New attractions abound at 2008 San Diego County Fair
When the 2008 San Diego County Fair opens June 14, the usual rides, food, exhibits, contests and entertainment will return, but there also are several new features for fairgoers to enjoy.
The fair will be open through July 6. The 2008 theme is Summer of Sports, which will be reflected in a newly created exhibit and in games and activities throughout the fairgrounds.
Pop star Fergie, who will appear June 27, is just one of the top entertainers performing for the first time at the fair during the San Diego Summer Concert Series. The world's biggest barbecue, the 20-foot-tall Outlaw Grill, also will make its debut at the fair.
Two new rides, StarFlyer and Speed, will offer fairgoers adventure and thrills. The fair also features three new food competitions: A Zucchini Race Contest on June 28, Make it With Malt-O-Meal on June 21 and the Tailgate Party Food Contest on June 30.
New exhibits include Farm Life: A Century of Change, Green is Easy and Garden Bug Party. A new Sports Arena for youngsters will offer basketball, mini golf, bowling and other activities.
Admission is free for ages 5 and younger, $12 for adults and $6 for ages 6 to 12 and 62 and older. For more information, visit www.sdfair.com/fair.
Premier Jet receives recognition
Premier Jet put McClellan-Palomar Airport in the international spotlight with its award as Seventh Top Fixed Base Operator from a list of 1,420 aviation facilities and service providers.
Top-40 FBOs of the Americas is presented annually by Aviation International News. Voting was based on four key categories: line service, passenger amenities, pilot amenities and services and facilities.
Premier Jet's FBO is a full-service flight support providing the business and private aviator the tools to execute any flight, including complete line service, aircraft fueling, detailing, flight planning, weather status, flight following, communication service and more. For more information, visit www.premierjet.com.
Local bank exceeds $200 million in assets
Security Business Bank of San Diego has exceeded the $200-million mark in total assets for the first time.
The bank recently announced its unaudited 2008 first-quarter financial results, which also includes a $19.6 million increase in assets over the last quarter of 2007. Security Business Bank operates three San Diego locations, including a Carlsbad office.
For more information, visit www.securitybusinessbank.com.
California Bank & Trust names new San Diego division president
Tory Nixon has been named San Diego division president for California Bank & Trust, overseeing 30 offices in San Diego and Riverside counties.
Prior to this role, Nixon served as senior vice president. In his new role, Nixon will continue to strengthen business development, revenue growth and increase the bank's corporate, civic and philanthropic presence in the San Diego community.
For more information, visit www.calbanktrust.com.
Merlin announces Dubai LEGOLAND theme park
Merlin Entertainments Group, the world's second largest visitor attraction operator, recently announced plans to create LEGOLAND Dubailand, the first LEGOLAND park to be built outside of North America and Europe.
The theme park is the result of a strategic alliance between Merlin Entertainments and Tatweer, a member of Dubai Holdings. Scheduled to open at the end of 2011, the 3 million-square-foot theme park will feature more than 40 interactive rides, shows and attractions geared toward families with children ages 2 to 12.
For more information, visit www.LEGOLAND.com.
Invitrogen employees take part in Global Volunteer Day
Last month, 1,500 Invitrogen employees from around the world volunteered four hours of company paid time to support the global communities that they live and work in through a low-cost, but time-intensive project.
This was the fifth year that Invitrogen has sponsored its Global Volunteer Day. Locally, Invitrogen employees made playground improvements at North County Community Services in Oceanside and cleaned and removed invasive plants at Batiquitos Lagoon in Carlsbad.
Other activities Invitrogen employees have accomplished include teaming with young cancer survivors in Israel to recapture the spirit of their childhood by building rafts and sailing the Sea of Galilee together and arranging to donate much-needed products for water quality testing in Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina.
For more information about the Carlsbad-based biotech company, visit www.invitrogen.com.
Scripps nurses vote to decertify CNA
Nurses at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas have voted to decertify and end their relationship with the California Nurses Association, or CNA.
The secret ballot vote, which took place in April, was held in response to a petition signed by the hospital's nurses last December that stated they no longer wanted union representation. Of the 312 nurses eligible, 286 voted.
The final tally was 123 for representation by CNA and 163 against it. CNA's third-party representation of Scripps Encinitas nurses began in January 2004.
Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas is one of five acute care hospital campuses in the Scripps Health system, a nonprofit health care organization based in San Diego. For more information, visit www.scripps.org.
Fountain honors slain K-9 officers
The North County Humane Society & SPCA and the San Diego County Regional Dog Handler's Association dedicated a memorial water fountain May 9 to honor fallen K-9 officers.
