Santee: Companies, City Present Joy to Military Kids
Waste Management Inc. and the city planned to launch the Toys for Little Troops project at the fifth annual Community Holiday Lighting Celebration on Nov. 16 to benefit the children of local military families.
The project will collect new, unwrapped toys for children of all ages and donations will be given to military families with the help of Lincoln Military Housing and to the city’s adopted Marine units (Marine Helicopter Unit HMH-462 and 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment). Lincoln Military Housing is a division of Lincoln Property Co., a Dallas-based real estate development and property management company. Houston-based Waste Management provides waste and environmental services.
Toys may be donated at the following locations: Waste Management of San Diego, 1001 W. Bradley Ave. in El Cajon; and the local Sheriff’s Station, 8811 Cuyamaca St. Donations will be accepted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday through Dec. 19.
, Heather Chambers
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E. County: Croce’s Owner To Help Jazz Up Luncheon
The San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce has rescheduled its Women in Leadership Luncheon due to the wildfires. The meeting is now set for Nov. 28 at the Doubletree Hotel in Mission Valley, 7450 Hazard Center Drive.
Ingrid Croce, longtime owner of Croce’s Restaurant & Jazz Bar in the Gaslamp Quarter, headlines the event. The event honors professional women in San Diego County who have been recognized as leaders by their peers.
For more information about the luncheon, call Kathleen Kieferdorf at (619) 440-6161.
, Heather Chambers
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Oceanside: Firm Ridding Planet of E-Waste for Free
San Diego County businesses can dispose of their electronic waste for free, courtesy of Oceanside-based Green Planet Solutions Inc.
The pickup service also is available to residents of Oceanside, Carlsbad, San Marcos, Encinitas, Escondido and Vista.
Acceptable waste includes TVs, monitors, radios, compact disc players, battery-operated toys, electrical cords, printers and faxes. The company will not accept refrigerators, liquids and general refuse.
Green Planet, an industrial and engineering consulting and auditing firm, also has pledged to donate any usable items to victims of the recent fires in the county.
For more information, call (760) 639-0672 or visit www.atotalgps.com.
, Pat Broderick
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San Marcos: Campaign to Generate Sales Tax Starts
The Chamber of Commerce and the city have teamed up to promote local businesses and encourage residents to shop close to home during the holidays.
Through the “So San Marcos” campaign, the city and chamber are reminding residents that local transactions boost sales tax revenues, paying for such services as public safety, parks and recreation, and street maintenance.
Local businesses have been invited to participate in the campaign by downloading advertising graphics and window display posters.
For more information, contact Jenny Peterson, communications officer for the city, at (760) 744-1050, ext. 3169, or e-mail jpeterson@san-marcos.net.
, Pat Broderick
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Solana Beach: A Safe Bet, Pacific on Pathway to Fame
A provider of emergency preparedness and personal safety products has secured financing and added two new members to its board of directors.
Pacific Pathway, founded in 2005, has two product lines , Life+Gear and Safety Cross. The products include backpacks; safety packs, which feature a first-aid kit, a whistle with built-in compass and magnifying glass, and thermal blanket; lights; lanterns; and cell phone adapters.
The products are carried in stores such as Target, Sears, Wal-Mart and Costco, according to the company, which has three full-time employees.
The Boston-based Highland Consumer Fund’s Tom Guilfoile and Ted Phillips are joining the board.
Terms of the financing were not disclosed.
, Jaimy Lee
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San Diego: Price Is Right, Smart as Store Chain Grows
PriceSmart Inc. opened its third U.S.-style shopping warehouse club in Guatemala this month, bringing its number of warehouses in Central America and the Caribbean to 24.
Customers pay an annual fee of $25 to the San Diego-based company in exchange for membership to all PriceSmart locations in 11 countries. The company is also planning to open a warehouse in Trinidad this year.
Warehouse club features include a food court, bakery, photo center, tire center, pharmacy and banking facilities. Fifty percent of store items are U.S.-sourced merchandise, while the other half is normally locally sourced.
Robert Price, son of Price Club founder Sol Price, is the company’s chief executive officer. PriceSmart stock is traded on Nasdaq under the symbol PSMT.
, Jaimy Lee
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Escondido: More of Firms’ Funds Flowing to Sewer
A compromise was reached Nov. 7 among City Council members, business owners and the city’s sewer treatment facility, making sewer rates more balanced for customers.
The new rates will become effective Jan. 1, increasing bills for most residential customers by 9 percent, from $34.50 to $37.65 monthly. The San Diego County average for residential customers is $52.41 per month.
The commercial sewer bill average will increase from $203.24 to $338.30, compared with a county average of $416.12 monthly.
In a statement made Nov. 8, City Councilman Dick Daniels said that the operational costs are much higher than what local ratepayers have been charged, and that the new rates are a positive step toward avoiding a long-term deficit for the Hale Avenue sewer treatment plant.
Adjusted sewer bill rates will mean an extra $1.6 million for the treatment facility annually.
, Liz Wiedemann
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Poway: Director Looks to Develop City Department
The city has announced the appointment of Robert J. Manis to director of development services.
