San Diego Scene
Chriselda Turcios photographed her husband, Marine Staff Sgt. Miguel Turcios, with their daughter Angelique in preparation for the recent Father Daughter Dance of the San Diego Armed Services YMCA. The event, underwritten by TriWest, was held at the San Diego Mission Valley Marriott. The YMCA collected dresses for the daughters to wear. “Children may only be able to wear their dresses once, but they can exchange and share that dress the next year with a family in need, and it is a great way for the parents to show how their children can give back,” said Brittany Catton, PR and development director for the Armed Services YMCA.
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The historic Wonder Bread building Downtown is now part of the NewSchool of Architecture and Design. Built in 1924, the 50,000-square-foot structure has been restored for mixed retail and office use, which includes classrooms and labs for the school’s Bachelor of Science in Construction Management and Master of Landscape Architecture programs. The school (newschoolarch.edu) which opened in 1980, currently serves more than 630 students in four Downtown buildings.
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Steve Wozniak
Apple Computer co-founder Steve Wozniak will keynote the 48th Design Automation Conference (DAC) taking place June 5-10 at the San Diego Convention Center. Wozniak will be interviewed on stage by San Jose Mercury News columnist Mike Cassidy on a variety of topics at 2 p.m. on June 6. The conference is devoted to design and design automation of electronic systems. “DAC informs the electronics industry on the latest technology and automation tools that shape every electronic device or system,” said Leon Stok, general chair of the conference. “The Woz was my childhood hero. He has profoundly influenced the electronics industry and our society.”
A Silicon Valley icon and philanthropist for more than 30 years, Wozniak has helped shape the computing industry with his design of Apple’s first line of products, the Apple I and II, and influenced the popular Macintosh. In 1976, Wozniak and Steve Jobs founded Apple Computer to market Wozniak’s Apple I personal computer.
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The Oceanside Chamber of Commerce and Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce will host the “San Diego Business Showcase” on April 7 at 2 p.m. at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Working with Networking Partners Good Ol’ Gals and Do Business Smarter, the Business Showcase will give exhibitors and attendees the opportunity to socialize, network and make business contacts. “The goal is to gather businesses committed to creating positive social and economic impact through business in San Diego County,” said Tayde Aburto, president and CEO, of the Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce. “We want to create an event that can contribute to the growth and development of our community.”
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The Downtown Report: The median price of a Downtown resale condo was $475,100 for the 30 day period ending March 16, higher by $20,910 over the previous month, though lower 10.67 percent from March 2010 ($531,900), reports Realtor Lew Breeze of sdcondo.com. The average price was $696,249; the trimmed average was $572,090; the average without conversions was $755,556, and if you want to purchase a quality condo, the average resale price was $915,643. There were 256 resale condos for sale Downtown, compared to 294 the previousmonth, and compared to 357 for the same period a year ago. During this period, 39 percent of the closed sales were “all cash” totaling $10,485,636, compared to 46 percent totaling $7,428,136 the previous month. Interesting to note that during this period, 61 percentof the closed sales were “distressed” sales, as compared to 63 percent the previous month.
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U.S. Small Business Administration District Director Ruben Garcia and staff members will make presentations about the advantages of SBA loan guaranties and other agency programs for those who are planning to start or grow a small business at the April 16 “Where’s the Money?” second annual Access to Capital Business Expo. It will be held from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel San Diego in Mission Valley. The agenda for the one-day program includes one-on-one consultation to discuss your financing needs, information from business resource providers and lenders, presentations from other successful business owners and workshops conducted by panels of experts, among others. The cost is $10, which includes breakfast and lunch. For more information call (619) 795-87250 or visit vedc.org.
