San Diego Business Journal articles from December 2004

San Diego Business Journal archives from December 2004

The $400 million (young) man; it's Hammer's time in local condo conversion market.
December 6, 2004... After several years of working in financial analysis and acquisitions for large-scale real estate projects, Jon Hammer was ready to start his own real estate development company--at the ripe old age of 25. Now an industry veteran at the...

Cargo business climbs as new ship bases its operations here.
December 6, 2004... The first cargo ship to make San Diego a home port in more than a decade represents a significant increase in revenue for the agency overseeing the county's maritime business and more jobs for the local economy. The Corte Madera-based...

Sales likely to soar for new MS drug; Tysabri to be first drug for Biogen Idec's Oceanside plant.
December 6, 2004... After initially predicting revenue of more than $2 billion, analysts now believe that Elan Corp. and Biogen Idec Inc.'s newly approved multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri could generate sales of $3.5 billion annually. The best-selling MS drug...

Hispanic marketing is missing its mark; ad agencies say clients spend too little to reach local Latinos.
December 6, 2004... While Hispanics represent more than one-quarter of the population in San Diego County, the amount of money spent on marketing to the Hispanic community is minimal, according to several local advertising executives. That assertion was...

Kyocera begins solar panel production in Tijuana: bulk of modules will be sold in California.(Trade)
December 6, 2004... Troy Strand's solar panel installation business in San Marcos is looking brighter every day. As energy prices continue to climb, more homeowners and businesses are turning to alternate power sources and finding a dependable one right...

PUC offers no breaks for San Diego businesses: state panel rejects plan favoring SDG&E customers.(Energy)
December 6, 2004... The California Public Utilities Commission approved a permanent cost-allocation plan among the three investor-owned utilities that, in 2007, could cost the typical San Diego industrial customer as much as $100,000 a year more on its electric...

Major events aren't complete without Elite's services; security firm grows with region's needs.(Entrepreneurs Security)(Elite Show Services Inc.)
December 6, 2004... Go to the San Diego State University library and they're there, keeping an eye on the all-night study sessions. Head over to the San Diego County Fair and they're there, screening people at the entrance and watching for troublemakers. ...

SAIC lands firm to aid logistics unit.(Science Applications International Corp.)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... San Diego-based Science Applications International Corp. has completed its acquisition of ProcureNet Holdings Inc. of Fairfield, N.J. The company will add approximately $250 million in revenue and 175 employees to SAIC's Logistics and...

Some companies seeing workers camp relief: however, others still waiting.(Insurance)
December 6, 2004... With the passage of legislative reforms, California employers hoped to see big savings on their workers' compensation bills this year. Some companies--many of which had seen double-digit annual increases in their insurance premiums--have...

Schooling could help bend H-1B visa rules: some local tech execs want limit raised.(Workplace)
December 6, 2004... Companies courting a scientist or engineer from overseas may soon have a better chance of hiring that person. It all depends on where that person went to school. If the person refined his or her talent by getting an advanced degree from a...

Despite sale talk, Legoland commits to new ride: new hotel scheduled for site next to theme park.(Tourism)
December 6, 2004... Despite being up for sale, Legoland California is continuing to make major investments in capital improvements that are expected to drive up its gate count. An announcement last week of the Carlsbad theme park's plan to spend several...

Emax Realty files counterclaim against Re/Max: Re/Max International is alleging copyright infringement due to the companies' similar names.(Law)
December 6, 2004... Del Mar-based Emax Realty International claims there is no way consumers could confuse the local firm with national residential real estate sales giant Re/Max International. Emax filed a lawsuit recently countering Colorado-based Re/Max...

San Diego firm develops lab e-notebook; LabTrack lets researchers input free-flowing text, create electronic drawings.(Technology)
December 6, 2004... Chris Coppin was tired of sifting through stacks of handwritten and hard-to-read paper notebooks from his scientific team. Finally, in a fit of frustration, he consulted the Web for software to ease his overworked eyes. To his...

