September 30, 1997


    A home sale surge sweeping California is working its magic in San Diego, where in August the median price of a home sold was $193,240, up a healthy 10.3 percent from a year earlier.
    Closed escrow sales of existing single-family homes in California dramatically outpaced all major regions nationwide, while the California median home price also outperformed national figures, the California Association of Realtors reports. Closed escrow sales of existing single-family, detached homes in California totaled 587,860 in August 1997 at a seasonally-adjusted annualized rate, according to information collected by C.A.R. from more than 80 Multiple Listing Services statewide. This marks the highest level since March 1989, when 603,460 homes were sold. Statewide home resale activity was up 4.6 percent from 562,210 resales a month ago and up 14.1 percent from the 515,280 sales pace recorded in August 1996. In contrast, national sales rose 5.4 percent from a year ago.
    The statewide sales figure represents what the total number of homes sold during 1997 would be if sales maintained the August pace throughout the year. It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales.
    Meanwhile, the median price of an existing single-family detached home in California during August 1997 climbed to $194,390, a 7.5 percent rise over the $180,830 median for the same period in 1996. In comparison, the national median price increased by 4.3 percent annually.
    "California homeowners finally are reaping the benefits of substantial home price appreciation," says Bob Kulick, C.A.R. president. "We’re seeing double-digit annual increases of median home prices in six out of 16 California regions."

***

    Proxima Corp. has sold the assets of its Mexican manufacturing operation to GET Manufacturing Inc. for approximately $1.5 million. The sale, which was an all cash transaction, included the entire Mexican manufacturing operation and all the fixed assets supporting the manufacturing operation owned by Proxima and its Mexican subsidiary Transferencia Mexicana de Tijuana S.A. de C.V.
    In a separate agreement, GET agreed to continue manufacturing a line of Proxima projectors currently being produced at the facility while GET ramps up production for their current and prospective customers. Commenting on the sale, Dennis Whittler, vice president and chief financial officer, says, "We believe that this transaction is good for all those concerned: our Mexican employees, all of whom have been offered continued employment with the new company; GET, who is expanding into a North American manufacturing capability with a fully functional manufacturing facility; and Proxima, as the sale allows us to complete the manufacture of one of our projector lines while smoothly transitioning out of our Mexican manufacturing operation."
    GET Manufacturing Inc. is a privately held contract manufacturing company, with more than 5,000 employees and more than 30 years' experience in electronic OEM markets. Founded in Hong Kong in 1960 as General Electronics Ltd., the company pioneered electronic contract manufacturing in southern China and provides products and services for leading global OEM companies. GET's corporate headquarters are based in Hong Kong, and most of its 800,000-square-foot production facilities are located in China.
    Founded in San Diego in 1982, Proxima Corp. is a global leader in the multimedia projection market, providing world-class presentation solutions that serve corporate enterprises, workgroups, mobile professionals, trainers and professional public speakers.

***

    At CalBioSummit '97 to be held Oct. 9, the spotlight will be on how San Diego companies are employing "The New Biotechnology Toolbox" to develop highly differentiated products for intractable diseases. The conference is hosted by BIOCOM/san diego, a trade association representing 157 local biotechnology and 75 medical device companies.
    "Today it takes about $200 to $300 million and seven years to get a new drug to market," says Robert S. Whitehead , CEO of Trega Biosciences and chairman of CalBioSummit '97. "Approximately 45-50% of this money and 40% of the time are consumed identifying appropriate new drug candidates. Typically, 10,000 potential drug candidates need to be screened to identify a single compound that can be advanced to pre-clinical testing. Using genomics/target identification, ultra high-throughput screening and combinatorial chemistry, companies can screen upwards of 100,000 molecules a day and shorten the money and time requirements to get to clinical testing."
    The health care environment mandates that new drugs must have significant benefit over existing drugs. Formularies will no longer list a dozen ace, protease or serotonin uptake inhibitors. This forces companies to be the first to market and to develop highly differentiated products that treat or cure intractable diseases.
    Whitehead will moderate The New Biotechnology Toolbox session of CalBioSummit where three San Diego companies — Trega Biosciences, Sequana Therapeutics, and Aurora BioSciences — will showcase their discovery methods. Lawrence D. Muschek, Trega's R&D president, will elaborate on how combinatorial chemistry is used to focus on small molecules and to reduce drug discovery costs. Kevin J. Kinsella, CEO of Sequana Therapeutics, Inc. will speak on target identification. "As a gene discovery firm, Sequana focuses on identifying the causes of genetic-associated diseases," says Kinsella. "Using target identification technology, we recently reported finding 'gene regions' that contain the genetic cause for osteoporosis, a bone disease afflicting more than 100 million people worldwide."
    The "New Biotechnology Toolbox" segment will conclude with comments from Gordon Foulkes, CSO of Aurora BioSciences Corp. on "High-Throughput Screening." "The major rate limiting factor impacting the drug discovery process is the ability to screen large number of compounds for activity," says Foulkes. "Ultra high-throughput screening — which can screen more than 100,000 compounds a day — is designed to overcome the limitations associated with traditional drug design."
    The afternoon session of CalBioSummit will take more of a financial turn, beginning with a panel discussion by investment bankers from Hambrecht & Quist, Robertson Stephens & Company, Vector Securities, Lehman Brothers, Smith Barney and Cruttenden Roth.
    Following the investment banking panel, 12 biotechnology and 6 medical device companies will present their business strategies in three concurrent breakout sessions. CalBioSummit '97 will conclude with a "Meet the Companies" sunset reception overlooking the San Diego harbor featuring up to 40 biotechnology and biomedical device companies in a poster session.
    For information about CalBioSummit '97, call Dallas FanFares at 800-203-8950 or visit the BIOCOM/san diego website at http://www.biocom.org.

***

September 29


    San Diego’s wealthiest residents are women, Forbes magazine reports. And if it wasn’t for one part-time resident, there would be no man from the county earning a spot on Forbes' list of the 400 richest Americans. And even then all the women are bucks up on him.
    Joan Beverly Kroc , who makes her home in Rancho Santa Fe, takes the 68 spot on the Forbes' list with $2.1 billion. She's followed by a pair of La Jollan's Margaret Anne Cargill , 97th with $1.5 billion; and Helen Kinney Copley, 234th with $775 million. Alexander Gus Spanos , whose Chargers play in Mission Valley but who resides in Stockton, landed at 325 with his $600 million.

***

    Sprint PCS was judged to be San Diego’s best wireless provider in the third annual J.D. Power and Associates Wireless Customer Satisfaction Study. J.D. Power predicts the digital wireless telephone companies will continue to make significant inroads with American consumers as the technology becomes more prevalent in other cities.
    "As the new digital technology becomes increasingly available via PCS providers as well as formerly analog-only cellular incumbents, the desirability of added features and competitive pricing has increased," says Zaiba Nanji, group director of telecommunications services at J.D. Power and Associates. "As a result, customers have higher expectations of all carriers to improve call quality and 'walk the talk' by delivering on their promises. Also important is the overall capability of the PCS carrier to provide service features commensurate with the demanding and rapidly evolving marketplace."
    The J.D. Power study is based on completed interviews with more than 10,000 wireless subscribers in eighteen of the top wireless markets. Consumers evaluated their current wireless provider on a total of 30 attributes that were grouped into eight major factors. The importance to overall customer satisfaction is indicated below:

* Call Quality-(24%)
* Credibility/Fairness (delivering on promises)-(21%)
*Corporate Capabilities/Image-(l6%)
* Pricing Options-(10%)
* Customer Communications-(10%)
* Billing-(7%)
* Coverage/Roaming-(7%)
* Cost of Roaming-(5%)

    In addition to stimulating the ever-shifting customer expectations, increased competition has enticed new users into the wireless camp. Analysis from the study revealed that well over a third of the 73,000 households J.D. Power contacted subscribe to wireless service. "However, carriers will have to continue to grapple with the issue of churn," continued Ms. Nanji. "As anticipation and availability of choice increases, so does switching intent." This year, one in three households indicated that they may switch carriers in the next 12 months, up from one in four in 1996.

***

    A pair of San Diego companies were prominent during the ground breaking ceremonies for the 41.4 megawatt Wyoming Wind Energy Project at Foote Creek Rim near Arlington, Wyo., between Rawlins and Laramie. When completed, the Wyoming project will be the largest wind-energy facility in the West outside of California. It is expected to be fully operational by late 1998, or early 1999. PacifiCorp, Portland, Ore., is the primary owner of the project.
    The $60 million project is being developed by Sea West, and its partner, Tomen Power Corp., both based in San Diego.
    SeaWest will maintain and operate the facility under an initial 10-year operation and maintenance agreement with PacifiCorp. After that, the owners may extend the contract with SeaWest or make other arrangements.
    "SeaWest is proud to build Wyoming's first commercial-scale wind project," says CEO D.J. Pionzio Jr. We congratulate the far-sighted utilities — PacifiCorp, EWEB and Bonneville Power Administration — that have made this possible, and hope it represents only the beginning of Wyoming's contribution to our country's clean energy future." SeaWest is among the world's leading independent power plant developers, and is a recognized world leader in wind-energy plant development and operation.
Also pleased is Tomen.
    "We applaud PacifiCorp, EWEB and BPA for their vision in bringing clean and renewable wind-generated electricity to their customers. Tomen's role in the construction and financing of this project demonstrates our continuing commitment to the development of renewable resources," says President Toshio Hori. Tomen Power, a subsidiary of Tomen Corp., owns and operates 265 megawatts of wind-energy projects, and has more than 500 megawatts of wind- energy projects currently under construction or in development inside and outside the United States. Additionally, TPC is developing or has ownership interests in approximately 7,000 megawatts of fossil-fuel projects.

