Daily Business Report-May 31, 2017
Preuss School junior Eric Tran (Photo by Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego Publications)
Preuss Student and Teacher
Named Bezos Scholars
By Laura Margoni | UC San Diego News Center
Eric Tran, a junior at The Preuss School at UC San Diego, was one of 12 high school students nationwide to be named a 2017 Bezos Scholar. In his excitement over being selected for the prestigious leadership development program, The Preuss School UCSD junior remembers smiling, laughing and even “busting a couple of dance moves.”
“I thought the program would be the perfect opportunity to learn more about service and how I can help my community,” said Tran, who hails from Southeast San Diego and has been at Preuss since the sixth grade. “I feel blessed to have this opportunity and am looking forward to making the most of it.”
Tran’s AP U.S. History teacher, Chellyn Boquiren, feels the same way. Boquiren was one of 12 educators in the country named a Bezos Scholar and will be participating in the program with Tran.
“This is an opportunity for me to reflect on my goals as an educator and think about how Eric and I will share what we learn,” said Boquiren, who also teaches a class on western civilization at Preuss, a charter middle and high school for low-income students who strive to become the first in their families to graduate from college.
“I’m really looking forward to interacting with and learning from other educators,” she added.
Founded in 2005, the Bezos Family Foundation annually selects rising seniors and their educators to participate in the yearlong Bezos Scholars program. Scholars are selected based on demonstrated leadership abilities, willingness to embrace learning for learning’s sake, and the desire to create lasting change in their communities.
The program begins with an all-expenses paid trip to the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado this summer. At the festival, the U.S. scholars will meet with six Bezos Scholars selected from the African Leadership Academy in South Africa as well as with visionaries, leaders and artists from around the globe. Scholars will participate in a variety of seminars, plenary sessions and informal meetings where they will have the opportunity to share their ideas and ask questions. After attending the Festival, scholars return home to organize their own community change projects know as Local Ideas Festivals.
______________________
Trial Date Set June 5 for North Park Citizen’s
Group’s Lawsuit Against Jack in the Box
A citizens group trying to force Jack in the Box to remove a drive-through window at its 30th and Upas street restaurant in North Park will be back in San Diego Superior Court on June 5 after successfully appealing a judge’s rejection of a lawsuit it filed against the company and the city.
Rick Pyles, a spokesman for Care About North Park, said a trial on the issue will begin June 5 in Department 71 of San Diego Superior Court.
“Our goal: a court order that the drive-thru window was improperly allowed and must be closed,” said Pyle in a statement. “We are in a stronger position now than at any other point in the history of our fight.
“The original judge’s decision was overturned unanimously by the three-member appellate court. The appellate court admonished both the city and the trial court and ordered our case back to trial,” said Pyle. “The city continues to fail to provide the permit for the project as it existed on May 2, 2012. This was a major component of the appellate court’s decision in our favor.”
BLT Acquires Carlsbad Industrial Building
BLT Enterprises has acquired a 60,000-square-foot industrial building in Carlsbad from El Cedro LLC for $9 million. As part of the transaction, El Cedro leased-back the entire property for three years. Comprised of a two-story lobby with a mix of private and open area offices, the property is located at 5940 Darwin Court. SD Realty Partners and Palomar Commercial were brokers in the transaction.
______________________
California Economic Summit
to be Staged in San Diego
The sixth annual California Economic Summit, the only statewide effort to promote economic security, will be held in San Diego on Nov. 2-3. Earlier this year, a group of San Diego leaders worked to bring the 2017 summit to the region to continue its strategy of using regional solutions to drive state policy.
“I thought we had innovations here in San Diego, not only in housing but job creation and water management to showcase to the rest of the state, so I actively pursued this opportunity,” said Jennifer LeSar, who has been involved in the summit’s Housing Action Team and was instrumental in the launch of Housing You Matters, a San Diego coalition working to improve housing affordability. “We have a diverse economy and are interested in developing more momentum for meeting the challenges for not only our region but for the entire state of California to successfully compete in the global economy.”
______________________
The Heritage Group Acquires Old Poway Village
The Heritage Group has purchased Old Poway Village, located at 14005-14055 Midland Road, which it had been leasing and managing for the past year. The 27,453-square-foot multi-tenant retail and office space was acquired for $6.9 million from Old Poway Village LLC.
The same day the real estate company took ownership of the property, it also closed a deal with San Diego Music Academy for an 812-square-foot space at the center, bringing occupancy to 87 percent.
______________________
Fair Board Rescinds Pot Festival Contract
Marijuana use might be legal under state law, but don’t expect to light up at a big medical cannabis festival previously announced for the Del Mar Fairgrounds. On Tuesday, the board that manages the state-owned venue rescinded a contract with organizers of the planned Goodlife Festival, saying the event — billed as the county’s largest-ever medical marijuana expo — doesn’t comply with federal law. — San Diego Union-Tribune
______________________
(W)right On Communications
Opens Los Angeles Office
San Diego public relations agency (W)right On Communications Inc. has expanded operations with the opening of a new office in Los Angeles, and is seeking employees to staff it.
“Downtown L.A. provides easy and centralized access to client partners all over the Los Angeles region,” says Grant Wright, CEO and managing partner, “and the downtown continues to undergo a vibrant resurgence. We are excited to be in the heart of it all at Bunker Hill’s Gas Tower.”
“A number of our San Diego-based client partners also do business and have operations in the Los Angeles area, so this is a natural progression to ensure the agency best meets their and future partners’ needs,” adds Wright.
______________________
UC San Diego Hosts Dalai Lama
UC San Diego will host His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama for a June 16 public address and June 17 keynote commencement address. The public address will be at 10 a.m. at RIMAC Field on the campus. “Embracing the Beauty of Diversity in Our World” is his topic. “The Value of Education, Ethics and Compassion for the Well-Being of Self and Others” is the theme of the June 17 address.
______________________
Personnel Announcements
Balestreri Potocki & Holmes Adds 3 Associates
Attorneys Amanda Crawley, Kacy Thompson and Robert “Scott” Norman have joined the law firm of Balestreri Potocki & Holmes as associates.
Crawley represents clients in a wide variety of civil litigation matters including construction law, products liability, and professional liability. She received her B.A. from the University of Rhode Island in 2013 and her J.D. from California Western School of Law in 2016.
Thompson’s practice focuses on representing general contractors, subcontractors, developers, and business professionals in a variety of construction defect and business litigation matters. She received her B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2009 and her J.D., Magna Cum Laude, from California Western School of Law in 2016.
Norman represents both individual and corporate clients in a variety of matters with an emphasis in design professional liability, construction defect litigation, real estate matters, and business disputes. Norman received his B.A. from California State University Northridge in 2003 and his J.D. from California Western School of Law in 2007.
