San Diego Scene 12.2010
The Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain sail together.
The first Battle Sail of the season between the tall ships Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain will be staged on Dec. 26 in San Diego. The brig Lady Washington is scheduled to arrive in town on Dec. 15 at the Kona Kai Marina on Shelter Island, where she will offer walk-on tours and public sails until the arrival of her companion ship, the topsail ketch Hawaiian Chieftain, on Dec. 23.
The Battle Sail, in which the ships engage in a mock sea battle with small cannon and close-quarters maneuvering, is an adventure cruise that will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $60 adults, $50 students/seniors/active military, $40 children 12 and under. To purchase tickets, call (800) 200-5239 or visit historicalseaport.org.
The Lady Washington will host passengers on three-hour Adventure Sails on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 18 and 19, at 2 p.m. each day. Adventure Sails are family-oriented experiences with demonstrations of tall ship handling, maritime storytelling and a chance for guests to help sail a real tall ship. Tickets are $55 adults, $45 students/seniors/active military, $35 children 12 and under. Lady Washington will open for walk-on tours on these dates and times: Dec.16-17, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Dec. 18-19, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Dec. 21-23, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Dec. 26 (with Hawaiian Chieftain), 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. A $3 donation per person is appreciated.
The Lady Washington is also taking reservations from schools, youth service organizations, and church groups for one-hour and three-hour educational programs during the ship’s San Diego visit. For details, group leaders should contact Roxie Underwood, education@historicalseaport.org, or call (800) 200-5239.
The Lady Washington is a replica of on of the first U.S.-flagged vessels to explore the West Coast of North America. Launched in 1989, the wooden-hulled ship has visited California ports for more than 15 years. Hawaiian Chieftain, launched in 1988, is a replica of a typical merchant trader of the early 19th century.
———
Dan Link, a deputy district attorney with the San Diego District Attorney’s Office, will be sworn in as the 2011 president of the San Diego County Bar Association (SDCBA) on Dec. 3. Link has served on the association board for the past four years and co-chairs its bench-bar committee. Link will succeed 2010 president Patrick Hosey, who will serve on the board as immediate past president in 2011. Link is active in community service projects including Habitat for Humanity, Community HousingWorks’ FaceLift and the Adopt-a-Family holiday program. Marvin Mizell has been elected to the position of president-elect, and will serve as SDCBA president in 2012
San Diego attorneys Nadia Bermudez, Sheryl Graf, Patrick Ojeil, Thomas Penfield and Victor Torres have been elected by the SDCBA’s membership to serve three-year terms on the board beginning in 2011. Anna Romanskaya, incoming president of the SDCBA’s New Lawyers Division, also will serve a one-year term on the SDCBA board in 2011. Duane Horning, Marcella McLaughlin, Christopher Alexander, Tina Fryar, Alexander Gruft, Jeffrey Joseph, James Lund, Nory Pascua, Gita Varughese and Jon Williams will continue their service on the board in 2011. The full SDCBA board will be sworn in to office on Dec. 3 at Stepping Up to the Bar, the association’s annual holiday reception
———
TurboTax, the tax preparation software made by Intuit Inc., is the recipient of this year’s William W. Otterson Award presented by CONNECT. The award is in honor of CONNECT’s founder and first executive director, Bill Otterson. It recognizes technologies or products developed in San Diego that have demonstrated a significant positive impact on society or on quality of life.TurboTax was developed in San Diego in the mid-1980s by Chipsoft and, since its launch in 1984, has revolutionized the way Americans prepare and file their taxes. Acquired by Intuit in 1993, TurboTax has introduced innovations like the Easy Step Interview and automated data import.
“It is an honor to receive the Otterson Award,” said Barry Saik, Intuit vice president of product management for TurboTax. “It marks 25 years of innovation as well as how TurboTax has transformed tax preparation for millions of Americans, making it easier for them to do their own taxes.” The Otterson Award will be presented on Dec. 10 at the 23rd annual Most Innovative New Product Awards luncheon at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines. For more information on the awards luncheon, visit connect.org.
