Alaska Airlines’ Plane to Bear SDSU’s Aztec Logo and Colors

San Diego State University’s scarlet and black colors and logo will soon be featured on an Alaska Airlines 76-seat Bombardier Q400 turboprop as part of a promotional campaign by the airline. Like other university-themed planes operated for Alaska Airlines by its sister carrier, Horizon Air, the Aztec aircraft will be painted at no cost to the university and will fly throughout Alaska’s regional route system, the company said. The airline is offering fans a chance to win a seat on the May 31 inaugural flight. An unveiling event will be staged that day to celebrate Alaska Airlines’ new nonstop daily service from San Diego to Fresno/Yosemite, Monterey and Santa Rosa/Sonoma County starting June 4. Local radio stations are involved in the promotion. For details, visit kogo.com.

Takeda California to Relocate to San Diego

Takeda California Inc., a subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Japan’s largest pharmaceutical company, is closing its San Francisco facilities and relocating its antibody and biologics research technologies and staff to San Diego. The move follows last year’s merger of Takeda San Diego and Takeda San Francisco to form Takeda California. The company will have the capability within Takeda research to address unmet medical needs in cancer, immunology and metabolic disease by antibody biologics and small molecule approaches, according to Paul Chapman, senior vice president of Takeda’s pharmaceutical research division. The company works on new medicines for treating cancer, inflammatory diseases and metabolic diseases.

San Diego Gets High Marks for Being Business-Friendly

San Diego was ranked the least expensive big city in the state in which to do business, according to a list compiled in the Kosmont-Rose Institute Cost of Doing Business Survey for 2011.  The survey was a study of 421 cities nationwide that evaluated business taxes and fees, economic incentives and other programs and assigned each a cost rating based on a proprietary formula. Mayor Jerry Sanders said the study pointed out that San Diego had the best business climate among the state’s largest urban centers. The study by the Kosmont Companies and the Rose Institute of State and Local Government at Claremont McKenna College found Los Angeles County and the Bay area were some of  the most expensive areas in the state, while the San Diego County was one of the most affordable for business. Sanders said business had increased in the clean-tech industry in San Diego, which had grown from about 140 companies, to more than 800 in the past few years. San Diego also had more solar installations than any other city, which helped attract manufacturers, Sanders said. Three of the top five companies in the algae-to-fuel industry also operate in San Diego, he said. San Diego was such a low cost area because the taxes and fees were much lower across the board compared with those in the rest of the state, according to the survey. San Diego County’s average business license tax rates were 60 percent lower than the state average. — City News Service

Water Authority Board to Consider Rate Increase

The board of the San Diego County Water Authority is set to vote on a staff-recommended 9.6 percent increase in the cost of untreated water purchased by its 24 member agencies in 2013. The increase was prompted by rate increases from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the Water Authority’s investment in more reliable water supplies and infrastructure projects. The total cost for municipal and industrial untreated water would rise to $1,003 per acre-foot on Jan. 1, 2013, up $88 per acre-foot, or 9.6 percent from the current rate. The proposed treated water rate for 2013 is $1,259 per acre-foot, up $111 per acre-foot, or 9.7 percent.  (An acre-foot is 325,900 gallons, enough to meet the needs of two average single-family households of four people for a year.) The Water Authority board is scheduled to receive a presentation on the proposed rates at its meeting May 24, at which time it is scheduled to set a public hearing for its June 28 meeting.

Poll Workers Needed for June 5 Primary

The county Registrar of Voters is seeking poll workers for a variety of positions for the June 5 primary election. There is a high demand for bilingual workers, especially those who speak Chinese and Vietnamese. Chinese speaking workers are needed for the Del Mar Heights, Carmel Valley and University City areas and Vietnamese speaking workers are needed in Escondido. The Registrar also needs standby workers to fill in for people who drop out. Poll workers receive a stipend ranging from $75 to $175 depending on the assignment and those who are bilingual receive an additional $15 if they are assigned to provide language assistance to voters. Poll workers can be assigned to neighborhoods other than their own. Interested poll workers must be U.S. citizens, registered or eligible to be registered voters in the state and have transportation to their assigned polling location. To apply, visit sdvote.com. For information, call (858) 565-5800.

Rich Rhoden Wins Drew Brees
Celebrity Championship

2-Day tournament raises $195,000 for charity

Rick Rhoden, a five-time tournament champion, received a projected purse of $100,000 by winning the 14th annual Drew Breese Celebrity Championship over the weekend. Rhoden posted a scores of 71 and 74 for a final score of 145 — two strokes over actor Jack Wagner. A tie for third and forth place goes to NFL kicker, Josh Scobee and NHL star Jeremy Roenick, finishing at +5 for the tournament. The tournament raised $195,000 for the Brees Dream Foundation, who will disperse the proceeds to four San Diego charities — Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego Armed Services YMCA, Friends of Scott Foundation and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society-Pacific South Coast Chapter.

PERSONNEL MOVES ____________________________________

San Diego — Kristine Costa has been promoted to community affairs and municipal manager and Eloisa Orozco has been appointed to area communications manager at Waste Management in San Diego. Costa will serve as the contract manager for the cities of Santee and El Cajon as well as manage the company’s contracts with the Navy, San Diego Airport, San Diego Unified Port District, United States Coast Guard and other government entities. She has worked for the company for over 11 years, previously serving as an education solutions representative and construction services representative. Orozco will oversee internal and external communications and media relations, as well as serve as a spokesperson for the company. She joins the company from Mothers Against Drunk Driving, where she was executive director of the San Diego County affiliate.