San Diego Business Journal articles from December 2005

San Diego Business Journal archives from December 2005

Rep's conviction shines light on defense practices: experts say it comes down to ethics on both sides of the fence.
December 5, 2005... The collapse of Randy "Duke" Cunningham's political career started with the pocketing of a defense contractor's personal check--No. 1039. The $70,000 payment to the Republican congressman on May 1, 2000, was just the beginning. The...

Diegan, Hard Rock roll with investors: condotels gaining favor among hip travelers and traditional builders.
December 5, 2005... About a year ago, the word "condotel" entered the local real estate lexicon as news surfaced that the concept was soon to debut here. While common elsewhere, particularly in Florida, developers interested in building condotels--hotels...

Work-force housing is paradise found: National City Hospital a model; lack of land could inhibit others from following suit.
December 5, 2005... Where your life's work meets ours. That's the slogan of Paradise Walk, an innovative pairing of a builder, the Olson Co., and a major employer, Paradise Valley Hospital in National City, to provide employee housing. On Nov. 15, the $36 million...

Wachovia begins westward push: local acquisitions part of plan to move slowly here.(AmNet Mortgage Inc.)
December 5, 2005... It's the fourth-largest lender in the nation, yet Wachovia Corp. doesn't have much name recognition in this area. That's likely to change early next year. The Charlotte, N.C.-based company with more than $532 billion in assets is buying...

Roque De La Fuente cases make for busy docket: a full settlement in one case could send S.D. into bankruptcy.
December 5, 2005... It's hard to keep up with all the litigation involving Roque De La Fuente. The South Bay developer and car dealer has received a good deal of publicity since a trial jury award of $94.5 million in 2001, the largest damages ever assessed...

Statewide bond plan targets freeways, ports: figure being discussed in Sacramento is $15b.
December 5, 2005... Southern California ports, freeways, rail lines, water supplies and even affordable housing projects could get a boost from a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure bond now being crafted in Sacramento for June's statewide ballot. While...

Mall offers unique look at local homes for the holidays: with shoppers jamming fashion valley, a captive audience awaits.
December 5, 2005... Although retail profits flourish during the holiday season, sales in many other industries do not. But there may be a new way for industries typically stalled during the holiday season to cash in on the yuletide buying frenzy. Until...

Temecula's Old West Moseys into wireless age: San Diego firm helps city to offer up free access.
December 5, 2005... In Old Town Temecula, the sidewalks are made of wood, the trash cans are barrels and rusty old wagons evoke an 1800s cattle-ranch ambience. But as officials there try to revitalize the original site from which the city of 82,000 grew,...

Colliers grows by acquisition.(Colliers Seeley International Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Colliers Macaulay Nicolls Inc., an international real estate services company with offices in San Diego County, announced Nov. 29 that it has closed a deal to buy a majority stake in the Los Angeles-area commercial real estate firm of Colliers...

Feds fuzzy on answers to HIPAA concerns: selling data, violating patients' privacy rules at issue.(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
December 5, 2005... The Office of Civil Rights is keeping mum on plans to respond to hospital industry concerns that a major accrediting body could be violating patient privacy. Patrick Hadley, a spokesman for the federal agency, which oversees the landmark...

Group convinces S.D. nurses to work in Nevada.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... An organization called Recruiting Nevada aims to draw nurses from San Diego into Nevada in a major way. The Las Vegas-based company, founded in 1993, says that 20 percent of nurses moving to Nevada, which has a nursing shortage, are from...

Scripps Research Institute sends AIDS data to IBM.(HEALTH CARE)
December 5, 2005... Computers Join AIDS Fight: When businesses shut off the lights and lock the doors for the night, they can help in the fight against the AIDS virus by leaving on their computers. Similarly, individuals can help in the fight against AIDS...

SAIC finds new exec across town at Titan Corp.(DEFENSE)
December 5, 2005... Science Applications International Corp., a San Diego-based company that employs 43,000 worldwide, has hired a new chief financial officer away from another large local defense contractor. Mark Sopp, former CFO and treasurer at Titan Corp.,...

