July 31, 1997

    San Diego-based Star System Inc. is unveiling its new streamlined brand mark that incorporates the STAR SYSTEM ATM network and the EXPLORE point-of-sale service into one easily recognizable new mark. The company says this new brand mark gives Star System the opportunity to simplify marks and enhance consumer awareness of a single, strong, unified market position that is accomplished by merging the two marks together.
    The new STAR brand mark will represent both the STAR SYSTEM ATM network and the EXPLORE POS service. Cardholders soon will need only to seek out one symbol when they buy goods or get cash. The decision to incorporate the marks into one new mark, was bolstered by the fact that nearly all participating ATM/debit cards have access to both services. Additionally, the STAR symbol commands the highest awareness in all western U.S. states.
    "As a leader in the electronic funds transfer industry, we wanted to take our strongest brand to the fastest growing segment of our business," says Ron Congemi, president and CEO of Star System. "Additionally, brand consolidation accommodates the desire of the financial community to simplify acceptance marks and strengthens cardholder recognition of card acceptance at ATMs and retail locations."
To help build consumer recognition, Star System has sent new decals with the new brand mark to all STAR POS merchants for immediate display. The network also is encouraging member financial institutions to quickly utilize the new graphics they received to display the new brand mark on ATMs and cards.
    Star System, with headquarters in San Diego, is the nation's largest not-for-profit electronic funds transfer network open to financial institutions in the West and operates the STAR ATM network (begun in 1984) and the STAR POS service (begun in 1987).

***

    Genesis Communications International Inc., a provider of local and long distance telecommunications services, today launched three new long distance services. The new plans, called "Domestic United," "World United," and "Basic Saver," are designed to offer competitive long distance calling rates that are below the discounted rates of major telecommunications service providers.
Genesis Communications has customized the new service offerings to accommodate a variety of domestic and international calling patterns. The company’s World United plan is tailored for callers who make most of their calls to international destinations.
    Derek Gietzen, president and CEO of Genesis, says the new plans offer the lowest rates available today. "With our new family of service offerings, we can provide significant cost savings to our customers by creating a tailored solution that meets their individual telephone service needs," he says.
Both the world united and domestic united calling rates are available 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The domestic united plan also gives California customers a discounted flat rate of 65 cents per minute for all intrastate calls. Genesis Communications' local service customers also receive additional discounts on their long distance calling.
    Founded in March of 1995, Genesis Communications International, Inc. provides local and long-distance services to more than 50,000 customers in California, Arizona, Texas and Illinois. The company is expanding into New Mexico, Colorado, Washington and Oregon. In addition, Genesis plans to introduce a series of telecommunications services designed for small businesses during the third quarter of 1997.
    With roots in the Hispanic marketplace, the San Diego-based company employs over 200 people and specializes in delivering competitive telecommunications services to a growing base of commercial and residential customers.

***

    Harte-Hanks Communications Inc., which owned the Star-News and La Jolla Light newspapers in their circulation heydays of the late 1970s through the mid 1990s, is returning to San Diego as the owner of the PennySaver. Harte-Hanks delivered the news when announcing the expansion of its shopper group through the signing of a definitive agreement with ABC Inc., an indirect subsidiary of the Walt Disney Co., to acquire the ABC Shoppers Group. The ABC group publishes free circulation advertising publications reaching 2.4 million households in California and the Midwest.
    The cash transaction, valued at about $104 million, is expected to close by the end of September. The ABC shoppers are expected to generate 1997 revenues of about $67 million. The transaction is expected to be accretive to Harte-Hanks' earnings per share in 1998.
    The announcement was made by Larry Franklin, Harte-Hanks Communications president and chief executive officer; and Peter E. Gorman, president of Harte-Hanks Shoppers, North America's largest shopper publisher with 590 separate zoned editions each week serving 7.1 million households in Southern California, Northern California, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale and Dallas/Fort Worth.
Along with the San Diego PennySaver, the ABC Shoppers Group includes the PennySaver in south Orange County, Bargain Bulletin in Temecula and South Riverside counties, and El Informador , a Hispanic rack publication in San Diego. Combined, the publications reach 1.4 million households each week with 115 separate zoned editions. The group also publishes two Northern California shoppers — the PennySaver in metropolitan Sacramento and San Joaquin County and Magic Ads, a rack publication serving the Sacramento area — with a combined circulation of 703,000 in 56 editions per week.

***

    Cubic Automatic Revenue Collection Group is providing the new automatic fare collection system being used by the Chicago Transit Authority as part of a $106 million conversion project. Users of the system have reusable credit card-sized plastic cards that can be "reloaded" with credit for fares. The cards are dispensed by "Automatic Vending Machines" located at all 140 Chicago Transit stations.
"This system is going to revolutionize fare collections," says David Mosena, Chicago Transit president. For passengers who routinely cross transit lines in their daily commutes, it brings the convenience of seamless travel, requiring only one fare card instead of two or more.
The $54 million fare system component was designed and manufactured in San Diego.

***

    Mark your calendars, the posh Four Seasons Resort Aviara opens Monday.

***

    Hire-A-Youth has reached the 100,000 mark in providing summer jobs for San Diego teenagers.

***

    Getting its share of that Qualcomm money is Roel Construction Co. In Las Vegas, Roel completes this month Phase 2 of an expansion of Qualcomm's Omnitrac "hub" facility. The facility backs up the Omnitrac hub in San Diego. Closer to home, Roel says the structural steel is more than 50 percent complete on Qualcomm's "Building AA" on Campus Point Drive. This 4-story, 277,952-square-foot engineering facility, designed by Delawie Wilkes Rodrigues Barker & Bretton, will provide about 900 offices. Completion is slated for September 1998. BergElectric is the electrical subcontractor on both projects.

***

July 30, 1997


    Cox Communications is teaming with Frontier Corp. to provide long distance telephone service to Cox's San Diego County cable television customers starting tomorrow, Aug. 1. Called "Cox Long Distance by Frontier," the new long distance service will be available to more than 477,000 Cox customers, says Bill Geppert, general manager of Cox Communications.
    "The addition of long-distance service to our cable service, Cox @Home high-speed Internet data services and future local telephone services marks yet another vital step towards offering a complete array of telecommunications services to our customers," says Geppert.
The effort features two rather straight-forward calling plans:
    * All Day, which offers state-to-state calls within the continental U.S. at the rate of 15 cents per minute, 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
    * Home Connections, which offers state-to-state calls within the continental U.S. from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday through Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday at the rate of 10 cents per minute.
Cox Communications cable TV service customers will receive an additional 10 percent discount off these rates, as long as they keep their cable service. Rates are not mileage sensitive, in other words, a call to Florida is not more expensive than calling Nevada.
    Service is limited to residential customers only at this point.
    Cox's long distance service is now available thanks to an agreement recently signed with Frontier Corporation of Bingham Farm, Michigan. Operating primarily in the eastern United States, Frontier has been in business since 1899. Frontier operates its own 100 percent fiber optic network. Serving 2.1 million U.S. customers makes Frontier's long distance, local telephone and wireless communications subsidiaries the fifth largest long distance phone provider in the nation. Cox Communications will be utilizing Frontier's systems.
    According to the terms of the agreement, Cox will handle all marketing and sales of customer orders; Frontier will be responsible for account establishment, monthly billing and customer service.
Cox Long Distance is already offered in these cities serviced by
Cox Communications: Cleveland; Hampton Roads, VA; Lafayette, ID; Oklahoma City; Omaha; Pensacola; and Roanoke, VA. Regionally, Cox services West Texas and Louisiana.

***

    Cypress Bioscience Inc. says that an independent data safety and monitoring board reviewing the interim data from its pivotal trial of the Prosorba column in rheumatoid arthritis treatment has recommended that the trial be continued. The DSMB had earlier been instructed by the company to recommend either the continuation or cessation of the trial based upon predetermined stopping rules, including an efficacy threshold and safety profile of the treatment. Based upon the DSMB's recommendation, Cypress management, which remains blinded to the data, will continue the trial of its novel rheumatoid arthritis therapy. The company anticipates completing the trial by the end of 1998.

***

    KBM Building & Security Services Inc., one of San Diego’s leading providers of building maintenance and security services to the business community, has launched a new division, KBM Temporary Staffing, says Y. René Tuchscher, KBM's director of building and security services.
KBM's temporary staffing division will provide affordable, highly reliable general maintenance and light industrial personnel to a variety of business and industrial customers throughout San Diego County. The division will be supervised by Carrie Pearce, a project manager with more than 10 years of experience in employee recruiting and account management in the staffing industry.
    "The new division will recruit, extensively interview and place temporary employees in a variety of light industrial positions, including assembly workers, general laborers, painters, firewatch and journeymen," Tuchscher says. "The temp personnel will also have the opportunity to work in our other divisions - building maintenance, security and landscaping - during periods of work slowdowns and stoppage. This will enable us to retain trained and qualified workers."
    Tuchscher said KBM elected to formally launch its temporary staffing division after establishing a successful ongoing pilot program which provided more than 50 workers to NASSCO during the past five months.
    KBM Building & Security Services Inc. was founded in 1981. The female/minority-owned company has achieved success by focusing on the specific needs of each customer and employee.
KBM's Building Maintenance division provides services to about 5 million square feet of surface area per day in medical facilities, schools, retail stores and shopping centers, sporting clubs, restaurant, biotechnology and medical research facilities, production laboratories, commercial office building and industrial parks. KBM Security Services provides security services to commercial, industrial and medical facilities, shopping centers, hotels, educational institutions, restaurant, banks and various other members of the regional business community.
    KBM's Landscape Division, established earlier this year, provides landscape construction and maintenance services to a variety of commercial property owners and managers throughout San Diego County, including retail centers, biotechnology and industrial office parks, high-rise office projects, recreational facilities and gated residential communities.

***

    Johnson & Jennings General Contracting has completed the tenant improvement remodeling of 18,000 square feet of office space for the Fashion Institute School of Fashion & Design on the second floor of the Executive Complex located at 1010 Second Ave. in Downtown San Diego. For the $130,000 project, Robert Stacks served as project manager with Mike Harrison as on-site supervisor.

***

    Shih Ching Chiang has purchased Scripps Plaza, a 70,270 square foot retail center on Hibert Street in Scripps Ranch, for $5.3 million. The seller was GE Capital Investment Advisors.
Both sides were represented by Voit Commercial Brokerage, with Chris Laughridge and Jim McCullough representing the seller and Marc Lipschitz representing the buyer.

