Daily Business Report — Sept. 4, 2014
Neel Kashkari, left, and Gov. Jerry Brown will debate tonight at 7 o’clock in the only debate of the 2014 governor’s race.
Kashkari Gets His One Shot at Jerry Brown Tonight
The only debate in California’s 2014 governor’s race is just hours away, as Democratic incumbent Jerry Brown gets set to face his Republican challenger, Neel Kashkari.
The governor enters tonight’s 7 o’clock debate sitting pretty. A new Field Poll out this morning shows Brown with a 50 percent to 34 percent lead among likely voters. Nearly 60 percent approve of the governor’s job performance. And more than 40 percent don’t know Kashkari well enough to like him or dislike him.
Field Poll Director Mark DiCamillo says Kashkari needs to make Californians view Brown more negatively.
“Right now, the voters have a relatively positive view — quite positive view, actually — of the incumbent. They still haven’t heard that much about Kashkari, the challenger. So he needs to give voters a reason to either vote for him or to vote against Brown,” DiCamillo said.
Yet Kashkari’s campaign had less than $200,000 on hand at the end of June and has raised less than $1 million since then. Brown has raised more than $20 million. That makes tonight’s debate crucial for Kashkari — it may be his best opportunity to introduce himself to voters and go after the governor.
Perhaps that’s why Brown only agreed to a single debate — two months before Election Day, and on opening night of the National Football League.
The debate is sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco’s KQED public radio, Telemundo and the California Channel and will be televised live, aired on radio stations around the state and live-streamed on the Internet.
— Capital Public Radio
Stars of Friday night’s Boomer Superstar Contest …
San Diego Hosts Huge AARP Convention
The AARP’s new ad campaign challenges the stereotypes of the organization and ends with the phrase “You don’t know AARP.”
San Diegans are going to get a chance to know AARP really well this week as the group previously know as the American Association of Retired Persons is holding its national convention and expo at the San Diego Convention Center today through Saturday.
More than 14,000 people of a certain age are expected to descend on San Diego this week to attend AARP’s first Ideas@50+ Expo and listen to panels with experts from four focused themes: Health & Wellness, Technology & Innovation, Money & Work, and Lifestyle & Travel.
“Ideas@50+ is the beginning of an evolution to a more content-driven, interactive experience of exploring, thinking, and engaging with our key audience about the relevant ideas and issues that matter to the 50+ population and their families,” incoming AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins said in a statement. “In San Diego, we look forward to connecting with our members in a dynamic way and exploring their desire to live their best lives through these new thought-provoking programs.”
With more than 25 years of leadership, management, planning and business experience, Jenkins is well known in Washington and in the philanthropic, public and private sectors. She came to AARP from the Library of Congress, where she had been its chief operating officer, responsible for managing the library’s day-to-day operations, 4,000-person staff and $600 million budget.
Friday night is the finale of the AARP Boomer Superstar Contest hosted by Randy Jackson.This evening of entertainment will feature live performances by the top five finalists, Grammy-winning R & B and jazz vocalist Patti Austin and special guests.Along with Austin, a panel of celebrity judges will include 19-time Grammy-winning musician and producer Emilio Estefan and American Idol winner Taylor Hicks,who will also perform.
— KPBS
Click here for a conference schedule.
East Village’s Table No. 10 Restaurant
Undergoes a $500,000 Renovation
Design firm Studio Simic announced the completion of a 3,5000-square-foot restaurant remodel for Table No. 10, which recently opened in the historic Carnation Milk factory building in San Diego’s East Village neighborhood. Construction was valued at approximately $500,000.
Studio Simic is run by a husband and wife team, industrial designer Srdjan Simic and interior designer Dara Simic. They were retained by the former owner of The Corner Bar, Cooper McLaughlin, and his business partner, Chef Jason Gethin, to re-invent the space for “approachable fine dining.”
The two-story restaurant was originally built in 1919. The main entrance was moved from 10th Street to J Street with the addition of a large, red metal and glass pivot door and a wood-slatted and metal awning. The old entrance on 10th street now serves as a storefront window that provides a glimpse into the open kitchen, featuring its own private chef’s bar with ring-side seating for six people.
In front of the chef’s bar is a family-style table seating 10, which was the inspiration for the restaurant’s name. Custom banquette seating was added around existing architectural elements in the open dining area, which is now located upstairs. The main dining was changed to an open plan. The main bar, which was entirely relocated, now includes both a seated area and a standing bar table for additional space servicing the bar area and waiting guests.