Cubic deal with Northrop could be worth $250m.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Teamwork: San Diego-based Cubic Defense Applications--part of the Cubic Corp. has been selected as a partner in Northrop Grumman Corp.'s bid to provide support for the U.S. Joint Forces Command's Joint Warfighting Center. The contract,...

Supporting role: SYS Technologies.(DEFENSE)(Science Applications International Corp.)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Supporting Role: SYS Technologies, based in San Diego, won a $1.1 million contract from SAIC to provide systems engineering services to support a Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command program. SYS will aid Spawar's FORCEnet Integrated...

New Chief: Syntricity Inc.(DEFENSE)(Clara Leonida appointed as chief financial officer)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... New Chief: Syntricity Inc., a privately held San Diego-based provider of software for the semiconductor industry, has appointed Clara Leonida as the company's chief financial officer. Leonida was Z Microsystems' former CFO and has served as...

Satellite Shopping: Carlsbad-based ViaSat Inc.(DEFENSE)(purchase of Efficient Channel Coding Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Satellite Shopping: Carlsbad-based ViaSat Inc., a satellite and wireless technology provider, has purchased privately held Efficient Channel Coding Inc. for $25.5 million. The purchase of the Ohio-based producer of satellite communications...

All-Star Contract: All Star Services Corp.(DEFENSE)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... All-Star Contract: All Star Services Corp., a San Diego-based service company, won a $33 million contract Nov. 22 to provide base operations and maintenance at Fort Huachuca, Ariz. The contract expires in 2010. Please send defense and...

Military turns to Hollywood to boost recruitment: National Guard doubles ad budget; no firms specializing in defense advertisements.
December 5, 2005... For 14 National Guard soldiers, it was not your typical training exercise. They reported to the offices of American Rogue Films, a production company based at Santa Monica Airport, for an intensive course in High Definition video cameras....

Drug approval rate is down from past figures: San Diego home to two new drugs that hit the market this year.
December 5, 2005... The number of new drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration this year has dropped significantly in the last year. Local drug development industry members say they believe the decline is because the federal agency is exercising more...

A timeline of Cunningham's collapse.(Calendar)
December 5, 2005... 2000 May 1: $100,000 given to Cunningham in two personal checks. Oct. 23: $11,116.50 payment made on Cunningham's 65-foot yacht, the Kelly C. 2001 Aug. 16: Cunningham fails to declare $100,000 worth of illicit payments...

Succession plan in place at Landmark National.(appointment of Rick Mandlebaum)
December 5, 2005... While the retirement of Ron Carlson at Solana Beach-based Landmark National Bank may have appeared sudden to some, it was something that had been planned for a while, said recently appointed Chief Executive Officer Rick Mandlebaum. "It was...

The $3 billion Mark: ITLA Capital Corp., the holding company to San Diego-based Imperial Capital Bank, reported third-quarter earnings of $6.2 million, compared to $5.5 million in the previous year's third quarter.(FINANCE)
December 5, 2005... The $3 Billion Mark: ITLA Capital Corp., the holding company to San Diego-based Imperial Capital Bank, reported third-quarter earnings of $6.2 million, compared to $5.5 million in the previous year's third quarter. For the nine months, the firm...

Mayor-elect Sanders can keep director's seat on Coronado First Board.(appointment of Jerry Sanders )(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Sanders Retains Position: San Diego Mayor-elect Jerry Sanders won't have to give up his director's seat on the new Coronado First Bank board of directors. Upon his winning the Nov. 8 election, Sanders checked with City Attorney Michael...

More SBA crowing.(Small Business Administration)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... More SBA Crowing: The completion of the fiscal year for the federal government's Small Business Administration is always certain to generate publicity from commercial banks making SBA-guaranteed loans. Temecula Valley Bank noted its $222...

They're No. 1.(U.S. Bancorp)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... They're No. 1: Minneapolis-based U.S. Bancorp, which has 30 branches in San Diego, was ranked the top-performing large bank in the nation by Bank Directors Magazine based on the bank's financial results from the second half of 2004 and first...

