San Diego Business Journal articles from July 2005

San Diego Business Journal archives from July 2005

Biz group prods airport panel to beef up its PR: authority putting $2.2M into effort for 2006 site choice.
July 4, 2005... A business organization pushing to relocate San Diego International Airport from its cramped Lindbergh Field quarters is critical that the agency running the operation hasn't done an effective job of selling the public on the idea. "We've...

Callaway wedged in tight spot: depressed golf market, poor sales make the firm a takeover target.
July 4, 2005... Big Bertha may be on the selling block, yet analysts who cover golf club maker Callaway Golf Co. generally say the purported $1.2 billion price is low. Reports surfaced late last month that Callaway's board is weighing a bid of about $16...

Eminent domain a new tool for business to use? Supreme court stirs debate over seizing private land.
July 4, 2005... San Diego businessman Ed Plant is still bitter over losing his land and business to Petco Park. Predictably, Plant was not heartened when the U.S. Supreme Court recently gave local governments even more authority to seize private property....

Rabble rouses cell phone users: year-old firm scores coup with addition to Verizon.
July 4, 2005... Had it been an earlier decade, it would have been a paper note, pinned to a bulletin board: A plea for a study partner in a tough class at UC San Diego. But Shawn Conahan sees a day when a student writing those words will punch the text...

San Diego magazine now in the hands of Los Angeles publisher: publication touts move as an opportunity to expand.(Media)
July 4, 2005... For nearly six decades, San Diego Magazine Publishing Co., which produces the monthly San Diego Magazine, was locally owned and operated. That changed late last month as Jim Fitzpatrick, the owner, president and chief executive officer of...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
July 4, 2005... In the Structures '05 supplement in the June 27 issue of the San Diego Business Journal, the Poway City Hall photo credit should have been given to Max Dolberg. In the June 27 edition of the San Diego Business Journal, it was incorrectly...

Metabasis inks new deal for diabetes drug: hepatitis B drug also could be in phase III tests this year.(Biotech)
July 4, 2005... San Diego-based biotech company Metabasis Therapeutics Inc. and New Jersey--based pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. Inc. announced late last month that they signed another research agreement targeting diabetes drugs. The deal could bring...

Seacoast Commerce Bank Searching for New CEO: Larry Benthien is third top exec of a startup bank replaced in the last 16 months.(Finance)
July 4, 2005... Larry Benthien, founder and president of Seacoast Commerce Bank in Chula Vista, abruptly resigned late last month. The sudden departure of the bank's founder prompted speculation it was caused by the bank's slow growth. "When you look...

Hoteliers shake off June gloom with a sunny set of statistics: high gas prices are unlikely to dampen the summer figures for San Diego.(Tourism)
July 4, 2005... Despite overcast skies during much of June and a few scattered showers to boot, innkeepers countywide were anything but gloomy--and for good reason. During a 28-day stretch ending June 25, they enjoyed a 7.7 percent bump in occupancy...

Companies vying for booming new market: action sports draws attention, though you better know how to surf if you want to play.(Media)
July 4, 2005... Once considered to be the largest and most financially lucrative generation in America, baby boomers have lost their title to a younger group they know well: their own children. Baby boomers' kids, now some 80 million strong, are quickly...

Global PR firm focuses on local technology.(MEDIA & MARKETING)(public relations )(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Porter Novelli, a global public relations firm based in New York, has launched its new branding campaign. The campaign, which uses the tagline "Many Minds, Singular Results," is designed to communicate the agency's range of expertise and...

Gabriel wisdom dropped from KPBS-FM lineup.(MEDIA & MARKETING)(Gabriel Wisdom)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... * Contributor Dropped: After three years as a contributor on Public Broadcasting's local station KPBS-FM 89.5, local financial analyst Gabriel Wisdom was dropped. Wisdom, who was a frequent contributor on both local and national segments,...

San Diego County is now home to the first wine magazine dedicated entirely to women.(New Publication)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Wine Adventure, a bimonthly magazine that debuts July 10, features travel, food and lifestyle articles specifically targeted toward women. "I have always felt that women haven't been served by existing wine publications," said Michele...

Video game firm finds execs to play: marketing a new push for industry.(Software)
July 4, 2005... When Activision Inc. hired its new publishing Chief Executive Michael Griffith away from Folgers coffee, it got exactly what it wanted: 24 years of Procter & Gamble Inc. experience. Griffith was president of P&G's global beverage division,...

