a three-year term in the organization’s consecutive chairmanship offices: chairman-elect, chairman and immediate past chairman. Van Gorder has served as president and CEO of Scripps Health since 2000. Van Gorder also was reappointed to the state Commission on Emergency Medical Services by Gov. Schwarzenegger.
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The San Diego Rescue Mission will host the fourth annual “Sleepless San Diego” on April 24-25, an all-night event to raise awareness of homelessness. Several other agencies also are participating. The event will be held at Liberty Station in Point Loma, on Historic Decatur Road. An expo fair will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. on Saturday and the sleepout will be from 3 p.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. on Sunday. Private security will be in place continuously throughout the night. Participants should bring everything they need to spend the night outdoors. In the event of rain, the event will not be cancelled. To register, visit sleeplesssandiego.org.
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Robert F. Adelizzi of Montera Corp. and Horace Hogan II of Brehm Communities are among six building leaders who will be inducted into the California Homebuilding Foundation Hall of Fame on June 8. The induction dinner will be at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. For tickets or more information, contact Terri Brunson at CHF at (916) 340-3340.
Adelizzi has over 40 years of experience in banking, real estate finance, homebuilding, land development and law. Past positions include chairman and CEO of Guaranty Federal Bank, president and CEO of HomeFed Bank and chairman of Home Capital Development Group. He has served on the boards of several public, private and civic organizations including Children’s Hospital of San Diego, San Diego County United Way, the University of California’s LUSK School of Real Estate, the University of California’s Real Estate Institute and the Board of Visitors for USD Law School.
Hogan is credited with transforming Brehm Communities from a small, single-county builder founded in the 1960s to a regional powerhouse involved in all aspects of residential real estate. Brehm was named 2006 Builder of the Year by the Riverside chapter of the Building Industry Association of Southern California. Hogan serves as state representative and member of the executive committee of the board for the National Association of Homebuilders and is co-chairman of the Pacific Coast Builder Conference. He has previously served as chairman to the board of directors for the California Building Industry Association.
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The San Diego Center for Children, the city’s oldest nonprofit children’s charity, will hold its annual dinner May 20 at the U.S. Grant Hotel in Downtown. Doreen Schonbrun and Elizabeth Oliver are the co-chairs. The center provides an array of educational and therapeutic programs, as well as art, music, and recreational therapy for children all around the county. For information about the dommer, call Jessica Johnson at (858) 569-2148 or visit centerforchildren.org.
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A 400-foot mural, “Liquid Harmony,” brightens the 62nd Street Trolley Station in Southeast San Diego. It was designed by Danield Pose 2 Hopkins, Miguel Godoy and Todd Stands and funded by the Southeastern Economic Development Corp. The designers said the project is intended to not only illustrate the power and vitality of Chollas Creek, its endangered habitat and wildlife but also to celebrate the connection of the Chollas Creek to the people living within the watershed and how its fluidity weaves together a social fabric of the urban landscape.
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Sara Wacker, vice president of c3 Communications, has taken the helm as president of the newly formed San Diego/Imperial Counties chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. The board elected a new executive committee to lead the chapter, including Wacker; President-Elect April Bolduc of Sempra Energy; Treasurer Anne Stephany of Loews Hotels; Secretary Arika Andersen Daniels of Scatena Daniels Communications; and Immediate Past-President Chris Wahl of Southwest Strategies. Each member of the executive team will serve a one-year term. The board has elected seven new members, each of whom serve a three-year term: Kim Edwards of UCSD Health Sciences; Dan Flores of the Art Institute of California – San Diego; Bill Gay of Imperial Valley College and Reliance Public Relations; Blake Nelson of Southwest Strategies; Julie Smith-Taylor of Taylor PR Inc.; Carrie Shields of Bailey Gardiner; and Kristie Spalding of YMCA of San Diego County.
The chapter’s four PRSA assembly delegates are Gayle Lynn Falkenthal, of Falcon Valley Group; Bey-Ling Sha of San Diego State University; Mary E. Schmidt-Krebs of MESA Integrated Marketing Inc.; and Smith-Taylor.Ddirectors-at-large are Erin Coller of Zenzi Communications; Reema Makani of San Diego Medical Services; and Tricia Whittemore of Porter Novelli, along with Edwards, Flores, Gay, Nelson, Shields and Spalding. Rene Carmichael continues her role as chapter manager, and Marisa Valbona of CIM Incorporated will serve as PRSA San Diego’s ethics officer.
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The combined choruses of Pacificaires and Cedar Center will perform in a May 23 free spring concert, “The Rhythm of Life,” from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Sherwood Theater, Museum of Contemporary Art, 700 Prospect St. in La Jolla. In a separate spring concert, “Radio Days-Music from the 1940s,” will be staged June 5 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Neurosciences Institute auditorium, 10640 John Jay Hopkins Drive. The cost of the choral ensemble performance is $10. Both programs are directed by La Jollan Music Director Eunice Williams.
