In hard dollars, San Diego’s gross regional product will grow 6.3 percent to $137.9 billion in 2004, reports the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. County commerce will represent 9.05 percent of the California economy — up from 8.91 percent this year — and 1.21 percent of the nation’s output — up from 1.19 percent. The county’s 1.25 million jobs are the eighth most of any region in the nation.

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The Rancho Bernardo Chamber’s campaign to provide computers to fire victims has so far put CPUs, monitors and printers into the hands of 65 home-based businesses, private schools and children. Chamber CEO Gary Powers says the idea came after the chamber started helping victims find housing. “As I started visiting the various centers, the families were saying, ‘how do we log onto the FEMA and SBA assistance sites?’” So a campaign was born, one that nearly overwhelmed the chamber. This month, Powers expects to turn the remaining machines — some, unfortunately, junk — and programs over to a fire victims’ assistance center.

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Stephanie Jourdan leaves her job as marketing manager of the Hotel del Coronado this month for a venture worthy of Magellan. She and husband Rodolphe Jourdan depart Jan. 11 from Shelter Island for a three-year cruise around the world aboard their 42-foot cutter Vaya con Dios. No crew, but there will be their boxer Babette and could be a new coxswain; the couple plans to start a family along the way. “We start trying in March,” says the stalwart Stephanie.

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Office interior designer Janice Howard just spent $1.4 million to buy the Red Cross Building in Coronado. It’s the first of the Red Cross real estate assets being sold around the county. The oft-renovated commercial building, located across from the Hotel del Coronado at 1113 Adella Ave., was bought in the 1950s by the Red Cross to house nurses and later to provide community outreach services. Howard will renovate the building, which at one time was the servants quarters to the Spreckels Mansion, to resemble its famous neighbor to the south.

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The San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum is looking for volunteers to help with ship restoration and exhibit construction for the USS Midway once the retired aircraft carrier arrives in San Diego next month. Details are at midway.org.

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7-Eleven Inc. has signed a 10-year, $626,914 lease for 1,808 square feet of space in the Camden Tuscany retail center at the northwest corner of Kettner and Cedar Streets in Little Italy, reports Burnham Real Estate — Oncor International. The store moves into its new location in January. Burnham’s Bill Shrader represented the lessee, as well as the lessor, Camden Development Inc.

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A 42,500-square-foot Downtown property at 460 16th St. has been sold for $7 million. The buyer, Western Pacific Housing, will develop a 200-unit condominium project. The seller was Island Properties. Victor Krebs of Colliers International represented the buyer. Mike Morgan of Cotton-Ritchie represented the seller.

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Among the larger vessels in for work recently at Driscoll Boat Works and Kettenburg Boat Yard are the megayacht Lady Lola (left) and the late 1700s frigate replica HMS Surprise from the new movie ‘Master and Commander.’ The ships’ service amounted to $400,000 and $50,000, says Chuck Driscoll. He reveals that the rust seen on the frigate in the movie was airbrushed and her seemingly weighty movie anchors amidships were made of foam and Fiberglas. ‘A normal anchor is not carried there,’ Driscoll says. The Surprise (formerly the Rose) now is at the Embarcadero where it opens to the public Dec. 5 under a confidential San Diego Maritime Museum agreement with 20th Century Fox.

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In late November elections, the Centre City Advisory Committee that advises the CCDC and City Council on Downtown development filled 18 open seats. Elected to two-year terms on the 28-member board were, in the residential owner occupant category, John C. Lawrence (Cortez), Paul Robinson (Horton), Ellen Hoffman (Marina) and Larry Marshall (Marina). The new residential tenant representatives are: D.R. Peck (Gaslamp), Robert Daniels (East Village), Art Salzberg (East Village) and Ron W. Jones (Cortez).

The open business owner seats were filled by: Shannon Cernich (Marina), Lloyd Russell (Little Italy), Bill Keller (Gaslamp), Michael Witkin (East Village), Eli Fernald (East Village), Judith Becker (Cortez), and Steve Estrada (Horton). One business owner seat was available in the Core II district, but there were no applicants. Antonio Piscitello of the San Diego Downtown Partnership was elected to the open civic community organizations seat. Michael Summers of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra Association now represents cultural community organizations, and Charles Hansen of The Salvation Army is the charitable community organizations representative.

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Making way for its new residential high-rise project, the Douglas Wilson Cos. began preparing the site immediately north of the developer’s successful Parkloft residences in the East Village neighborhood of Downtown San Diego. Demolition on the 60,000-square-foot block will initially make way for a 225-space parking lot, while residential construction of the site is expected to begin in the spring of 2004.

The parking lot, which is bounded by Market and Island streets and Eighth and Ninth avenues, will open in late December. It will be operated by Central Parking and encompass 45,000 square feet of the block. The remaining 15,000 square feet is occupied by Gaslamp Liquor, which will be demolished when residential construction begins in May.

This second and larger project, still unnamed, will reach skyward some 380 feet, making its 31-floors the tallest in East Village.

