Daily Business Report-April 7, 2014
Smart Node Pod on Firebird UAV
Northrop Grumman Completes Flight
Tests for Smart Node Pod for Air Force
Northrop Grumman Corp. has completed a series of flight tests demonstrating the first production Smart Node Pod for the U.S. Air Force.
Smart Node Pod is an aircraft-mounted airborne communications system that allows real-time information to be exchanged among many disparate military and commercial radios and different datalinks, extends the network to the forward edge of the battlefield and relays full-motion video.
Northrop Grumman conducted five flights to certify performance characteristics in February in Virginia Beach, Va. During the flights, the Smart Node Pod demonstrated the ability to transmit full-motion video, imagery, voice and digital messages between warfighters both in the air and on the ground, the San Diego company said.
The company is under contract to produce Smart Node Pod systems for the Air Force, with deliveries scheduled through mid-summer of this year. Two different pod designs — a single-pod and a multipod architecture — are in production.
Jeannie Hilger, a Northrop Grumman vice president, said the pod can connect to the high-altitude Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) platforms. Smart Node Pod is based on BACN technology Northrop Grumman developed for the Air Force.
San Diego Opera Receives $1 Million
Gift From Board Member Carol Lazier
The struggling San Diego Opera, on life support through the end of the month, has received a $1 million gift from board member Carol Lazier to explore a sustainable business model and alternative ways to stage opera.
In a statement Friday night, Lazier said, “I gave the money to encourage us to rescind the dissolution vote as soon as possible.”
“Other companies of our size like Dallas Opera have been able to re-make themselves into successful companies without drastic steps like closure or bankruptcy,” said Lazier in a statement. “My gift is being given as a challenge to the Board of Directors in order to give us some time and resources to consider and explore realistic options from experts in the field who we can find through Opera America.”
The opera’s board of directors voted 33-1 on March 19 to close the storied institution in mid-April, after the company’s final performance of “Don Quixote.” The board then convened on March 31 to answer questions from directors who were concerned they didn’t have adequate information before that vote.
After the five-hour special meeting, the board voted to delay the closure by two weeks, from April 13 until April 29. It was recommended that a special committee research future options for the opera and examine the company’s finances.
“Don Quixote,” possibly the final show for the San Diego Opera, opened Saturday night at the Civic Theater. It also has performances on April 8, 11 and 13.
If this is the opera company’s final season, it will end one year shy of its 50th anniversary of staging productions in San Diego. — KPBS report
Read Carol Lazier’s full statement…
Grand Opening Tuesday for NIFTYafterFIFTY
OCEANSIDE — Tri-City Healthcare District and Tri-City Medical Center will hold the second grand opening of a NIFTYafterFIFTY facility in North County on Tuesday. The celebrations will take place from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the new NIFTYafterFIFTY at 3861 Mission Ave., Suite B25. The first grand opening occurred Feb. 25 in the city of Vista.
NIFTYafterFIFTY fitness centers and programs have been designed specifically for individuals who are 50 and older. They are directed by Sheldon S. Zinberg, M.D. A team of physical therapists, fitness coaches and clinicians tailor each person’s program according to the individual’s physical, mental and medical condition. The goal is to improve muscle strength and power, reaction time, balance, endurance, and mental skills.
“We are always seeking innovative programs and new approaches that promote a sense of ownership between Tri-City Healthcare District, Tri-City Medical Center and the community,” said Casey Fatch, interim CEO at Tri-City Medical Center, adding that “we’re truly excited to introduce a clinically-supervised full-body training program for mature adults, created by physicians, to our North County community.”
Sorrento Science Park Acquired for $12.25 Million
Alexandria Real Estate Equities has purchased Sorrento Science Park in the Sorrento Valley area of San Diego for $12.25 million. The acquisition is the largest of the year in the North City submarket and the REIT’s second in the area over the same period. The seller was Del Mar Partnership. Sorrento Science Park is a three-building, 42,241-square-foot life science and R&D project located at 4025, 4031 and 4045 Sorrento Valley Blvd. It is directly adjacent to Alexandria’s Sorrento Research Facility and just blocks from three buildings the REIT purchased on Roselle Street (from Sanofi) earlier this year. Tenants in Sorrento Science Park include Pathway Genomics, LPath and AT&T. Cassidy Turley was the broker in the transaction.
USD to Host 6th Annual San Diego Microfinance Summit
The 2014 San Diego Microfinance Summit at the University of San Diego on Tuesday will bring together leaders, social entrepreneurs and students to show how lending small amounts of money can alleviate poverty and promote economic growth in San Diego and around the world. The event takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in USD’s Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice. Larry Reed, the director of the Microcredit Summit Campaign, will be the keynote speaker.
The event also will feature speakers from innovative organizations such as Kiva, GiveDirectly, Edify and Puddle. Panels and presentations throughout the day will center on new ways to expand the reach and impact of microfinance by bringing vital financing to under-served markets. Paula Cordeiro, dean of USD’s School of Leadership and Education Sciences, will moderate an afternoon panel on education with Reed and Chris Crane, president of Edify, a humanitarian organization he founded to support schools in Africa and Latin America.
The Microfinance Summit is sponsored in part by the USD Center for Peace and Commerce and the Ahlers Center for International Business.
Panel to Focus on Cross-Border Economics
A panel talk on cross-border economics will be held April 30 hosted by The Corky McMillin Center for Real Estate at San Diego State University. It will be held from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center at 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego. Enrique Esparza Jr. of DEITAC, Christina Luhn of CaliBaja and Stephen Williams of Sentre Partners are on the panel, with moderator Jerry Sanders, CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. Cost is $45.