Mini Cooper still a winner, with a few alterations.(Road Test)
December 5, 2005... The Mini Cooper is now going into its fourth year in the United States without any appreciable change. There certainly is an international team of designers, engineers and marketing executives planning a major revision. This column is...

Tech Coast Angels eyes its top year since 2000: six young San Diego companies get group's blessing.
December 5, 2005... The Tech Coast Angels investor group is on track to post its biggest year since 2000. The venture network's investment in Southern California companies rose 65 percent to $10.7 million through October, compared to a year earlier. Tech...

Fast-growing firms borrow to grow more.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Despite an environment of rising interest rates, many fast-growing companies have no trouble finding agreeable loan rates and are expecting stronger revenue growth during the next 12 months compared to non-borrowers, according to a recent...

Building bridges that tie, bind and strengthen communities.
December 5, 2005... The love affair between business and education continues to flourish in North County. In particular, the biotechnology and health care industries have taken quite and active stance, stepping up to help deserving students with the increasing...

InfoSonics Corp.(Small Change)(Wells Fargo HSBC Trade Bank increases credit given to InfoSonics Corp.)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Wells Fargo HSBC Trade Bank increased its line of credit to InfoSonics Corp., a San Diego-based cell phone distributor, to $25 million.... Send any news about banks and other finance businesses to Mike Allen via mallen@sdbj.com. He can be...

North Island Financial Credit Union.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The California Credit Union League presented the Political Professional of the Year award to North Island Financial Credit Union's general counsel Rick Haynie.... Send any news about banks and other finance businesses to Mike Allen via...

Community Bancorp declared a quarterly cash dividend.(Small Change)
December 5, 2005... Community Bancorp declared a quarterly cash dividend of 10 cents per share at its recent meeting.... Send any news about banks and other finance businesses to Mike Allen via mallen@sdbj.com. He can be reached at (858) 277-6359.

Hokanson Capital Management.(Small Change)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Solana Beach-based Hokanson Capital Management was named one of the nation's top 100 wealth advisers by the Robb Report in the October issue of Worth magazine. Send any news about banks and other finance businesses to Mike Allen via...

Merger mania: merger and acquisition market on the upswing.
December 5, 2005... For seven years, Berkley Web Strategies owner and founder Holly Berkley built her Downtown San Diego business from scratch, offering online marketing and design consulting services throughout the county's business community. But as her...

AT&T-SBC deal expected to have local biz impact: prices that San Diego firms pay might rise in near future.
December 5, 2005... A recently approved merger between SBC and AT&T is expected to have minimal impact on existing residential customers, but that's not the case for the telecom company's business clients. The California Public Utilities Commission approved...

Merger activity in area might have topped out: advisers have told entrepreneurs to sell their businesses.
December 5, 2005... Several well-known consumer brands were bought or sold by Los Angeles-area companies recently, including Claim Jumper Restaurants and Rampage Clothing Co., as merger activity continued at a relatively healthy pace. Consumer products,...

Private companies.(Directory)
December 5, 2005... PRIVATE COMPANIES Headquarters located in San Diego County; ranked by 2004 revenue Revenue: * 2004 ...

Acquisition spree fuels growth at Powerwave: company buys part of Del Mar's Remec, cutting number of rivals.(Telecom)
December 5, 2005... Powerwave Technologies Inc. hit a key benchmark this past summer in its makeover efforts of the last few years: a $1 billion market value. Powerwave, a Santa Ana-based maker of amplifiers and other gear for wireless phone networks, has been...

Mergers and acquisitions.
December 5, 2005... MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS Ranked by date of merger or acquisition * Date of Telephone merger/ Order Companies ([dagger])...

Web connect directory.(Directory)
December 5, 2005... Advertising Agencies/Marketing Communications Square One Advertising, Inc. www.squareoneadv.com erin@squareoneadv.com 858.715.4714 sulicworldwide www.sulic.com info@sulic.com 858.551.5511 Whitelaw...

Liberty Station Business District is taking shape.(REAL ESTATE)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Construction--and leasing activity--is coming along on two new buildings in Liberty Station's Office District, part of the mega-mixed-use project now under way on the grounds of the former Naval Training Center in Point Loma. According to...