***

September 24, 1997


    Carmel Valley Medical Office Building, One America Plaza, and 525 B Street have been named 1997-98 Pacific Southwest Regional Office Buildings of the Year by the Building Owners and Managers Association International. The regional competition, which honors excellence in management and operation of commercial office buildings, was held last week at BOMA International's Pacific Western Regional conference in Anchorage, Alaska.
    One America Plaza was the regional winner for the third year in a row, Carmel Valley Medical Office Building was a third time regional winner, and 525 B Street was a regional winner for the second time. The three buildings will now be entered in BOMA International's Office Building of the Year competition in June 1998 at the organization's annual convention in Philadelphia.
    The Carmel Valley Medical Office Building, owned by Scripps Memorial Hospital, took top honors in the Medical Office Building category. Located at 12395 El Camino Real, the three-story, 61,994-square-foot project was designed by Brown, Gimber, Rodriguez, Park and is one of several buildings managed by Barbara Lorentz, corporate director, and Pam Garcia, building manager. The building has been designed for physician and dental offices and includes an on-site pharmacy, laboratory, and radiology services.
    One America Plaza, owned by Bright Properties West Inc. and managed by James M. Tostado of Morlin Management Corp., won the TOBY award in the category of Over 500,000 Square Feet. Designed by two firms, Murphy/Jahn Inc. and Krommenhoek/McKeown & Associates, the 34-story, 570,000-square-foot tower also features a San Diego Trolley station, museum building, restaurants, retail shops and extensive outdoor plazas.
    525 B Street, the winner in the Rehabilitated/Modernized category, is owned by Southwest Value Partners and managed by a team led by David A. Pino, general manager of COMPASS Management and Leasing, Inc. The 22-story, 427,000-square foot building occupies an entire city block along the B Street corridor in downtown San Diego. The office tower was originally designed by Langdon & Wilson and opened in 1969 as the Union Bank Building. A $9 million renovation project was completed in 1992 under the direction of the RTKL Architects. The renovation included the installation of granite trim and fiberglass reinforced concrete panels at the bottom two floors.     Additionally, the exterior and parking structure was repainted and a "Pilkington Glass" system was installed at the exterior of the main lobby, which has also been upgraded with new wall and floor coverings and contemporary art.

***

    PersonaLogic Inc. says it has installed its decision guide for selecting new cars on the Keystone Financial Web site at www.keyfin.com. The guide, branded as KeyBuy, will help drive new automobile financing transactions through Keystone by offering customers a tool to aid them in finding the best new car to suit their needs and tastes.
    "Keystone Financial came to us looking for a way to capture greater share and enhance margins in their direct automobile loan business by providing a value-added new car selection service for their Internet-connected or telephone customers," says Stephen Tomlin, president and CEO of PersonaLogic.
    "Customizing PersonaLogic's car selector enables us to deliver great customer service in one of our key business areas—car loans," says Carl L. Campbell , president and CEO of Keystone Financial. "It was significantly more affordable than hiring our own team of technical people and development was extremely fast — the personalized decision guide was completed less than two months after formalizing our relationship with PersonaLogic."
    KeyBuy helps consumers find the right car for their needs through a series of simple, intuitive questions. For example, a consumer can demand that a car have a sunroof (thereby eliminating all cars without sunroofs) or simply express a preference for a sunroof (thereby ranking cars with sunroofs higher than those without). The guide then generates a personally-ranked list of cars. The consumer can then obtain a detailed side-by-side comparison of the cars on the list, find out which cars missed and why or combine his list with a friend's list.
    After finding the right car, a customer can calculate payments and fill out a loan application online. KeyBuy is also available via a toll-free number, (888)-4-KeyBuy, through which customer service representatives will navigate the car finder for the caller. KeyBuy is being supported by a major advertising campaign which includes radio, print, billboard, online and television ads.
Based in San Diego, PersonaLogic was founded in 1994. The company develops "personalized decision guides" for corporate Web sites. It employs a staff of 37. The company’s investors include Barry Diller, Paul Allen, Softbank Holdings, American Express and the Washington Post Co.

***

    In a sneak preview presented at a San Diego convention, Opinion Strategies Inc. revealed that in its latest survey, Americans continue to rank television as their top leisure activity and over a third view the medium as their means for retail shopping. Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed across the country said electronic retailing was "the wave of the future," and almost half (47 percent) agreed that "the smart shopper of the future," would purchase more through electronic on-line services. These results were from an in-depth telephone national survey of consumers conducted for NIMA International, the Washington D.C.-based trade association representing the world-wide electronic retailing industry. Some of the findings were previewed at NIMA's international conference in San Diego. The survey marks the first in a quarterly series of national consumer studies conducted for the association which represents over 3,000 electronic retailers (infomercials, TV shopping channels and multimedia marketing).
    American consumers cited convenience as the primary reason for shopping via television or Internet and said they purchased music, CDs and records most frequently through electronic media. These items differed with those most frequently purchased through traditional shopping: clothing/shoes and books. Most (76 percent) of the respondents said their primary reason for watching television was to obtain news and information. Fewer identified entertainment as their key reason for watching. Slightly over half the consumers interviewed (53 percent) have a home computer.

***

September 23, 1997

    The BFGoodrich Co. and Rohr Inc. have signed a definitive agreement for Rohr to merge with BFGoodrich in a tax-free stock-for-stock transaction. The combined company will have a significant presence throughout the world as a leading provider of aircraft systems and services and specialty chemicals.
    David L. Burner, chairman and chief executive officer of BFGoodrich, says: "By combining our two outstanding companies, we will expand our capabilities to provide customers with integrated aircraft systems and services. As a larger company in an industry that continues to consolidate and become more highly focused, we will become an even stronger competitor with the resources to take advantage of opportunities with original-equipment manufacturers and as a supplier of replacement parts and services. Our common strengths are in technology, in our ability to work creatively with customers to benefit their businesses, and in designing, manufacturing and integrating complex systems."
    While the merger is expected to result in some cost savings, Burner says the transaction will result in enhanced profitability primarily because of the ability the company will have to take advantage of opportunities for growth. "Rohr is a company with excellent management and talented and dedicated employees. In 1998, excluding transaction costs, we expect the merger will add about 20 to 25 cents a share to BFGoodrich earnings."
    Robert H. Rau, president and chief executive officer of Rohr, says: "We are extremely enthusiastic about this merger, and we are confident that it will benefit our shareholders, customers and employees. It represents an opportunity for Rohr to join with a company that has the financial strength and a long-term commitment to build on its current excellent position and reputation as a systems integrator."
    Following the completion of the merger, Rau will continue as president of Rohr reporting to Marshall 0. Larsen, executive vice president of BFGoodrich and president of BFGoodrich Aerospace. Rohr will be operated as one of four business groups of BFGoodrich Aerospace. Under terms of the agreement, Rohr shareholders will receive 0.7 shares of BFGoodrich common stock for each share of Rohr common stock. Based on the closing price of BFGoodrich common stock ($44.56 a share) on Sept. 22, 1997, the value of the merger is estimated at approximately $1.3 billion, including the assumption of Rohr debt by BFGoodrich. The merger is subject to shareholder approval of both companies and review by certain regulatory agencies. It is expected to be completed in late 1997 or early 1998, Following the completion of the merger, three current members of the Rohr Board of Directors will join the BFGoodrich Board.
    Rohr, headquartered in Chula Vista, primarily designs, develops and integrates nacelle and pylon systems and provides support services. Nacelles are the aerodynamic structures that surround an aircraft's engines. The company employs about 4,500 and had sales for its fiscal year ending July 31, 1997 of $944.4 million.
    BFGoodrich, headquartered in Richfield, Ohio, and employing about 14,000, provides aircraft systems and services and manufactures specialty chemicals. Total company sales in 1996 were $2.2 billion, of which $1.2 billion was from its Aerospace businesses.

***

    After hearing evidence in a month-long trial, a jury deliberated just more than an hour before deciding that the California Department of Transportation should pay $4 million to compensate a family-owned general engineering and grading contractor for land and business losses resulting from the confiscation of four acres in the Spring Valley area to expand state Highway 125.
    A Superior Court jury decided on Sept. 19 that the state must pay not only $2.5 million for the four acres of land but an additional $1.5 million for the decrease in business value Erreca's Inc. suffered because it had to relocate. The trial was conducted by Superior Court Judge Philip Sharp. Attorney Rhonda Thompson of the San Diego law firm of Thorsnes, Bartolotta, McGuire & Padilla persuaded the jury to reject Caltrans' contention that the land was worth only $1.7 million and that only $83,250 was due for loss of business goodwill.
Since its founding 42 years ago, Erreca's has participated in a number of major construction projects in San Diego County including grading the sites for the San Diego Convention Center and the new San Diego Courthouse, as well as the first expansion of Qualcomm Stadium. The company is owned by Charles Erreca, his wife Louise, and their two children Scott and Charmain.
Erreca's utilizes massive earth moving equipment which is so big that permits need to be issued whenever the machinery has to be transported on a 110-foot long truck on the highway.
    The company’s difficulty in finding new property that could accommodate such equipment was at the heart of the legal case. Erreca's says that the only piece of appropriately zoned and available property was a 17-acre parcel in Lakeside which it purchased from the Chilcote Co. The larger land parcel meant larger payments, more maintenance and need for additional security, Thompson argued in court. Additionally, the time spent in trying to locate property was time lost from bidding productive jobs, she contended.
Caltrans attorney Kathleen Corrigan argued that there were other pieces of property that Erraca's could have purchased. But Thompson countered that alternatives were not available, showing to the jury a video of a 110-foot, 9-axle truck maneuvering unsuccessfully on the narrow road leading to the site CalTrans had recommended.

