SAN DIEGO: The embattled Southeastern Economic Development Corp. will place advertisements in local newspapers to recruit an interim general manager while looking for a firm to lead its search for a new president, a committee of the agency's board of directors decided yesterday.
The SEDC's personnel and budget committee took those actions despite repeated warnings from Mayor Jerry Sanders' office and others to refrain from making such decisions until a new board for the agency is seated early next month.
Late yesterday, the city's chief operating officer, Jay Goldstone, sent a memo to the SEDC's board chairman, again warning the agency's trustees against making decisions at a meeting scheduled for today.
Today's SEDC meeting agenda calls for approving some contracts. Goldstone said the city will not reimburse the agency for costs associated with those agreements if the board approves them.
The SEDC is in charge of revitalizing 7.2 square miles east of downtown San Diego. The agency has been under intense pressure to reform after damaging revelations about its budget and compensation practices.
The committee yesterday decided to seek another round of bids from companies to conduct the executive search for a new president to succeed Carolyn Smith, who was fired last month. Two firms submitted bids. If an interim manager is hired, that person would serve until a president comes on board. –H.G.
Kitty Hawk will depart
North Island tomorrow
CORONADO: The aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk will leave North Island Naval Air Station in Coronado tomorrow en route to its retirement in Bremerton, Wash., Navy officials announced yesterday.
Sixty-five former crewmen – many members of the carrier's commissioning crew in 1961 – will join 1,600 current Kitty Hawk sailors for the voyage to Puget Sound. There, the ship will be stripped of useful gear as it is prepared for decommissioning in January.
The Kitty Hawk was a fixture at North Island from the early 1960s until 1998, when it left San Diego for its new home in Yokosuka, Japan. It is the Navy's last non-nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. –S.L.
Radiohead fans urged
to get to concert early
CHULA VISTA: Concert-goers bound for Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre in Chula Vista tonight would be wise to get an early start.
Organizers of the sold-out Radiohead concert advise fans to expect heavy southbound traffic on Interstate 805 at Auto Park Drive, just west of the venue.
The parking lot will open at 4 p.m., with the concert scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. Organizers advise concert-goers to carpool and head for the amphitheater early.
In May, traffic gridlock around the amphitheater caused many music fans to miss much of a reunion concert by The Police. –S.S.
Poway High student
has whooping cough
POWAY: A 14-year-old student at Poway High School has been diagnosed with whooping cough, prompting health and school officials to alert parents.
Officials said the student attended school last week.
The case was reported to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency on Monday, the same day the Poway Unified School District sent an e-mail to parents.
The school sent additional information home with students yesterday, cautioning parents to watch for symptoms of the highly contagious illness. Principal Scott Fisher said the infected student will stay home until the condition clears.
The student had not been immunized against whooping cough, also known as pertussis. It is marked by a dry, severe cough and can easily spread from sneezing or coughing. Treatment consists of antibiotics.
The county said 29 cases of whooping cough have been recorded in the county this year, compared with 50 in 2007 and 145 in 2006. –J.R.
Bands will raise money
to fight breast cancer
SAN DIEGO: Rock and reggae bands will help raise money to fight breast cancer at a three-day fundraiser Labor Day weekend.
The event will be at the 710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave., in Pacific Beach, and is sponsored by the Soulshine Foundation. Admission is $10 at the door, with all proceeds going to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Bands include Audible Mainframe, Carbine, Bitter:Sweet, Flight to Athena, Irie Side, Split Finger and Northstar. The music starts at 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon Sunday. A silent auction will be held Sunday.
For more information, call Jordon Benson at (619) 886-7752 or e-mail her at jbbc3day@gmail.com. –R.W.P.
Staff writers Helen Gao, Steve Liewer, Steve Schmidt, Jeff Ristine and Ronald W. Powell contributed to this report.