Leap wireless reappears on the Nasdaq Board.(PUBLIC COMPANIES)(Leap Wireless International Inc.)
July 4, 2005... A little more than two years after Leap Wireless International filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the restructured company's stock returned to the Nasdaq National Markets stock exchange on June 29, under a different ticker--LEAP. ...

Petco Animal Supplies Inc. avoids being delisted from Nasdaq, completes internal review.(PUBLIC COMPANIES)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Petco Refiles: Petco Animal Supplies Inc., the San Diego-based retail chain, finished its internal review of past financial reports and avoided being delisted from Nasdaq. Petco had been facing delisting since May after it failed to file...

A very fast track leads to tech firm's purchase.(HIGH-TECH)(NetSift Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... NetSift, Inc. is a San Diego company on the fast track--a track so fast, in fact, that NetSift will soon be absorbed into Silicon Valley tech giant Cisco Systems. This comes only a year after NetSift was founded. Last week, Cisco...

Titan Corp. secures new $405m army technology contract.(HIGH-TECH)
July 4, 2005... Army PC Work: The Titan Corp. will continue to provide information technology services for the top people in the Army, specifically 10,000 military, civilian and contract employees running personal computers on their desks. Titan last week...

Sell-off continues: Remec Inc.(PUBLIC COMPANIES)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Sell-Off Continues: Remec Inc., a Del Mar-based defense contractor that's liquidating itself, included financial results from its defense and space unit into its first-quarter numbers, even though the sale of the unit was completed May 20. ...

Patriot Scientific Settles Suit: Patriot Scientific Corp.(PUBLIC COMPANIES)
July 4, 2005... Patriot Scientific Settles Suit: Patriot Scientific Corp., a Rancho Bernardo-based holder of a variety of semiconductor patents, settled a long-standing legal dispute with the TPL Group of Cupertino, providing the firm with what it says are...

Community joins Russell 2000: Escondido-based Community Bancorp, with about $700 million in assets and 10 offices, joined the new Russell Microcap Index.(PUBLIC COMPANIES)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Community Joins Russell 2000: Escondido-based Community Bancorp, with about $700 million in assets and 10 offices, joined the new Russell Microcap Index, a listing of the smallest 1,000 securities in the Russell 2000 Index, plus the next 1,000...

Ticket takes: accredited Home Lenders Holding Co.(PUBLIC COMPANIES)(BioMed Realty Trust Inc.)(lease contracts)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Ticket Takes: Accredited Home Lenders Holding Co. said it signed a long-term lease on several buildings used for its corporate headquarters in Rancho Bernardo.... BioMed Realty Trust, Inc. said its underwriters exercised an over-allotment...

Say it and play it: speech command technology developed by San Diego-based V-Enable.(HIGH-TECH)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Say It And Play It: Speech command technology developed by San Diego-based V-Enable is at work on Leap Wireless International's Cricket wireless phone network. People who would like to personalize their phones with a new ring tone can...

Holes plugged as travel bureaus ponder funding.(TOURISM)
July 4, 2005... When it comes to funding the two largest agencies that tell the county's story to the visiting public, San Diego City Hall apparently thinks the destination sells itself. The San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau lost an even $1 million,...

Kristian champion is promoted at Loews Coronado's Sea Spa.(TOURISM)
July 4, 2005... Moving Up The Ladder: Loews Coronado Bay Resort & Spa has announced that Kristian Champion was promoted to director of its Sea Spa from the post he formerly held as the resort's assistant director of conference management. Champion has 14...

Summer in San Diego means sunshine, budget debates.(Business in the North County)
July 4, 2005... Summer is finally here. That is kind of an absurd statement considering it's like summer here nearly all year. But June 22 was the official beginning, the longest day of the year as a matter of fact. This is also the time of the year...

Off-the-job training: swimming, running and bicycling help biotech pros focus on their work.(Special Report: BIOSCIENCE)
July 4, 2005... People often describe biotechnology as a dynamic industry chock-full of risk. So it comes as no surprise that the people who work at these companies exert similar qualities. Even less surprising perhaps is that the outside activities...