The 15-foot fountain, located at the humane society's dog park in Oceanside, is for the use of the park's canine friends. K-9 Officers and their handlers from around the county attended the private ceremony, including Oceanside Police Officer Kedrick Sadler and his new partner, Ranger.
Ranger was honored as the first to drink from the fountain. The fountain was built through donations from law enforcement officers and citizens from around the county.
For more information about the nonprofit organization, visit www.nchumane.org.
Restaurant group teams up with Shaun Phillips
In an effort to give back to San Diego's kids and after-school sports programs, Catalina Restaurant Group teamed up with Chargers' Linebacker Shaun Phillips and After-School All-Stars.
At an April 15 event, Phillips donated $1,000 to After-School All-Stars for every sack he made this past NFL season. Catalina Restaurant Group, headquartered in Carlsbad, donated $17,000 to After-School All-Stars at the event.
After-School All-Stars is a national sports club program offered at elementary and middle schools.
Catalina Restaurant Group operates more than 225 Coco's and Carrows restaurants. For more information, visit www.catalinarestaurantgroup.com.
GIA to build historical jewelry collection
The Gemological Institute of America, or GIA, Museum is launching a new campaign to build a comprehensive assemblage of jewelry, object d'arts and gemstones from all of time periods and cultures worldwide.
“We intend to create a wide-ranging, world-class collection that captures the essence of each period in gem and jewelry history,” said Elise Misiorowski, GIA Museum director. “People are always fascinated by historical pieces. It's our goal to bring together a variety of significant treasures representing different episodes in history.”
The museum plans to use the Historical Collection for display in other venues on a regular basis, accompanied by lecturers and experts. Pieces from the collection also will be showcased via podcasts and other educational vehicles.
For more information, call Kimberly Vagner, GIA project manager of in-kind donations, at (760) 603-4150.
Transit district takes steps to balance budget
This month, the North County Transit District board of directors plans to approve its proposed $91.2 million fiscal year 2008-09 operating and five year capital improvement program budget, which would take effect July 1.
The new budget, affected by rapidly rising fuel costs and a major decline in state funding, contains proposed service reductions, fare increases and staff layoffs and restructuring, which must be approved by SANDAG. Because the board has taken decisive action in its proposed budget, the district is in a stable financial position to move forward and avoid reoccurring budget deficits in the future.
On a separate note, Executive Director Karen King announced May 15 that she is resigning, effective June 20. King has accepted a CEO position at another district.
When the 2008 San Diego County Fair opens June 14, the usual rides, food, exhibits, contests and entertainment will return, but there also are several new features for fairgoers to enjoy.
The fair will be open through July 6. The 2008 theme is Summer of Sports, which will be reflected in a newly created exhibit and in games and activities throughout the fairgrounds.
Pop star Fergie, who will appear June 27, is just one of the top entertainers performing for the first time at the fair during the San Diego Summer Concert Series. The world's biggest barbecue, the 20-foot-tall Outlaw Grill, also will make its debut at the fair.
Two new rides, StarFlyer and Speed, will offer fairgoers adventure and thrills. The fair also features three new food competitions: A Zucchini Race Contest on June 28, Make it With Malt-O-Meal on June 21 and the Tailgate Party Food Contest on June 30.
New exhibits include Farm Life: A Century of Change, Green is Easy and Garden Bug Party. A new Sports Arena for youngsters will offer basketball, mini golf, bowling and other activities.
Admission is free for ages 5 and younger, $12 for adults and $6 for ages 6 to 12 and 62 and older. For more information, visit www.sdfair.com/fair.
Premier Jet receives recognition
Premier Jet put McClellan-Palomar Airport in the international spotlight with its award as Seventh Top Fixed Base Operator from a list of 1,420 aviation facilities and service providers.
Top-40 FBOs of the Americas is presented annually by Aviation International News. Voting was based on four key categories: line service, passenger amenities, pilot amenities and services and facilities.
Premier Jet's FBO is a full-service flight support providing the business and private aviator the tools to execute any flight, including complete line service, aircraft fueling, detailing, flight planning, weather status, flight following, communication service and more. For more information, visit www.premierjet.com.
Local bank exceeds $200 million in assets
Security Business Bank of San Diego has exceeded the $200-million mark in total assets for the first time.
The bank recently announced its unaudited 2008 first-quarter financial results, which also includes a $19.6 million increase in assets over the last quarter of 2007. Security Business Bank operates three San Diego locations, including a Carlsbad office.
For more information, visit www.securitybusinessbank.com.
California Bank & Trust names new San Diego division president
Tory Nixon has been named San Diego division president for California Bank & Trust, overseeing 30 offices in San Diego and Riverside counties.