***

July 29


    The Eastridge Group's 1997 San Diego Salary Survey reveals that overall wages here remained fairly static, posting gains of 4.5 percent over last year’s survey of local companies, reports Robert Svet, president and founder of the firm, San Diego’s largest independent temporary and full-time staffing company.
    Svet says the 13th annual survey reveals that salaries aren’t accelerating the way they have been in the past few years, which means minor effects on overall inflation. "The stock market and the Federal Reserve are keeping a watchful eye on unemployment and increases in wage and salary figures," Svet says. "Due to sustained growth, the Federal Reserve is concerned that dramatic increases in wages will put pressure on business and contribute to rising inflation. Our survey indicates that salary increases in San Diego will have little impact on inflation."
    A record total of 281 companies, representing about 32,900 employees, participated in this year’s survey, up from 240 companies in 1996. Of the participating organizations, more than 70 percent employ staffs of 100 people or less; 34.9 percent employ 1 to 25 employees; 17.8 percent have 26 to 50 employees; and 17.4 percent employ 51 to 100 workers.
    In the survey's Human Resource category, the average salary for vice president of human resources rose 13.7 percent, 10.3 percent for a human resources clerk, and 3.1 percent for a human resources assistant. The annual salary for human resources administrator decreased slightly, by 3.9 percent.
    In the Secretarial/Office Support area, salaries for secretary/receptionist positions increased 5.9 percent and wages rose 3.6 percent for general office clerk. According to the survey, word processing operator average salary showed a decrease of 4.6 percent.
    The average salary for a chief financial officer in the Accounting/Finance category increased 6.2 percent, controller rose 2.6 percent, and full-charge bookkeepers were paid 1.2 percent less than last year.
The survey reported that salaries in the Information Technology area rose significantly this year. A salary for a systems analyst rose 8.5 percent and computer operator was up 9.8 percent. Information systems manager salary decreased by 1.9 percent.
    In the Technical category, electronic test technicians average salary showed an increase of 3.6 percent along with a rise in salaries for field service technician, which was up 3.1 percent. The annual salary for a technical writer was down 3.4 percent.
    An average salary for inventory control clerk in the Industrial category increased 8.8 percent, and a salary for a shipping/receiving clerk was up 3.7 percent. Forklift operator decreased by 4.5 percent.
For positions in the Production category, quality control inspector and electronic assembler showed average increases of 3.2 and .24 percent, respectively. The general production position reported a salary decrease of 4.1 percent.
    Svet said the 1997 survey also reveals that the majority of positions showed wide gaps in minimum and maximum salaries, indicating that companies are still willing to pay top dollar for the most qualified person for the job, while others have not yet felt the pressure to increase wages brought by low unemployment here. Top salaries for Human Resources ranged from $72,132 to $105,609 for vice president of human resources and $50,904 to $68,897 for director of human resources. The range for a human resources assistant averaged $23,393 to $31,610.
    In the Secretarial/Office Support category, the salary for an executive secretary/assistant ranged from $27,693 to $38,781. An administrative assistant salary averaged $23,138 to $32,633.
The chief financial officer in the Accounting/Finance area showed an annual salary ranging from $96,659 to $123,979, a financial analyst salary averaged $39,706 to $57,072, and a general accountant was paid an average of $28,779 to $40,469.
    In the high-flying Information Technology sector, a systems analyst salary averaged $38,980 to $56,932 per year, a salary for an information systems manager ranged from $47,964 to $63,530, and a computer operator earned from $22,959 to $34, 834 annually.
    Salaries in the Technical area ranged from $28,311 to $41,928 for a purchasing agent, $23,288 to $40,690 for a field service technician, and $30,261 to $44,010 for a computer drafter. Production and Industrial salaries were competitive, with a quality control manager earning an average of $38,497 to $51,975 per year, a machine operator made between $14,881 to $24,151, and a warehouse manager earned an average annual salary of $31,419 to $41,136.
    Svet noted several significant trends that indicate a continued positive outlook for San Diego’s economy, job market and wages:

• As companies expand and unemployment here continues to decrease, local employers will become hard-pressed to pay qualified workers top dollars for their skills and talent. As indicated by the wide minimum and maximum salary ranges in our survey, area companies are realizing the need to pay higher salaries to attract talented workers. Other companies haven't felt the effects of the reduced unemployment rate and will need to increase salaries to attract qualified employees.
• San Diego’s burgeoning high-tech arena will continue to diversify with a mix of new, technology-driven industries, as indicated by the staggering number of 88,000 people employed in this sector at the end of 1996. Forecasters predict that high-tech employment here will double in five years to more than 170,000 as this area continues to help replace jobs lost to defense and aerospace downsizing. To meet current and future demand, San Diego employers will continue to lure workers with increased salaries and top-of-the-line benefits packages.
• Due to a shortage of lower-level workers, wages will continue their dramatic rise in the light industrial and production areas. Companies will have to continually find creative ways to recruit and retain these sought-after employees, including spending more money on advertising, providing adequate job training, and offering family perks, incentive bonuses and continuing education opportunities.
  To obtain a copy of The Eastridge Group's 1997 San Diego Salary Survey, call (619) 260-2158.

  ***

    HHRC, an employee and management service, has moved to new offices in Kearny Mesa. Its address is 9370 Sky Park Court, Suite 140.

***

    Applied Micro Circuits Corp. reports sales of $17.1 million for its first fiscal quarter ending June 30, an increase of 23 percent from the first quarter of the previous fiscal year, when sales were $13.8 million. Profit quarter was $3.1 million, compared with $1.2 million in the previous year.
    "I am pleased that we have achieved this level of profitability and revenue growth," says Dave Rickey, president and chief executive officer, AMCC. "Our book-to-bill ratio continues to be above 1:1. We continue to experience strong demand for our networking and PCI standard products, and are increasing our R&D expenditures to keep pace with the opportunities we see in these markets."
AMCC develops, manufactures and markets high-speed, high- reliability system interface products for data communications, telecommunications and PCI-based computer applications.

***

    Land-5 Corp., a leading provider of data management solutions for LAN and WAN enterprise environments, has been awarded $4.5 million venture capital from an international investment bank. The funds will be used to grow the company’s employee base, finance new product development and launch a comprehensive sales and marketing campaign.
    "With our expanded resources, Land-5 can effectively transition from a research and development company to a full-scale manufacturing, sales and marketing organization," says Kris Land, president of Land-5. "Over the next year, we will concentrate our efforts on building our corporate identity and product awareness, expanding our sales channel and developing our next generation of products."
    Land, a 20-year veteran of the computer industry, has an established reputation for leading organizations that develop innovative technologies and introduce them to worldwide markets. Land-5's new strategic direction will focus on providing data management solutions for mission-critical networking applications in the banking and government industries. Immediate plans include launching a national advertising campaign, implementing a comprehensive public relations program and exhibiting at several major trade shows. The company is also expanding its manufacturing resources to meet demand for its products.
    Over the past three years, Land-5 has expanded its employee base by 400 percent and now employs 36 professionals. The company plans to hire an additional 35 by the end of 1997.

***

    Enova Corp. is reporting unaudited second-quarter earnings of $56.4 million, or 50 cents per share, a 19.1-percent increase, compared to $47.4 million, or 41 cents per share, in the second quarter of 1996. Because of previously announced changes in California's electric industry, the quarterly earnings of SDG&E, Enova Corp.'s principal subsidiary, are seeing more seasonal variability than was the case prior to 1997. The result is that earnings will be generally higher during warmer months when more energy is sold and lower during cooler months. In addition, seasonal fluctuations in fuel costs also affect quarterly earnings.
    Stronger sales in the second quarter were the reason for the increase in earnings, says David Kuzma, senior vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer of Enova Corporation. Before 1997, regulatory accounting procedures smoothed out earnings fluctuations; these fluctuations are expected to balance out by the end of the year, even though quarterly variations are significant, Kuzma said.
If earnings were calculated as they were in the past, the second-quarter earnings per share for 1997 would have been 41 cents, equal to second quarter 1996.
    Consolidated operating revenues for the second quarter were $501.5 million, compared to last year’s $471.0 million, representing a 6.5-percent increase. For the 12 months ended June 30, 1997, consolidated operating revenues were $2.07 billion, a 9.6-percent increase. Consolidated operating expenses for the second quarter were $416.2 million, compared to $396.4 million, representing a 5.0-percent increase. For the 12 months ended June 30, 1997, consolidated operating expenses were $1.7 billion, a 12.9-percent increase.
    Last October, Enova Corp. and Pacific Enterprises jointly announced an agreement to combine their companies. Pacific Enterprises is the parent company of Southern California Gas Company, the largest natural gas distribution company in the United States. On June 25, 1997, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission conditionally approved the merger. The California Public Utilities Commission is expected to rule on the merger in March 1998.

***

    The Thomas C. Ackerman Foundation has moved. All grant requests and inquiries should be directed to its new offices at 600 West Broadway, Suite 2600, San Diego, 92101.

***

    Bob Baker Auto Group has received the second annual Sid & Jenny Craig Award for its renewed commitment to the United Way/Chad campaign. By raising $25,000, the auto group conducted the most successful employ campaign of any of San Diego’s auto dealers, says Sid Craid.

***

    The dirt for the Arizona Diamondbacks , a new Major League Baseball team set to begin play next year, is bing provided by San Diego’s A-1 Soils . The firm's dirt is widely spread. Users include Qualcomm Stadium and those used by the Angels, Dodgers and Giants. Local schools are also big users.

***

    A La Jolla home buyer is the 15 millionth new homeowner to get a welcoming packet from Getting To Know You. To celebrate the milestone, the winners, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Dexter, get a lunch in their honor Aug. 14 at the Avanti Restaurant and a check for $1,000.
    Getting To Know You has been in business 35 years and is sending these days welcoming packets each year to about a million new home owners in North America. The company says 31,000 new home owners moved to San Diego in 1996, giving the county the eighth highest move-in rate in the nation.

***

July 28, 1997

    GERS Retail Systems sponsors its 14th annual international user conference starting Aug. 6 at the Harbor Island Sheraton. The conference, Retail World `97 - Breaking All Barriers, will offer retailers information on the latest technology available today.
Organizers expect more than 750 attendees from all over the world. Included in this list are GERS Retail Systems clients, prospects, consultants, industry media and strategic business partners. "Retail World `97 will be invaluable to those who attend. The focus is helping our clients gain a vision of what business can be like when they properly utilize the tools available to them," says GERS Vice President Dennis Conforto.
    The four-day event includes round-table discussions, mini-training sessions, user panels and educational sessions designed to appeal to corporate executives and systems professions alike. More than 60 breakout sessions are scheduled throughout the conference to address the unique needs of the consumer electronics, general retail and home furnishings markets.
New this year is a special executive track tailored specifically to CEOs, presidents and owners of retail organizations. One class, "The CEO Industry Challenge," is being sponsored by BDO Seidman LLP. Roundtable sessions will focus on pinpointing issues that are pertinent to the retail industry. Attendees will participate in discussion groups to target the important issues and address what GERS and the industry can do to resolve those issues.
    Speakers at the event are some of the best in their fields. Morning keynote addresses will be given by retail expert Sam Geist and renowned motivational speaker Mary-Ellen Drummond. Special afternoon session speakers include Mark Rosenberger and Britt Beemer.

***

    A Lockheed Martin Atlas IIAS rocket, designated AC-133 and partially built in San Diego, successfully launched Superbird-C, a Japanese communications satellite, into supersynchronous transfer orbit yesterday night from Complex 36B at Cape Canaveral Air Station, Fla. It was the 31st consecutive successful Atlas flight from CCAS.
    AC-133 was the fourth Atlas launch of 1997, which is the 40th anniversary year of the venerable booster. First flight took place June 11, 1957, followed by two more flights that year.
    "Forty years ago the first Atlas boosters soared into the sky over Cape Canaveral," says Michael R. Wash, president-Atlas Division, ILS. "The Atlas used to launch tonight's mission does not bear much resemblance to the Atlas of 1957, but the successful evolution of the vehicle over its four decades of service has brought us to where we are today — providing consistent mission success for valued customers like Space Communications Corporation."
    The Atlas IIAS used for the Superbird-C mission is the most powerful of the Atlas configurations presently launching payloads for commercial, military and government customers. Its liftoff performance is increased through the use of four strap-on solid rocket boosters. AC-133 launched the 3,130-kg (6,902-1b) Superbird-C into a supersynchronous transfer orbit. Over the next several days, the spacecraft's on-board propulsion system will perform maneuvers designed to inject it into its final geostationary orbit at 144 degrees East longitude.
    Atlas launched Superbird-C for Space Communications Corp. of Japan, which already operates Superbird A and B in providing broadcast and business communications services to its customers in Japan and the Asia region.