———
Hospitality industry veteran Robert Rauch is predicting a slow and steady recovery in the local hospitality industry in the fourth quarter of 2010 and continuing into 2011. Rauch presented this forecast at a regional lodging conference at the Hilton Garden Inn, San Diego/Del Mar. In his annual hospitality forecast, Rauch said revised data points to modest increases in occupancy rates, average daily rates (ADR), and revenue per available room (RevPAR) in 2011. He said an economic recovery, although not robust, is under way and the full impact will be seen in 2014. “If you are asking if we will see an increase in profits, the answer is finally yes!” said Rauch. “Hotel values will remain somewhat depressed this year but are headed back up. There is light at the end of the tunnel. The tunnel only appears to be dark and endless, which is not a pretty picture if your interest payments put knots in your stomach.” Rauch said hotel values in San Diego will increase as RevPAR increases. There is currently a favorable supply and demand structure in San Diego, and profits will increase in 2011, he predicted. Rauch estimated local occupancy rates at 63.0 percent for 2009, 66.4 percent for 2010, 68.0 percent for 2011 and 70.0 percent for 2010. He said the average rate was $124.21 for 2009, then predicted them to be $121.72 during 2010, $129 during 2011 and $136 during 2012.
Occupancy in 2011 should hit 68 percent at $129, up from his 2010 estimated results of 66 percent at $122, said Rauch. “Also, occupancy levels will hit 70 percent in 2012 with continued strong average rate growth.”
———
Take the kids and an unwrapped gift to the festive Manchester Grand Hyatt Toys for Tots Gingerbread Village Dec. 6-27, where dozens of merry and magical gingerbread houses surround a 6-foot high colorful gingerbread replica of the Hyatt. The houses are created by San Diego students working with Hyatt chefs, and the public votes for their favorite house, as Hyatt donates $2,000 to the local Make-A-Wish Foundation in the names of the winning students. The gingerbread village includes 200 pounds of ginger bread, 1,200 peppermint buttons, 5,000 candy dots, 20 gallons of icing and 550 pounds of assorted holiday candies, hot tamales, snow caps, candy canes, shredded wheat, licorice and spearmint leaves. For more information, call (619) 232-1234.
———
Olympic gold medalist Peggy Fleming will join thousands of San Diegans learning CPR on the deck of the USS Midway Museum when CPR Across America stops in San Diego on Dec. 5. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Joining Fleming are event sponsors San Diego Project Heart Beat, the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, Cardiac Science Corp., UCSD, San Diego city firefighters and San Diego Medical Services. The CPR Across America event leads up to the National Emergency Cardiovascular Care Update Convention being held in San Diego Dec. 8-11. The goal of the free event on Dec. 5 is to train 5,000 individuals, ages 5 to 95, to perform hands-only CPR and provide them with an introduction of how to use an Automated External Defibrillator.
———
The 39th annual San Diego Bay Parade of Lights will be held on Dec. 12 and 19 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. under the theme, “The Sounds of Christmas.” The parade will kick off with fireworks and sail from Shelter Island to Coronado. “It has become a tradition that provides a creative outlet for nearly 80 boaters and an entertaining leisure activity for San Diegans to look forward to during the holiday season,” said parade chairman Larry Baumann. The parade will be visible from several points around the bay, including the north and south ends of the Embarcadero, the waterfront park behind Seaport Village and Coronado. Participating boats will be judged based on creativity in categories such as holiday lighting, music, special effects and originality. The parade takes about an hour to pass by a viewing site. For more information and parade details, visit sdparadeoflights.org.
———
Some of the leading experts and resources in the commercial real estate industry are being brought to town by the San Diego Building Owners & Managers Association at the BOMA Expo on Dec. 14 at the La Jolla Marriott, 4240 La Jolla Village Drive in La Jolla. The Expo will showcase the latest in current trends, products and services and best practices in the commercial real estate industry. The Expo begins at 11:30 a.m. followed by a networking luncheon at 12:30 p.m. For more information or to register online, visit bomasd.org.
———
The work of San Diego-based artist Cathy Breslaw is featured in the newest exhibition of the San Diego International Airport Art Program, which is on display now through March 15, 2011, in Terminal 2, near Gate 22, at Lindbergh Field. Breslaw has created organic-shaped wall, floor and suspended art installations through the inventive manipulation of industrial mesh, beads, thread, yarn and rope. Inspiration for this exhibit came from the artist’s travels around the world. Passengers leaving and arriving from Gate 22 will have the opportunity to experience the exhibit featuring sculptural pieces that suspend and dance from the ceiling as well as others that appear to float on the wall.