Home prices drop a little from September, but are still up from 2004.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Median Rare: The median price of a single-family detached home in San Diego in October was $601,850, down 1.7 percent from September, but up 6.2 percent from October 2004, according to the California Association of Realtors. Meanwhile,...

Big deals.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Big Deals: San Ysidro Village, a 258.862-square-foot retail center in San Ysidro, has been sold by RVIP CA/WA/OR Portfolio LLC for $43 million to Westwood Financial Corp. Pete Bethea of Burnham Real Estate's Retail Advisory Group,...

Kudos.(Nancy Scull and Melissa Tunnel)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Kudos: Nancy Scull and Melissa Tunnel. partners in Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps LLP's real estate practice group, have been recognized by Real Estate Southern California magazine as two of the region's "Women of Influence" for 2005. ...

Dollars for scholars: JCJ Blackman Architecture, Inc.(REAL ESTATE)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Dollars For Scholars: JCJ Blackman Architecture, Inc. recently unveiled a new scholarship fund for aspiring designers and architects in San Diego. The scholarship will be available to students who wish to pursue a design or architectural...

Sales.(PROGRESS REPORT)
December 5, 2005... Property: 501 Greenfield, El Cajon. Seller: Holt/Greenfield LP. Selling agents: Eric Comer and Jim Neil of CB Richard Ellis represented the buyer and seller. Buyer/square footage: Greenfield, L.P. purchased a 58-unit apartment...

Leases.(PROGRESS REPORT)
December 5, 2005... Property: Lot 4, Northpointe Tech Center, No. 100, Carlsbad. Lessor: Calwest Industrial Properties, LLC. Leasing agents: Larry Jackel, Matthew Strockis and John Barksdale of CB Richard Ellis represented the lessor and Rick Reeder of...

Red Diamond Coatings and Bay Cal Commercial Painting are donating time and materials to refurbish the fabled Hollywood sign overlooking Los Angeles.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Red Diamond Coatings and Bay Cal Commercial Painting are donating time and materials to refurbish the fabled Hollywood sign overlooking Los Angeles. Red Diamond Coatings, a manufacturing of architectural coatings, and Bay Cal Commercial, are...

RSI Roofing.(CONSTRUCTION JOURNAL)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... RSI Roofing has signed a contract to re-roof a commercial building located at 955 Borra Place in Escondido. Cost: $84,754. RSI president: David Susi. Send news of contract awards and construction commencement and completion for...

Sully-Jones Roofing Co.(CONSTRUCTION JOURNAL)(Bertram Business Center )(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Sully-Jones Roofing Co. has completed reroofing of four commercial buildings within the Bertram Business Center in San Marcos. Cost: $200,000. The company also completed re-roofing of the commercial building housing Tower Glass in...

Roel Construction.(CONSTRUCTION JOURNAL)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Roel Construction has completed tenant improvements for Wells Fargo Plaza in San Diego. Cost: $5 million. Building owner/property manager: The Irvine Co. Construction manager: Palmer Construction Services. Architect: Gensler....

Jaynes Corp.(CONSTRUCTION JOURNAL)(library construction)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Jaynes Corp. is more than halfway through construction of the new 15,250-square-foot library on Aero Drive in San Diego that will serve the Serra Mesa and Kearny Mesa communities. Completion is scheduled for March Cost: $6.4 million. ...

San Diego public stocks.(Marketplace)(Illustration)
December 5, 2005... SAN DIEGO PUBLIC STOCKS EXCHANGE TICKER PRICE PRICE SYMBOL COMPANY NAME 11/28/2005 11/22/2005 NASD ACAD Acadia Pharmaceuticals, ...

Natural Alternatives Int'l.(Proxy)(Natural Alternatives International Inc.)
December 5, 2005... NASDAQ -- NAII Natural Alternatives International, Inc. provides private-label contract manufacturing services to companies that market and distribute vitamins, minerals, herbs and other nutritional supplements, as well as other...

