Daily Business Report-Feb. 19, 2016
A rough rendering of the cafe that will be named after Audrey Geisel.
UC San Diego to Name New
Café After Audrey Geisel
Audrey Geisel says she always believed the Geisel Library at UC San Diego was a special place, and so did her late husband Ted (Dr. Seuss). It is why she has been showering the library and campus with gifts over the years.
Now UC San Diego will do something for the generous philanthropist — it will name the café now under construction in the building as the Geisel Library Café in her honor.
Audrey’s is expected to be completed in mid- to late-spring, with a grand opening planned for the campus and community supporters in May. The café, which has been under construction since last December, is located on the 2nd (main) floor in the East Wing of Geisel Library, conveniently situated on the north end of the building’s most heavily used study area, which also houses the overnight study commons.
“I’m truly touched that so many of my friends at the UC San Diego Library have decided to name this new café after me,” said Geisel. “Even before we established the Dr. Seuss Collection here at the Library many years ago, I felt that this was a very special place, and certainly worthy of my continuing support. I know that Ted felt the same way, so I’m very pleased to know that our support will help to provide the resources and the services — not to mention caffeine– that today’s library patrons need to stay on the cutting edge.”
The café is one of the many enhancements planned for the university’s flagship building over the next several years, thanks to a $3 million gift made by Geisel in July 2015, which is the lead gift in the Geisel Library Revitalization Initiative, a major endeavor aimed at transforming and rejuvenating the interior public spaces of the library.
The café will be operated by the university’s Sports Facilities, which manages Peet’s near RIMAC in the north part of campus. Coffee and tea will be supplied by Café Virtuoso, an independent local roaster, known for its environmentally sustainable products, including certified organic and fair trade coffee and tea. San Diego’s Bread & Cie will provide pastries and other breakfast items; salads and sandwiches will also be provided.
Audrey’s will occupy approximately 3,000 square feet, including an adjoining lounge. The café is expected to provide seating for between 50 and 75 patrons, and will also feature a to-go counter. While café hours are subject to change, Audrey’s will initially be open daily, from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, with shorter hours over the weekend. The café will stay open until midnight during Finals week and other crunch times.
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Movers & Shakers
Get your nominations in by March 7 for our Movers & Shakers awards — outstanding men and women in the community and in business. Send your nominations to Rebeca Page at rebecapage@sandiegometro.com.
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UCSD Called Among Worst for Free Speech
San Diego Union-Tribune
A free-speech advocacy group has named UC San Diego one of the nation’s 10 worst schools for free speech following the student government’s decision to cut funding to a controversial satirical publication.
The Philadelphia-based Foundation for Individual Rights in Education named UC San Diego to its “worst of the worst” list after the Associated Students cut funding to The Koala paper and the administration released a statement denouncing the publication as offensive and hurtful.
The nonprofit, nonpartisan group also criticized UC San Diego, along with Cal State San Marcos and San Diego State University, last year for having what it identified as restrictive free-speech zones.
Bankers Hill Property Sells for $1.35 Million
CAT LLC, a San Diego accounting firm, has purchased a Georgian Colonial-style building at 2665 Fourth Avenue in Bankers Hill for $1.35 million. The firm intends to relocate its offices there. Wheeler Revocable Trust was the seller.
The building was built in 1939 as a house. Architectural features include red brick and wood exterior, large bay windows and a patio. The property underwent renovations in 2000.
Colliers International San Diego represented the buyer and seller in the transaction.
Free Community College
‘Promise’ Program Approved
The San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees has approved a pilot program that will implement the America’s College Promise free community college effort locally. The San Diego Community College District Promise will ensure that funds are provided to pay for enrollment fees and book grants for 200 local students during the 2016-17 academic year.
The program is intended to ensure that no deserving local students are denied the opportunity to go to college due to lack of resources. Chancellor Constance M. Carroll says the district is starting with a pilot program in fall 2016 in preparation for broader implementation in fall 2017.
Pilot program participants will be required to be enrolled in at least 12 units for both fall and spring, participate in eight hours of community service each semester, and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0.
The district leadership will work with officials from the San Diego Unified School District to finalize the application and selection processes, which should be in place by April. The program is limited to students from San Diego Unified and San Diego Continuing Education.
The estimated cost of the first year of the pilot is $215,000, which will be paid with non-state funds. Fundraising efforts are being ramped-up at each of the foundations that support the district’s three colleges and Continuing Education in order to support the program into the future. The district also plans to contribute through designated sources.