***

    Genta Inc.'s board has named Kenneth G. Kasses, 52, as president and CEO effective Oct. 1, filling a previous vacancy. He has also been named a director, bringing total membership of the Genta board to seven. From 1991-1997, Dr. Kasses was affiliated with the Radiopharmaceutical Division of the DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical Co., serving as senior v.p. and g.m. until 1994 when he was appointed president.
    Genta Chairman Donald G. Drapkin says: "Ken Kasses brings both great intelligence and a wealth of experience, reflecting his nearly 25 years in pharmaceuticals in a wide variety of capacities. We expect Genta will benefit considerably from his superb leadership capabilities."

***

September 22, 1997


    Standard & Poor's has assigned its double-'A'-minus issuer credit rating to the San Diego County Employees Retirement Association. The rating reflects the support of the pension fund's sole sponsor, San Diego County, and the fundamental credit factors of the fund. Standard & Poor's views the outlook for this rating over the intermediate to longer term as stable.
    The association's strengths include a high level of funding, strong coverage of benefit obligations, and a large degree of independence from its sponsor. Since 1994, the fund has had substantially full funding of accrued liabilities by valuation assets. Also, the funding linkage between the association and its sponsor is very strong. If the association's Retirement Board-specified contributions are not appropriated by the county Board of Supervisors, the county auditor must transfer the necessary amounts from any money available in the county treasury.
    Coverage of annual benefit and other payments by contributions and investment income has been high at an annual average of more than 3.5 times. Assets covered payments by almost 30 times at year-end June 30, 1997. Coverage of benefits by annual revenues and assets is projected to remain strong well into the next century.
    The fund's independence from its sponsor is exhibited not only by the Retirement Board's authority over contribution rates but also through its power over investment decisions. This board has exclusive control over fund assets and may invest in any type of investment deemed prudent.
    The association has a very aggressive asset allocation strategy compared with other U.S. public pension funds. For example, its target allocation for international equities is 25 percent of assets, while a 1996 survey reported that the average public fund allocation to international securities, equity, and fixed income, was about 5 percent. While the association's investment strategy adds diversification on one hand, it also exposes the fund to more volatility, which could adversely affect total portfolio performance under certain market conditions. If returns fall below expectations, higher contribution levels may be required, putting pressure on county resources. The association's investment risk profile, however, is mitigated by its strong funding status and the rating relies in part on the proper balance between these two factors.
    Outlook: Stable
    The outlook is based upon the projected long-term soundness of the pension fund and the consistent and structurally balanced financial performance of the county, Standard & Poor's says.

***

     San Diego artist Robert Irwin gets some ink in a New Yorker magazine article on designing the inside of the new Getty Museum in Los Angeles. The article hits newsstands today, the museum, located on a 742-acre campus with five other independent museums, opens Dec. 16.
    The article reveals that despite the pleasant tours given by architect Richard Meier and John Walsh, director of the museum, it seems that the design and construction have at times been marked by sharp dissent. John Walsh plays the role of the "old fashioned aesthetic purist," Andersen notes, while Harold Williams, president of the Getty Trust, dreams a "grand Getty dream — curators and historians and conservators and pedagogues brilliantly commingling." Walsh and Richard Meier, meanwhile, clashed in conflicts that were "explicit and ideological," two "aesthetic conservatives" fighting over "terraces (and) curves" and lighting.
    Enter the "eclectic classicist" Thierry Despont, who worked simultaneously with Richard Meier and John Walsh on the interiors of the galleries. "I mean, it wasn’t going to be love at first sight," Despont tells Andersen. "Did he (Meier) welcome me with open arms? No. Obviously, Richard's idea was to keep it (the interior) as white as he could. Neither the museum nor I personally thought that was the best way."
Meier says that working with Walsh is "like a marriage, with its ups and downs." Despont describes himself in phrases that might as well describe a marriage counsellor: "Frankly, when I came in, I think John and Richard were quite far apart. I pulled both sides together." And then there was Robert Irwin, the San Diego artist hired to design the elaborate central garden, a focal point of the campus, because the museum "wanted something more Southern Californian than Meier seemed likely to provide."
    Says one of Meier's partners in the project, Michael Palladino, "Richard must have given you an earful on Irwin...If you put two artists together and ask them to paint on the same canvas, there are going to be problems." But to the outside world all the players keep up a "united front." Walsh says, "We wanted to make a place that has a kind of unforgettable intimacy."
    Andersen finds the campus to be "just how the future was supposed to be." He encounters "quirks built in — moments of serendipity and pleasure" that "will make the Getty the pleasantest art museum on the planet." The galleries themselves, says Andersen, are "a bit disorienting...After decades of SoHo loft renovations and Musees d'Orsay, we’re used to inhabiting blond modernist interiors implanted within grand nineteenth-century shells. In the Getty galleries, that pattern is reversed: from within the Getty's old and faux-old rooms, one can glimpse in the distance bits of the grand new blond modernist shell that contains them. This experience of discontinuity is a fresh one — maybe a twenty-first century one."

***

September 19, 1997

    McMillin Cos., San Diego’s oldest and largest locally based home-building firm, has closed escrow on a $13.8 million purchase of a 1,031-acre portion of the massive 23,000-acre Otay Ranch. Development will start in early 1998 with homes on the market by the end of that year. Purchased from West Coast Land Fund, McMillin's parcel will provide for 5,100 homes. About half the homes will be built by McMillin.
    The McMillin entity buying the property is McMillin-D.A. America LLC, a joint-venture partnership with D.A. America Communities, a subsidiary of Dong-Ah Construction Industrial Co. Ltd., one of South Korea's largest construction companies. Berk Reichenbach of Lee & Associates and William Tuscher of Grubb & Ellis jointly brokered the transaction.

***

    Commissioner Keith Paul Bishop says the Department of Corporations will hold a public informational hearing regarding Mexican-based health care service plans that are offering health coverage to legal aliens and their alien dependents. The hearing will be held in San Diego on Monday, Sept. 29., 1:30 p.m., in the South Chambers (Room 358) of the County Administration Center .

***

    "A rose by any other name is just as sweet." That tried and true phrase could well be applied to Enova Energy in Massachusetts. The company, which has been providing money-saving energy services to four communities under the Massachusetts Retail Pilot program, is now doing business nationwide as part of Energy Pacific.
    Enova Energy is a subsidiary of Enova Corp. of San Diego which is merging with Pacific Enterprises in Los Angeles. Both corporations formed Energy Pacific as an unregulated joint venture to offer a wide spectrum of energy products and services nationwide, including company participation in the Massachusetts pilot.
    "Since January, we have been a major provider of electricity services with energy savings for residential and commercial customers in Lynn, Lawrence, Northampton and Worcester as Enova Energy," says Paul Messerschmidt, project manager for Energy Pacific. The company will continue to provide quality service to these communities as Energy Pacific said Messerschmidt.
    At the beginning of the pilot project, Enova Energy was selected by 47 percent of the eligible customers who chose either the Choose Price or Choose Green option. With Choose Price, customers received the lowest base price for electricity of all suppliers in the pilot program. The Choose Green option offered energy savings and environmental support opportunities, combined with an attractive price for electricity. On average, customers have been saving approximately 10 percent on their monthly utility bills.

***

    Bank of Commerce says its board has declared a 2-for-1 split-up of its common stock to be payed Dec. 10 to shareholders of record Nov. 4. The move follows a 5-for-2 split of its common stock paid to shareholders on May 5, 1997.
    In this latest action, each shareholder will receive one additional share of common stock for every share currently owned. Bank of Commerce has 5,648,745 shares outstanding and will have 11,297,490 shares outstanding after the new shares are issued. The exercise price of the warrants will remain the same as now; however, the number of shares per warrant will increase.
    "Bank of Commerce has achieved dramatic successes during the past several quarters and we want to share them with stockholders," said Peter Q. Davis, chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We also believe that stock splits improve the trading liquidity of our shares." On July 10, Bank of Commerce reported second quarter net income rose 60 percent while assets grew 63 percent, deposits increased 56 percent and the loan portfolio grew 55 percent.

***

    A pair of San Diego companies were among the winners of The Internet Open during the Internet Commerce Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Winning Best of Class honors were E.N.E.N. (Marshall Industries) , and Internet & Web Services Corp.
    ICE is an International Data Group company headquartered in Framingham, MA. Participants competed for "Best of Class" designation in industry- specific, enabling, and business function categories. Sponsored by Computer World, also an IDG company operating out of Framingham, MA, many of the industry's leading Internet commerce, Intranet computing, and Extranet solution specialists competed.