Feds give more than $12m to scientists at Scripps.(Biotech)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... A group of scientists at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla recently won more than $12 million in federal grant money to find ways to predict how patients will respond to immunosuppressive drugs following kidney transplants. Dr....

FDA striving to lower acne drug's risk of causing severe birth defects.(Biotech)(Accutane)
December 6, 2004... Acne Drug Under Tighter Control: Doctors, patients and pharmacies dispensing the ache drug Accutane and its generic equivalents will need to be registered into a centralized database under tighter government rules aiming to reduce the drug's...

San Diegans filling up their online shopping carts.(High-Tech)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Even in December, San Diegans shop in the sunshine, walking from store to store in our open-air malls. Yet a new poll from America Online reveals San Diegans are basking in the rays of their computer screens. E-commerce is hot here. ...

Novel vehicle tax idea needs telecom.(High-Tech)
December 6, 2004... Novel Tax Might Need Local Tech: Oregon is reportedly experimenting with a program that would levy a tax on motorists based on the number of miles they drive. Published reports say Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's new director at the...

Some shoppers shut out the day after Thanksgiving.(Retail)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Shoppers who were able to get to their favorite stores on "Black Friday" the day after Thanksgiving, the busiest shopping day of the year and the official start to the holiday shopping season found that retailers were very busy Nov. 26. ...

Visa customers bought $4.1 billion in merchandise on 'Black Friday' 2004.(Retail)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Charge It: Credit card giant Visa said its customers charged or used debit cards for $4.1 billion in purchases on Nov. 26, representing a 15.5 percent increase from the day alter Thanksgiving in 2003. Sales were divided among discount, mass...

Military benefits.(Retail)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Military Benefits: Capitalizing on a unique seasonal marketing opportunity. Mossy Nissan is again the sponsor for holiday programs from the U.S. Navy's Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department, which includes flee shuttle services for...

New dealership.(Retail)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... New Dealership: San Diego-based Sunroad Automotive has started building a third local car dealership. Sunroad operates Pacific Honda and Kearny Mesa Ford in Kearny Mesa. The company broke ground for its 52,000-square-foot Toyota Chula...

More tacos.(Retail)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... More Tacos: Seattle-based Taco Det Mar plans to open its first San Diego County location on Dec. 9 in Poway's Stowe Plaza. John and Bertha Boyken of A Better Life Franchise Development LLC will operate the taco shop. Taco Del Mar is a...

Making progress.(Retail)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Making progress: St. Louis-based Panera Bread is one-third of the way toward meeting its goal of opening 15 restaurants in San Diego County. The bread and bagel store and soup and sandwich restaurant opened its fifth location here Nov. 22...

Strict sex-harassment training rules on the horizon.(Law)
December 6, 2004... Human resource directors take heed: Come 2006, you will be required to comply with beefed-up training requirements to prevent--or deal with--sexual harassment in your shops. Signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Sept. 29, the statute adds...

Battle for country radio supremacy is heating up.(Media & Marketing)
December 6, 2004... The competition between the two local country radio stations may not be considered an all-out brawl, but the two stations are putting up a good fight. The ratings tbr October show that newcomer KUSS-FM 95.7 has pulled away from [ongtime...

KPBS-FM 89.5 can now be heard outside county.(Media & Marketing)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Listen Up: Listeners of KPBS-FM 89.5 can now hear their favorite programs long after they have left San Diego County. KPBS, which provides news, educational programming and entertainment through television, radio and Internet, recently...

A market for merging: companies are on the hunt to acquire new businesses.(Special report: mergers)
December 6, 2004... Local firms specializing in advising businesses on the sale or purchase of another company say merger activity is on the rise, and it's a seller's market. "I'd say M&A (mergers and acquisitions) activity has definitely picked up in the...

Local firm builds brain trust through acquisitions: Kintera Inc. has bought 12 companies in last 2 years.(Special report: mergers)
December 6, 2004... When Kintera Inc. acquired American Fundware Inc. last month, it was the seventh purchase this year by the San Diego-based company that makes software that helps nonprofit organizations manage their fund-raising activities. During the last...

