The San Diego Convention Center already has an event booked for 2020. It’s a group of golf course managers, reports center chair Dan McAllister. “They all want to make sure they get their tee times on San Diego’s best courses.”

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Catellus, which controls most of the property surrounding Downtown’s Santa Fe Depot, has been put on notice by CCDC that residential development of its two Broadway-flanking properties will likely be denied. CCDC says the amended terms of the 1993 Development Agreement and Owner Participation Agreement require commercial development like Catellus’ earlier proposal for a 550,000-square-foot office tower on the north side of Broadway and a smaller tower across the street. “We believe those parcels need to be commercially developed,” says Peter Hall, CCDC president. Hall says Bosa Development has acquired the property from Catellus but is aware of the agency’s concerns. “If Nat (Bosa) is going to be the one to (develop), he understands our position,” Hall says. “His response is he is interested in mixed use there. Maybe we will have an office and a hotel with residential. We will have that discussion when it is redeveloped.” With Bosa working on several other condo towers, Hall doesn’t expect any action soon on the Broadway property.

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Nomad the robot is smarter, more mobile and gearing up to play soccer. A creation of the brain team at The Neurosciences Institute, Nomad was featured on the November 2000 cover of San Diego Metropolitan along with his creator, Gerald Edelman, the institute’s director. The machine houses a simulated biological nervous system to sense and learn about its environment, not a pre-programmed artificial intelligence device. The 2004 version has better “eyes” to see a scene with multiple overlapping objects, whiskers to feel its way in the dark and a simulated hippocampus for long-term memory. It also has better “legs,” thanks to a scientific version of the Segway platform and may this summer play in the world’s first robot soccer league.

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Mayor Murphy delivers the annual State of the City address at 6 p.m. Jan. 12 in Golden Hall at the San Diego Concourse Downtown.

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Snowmobile manufacturer Redline Performance Products Inc. of Vista has obtained a $2 million inventory financing line of credit from Community National Bank of Minneapolis. Redline will use the money to support its new 800 Revolt snowmobile line. Sun Capital will serve as the guarantor for the $2 million line of credit, and for a subsequent inventory financing line of credit for up to $10 million.

“We appreciate the support of Community National Bank and Sun Capital LLC, regional institutions that understand the needs of growing businesses like Redline,” says Mark Payne, president and CFO of Redline.

Payne expects Redline to deliver 600 to 700 of these snowmobiles during the 2003-2004 snowmobile season.

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The SBA is adding 11 new sites, in seven states, to its Women’s Business Center Program. One of the new WBCs will be at National University in La Jolla. Sydney Blake, the center’s director, can be reached at (858) 642-8429.

“Women own more than 10 million small businesses in America, and that number is growing,” says SBA Administrator Hector V. Barreto. “SBA’s Women’s Business Centers are a powerful resource for women business owners, and I am proud to announce these new openings.”

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Pulte Homes has begun taking reservations for its ColRich Reserve at The Woods project in South County, set to hold a grand opening in May. Priced from the $800,000s, the houses will have views of mountains, Otay Lakes and green rolling hills, says Jaime Jameson, v.p. of sales and marketing.

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San Diego-headquartered PC Specialists Inc., which operates as Technology Integration Group, was selected by DiversityBusiness.com as a national small business award finalist. Final honors will be announced in March. TIG also is ranked by DiversityBusiness.com as the third largest minority business enterprise in California and 13th largest nationally.

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Kathryn Martin has been appointed interim executive director of the San Diego Performing Arts League while a national search to replace former director Alan Ziter is led by past president Pat JaCoby. Ziter left the league to head the Naval Training Center Arts District. Martin is v.p. of the Arts Consulting Group’s San Diego office.

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More than 10,000 librarians from around the world will be in San Diego Jan. 9-14 for the American Library Association’s midwinter meeting at the San Diego Convention Center. Children’s book awards will be announced, speakers will range from experts on Internet accessibility to best-selling authors and prominent reference materials will be on display. For registration information, call (800) 545-2433.

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Some of boating’s best will be on display at the San Diego Boat Show Jan. 8-11 at the San Diego Convention Center & Marriott Marina. More than 300 boats will be in the meeting hall and more than 100 in the water, making for the largest in-water and convention center boat show in Southern California. For information call (858) 274-9924 or visit sandiegoboatshow.com.