***

September 18, 1997


    BIOCOM/San Diego hosts its sixth annual CalBioSummit conference on Oct. 9 at the San Diego Convention Center. Several hundred investment bankers, equity analysts, retail brokers, and senior management from local companies are attending this year’s symposium.
    "The third largest number of the nation's biotech businesses reside in the greater San Diego region and these companies have created more than $6 billion dollars in shareholder equity," says Ann Ryder Randolph, managing director of BIOCOM/San Diego. "Collectively, $3.5 billion is spent each year on R&D in San Diego which fuels the engine to create the next Amgens right here in San Diego.     CalBioSummit serves as the only California forum to unite business, academia, government, regulators, health care and investors."
    This year’s program focuses on "Succeeding Through Alliances: Discovery, Development, Distribution and Delivery." Keynote speaker and world renowned supply-side economist, Arthur B. Laffer, will be bridging the gap between world economics to bioeconomics.
    Company executives will present leading edge technological aspects of the "New Discovery Tool Box." Presentations include "High-Throughput Screening" by Gordon Foulkes, CTO of Aurora Biosciences, "Target Identification" by Kevin J. Kinsella, CEO of Sequana Therapeutics, and "Combinatorial Chemistry" by Robert Whitehead, chairman of CalBioSummit '97 and CEO of Trega Biosciences. Daniel H. Case, III, president and CEO of Hambrecht & Quist, will present a unique financial perspective on drug and device product development.
    "San Diego is home to 157 biotech and 75 medical device companies," states Case. "Propelling these companies into thriving commercial entities is directly tied to capital — either through financial vehicles or strategic partnerships."
    The forum will also tackle the issues, such as the cost of health care. "Biotechnology and medical device companies need to compete in a very different reimbursement environment due to managed care," adds Stanley J. Pappelbaun, executive vice president and COO, ScrippsHealth. "Distribution of drugs and devices need to be more than safe and efficacious, they must be more cost-effective and improve medical outcomes."
    The bioscience capital markets will be explored though a panel discussion with investment bankers, including Rachel Leheny from Hambrecht & Quist, Mark Simon and Jay Silverman from Robertson Stephens & Co., Peter F. Drake from Vector Securities, Anthony Butler from Lehman Brothers, Mirav Chovav and Melissa Wilmoth from Smith Barney and William Prather, and Alexander Draper from Cruttenden Roth.
    The goal of the panel is to educate public and privately held companies about investment criteria, including the importance of achieving business milestones.
    The panel discussion will be followed by presentations from 18 San Diego biotech and medical device companies in three concurrent breakout sessions. The biotechnology companies presenting include: Agouron Pharmaceuticals, Alliance Pharmaceuticals, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, DepoTech Corp. Dura Pharmaceuticals, IDEC Pharmaceuticals, La Jolla Pharmaceutical, Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Mycogen Corp., PharmaPrint Inc., Sibia Neurosciences, and Vical Inc.
The medical device companies presenting include: Advanced Tissue Sciences, Alaris Medical Systems, Biosite Diagnostics, Molecular Biosystems, Safeskin Corp., and Vista Medical Technologies.
    CalBioSummit '97 will conclude with a "Meet the Companies" sunset reception overlooking the San Diego harbor featuring 30 to 40 biotechnology and biomedical device companies in a poster session.
To attend CalBioSummit '97, call Dallas FanFares at 800/203-8950 for registration information or visit the BIOCOM/san diego Web site at http://www.biocom.org.

***

    Shopping for a wedding present for this year’s bride and groom just became more creative. The idea is so practical that most of us are wondering why it hasn't been done before. Del Mar-based builder Brookfield Homes has arranged through its mortgage affiliate, Brookfield Mortgage Co., a program to launch newlyweds on the path to owning their own home.
    "Thanks to the creative FHA (Federal Housing Authority) Bridal Registry, today’s newlyweds can be on their way to home ownership while they're off on their honeymoon," says Carlene Meads-Wilkie, vice president of marketing for Brookfield's San Diego/Riverside division.
Basically, the FHA Bridal Registry lets friends and family contribute to a down payment on a home. Register for a home, instead of china, crystal or linens. This FHA sponsored program allows cash gifts to be deposited into a down payment savings account, administered by Pioneer Savings in Irvine that is interest bearing and federally insured. Checks are sent directly to the couple, who in turn cash the check and deposit the money into the Pioneer Savings account.
    So far, Brookfield Mortgage is the only builder in San Diego County with this plan, but nationwide there are more than 50 lenders participating, according to David Loseke of WMC Mortgage. The program has been offered by Brookfield for more than a year.
    "It’s a smart, practical, and in the long-run, a very loving program for couples just getting started," said Meads-Wilkie, who noted that Brookfield is offering the program at several of their new home projects, including Summerfield in Temecula, Palermo in San Diego’s coastal North County and Chase Ranch in South Corona.

***

    The ninth annual UCSD Connect Biotechnology/Biomedical Corporate Partnership Forum , which has been set for Nov.10-12, at the Sheraton Grande Torrey Pines, continues to attract more interest than ever. This year’s program will feature presentations by more than 35 leading life sciences, companies, as well as fifteen concept stage health care companies at a poster session, primarily from the Southern California region. In addition, the "Inventors Showcase," on the opening day of the conference, will include well-known researchers from the University of California, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the Scripps Research Institute.
    The 1996 forum attracted senior executives from eight of the 10 largest pharmaceutical companies in the world in addition to more than 100 international pharmaceutical, chemical and diagnostic executives, investment bankers and venture capitalists. Presenters at the 1996 forum have already entered partnership agreements with a value of over $380 million, according to data from Recombinant Capital. Companies which have presented at the past eight forums have entered into strategic partnership deals worth more than $4 billion.
    At this forum, you will see presentations of NEW partnering opportunities from some of this region's most exciting biotechnology and biomedical companies. Presenters at this year’s conference include Amylin, Cosmederm Technologies, Integra LifeSciences, Neurobiological Technologies, MitoKor, and Prizm Pharmaceuticals. Some of the exciting technologies from the presenting companies include genomics, therapeutics, bioinformatics, diagnostic products, drug development, regenerative tissue products, gene therapy and novel drug therapy. For a list of presenting companies please contact Connect at (619) 534-6114 or see the Connect web site.
    If you are a senior level pharmaceutical, business development or licensing executive, you will want to take advantage of this opportunity to meet with these companies and other participants from around the world. The international audience at the 1996 forum came from Canada, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Scotland, Sweden, as well as the United States. Register by September 29 and you will save $100 per person on the attendance fee. Companies which are interested in attending should contact Candy Quaranta at Connect, at (619) 534-8449, send e-mail to cquaranta@UCSD.edu, or register on the Connect web site at http://www.connect.org/connect. We look forward to seeing you there.

***

    The San Diego chapter of the Building Owners and Managers Association and the BOMI Institute will present the seminar "Ethics Is Good Business" on Sept. 29, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, 1380 Harbor Island Drive.
    The short course will help property professionals understand the impact of ethical behavior on professional performance and the property's bottom line. Key topics will include tenant relations, confidentiality, record keeping and trade secrets, proper use of funds, and conflicts of interest.
The seminar, which will be taught by Michael Clevenger, Ph.D, RPA, FMA, CFM, SMA, will examine how ethics influences your business success; the ability to better identify potential ethical issues, thereby avoiding them; the guidelines to use when identifying other peoples' value systems, and articulating your own; and the skills in recognizing the progression of events that can lead to ethical behavior.
    The cost to attend is $225 and includes lunch and two refreshment breaks.
    In addition, BOMA/San Diego will sponsor two additional educational courses, "Real Estate Investment and Finance" for RPA and SMA programs on Sept. 30 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at John Burnham & Co., 610 West Ash St.; and "Environmental Health and Safety Issues from RPA , FMA and SMA programs on Wednesday, Oct. 1 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Aventine, 8910 University City Lane.
    Call 460-5641 for more information on any of the events.

***

    Chai Ling, leader of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Rebellion, speaks at SDSU on Sept. 25, 6 p.m., in Montezuma Hall at Aztec Center. The event is part of the university's centennial year cultural lecture series. Admission is free, as is parking.
    A two-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Ling gained international recognition for her role as commander-in-chief of the rebellion at Tianamen Square. She first gained notoriety through a secretly-made videotaped interview, completed and broadcast just before Chinese government troops rolled through the square to quash an uprising of students rallying for democratic freedom. Ling, once marked for execution by the Chinese government, escaped from Chine.

***

    The California personal income tax brackets will be indexed by 2.2 percent for the 1997 tax year, says the Franchise Tax Board. This means that Californians whose taxable income is unchanged from last year will pay lower state income taxes when the file. Those with income that increased 2.2 percent, or about the rate of inflation, will pay the same while those who earned more will pay more.

***

    The Santel Federal Credit Union is now online at www.Santel.org on the Internet. Among other things, the credit union is using the site to post information on credit union's field-of-membership rights, a hotly-contested issue with banks that is scheduled for an Oct. 6 hearing before the Supreme Court.

***

September 17, 1997


    Bank of Commerce has officially withdrawn its offer to acquire Fallbrook National Bank. Bank of Commerce's initial offer to exchange one share of Bank of Commerce stock for one share of Fallbrook stock was made on Feb. 1997. "With Bank of Commerce trading at close to $23, a one-for-one stock swap values Fallbrook National Bank at over six times its book value," says Peter Q. Davis, chairman and CEO. "Since Fallbrook's board of directors is still unwilling to discuss an offer, this is clearly not an economic issue to them. We had hoped that as our stock price appreciated relative to Fallbrook's it would be grounds for their Board to call a Special Shareholders' Meeting to discuss our offer. They have not. At the present value of Bank of Commerce stock, a merger under the original terms is no longer attractive or of interest to Bank of Commerce."
    Bank of Commerce originally submitted an offer to acquire Fallbrook National Bank in a stock exchange of two BCOM shares for five shares of FNB. Bank of Commerce than declared a 5-for-2 split of its common stock effective May 5, 1997 to shareholders of record April 15, 1997.

***

    La Jolla Pharmaceutical Co. says it has sold Abbott Laboratories an additional $4 million in LJP common stock at $4.81 per share as part of its worldwide strategic alliance to develop LJP's lupus drug candidate, LJP 394. Abbott has global marketing rights to LJP 394 which is in Phase II/III clinical trials.
    Steven B. Engle, La Jolla Pharmaceutical's chairman and CEO says "Ongoing funding from the alliance since January has allowed us to expand the LJP 394 development program. Today's investment strengthens our financial position and increases our ability to develop other products."
    For the first half of 1997, the company reported revenues of $4.5 million, a net loss of $2.9 million, and cash and cash equivalents of $26.3 million. San Diego based La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company develops disease-specific therapeutics using its proprietary Tolerance Technology for major diseases caused by antibodies such as lupus, antibody-mediated thrombosis, Rh hemolytic disease, myasthenia gravis and Graves' disease. LJP 394 is designed to specifically reduce the levels of double-stranded DNA antibodies that promote lupus nephritis, a principal cause of morbidity and mortality in lupus patients. Lupus is believed to afflict over 500,000 people in the United States and available drugs have significant side effects.

***

    San Diego County hosts 23 species of bats, the largest variety of any county in the United States, reports Wild Birds Unlimited in Santee.