Vision clear as Sola International acquires new firm.(Public Companies)(Vision Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Sola International Inc., a San Diego maker and distributor of eyeglass lenses, announced it acquired Vision Systems Inc., with two prescription laboratories in Georgia and Virginia, for $2.6 million in cash plus the assumption of $1.2 million...

Peregrine looks to repair image after indictments.(Public Companies)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Ad Campaign: Peregrine Systems Inc., a San Diego-based software firm, hasn't had much positive ink of late, mostly because of several felony indictments of former executives handed down in October that included CEO Stephen Gardner. The...

Bucking the trend.(Public Companies)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Bucking The Trend: Given a much stiffer regulatory environment, many public firms are restricting future earnings guidance to one quarter, if that. Yet at Accredited Home Lenders Holding Co., the future looks so bright, it went out on a...

Sales growth.(Public Companies)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Sales Growth: Dj Orthopedics, Inc., a San Diego-based maker of medical rehabilitation products, said it has moved most of its Regentek unit, the company it acquired late last year, to its Vista site, with the exception of l0 people involved in...

Company to broaden by buying, investing: move toward strategic acquisitions, investments marks subtle shift for San Clemente business.
December 6, 2004... ICU Medical Inc. is looking to branch out after years of relying on a single, dominant product. The San Clemente-based medical device maker said it is stepping up its efforts to acquire products and has invested in an undisclosed medical...

Restaurant group rebuilding Coco's and Carrows name: Carlsbad firm ready to upgrade and expand popular chain eateries.
December 6, 2004... Industry analysts are predicting that revenues for eateries will be up nationwide by 6 percent for 2004, and the Catalina Restaurant Group wants to get a bigger piece of the pie. Sam Borgese, the chief executive officer of the...

Wall Street is buying into Public Storage Inc.'s philosophy.
December 6, 2004... After building up a huge cash stockpile for much of this year, Public Storage Inc. has become a buyer of new properties in key markets--and Wall Street, in turn, is buying its stock. In October, the Glendale-based self-storage company spent...

Private companies.(Directory)
December 6, 2004... PRIVATE COMPANIES Headquarters located in San Diego County; ranked by 2003 revenue Company Telephone Rank Address Fax (last year) Web site ...

Taking stock.(Public Companies; Kintera Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Taking Stock: Kintera Inc., a San Diego-based maker of software for nonprofits, said it issued 2.5 million shares of its Nasdaq traded stock at $7 per share for aggregate proceeds of $17.5 million. Kintera said it plans to use the funds for...

No split yet.(Public Companies; Planet Technologies )(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... No Split Yet: An approved reverse stock split by Planet Technologies shareholders on Nov. 29 was put on hold by the National Association of Securities Dealers, the regulatory body to the over-the-counter bulletin board-traded firms, after it...

Work commences on $2.5m transitional housing project.(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Construction is under way on the $2.5 million Serenity Village for the North County Serenity House in Escondido. The project is on four lots on Second Avenue between Fig and Grape streets. It involves the removal of dilapidated houses and...

Firm offers toll-free real estate service.(Freedom Voice Systems)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Freedom Voice Systems, an Encinitas-based company that develops and markets feature-rich voice messaging systems and services, has launched version 2.0 of the AdTrakker toll-free service. The service enables real estate brokers and agents...

Cal Western's innocence project recognized by California State Senate.(Law; California Western School of Law)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Kudos: California Western School of Law's California Innocence Project has been commended by the state Senate, recognizing its "hard work and dedication to securing the release of wrongfully convicted persons and in promoting the fair...

Signing on.(Law; Fish & Richardson P.C. volunteers)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Signing On: The San Diego office of Fish & Richardson P.C. has signed on as a sponsor of the Chairman's RoundTable, a nonprofit volunteer organization that provides business advice and mentorship free of charge. The firm will host CRT's...