Shoppers mob Web.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Shoppers Mob Web: People not only gravitated to the shopping malls on the Friday after Thanksgiving, they also flocked to e-commerce sites. New York-based market research company Nielsen//NetRatings reported 17.2 million unique customers...

Tech firm headed here.(Naviscan PET Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Tech Firm Headed Here: A private company that makes positron emission tomography scanners announced it will relocate its headquarters to San Diego. Naviscan PET Systems, Inc. is leaving Rockville, Md., for the Sorrento Valley area. Its...

Picking up hotel's lease.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Picking Up Hotel's Lease: Bethesda, Md.-based LaSalle Hotel Properties has stated that it is acquiring the 357-room Hilton San Diego Resort for $91.2 million. Built in 1962, the Mission Bay property is on a 17.7-acre tract of city-owned...

Diagnostic deal.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Diagnostic Deal: Oceanside-based SeraCare Life Sciences, Inc. announced that it plans to acquire certain assets of Serologicals Corp. SeraCare will acquire diagnostic manufacturing facilities in Milford, Mass.--near an existing SeraCare...

Bowing out at CCDC.(Centre City Development Corp.)(appointment of Gina Champion-Cain)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Bowing Out At CCDC: Gina Champion-Cain, appointed to the Centre City Development Corp. board June 29, is resigning due to a potential conflict of interest. She is president and chief executive officer of American National Investments, a...

Billions from burgers.(Wednesday, Nov. 30)
December 5, 2005... Billions From Burgers: San Diego-based fast-food chain Jack in the Box Inc. reported net earnings of $21.5 million, or 59 cents per diluted share, for the final quarter of its fiscal year, which ended Oct. 2. Revenue for the quarter was $601...

Hat in the ring.(Congressional elections )(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Hat In The Ring: Brian Bilbray, a Republican who represented California's 49th congressional district in San Diego's South Bay from 1995 to 2001. announced his candidacy for the 50th District seat vacated by Randy "Duke" Cunningham, who pleaded...

Calendar.(For the Record: BUSINESS EVENTS)(Calendar)
December 5, 2005... 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. Send requests to: Andy Killion...

The Alzheimer's Association honored Paul Greenwood with the 2005 Visionary Change Award for his leadership in preventing and prosecuting elder abuse.(AWARDS & RECOGNITION)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The Alzheimer's Association honored Paul Greenwood with the 2005 Visionary Change Award for his leadership in preventing and prosecuting elder abuse. The 2005 Luxury Conclave honored Bonnie Adams with the Highest Priced Property Sold Award for...

Intuit Inc.(BANKING AND FINANCE)(Jim Parker appointed as member accountant and adviser customer council)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Jim Parker has been named member accountant and adviser customer council for Intuit Inc. He will share insight, experience and expertise with Intuit as the company develops new products and services for accountants and advisers.

Dominy + Associate Architects.(CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN)(Lisa Castagnola appointed as architect and Shao Hsiin Lin as intern designer and drafter)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Dominy + Associate Architects has added Lisa Castagnola as architect and Shao Hsiin Lin as intern designer and drafter. Castagnola has 11 years of industry experience and Hsiin Lin was previously with R&L Architects in Taiwan.

Words Alive.(GOVERNMENT AND NONPROFIT)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Robin Pelletier has joined Words Alive as executive director. She will oversee the staff and lay leadership as well as work with the board of directors. Pelletier has more than 15 years' experience in communications and development and most...

Cell Bio-Systems, Inc.(HEALTH CARE AND BIOTECH)(Ratan Bajaj appointed as vice president of global operations)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Cell Bio-Systems, Inc. has added Ratan Bajaj as vice president of global operations. He will be responsible for handling overseas and U.S. manufacturing operations, vendor negotiations, tooling designs, manufacturing, engineering and...

PowerMetal Technologies.(HIGH-TECH AND MANUFACTURING)(William Davidson III appointed as vice president of product development)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... PowerMetal Technologies has appointed William Davidson III as vice president of product development. He will be responsible for development and production contracts, as well as managing key internal research and development objectives, budgets...