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The 30th annual Celebrity Chefs Cook Gala benefiting the UCSD Moores Cancer Center will be staged April 16 from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina. It will showcase award-winning local and out-of-town chefs presenting signature hors d’oeuvres paired with fine wine prior to an elegant dinner. Wines are donated by a winery or distributor. The evening concludes with dancing. Tickets are $350 or $500. For more information, call (858) 534-6797 or visit
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Brian Baylis and Bina Bilenky will present the 2011 San Diego Bicycle Show April 8-10 at Golden Hall at the San Diego Concourse, 202 C St. in Downtown San Diego. In addition to the tall-bike jousting, kinetic sculpture parade and bicycle rodeo, activities include a vintage parts swap with framebuilder’s only swap before the swap opens to the public. Nan Eastep and Sherry Koyama of B. Spoke Tailor will present the Bicycle Fashion Show. A special Women’s Panel convenes to discuss the topic of “Empowering Women Cyclists.” Featured panelists are Samantha Ollinger, editor of BikeSD.org and co-organizer of San Diego Streets for People (sdstreets.org); Diane Lees, co-owner of HubBub Custom Bicycles; Mia Kohout, co-publisher of Momentum Magazine; Megan Dean, framebuilder and owner of Moth Attack; Sarai Snyder of GirlBikeLove; and Andrea Garland, bicycle and pedestrian professional at Alta Planning & Design. Dave Bohm of Bohemian Bicycles will demonstrate framebuilding skills in “Brazing Illustrated,” a live brazing demo. For more, visit sandiegocustombicycleshow.com.
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C.C. Yin, McDonalds’ largest franchisee with 28 restaurants in 11 cities in California, will be presented a special recognition award by the Asian Heritage Society on Aug. 20 as part of its Asian Heritage Awards program at Paradise Point Resort in Mission Bay. The San Diego-based organization announced that nominations for 14 other awards will be accepted through May 2. The categories are: education, business enterprise, entrepreneurship, government, legal affairs, cultural preservation, health and medicine, military, performing arts, art and literature, innovation and technology, community service, humanitarian outreach and media. The awards ceremony and gala will be part of an all-day affair that includes a Career Day in the late morning and early afternoon, capped by a luau, dinner and entertainment that night at the resort. Nominations for the 14 award categories may be mailed to The Asian Heritage Society/Asia Media, 2920 First Ave. (G), San Diego CA 92103, or e-mailed to editorial@asiamediainc.com. Nominations should include the name of the nominee, the category being nominated, a brief background of the subject and why the individual or organization should be honored.
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Gail Naughton, dean of the College of Business Administration at San Diego State, has been named the first recipient of Beta Alpha Psi’s Outstanding Dean award. The award is given annually to the dean who “has made a significant contribution in faculty support and/or financial support to helping achieve the goals and objectives of the chapter.” Beta Alpha Psi is an honorary and service organization for accounting, finance and information systems students. The Beta Alpha Psi chapter at SDSU’s Charles W. Lamden School of Accountancy was founded in 1960. “Dr. Naughton was selected for the award based on her longstanding and enthusiastic support of Beta Alpha Psi and the students of the SDSU chapter,” said Hadassah Baum, Beta Alpha Psi executive director.
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Daniel T. Broderick has been appointed president and chief executive officer of Cassidy Turley BRE Commercial where he will preside over the real estate company’s offices in Southern California. Broderick previously was senior vice president in the equity sales division of Eastdil Secured, a subsidiary of Wells Fargo Bank. Earlier, Broderick was associated with Burnham Real Estate Services (now Cushman & Wakefield) in the area of office leasing and sales. He started his career in the San Francisco Bay Area, working in tenant representation, investment banking and high technology. Broderick is a member of the board of the San Diego chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) and has received national honors from NAIOP for his leadership in the industry. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University.
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The Salk Institute for Biological Studies has appointed Stacie Spector as its new chief communications officer. Spector has served in communications capacities in the political, academic, research, business and nonprofit sector. In 2004 she was recruited to be associate vice chancellor for communications at UCSD, overseeing communications, media relations, publications, special events, marketing, VIP tours and state government relations and advocacy. A graduate of Columbia University and a California native, Spector served as the deputy campaign manager for the re-election campaign of Sen. Tom Harkin. Her success with his campaign led to a move to Washington, D.C. and a series of campaign and political consulting roles, eventually serving as deputy communications director for President Clinton’s re-election and overseeing all events for the 1997 Presidential Inauguration. That led to an appointment as the White House deputy director of communications and deputy assistant to the president during Clinton’s second term. In 1999 she was recruited by Vice President Gore as his deputy campaign manager.