San Diego public stocks.(Marketplace)(Illustration)
December 6, 2004... Index Watch Index 11/29/04 11/22/04 Net Change %Change San Diego Business 1279.75 1263.32 16.43 1.30% Journal Index Dow Jones Industrial 10428.02 10489.42 -61.40 -0.59% ...

Captiva Software Corp.(Proxy)(Company Profile)(Illustration)
December 6, 2004... NASD--CPTV Captiva Software Corp. is a provider of input management solutions designed to manage business-critical information from paper, faxed and electronic forms, documents and transactions into the enterprise. Its solutions...

Sales.(Progress Report)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Property: 1201-1291 Simpson Way, Escondido. Seller: Fowler Flanagan Centerpark Associates. Selling agents: Bryce Aberg of Grubb & Ellis and Chris Coyte of Lee & Associates represented the buyer and Jay Alexander and Daniel Knoke of Colliers...

Leases.(Progress Report)(Brief Article)(Public Notice)
December 6, 2004... Property: 35 Main St., Vista. Lessor: Vista Village LLC. Leasing agents: Bruce R. Schiff and Phil Lyons of Grubb & Ellis/BRD Commercial represented the lessor and John Beaney of Katz & Associates represented the lessee. Lessee/square footage:...

Brookfield Homes.(Construction Journal)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Brookfield Homes is building 118 houses in a neighborhood called Lantana in the master-planned community of WindingWalk in Chula Vista. The 2,761- to 2,928-square-foot homes will have up to four bedrooms. Prices: Starting in the $600,000s.

Environmental Business Solutions.(Construction Journal)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Environmental Business Solutions provided environmental consulting services for Coach USA Inc. for the Yellow Cab of San Diego maintenance facility at 639 13th St. in Downtown San Diego's East Village neighborhood. A six-story mixed-use project...

Fehlman LaBarre.(Construction Journal)(Triangle)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Fehlman LaBarre completed the design for Triangle, a five-story, 57-unit condominium development in Downtown San Diego's East Village neighborhood. The project is on a 24,000-square-foot triangular block bounded by 14th Street, Imperial...

Hearthside Homes.(Construction Journal)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Hearthside Homes is building 32 three- to five-bedroom houses in a project called Cancion in The Crosby, a master-planned community in Rancho Santa Fe. The homes will range from 3,150 to 3,700 square feet. Model homes will be completed in early...

Soltek Pacific.(Construction Journal)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Soltek Pacific won the construction contract to remodel an 18,000-square-foot area in Terminal 1 East at Lindbergh Field, converting it from a Federal Inspection Services facility to a departure area. The general contractor will expand and...

Warmington Homes.(Construction Journal)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Warmington Homes is building estate homes with three to five bedrooms and three- and four-car garages in Belsera within Santaluz, a master-planned community east of Fairbanks Ranch in San Diego. The one- and two-story houses range from 3,851 to...

Plans for business park in Carlsbad moving forward.(Real Estate)
December 6, 2004... Planning to capitalize on North County's growing residential population, San Diego-based rock quarry operator turned real estate developer H.G. Fenton Co. is moving forward with its Carlsbad Raceway Business Park. The Carlsbad City Council...

Downtown San Diego land in high demand.(Real Estate)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... $360 Per Square Foot: With the exception of coastal La Jolla property, perhaps, there is no place in the county with higher-priced land than in Downtown San Diego. Tim Winslow and Josh Vasbinder of Grubb & Ellis/BRE Commercial are...

Nearby in Bankers Hill.(Real Estate)(St. Paul Episcopal Homes Inc)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Nearby In Bankers Hill: St. Paul Episcopal Homes Inc., a nonprofit organization serving senior citizens, paid $5.2 million for a 30,924 square-foot office building at 111 Elm St. in the Bankers Hill area of San Diego. The 33-year-old...