———
The 21st annual San Diego Sunroad Boat Show will be held Jan. 27-30, a show that has been enlarged by 10 percent. It will feature the latest boats showcased in an expanded marina. Visitors will be able to enjoy free boat rides, food, music, beer and spirits. The swhow will be held at the Sunroad Marina at 955 Harbor Island. Show hours are: Jan. 27, noon to 6 p.m., Jan. 28, noon to 6 p.m., Jan. 29, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Jan. 30, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free shuttles will be available. Entrance fees are: $10 for adults; $5 for children ages 12 to 16; and children under 12 are free. Military, EMTs, police and fire personnel are free on Jan. 27 with ID. For more information, call (619) 497.5254 or visit bigbayboatshow.com.
———
Lorelei Carbolante, president and CEO of G2nd System, will be featured at the Dec. 10 program sponsored by the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) San Diego. Her presentation is titled “Emerging Business Trends — What You Need to Know.” The program runs from noon to 1 p.m. at Brandman University, 7460 Mission Valley Road, in Mission Valley. Pre-registration is required and seating is limited. NAWBO San Diego members can attend at no cost, while the fee for visitors is $25. Box lunches will be provided. Online registration and more information are available at nawbo-sd.org.
———
James Luckritz, Maic Palmieri and Lyn White are the featured artists in the Southwestern Artists Association-Gallery 23 exhibition, “Window to the World,” running Jan. 16-31 at Spanish Village Art Center in Balboa Park. Luckritz is a master of watercolor who paints in the traditional style, loose but controlled. His landscapes, local scenes and a variety of still life will be on display. Palmieri, a multi- faceted artist, will present her latest paintings of European scenes, in acrylic and mixed media. White is well known for vibrant seascapes and still life paintings in oil and pastel. The Gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A free art demonstration by a local artist is held on the first Monday of each month at 11 a.m. For more information, call Sharon Thomas at (619) 232-3522.
———
Tijuana civic leaders Alejandro Bustamante and José Galicot and the Boys and Girls Club of Mexico, as well as three art museums in Balboa Park — the Timken Museum of Art, the Mingei International Museum and the San Diego Museum of Art, have been singled out for distinguished service by the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. The chamber’s Mexico Business Center presented the awards at its Tenth Annual International Tribute Gala on Nov. 29 in San Diego. Special guest was Mexico’s Economy Secretary, Bruno Ferrari García de Alba. The Club de Niños y Niñas de México, which is the first of its type in Latin America, offers at-risk children and teen-agers from low-income communities in Tijuana a safe, healthy place to play and learn. The club has one center in the city’s east side and is laying the groundwork to open a second location next year.
“We’re very grateful for the support we have received from the Tijuana business community,” said Enrique Gamboa, the president of the Boys and Girls Club of Mexico, which received the Distinguished Service award. “While many worry about crime, we are committed to preventing it.”
Tijuana business and civic leaders Bustamante and Galicot received the San Diego/Tijuana Citizens of the Year award. They were the principal organizers of the high-tech conference Tijuana Innovadora, which drew nearly 700,000 people during its two-week program that presented world leaders in technology, education and philanthropy. The Timken Museum of Art, the Mingei International Museum and the San Diego Museum of Art received the Outstanding Cultural Achievement Award.
Two companies with operations on both sides of the border also were honored. The Mexico Business Center and Tijuana’s Economic Development Corp. presented the Environmental Stewardship Award and the Technological Innovation Award to Kyocera International/Kyocera Mexicana and DJO Inc./DJO Global, respectively.
———
A special concert on the “Music of Azerbaijan: Mugham and Sounds of the Silk Road,” will be staged on Dec. 17 under the sponsorship of the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles, Azerbaijan International Magazine and support by Martin Kruming of North Park, who teaches media law and ethics at San Diego State. The 7 p.m. concert will be at the Joan Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice at University of San Diego. Reservations are required. Requests for reservations should be e-mailed to Kruming at: martin@kruming.com. Born from the call for prayer, Mugham, Azerbaijan’s authentic spiritual and distinctive musical form, embodies the Silk Road’s ancient traditions and rich culture. Maestro Siyavush Karimi, the rector of Azerbaijan’s National Conservatory, will lead the musicians.
Kruming is involved in efforts to establish a Sister Neighborhood relationship between the Switzer Highland neighborhood where he lives and the Nasimi District in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.