***

    Dura Pharmaceuticals Inc. announces the public offering of $250 million principal amount of convertible subordinated notes due 2002. The notes are convertible into Dura common stock at a price of $50.635 per share and bear interest at an annual rate of 3.5 percent. The notes may be redeemed by Dura beginning July 15, 2000.
    Merill Lynch & Co. and Goldman, Sachs & Co. are the underwriters for the offering. The company has granted the underwriters a 30-day over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional $37.5 million principal amount of notes from the Dura.
    Dura develops and markets prescription pharmaceutical products for the treatment of allergies, asthma and related respiratory conditions. Dura's mission is to be the leading niche pharmaceutical company in the high-growth U.S. respiratory market. It pursuing that goal through two major strategies: (1) acquiring late-stage or approved prescription pharmaceuticals and/or businesses targeted at high-prescribing respiratory physicians and (2) developing Spiros, a proprietary dry powder pulmonary drug delivery system.

***

July 25, 1997

    The University of San Diego’s Index of Leading Economic Indicators for San Diego County rose O.3 percent in May. Five of the components — building permits, initial claims for unemployment insurance, tourism, help wanted advertising, and the outlook for the national economy — were up moderately during the month. The only negative component was local stock prices, which dropped for the second consecutive month.
    With May's gain, the Index has now increased for 26 months in a row, and there are no signs that a downturn in the Index is imminent. While there were no large swings in either direction, the gains were reasonably solid. The move continues to be broad-based, with most of the components on the upside. These two facts make it unlikely that the Index will reverse course in the near future. Thus, the short-term outlook for the San Diego economy remains positive.
The positive forecasts of previous Indicators are now being reflected in local economic data. The labor market is strong, with the unemployment rate reaching a near-term low of 4.2 percent in May. This is more than a full percentage point below the rate for the same period in 1996, and it is significantly below both the state and national rates. One contributor to the healthy labor market is construction, where employment has risen by more than 10 percent this year. The outlook for construction is beginning to improve substantially. Building permits are running 10 percent ahead of the level that was previously forecast, and residential units authorized may hit the 8,500 level this year. While this is considerably below the levels achieved during the boom construction years, it is a marked improvement over the depressed levels seen in recent years.
    May's increase puts the Index of Leading Economic Indicators for San Diego County at 134.6, up from April's reading of 134.2. There was no revision of the previously reported change of +0.3 percent for the Index for April.

***

    MetraHealth Care Plan and United HealthCare of California both have received approval from the State of California Department of Corporations to offer their HMOs in San Diego. Both companies have been in the San Diego market through insurance companies, offering point-of-service and preferred provider organization (PPO) products since 1987.

***

    The Townsend Agency, a full-service marketing firm, has moved into new, larger headquarters at 3655 Nobel Drive, Suite 470, in the heart of San Diego’s high-tech and biotech community. The 6,300-square-foot space houses a growing employee base of more than 20 full-time marketing professionals who service the agency's rapidly expanding client roster. "Our clients' successes in the international marketplace have fueled the growth of our firm," says agency president and CEO Jacqueline Townsend Konstanturos. "Our expansion into a larger office space reflects the strength of our client partnerships, and we thank our clients for their continued support." The agency is hosts an open house Aug. 13, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the new location.

***

July 24, 1997

    Bank of Commerce has again been awarded the top "Green — Three Stars" rating from Veribanc Inc., one of the nation's leading independent banking industry research and rating firms. The rating is the highest Veribanc awards.

***

    Stoorza, Ziegaus & Metzger Inc. has been selected to join Pinnacle Worldwide, a global network of independent public relations firms. Stoorza was the only Southern California company selected.

***

    Sister Cities International has awarded San Diego the "Special Achievement in Education" award for San Diego’s sister city program with Vladivostok, Russia.

***

    Grubb & Ellis Commercial Real Estate has expanded its presence in North County with the opening of a new office with freeway visibility at 5152 Avenida Encinas in Carlsbad. "Our next step is to double the sales staff and increase administrative support at the Carlsbad office within 60 days, says Curt Stephenson, senior v.p. and county district manager.

***

July 23, 1997

    Qualcomm Inc. reports revenues of $520 million for the third quarter of fiscal year 1997, more than double the revenues of $235 million reported in the third fiscal quarter of 1996. For the nine months ended June 29, 1997, revenues increased to nearly $1.5 billion, compared to $531 million for the same period in fiscal 1996.
    Third quarter 1997 earnings per share of 49 cents and the earnings for the nine months ended June 29, 1997 of 85 cents per share reflect a significant increase over the earnings reported for the same periods in fiscal 1996, 2 cents per share and 19 cents per share, respectively. Third quarter 1997 earnings were favorably impacted by the sale of trading securities and the recognition of the entire deferred tax asset. Together these items contributed approximately 14 cents to earnings per share.
    "Qualcomm's strong performance reflects the growing acceptance of our CDMA technology and products worldwide," says Irwin Jacobs, chairman and CEO. "We have quickly become a leading CDMA handset supplier and are now introducing two families of third generation phones in time for the 1997 holiday selling season. We are completing delivery of infrastructure products which support Sprint's now nationwide commercial CDMA network, and we are moving from development to production of our Globalstar products. We are the leading supplier of CDMA ASICs and other technical services to both our infrastructure and subscriber equipment licensees. To sustain long-term growth and profitability, we will continue to invest heavily in innovative new products and technology enhancements to further build CDMA market share and support Qualcomm's leadership position."
    Compared to the prior fiscal year, third quarter 1997 earnings from operations benefited from several factors, including strong Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) sales; higher license, development and royalty revenues; increased sales of CDMA handsets; and companywide efforts to reduce costs and improve margins.
    Third quarter revenue declined by $66 million from second quarter revenue of $586 million. This decline was primarily driven by two factors. First, handset revenue decreased due to off-peak summer demand and the transition to new phone models. Secondly, cumulative infrastructure revenues were recognized for the Sprint PCS contract during the second quarter of 1997. Communications systems gross margins improved to 25 percent in the current quarter, compared to 18 percent for the second quarter of this year. This increase was driven by higher ASICs sales and improved handset margins.

***

    HNC Software Inc. says John Mutch is joining the company as vice president of corporate marketing to direct worldwide strategic marketing activities for HNC and its subsidiaries, Aptex Software Inc., Retek Information Systems and Risk Data Corp .
    Mutch comes to HNC Software with more than 15 years of experience in marketing, business development, sales and financial analysis, including eight years at Microsoft Corp., where his last title was director of organization marketing.
    Most recently, Mutch was founder and chief executive officer of MVenture Holdings Inc., a private equity partnership focused on the technology industries.

***

    Aurora Electronics has named John F. Thompson as president and COO and F. Wayne Withers as senior vice president and CFO. Both will be based in Aurora's San Diego headquarters,     reporting to chairman and CEO Jim C. Cowart.
Prior to joining Aurora, Thompson, 52, held the position of senior vice president worldwide operations for El Segundo-based Merisel Inc., a major distributor of computer accessories, software and peripherals with revenues exceeding $6 billion.
    Thompson was a key member of Merisel's senior management, from 1983 to 1996 and is primarily credited with managing that company’s growth. When he joined Merisel, it was a two-year-old software distribution company with $31 million in annual revenues. While at Merisel, Thompson successfully integrated Merisel's international acquisitions and helped the distributor diversify its product lines.
Withers, 62, a CPA, comes to Aurora with extensive hands-on experience in all facets of financial management, with several prominent public companies. Prior to joining Aurora, he held the position of vice president and CFO for PrimeSource Inc., one of the nation's largest independent wholesale distributors of building products.
    Withers has also served as an outside director of Winchell Donut House L.P., a publicly owned affiliate of Denny's Inc., where earlier in his career he served as CFO. He also has held the positions of CFO and later chairman and CEO of Naugles Inc.; executive vice president and CFO for Sav-on Drugs Inc.; and senior vice president (CFO) for Motown Record Corp. He began his career as a CPA and management consultant with Arthur Young& Co., now Ernst & Young.
    As CFO, Withers replaces John Grazer , 43, who left the firm last month to accept a position with Ameriquest Capital Corp .

***

    \pard Idec Pharmaceuticals Corp . says the company has completed its acquisition of worldwide rights to 9-aminocamptothecin (9-AC) from Pharmacia & Upjohn. Finalization of the licensing agreement, announced in February 1997, was subject to approval of the Federal Trade Commission as part of a consent decree issued by that agency regarding the merger of Pharmacia AB with The Upjohn Co. FTC approved the transaction and the formal asset transfer agreements are now effective. IDEC now holds exclusive rights to all licenses and technology related to 9-AC and is proceeding with clinical development of the compound.
    In preclinical and Phase I/II clinical studies conducted by Pharmacia & Upjohn and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), 9-AC has shown broad spectrum activity against a variety of solid tumors.

***

    Long-time Price Co. and then Price Enterprises executive Daniel Carter is joining book distributer Advanced Marketing Services Inc., a company that grew with the Price Clubs, providing it and other retail membership stores with millions of copies of best-selling books. At AMS, Carter is taking the position of executive vice president and CFO. Carter, 41, starts work Sept. 2, 1997. He succeeds Jon Fish, who resigned effective June 30 to pursue other interests.
    "We are very pleased to welcome Dan Carter to Advanced Marketing Services," says Michael M. Nicita, president and CEO. "With a career in financial planning and management that spans close to 20 years, Dan is an excellent addition to our management team. We are confident that his recent experience in the warehouse club industry, particularly with new merchandising concepts, international expansion, and joint ventures, will help our ongoing efforts to grow our company."
    Carter, a CPA, spent the last three years as the CFO for Price Enterprises Inc., a diversified company which owns a $375 million real estate portfolio and operates several domestic and international merchandising businesses. Since joining Price Co. in 1986, Carter held a variety of financial executive positions for this membership warehouse club operator, and served as a senior vice president of PriceCostco prior to the spin-off of Price Enterprises in 1994.

***

July 22, 1997

    The California Association of Mortgage Brokers holds its annual Convention & Exposition tomorrow through Friday at the Hyatt Regency San Diego. Among this year’s slate of speakers are John Wooden, the legendary retired college basketball coach; Jimmy Johnson, a Hall of Fame professional football player; James Antt Jr, commissioner of the California Department of Real Estate; Tom Layman, chief economist for Visa USA and Angelo Mozillo, CEO or Countrywide.

***

    The second woman to head a U.S. command naval base, Rear Adm. Veronica "Ronne" Froman, speaks tomorrow, noon, at a special Woman's forum sponsored by the San Diego Chamber of Commerce. The luncheon is at the Doubletree Hotel in Mission Valley.

***

    "Taking Your Company Public: Why, When and How" will be the topic of the next San Diego Venture Group meeting, July 30, 7:30 a.m., at the La Jolla Marriott Hotel. The panel will include Randall Smith, the moderator and a CPA; Michael Johnston, a member of the private client department at Montgomery Securities; Lee Stein, CEO of First Virtual Holdings which went public in December; Jack Morris, managing director of investment banking at Sutro & Co.; and Charles Duddles, executive vice president and CFO for Foodmaker Inc. The cost for non-members is $40. Call Erin Hall at (619) 539-0030 for information.