***

    The Lomas Santa Fe Group has bought the 24,441 square foot Chart House Corporate Center in Solana Beach for $2.6 million, reports Samuel Williams , Lomas Santa Fe president.

***

September 16, 1997

    The largest labor market survey of its kind — one focusing on local salaries, hiring trends and occupations — is about to get underway in San Diego County. The study, which targets companies with five or more employees, is sponsored by the San Diego Workforce Partnership , a job training and development organization formerly known as the San Diego Consortium & Private Industry Council.
    The telephone interviews begin the week of Sept. 21 and should take three to four weeks to complete. Employers will receive a fax notice prior to their call.
    Erris Corp. is conducting the survey. "This will be the largest labor market survey of its kind every conducted in the United States," says K.D. Nyegaard, president of Erris. "As a result, local workforce development agencies, employers, job seekers and training providers will be provided with by far the largest base ever assembled of current, local information on what jobs are hot and which are not, what they pay and where they are geographically.

***

    Speaking of local labor studies, the Eastridge Group's 1997 San Diego Salary Survey is now available at all 35 San Diego Public Library locations, says Robert Svet, Eastridge president. The company’s 13th annual survey, released last month, reports that overall wages in San Diego remained fairly static this year, posting gains of only 4.5 percent over last year’s survey of local companies. The survey reported on wages in nine categories, including human resources, financing and accounting, secretarial and office support, marketing, business development, information technology, technical, production, and industrial.
    A record total of 281 companies, representing approximately 32,900 employees, participated in this year’s survey, up from 240 companies responding 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.
    "The annual San Diego Salary Survey serves as a barometer for how local companies are compensating their employees," Svet says. "Year in and year out, the survey provides San Diego’s business community with vital salary data critical to the planning of their employee pay structures. In addition, employees are eager to read the survey to learn how much they can expect to be paid."
The survey is now available at San Diego Public Libraries, including Balboa, Beckworth, Benjamin, Carmel Mountain, Carmel Valley, Clairemont, College Heights, East San Diego, Kensington/Normal Heights, La Jolla, Linda Vista, Logan Heights, Malcolm X/Valencia Park, Mira Mesa, Mission Hills, North Clairemont, North Park, Oak Park, Ocean Beach, Otay Mesa, Pacific Beach, Paradise Hills, Point Loma, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Penasquitos, San Carlos, San Diego Central, San Ysidro, Scripps Ranch, Serra Mesa, Skyline Hills, Tierrasanta, University Community, University Heights, and READ/San Diego.

***

    Solana Beach-based Nisus Software says the release of its latest upgrade: Nisus Writer 5.1 the ultimate Macintosh word processor, has begun with brisk initial orders. Reginald Grant, the new director of sales and marketing, says: "We have listened to our customers needs and we worked on making version 5.1 even easier to use. Nisus Writer 5.1 has some exciting improvements compared to 5.0."
Current Nisus product users include Dow Jones , Harvard University, The Principal Financial Group, Stanford University, The Orange County Register, Warner Brothers, Reuben H. Donnelly, MasterCard International and the United Nations NGO Women's Forum.
    Nisus Writer bills itself as the only solution on the Macintosh for multilingual needs. All the user needs is Nisus Writer 5.1 and the appropriate Apple Language Kit to process text in Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean and Persian.

***

    Exten Industries Inc. reports a lawsuit brought by Steven A. Lyman, in which the company was a named defendant, was dismissed on Sept. 2. This action, case No. 704433, in the Superior Court of the state of California, county of San Diego, was a lawsuit to recover moneys from the purchase of stock from a broker-dealer.
    W. Gerald Newmin, chairman, chief executive officer and president of Exten, states: "This was a matter of guilt by association. The company had been named in the lawsuit, though it had done no wrong. We feel vindicated that this case has been dismissed so that we can focus on moving the Sybiol artificial-liver technology forward.
    "This is one of the last problems inherited from prior management. Exten has now shed itself of virtually all of its past transgressions and is poised to go ahead as a viable company. The company’s Xenogenics subsidiary, which owns the rights to the Sybiol artificial-liver support technology, expects to initiate clinical trials at Yale University and Loyola University in the near future."
    The company believes, pending later clinical testing, that its Sybiol extracorporeal biosynthetic liver will demonstrate that it can perform some of the functions of the liver for liver patients, much as a renal dialysis machine performs the functions of the kidneys.

***

September 15, 1997

    San Diego’s lone entry in the Fortune magazine ranking of America's 100 fastest growing companies is ThermoTrex , which earned the No. 14 spot on the list thanks to its 182 percent annual growth rate in earnings per share. California companies earned 28 spots on the list. The Sept. 29 issue of Fortune with the rankings hits newsstands today (Sept. 15). ThermoTrex Corp. conducts advanced technology R&D and is developing products for the medical imaging, communications, and avionics markets. Through its Trex Medical Corp. subsidiary, the company manufactures and markets mammography and breast-biopsy systems for the early detection of cancer, as well as general-purpose and specialized X-ray equipment. In addition, through its ThermoLase Corp. subsidiary, ThermoTrex offers laser-based hair-removal services and personal-care products. Gary Weinstein is CEO. ThermoTrex is a public subsidiary of Thermo Electron Corp.

***

    A pair of Downtown San Diego hotels, the San Diego Marriott Suites at 701 A St. and the Westin Horton Plaza are part of a move by Starwood Lodging Trust and Starwood Lodging Corp. to acquire Westin Hotels & Resorts. Last year Starwood bought the Horton Plaza property and turned over the management to Westing.
    The acquisition of Westin by Starwood, the nation's largest hotel real estate investment trust, provides Starwood with one of the hotel industry's premier brands, with combined system-wide revenues expected to exceed $4 billion. Westin owns, manages, franchises and represents 108 hotels, with approximately 47,800 rooms and resorts in 23 countries worldwide, with 26 additional projects under development. The transaction creates a company with 219 hotels located in 38 states including the District of Columbia, and 23 countries worldwide. Under the terms of the definitive agreement, Starwood will acquire Westin for a combination of securities, cash and assumed debt with an aggregate value of approximately $1.571 billion (based on yesterday's closing price of $49.4375 per share for Starwood). As part of the transaction, Starwood will acquire interests in 13 hotels currently owned by Westin
The transaction is expected to close by Jan. 31 and is subject to shareholder and regulatory approval. In connection with the transaction, Starwood Lodging Corp. will change its name to Westin Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (the "new Westin"). Starwood Lodging Trust is also expected to change its name to Starwood Hotels and Resorts Trust. Starwood Lodging Trust and the new Westin will retain their paired-share structure and will continue to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol HOT.

***

    Effective Sept. 27, anyone who wants to complete a call into the 760 area code, serving northern San Diego County and several other Southern California Counties, will only be able to do so by dialing the 760 area code. Anyone not dialing the 760 area code will receive a recorded message reminding them of the area code change. The reminder will last for three months.
    The 760 area code was created through a split of the 619 area code in March of 1997. For the last six months, a "get acquainted" dialing period has enabled callers to use either the old 619 or new 760 when completing a call to customers in the new 760 area code. Also, for the last six months, people in the 619 and 760 area codes could call between the two area codes using seven digits. That arrangement will end September 26; and starting September 27 customers will have to dial 1 + the area code and the seven-digit number to dial between the 619 and 760 area codes.
    California Code Administrator Doug Hescox, who oversees area code relief efforts on behalf of the statewide telecommunications industry, says the introduction of the 760 area code will not affect the price of telephone calls. "Call distance determines call price. What is a local call now will remain a local call regardless of the area code change." He also says the area code's introduction will not affect customers' seven-digit phone numbers. "Only the area code portion of their phone number will change."

***

    Recent clinical research has shed new light on treating the frightening mystery of memory loss — a malady which likely affects more than half of the world's population over age 65. The research hinges around a few naturally occurring ingredients — primarily phosphatidylserine (PS) and gingko bilboa extract (GbE), which, when combined with other ingredients, form a potent "memory cocktail" — that have actually reversed the cognition skills of subjects.
    A study on PS led by the Memory Assessment Clinics of Bethesda, Md., involved 149 subjects ranging in age from 50-75. Subjects were given PS at 300 mg. a day versus a placebo for 12 weeks. During the 12-week experiment, subjects improved in nearly every cognition category. According to the study, published in Neurology, subjects "rolled back the clock" by roughly 12 years in Name-Face Acquisition. In other words, subjects with a cognitive age of 64 were restored to a cognitive age of 52 after taking PS. GbE is a widely known chemical which effects memory. But a remarkable new study funded by the Institut de Produits de Synthese et d'Extraction Naturelle in Paris found that patients more than doubled their ability to recall pictures only one hour after GbE supplementation.
    Researchers believe that PS and GbE work by increasing blood flow throughout the body, and, in particular, boosting supplies of oxygen and glucose in the brain, which helps protect and maintain healthy brain tissue. This results in heightened alertness, a greater sense of well-being and sharper memory.
So far, one over-the-counter product has been developed based on the findings of these studies. The Memory Supplement, manufactured by Real Health Laboratories Inc., of San Diego, incorporates PH and GbE to make a potent "memory cocktail." According to the manufacturer, the supplement has been developed according to the strict standards of the FDA in carefully calibrated dosages determined solely by clinical research.
    Although PS and GbE have improved mild cases of Alzheimer's disease and it is believed that continued treatment may prevent further deterioration, Real Health warns that its Memory Supplement is not intended to relieve the effects of severe memory impairment or replace the need for proper medical care.
    According to Real Health, The Memory Supplement is available in most pharmacies and drug stores as well as by mail order. "We should also be listed in the AARP Pharmacy Service soon," says William Bunten, co-founder of Real Health.