Bingo Hall Finds a New Home at Viejas Reservation
Viejas Bingo, which has moved around a lot since it was first introduced on the Viejas Indian Reservation in 1977, has found a new, permanent home. The bingo building, which opened on Saturday, is at the east end of Viejas Outlets, directly across the street from Viejas Casino & Resort. It is believed to be California’s first bingo hall to be located in a shopping center. It features a 6,000-square-foot bingo floor with 400 seats, dedicated smoking and non-smoking areas, valet parking…and the return of the Viejas Bingo Snack Bar. The new Viejas Bingo also features a dedicated 1,000-square-foot area with a selection of popular slot machines.
The first Viejas Bingo facility opened in 1977 at the Ma Tar Awa RV Park on the Viejas Reservation. In 1994, it was moved to a location inside the Viejas Casino building, and in 2000 a new structure was built on the east side of Viejas Casino to house the growing bingo operation. That structure was demolished to make way for the new four-diamond Viejas Hotel, which opened in March 2012 and Viejas Bingo was moved inside Viejas Casino.
Navy Commissions USS Coronado
The littoral combat ship USS Coronado, the third Navy vessel to be named for the city, was commissioned Saturday at Naval Air Station North Island, City News Service reports. The Coronado is the Navy’s fourth littoral combat ship and the second of the Independence variant. Cmdr. Shawn Johnson will lead a core crew of 40 officers and enlisted personnel on the ship, designed for coastal waters as a high-speed, shallow draft multi-mission vessel that can operate alone or with an associated strike group, according to the Navy.
“The commissioning of USS Coronado is a celebration of the history of the great city of Coronado and its lasting relationship with our Navy and Marine Corps,” Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said. “The sailors aboard LCS 4 will bring this mighty war ship to life with their skill and dedication, honoring her namesake and our nation for years to come.”
Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mark Ferguson gave the keynote address.
Longtime Coronado resident Susan Ring Keith will serve as the 417-foot ship’s sponsor and gave the first order to “man our ship and bring her to life.” Keith is the daughter of the previous USS Coronado’s sponsor, Eleanor Ring.
David Porter Joins Dempsey Construction
David C. Porter has joined Dempsey Construction as superintendent, responsible for project scheduling and coordination of all subcontractors both on and off the job site. Porter has nearly 30 years of experience in the construction industry. Prior to joining Dempsey Construction, Porter worked as a superintendent for Lusardi Construction, Hearne Builders & Viking Construction.
Porter holds a number of AGC and ACI certifications as well as training from OSHA and the AGC Carpentry School. He is a member of the American Concrete Institute and Associated General Contractors.
Steve Donner Elected Chair of Window and Door Manufacturers Board
Steve Donner, general manager of Weiland Sliding Doors & Windows in Oceanside, has been elected 2014-2015 chairman of the Window and Door Manufacturers Association board of directors. The Oceanside company has been around for more than 25 years. It manufactures sliding doors, folding doors, pivot doors, swinging doors and windows.
“WDMA has been at the forefront of tackling many key issues facing the window, door, and skylight industry over the past several years,” said Donner. “However, we continue to face over-regulation and red tape at the federal and state level, and WDMA will continue to do its part to advocate for smart legislation, balanced standards, and sensible regulation. I also look forward to strengthening our robust certification, technical, networking, and education programs that benefit our members.”
San Diego Council to Appoint Temporary
Replacement for Kevin Faulconer’s Seat
The San Diego City Council is scheduled Monday to appoint one of 20 candidates to fill a vacancy in council District 2, which was represented by Kevin Faulconer until he was sworn in as mayor last month. The list of contenders had been 19 until Friday, when attorney Bryan Pease won a court judgement that forced the City Clerk’s office to accept his application.
The city contended that Pease failed to register to vote at his Ocean Beach residence — where he has lived for about one year — until two days after the deadline imposed by the city’s Municipal Code.
The lawyer, best known for his involvement in the long-running Children’s Pool controversy in La Jolla, argued that he lived in the district previously for about three years and was registered to vote during that time. U.S. District Judge William Hayes ruled in Pease’s favor. The City Clerk’s office announced later Friday that he had qualified.
The candidates will each get three minutes at this afternoon’s council meeting to state why they should be appointed. Whoever receives a majority of votes will take the office immediately.
The vacancy is being filled by appointment since Faulconer’s term was due to expire this year. A primary election is set for June 3. The City Council asked for candidates who are only interested in serving for the roughly seven months remaining in the term, and not running for election this year.
Other candidates are former CBS8 Executive Producer Stephanie Antin; retired Judge Robert Coates; advocate for the disabled Mary Elaine Cooluris; preservationist group leader Bruce Coons; Karl Strauss Brewing Co. co-founder Christopher Cramer; City Council staffer Ricardo Flores; and retired San Diego State University education professor Jane Gawronski.
Also pursuing the office are lifeguard union chief Ed Harris; accounts receivable clerk Daniel Holstein; lawyer Cary Lowe; California National Guard pilot James Mark McBride; ex-City Council staffer Don Mullen; sales account manager James Musgrove; and LeSar Development Communications Director Gretchen Kinney Newsom.
Attorney Wayne Raffesberger; retiree and frequent City Council public speaker Richard Jarvis Ross; state Deputy Attorney General Michael Howard Wayne; retired lawyer John Wertz; and architect Matthew Winter are also seeking the position.