***

July 21, 1997

    The usual "June Gloom" cast a pall over the real estate market last month, with sales down 4.9 percent compared to May and the average sales price for detached homes decreasing from $245,549 to $241,661, a 1.5 percent decline.
    Better, and more important, reports the San Diego Association of Realtors, year-to-date sales prices are up 5.7 percent from 1996. And in June, the average sales price was up 5.3 percent from June 1996.
    In the first half of 1997, the average sales price for a residential detached home was $236,455, up 7 percent from the $220,993 posed in the first six months of 1996.
    The average sales price for attached homes in June was $148,893, compared to $140,348 a year earlier. The number of active listings in June was down 1.3 percent to 16,445, squeezing the market a bit and helping get prices up.

***

    Detroit Symphony broadcasts will be heard exclusively on X-BACH, stereo AM-540, starting Sept. 29. The music will air Mondays from 10 p.m. to midnight. X-BACH also can be heard on Cox Communications ' Cable FM at 92.3 and Southwestern Cable's Music Choice, Channel 53.

***

    The San Diego Taxpayers Association presents today its recommendations for expanding and improving the county's welfare reform proposal. The association delivers its information during a 10:30 a.m. press conference at its Downtown offices, 1010 Second Ave., Suite 100B. Making the presentation will be Jack Monger, Doug Perkins, James Hall and Manny Puentes.

***

    Carol Lebeau, news anchor for 10 News, speaks Aug. 21 at the Friends of Downtown monthly meeting. The program starts at 11:30 a.m. at Luigi's in Seaport Village. Cost is $15 for members, $18 for others. Call 491-4161 for reservations.

***

    The San Diego chapter of the American Society of Interior Designer's spotlights a series of creative, original and functional residential kitchens during its sixth annual Kitchen and Bath tour set for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 18. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 event day. Call 571-7007 for more.

***

July 18, 1997

    Graphite Design Inc., a Japanese-based manufacturer of graphic golf shafts, is expanding in Otay Mesa, reports the Economic Development Corp. The company is constructing a 50,000-square-foot building and will hire 140 new people. EDC officials provided Graphite Design with information on state tax credits and made introductions to SDG&E and regional permitting agencies such as the Air Pollution Control District.

***

    To market San Diego in Hong Kong, the Unified Port District has agreed to spend $75,000 on a one-year effort to open an office in the Asian city, with the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau and World Trade Center of San Diego contributing an additional $25,000 each to partner on the project. Neil Whiteley-Ross, at (619) 234-8484, has more information.

***

    Agouron Pharmaceuticals Inc. says it and Japan Tobacco Inc. have granted F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd. exclusive rights to market the anti-HIV drug Viracept in several Asian territories. Roche is paying $6 million, plus royalties, for the exclusive to market the drug in countries that include China, India, Turkey, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

***

    Tourism in San Diego continues to rock. In May, hotel occupancy hit 70.5 percent, a 4.8 percent gain over May 1996, reports ConVis. Mission Valley especially felt the good news, with occupancy rising 12.5 percent to 72.8 percent. Hotel guests countywide paid an average of $86.66 a night for the privilege, an 8.4 percent increase.
    The 1.17 million visitors who came to San Diego in May spent $344.8 million, a 9.4 percent increase from a year ago.

***

July 17, 1997

    Having appreciated 55 percent since it was bought in December 1995, Foremost Business Park, located at 8515-8545 Arjons Drive, has sold for $6.89 million. The buyer is Foremost Properties, c/o MF Diessner & Co. The seller is Foremost Business Park Partners, c/o Haidinger Properties.
    The multi-tenant park includes 114,920 square feet of industrial space. The buyer was represented by Andy Meyer and Brad Tecca of Business Real Estate; the seller by Chris Loughridge of Voit Commercial Brokerage.
    Voit’s Loughridge represented Foremost Business Park Partners in December 1995 when it purchased the park for $38.72 a square foot. The sales price of $60 per square foot represented a 55 percent gain.

***

    California Western School of Law grads ranked third in the state, following UCLA and Stanford, for all takers of the 1997 bar exam, the school reports.
    In San Diego, California Western ranked first,with an overall pass rate for all takers of 70.1 percent. The University of San Diego ranked 10th, with a 61.6 pass rate, while Thomas Jefferson School of Law ranked 16th with a 54.9 percent pass rate.
    For first-time takers of the bar, California Western ranked fifth, with 76.1 percent passing. USD ranked ninth with a 73.7 percent pass rate while Thomas Jefferson was 14th with a 60.7 percent rate.

***

    As the media world turns, Mario Aguilera, the crack business reporter who left the Daily Transcript in December 1995 to join the North County Times , is leaving newspapering. He's joining the talented Warren Frolich at UCSD, to, among other things, participate in producing the wonderful UCSD Perspectives and Scripp's Explorations magazines. Replacing Aguilera will be Brad Fikes, who left the Transcript last year for a position with a San Francisco-based computer magazine.

***

    The San Diego Museum of Art has acquired seven important works of art through a bequest from Helen and Jack Malugen. The collection consists of Pablo Picasso's Tête de femme (1962), Marc Chagall's Acrobate au bouquet vert (1953), Friedensrich Hundertwasser's Rain Castle, Motuarohia Island (1975), Jean Lurcat's Paysage á Smyrne (1926), Maurice de Vlaminck's Scene de Village (c.1930-35), and two by Raoul Dufy, London, The Thames (1929) and Saumur (1937).

***

July 16, 1997

   Leon Natker, general director of San Diego Comic Opera, is off to Europe to spend the summer on the faculty of the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. He joins a faculty that includes San Diego Opera Maestro Eduordo Mueller and Metropolitan Opera Stage Director Bodo. Natker attended the institute in 1980 as a student.

***

   N.N. Jaeschke Inc., a local property management firm with a quarter century of experience, has won the management contract for Western Pacific Housing's "Tramonto," a neighborhood of 131 detached condominiums in Carlsbad. Jaeschke handles more than 155 condominiums and single-family homeowner associations. Elsewhere on the property management front, Jupiter Western National has taken over running the 923-unit Villas of Renaissance rental project in UTC.

***

   For the fourth consecutive year, the National Basketball Association and Nike are bringing the Hoop-It-Up 3-on-3 basketball tour to San Diego. This year’s tournament runs Oct. 4-5, taking place at the County Administration Center's parking lot. One of 44 stops in the U.S., it is expected to draw more than 2,000 players and nearly 10,000 spectators. For information, call 285-3901.

***

   Campanella Attorney Services Inc. and Rush Legal Services Inc. have merged to form XL Professional Services Inc., a litigation support and records management company. Combined, the companies project by the end of 1988 to have a client roster of 300 and sales in excess of $1 million. XL will take over the existing 1,350-square-foot Rush Legal offices at 2560 First Ave. Robert Kocis, former owner of Rush, will serve as CFO while Steve and Monica Campanella, who founded Campanella in 1988, will take the titles of COO and CEO, respectively.

***

   TV/COM International Inc., a subsidiary of Hyundai Electronics and a world leader in supplying open architecture delivery solutions for cable, satellite, PC and terrestrial television networks, is spinning off the company’s Analog Business Group to form Aegis Integration Inc. The move allows TV/COM to focus its product development, manufacturing and sales of end-to-end digital compression systems for cable, satellite, PC and telecommunications customers worldwide.
"During the past year, we have been preparing for the aggressive deployment of digital cable and satellite receivers and systems, positioning ourselves as a full standards-based end-to-end system provider," says Bob Luff, president and CEO. "The spin-off supports and better positions the company for future digital convergence opportunities such as the emerging PC and interactive markets."
TV/COM will continue to operate as a subsidiary of Hyundai Electronics at its existing headquarters in San Diego. Aegis Integration will service and support its customers at its new headquarters in San Diego.

***

   Maxwell Technologies Inc. says that Traffic Station, a joint venture of Maxwell Information Systems Inc., Alpha Base Interactive Inc., and Diablo Production Studio LLC, will be a premier Active Channel partner for Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0, providing personalized traffic information. The service will debut in the Los Angeles area and expand nationwide over the next year. Traffic Station services will be offered in addition to other traffic reporting services established by Maxwell. Revenues will be generated through a combination of advertising sponsorship and user subscription fees.
   "We look forward to working with Microsoft as an Active Channel partner of Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0," says Ken Potashner, chairman and CEO of Maxwell. "Traffic Station represents leadership technology in this domain and will add significant value to users of Microsoft Internet Explorer."
   Internet users will be able to select Personal Traffic Advisor from a list of available channels located within the Internet Explorer 4.0's Channel Guide icon located on the desktop. This icon location provides the potential for Traffic Station to be a heavily accessed Web site. Future enhancements to be included in the service are alternative route planning via e-mail, access to a ride sharing database, and an automated tele-warning system which will contact users to inform them of any long-term traffic conditions on their specific routes.

***

   XXsys Technologies Inc. says it has acquired the exclusive license from the UCSD to commercialize a proprietary composite strengthening system called RetroSafe to repair and retrofit masonry or concrete walls and slabs.
   A durable, versatile composite sheet, RetroSafe is applied like wallpaper to masonry or concrete flatsurfaced structures to help prevent their collapse due to earthquakes or severe corrosion. Customized to fit a wide range of walls, beams and slabs, RetroSafe can increase shear or flexural strength and ductility; repair damage and defects; control crack propagation; and increase load-carrying capacity. RetroSafe can add strength, stiffness or ductility to the structure at a fraction of the weight compared to traditional methods. This is desirable because it does not burden the foundations of the existing buildings with the added weight of the retrofit. Equally important, it can be applied quickly and with minimum disruption to the structure and its business operations.
   The technology was invented by Dr. Gilbert Hegemier and Dr. Frieder Seible, engineering professors at UCSD, and was validated through extensive full-scale wall and building tests at UCSD's Powell Structural Research Laboratories. The technology is the subject of a pending patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
   RetroSafe allows XXsys to expand into other retrofitting markets. In addition to columnar structures, it can now retrofit flat masonry and concrete surfaces with new composite wallpaper technology for use in buildings, beams and bridge decks.
   "This technology offers us tremendous opportunities to capture new, untapped markets for seismic retrofit and corrosion rehabilitation, and extends our leadership in commercializing composite solutions for infrastructure renewal in both public and private sectors," says Dr. Gloria Ma, XXsys' Chairman and CEO.

***

July 15, 1997

    The University Town Center shopping center embarks this month on a three-phase, $12-million renovation that includes a complete remodel, remerchandising and additional landscaping and customer amenities. During the first phase, the food pavilion will be connected to a new patio and be renamed "The Marketplace." An enlarged seating area will be covered by a canopy of 10 large Canary Island date palms. A 57-foot-tall tower will be added to serve as the center's most visible spire.
Lee Wagman, president of TrizecHahn Centers, the San Diego-based company that owns UTC, says he is pleased with the center's current performance and expects even better in the future.
"UTC is one of our most successful centers and ranks among the sales leaders in the TrizecHahn portfolio year after year," Wagman says. "In 1996, sales for the one-million-square-foot center were more than $372 per square foot, well above the national industry average of $290. We will increase our sales performance through this remodel and remerchandising of UTC and add greater value to our customer's shopping experience."

***

    Karen Keltner, San Diego Opera associate conductor and musical administrator, enjoys a welcome change of pace this month as she conducts a revision/revival of a Frank Loesser musical, "Greenwillow," at the Utah Festival Opera.