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San Diego Repertory Theatre presents an encore production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5 through Dec. 28 on the Lyceum Stage. Tickets — $17.50 to $42.50 — can be purchased at the Rep’s Box Office, 79 Horton Plaza in San Diego or by calling (619) 544-1000 or online at www.sandiegorep.com.

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Local Cooley Godward lawyers Matthew T. Browne and Michelle Doolin are among 10 Cooley associates elected to join the firm’s partnership. Browne focuses on the general corporate representation of publicly traded and emerging growth companies. Doolin handles complex business litigation with an emphasis on the representation of companies in a variety of consumer and wage and hour class actions.

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Leading Jewelers of the World, a New York-based trade organization, has nominated George Carter Jessop Jeweler as its San Diego member. “Leading Jewelers of the World selects only premier market leaders in retail jewelry for membership,” says LJW’s Susan Lebo. “The retail jeweler must abide by the standards and practices set forth by the association. These include routine inspections, a myriad of compliance issues regarding training of personnel, product quality, the aesthetic experience of the store and customer care.”

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Away With Clutter Inc. owners Dana H. Korey and Micha Kuechenhoff are offering an “extreme clutter and design makeover” to a lucky homeowner, while raising funds for two good causes. Contestants must send a $10 check payable either to the YWCA Becky’s House or the American Red Cross along with a photo of the space to be de-cluttered and redesigned, and a brief note with your name, phone, address, e-mail and 250 words or less on why you need this makeover. Deadline for entry is Jan. 31. Entries can be mailed to Away With Clutter, 14739 Camino Vista Estrellado, Del Mar, CA 92014. Forms are available at www.awaywithclutter.com.

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With prices thought of as extinct in San Diego County, the new mountain view community of Campo Hills has started preview sales of 222 single-family, detached homes in single-level, three and four bedroom designs priced from the low $200,000s. The community is to include baseball and soccer fields, two basketball courts, a tot lot with play equipment, RV parking and private swimming pool. Four one-story floorplans are offered, ranging from 1,416 to 1,965 square feet and from three to four bedrooms, with two baths and two-car garage. Campo Hills is within the Mountain Empire Unified school district. Call (619) 478-1258 for more.

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Golita National Bank has opened a loan production office on Mira Mesa Boulevard and broker Mark Demascole says the market is booming with building purchases. Demascole, $800 million Golita’s v.p. of San Diego business banking, joined the lender after seven months with BofA’s small business banking unit. Working with commercial real estate brokers like Colliers and BRE, Demascole says he competes in San Diego’s market by offering no-deposit deals as low as $200,000 with a “womb to tomb” time of 30 to 35 days.

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Lundstrom & Associates has been awarded the planning and engineering contract for area No. 38 within the master-planned community of 4S Ranch in San Diego. That’s where William Lyon Homes will build a 326-unit project that includes 199 attached townhomes and 127 detached clustered condominiums on 25 acres.

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Ms. Frizzle and Scholastic’s The Magic School Bus are returning to the Natural History Museum for performances sponsored by the San Diego Water Department. The shows on the first and third Sundays of each month teach children the important role water plays in their lives and how to use it wisely. “It’s great to have children excited and thirsty for knowledge,” says Jim Stone, the museum’s deputy director of education. The cost for children 3-10 to attend the shows is $2 for non-museum members, plus admission to the museum. Adults and older children are free.

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SAIC and Indus Technology Inc. have received approval of their mentor-protégé agreement by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. The action enters the companies into the Mentor Protégé Program. The program was established to provide incentives for major defense contractors to help small disadvantaged businesses enhance their capabilities and to increase their participation as subcontractors and suppliers under DoD government contracts. Run by Kathleen Sridhar, president and CEO, Indus is a provider of communications, command and control, and computer systems engineering, modeling and simulation, program management, and financial, contracts and administrative services to the DoD and other government agencies.

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The San Diego Convention Center marked its best October ever and predicts a record year in 2004. The center generated $2.2 million in tax revenue for the city and $102.7 million in economic impact during the month — a long way from two years ago when conventions and visitors hurriedly canceled plans after Sept. 11. Between July and September, 192,000 delegates attended 16 conventions and trade shows, producing $7.8 million in tax revenue for the city and $363.8 million in economic impact — up 68 percent over last year and the best first quarter in the center’s 14-year history.

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Centex Homes has purchased a 10,000-square-foot land parcel in Downtown San Diego for $1.5 million. The property is located on the southwest corner of Market and 15th streets. The seller was Avion Development. Victor Krebs of Colliers International brokered. Centex plans to build an eight-story, 65-unit condo. Project architect is Austin Veum Robbins Partners.

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Science Applications International Corp. has joined San Diego Defcomm. The defense and space technology consortium seeks to connect San Diego defense firms with the federal government, academia and larger contractors for contracts and state and local technology grants.