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The newest structure on the campus of Palomar College in San Marcos is the $37 million multidisciplinary building, a 111,000-square-foot, three-story building that was completed by C.W. Driver for the Palomar Community College District. The building will house instruction for a variety of subjects, including anthropology, behavioral science, psychology, religious studies, sociology, multicultural studies, graphic communications, economics, history, political science, accounting, business management, legal studies and computer information systems. LPA Inc. designed the steel-framed building, which sits in the center of the campus. Darren Mann, vice president of operations for C.W. Driver, said four existing buildings had to be demolished to complete the structure and company crews had to coordinate with a separate construction firm building on another site adjacent to the multidisciplinary building. Besides Mann, other members of the C.W. Driver team were David Christensen, senior project manager; Kevin Bearie, senior project manager; Jim Wessel, senior superintendent; James Swan, superintendent; and Grant Sawyer, senior project engineer.
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The 2011 season of the Cajon Classic Cruise in El Cajon has added additional shows, theme nights and will start a month earlier than previously announced, according to Kathryn Courter of the El Cajon Community Development Corp., which organizes the annual event. Cajon Classic Cruise will offer 31 shows in 2011, nearly double the number of shows presented last year. Opening night has been moved up four weeks to Wednesday, April 6, and a number of additional Theme Nights have been added. Now in its 11th season, the weekly car show will run every Wednesday night through Oct. 26 with a special Holiday Parade of Lights Show on Dec. 7. Admission is free to the Cajon Classic Cruise, which features more than 500 classic, custom and hot rod cars and motorcycles valued at more than $10 million. The event is centered on East Main Street at Prescott Promenade, just east of the intersection of Main and Magnolia in the heart of Downtown El Cajon.
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David Osias has been elected the new managing partner of Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis, a real estate and business law firm. He will assume the position on July 1. Osias succeeds Brian Leck, who has been managing partner since the firm’s founding in 1977. Osias joined the San Diego office in 1991 and has been involved in firm management during his 20-year tenure. He is the chair of both the bankruptcy and creditors’ rights and the water resources practice groups. Osias is an authority on creditor and debtor rights in out-of-court workouts and restructurings, federal and state-court receiverships, and bankruptcy proceedings. He also is an acknowledged expert in water rights and water resources. Osias holds a bachelor’s degree from UC Davis and a law degree from the UC Berkeley School of Law.
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Martin Duggan has been promoted to the position of account executive at Blue Moon Advertising. Duggan has spent three years with the company — two years as an intern and a year in his previous role as assistant account executive and media coordinator.
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The law firm of Higgs Fletcher & Mack has named Christina Denning as partner and promoted Sam Sherman to partner. Denning specializes in civil litigation with a focus on construction law, business litigation, personal injury, breach of contract, fraud and breach of professional duties. Her construction practice includes representation of general contractors and subcontractors over disputes involving both public and private works. She also counsels businesses and individuals in drafting contracts with the goal of avoiding litigation. Sherman’s practice focuses on defending corporations in civil suits with an emphasis in employment litigation. He has served as lead trial counsel in both jury trials and binding arbitrations. Sherman also specializes in education and public entity defense. A portion of his practice involves defending school districts and other public entities. Sherman served as co-chair for the Employment and Labor Law Section of the San Diego County Bar Association for 2008-2010.
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Passover is different from all other nights, especially at sundown on April 19, when Chef Matt Gordon and his team at Urban Solace will present their third annual “Urban Seder.” Jews and gentiles will gather around the table for a lively dinner and Passover Seder, led by San Diego favorites: Sam the Cooking Guy (Sam Zien) and restaurant critic Steve Silverman. A portion of the dinner’s proceeds will benefit Jewish Family Service’s “Project SARAH,” supporting survivors of domestic abuse. Sam the Cooking Guy and Silverman will conduct the Seder using the “Haggadah for Urban Solace” compiled by Silverman. Gordon will serve, family-style, dishes including Jidori Chicken Liver Pâté, Charoset and House-Made Gefilte Fish. The Seder will conclude with a four-course dinner paired with a selection of West Coast Wines.
Passover commemorates the Jews’ flight from Egypt over 3,000 years ago. During the Seder participants read from the Haggadah, which recounts the story of the Exodus.The price is $90 for adults, including wine, and $75 for children. For reservations and information, e-mail Matt Gordon at mattgordon@urbansolace.net. This is not a kosher meal but served “kosher style.”