    Keltner conducted San Diego Opera's performances of "The Italian Girl in Algiers" and the world premiere of Myron Fink's "The Conquistador" in the 1997 season, and will return to the podium for "The Barber of Seville" and "Salome" in 1998.

***

    Demand for office space in San Diego County is causing vacancy rates to drop, setting the stage for significant rent hikes over the next 18 months, says a market report authored by John Burnham & Company ONCOR International .
    During the first half of 1997, the office vacancy rate fell two points to 11.8 percent, the lowest rate in more than 16 years. Nearly all the region's office markets report vacancy rates in the single-digit range with the exception of Downtown, where vacancy stands at 19.8 percent.
The limited supply already has resulted in tenants locking in leases, and rents have escalated by as much as 10 to 15 percent in some areas over the last six months. With no significant new construction on the horizon, the report notes, rental rates are expected to continue to rise over the next 18 to 24 months.

***

    A free workshop for San Diego County teachers July 26 will cover "The Science of "Packaging: Beyond Store Shelves and Landfills." From 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Manchester Conference Center, USD, teachers will learn about "precycling," "source reduction," and the scientific, social and environmental aspects of packaging.
    Participating will be Dr. Robert Testin, packaging expert, and Dr.William Rathje, the country's foremost "garbologist." Sponsors are the nonprofit Washington, DC, based Flexible Packaging Assn., the County of San Diego Solid Waste Services and I Love a Clean San Diego County.
    To register, call 1-800-331-5652.

***

    Grossmont Bank is observing the relocation of its main downtown office to 525 B St. with a week long grand opening celebration July 21 to 25. Refreshments will be served daily, and prizes will be awarded in regular drawings.
    Special offers will be introduced for new business and personal accounts. Another new Downtown office is in the Emerald Plaza office tower. When a planned La Jolla office opens, Grossmont Bank will have 14 San Diego County locations. San Diego’s oldest and largest locally-owned bank was recently purchased by Zions Bancorporation of Salt Lake City.

***

Monday, July 14


    Ten San Diego branches of Regency Savings Bank are opening this morning as San Diego National Bank branches. SDNB got approval for the Regency purchase Friday from the Office of the Comptroller of Currency. The move makes San Diego National now the largest community bank headquartered in San Diego, with assets of about $930 million and loans in excess of $600 million. Also, the banks lending limit for business customers now increases from $2 million to more than $25 million.
    Regency branches opening for business as San Diego National Bank today in Chula Vista, Escondido, Fletcher Hills, La Jolla, North Park, Rancho Bernardo, San Marcos, Mission Valley, on Clairemont Boulevard and at Federal Boulevard and Euclid Street.
"Our goal has been to make the transition from two banks to one entity as smooth as possible for our customers," says Murray Galinson, CEO of the SDNB and chairman of the bank's board. "When we open the doors, we want to be sure our customers are informed, comfortable and happy."


    Bob Rast, an executive in the Satellite Data Networks Group at General Instruments (which starting July 28 becomes NextLevel Systems), is the proud owner of an Emmy. Rast received the award as a member of the Grand Alliance, a consortium of seven companies that pioneered the digital high definition television that should be coming over the airwaves next year. The Primetime Engineering Award was handed out by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Rast's exploits in leading the shaky Grand Alliance toward government approval of a digital HDTV standard was recounted in the May issue of San Diego Metropolitan .

***

    The Financial Advisors Club presents Ginita Wall, a nationally recognized authority on women in financial transition, at its next meeting, July 22, 1 p.m., at the La Jolla Marriott in the Orchid Room. The cost is $20 for members, $25 for others. Call Lilly Weeda (740-1043) for reservations.

***

    RSVP Publications reports that in a survey of 100,000 affluent households, in which more than 1,000 responded, George's At The Cove emerged as San Diego’s best restaurant.

***

    The 224-unit Bluffs II apartments in Mission Valley at 6466-6496 Friars Road have sold for $10.66 million. The buyer is Essex Portfolio L.P. in a joint venture with R&V Management. The buyer assumed a World Savings loan with an outstanding balance of $4 million. Some of the sellers exchanged their cash proceeds for operating units of the buyer, a publicly traded real estate investment trust.
    The seller is Lincoln-The Bluffs II Associates , care of Joel Landay of Santa Monica. Justin Smith, Dick Schneider and Kevin Mulhern of CB Commercial represented both sides in the deal.

***

    San Diego’s newest full-service staffing firm is Peak Performers, opened by owner Bonnie Apple at 6755 Mira Mesa Blvd., Suite 220-B. Apple is an 11-year veteran of the industry. She’ll focus on staffing opportunities in light industrial, clerical, technical and data entry.

***

    Former newspaperman Mike Krenn, now in the employ of the San Diego office of Cooley Godward Castro Huddleson & Tatum, is off vacationing in Yosemite. But it’s doubtful he’ll be duplicating his last experience. In that spring of 1996 trip, after driving all night, Krenn and girlfriend, Shelly Burnside, arrived to find the park being closed due to flooding. Undeterred, they parked the car at the Wawona Hotel, stuffed their clothes, personal items and a bottle of champagne into daypacks, and set off on an 18 mile hike down the park's asphalt highway, one time passing through a long tunnel on their way to Yosemite Lodge. About halfway down, after having hidden earlier from rangers but now wishing one would drive by and offer a lift, Krenn found a pay phone along the roadway and called the Lodge, telling the front desk to hold the reservation. Near the end of the trek, they were passed by a stream of cars being escorted out of the park. Overall, the experience was glorious. "We could hardly move the next day," Krenn says. The park, however, was "immaculate." "There were maybe 300 to 400 people, including employees," he says. "The weather was in the 70s. We hiked up to Glacier Point and saw no one. We had Glacier Point to ourselves, which was great. We flew the balsa wood planes that I always bring when I go to Yosemite."

***

July 11, 1997

    The "Call For Entries" is underway for the San Diego Building Owners and Managers Association's 1997-98 Office Building of the Year (TOBY) competition, says David Pino, president of BOMA/San Diego.
    In addition to BOMA/San Diego members, the Ninth Annual Office Building of the Year competition is open to all office buildings in San Diego County. The annual TOBY competition is based upon entry portfolios submitted by each office building. Entries are divided into 10 categories and are judged on the efficiency of operations, community impact, tenant amenities, and a number of other operational and design characteristics. Office building categories include: Less Than 100,000 square feet; 100,000 to 249,999 square feet; 250,000 to 500,000 square feet; Over 500,000 square feet; Historical Building; Rehabilitated/Modernized Building; Suburban Office Park; Medical Office Building; Government Building; and Corporate Facility. The competition judges buildings that have been occupied for at least three years.
    "The Office Building of the Year awards are recognized as the most prestigious and comprehensive program of its kind in commercial real estate, recognizing quality in office buildings and awarding excellence in office building ownership and management," Pino says.
    The deadline to submit entry portfolios is July 29. For those interested in receiving an entry brochure and requirements, should contact BOMA/San Diego at 460-5641.
    Last year’s local TOBY winners were Allied Plaza (100,000-249,999), Wells Fargo Plaza (250,000-500,000 square feet), One America Plaza (Over 500,000 square feet), Union Bank of California Building (Rehabilitated/Modernized), and Carmel Valley Medical Office Building (Medical Office Building).
    BOMA/San Diego will announce Office Building of the Year winners at its Aug. 12 luncheon. Local office buildings which win a TOBY award then advance to the Pacific Southwest regional competition. Regional winners then compete for international honors at BOMA International's Annual Convention June 21-24, 1998 in Philadelphia, PA. This is BOMA International's 13th Annual TOBY Awards competition.

***

    Totaling 7.25 acres, lots 5A, 5B and 5C in the Eastgate Technology Park have sold for $3.03 million to LPL Holdings. The land will be used for a 120,000-square-foot build-to-suit two-building corporate headquarters.
    The seller was the city of San Diego . The Allen Group will develop the site for Linsco Private Ledger, a financial securities and brokerage firm that expects to move in September 1998.
Rick Sparks and Neil Fox of CB Commercial represented the seller while Dave Moreno of Irving Hughes Group represented LPL.

***

    After averaging seven sales a month since it opened in the summer of 1996, McMillin's luxury-class neighborhood of Autumn Ridge in Scripps Ranch is about sold out. Only eight homes remain.
Sandra Perlatti, McMillin senior vice president, says early 1998 was the original target for completing the sale of the $290,900 to $388,900 homes.

***

    Two old Standard Brands Paint stores in San Diego have been sold in the last eight months by the liquidating trust for a combined $1.65 million. The store at 7791 El Cajon Blvd. in La Mesa was the most recent transaction, selling for $775,000 to AutoZone. The Standard Brands on 16th Street Downtown sold in December to Goodwill Industries for $875,000.

***

    Media Dimensions, a San Diego-based advertising and public relations agency, has acquired San Diego-based Chicago Printing. "We wanted to create a strong graphics center in order to better service our clients in today’s fast-paced, quick turn-around marketplace," says Joe Piercey, president.

***

July 10

    Veteran members of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra will announce at an 11 a.m. press conference today the launching of a series of five pop concerts to be performed beginning Aug. 14 at SDSU's Open Air Theatre . The news will be released at the theater.
    The concerts will feature a full complement of 65 symphonic musicians and world-class soloists Gustavo Romero, Calvin Price and Igor Gruppman.
    Leading this effort is GM&M Productions , a collaboration of veteran symphony performers Matthew Garbutt, Mark Bedell and George Johnston.

***

    Rapidly growing Daou Systems Inc. is merging with IntegrexSystems Corp., an Alexandria, Va.-based health care network technology and telecommunications firm.
    Under the terms of the agreement, Daou will issue 700,000 new shares of common stock. The equity value of the acquisition is about $11.4 million, based on the exchange terms and will be accounted for as a pooling of interests. Completion of the merger is anticipated by July 11, after which Integrex will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Daou.
    As a result of the transaction, Daou bolsters its presence in the East, complementing its West Coast headquarters. The company will gain expertise and core competency in voice and video networks, which are proving to be important new technologies for health care organizations. Daou will broaden its line of services to feature a full offering of voice, video and data networking, including network design, implementation, management, and desktop operations. And with Integrex's primarily health care focus, DAOU will strengthen its position in the vertical health care market.
    "We view this as an outstanding opportunity for our clients," says Daniel Daou, president of Daou. "There is significant synergy between the two companies. Our organizations are very much alike in technical expertise, health care market focus, and core services. However, we’re also different in that Daou provides primarily data networks, while Integrex specializes in voice and video networks. We believe that the health care market is positioned to begin adopting asynchronous transfer mode technology, and we intend to be there to offer a full complement of voice, video and data services. On a financial note, apart from transaction costs, we believe the merger will be accretive to our earnings per share by the third quarter of 1997."
    The combined company will operate six regional offices from its San Diego headquarters, employ a staff of over 200 and will have provided services to more than 400 health care organizations throughout the U.S.
    Integrex Systems Corp. provides advanced network design, integration and consulting support services to leading health care organizations. The firm has annualized revenues of $6 million (based on the financial performance from the first five months of 1997). Clients include Saint Barnabas Health System, Medlantic Healthcare, Inc., University of Pennsylvania Health System, and Helix Health System.
    Founded in 1987, San Diego-based Daou Systems designs, implements, and manages computer networks and desktop operations for the health care industry. The company also offers outsourcing, Internet, and network monitoring solutions. It’s clients include such organizations as Centura Health, Lutheran Healthcare Systems, Mercy Health Services, Harris Methodist Health System, and Catholic Medical Center of Brooklyn and Queens.