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The chief of the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum is looking forward to working with officials of the Carrizo Gorge Railway that is restarting freight service on the desert line of the San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway. “We wish them the best of luck,” says Jim Lundquist, president of the museum that operates the Campo Railroad Museum. The museum has signed a new 20-year lease for the Campo station at a dollar a year with the Metropolitan Transit System. “We’ve already paid in full for all 20 years,” Lundquist says.

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Feb. 9 is the application deadline for the second annual new business plan competition sponsored by San Diego City College’s Students in Free Enterprise program and supported by Neighborhood National Bank. The contest is open to any budding entrepreneur enrolled this school year at City, Mesa, Southwestern, Cuyamaca or Grossmont community college. Best plans earn cash prizes of $500, $750 and $1,000. For information, call (619) 388-3092.

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Manny Ramirez’ hobby of aerial photography has resulted in a 2004 16-month calendar featuring different photos of Chula Vista. A member of the San Diego Ultralight Association since 1998, Ramirez has accumulated hundreds of aerial photos of the South County. In addition to the pictures of city landmarks and significant sites, the calendar contains information on the county’s second largest city, including key telephone numbers for city services. This is Ramirez’ second calendar. Last year, he produced one partially funded by Otay Ranch organizations. The Chula Vista calendar is priced at $5. For information, call (619) 421-1961.

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The Commandant’s Quarters at the Naval Training Center will serve as the site of Showcase House 2004, the 31st annual event. The May 1 to June 6 showcase, chaired by John O’Brien, is the San Diego Historical Society’s largest fund-raiser, attracting more than 12,000 guests each year. Click on www.sandiegohistory.org for information.

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The 2004 UCSD Economics Roundtable opens its year with a Feb. 18 presentation by Stephen L. Baum, chair and CEO of Sempra Energy. Baum will discuss the reliability of the power grid and the chances for future blackouts. The 7:30-9 a.m. breakfast is at the UCSD Faculty Club. Cost is $50. For information, (858) 822-0510 or www.econ.ucsd.edu/roundtable.

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Fossils found in Otay Ranch during the development process will be on permanent display at the San Diego Natural History Museum in two years. The Pliocene Epoch (4.5 million to 2 million years ago) exhibit will include fossils of whales, sea cows, walruses, fur seals, sharks, sea birds, clams, snails and crustaceans, as well as fossils of horses, mastodons, ocelot-sized cats, camels, rodents, rabbits and skunks. Among the most significant fossil finds is a nearly complete 28-foot skeleton of an extinct species of a 4 million-year-old baleen whale.

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The local chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society has set the dates for its 2004 MS Walk, a 5K or 10K fund-raiser. The activity starts March 13 at 6 p.m. at Legoland and at 7:30 a.m., March 14 at Embarcadero Marina Park North. Walkers can register online at mswalk.com. Participation in the walk is free, although walkers are encouraged to solicit sponsors and raise at least $25. San Diego County Credit Union is the title sponsor; San Diego Metropolitan and its sister publications are media sponsors. Last year’s MS Walk drew more than 8,700 people and generated more than $1.2 million.

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The Asian Business Association will hold its 10th annual Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration on Jan. 22. Festivities for the event include free casino tables, authentic Chinese dishes, a no-host bar, entertainment by the Lucky Lion dancers and live jazz music. The celebration will conclude with a show that features 10,000 firecrackers. The cost for the event at the China Camp Restaurant/Fat City Steakhouse is $25 for members, $30 for nonmembers and $35 at the door. For information, call (858) 277-2822.

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Roel Construction Co. has completed the 9,805-square-foot Santaluz Fire Station No. 46 at 14556 Lazanja Drive. Bob Lisi of La Jolla-based Campbell-Anderson & Associates Inc. was the construction manager. Jeff Katz of San Diego-based Jeff Katz Architecture was the architect. Roel representatives included Donna Vargo as project executive, Dave McCarthy as group manager, John Bovee as superintendent, Travis Brandt as project engineer, and Carmen Ramirez as project coordinator.

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The ninth annual AIGA San Diego Y Design Conference, the premier West Coast design conference for creative professionals, will be held Jan. 30 and 31 at the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park. Cost is $325 for members and $375 for nonmembers. Visit www.sandiego.aiga.org/home for details and registration.