‘Trailblazer’ Christine Kehoe
Picked for Women’s Hall of Fame
Times of San Diego
Former councilwoman and state lawmaker Christine Kehoe headlines a group of five women being inducted next month into the San Diego County Women’s Hall of Fame.
Kehoe, 65, is being honored as a “trailblazer” as the Women’s Museum of California hosts its 15th annual Hall of Fame ceremony and reception at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 7, at the Joe and Vi Jacobs Center, 404 Euclid Ave., San Diego. The event is open to the public and registration is required (call 619-233-7963.)
The other inductees, chosen from more than 200 nominated by the community, are Evonne Seron Schulze (activist), Sally Wong Avery (bridge builder), Elizabeth Lou (empowerer of women) and Maria Garcia (historian).
The women represent and reflect “the full breadth and depth of the diversity in our community,” organizers said.
“They have selflessly and courageously contributed to San Diego and the world at large,” said Women’s Museum Executive Director Ashley Gardner. “Their lifetime work and achievements have improved lives and have left a lasting impact. They are the role models of our time.”
Los Angeles playwright and actress Amy Simon is set to perform, and Rep. Susan Davis and other guests are expected to attend. Awards are granted on the basis of values, empowerment, activism, trailblazing, cultural competency and historical preservation.
UC San Diego Ranked 14th on
Peace Corps Top Colleges List
The University of California, San Diego has been ranked 14th nationally among large schools on the 2016 Peace Corps list of colleges and universities that produce the most Peace Corps volunteers. That’s up one spot from last year.
It marks the sixth consecutive year that UC San Diego has been named in the organization’s top 15 rankings and the 10th straight year that the campus has appeared in the top 25.
There are currently 36 undergraduate alumni from UC San Diego serving overseas in the Peace Corps. In total, UC San Diego has produced 807 Peace Corps volunteers during the last 55 years.
Kevin Nguyen, a recent graduate of UC San Diego, is currently serving in Mozambique as a science teacher. He says that living near the International House at UC San Diego encouraged his decision to join the Peace Corps because of all of the stories he heard from international students who had served.
Study Finds Testosterone Improves Sexual Activity,
Walking Ability and Mood in Men Over 65
Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and 12 other medical centers in the United States have shown that testosterone treatment for men over the age of 65 improves sexual function, walking ability and mood. The findings are published in the February issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Researchers across the nation have partnered with the National Institute on Aging to conduct the Testosterone Trials (TTrials), a coordinated group of seven studies to analyze the hormone. The first three studies that were conducted focused on sexual function, physical function and vitality.
“Low testosterone levels can result in excessive fatigue, weakness, depression and the loss of sexual drive in men over 65,” said Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, study lead at the UC San Diego School of Medicine trial site. “The results of the TTrials show for the first time that testosterone treatment of older men who have unequivocally low testosterone levels does have some benefit, including improved walking ability, sexual function and mood, with a decrease in depressive symptoms.”
First Phase of Bullet Train
Shifted to Northern California
City News Service
The board overseeing construction of a planned high-speed rail line from San Francisco to San Diego announced Thursday that instead of starting with a segment between Burbank and Merced, the first phase will instead be in Northern California.
A draft business plan released by the High Speed Rail Authority shifted the first phase of construction to a stretch between San Jose and Bakersfield..
Assembly Speaker-elect Anthony Rendon, who represents a district in Los Angeles County, said he was concerned by the move.
“This project is meant to connect the south to the north — neglecting the south would be unacceptable,” Rendon said. “I recognize that this is a draft business plan, that the authority faces major funding challenges and that it therefore must identify an ongoing revenue stream. The draft business plan is an attempt to do that.”
He said the Assembly Transportation Committee will review the business plan at a March 28 hearing.
Other lawmakers, however, said the shift represents more trouble for the much-debated bullet train, which has seen its budget balloon from an originally $40 billion to more than $60 billion.
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Time to Tackle the Last Taboo: Talking About Our Money
Pat Reno, Vice President of RBC Wealth Management has a few good tips for women that she will be sharing on Opening Day of Women’s Week. Don’t’ be afraid to talk about and manage your money. This will enable you to be ready to retire sooner if you want and have a continued lifestyle that you desire.
Our earnings and money is a large part of our life. It determines out financial security and what we are able to do in life as we get older. Learning how to manage your money the right way is an important step toward taking control of your life.
Pat injects humor into a serious topic and attendees will leave with some good advice to prepare them for their future goals.
Opening day is Monday, March 14, 2 to 7:30 p.m., California Center for the Arts Escondido.