***

    Lunch 'n a Hunch Thursdays, a racing season promotion that offers fans admission, a program and a seat at the races for $5, begins July 23 at the Del Mar Racetrack. Coupons for the package, which is valued at $8.75, are available at Einstein Bros Bagels. The Del Mar racing season runs through Sept. 10.

***

    During July, purchasers of homes at The Summit of Rancho Bernardo will receive a special "move-now" package that covers the cost of local moves up to $500.
    The Summit of Rancho Bernardo is a development of one-, two- and three-bedroom condominiums ranging in size from 740 to 1,231 square feet priced starting at $84,900. They are on Alva Road, one and one-half miles west of Interstate 15.

***

    Navy Seal's will be the topic of a July 17 meeting of the San Diego Chapter of the Institute of Real Estate Management and the Accredited Residential Manager Program. "The Navy Seals: Team Building" will follow lunch at Tom Ham's Lighthouse, 2150 Harbor Island Dr.
    Cost will be $20 for members and $30 for non-members. Add $10 after July 14. To register, call 209-2997.

***

    Hunter Douglas fabrication Southwest Region, in Poway, received a total of 10 awards in four of six categories in an industry-wide competition sponsored by the Window Covering Manufacturers Assn. of North America .
    The company was honored for most innovative design for Luminette Privacy Sheers; best new technical innovation for a battery-operated remote control system for shades; best new style concept for an improvement in the traditional Roman shade; and best new safety innovation for a continuous cord loop system. Additional awards were for best innovation, most innovative presentation, most innovative style concept and best new style concept.

***

    The largest topiary in San Diego, in the form of a dinosaur 40 feet long and 20 feet tall, has been assembled in the Children's Healing Garden behind the Children's Patient Care Pavilion, 3020 Children's Way in Kearny Mesa.
    The dinosaur's steel frame was fabricated by sculptors in San Francisco, broken into 10 pieces and trucked to San Diego where it was reassembled. It will be planted with San Diego red bougainvillea.
Spearheading the project was Ninteman Construction Co., which secured more than $75,000 in in-kind contributions of materials, labor and professional services. Ninteman donated project management, estimating, grading and concrete work.

***

    A weekly "Immigrant Special," to celebrate cultural tastes and traditions, has been instituted by Crescent Shores Grill, located on the 11th floor of the renovated Hotel La Holla, 7955 La Jolla Shores Dr.
    Served Friday and Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m., a new special is prepared each week by Chef Olivier Bioteau. Guests who order the special receive the recipe for the dish along with the story of its significance to America.

***

    Re/Max Associates opened its fifth office in San Diego County, with a six year lease of the entire fourth floor at 5005 Texas St., in a building at the corner of Camino del Rio South in Mission Valley. The new office will become the new corporate headquarters for Re/Max, says Geoffrey Mountain, president.
    Opened since 1984, the company closed 1,274 transactions in 1996. RE/MAX, which stands for real estate maximums, offers mortgage and escrow services as well as buying and selling services.

***

July 9, 1997

    A $133-million, 48-month contract has been awarded General Atomics of San Diego for design and construction of the Nuclear Research Center for the Office of Atomic Energy For Peace in Thailand. The center will be built about 30 miles north of Bangkok It will include a reactor island with a 10-megawatt Triga research reactor. GA has built 65 Triga research reactors in 23 countries.

***

    Bank of Commerce is resuming secondary market sales of some of its Small Business Administration loans. With headquarters in San Diego, Bank of Commerce is the nation's leading SBA bank lender, generating $133.6 million in SBA loans in 1996.
    Based on present trends in loan production, the move is expected to contribute 20 to 30 percent higher net profits in the third quarter of 1997.

***

    Regional Economic Development will be addressed at a Biocom sponsored meeting July 30, 7:30 to 9:15 a.m., at the Sheraton Grande Torrey Pines in La Jolla.
    Moderator William Rastetter, 1997 president of Biocom, and chairman, president and CEO of Idec Pharmaceuticals Corp . will introduce speakers: Mayor Susan Golding; Julie Meier Wright , secretary, CA Trade & Commerce; Michael McDade, chairman, San Diego Port District; and Bill Horn, County supervisor.
    For reservation information, call Biocom, 455-0300.

***

    Credit Counselors of California, a nonprofit organization that provides free debt and credit counseling, financial education and personalized debt management plans to the public, has received national accreditation from the Council on Accreditation of services for Families and Children. Six offices serve San Diego County residents.

***

    The Mission Valley Radisson Hotel was honored at Radisson's annual business conference in Nashville. The honors are for Best Innovation of Rooms Operation, for the highest standards of operation; the President's Award, for extra care to cleanliness and guest and employee safety; Advocates Award, for guest evaluations and willingness to return; Renovation and Design, for creative design of public areas in the hotel.
    Carlton Werner is g.m. of the Mission Valley Radisson, one of 350 Radisson hotels worldwide.

***

July 8, 1997

    Zions Bancorp. and GB Bancorp., the parent company of Grossmont Bank, say they have signed a definitive agreement under which Grossmont will merge with and into Zions, with Grossmont shareholders receiving common shares of Zions.
    Grossmont Bank has about $720 million in assets and 14 offices in San Diego County. It is both the largest and oldest independent bank in the San Diego area. The merger is subject to the approval of Grossmont shareholders and banking regulators and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 1997.
The merger is structured to be tax-free and is intended to be accounted for as a pooling of interests. Zions has owned approximately 4.5 percent of Grossmont since October 1995. The agreement provides for the issuance of 4.7 million shares of Zions common stock for the remaining 95.5 percent of Grossmont common stock that it does not presently own.
    Based upon Zions' July 7 closing price of $363/8 per share, the transaction (including Zions' basis in its original investment) is valued at $173 million, which is 3.3 times Grossmont's book value, or about 16.8 times its estimated 1997 earnings.
    Based on Grossmont's estimated 1997 net income of $10.3 million, the transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to Zions' earnings per share, exclusive of any cost savings. Zions will incur $2 million in merger-related charges in the fourth quarter of 1997.
    "During the nearly two years that Zions has held a minority investment in Grossmont Bank, we have been extremely impressed with both the management of the institution and the unique opportunity this bank has to fill a vital role in the San Diego area economy," says Harris H. Simmons, president and chief executive officer of Zions. "This merger fits our strategy of building our enterprise with strong local management teams in good business markets in areas contiguous with our other banking operations. San Diego County has a population of 2.6 million, making it the 16th largest metropolitan area in the United States; at the same time, it is a very distinctive region within the state of California, with a great sense of community, and we believe there is a great opportunity to continue building a bank with a strong local character, and with a focus on serving the needs of the local market.
    "It is our intention that Grossmont will continue under the same philosophy, name and management team as it has in the past," Simmons continues. "The bank is in excellent financial condition and has a culture, reputation and client base that fit well with our company. We look forward to assisting the management team in further developing Grossmont as the premier bank in the region." Allan W. Severson, president and chief executive officer of Grossmont Bank, says, "We are very pleased to become part of a company recognized as one of the highest quality banking organizations in the country. Grossmont Bank will continue to provide a high level of service and relationship banking with the same local decision making ability. In addition, we will be able to tap into the products and resources Zions has developed to provide better and more diversified banking services to our customers. We are excited to be able to join the Zions organization."
    Since the merger is intended to be accounted for as a pooling-of-interests, Zions will not conduct any general share repurchase programs in conjunction with the transaction. However, company officials noted that shares remain available for repurchase by the company in connection with previously announced or completed acquisitions of other banks in which the purchase accounting method is being employed, as authorized by the company’s board of directors.
    With assets of $7.2 billion, Zions Bancorp. operates full-service banking offices in Utah, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado. It also offers a comprehensive array of investment, mortgage, leasing and insurance services, and is a recognized leader in providing innovative financing solutions for small businesses nationwide. Investor information about Zions can be accessed on the Internet at www.zionsbank.com, or at www.prnewswire.com. The company’s common shares are traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol "ZION."

***

    Kabir Enterprises opens San Diego’s newest Econolodge July 12 at 1801 Logan Ave. Formerly known as the El Dorado Inn, the hotel has been extensively renovated by new owners, Sam Patel and Jay Bhakta. The pair have spent the last three months and $150,000 on the effort. The hotel will offer continuous discount rates to active duty military personnel and their dependents. City Councilman Juan Vargas will attend the opening ceremony.

***

    The ConVis International Visitor Information Center on First Avenue adjacent to Horton Plaza, which opened in October, 1985, is celebrating its millionth call for visitor information.

***

    Jim Watkins is adding an eighth vacation ownership resort to his Winners Circle Resorts International Inc. The new resort, to be called Dolphin's Cove, is located near Disneyland in Anaheim. Jerry Murphy , newly appointed Winner's Circle vice president, will acts as project director, overseeing construction, sales and marketing for the 136-unit time share. Amenities will include two swimming pools, a Jacuzzi-style pool, clubhouse and fitness center.

***

July 7, 1997

    Daou Systems Inc. and VHA of Irving, Texas, have formed a marketing alliance. Through the agreement, as one of VHA's preferred information systems, Daou will provide computer network design, implementation and support services to VHA members, which comprise 1,500 leading community health care organizations in the country.

***

    A general plan amendment to permit 192,000 square feet of commercial retail to be built in Mission Valley where commercial office was once planned, is scheduled to be considered by the San Diego City Council on July 15 at 10 a.m. The property is located at 824 Camino del Rio North.

***

    The Union Bank of California Building at 530 B St. in Downtown San Diego was named BOMA International's 1996-97 Rehabilitated/Modernized Office Building of the Year at the Building Owners and Managers Association's 90th Annual International Convention in Minneapolis.

    "This is the most prestigious award a building can win on an international level," says Kathy Breed, who oversaw the rehab project as corporate real estate officer for Union Bank of California, which owns the building. "It is equal to receiving an Oscar in the motion picture industry

Pictured from left to right are Ron Treat and Kathy Breed of Union Bank of California and Victoria Sullivan and Greg Dumas of Northwest Asset Management.

    "The success of our renovation is due to the collaborative efforts between the bank and the entire building staff, all of whom deserve recognition for this honor."

    Designed originally by Tucker Sadler & Associates and constructed by M.H. Golden Co. in 1966, the building was one of San Diego’s first contemporary high-rises at 24 floors and 237,066 square feet. The building is managed by a team led by Victoria Sullivan of Northwest Asset Management.

    Howard Sneed Interior Architecture was the project architect for the rehabilitation, with the construction managed by Dean Peterson and Garry Dickson of Johnson & Jennings General Contractors.

    Lori Nunez of PagesPlus, Steve Morris of Morris Design, Lori Murray of Lori Murray & Associates, chief engineer Chris Falcone, administrative assistant Kristi Bement and Bill Brown of Safeguard Security, Inc. also were involved in the building's renovation and its presentation to BOMA.

    David Pino, president of BOMA/San Diego, said this was the first time that a first-time entrant from BOMA/San Diego had won an award at the BOMA International level, though others had also won at the international level, including the Home Savings Tower, Symphony Towers and the Jacob Weinberger United States Courthouse. The Union Bank of California Building took top BOMA honors in local and regional competitions before advancing to the international level.

***

    Although the 23rd annual SAM Awards paying tribute the home building industry is four months off, event organizers with the Building Industry Association say they've already raised 75 percent of the $120,000 that will be spent producing the event.