Two for two.(Real Estate)(achievements of John Hale, Jay Alexander, Brian Driscoll and Ryan Grove)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Two For Two: John Hale, Jay Alexander, Brian Driscoll and Ryan Grove of Colliers International represented New York-based DRA Advisors in its $10 million purchase of the 60,600-square-foot West Bernardo Corporate Center. The brokers also...

San Diego office.(Real Estate)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... San Diego Office: ERM, short for Environmental Resources Management, opened a San Diego office at 2251 San Diego Ave., Suite B-208. Its Western region is based in Walnut Creek. Colin Young is the managing director of the San Diego office....

The area has much to look forward to in 2005.(Business in the North County)
December 6, 2004... The holiday shopping season kicked off last weekend with the annual "day after Thanksgiving" shop-a-thon. It got kick-started with the major department stores opening their doors at 6 a.m. As if the 6 a.m. start weren't early enough, die...

Parental controls.(Media & Marketing)(Take Charge! Smart Choices for Your Cox Digital Home)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Parental Controls: As parents try to protect their children from inappropriate TV programs, Cox Communications has launched a program to help educate parents about how to use their parental controls. Currently, all Cox Communications...

Corporate switches.(Media & Marketing)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Corporate Switches: Kutch & Co., a full-service marketing, public relations and graphic design firm specializing in the real estate, construction and design industry, recently added Wendy Waddell as a writer/assistant account executive. ...

Web connect directory.(Directory)
December 6, 2004... To advertise your website, call Lora at 858-277-6359 ext. 3134 Advertising Agencies/Marketing Communications Square One Advertising, Inc. www.squareoneadv.com erin@squareoneadv.com 858.715.4714 Whitelaw Marketing...

Calendar.(Business Events)(Calendar)
December 6, 2004... FOR THE RECORD BUSINESS EVENTS If you would like your business event that costs less than $75 to attend included in the calendar section, make sure your press release arrives at our offices at least 15 working days before the event. ...

In defense.(Top business news: November 26-December 2, 2004)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... In Defense: San Diego's legal bill for the largest civil judgment ever levied against it climbed again when the City Council unanimously agreed to increase spending to outside law finns by an additional $500,000. The city has appealed a 2001...

Marketing clearance.(Top business news: November 26-December 2, 2004; Biosite Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Marketing Clearance: San Diego-based medical device firm Biosite Inc. recently was told by the Food and Drag Administration that its developed Triage D-Dimer Test to detect life-threatening blood clots has been cleared for marketing. Biosite...

Honored.(Top business news: November 26-December 2, 2004)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Honored: Seven San Diego high-tech companies and one executive were recognized for their achievements at the Most Innovative New Products Awards on Dec. 2 at the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina. The 17th annual event, sponsored by UCSD...

Election update.(Top business news: November 26-December 2, 2004; San Diego mayoralty)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Election Update: It's been a busy week in the continuing saga of the turbulent San Diego mayoral race. On Dec. 1, the San Diego City Council certified the Nov. 2 election results for every city ballot measure and race, except for mayor....

On the road.(Top business news: November 26-December 2, 2004)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... On The Road: Congress has allotted some $153 million for San Diego County transportation projects in its 2005 Transportation Appropriations Bill. Mass transit projects will get $142 million in funding, with the rest for highway projects....

Sparkling view.(Top business news: November 26-December 2, 2004)(DiamondView Tower)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Sparkling View: The San Diego City Council approved, by a 6-2 vote, construction of DiamondView Tower, a 15-story office building beyond the right field wall of Petco Park in Downtown San Diego. Councilwomen Toni Atkins and Donna Frye...

Strange bedfellows.(Top business news: November 26-December 2, 2004)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Strange Bedfellows: Mayor Dick Murphy--in a heated battle with San Diego City Councilwoman Donna Frye over the still-contested mayoral race--on Dec. 2 announced the creation of a new council committee on government efficiency and openness,...