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Rhule Construction Co. has completed its latest sequence of renovations to the Downtown headquarters of San Diego National Bank. The $90,000 project added a patio and created a 2,000-square-foot employee break room. Dennis Barbieri was project manager. Mari Kramer of Maridon Interiors provided design and space planning.

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The Sycuan Tribe through Sycuan Capital Management Inc. has rolled out the Sycuan U.S. Value Fund, with Brandes Investment Partners as adviser. “It’s the first series,” says Adam Day with Sycuan. “There will be additional ones in the future.” The rollout may be the first time a tribal nation has launched a mutual fund.

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Scripps Mercy Physician Partners are offering a ScriptSave prescription discount card to patients at no charge. The card provides savings of about 20 percent on prescription drugs not covered by insurance and is honored at 250 pharmacies. More than 200 Scripps Mercy staff members are partners. For more on the program, call (619) 260-7245.

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The MAAC Project’s last-minute Christmas shopping comes early, as it readies business sponsorship and donations for its annual children’s holiday party from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 6 at the Wellness Center, 2345 E. Eighth St. in National City. To help MAAC’s party or its other 37 service sites, call (619) 426-3595.

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County Supervisor Greg Cox and District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis present a free conference on identity theft from 9 to 11 a.m. Dec. 9 in the Board of Supervisors chambers, Room 310, 1600 Pacific Highway. To reserve a seat, call (619) 531-5511.

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In a quest to streamline the home- buying experience, the local division of D.R. Horton Homes-Western Pacific Housing has opened a new CH Mortgage Division in Carlsbad. The company bills the office as ‘a revelation of new ideas, new technologies, new loan products, all combined with some of the top lending professionals in Southern California.’ Gary Means is the manager. Call (760) 476-9960.

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How to download and dissect demographics and other data will be covered in a one-day workshop offered on a choice of Jan. 21, 22 or 23 at New Horizons Computer Learning Center. The workshop includes a workbook and CD. Cost is $225.
For more, visit www.smartgirltechnologies.com or call (877) 241-6576.

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February being a month devoted to hearts, the American Heart Association hosts its annual Go Red for Women luncheon at noon with health and exhibit booths from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 6 at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina. Sue Ebner of Marsh Risk & Insurance Services is a keynote speaker, Pat Brown of Channel 7/39 is mistress of ceremonies, and Jackie Townsend is event chair. Tickets are $100. For more, call (619) 497-5746.

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Hillcrest is looking more fashionable with the recent opening of dk hair at 3739 A Sixth Ave. Owners Kenneth Bradshaw and David Valencia have been creating hairstyles for the fashion runways and small screen for more than 40 years combined. Bradshaw is a British native and can claim the title of British Haircutting Champion and being rated the No. 2 stylist for two years. Valencia, Peruvian by birth, is a graduate of the Beauty Masters in Reno, Nev., and has artistic relationships with Aveda and Toni & Guy. Haircuts start at $40, call (619) 546-4550 for an appointment.

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Vasseur Skincare has expanded to include a spa inside a remodeled Victorian home at 126 Fir St. in Bankers Hill. Vasseur skin products are created by San Diegan Melanie Vasseur, who founded the company in 1987.

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Plato’s Closet, which carries trendy resale apparel for teens, college students and young adults, has made Escondido its first California location. The store features fashionable clothing at nearly 70 percent savings. Available are top brand names like Abercrombie & Fitch, Bebe, Tommy Hilfiger, FUBU and Doc Martens. The store is located at 1220 Auto Park Way in the Target/Mervyn’s Shopping Center. Plato’s Closet has 100 stores nationwide.

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Joyce Belle (Edelbrock) of La Jolla is one of 11 California writers who wrote a true and personal story that was accepted for publication in “Chicken Soup for the Ocean Lover’s Soul.” The book is a collection of stories from around the world that celebrates the magic of our ocean planet. Belle’s story, “The Blind Diver,” depicts the daring tale of underwater diving without the comfort of sight. Fear is barely an issue for Joyce as she recounts the story of a blind diver who taught her how to see.

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Michael J. Pallamary really surveys the San Diego scene in his new book. “Lay of the Land: The History of Land Surveying in San Diego County” charts Gen. Stephen Kearny’s corps of surveyors during the Mexican War, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that established the new border between the United States and Mexico, the county’s changing boundaries, the relocation of the San Diego River, the transformation of False Bay to Mission Bay and many other developments.

Pallamary worked on this book for 20 years. Previously he co-wrote “The History of San Diego Land Surveying Experiences” and the university textbook “Advanced Land Descriptions.” The new book, published by www.1stbooks.com, is $24.50 for the paperback or $5.95 for the electronic book.

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As the year ends, people may look for a way to clean the slate for a new start. “The One Minute Apology: A Powerful Way To Make Things Better” might help. Co-written by book agent Margret McBride, founder of the Margret McBride Literary Agency in La Jolla, and Ken Blanchard, author, speaker and business consultant, this slim volume gives a formula for apology that done correctly could change relationships. Published by Morrow, the 128-page book costs $19.95.