***

    The two-story Park Centre office building at 4080 Centre St. in Uptown has sold for$975,000 to Park-Centre Properties, L.L.C. The sale of the 19,000-square-foot building was handled by Alan Scott and Tom Olson of MH/CW Property Services Inc. The seller, Ameresco Financial I, L.P., was represented by Brent Bohlken of IPC Commercial Real Estate.

    Park-Centre, headed by managing members W.L. Fletcher III and Gene M. Willis, secured a $633,750 first trust deed loan from Grossmont Bank to complete the transaction.

***

    The lobby of the new Emerald Plaza offices of Kaye, Rose & Partners presents visitors with what looks like the bows of ships. And it’s on purpose. "Because we specialize in maritime law, we thought it only fitting to stress a nautical theme," says Lawrence Kaye, one of the firm's founding partners.

***

The Little Italy Association has selected MPC Advertising & Promotion to assists in the promotion of the annual Italian festival, set for Oct. 12 this year.

***

    Winners of Finest Service Awards during the 43rd annual meeting of the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau were San Diego Harbor Excursion, individual visitor services; The Event Team, group visitor services; Croce's Restaurant, restaurants; Dana Inn & Marina, accommodations/general; Ramada Plaza Hotel - Old Town, accommodations/conference; and San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina, accommodations/convention.

***

    FPA Medical Management says it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Health Partners in a stock-for-stock deal. Closing is expected late in the third quarter.

    Health Partners has a network of 418 primary care physicians who provide services to more than 138,000 HMO enrollees.

***

    San Diego County is to receive $9.9 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Community Development Block Grant, Emergency Shelter Grant and the HOME programs. National City will receive $2 million.

    Priorities for funding include after-school and first-time home buyer programs, assistance to mobile home residents and graffiti clean-up.

    The news was delivered by 50th District Rep. Bob Filner.

***

    Qualcomm Inc. says that Schneider National Inc., Green Bay, Wisc., has renewed its contract to use Qualcomm's OmniTRACS mobile communications system.

    The company, the nation's largest truckload carrier, was the first company to equip its fleet with the system when it contracted with Qualcomm 10 years ago. Schneider now has more than 12,000 units in operation.

    Qualcomm has sold nearly 200,000 OmniTRACS worldwide and currently has systems operating in the United States, Canada, Europe, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, Korea and Malaysia.

***

    Metro Change, a foreign currency exchange, has opened its first retail location in the Old Town Esplanade, 2461 San Diego Ave., Suite 103B. The company offers rates on more than 150 foreign currencies and also displays collectible coins, bank notes, stocks and bonds.

***

    Three high schools - Lincoln, Mira Mesa and Scripps Ranch - have received donations of computer software and hardware from four area businesses, Institution Property Consultants, Robbins Research, Nanotronics and Pet Products Plus. The donations were made through the Technology Opportunities for Public Schools program sponsored by Tops Staffing Services.

***

    Children's Hospital is receiving $12 million from the estate of Carol Joyce Nelson, an attorney and former school teacher who died last year. About $5.5 million has already been transferred to Children's with the rest to come by year’s end. It is the largest gift ever for the hospital.

***

    Rancho Vista National Bank in Vista says second quarter profits were $318,000, a 62 percent increase from the $196,000 recorded in the same period of 1996.

    Construction loans increased more than 80 percent to $14.1 million while SBA loans grew more than 110 percent to $12.8 million. Bank assets rose 24.9 percent to $116 million in the quarter.

***

    Selected to coordinate the development of a new golf course in Carlsbad was Scottsdale-based Raven Golf. The city and Raven have already selected as course architects Greg Nash and Billy Casper.

***

    Now in its 22nd consecutive year, Orchids & Onions is seeking nominations. The theme of this year’s event is "City of Dreams - If You Build It, Will They Come?" Call (619) 232-0109 for a ballot. The deadline's July 14.

***

    The Gable Group has entered into a strategic alliance with Schmidt-Cannon, the United State's largest privately held promotional agency specializing in premium incentives.

***

    Kitima, Del Mar Plaza's newest restaurant, begins serving Thai cuisine July 16.

***

    Among the new menu offerings at Planet Hollywood this summer are Pacific spring rolls, Asian shrimp salad, L.A. lasagne and New York calzone. For desert there's fruit fajitas.

***

July 4

    "I’m thinking about having my paycheck direct-deposited to Nordstrom," says Gwen Rosenberg of Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp.

***

    A 5 percent stock dividend will be paid to Peninsula Bank of San Diego shareholders July 25 to holders of record July 11. This is the 20th consecutive year in which the bank has paid a similar dividend.

    Two cash dividends totaling 30 cents per share were paid earlier this year.

    Nine offices of the bank serve the Point Loma, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, La Jolla, Fairbanks Ranch, Mission Hills and Downtown San Diego. A new San Marcos office will be opened in early July.

    Peninsula Bank celebrated its 22nd anniversary March 7 and was named a "Premier Performing Bank" by Findley Reports Inc. for the 21st consecutive year, the best record in California.

***

    Completed improvements at the 24 Hour Fitness facility in San Marcos are available to clients a month early, thanks to Roel Construction Co. of San Diego. The club was the first in a series to be completed under the 24 Hour Fitness name, following the merger of Family Fitness and 24 Hour Nautilus.

    The 25,000-square-foot San Marcos project, with a contract value of $595,407, was led by Dave McCarthy, project manager. Plans are in the works for the addition of an indoor pool at that facility.

***

July 3

    JUDDesign will design and implement a national franchise advertising campaign for Jazzercise Inc. of Carlsbad.

    Jazzercise is the largest dance-fitness program in the world with close to 5,000 franchised instructors in all 50 states and 38 countries. Jazzercise is also a clothing merchandiser and video production service corporation.

    Patti Judd, president and creative director of JUDDesign, and Maile Harding, art director, will be responsible for overseeing the advertising account. Founded by Patti Judd in 1988, JUDDesign specializes in franchise businesses as well as clients in real estate, health care, hospitality, tourism and publishing.

***

    Media Dimensions, a San Diego-based advertising and public relations agency, has acquired Chicago Printing, a San Diego-based printing and pre-press production firm.

    The acquisition will enable Media Dimensions to streamline its services by providing strong graphics in rapid turn-around with a high level of quality control, it says.

***

    Merit Property Management Inc., with offices in San Diego and Mission Viejo, has opened an office in Temecula. George Skrbin, San Diego regional manager, will oversee the new office. Merit Property Management was founded in 1980 and oversees more than 170 community associations and 55,000 residential units throughout Southern California.

    Economists and Metropolitan columnists Alan Nevin and Russ Valone are teaming up. Nevin's ConAm Research "acquired a position" in Valone's Market Profiles. "With our combined capabilities in the field of real estate economics, home and apartment data analysis, feasibility studies and expert witness practice, we will be able to serve the entire Southern California real estate, financial, investment and legal community," says Valone.

    Market Profiles publishes Residential Trends regarding new home sales, Rental Trends and LandTracker, the latter covering land tracking through government entitlements. Like Residential Trends, Rental Trends and LandTracker soon will be expanded throughout Southern California.

Nevin assures that local residential real estate is in a "long-term upward trend," just like last month, "and that means a growing need for high-quality research. We anticipate being a premier provider of the research."

***

    Asked who the assistant city manager is, a helpful bureaucrat responded: "Penny, Penelope Culbreth-Graft, DPA, and she has to have the DPA, I understand. It stands for doctorate of public administration, I think."

***

    In the annals of California leadership, this is a first. At the wedding of Dean Dunphy and Barbara Stemple, her grandchildren conspired to spray green Silly String in the face of the governor, who officiated. Pete Wilson was irritated, as were the betrothed. They got over it; the security detail may not live it down. Dunphy is state secretary of business, transportation and housing. Stemple is the former senior v.p. of the Greater San Diego Chamber and longtime aide to Wilson and ex-Wilson chief of staff Bob White. White, incidentally, is working with the Flanigan brothers in Sacramento, at least for the time being.

***

    With Julie Meier Wright moving south to take over the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp., Lee Grissom moves out of the governor's office to take over her Trade and Commerce Agency and its $94 million budget that covers 14 foreign trade offices, the tourism and film commissions, and 37 small business development centers throughout the state. He’ll be sworn in Aug. 1, with Mira Mesa parents Lee and Virginia Grissom expected to attend.

***

    Lee Grissom notes that the San Diego Chamber's effort to qualify an initiative to expand the San Diego Convention Center isn’t the Chamber's first foray into popular politics. With Grissom at the helm, the Chamber and Bea Evenson's Committee of 100 spearheaded the 1979 campaign to allow a new Navy Hospital in Balboa Park. The transfer of land required a two-thirds vote. It got nearly 62 percent, enough to convince the Navy that condemnation could proceed. The Chamber's new convention center initiative would require a simple majority. The Downtown Partnership endorses it.

***

    The rousing fundraiser for North Park's St. Augstine High School was a roast of attorney Mike McDade at the bayfront Hyatt Regency. "If the roasters are bad, they'll be arrested and prosecuted by (humorless) Paul Pfingst," said emcee Bill Kolender. "If they're good, they can have sex in his office."

    Larry Lucchino assured that "Mike is trustworthy. Mike's idea of keeping a secret is telling one person at a time."

    And George Gorton confessed, "Mike is so dumb. He used to leave me alone to take care of his girls."

***

    "Beyond enriching our lives, the arts promote economic vitality throughout the region and enhance San Diego’s reputation as a tourist and business destination," assures John Highkin, director of the ragtag and charming Fern Street Circus and chairman of the San Diego Arts & Culture Coalition, which has just completed an economic analysis of the arts.

    Highlights: 4.7 million people attended arts and cultural events in San Diego last year, which is more than Sea World, Zoo or Qualcomm Stadium events attracted; the arts contributed $66 million in personal income to San Diegans last year; some 2,759 fulltime jobs were supported by non-profit arts groups last year.

***

    Conny Jamison, the city treasurer of San Diego since 1982 who's averaged a return of 6 percent on city funds in the past year, has decided to run for the county treasurer post currently held by Paul Boland, who's not decided whether he’ll stand for re-election. His term expires after the November '98 election.

    Jamison, 52, said her decision to enter elective politics "really was" difficult. "This is going to postpone my retirement by at least two years," she says. John Kern will run her campaign.

    There is no assistant city treasurer; that position, formerly held by Jack Sturak was eliminated during Jack McGrory's reorganization. Sturak became the new deputy director of the parking management program. But he retired June 20.

    Four second-level administrators report to Jamison at City Hall: Therese Balbo, Ray Day, Kevin Peterson and Greg Bych.

***

    "At first glance, Lane Field looks like the best location for a ball park, but I don’t think it’s the best place for a variety of reasons. It has a higher and better use that would benefit the city more, such as a marine-related use that doesn’t block views and doesn’t negatively impact already limited parking in this area," says Pete Davis, chairman of the Centre City Development Corp. and member of the committee studying North Embarcadero land uses.

    "A ball park in Centre City East would be much more beneficial to the city. It has better traffic circulation."

***

    In what UCSD Foundation trustee Malin Burnham calls "a richly deserved honor," Richard C. Atkinson, University of California president, and his wife, Rita, will see the establishment of two endowed faculty chairs in their names. Atkinson was chancellor of the San Diego campus for 15 years before being appointed UC president in 1995. Rita Atkinson holds a Ph.D. in psychology and is co-author with her husband of the textbook "Introduction to Psychology." So far, $560,000 has been raised toward the $700,000 goal to fund the chairs. During his tenure in San Diego, Atkinson championed establishment of endowed chairs as a mechanism for recruiting and retaining top quality faculty and supporting major research. Since the first chair was established in 1981, the number of endowed chairs has grown to 61.