Working out helps biotech consultant fill up his tank.(Special Report: BIOSCIENCE)
July 4, 2005... On a typical day, San Diego biotech consultant Mark Erwin starts his morning at 5 with a light breakfast, then leaves the house to train. Mondays, he swims; Tuesdays, he runs track; Wednesdays, he bikes, then runs; Thursdays, he runs even...

Training is like preparing for a major business event.(Special Report: BIOSCIENCE)
July 4, 2005... Brian Culley is surely San Diego's fastest vice president of business development, if not the world's. Culley, 34, can run 26.2 miles in under 2 hours, 30 minutes, rubbing elbows with Kenyans at San Diego's annual rock 'n' roll marathon....

Spectrum investor criticizes executive pay, vies for board: company's CEO received $750K in Salary and bonuses last year.(Biotech)(Xmark Asset Management LLC)(Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc.)(chief executive officer)
July 4, 2005... Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc. has a brewing shareholder fight on its hands. Xmark Asset Management LLC of Stamford, Conn., contends that the Irvine-based drug maker has rebuffed or ignored its calls for reform. The investor said it...

Santee's Scantibodies not guilty in patent suit.(BIOTECH)
July 4, 2005... A jury in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California ruled last week that the Santee-based maker of a diagnostics test Scantibodies Clinical Laboratory, Inc. and Scantibodies Laboratory, Inc. did not infringe a patent...

CardioDynamics Corp. cutting 25 jobs after its disappointing second-quarter results.(BIOTECH)
July 4, 2005... Job Cuts: CardioDynamics International Corp., a San Diego-based diagnostics maker, said it would cut 25 jobs to save $2 million annually after reporting disappointing second-quarter financial results. The company reported a net loss of...

Genentech names VP here.(BIOTECH)
July 4, 2005... Genentech Names VP Here: South San Francisco-based biotechnology giant Genentech Inc. announced David Broad as vice president and general manager of its newly acquired Oceanside production plant. Genentech made the announcement June...

Working out probably saved biotech manager.
July 4, 2005... Sally Jewell won't be participating in any of her usual triathlon races this summer. After having been diagnosed with a massive pulmonary embolism and being put on blood thinners, Jewell hasn't been biking out of fear of falling. Many...

Biocom CEO uses exercise as escape route.(chief executive officer)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Joseph Panetta, the president and chief executive officer of Biocom, San Diego's life sciences trade group, said exercising every day helps him clear his mind and escape from the daily grind. "I have run, swam and biked all my life," said...

Biotechnology companies: ranked by local employees as of June 1, 2005.(Illustration)
July 4, 2005... BIOTECHNOLOGY COMPANIES Ranked by local employees as of June 1, 2005 Local employees: ...

Tech boom echo heard in group's revival: survey says $330M of Venture Capital Money flowed into L.A., O.C. tech companies in the first quarter of 2005.(Venice Interactive Community)(VIC Network)
July 4, 2005... It seemed like the tech industry's flusher days--sort of. A crowd of 200 or so gathered for two recent reunion events for the Venice Interactive Community, a group of techies now known as the VIC Network. They met at VIC's old haunt,...

Web connect directory.(Directory)
July 4, 2005... Advertising Agencies/Marketing Communications Square One Advertising, Inc. www.squareoneadv.com erin@squareoneadv.com 868.715.4714 Whitelaw Marketing www.whitelawmarketing.com info@whitelawmarketing.com ...

San Diego public stocks.(Marketplace)(Illustration)
July 4, 2005... Index Watch Index 6/28/05 6/21/05 San Diego Business Journal Index 150.58 1172.07 Dow Jones Industrial Average 10405.63 10599.67 S&P 500 Index 1201.57 1213.61...

Websense, Inc.(Proxy)
July 4, 2005... NASDAQ--WBSN Websense, Inc. provides employee Internet management products that enable organizations to analyze, report and manage how their employees use computing resources, including Internet access, instant messaging, peer-to-peer file...

Sales.(PROGRESS REPORT)
July 4, 2005... Property: 1525-1545 Palm Ave., San Diego. Seller: Randy Rivera and Brant Crenshaw. Selling agents: Ray Adams and Chris Rink of Grubb & Ellis/BRE Commercial represented the buyer and Rivera of Capital Real Estate Investments represented...