Prior to this role, Nixon served as senior vice president. In his new role, Nixon will continue to strengthen business development, revenue growth and increase the bank's corporate, civic and philanthropic presence in the San Diego community.
For more information, visit www.calbanktrust.com.
Merlin announces Dubai LEGOLAND theme park
Merlin Entertainments Group, the world's second largest visitor attraction operator, recently announced plans to create LEGOLAND Dubailand, the first LEGOLAND park to be built outside of North America and Europe.
The theme park is the result of a strategic alliance between Merlin Entertainments and Tatweer, a member of Dubai Holdings. Scheduled to open at the end of 2011, the 3 million-square-foot theme park will feature more than 40 interactive rides, shows and attractions geared toward families with children ages 2 to 12.
For more information, visit www.LEGOLAND.com.
Invitrogen employees take part in Global Volunteer Day
Last month, 1,500 Invitrogen employees from around the world volunteered four hours of company paid time to support the global communities that they live and work in through a low-cost, but time-intensive project.
This was the fifth year that Invitrogen has sponsored its Global Volunteer Day. Locally, Invitrogen employees made playground improvements at North County Community Services in Oceanside and cleaned and removed invasive plants at Batiquitos Lagoon in Carlsbad.
Other activities Invitrogen employees have accomplished include teaming with young cancer survivors in Israel to recapture the spirit of their childhood by building rafts and sailing the Sea of Galilee together and arranging to donate much-needed products for water quality testing in Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina.
For more information about the Carlsbad-based biotech company, visit www.invitrogen.com.
Scripps nurses vote to decertify CNA
Nurses at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas have voted to decertify and end their relationship with the California Nurses Association, or CNA.
The secret ballot vote, which took place in April, was held in response to a petition signed by the hospital's nurses last December that stated they no longer wanted union representation. Of the 312 nurses eligible, 286 voted.
The final tally was 123 for representation by CNA and 163 against it. CNA's third-party representation of Scripps Encinitas nurses began in January 2004.
Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas is one of five acute care hospital campuses in the Scripps Health system, a nonprofit health care organization based in San Diego. For more information, visit www.scripps.org.
Fountain honors slain K-9 officers
The North County Humane Society & SPCA and the San Diego County Regional Dog Handler's Association dedicated a memorial water fountain May 9 to honor fallen K-9 officers.
The 15-foot fountain, located at the humane society's dog park in Oceanside, is for the use of the park's canine friends. K-9 Officers and their handlers from around the county attended the private ceremony, including Oceanside Police Officer Kedrick Sadler and his new partner, Ranger.
Ranger was honored as the first to drink from the fountain. The fountain was built through donations from law enforcement officers and citizens from around the county.
For more information about the nonprofit organization, visit www.nchumane.org.
Restaurant group teams up with Shaun Phillips
In an effort to give back to San Diego's kids and after-school sports programs, Catalina Restaurant Group teamed up with Chargers' Linebacker Shaun Phillips and After-School All-Stars.
At an April 15 event, Phillips donated $1,000 to After-School All-Stars for every sack he made this past NFL season. Catalina Restaurant Group, headquartered in Carlsbad, donated $17,000 to After-School All-Stars at the event.
After-School All-Stars is a national sports club program offered at elementary and middle schools.
Catalina Restaurant Group operates more than 225 Coco's and Carrows restaurants. For more information, visit www.catalinarestaurantgroup.com.
GIA to build historical jewelry collection
The Gemological Institute of America, or GIA, Museum is launching a new campaign to build a comprehensive assemblage of jewelry, object d'arts and gemstones from all of time periods and cultures worldwide.
“We intend to create a wide-ranging, world-class collection that captures the essence of each period in gem and jewelry history,” said Elise Misiorowski, GIA Museum director. “People are always fascinated by historical pieces. It's our goal to bring together a variety of significant treasures representing different episodes in history.”
The museum plans to use the Historical Collection for display in other venues on a regular basis, accompanied by lecturers and experts. Pieces from the collection also will be showcased via podcasts and other educational vehicles.
For more information, call Kimberly Vagner, GIA project manager of in-kind donations, at (760) 603-4150.
Transit district takes steps to balance budget
This month, the North County Transit District board of directors plans to approve its proposed $91.2 million fiscal year 2008-09 operating and five year capital improvement program budget, which would take effect July 1.
The new budget, affected by rapidly rising fuel costs and a major decline in state funding, contains proposed service reductions, fare increases and staff layoffs and restructuring, which must be approved by SANDAG. Because the board has taken decisive action in its proposed budget, the district is in a stable financial position to move forward and avoid reoccurring budget deficits in the future.
On a separate note, Executive Director Karen King announced May 15 that she is resigning, effective June 20. King has accepted a CEO position at another district.