Daily Business Report-March 19, 2021
Dorothea Laub on her adopted Balboa Park Carousel ride.
Philanthropist Dorothea Laub donates $1 million to Friends of Balboa Park for Carousel
Friends of Balboa Park has received a landmark donation from longtime benefactor and local philanthropist Dorothea Laub toward the historic Balboa Park Carousel. The gift brings her aggregate support of the Carousel to $1 million, one of the largest sums contributed to the organization since it was established in 1999.
Laub’s donation enabled Friends of Balboa Park to reach its $3 million Carousel Capital Campaign goal, established when the nonprofit acquired the Carousel in 2017 after its nearly 100 years of family ownership.
Of the $3 million, approximately $1.5 million went to the purchase of the Carousel. The remaining funds are earmarked for necessary restorations to preserve and enhance the Carousel. These repairs have continued throughout the Carousel’s mandatory closure since March 2020 under state COVID-19 regulations, and include ride restorations, carpentry repairs, upgraded lighting and electrical, enhanced security, and more. Planned upgrades include additional ride restorations, structural upgrades, fire suppression systems, interior painting, and securing historic designation.
Viasat awarded five-year Navy telefom service extension
GovCon Wire
Viasat will continue to provide telecommunication network services for personal use at U.S. Navy installations and lodging facilities across the globe for an additional five years as part of a contract extension awarded by Navy Exchange Service Command.
The extended agreement covers Wi-Fi, voice communications and managed Internet services that support multiple programs across the military service, sailors living in unaccompanied or family housing and visitors to the branch’s morale, welfare and recreation centers, Viasat said.
The company added it will deploy a satellite-based interactive TV service to 32 Navy Lodge places that cater to active-duty personnel, reservists and retirees as well as their guests and family members.
“Our goal is to provide affordable, high-quality, consistent and secure connectivity services for military personnel, their families, friends and guests and to ensure they have seamless access to high-demand applications such as streaming TV and audio, gaming, cloud-based voice calling (VoIP) and other apps,” said Ken Peterman, president of Viasat’s government systems business.
Peterman added that the company has worked with NEXCOM over the past decade to ensure Internet access for sailors.
Viasat has begun accepting the Military Star card as a mode of payment for service offerings.
Credit agencies affirm Water Authority’s strong credit ratings; Detachments could lead to credit downgrade
However, rating agencies also noted significant challenges ahead, including efforts by Fallbrook Public Utility District and the Rainbow Municipal Water District to “detach” from the Water Authority – a move that could negatively impact ratepayers across San Diego County. If the two North County agencies leave per their plans, Water Authority analysis shows that the other 22 member agencies will have to pay $16 million to $46 million more per year to cover the cost of the departing agencies.
Moody’s said detachment could lead to a credit downgrade, which would increase borrowing costs for critical water reliability projects.
County to purchase, conserve historic Star Ranch land in Campo
San Diego County supervisors voted Wednesday to buy the 2,151-acre, historic Star Ranch area in Campo, its largest acquisition of sensitive habitat, wetlands, potential passive park land and hiking trails in a decade.
County officials said the land will provide a permanent home for sensitive species and conserve important habitat including 200 acres of wetlands, and it could eventually provide a large park and connections for hikers to nearby trails such as the Pacific Crest Trail.
The board voted unanimously to buy the land for roughly $8.7 million, a figure that will be offset by a $1.28 million contribution from the U.S. Navy, which operates a training base nearby and needs to maintain a buffer around it to keep it isolated.
The ranch is located a mile north of the U.S.-Mexico border in Campo near State Route 94 and Buckman Springs Road, just north of the County Park’s Campo Stone Store Museum. The store itself is a historic landmark rebuilt in stone in 1875.
Alaska Airlines begins nonstop flights to Missoula, Mont. from San Diego
Alaska Airlines launched its first nonstop flight between Missoula, Mont. via Missoula International Airport (MSO) and San Diego International Airport. This is the first time San Diego will have daily, nonstop service to Missoula.
“From the vast blue ocean of San Diego to the big blue sky of Missoula, this service provides options for everyone to get out and explore the great outdoors,” said Kimberly Becker, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority president and CEO. “In a time when people are looking to vacation in a responsible way, access to places like Western Montana and Southern California are expected to be popular. We welcome this new service and thank Alaska Airlines for adding another destination to their nonstop network from SAN.”
Located in the Northern Rockies of Montana, Missoula provides easy access to seven wilderness areas and countless outdoor activities including skiing and snowboarding, snowshoeing, fishing, kayaking, rafting, horseback riding, hiking, and more.
Ellen Schmeding elected chair of California Commission on Aging
Ellen Schmeding, chief operating officer of St. Paul’s Senior Services, has been elected chair of the California Commission on Aging. The position is a one-year term, which began at the start of the year. She was first appointed to the Commission by Gov. Jerry Brown in December 2018.
Schmeding was one of only two San Diego County residents appointed to the state’s oversight boards at that time, part of a suite of 16 nominations of California residents.
As chair, she presides over all meetings of the Commission, as well as leads the Executive Committee.
Schmeding represented St. Paul’s and the Commission on the Master Plan for Aging Long-Term Care Services/Supports Committee. Recommendations from this committee have been included in the Governor’s Master Plan for Aging released in January 2021.
UC San Diego to host Professor James Gunn at Kyota Prize Symposium
University of California San Diego will virtually host Professor James E. Gunn, international leader in astrophysical sciences, on March 25, 4-5:30 p.m.-PDT, as part of the annual Kyoto Prize Symposium. Originally planned as a series of live lectures in 2020, the 2021 Symposium has been recast to eliminate coronavirus risk by featuring the latest laureates of the Kyoto Prize in livestreamed video events that are free and open to the public.
Gunn’s discussion will be moderated by Alison Coil, professor of physics, and Ingrid and Joseph W. Hibben Chair, Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences, UC San Diego. The event will feature Gunn’s lecture from the latest Kyoto Prize ceremony in Japan, after which Gunn and Coil will discuss current developments in astrophysics and cosmology. Anyone interested in attending this free livestream is encouraged to register before March 25 at http://kyotoprizesymposium.eventbrite.com to ensure that you receive log-in instructions well before the event.
Salk scientist Ronald Evans receives 2021 Asan Award in Basic Medicine
Salk Professor Ronald Evans, director of Salk’s Gene Expression Laboratory and March of Dimes Chair in Molecular and Developmental Biology, has been awarded the 2021 Asan Award in Basic Medicine by the Asan Foundation.
The Asan Foundation is a Korean foundation that supports critical medical research as well as social and medical welfare programs. The award, which totals $250,000, recognizes “medical scientists who have achieved remarkable accomplishments in the fields of basic and clinical medicine to promote human health,” according to the Asan Foundation. Evans is the first international recipient of the Asan Award in Basic Medicine.
Evans is known for discovering a “superfamily” of 48 genes called nuclear hormone receptors that respond to steroid hormones along with thyroid hormone and vitamins A and D. While this revealed receptors for 7 known hormones, the discovery uncovered 39 more receptors involved in previously unknown physiologic pathways. This advance launched the modern era of molecular endocrinology, finding receptors for cellular growth, development, inflammation, cancer, diabetes, circadian rhythm, cholesterol metabolism, and even the creation of new brain cells.