Pat & Oscar.(HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS)(Nikki Nuzzolillo appointed as director of training)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Nikki Nuzzolillo has been named director of training for Pat & Oscar's restaurants. She will be responsible for coordinating activities for the training department as well as designing, planning and implementing education and development...

Boris Zelkind has joined Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear as of counsel.(LAW)(Jerrilyn Malana appointed at San Diego County Bar Association's board of directors)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Boris Zelkind has joined Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear as of counsel. Zelkind has more than 10 years' experience litigating, prosecuting and licensing intellectual property issues. Jerrilyn Malana, an attorney at Littler Mendelson, has been...

JWalcher Communications.(MEDIA AND MARKETING)(Nathan Mueller appointed as an account coordinator)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Nathan Mueller has joined JWalcher Communications as an account coordinator. In this position, he will be responsible for client development in various sectors. Most recently, Mueller was an intern at Lewis Global Public Relations.

Jason Berman has joined XPEDX as senior account manager for the industrial packaging division.(MISCELLANEOUS)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Jason Berman has joined XPEDX as senior account manager for the industrial packaging division. He will be responsible for consulting with customers in the manufacturing segment. Berman has 20 years of outside sales experience. Imageworks...

VR Business Brokers.(REAL ESTATE)(Gary Zolnierek as senior associate)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Gary Zolnierek has joined VR Business Brokers as senior associate. He previously developed and managed his own aerospace manufacturing business.

Ron Lack.(EXECUTIVE SPOTLIGHT)(Equastone as executive vice president)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Ron Lack has joined Equastone as executive vice president. He will be responsible for all asset management functions in California, Arizona and Nevada, including overseeing all leasing, construction, property management and dispositions. Lack...

Philanthropy.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... One hundred twenty-five of San Diego's commercial real estate professionals helped raise $125,000 at the 2005 San Diego Real Estate Challenge for the Monarch School for homeless and at-risk children. Sharp Credit Union helped raise $2,500...

This spa package travels the extra mile: marketing tips just a phone call away.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Kidnappers normally are sentenced to hard time in the state prison for their actions, but one small business in San Diego is hoping to garner high praise for its "criminal" mischief. The Pampered Princess, a La Mesa-based startup launched...

Free tele-seminar.(TRENDS)
December 5, 2005... Free Tele-Seminar: Small-business owners seeking ways to improve their marketing may want to give 10stepmarketing a call at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14. The Santee-based training and coaching firm will host a free, one-hour tele-seminar...

Spotlight: Aussie Pet Mobile North County.
December 5, 2005... The scariest and most rewarding business decisions are often one in the same: just ask Chuck Black. The Oceanside resident, who quit a successful 30-year career in corporate retail management to pursue small-business ownership, said he...

Branding isn't just for ad campaigns.
December 5, 2005... Question: How does branding apply to a small business, and what does it mean for me? Answer: Branding isn't just for the big guys, but that's what most of us think of when we hear the word. We can all name our favorite brands--maybe it's...

Mike Jensen.(Executive Profile)(Cumming L.L.C.)(Biography)
December 5, 2005... While a college student, Mike Jensen did a six-month internship as a construction cost consultant. From there a career bloomed, and he never turned his attention elsewhere. "I'm good with numbers. I guess it was just providence," he says....

Now open.(home decorations)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Now Open: The first year for most novice small-business owners is a time to figure things out and work into the marketplace. For Jenny McNulty, a public-school teacher-turned-home decor and gift boutique owner, her first year has been a time to...

Avanir coverage is off-balance.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 5, 2005... Editor: I am a large shareholder in Avanir Pharmaceuticals (over 85,000 shares), and I was quite surprised, actually bothered/baffled to read your article (San Diego Business Journal, Nov. 21, "S.D. Biotech's Shareholders Question Firm's...

No love lost for Lamont Ewell.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 5, 2005... Editor: Great news! We are finally rid of one of the worst city managers in our city's checkered history. Lamont Ewell is quitting. The funny part is that he has a new job as city manager of Santa Monica, a suburb of Los Angeles with a...