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The A New You Expo, featuring more than 40 exhibitors in the areas of health, beauty, home decor, finance, fashion and travel, is set for Jan. 25 at the Wyndham Emerald Plaza. Running from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the event is sponsored by Alternative Strategies and KIFM Smooth Jazz 98.1. Admission and parking are free and reservations are unnecessary. For information, call (619) 858-0322.

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Arden Realty’s team strikes a pose with v.p. and broker Tim Moore, bottom right, and first v.p. and regional head Roxanne Parady, top row second from right. Arden was one of nine teams in the Arden Challenge benefiting the Monarch School. Other Arden team members include: Krista Chapman, Kevin Fenenbock, Gus Pereda, Carrie Petro, AnnMarie Smith, Romy Taylor and Don Petros. More than 100 commercial real estate professionals — including title sponsor Golden Triangle-based Arden Realty — teamed up on the athletic field to raise money for homeless and at-risk youth in Downtown San Diego. The Arden Challenge was held in late November at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club. The full-day athletic competition and fund-raising event brought in more than $117,000 for San Diego’s Monarch School for homeless and at-risk youth.

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Stonefield Development is making a one-stop offer to those who lost their homes in the October wildfires and now face the many hoops to rebuild. Because it constructs about 50 custom $1 million-plus homes a year, home building takes Stonefield about eight months to complete, rather than a year with one-shot contractors, says Robert C. Pack, company founder. Stonefield will also take care of permits, architectural and interior design, engineering, landscaping and furnishing with up to a 10-year warranty, Pack adds.

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A “cyberarium” of virtual realities to treat medical maladies is open for demonstration from 6 to 9 p.m. Jan. 11 at Downtown’s Westgate Hotel as part of the CyberTherapy conference hosted by Sorrento Mesa’s Interactive Media Institute and Virtual Reality Medical Center. The international exhibition displays robotics for physical therapy and video games to allay phobia, pain, and drug dependence. Admission is free with registration at vrphobia.com or (866) 822-8762.

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Structural steel framing has been completed for two biotech research buildings at the Neurocrine Bioscience Campus in the San Diego Corporate Center. The project, at 12770 and 12778 El Camino Real Road, is being developed by the owner, Neurocrine. The architect is Dowler-Gruman Architects and the general contractor is Ledcor Petty Construction.

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The San Diego Children’s Museum, awaiting completion of its new three-story, 50,000-square-foot quarters in Downtown, will benefit from a program of 17th and 18th century music by Italian pianist and San Diego resident Alessio Averone on Feb. 8 at Lamb’s Players Theatre, 1142 Orange Ave. in Coronado. The 7 p.m. concert begins with a 5:30 p.m. reception and silent auction. Tickets are $50. For more, call (619) 233-8792 Ext. 106.

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The former Naval Training Center becomes home to the next U.S. Chess Championships when the kings and queens of the game gather the first two weeks of December 2004 at the Promenade Centre. The NTC Foundation and America’s Foundation for Chess are co-sponsoring the championships, which will be among the Promenade Centre’s inaugural events, says Murray Galinson, foundation chairman of the (chess)board.

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Veteran ad man Gary Beals, who has operated his own San Diego-based ad agency since 1973, moves to Segovia Province, Spain, this month to work full time on opening a 13th century medieval village as a historical tourist attraction. Since January 1997, Beals has been scaling back his marketing agency business to focus on his dream project, which will be partially funded with a Spanish government grant. Visitors to his living history park will include leisure travelers, corporate groups for special events and school children on field trips. Guests will be treated as nobles traveling from a distant land. Dozens of artisans, warriors, farmers, merchants, knights and their families will relate directly to visitors. Many guests will dine at historically accurate medieval feasts, with lively music and entertainment, including jousting matches with knights. You can e-mail him for more at garybeals@cox.net.

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Alexandra Nechita, 18-year-old visual artist, will appear at Wentworth Gallery in La Jolla from 6 to 9 p.m. Jan. 31 to discuss her art career. Born in Romania, Nechita had her first solo exhibition in Los Angeles when she was 8. She is now a student at UCLA. For information on the artist see www.nechita.info; for gallery info click on www.wentworth-art.com.