The military vehemently opposed the November 2006 advisory ballot asking if city officials should pursue takeover of the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar as a replacement for Lindbergh Field. And top brass was greatly relieved when voters shot down the measure by a wide margin. Well, it’s bankroll time. Major Gen. Michael Lehnert, who heads operations in the Southwest, told our Reo Carr that the Marines would be spending $4.9 billion on regional military construction over the next three years. Given the economic turmoil, it’s a bit of good news. “San Diego supported the Marines, and now they’re cashing the check,” says Lehnert Way to go, Oz! Oscar “Oz” Sanchez, who works at local defense contractor Epsilon Systems Solutions and who was recently featured in the Business Journal, is now officially the “World’s Fastest Man on a Handcycle,” according to a company news release. Sanchez competed in the Beijing 2008 Paralympics and won a gold medal in the men’s individual handcycling time trial Sept. 12. Two days later, he took the bronze in the men’s individual handcycling road race, despite losing a chain during the final lap Well, here’s something to bark about. The trust of Marcella B. Coolidge, daughter of artist and cartoonist C.M. Coolidge who painted those funny dogs seated around a poker table, has left $500,000 to UC San Diego to support college-level classes for students 50 and over. Coolidge, a former member of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, died in San Diego on Nov. 27, 2007, at age 97. Her father, best known for his portraits of canines in human-like situations, also founded a bank, newspaper and drugstores. His 16 “Poker Dog” paintings were commissioned to engage customers with “remembrance advertising” for an ad agency, says a UCSD handout … Longtime Technion-Israel Institute of Technology supporter and Qualcomm co-founder Andrew J. Viterbi was one of eight awarded a 2007 National Medal of Science , our nation’s top honor for science and technology , at the White House on Sept. 29. Viterbi developed the Viterbi Algorithm, a mathematical formula devised to eliminate cell phone interference, which in turn has helped speed adoption of those ubiquitous wireless devices San Diego Opera launches a series of casual dinner programs to explain its offerings in the 2009 season. The first program, set for Oct. 22 at Churchill’s Pub & Grille in San Marcos, will focus on “Peter Grimes,” an opera about a fisherman facing the mob mentality of a small English village. The second, set for Nov. 5, at La Gran Tapa in downtown San Diego, will focus on that famous windmill tilter “Don Quixote.” Ian Gardner, CEO of Helix Wind, will explain how his company has been inspired by the famous Cervantes story in which Quixote attacks windmills because he thinks they are giants. Details and reservations at sdopera.com … Oops. My bad. I mentioned here last week that U.S. Rep. Bob Filner was one of four House members from San Diego giving a thumbs down on first vote for the bailout bill. He is, of course, a Dem! And I’m the donkey!
Tune in to Mark Larson’s Friday morning shows on San Diego 1700 AM to catch Tom York’s weekly business update.