Leases.(PROGRESS REPORT)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Property: 16510 Via Esprillo, Suite 100, San Diego. Lessor: O.M. Bernardo Industrial Ltd. Leasing agents: Jay Alexander, Ryan Grove and Ryan Egli of Colliers International represented the lessor and Lee Stein of LJS Commercial Real...

Barnhart, Inc.(CONSTRUCTION JOURNAL)(construction contracts)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Barnhart, Inc., a San Diego-based construction manager, has completed two two-story university buildings for UC Riverside. The buildings represent the first satellite campus expansion for the UC system, and are part of an overall plan by...

C.E. Wylie Construction Co.(CONSTRUCTION JOURNAL)
July 4, 2005... C.E. Wylie Construction Co., a San Diego-based general building and engineering contractor, has completed renovation and expansion work at the public library in Coronado. Work involved the addition of about 18,000 square feet of space, followed...

R.A. Burch Construction Co. Inc.(CONSTRUCTION JOURNAL)(construction contracts)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... R.A. Burch Construction Co. Inc. in Ramona is constructing a single-family, concrete frame recruit clothing facility at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. Work will be performed in San Diego and is expected to be completed by April...

Ryan eyes Santee as the county's hot new market.(Real Estate)
July 4, 2005... Santee will be the next big executive enclave if Ryan Cos. US, Inc., a national commercial real estate firm, has calculated correctly. The firm, with offices in Phoenix, Chicago and Iowa, has just opened a regional office in San Diego on Towne...

Kyocera, S.D. firm design solar electric carport.(Real Estate)(San Diego)(Kyocera Solar Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Sunshine Dollars: Kyocera and Tucker Sadler, a San Diego-based architectural firm, have completed the design of that first-ever Solar Grove--a 186-vehicle parking lot that doubles as a solar electric generating facility. On June 24,...

Partnering up.(Real Estate)(Black Mountain Ranch, LLC)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Partnering Up: Black Mountain Ranch, LLC has taken on four partners for its Del Sur development, a new 1,800-acre residential community in North County due to open early next year. The builders are Standard Pacific Homes, Davidson...

Kudos.(Real Estate)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Kudos: The Baywood Collection at Santaluz earned multiple honors at the recent Gold Nugget Awards, the centerpiece of the 2005 Pacific Coast Builders Conference. Plan 1 won the Home of the Year award and a Grand Award for best...

Big buys: Torrey Hills Marketplace, LLC.(Real Estate)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Big Buys: Torrey Hills Marketplace, LLC has purchased Torrey Hills Center, a new 86,582-square-foot retail shopping center on Carmel Mountain Road, for $36.7 million. The property was sold by John Tworoger and Sam Hall of Sorrento Hills...

Calendar.(BUSINESS EVENTS)(Calendar)
July 4, 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: Stacey Bengtson...

Alien Hominid aiding startup as an industry behemoth.(TRENDS)(Behemoth)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
July 4, 2005... Like most startup companies, Behemoth, a Little Italy-based independent console game developer, is still striving to find its niche in the marketplace. The company, founded in 2003 by John Baez and four partners, released its first video...

BBB online service matches consumers with members.(TRENDS)(San Diego Better Business Bureau)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Matchmaking: Looking for a specific product or service? To help ease the search of finding a quality company that has that hard-to-find product, the San Diego Better Business Bureau is now offering an online service that matches consumers with...

Spotlight: Apunix computer services.(Small Business)(Company Profile)
July 4, 2005... There are thousands of self-service kiosks across the country. The kiosks, which help consumers find the product they are looking for, provide instructions on how to enroll in promotional events and provide maps and directions, can be found...

Check key metrics to gauge performance.(Small Business Help Line)
July 4, 2005... Question: What key company metrics should I be monitoring? Answer: Metrics, which refers to business units of measure to gauge performance, has largely unseated accounting reports as the management tool of choice in today's fast-paced...

Jeff Gosselin.(Executive Profile)(Xnergy)(Interview)
July 4, 2005... Xnergy, a 4-year-old company based in Carlsbad, is hoping its expertise can help keep businesses in California by helping them save on their energy bills. The firm has two primary businesses--designing, building and maintaining labs and...

Encinitas councilor seeks to protect property owners.
July 4, 2005... Encinitas City Councilman Jerome Stocks, sounding the battle cry for private property rights, has launched what he thinks might be the first local challenge to the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on strengthening the rights of local...

Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP has announced that Paul Tyrell was honored with a Volunteer of the Year Award during the 2005 Combined Health Agencies 35th annual meeting for his volunteer efforts with the San Diego chapter of the American Diabetes Association.(AWARDS & RECOGNITION)
July 4, 2005... Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP has announced that Paul Tyrell was honored with a Volunteer of the Year Award during the 2005 Combined Health Agencies 35th annual meeting for his volunteer efforts with the San Diego chapter of the...

D.R. Horton has hired Dan C. Matthews as branch manager of DHI Mortgage, Gregg Cole as vice president of operations/construction and Doug Jaeger as division president.(BANKING AND FINANCE)(The Accounting Group)(1st CFO LLC)(briefs)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... D.R. Horton has hired Dan C. Matthews as branch manager of DHI Mortgage, Gregg Cole as vice president of operations/construction and Doug Jaeger as division president. Matthews will be responsible for expanding the range and depth of services...

Stephan Castellanos has joined Chong Partners Architecture as an associate partner.(CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Stephan Castellanos has joined Chong Partners Architecture as an associate partner. Castellanos previously served as California state architect, where he developed policy and directed design and construction of California's public schools,...

BidShift.(appointment of Kathy Douglas )(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... BidShift has announced that Kathy Douglas has been hired for the new role of vice president and chief nursing executive. She brings more than 20 years of health-care leadership experience and will be responsible for overall health-care...

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP.(appointment)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP has announced that William Sullivan has been appointed chairman of the San Diego office. Sullivan's Practice focuses on securities and complex business litigation. He has experience in counseling public...

Maya Ellman has joined Epiphany Marketing as a public relations specialist.(MEDIA AND MARKETING)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Maya Ellman has joined Epiphany Marketing as a public relations specialist. Before joining the company, Ellman was the marketing coordinator at a local magazine, where she worked with the advertising, editorial and graphic design departments....

Lee Hecht Harrison has announced the appointment of Don Wells to vice president/ signature service consultant in its Southern California offices.(MISCELLANEOUS)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Lee Hecht Harrison has announced the appointment of Don Wells to vice president/ signature service consultant in its Southern California offices. Wells previously served as senior vice president and general manager of the firm's Los Angeles...

Dale Stein has been appointed chairman of the board for the Human Development Foundation.(NONPROFIT AND GOVERNMENT)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Dale Stein has been appointed chairman of the board for the Human Development Foundation. Stein will oversee the transition of HDF from a founder's to a governing board. In addition, he will be in charge with developing ongoing business...

Devin Quinn and Rich Kushner have joined Re/Max Distinctive Properties as real estate sales agent.(REAL ESTATE)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Devin Quinn and Rich Kushner have joined Re/Max Distinctive Properties as real estate sales agent. Sarah Goncalves, Seema Anantha and Gregory Cummings have joined Re/Max Associates as real estate sales agents.

Donna Marie Robinson.(EXECUTIVE SPOTLIGHT)(appointment)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... San Diego National Bank has announced the hire of Donna Marie Robinson as vice president of community lending. She will work at the Encinitas branch and focus on developing business banking relationships with growing businesses in the North...

Bravo San Diego has announced that Union Bank of California has donated $10,000 in support of the performing arts organizations that will be selected as Bravo's beneficiaries.(PHILANTHROPY)(Transforming Health Care in San Diego)(Fellowships for Nonprofit Leadership)(awards)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Bravo San Diego has announced that Union Bank of California has donated $10,000 in support of the performing arts organizations that will be selected as Bravo's beneficiaries. Sharp HealthCare Foundation and 1,000 San Diegans raised more...

Riding tidal wave of optimism.(Pacific Perspectives)
July 4, 2005... Talk about an ocean of optimism! Here's a positive current for you if there ever was one: A close friend--whom I dub the Very Successful Korean-American Businessman (VSKAB), who doesn't want his name to be used (whose last name is "Kim,"...

County's auctions also boost business.(Opinion)
July 4, 2005... Doing business with the county is a great opportunity for the savvy entrepreneur. Government regularly needs to purchase a wide array of goods and services, from answering systems to envelopes, lab equipment, property management, vehicles and...