***

September 12, 1997


    Cymer Inc. today is responding to recent analyst reports. These reports draw conclusions that Cymer lasers are negatively impacting Nikon Corp.'s ability to ship DUV steppers to chip makers. Such conclusions are not supported by Cymer or Nikon.
    "Nikon is concerned by the recent reports and disputes the suggestion that Cymer's product or performance is limiting our DUV stepper and scanner ramp-up," says Teruo Shimamura, managing director of Nikon's IC and LCD Equipment Business Headquarters. "There are no technical problems in Cymer's lasers that are keeping Nikon from shipping DUV steppers. Our lithography tools using Cymer excimer lasers have been successfully installed in many chip-maker production lines and are in use for the production of advanced integrated circuits."
    "We take our responsibility as the market leader very seriously," says Robert Akins, Cymer's chief executive officer and president. "As we have previously announced, we began a continuous improvement program (CIP) in the first quarter of this year. The ongoing objective of the CIP program is to improve our product's mean-time-between-failure (MTBF) performance and reduce its cost of ownership (COO)."
    Big 5 is the project name for Cymer's most recent implementation for some of these technical improvements. To the extent that it has been reported to Cymer, even lasers that have not had the Big 5 implementation are operating well in line with typical industry MTBF performance. Implementation of the improvement program began in August of this year in close cooperation with Cymer's direct customers and chip makers. Cymer took additional warranty reserves totaling $4.9 million in the first six months of this year specifically to account for the estimated cost of the improvement program.
    Further improvements of COO of excimer laser-powered DUV steppers and scanners are projected with Big 5 before the anticipated chip mass production ramp-up in 1998. Cymer, with headquarters in San Diego, is the leading provider of excimer laser illumination sources for use in deep ultraviolet photolithography systems targeted at the pilot and production segments of the semiconductor manufacturing market.

***

    San Diego’s Indian tribes have strong support among San Diego County residents for their efforts to retain video gaming machines in their casinos. A poll conducted in August by JMM Research, a leading Sacramento-based survey research firm, shows that more than 80 percent of respondents agree with calls that Gov. Pete Wilson should begin negotiations that will allow the tribes to retain the machines.
    In the survey, 86 percent of the respondents agree with Supervisor Dianne Jacob, who says that the "Governor should begin to negotiate a compact immediately" with each of the tribes. Gaming compacts are the agreements which specify the type of gaming equipment allowable on Indian reservations. Governor Wilson is required by federal law to negotiate compacts with tribes interested in operating gaming facilities.
    The vast majority of respondents, 84 percent, says they were aware that local tribes were phasing out video gaming machines and 85 percent of all respondents agree with the process being taken by U.S. Attorney Alan Bersin under the terms of an interim agreement. When asked their opinion about local Indian tribes being forced to phase out the machines, 52 percent of respondents says they flatly opposed such a move.
    "We have acted in good faith and are glad to see the community supports our position," says Clifford LaChappa, chairman of the Barona Band of Mission Indians. "Our gaming enterprises deserve the governor's support as well."

***

    Commissioner of Corporations Keith Paul Bishop Thursday says that on Aug. 15 Vista Behavioral Health Plans filed with the Department of Corporations an application seeking approval of the commissioner of corporations to convert the health plan from a nonprofit mutual- benefit corporation to a for-profit corporation and approval for the purchase of Vista Behavioral Health Plans by Green Spring Health Services Inc.
    Vista Behavioral Health Plans is a health-care service plan licensed and regulated by the Department of Corporations pursuant to the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, as amended.
Vista Behavioral Health Plans currently is licensed to do business in the San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco areas.
    Prior to ruling on the application, the commissioner of corporations will solicit public comments in written form and hold at least one public hearing concerning Vista Behavioral Health Plans' proposal to comply with the statutory requirements governing applications for conversion of nonprofit health-care service plans to for-profit health-care service plans.
    The application, filed as a Notice of Material Modification to Vista Behavioral Health Plans' license, is available for public viewing at the San Diego (619/525-4233), San Francisco (415/557-3738), Sacramento (916/445-7205) and Los Angeles (213/735-2741) offices of the Department of Corporations. To make arrangements to view the application, contact the department's nearest office.

***

    The world's largest meeting of electronic retailers gets underway this weekend at NIMA International's Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Diego. The annual gathering of company representatives involved in infomercials, short-form commercials, television shopping channels and multimedia marketing will get underway Sunday at noon and finish with the annual NIMA awards dinner on Tuesday.
    NIMA International's meeting, "Electronic Retailing Worldwide: Marketplace of the Next Millennium," is expected to attract nearly 3,000 electronic retailers to the San Diego Convention Center and San Diego Marriott hotel over its three day duration.

***

    Qualcomm Inc. has reached a major milestone with the shipment of over one thousand QCell Base station Transceiver Subsystems to Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) operators in Asia, Eastern Europe, North America and Latin America. The most recent shipments are destined for Chile, where Qualcomm is deploying a nationwide CdmaOne network for ChileSat PCS, the first CDMA operator deploying a Personal Communications Services network in Latin America.
    Qualcomm's high-performance base stations can be used in PCS, cellular, fixed wireless, and hybrid applications in the 800 MHz and 1900 MHz bands, and the company’s line of BTS products has recently been branded "QCell." The QCell 2519e BTS, which is being deployed in Chile, is an environmental unit specifically designed for PCS deployments. Other models include the QCell 3508i, an indoor BTS designed for high-capacity cellular system with dual- carrier support and high reliability, and the QCell 3519i for high-capacity PCS deployments.

***

September 11, 1997


    The cool, former San Diego Trust and Savings Bank headquarters building on Broadway Downtown will be redeveloped into a 224 room Courtyard by Marriott, says the Amstar Group LTD.
    The Amstar Group purchased the building today for $3.5 million. Sage Hospitality Resources, LLC will serve as the developer on the conversion of the 1928-vintage property and will be the hotel manager upon completion of the renovation. Located just outside the Gaslamp Quarter at 540 Broadway, the project is expected to break ground sometime after the first of the year. "Sage is excited about maintaining its commitment to urban renewal and at the same time meeting the needs of the hotel market," says Sage CEO Zack Neumeyer.
    The overall project will cost $23.8 million, which includes the purchase price of the $3.5 million, while restoration and construction costs will total $20.3 million.
The San Diego Project is Sage's second hotel project with The Amstar Group. Amstar is currently completing a conversion of a former Holiday Inn in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., into a 280 room full-service Doubletree Hotel, which Sage will manage.
    The former bank building is currently on the State Register of Historic Places in California. Sage will work to maintain and preserve as much of the original architecture as possible. Amstar and Sage are working to have the building placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
    David Agnew, CEO of Amstar says "This project reflects Amstar's belief in the strength and vitality of the San Diego market." This acquisition is Amstar's second in sixty days in San Diego. On July 25, 1997 Amstar acquired 110 Plaza a 320,000 square foot office building for $26 million.
    "Downtown San Diego is a strong market for development and (Amstar's) purchase of the stately former San Diego Trust & Savings Bank Building confirms that fact," says Peter Hall, president of the Centre City Development Corp. "Sage's plan to convert it into a hotel is added good news, indeed, and fits with CCDC's plans for the surrounding area. We welcome this notable company and their expertise to San Diego, and look forward to a mutually successful relationship."
    Amstar is a real estate investment company based in Denver, Colorado. Amstar's investment portfolio consists of office buildings, hotels, resorts and apartments located through the United States.
Sage Hospitality Resources is a hotel manager, developer and owner. Based in Denver, Colorado, Sage has a portfolio of 48 hotels nationwide that generated $175 million in revenue last year. Sage's current focus is on the future development of extended-stay hotels as well as full service urban core properties consisting of historic properties and boutique hotels.

***

    Scott Adams, cartoon hero of the working world and creator of the fastest-growing comic strip in the nation, Dilbert, will make the keynote address at the Tour of Technology, sponsored by Pacific Bell, at the San Diego Convention Center on Friday, Oct. 3.
    Also on Oct. 3, the Tour will feature speaker Soledad O'Brien, host of MSNBC's "The Site" and former Emmy-winning NBC producer/reporter. Additional speeches will be made throughout the day by president and COO of Sony Electronics Carl Yankowski, president and CEO of @Home Network Tom Jermoluk, and several others.
    Adams, a former Pacific Bell employee, began syndicating Dilbert to newspapers in 1989, and in 1993, his creation became the first interactive comic strip appearing on America Online, launching a cyber-funnies revolution. To date, Dilbert appears in more than 1,550 papers in 17 languages and 41 countries, proving that his philosophy on the doldrums and absurdities of the workplace unanimously agrees with the masses.
    The Tour, produced by the Greater San Diego Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the successful INSIGHTS World Conference (Oct. 4) will take on an expanded two-day format, with more than 50 leading San Diego-based high-technology companies unveiling their latest products.
In addition to the featured speakers, the Tour will showcase the Classroom of the Future, a career fair and more than 20 additional break-out sessions, including demonstrations/question & answer sessions. Participating companies include Qualcomm, Microsoft, Sony Technology Center-San Diego, SAIC, Cox Communications and Saturn-San Diego showcasing the EV1 electric car. Tour tickets are $20 for a two-day pass.
    This year’s INSIGHTS World Conference will feature former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, 62nd Secretary of State James Baker, poet and author Maya Angelou, and others.
    To purchase tickets for the Tour or the INSIGHTS World Conference, or for additional information, call the INSIGHTS offices at 619/544-1390. The Oct. 4 symposium will also be broadcast live at http://www.insightsworldconf.com.