San Diego Exports Rank Among State Leaders
San Diego’s economy is getting a big boost from the export of things like electronics, transportation machinery and agricultural products. Those items are considered merchandise goods. San Diego is one of five California cities that rank among the nation’s 50 largest export markets.
Merchandise goods exported from San Diego were worth more than $17 billion last year, making the region the third largest exporting city in California. Los Angeles shipped more than $76 billion worth of goods. San Francisco totaled more than $25 billion.
Commerce Department official Praveen Dixip said San Diego’s merchandise goods exports jumped just over 4 percent from 2012 to 2013.
“(That) is roughly $702 million,” Dixip said. The 4.1 percent increase in the San Diego exports “was higher than the national average which is 3.1 percent,” he said.
Dixip said the merchandise exports in California supported more than 800,000 jobs in the state. He said 11 percent of the nation’s exports come from California.
— KPBS
Arena Pharmaceuticals’ Granted
Orphan Drug Status by the FDA
Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s drug — APD811 — for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension,has been granted orphan drug status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA may grant orphan drug designation to drug candidates intended to treat a rare disease or condition that generally affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the U.S. The designation allows Arena to participate in various development incentives such as tax credits for qualified clinical testing, an exemption from fees under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, and a seven-year marketing exclusivity period following approval.
Executive Director Named for ArtPower!
The UC San Diego has selected Jordan Peimer to become executive director of ArtPower!, its presenting arts organization, effective Oct. 6. Peimer has extensive experience developing arts programs and curating performances in Southern California. Currently the vice president and director of public programs at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, his work has focused on finding connections between the Skirball’s mission and the diverse communities of Los Angeles. To that end, he developed the popular Sunset Concert series featuring leading global musicians as well as new series and festivals such as Viva!, an ongoing exploration of the intersection of Latin and Jewish life, and Zeitgeist, a festival exploring Jewish life in the new Europe.
ArtPower!’s 2014-2015 season begins Oct. 15 with a performance by Tri Minh’s Quartet.
Marcus & Millichap Appoints Regional Director
Marcus & Millichap has appointed Rick Puttkammer to the position of regional director of its National Retail Group. Puttkammer is based in the firm’s San Diego office.
Puttkammer previously was senior vice president at Colliers International in San Diego, where he focused on institutional investment sales in the West. Prior to Colliers, he was a senior vice president at Flocke & Avoyer, and prior to that, a managing director at Cushman & Wakefield (formerly Burnham Real Estate).
During his career, Puttkammer has specialized in all aspects of shopping center ownership, assisting in land acquisition, entitlement, development, leasing, management and disposition of retail assets.
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Reese Witherspoon’s ‘Wild’
To Open San Diego Film Festival
San Diego audiences will be one of the first to see “Wild,” the film starring Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern that will open the 13th annual San Diego Film Festival on Sept. 24, organizers announced Wednesday. The five-day festival will feature more than 100 movies, shorts and documentaries.
“Wild” is about one woman’s 1,100-mile solo hike undertaken as a way to recover from a recent catastrophe. The film is set to open in theaters Dec. 5.
In recent years, festival goers have been able to screen highly anticipated movies before their national release date. Last year’s opening film, “12 Years a Slave,” went on to win the Academy Awards for Best Picture.
“The San Diego Film Festival is the region’s premier event for the best global and national independent films. For many notable films, it is one of the first stops on the independent film festival circuit — consider it a sneak peek for anyone who loves to go to the movies,” said chairman and CEO Dale Strack, whose team began running the festival in 2012. “It is also a great opportunity to highlight San Diego County’s diverse cultural landscape and arts community.”
On Sept. 23, the day before the festival opens, the San Diego Film Festival will also be hosting the world premiere of “Chelsea’s Light,” a documentary about Chelsea King, the Rancho Bernardo teenager who was raped and murdered by John Gardner, a convicted sexual predator while on a run. The movie, written by King’s brother, Tyler, is about the grieving process after his sister’s disappearance and raising awareness about sexual predators. Tyler King is now 16, the same age as his sister when she was killed.
The festival will close with “You’re Not You,” about a classical pianist suffering from ALS, starring Hilary Swank, Emmy Rossum and Josh Duhamel. Duhamel is expected to be in attendance for the screening on Sept. 27.
Screenings will be held at the Reading Theater in the Gaslamp Quarter and ArcLight Cinemas in University Town Center. The complete list of 2014 San Diego Film Festival titles and passes are available at www.sdfilmfest.com.
— Times of San Diego