***

    With first quarter 1997 office occupancy at 96 percent, Sorrento Mesa is leading the county, reports Grubb & Ellis Research Services. At 102,808 square feet, the mesa also leads in net absorption. "There would have been even higher absorption, but we are virtually out of space," says Ron Magnaghi, a Grubb & Ellis senior associate.

***

    Kevin Tilden, a veteran of Nelson Communications Group and Stoorza, Ziegaus & Metzger who most recently has been handling public affairs out of the Bay Area for Pacific Bell, returns to San Diego where he's maintained a Hillcrest residence. Tilden will continue handling public affairs related to Pacific Bell's new video products in Orange County and L.A. Since leaving fulltime work in San Diego, Tilden earned an MBA from Pepperdine.

***

    Tickets for the opening performance of "Stomp" went to May's Play Metro winners: Denise Lee of 800 Balloon; Tom Neel of the San Diego Association of Governments; Kermit Roy of Nanogen; and Kelly Christopher of HQ Business Centers, who also received the grand prize of dinner for two at Crescent Shores Grill.

***

    Fresher Vienna Fingers cookies is the goal and San Diego is one of the test markets for new resealable packaging introduced regionally in May by Sunshine Biscuits, Inc.

***

    If you want to learn what your neighbor's home sold for, click to the Web page - www.co.san-diego.ca.us/cnty/cntydepts/general/assessor/ - of Greg Smith. He's the county assessor, recorder and clerk.

***

    Following on the heels of its rousingly successful Shamrock '97, the Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation will party next with Island Fest '97, a Polynesian festival. Set for July 28, the 3-11 p.m. event will take place on Island Avenue between Fourth and Fifth avenues. Admission is $8 in advance, $10 at the door.

***

    Kevin Hoyle and Richard Donnelly have opened Hoyle Donnelly & Associates, a full-service financial brokerage in the UTC area.

***

    In a merger of appraisal companies, Rasmuson Appraisal Consultants Inc. has been absorbed by Lipman Stevens Marshall & Thene Inc. Located Downtown, LSMT is San Diego’s largest full-service commercial real estate valuation and consultation company.

***

    Collins General Contractors is at work on Park in the Valley, a 210,000-square-foot retail center on 18.2 acres at 1620 Camino del la Reina in retail-starved Mission Valley. The first phase, totaling 104,000 square feet, opens next month. Tenants signed up so far include Mikasa, Sammy's Woodfired Pizza, Off Fifth Avenue and Crown Books.

***

    The U.S. military's first untethered air combat training system has been shipped by Cubic Defense Systems to the U.S. Air Force at Kadena Air Base Okinawa.

***

    Late last month, Bank of Commerce opened its 12th SBA loan production office, this one in Englewood, Colo.

***

    About 1,500 original pieces of ornamentation from the 1915 House of Hospitality will be sold to the public in three events at the Prado in Balboa Park. The first, a July 12 tag sale, starts at 10 a.m. On Aug. 16 a silent auction of high-quality pieces will take place with the best stuff available Sept. 13 during the grand opening of the reconstructed building.

***

    You haven't seen anything until you've seen an aircraft carrier in San Diego Bay launch a jet from its deck. That spectacle is set for July 25, 1:45 p.m., as part of the July 24-28 Fleet Week San Diego celebration.

***

    Architects Larson/Carpenter has moved from the 10th floor of the Bank of America Plaza into its newly purchased headquarters at 3230 Fifth Ave.

***

    Sunrise Management Co. has been awarded Accredited Management Organization status from the Institute of Real Estate Management. Peter Smith runs the show for Steve Drogin.

***

    With Corporate Express Delivery Systems signing a lease for 28,500 square feet of build-to-suit distribution space, there are only five lots left in the 100-acre mixed-use McGrath Highlands Industrial Park in Kearny Mesa.

***

    Hey insurance brokers. What’s the most unusual thing you've ever written coverage for? Send us your examples and we’ll publish them in August as part of the "Insuring Against Liability" special report. For more information, call Tim McClain, 233-4060, Ext. 304. You can send the info via e-mail, info@sandiegometro.com; by fax, 233-4272; or snail mail, 1502 Sixth Ave., San Diego, 92101.

***

    National excitement about San Diego’s hosting of Super Bowl XXXII is building. On his radio show, Howard Stern gave away a trip here for the Jan. 25 game, including airfare, hotel and VIP admission to some functions, to a New York City waterfront transient who could sing the entire "Star Spangled Banner."

***

    New to the San Diego Community Foundation board are Bruce Blakely, managing partner, Coopers & Lybrand; Alice Bourke Hayes, president of USD; Murray Hutchison, chairman of International Technology Corp.; and SDSU President Stephen Weber. Phil Blair takes over the chair from Susan Maddox.

    Those hefty bonuses promised top Enova Corp. and Pacific Enterprises executives upon completion of the proposed merger of the two Southern California energy companies won’t be affected by a slower-than-sought state Public Utilities Commission decision, says an Enova executive. Although the contracts discussing the bonuses - with $1 million for Stephen Baum and $880,000 for Tom Page topping the list - mention a Jan. 1, 1998 merger completion date, a company lawyer says those bonuses will be paid if a merger is approved, period. For Page, the payment will come post-departure.

    Testimony from official interveners in the case has been twice delayed from the original June 3 date to Aug. 6. A final decision has been pushed back to March 1998 due to a slower-than expected PUC determination on a new performance-based ratemaking program for Southern California Gas Co. that will affect company profits. The city of San Diego remains noncommittal on the merger. City Attorney Casey Gwinn has encouraged officials to extract some guarantees before blessing the companies' plans, but the City Council pushed back its deliberations after learning of the PUC delays.

    Although the two Southern California investor-owned utilities would have preferred to jump fully wedded into California's competitive electric market on Jan. 1, their decision to joint venture their unregulated energy businesses means they've been gearing up for competition since last October. Newly named Energy Pacific has consolidated operations in Los Angeles, where more than 300 staffers are getting primed for the new era in power. Enova's Energy Pacific employees haven't moved to Los Angeles, but most work there during the week, says Energy Pacific spokesman Donald Girard.

    Meanwhile, the search goes on for a site for the future headquarters for the merged company. "We’re still looking," says Doug Kline, Enova Corp. manager of corporate communications. No serious negotiations are under way but the companies remain committed to their promise to base the 400-person corporate offices somewhere inside San Diego city limits, Kline says.

- Libby Brydolf

    Air quality restrictions could put the brakes on a proposed 660-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant on Otay Mesa. The project, which would be one of the first plants designed to cash in on California's competitive electric market, would be cleaner than older SDG&E power plants, reports Terry Grant, project development manager at U.S Generating Co., a joint venture of Pacific Gas & Electric and Bechtel Enterprises. But the less polluting plant cannot be built unless U.S. Generating obtains some of the pollution allowances - called "off-sets" in regulation lingo - now held by SDG&E, military installations and other industrial operations in the county.

    Grant expects to file for permits from the California Energy Commission in the coming weeks but has no chance of moving ahead with the project unless it can resolve the air pollution issue. He doesn’t blame SDG&E; rather, the problem, Grant says, lies with the system, which is changing from a regulated monopoly to a partially competitive electric marketplace.

    The change raises a myriad of what Grant calls "second tier" issues that have yet to be discussed in the statewide electric restructuring debate. The issue of air pollution allowances probably will arise in other California urban areas and is one the state needs to resolve if competing generation plants - and cleaner ones to boot - are to move forward.

    "We’re putting it on people’s radar screen," Grant says. "We’re raising the issue." If it’s built, the U.S. Generating plant would create 200 temporary construction jobs and about 20 permanent positions. It also would about double South Bay power production, where SDG&E's four units now generate a peak of 690 megawatts.

- Libby Brydolf

    When she takes the president's gavel at the San Diego County Hotel-Motel Association this month, Karima Zaki-Pope won’t be the first female president of the roughly 30-year-old organization. That honor went to Billie Riley more than a decade ago. But she will be the second, and most certainly the influential group's first Egyptian leader. "From my teenage years on I lived in the United States," says the Cairo native and U.S. citizen."

    Educated in New York state, Zaki-Pope, 39, attended the state University of New York at New Palzt. There, she pursued simultaneously a bachelor's in political science and a master's in German. She was about to enter a West Coast law school when her sister's friend suggested a management training program at the Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles. She pursued programs at Hilton, Hyatt and Sheraton, winning acceptance to all. She chose Hyatt and had a great time. Then Hyatt wanted her to move from California.

    "I really wanted to stay in California," she says. "So three Hyatt hotels and four years later I went to the Disneyland Hotel."

    Her career then sent her, in order, to the Palm Canyon Hotel, Desert Princess Resort and Ojai Valley Inn & Country Club where she served as assistant general manager.

    "From (Ojai) I wanted to get back to a chain organization, but I wanted one that was West Coast based with West Coast properties," she says. "Red Lion was the perfect match. I have been with Red Lion, which is now Doubletree, for seven years. I was assistant general manager at the Ontario Red Lion."

    Her first general manager's gig, at age 32, was at the Red Lion in Pasco, Wa. "Then my vice president called and said, 'Would you be interested in coming to San Diego?' I said, 'Would tomorrow be too soon?' I have been here five years (this month)."

    During her stint, the Red Lion chain was bought by Doubletree and the Mission Valley hotel was targeted as one of four in the chain to make the fast-track name conversion, which was completed in March. The rest of the chain switched over June 9.

    One of her goals as HMA president is to educate people on the opportunities in the hospitality industry. "I think there is a lack of understanding about our industry," she says. "And I find that pretty much across the board as I talk to people outside the industry or even people in city or county government. There is a feeling out there that the industry has low-paying jobs and not a high level of skilled workers. That is just not true. In any hotel, you can find immigrants who just got here with their hopes and dreams about everything America represents, working with people with MBAs. It is an industry that brings together a whole lot of talents. We are almost a $4 billion industry in San Diego... There is tremendous career opportunity.

    "I think we should encourage more young people to get into this business," she says. "Beside the fact that it is very rewarding and has some enormous career building opportunities, it’s fun. I promised myself when I was 21 that I would not do anything if it wasn’t fun."

    Her timing in heading HMA couldn’t have been better. The Super Bowl will occur on her watch and the economy is treating hotels nicely.

    "I think just if you look at (room tax) collections over the last couple of years, you can see the incredible impact that the economy's recovery has had on this industry," she says. "I don’t know anyone who is currently in the hotel business who is complaining. We are riding the wave of some incredible growth in our marketplace."

    Unlike the days of Billie Riley heading HMA, female general managers are not uncommon at large hotels. Others in San Diego include Kathleen Cochran, newly arrived at the Loews Coronado; Pamela Richardson, Travelodge on Harbor Island; Susan Bell, Doubletree Club Hotel in Rancho Bernardo; Meg Brindley, Grosvenor Hospitality Group; Inger Reid, Empress Hotel in La Jolla; and C.J. Rizzo, Glorietta Bay Inn.

    Zaki-Pope says a lot has changed in the last 10 years. "When I started at Hyatt (in 1981) and said I was going to be a GM, people laughed at me." Now they'll probably be calling her seeking a room during the Super Bowl.

    The first four issues of the new San Diego Metropolitan M