***

September 10, 1997

    John MacLeod, the National Dispatch Center Inc.'s chairman and CEO, has received the 1997 Chairman's Award from the Personal Communications Industry Association (PCIA), the leading advocacy organization for the wireless communications industry. The award was presented to MacLeod at the PCIA's annual Industry Awards Dinner at the PCS '97 Show in Dallas, TX.
    The Chairman's Award is one of four Leadership WAVE Awards (Wireless Awards for Vision and Excellence). The WAVE awards are presented annually by the PCIA to individuals and businesses whose contributions to wireless communications benefit the entire wireless industry. Leadership WAVE Award categories are: the Chairman's Award, the Technology Award, the Technician-of-the-Year Awards, and the Albert F. Gore, Jr. LifePage Achievement Award.
    "John MacLeod represents the very best that the wireless communications industry has to offer - a commitment to excellence and a dedication to helping find new ways for our industry to reach out to the people who need our services the most," says Jay Kitchen, president of the PCIA.
    MacLeod, who founded NDC in 1990, was chosen to receive the Chairman's Award for his significant contributions to the wireless industry. Now seven years old, NDC is recognized as the nation's premier wireless messaging services gateway company. It has approximately 1,400 employees, and processes more than seven million messages per month for over 1,500 wireless carriers and resellers across the US from its 70,000 sq. ft. headquarters, and 46,000 sq. ft. Technology and Operations Center, both located in San Diego.

***

    Desmos Inc., a privately-held cell and tissue enhancement company, has completed a $9 million round of financing, the company’s third. To date Desmos has raised $15 million. New investors participating in the financing included Biotechvest, L.P., Graystone Venture Partners, The Goldman Sachs Group, L.P and Sorrento Ventures. Desmos' current investors, Alta Partners, Sanderling and the Walden Group also participated. The company plans to use the newly-raised funds to move its periodontal product into clinical trials, to continue its islet cell research, to develop additional applications of its biocoating technology and for general working capital purposes.
    Desmos Inc. is a development-stage company in the emerging field of cell and tissue enhancement. Through the company’s proprietary extracellular-matrix technology platform, Desmos plans to develop and market new treatments for cost-effective tissue repair and replacement. Initial applications are in periodontal disease, diabetes therapy and biocoatings. Desmos is privately held and headquartered in San Diego, Calif.

***

    New Dimension Software says that Viewpoints '98, the company’s ninth annual international user conference, will be held June 14-18, 1998 at the San Diego Hilton Beach and Tennis Resort in San Diego. The Viewpoints `98 international conference is expected to draw more than 400 IT professionals worldwide. During the week-long conference, more, than 30 technical sessions and panel discussions will focus on the issues faced by organizations today as they strive to manage large, complex computing environments. The scheduled sessions and panel discussions will provide in- depth analyses of critical systems management disciplines such as enterprise production management, enterprise output management and enterprise security management.
    Additionally, conference attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the numerous resources that are available to them, such as the company’s Internet-based customer services and the Professional services division. Members of the Company's Alliance Partner Program will be on hand to talk about their products that are complementary to those of New Dimension Software.
    "As data centers today evolve to meet the business demands of large organizations, IT professionals need to be able to exchange information on the most advanced systems management technologies available," says Darroll Buytenhuys, New Dimension Software's chief operating officer. "The Viewpoints international user conference provides IT professionals with a comprehensive forum where they can examine the latest solutions for the enterprise. We look forward to joining our customers and colleagues in exploring solutions to the critical technical and business issues facing our industry."
    For more information and to register for Viewpoints `98, contact Rachel Huie in the New Dimension Software marketing department at (714) 757-4300, ext. 313. Inquiries can also be directed to the sales department at (800) 347-4694, ext. 522, or to the New Dimension Software home page at http://www.ndsoft.com. For inquiries outside of North America, contact the company’s headquarters in Tel Aviv at 972-3-645-1111.

***

    MitoKor says that the company, through the Biotechnology STAR (BioSTAR) project, is partnering with the University of California Regents and the state of California to provide over $500,000 to fund part of its diabetes research. The research will focus on mitochondrial defects and the etiology of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, and will be conducted out of the laboratory of Jerrold M. Olefsky at the University of California, San Diego.
    "We are pleased to see that MitoKor's NIDDM research has qualified for the UC BioSTAR Program," says Robert E. Davis, MitoKor's president and CSO. "We have been successful in providing scientific evidence for mitochondrial DNA association with diabetes and are currently initiating discovery efforts to isolate the genetic event responsible for this dysfunction. "With over $500,000 directed to NIDDM research through this partnership, we hope to link specific mutations in mitoDNA to the onset of NIDDM, as we have previously succeeded in doing for Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease."
    "The BioSTAR program, initiated under the direction of UC President Richard Atkinson, provides funding to expand cooperative research and development programs like this, in which MitoKor is honored to be a participant," says Standish Fleming, General Partner of Forward Ventures, one of MitoKor's early investors. The UC BioSTAR Project was developed to draw California businesses into research partnerships with University researchers and students. The goals of the program are to accelerate the pace of R&D in California, create the next generation of technologies and products, open new markets for California businesses, increase investment in California businesses, create new, high paying jobs for Californians, educate California's future high tech work force, and to improve health care, food production, and the environment for Californians. BioSTAR is a three-way biotech partnership involving the state, industry, and the University to drive the California economy. Launched in July, 1996, the BioSTAR project has already invested in 46 critical research partnerships between California Biotech and UC researchers. The total value devoted to these projects is equivalent to $12 million in funding from the state, California industry, and UC.
    MitoKor is a pharmacogenomics company focused initially on developing therapeutics and diagnostic metrics for diseases caused or affected by abnormalities in the mitochondrial genome. In recent papers published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and the Annals of Neurology, MitoKor scientists and collaborators reported data showing that defects in energy metabolism caused by mutations in mitoDNA contribute to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

***

September 9, 1997


    Another dark spot in the Gaslamp Quarter, the Aztec Theater at the corner of Fifth Avenue and G Street, is about to come alive. Street Retail West has leased the two-story, 10,000-square-foot location to Urban Outfitters. Renovation work starts in October with the opening in January. The Downtown site is directly across G Street from the new Pacific Theater 15-plex scheduled to open next month.

***

    Bank of America will present tomorrow a $25,000 gift to SDSU's Community Economic Development Program. Presenting will be Doug Sawyer, executive vice president and regional manager in San Diego for BofA, and Susan Howard, vice president of Bank of America Corporate Community Development in San Francisco. Accepting will be Harold Brown, director and founder of the CED certificate program, which begins its third class Sept. 13. Call 594-6437 for enrollment information in the program offered through SDSU's College of Business Administration and the College of Extended Studies.

***

    Starving for a Quarter Pounder but short on cash? Despair not. ATM machines are being installed in San Diego McDonald's by XtraCash ATM. A portion of the per-transaction fee will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

***

September 8, 1997


    Cymer Inc. corporate officials explained today the decision to withdraw from a financial conference last week and reiterated confidence in the company’s performance and industry fundamentals. Cymer representatives scheduled to present at Needham & Co.'s semiconductor equipment conference last Wednesday received same day notification of a potential development that could have affected the company’s near term financial performance.
    "This potential development was consistent with my observations in our second quarter earnings release that Cymer's shipments are determined not only by our ability to execute but also by fluctuations in our customers' rate of DUV tool shipments," explained Cymer president and chief executive officer, Robert Akins. "In this case the issue came to our attention shortly before the Needham conference. We deemed it prudent and appropriate to withdraw from the conference to assess the matter and our response." says Akins.
    Senior vice president and chief financial officer William Angus commented, "This particular issue has been resolved, just as we have resolved similar situations in previous quarters. The timing with respect to the conference and the company’s third quarter end demanded caution and a carefully planned response on our part," says Angus. "We have had to make some adjustments in our operating plans for the remainder of the quarter which certainly creates more risk this late in the quarter. However, our best understanding is that the fundamental market forces driving chipmaker demand for DUV lithography tools remain strong and unchanged. During this transition to DUV there will be stops and re-starts as very complex processes are installed and qualified by the industry," says Angus.

***

    Value in big ticket cars and trucks is more than mere price, reports San Diego-based Strategic Vision. The research company today released its 1997 Total Value Index naming the winners in 14 categories.
    "New car and truck owners consider the totality of what they got for their money — the product itself, the dealership experience as well as the cost of ownership, durability, expected resale value, in addition to the price — when they decide whether or not they won or lost in buying a new vehicle," says Daniel A. Gorrell, Strategic Vision vice president. "Our study shows clearly that Saturn owners as a group believe they got a terrific value when they bought their cars. The survey results show these owners are more satisfied with the value of their purchase than the owners of considerably more expensive and luxurious cars."
    Here, based on Strategic Vision's study, are the 1997 Total Value Winners:

Small Car, Saturn Sedan.
Compact car, Honda Accord.
Mid-Size Car, Buick Regal Sedan.
Large Car, Buick LeSabre/Ford Crown Victoria (co-winners).
Lower-Price Sports Car, Saturn Coupe.
Mid-Specialty Car, Pontiac Grand Prix.
Near Luxury Car, BMW 318ti/Lexus ES 300 (co-winners).
Luxury Car, Acura RL/Lexus LS 400 /Lexus SC 300 and SC 400 (co-winners).
Lower Price Convertible, Volkswagen Cabriolet.
Minivan, Honda Odyssey.
Mid-Size SUV, Mitsubishi Montero.
Full-Size SUV, Ford Expedition.
Compact Pickup, Dodge Dakota/Ford Ranger/Mazda B Series/Toyota Tacoma (co-winners).
Full-Size Pickup, Dodge Ram.
The survey's results are based on the responses of 54,749 new vehicle owners who purchased their 1997 models in the first quarter of 1997 and had driven them for a least 90 days. Vehicles with less than a statistically adequate sample were not included. Where no vehicle was statistically ahead of others in its segment, co-winners were named.