Choosing the bird.(Letter)(Letter to the Editor)
July 4, 2005... Editor: Until this moment, my life has been totally fulfilled without knowledge of Mr. Allen Polk Hemphill and his inane views regarding the preservation of species (San Diego Business Journal, June 20). I never knew he existed nor do...

Viejas hits airwaves.(Friday, June 24)(Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians)(Broadcast Company of the Americas)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Viejas Hits Airwaves: The Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians announced it had bought a 50 percent interest in the Broadcast Company of the Americas, owner of the Mighty 1090 sports radio station, for $7.5 million. Real estate developer Doug...

Memec deal clears Hurdle.(Friday, June 24)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Memec Deal Clears Hurdle: The pending acquisition of Memec, a San Diego-based distributor of semiconductors, by Avnet Inc. moved another step closer with approval of the deal from the European Commission. Avnet's stock purchase of Memec,...

BAE raises flag.(Friday, June 24)(BAE Systems Ship Repair)(new name)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... BAE Raises Flag: Southwest Marine Inc. officially changed its name to BAE Systems Ship Repair. The transaction was part of BAE's $4.2 billion purchase of United Defense Industries, announced in March. Southwest Marine was a unit of United...

Talking Turkey.(financial crisis)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Talking Turkey: If you're wondering where all the mayoral candidates stand on the city's financial issues, stay tuned. The Performance Institute, that San Diego-based government reform think tank, and an affiliated campaign committee, San...

No deal over hotel.(Monday, June 27)(Hyatt Regency Islandia Hotel)(lease)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... No Deal Over Hotel: The City Council threw cold water on an offer to purchase and renovate the Hyatt Regency Islandia Hotel when it tabled a proposal to extend a lease for the city-owned land on which it stands. By a unanimous vote, the...

John Walton dies.(Biography)
July 4, 2005... John Walton Dies: John Walton, son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton and a San Diego County homeowner, died in a plane crash. He was 58. Walton was killed when the ultra-light aircraft he was piloting crashed shortly after takeoff from the...

USD index slides.(Wednesday, June 29)(University of San Diego)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... USD Index Slides: An index measuring San Diego's economy declined for a fifth straight month in May, fueled by big drops in consumer confidence, a declining outlook for the national economy, and reduced linage of help-wanted ads. The 0.3...

Energy charges reduced.(energy contracts)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Energy Charges Reduced: The California Public Utilities Commission voted to reduce proposed charges for state energy contracts to San Diego Gas & Electric Co. customers by an estimated $368 million. The decision reduces almost by half the...

Santa Barbara gets "Sideways" boost: Ventura and Oxnard play up laid-back lifestyle.(SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RESORTS & DESTINATIONS)
July 4, 2005... Just as Orange County has become "The O.C." thanks to a hit TV series, Santa Barbara is getting extra publicity as a result of the 2004 hit movie "Sideways." And they're happy to get the attention. "A lot of Californians already knew about wine...

Rent-the-Ranch and get the total package at Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort.(SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RESORTS & DESTINATIONS)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... Imagine the beauty of a 10,000-acre cattle ranch and world-class resort tucked away in the picturesque central coast wine country of California. Consider the possibilities for adventure, teambuilding and renewal of spirit, when you reserve the...

Embassy suites brings touch of tropics to Oxnard.
July 4, 2005... The Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach Resort offers the luxury and ambiance of a tropical offshore resort. Located 60 minutes up coast of Los Angeles and nestled along California's Strawberry Coast in Oxnard, the Embassy Suites is the only...

Hotel Oceana offers 'Beach House Chic' in popular Santa Barbara.(Hotel Oceana)(Brief Article)
July 4, 2005... If you're headed to Santa Barbara, check out Hotel Oceana (www.hoteloceana.com), a 122-room Mission-style beachfront hotel located between Sterns Wharf and the Santa Barbara Harbor. The hotel, designed by internationally recognized interior...

Sprawling and vibrant, Los Angeles is a resort for all reasons: downtown renaissance shines spotlight on urban attractions.
July 4, 2005... Leaving the casual coastal enclaves of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Oxnard, southbound visitors heading to Los Angeles can choose between the semi-rural State Route 126 to the I-5 Freeway, the Ronald Reagan Freeway (118) Freeway or U.S. 101. But...