Randy Mendioroz.(Executive Profile)
December 6, 2004... Randy Mendioroz, principal and founder of Aquatic Design Group in Carlsbad, knows how to make water fast in a matter of speaking. "Design can have an impact on swimming times," he said. "Our job is not to limit the ability of the athletes...

Being the best.(Media & Marketing)(WB News at Ten won La Pluma Awards )(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Being The Best: "WB News at Ten" won five La Pluma Awards by the California Chicano News Media Association, including Best TV Newscast for Opening Day at Petco Park. The La Pluma Awards are an annual fund-raising event to honor journalists who...

Other news.(Media & Marketing)(San Diego Advertising Fund)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Other News: Sandi Banister, promotions manager at KSWB-TV Channel 5/69, has been elected to the 2004-05 San Diego Advertising Fund for Emergencies board of directors. Banister, who has more than 25 years of experience in San Diego's...

Couple aren't wine-ing about shark's reputation: husband, wife raising funds for Great Whites.(Trends)(Great White Wines LLC,)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Combining their two passions in life, great white sharks and wine, husband and wife team Mark Horton and Melanie Marks have embarked on a journey that they hope will change the image of sharks throughout the world. Two years ago, the...

Be a winner.(Trends)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Be A Winner: The National Small Business Association is seeking nominations for the 2005 Small Business Advocate of the Year Award. The award is to be presented at the organization's annual Washington, D.C., presentation May 11 and 12 at...

Workshops scheduled.(Trends)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
December 6, 2004... Workshops Scheduled: The San Diego chapter of SCORE, counselors to America's small businesses, will host "How to Start and Manage Your Own Business," from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 7 at Point Loma Nazarene University, 4007 Camino del Rio S. The...

Spotlight: Peter Barron Stark & Associates.(Small Business)
December 6, 2004... An author of six books in the fields of leadership and negotiation, Peter Barron Stark knows how to lead a company. The president of Peter Barton Stark & Associates, Inc., Stark helps companies reach the type of corporate atmosphere that would...

Looking to expand real estate firm? Here's how.(Small Business Help Line)
December 6, 2004... Question: I am looking to expand my real estate business. How do I build a successful team to help me reach my goals? Answer: Yesterday's real estate agent was a veritable jack-of-all-trades, but today's agents must be skilled specialists....

Awards & recognition.(Key Hires And Promotions)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Robert C. Pack, founder and chief executive officer of Stonefield Development, was honored Nov. 18 at the annual Building Association of San Diego County dinner with the Builders Helping Neighborhoods community service award. Pack received the...

Banking and finance.(Key Hires And Promotions)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Stephen L. Weber, the president of San Diego State University, has been named a member of the Community Advisory Board for Union Bank of California, N.A. The Advisory Board helps the bank identify the financial needs of low-income and...

Construction and design.(Key Hires And Promotions)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Guy Asaro was named senior vice president of land acquisition and planning for McMillin Land Development, a Corky McMillin company. With 24 years' experience in the development field, Asaro brings a background of expertise to McMillin. Asaro...

Education.(Key Hires And Promotions)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Judith L. Swain, M.D., a molecular cardiologist and chairwoman of the Department of Medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine, has been named the first director of the College of Integrated Life Sciences at UC San Diego. Swain is a...

Government and nonprofit.(Key Hires And Promotions)(Senate Local Government Committee)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Sen.-elect Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego, will chair the Senate Local Government Committee. Kehoe served as a member of the San Diego City Council from 1993 to 2000, represented the city on the San Diego Association of Governments, served on the...

Law.(Key Hires And Promotions)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Townsend and Townsend and Crew LLP hired Steven C. Petersen as a partner in the Biotechnology and Chemistry Practice Group. Previously with Hogan & Hartson, Petersen focuses on patent prosecution in biotechnology, organic chemistry and...

Miscellaneous.(Key Hires And Promotions)(Otay Water District)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... The Otay Water District board of directors announced that Mark Watton has been selected as its general manager. Watton has been the interim general manager since then-General Manager Robert Griego announced his retirement in July. Watton's...