    "General Motors Corp. emerges as the company with the most value winners," Gorrell says. "And there are several factors to explain it. "Saturn is the clear leader of all brands because of its high resale value and because of its positive dealer relationship that helps buyers believe they are treated fairly. Other GM divisions are putting the Saturn lessons into practice.
    Here are some of the reasons the winning vehicles won:

Saturn Sedan: Exceptional dealership experience coupled with strong expected durability and resale value for a car in its price class.
Honda Accord: Renowned Honda reliability and craftsmanship with strong expected durability and resale value.
Buick Regal Sedan: Strong new entry with style, handling, ride and power strengths combined with good expected resale value.
Buick LeSabre and Crown Victoria: Both rated well in reliability and expected durability. Crown Victoria was seen as very affordable.
Saturn Coupe: An exceptional dealership experience, reliability and craftsmanship at a good price. Owners believe their Saturn will be durable and offer good resale value.
Pontiac Grand Prix Coupe: Hot styling, handling, power and roadability combined with strong expected resale value.
BMW 318ti/Lexus ES 300: The small BMW excels in handling and roadability at a good price. Lexus provides exceptional reliability, craftsmanship, quietness and good dealership experience with good resale.
Lexus SC 300/SC400/LS 400/Acura RL: All models offer high reliability, craftsmanship and quietness with expected durability and resale value. RL owners like the deal, and Lexus offers a strong dealership experience.
VW Cabriolet: A ragtop with reliability and European craftsmanship coupled with strong expected durability and resale value.
Honda Odyssey: This small minivan offers hallmark Honda attributes of reliability and craftsmanship with superior expected durability and resale.
Mitsubishi Montero: Strong reliability, styling and handling with strong durability and resale at a good price or deal.
Ford Expedition: With exceptional room and style, this vehicle also offers strong perceived durability.
Toyota Tacoma/Ford Ranger/Mazda B Series/Dodge Dakota: The larger Dakota offers many product advantages while the smaller trucks deliver affordability.
Dodge Ram: Offers buyers strong styling and roominess with expected durability and resale value.

***

 September 5, 1997

    Diversa Corp. (formerly Recombinant Biocatalysis Inc.) has signed a two-year bioprospecting agreement with Bogor Agricultural University in Indonesia. The agreement provides Diversa with samples from Indonesia's diverse habitats, which range from barren volcanoes to lush tropical jungles. Microorganisms from these samples, which will be collected by scientists from the University, may yield unique enzymes, reports Terrance J. Bruggeman, CEO of Diversa.
    The agreement was signed in a ceremony during the university's annual Dies Natalis of Institut Pertanian Bogor held in Bogor, Indonesia, and was attended by a number of dignitaries from the university and the Indonesian government. As part of the deal, Diversa will assist the university in establishing a Center for Microbial Diversity, the first of its kind in this area of the world. It also will pay royalties to the university for enzymes developed from research there which are commercialized for industrial or pharmaceutical applications.
    Under the agreement, a majority of the sampling activities will be performed by scientists from Bogor Agricultural University. Diversa will provide sampling supplies and equipment, and will conduct training sessions at the university in Indonesia and at Diversa's headquarters in San Diego.
This is the fourth bioprospecting agreement Diversa has signed since it was founded in 1994. The most recent was signed in August 1997 with Yellowstone National Park, the first agreement of its kind in the United States. The other agreements are with Iceland and Costa Rica.
    Diversa scientists have discovered more than 300 novel enzymes. These enzymes were cloned or derived from microorganisms found in some of the most extreme environments on Earth; geothermal pools, ocean floor heat vents and frigid Arctic waters. Able to perform under extreme conditions, these enzymes are ideal for industrial processes that run at very high or very low temperatures, as well as at high pressure.
    Diversa is the world leader in the discovery, modification and manufacture of novel enzymes. Since 1994 it has discovered in excess of 300 proprietary enzymes eclipsing the total number available from all other suppliers. It currently has customers worldwide and has entered into four strategic alliances. Founded in 1994, the company was formerly known as Recombinant Biocatalysis Inc.

***

    Mail Boxes Etc. has scheduled a special shareholders' meeting for Oct. 22 where it will ask shareholders to approve the principal terms of the proposed merger transaction with U.S. Office Products Co. The transaction is expected to close by the end of October. The meeting will be held at MBE's headquarters, 6060 Cornerstone Court.
    Mail Boxes Etc. is the world's largest franchisor of retail business, communication and postal service centers. There are more than 3,400 MBE centers operating worldwide, with master licensing agreements in place for the development of the MBE business in 54 countries around the world. In the United States, MBE centers are owned and operated by licensed franchisees of Mail Boxes Etc., USA, Inc. Outside the United States, MBE centers are owned and operated by master licensees or their franchisees. MBE maintains a Web site at http://www.mbe.com

***

    San Diego franchise executives, through the International Franchise Association, the world's largest trade group that represents them, are planning to form a grassroots Franchise Business Network to protect their business and legislative interests. The organization's first meeting is Sept. 17 at the Doubletree Hotel Del Mar.
    The regularly scheduled Franchise Business Network meetings will offer how-to programs, business opportunities and political education for San Diego’s franchise community, who comprise nearly half of all IFA member franchises in California. IFA's pilot network, launched in Houston in October 1996, won its first political scrimmage by defeating a proposed city-wide minimum wage hike. Houston's success has prompted plans to establish networks in major cities throughout the country.
    Since IFA's inception in 1960, its members have worked to enhance and safeguard the business environment for franchising around the world. Today, more than 30,000 franchisors, franchisees, consultants, attorneys, educational institutions and overseas associations make IFA the authority on the business strategy introduced and perfected by American entrepreneurs.
    "San Diego’s many franchisors and franchisees will strengthen their companies by adopting the experiences of their peers, some of whom are pioneers of the concept," says IFA President Don DeBolt. "This is crucial to the small-business franchisee and the large franchisor alike." DeBolt will kick off the meeting, and Taco Bell Corp. Government and Community Affairs Senior Director Chris Townsend will underscore the importance of growing local franchise communities uniting to drive key business-oriented political initiatives. Attendees will direct the network's future by suggesting educational topics and volunteering to participate on committees.
    The breakfast meeting, slated for 7-9 a.m., is free to any San Diego area franchisor, franchisee, attorney, accountant or consultant active in franchising.
    In the U.S., where franchising is growing between 10 percent and 12 percent each year, one in 12 small businesses is a franchise, providing jobs for more than 8 million Americans. Franchised sales are expected to generate $1 trillion for the U.S. economy by the year 2000.

***

 September 4, 1997

    San Diego has been chosen to host the 21st annual Joint Business Conference of the US-ROC and ROC-US Business Councils. The Dec. 1-4 gathering takes place at the Hyatt Regency San Diego. Because the United States has no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, the annual conference is used as the primary means for Taiwan and the U.S. to promote the commercial objectives of their senior level business and political leaders.
    During the event, the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. is planning a San Diego Investment Center for Dec. 4. The 500 delegates attending the conference are being invited to attend.

***

    The threat of torrential rain storms from El Nino weather conditions is making commercial property owners in San Diego nervous, reports Jim Thomson , general manager of Sully-Jones Roofing Co. in El Cajon. "Our phones have been ringing off the walls with calls from commercial property owners and managers concerned about El Nino and the potential for serious storm and water damage," Thomson says. "People are really concerned."

***

    A slew of San Diego celebrities will get "dunked" on Sunday, Sept. 7, during the Street Scene Family Day event. The "Dunk Your Demons" dunk tank is a community collaboration between Second Chance, Street Scene and Eagle 94.1 FM to raise money for Second Chance programs. The cost to throw three balls is $5.
    Celebrity "dunkees" include activists Mike Aguire and Bruce Henderson; Larry Burns from the Private Industry Council; Cecil Steppe, director of the Department of Social Services; Dean Rohrbach, executive director of San Diego Neighborhood Housing Services; and state Sen. Dede Alpert.

***

    The number of volunteers working for the city of San Diego rose by 50 percent to 23,884 in the last fiscal year, saving the city more than $10.5 million. Another 6,134 residents served on city boards and commissions.

***

September 3, 1997

    John MacLeod , CEO of Kearny Mesa-based National Dispatch Center , knows the space business. He had a long career with NASA and was in the control room during Apollo 13 . As far as Mir is concerned, MacLeod's of the mind that it’s time to abandon the aging Russian space station. "One of the NASA crewman that was up there, I don’t want to give his name, described his time as 'we ate, we slept, and we fixed Mir,'" he reports.

***

    Should a new main library be built at a different location than the planned site adjacent to One America Plaza and across from the Santa Fe Depot? Mike McDade, a Port District commissioner, raised the question at a recent meeting of the North Embarcadero Alliance. "I'd like to keep the options open," says McDade, an Alliance member. "My suggestion was that if that site runs into any problems and (the project) can’t be the best library we can create, is there a possibility that we can find a better site. That's not to say the site they already have acquired does not have some use. They could always sell it... I wouldn't even mention it if the current project was fully funded and ready to roll."
    McDade's comments followed a city presentation on street improvements in front of the depot that will pinch and slow traffic flow on Kettner Boulevard, now the only through street running by the proposed library.
    So if not there, then where? McDade offers no precise locations, although he says his "personal view would be not be on the waterfront, but somewhere on the other portions of the North Embarcadero. On the bay side of the rail road tracks." Asked whether the County Administration Building's Pacific Highway parking lots fit his criteria, McDade says they're probably worth a look. "Jim Hall still thinks the county building should house the library," he says with a chuckle.

***

    The Monaghan Co., a Scottsdale real estate developer, has finalized a deal with SDG&E to acquire the landmark Station B building Downtown at the corner of Broadway and Kettner Boulevard. The price was not disclosed; the transaction is not expected to officially close for up to six months.
    The Monaghan Co. is owned and managed by James G. Monaghan of Phoenix. He says the building will be redeveloped as a major mixed-use project. The San Diego office of Tanner Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects is developing design concepts. Look for completion sometime in 2000.