Manis served as the deputy director in the Entitlement Division of the city of San Diego’s Development Services Department for the past nine months. With more than 20 years of municipal experience in development services, he oversaw 130 employees and was responsible for a $17.9 million budget with the city of San Diego.
Poway’s Development Services Department employs a staff of 36 and has a budget of $5.4 million. The entity provides municipal services, including current and long-term city planning activities; land-use applications; code compliance; traffic engineering; and safety inspection services.
, Liz Wiedemann
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Encinitas: Artichoke Gets Creative With New Hire
Artichoke Apparel, a division of the locally based marketing agency Artichoke Creative, has chosen Olympic kayak hopeful and fitness model Susannah Stucchio to represent the clothing line on its Web site, in print advertising and as a spokeswoman.
Stucchio has competed as a flat-water kayaker with five world championship and four world cup teams. She was a national champion in 2003, 2004 and 2006 and is on track to compete at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
, Connie Lewis
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Lemon Grove: Edco Cites Post-Fire Advice on Site
Edco, a waste collection and recycling company serving residential, commercial and industrial clients in Southern California, has posted guidelines to safely and environmentally remove ash and clean up properties affected by the October wildfires. The information at edcodisposal.com covers topics such as how to dispose of burnt vehicles and what can be recycled.
The newly updated site also provides personal protection precautions to observe while cleaning property, including wearing protective glasses and gloves.
Edco’s Escondido and La Mesa recycling locations are offering extended hours during the recovery period. The Escondido and La Mesa centers are open seven days a week. All other locations are open Monday through Saturday.
, Michelle Mowad
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Del Mar: Homes on Greens Making Green for Davidson
Locally based homebuilder Davidson released six more single-family detached units in its Viridian at La Costa Greens neighborhood in Carlsbad this month.
Petra Eigl, a sales representative with Davidson, says momentum of sales in this 91-home development overlooking the golf course caused the company to release additional units earlier than expected.
Priced in the low $900,000s, homes in the complex are one- and two-story residences from 2,800 square feet to 4,600 square feet that include three to five bedrooms, 2.5 to 4.5 bathrooms, and garages for up to four cars.
, Michelle Mowad
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Chula Vista: Don’t Fly By City Hall to Get Passports
Folks seeking a passport can get the document at a new passport services kiosk at City Hall, 276 Fourth Ave. The service is offered by appointment only by calling (619) 691-5041.
Applicants must come with necessary paperwork and proof of citizenship. They can either pick up the application from the city clerk or download the form by visiting the site for the Department of State at http://travel.state.gov.
Air travelers to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean are now required to have a passport. And starting at an unspecified date in 2008, the same will be required for travelers crossing by land into those nations.
The cost for the passport is the same as if obtained from the U.S. Postal Service: $67 for federal processing fees; $30 for the city; and $15 for photographs.
, Mike Allen
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Vista: Water Board Finds Jewell of a Replacement
The Vista Irrigation District’s board has selected Joseph Jewell as a director to fill a vacancy created when Paul Campo died in September.
Jewell, 63, can hold the seat until November 2008, when the term expires.
The district provides water to most of the city, as well as parts of San Marcos, Escondido, Oceanside and unincorporated areas of the county.
Directors are paid $180 for each meeting.
, Mike Allen
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Imperial Beach: Rooms With Views May Be Coming
A major beachfront hotel proposal was to make its first appearance before the City Council on Nov. 21.
As planned, the four-story, 78-room hotel would replace the three-story, 38-room Seacoast Inn at Seacoast Drive and Date Avenue. San Diego-based Pacifica Cos. represents owner Imperial Coast Limited Partnership on the project.
The council was to hold a public hearing on the matter, and was asked to approve a specific plan, environmental impact report and development agreement for the hotel.
City officials hope the California Coastal Commission will consider the plan no later than February, says City Manager Gary Brown.
, Brad Graves
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Coronado: Boss Turns Page As National Search Starts
The Coronado Unified School District has embarked on a nationwide search for a superintendent.
The district’s current superintendent, Susan Coyle, plans to retire June 30. The district serves approximately 2,900 students in kindergarten through 12th grade and has revenues of $29.6 million for the 2007-08 school year, according to its Web site.
, Brad Graves
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Carlsbad: Aptera Delivers 300 Miles Per Gallon Car
Aptera Motors, formerly Accelerated Composites, announced the unveiling of two electric vehicles Nov. 19.
The company’s Typ-1 all-electric car, which has a range of 120 miles, will be available for delivery in 2008 for about $30,000, according to the announcement. The plug-in hybrid series, which gets 300 miles per gallon, has a range of 600 miles and will be available for later delivery, but no specific date was given.
The three-wheeled, road-worthy Typ-1 has seating for two.
The all-electric car is powered exclusively with batteries, can be plugged into any standard 110-volt outlet, and charges in a few hours. The hybrid is powered by an electric drivetrain that is assisted by a fuel-efficient, gasoline-powered generator that stretches the car’s range.
Aptera is backed by Idealab and Esenjay Petroleum Corp.
, Connie Lewis
