Lots of things to be thankful for

Pasadena Star News
By: Cynthia Kurtz
Posted: 12/04/2013

Thanksgiving is over, Black Friday is history, Small Business Saturday a thing of the past, and Cyber Monday visible only in the rearview mirror. You may wonder how all these commercial mileposts got connected to our national day of thanks. It seems we did it on purpose.

American presidents Washington, Adams, and Madison proclaimed national days of thanks. Finally, in 1863 President Lincoln established the last day in November to be an annual National Thanksgiving Day. 

However, it was President Franklin Roosevelt who made the first connection with the economy. He changed Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday in November. He said it would help the economy. 

Regardless of how and when it started the day after Thanksgiving is the kickoff of the Christmas season and, therefore, the kickoff of the shopping season. That doesn't make everyone happy.

We need to adjust our thinking. Americans have so much for which to be thankful that one day isn't sufficient. Therefore, I suggest we proclaim Thanksgiving as the kickoff to a season for being thankful. So, even though Thanksgiving is officially over, I am going to share some of my season of Thanksgiving list. I am thankful because:

         

The unemployment rate in California is 1.4 percent lower this year than last year.

There are over 1,300 new businesses in the San Gabriel Valley.

SGV business added over 6,000 jobs last year.

The Foothill Gold Line Light-rail is to Azusa will be completed in 2015.

Alameda Corridor East will receive almost $120 million of Prop 1B funding in 2014 to grade-separate two busy rail crossings.

Our members support the SGV Economic Partnership because they believe in what we do.

I don't have to sit in West LA traffic every day. 

I can enjoy excellent international cuisine from any country in the world without leaving the SGV.

I work for a Board of Directors who are my bosses but more importantly, my friends.

The Partnership staff is smart and dedicated.

My cat stopped using the living room chair as a scratching post... I think.

My husband makes a great martini.

I live in California.

And last but certainly not least - I am thankful for my readers. I hope my columns provide useful information, interesting perspectives, and even make you laugh from time to time. 

And remember you can shop and still be thankful at the same time.

JPL a leader in science, technology

Pasadena Star News  

By: Cynthia Kurtz  
Posted 11/20/2013

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's annual report for 2012 begins with a question. "Can it get any better than this?" It was posed by JPL's Director, Charles Elachi, regarding the defining moment on August 5, 2012 when the mission team, the San Gabriel Valley and the world knew that Curiosity, the Mars Rover, had safely landed on the Red Planet. 

This week they did it again with the flawless launch of MAVEN - a spacecraft that will investigate the atmosphere of Mars when it arrives next September.

This epic began in 1936 when a team of Caltech students and researchers was asked to conduct its experiments "somewhere else” after an unfortunate explosion on campus. They chose an isolated area near the San Gabriel Mountains. It was a humble beginning for what was to become the most prestigious space exploration center in the world.

Today JPL, a NASA laboratory managed by the California Institute of Technology, is well known as a pioneer in space exploration. JPL's impressive resume of technological innovations has transformed not only our region but our world.

Since launching the Explorer 1 satellite in 1958, JPL has reached into the uncharted depths of the universe.  

Voyagers 1 and 2, the only man-made objects to ever leave the solar system, were built and are still operated by JPL. Now in their fourth decade of exploration, the Voyagers have passed the farthest planets in our solar system and continue to send back information about the previously unexplored places in space through the antennas of the global Deep Space Network which is also managed by JPL.

Through its innovative work in robotic space exploration, JPL has become a world leader in science and technology. Tools developed for space explorations provide us the opportunity to learn more about our own planet, its climate, oceans, geology and atmosphere.  

NASA has announced two future Mars missions for JPL - InSight that will study the planet's interior in 2016 and a major new rover in 2020.  

Under the leadership of Charles Elachi the 5,000 geniuses and rocket scientists who work at JPL are sure to excite, surprise and make all of us in the San Gabriel Valley proud as they plan these new missions. 

State needs to put out the welcome sign

Pasadena Star News  

By: Cynthia Kurtz  
Posted 11/06/2013

California has more manufacturing jobs than any other state in the country. While many jobs have disappeared - victims of off-shore relocations, wooed by other states or forced to close during the recession - the state still has significant manufacturing strength. Nearly one in every 10 California jobs is in manufacturing. 

The San Gabriel Valley continues to be a center for manufacturing with 54,500 manufacturing jobs. While far less than the 96,000 positions in 2000, this is still a major part of our economy. The importance of manufacturing jobs cannot be overstated. The positions pay above average wages, offer opportunities to employees without college degrees and create wealth for the region.

Recently, there have been a lot of conversations about manufacturing jobs coming back to California and many believe that the best prospects are in high-tech manufacturing - technology driven industries such as communications, electronics, defense and aerospace. But California isn’t the only state that is looking to attract and retain high-tech manufacturing jobs. If we are going to be successful, we need to work together and there needs to be a plan.

That is where California Forward and the California Stewardship Network come in. They have been holding regional Summits for business and civic leaders to talk about middle-class job growth and regional economics. Through these discussions advanced manufacturing was identified as a priority and a plan was developed that highlights five steps:

1.  "Create a “California Campaign for Manufacturing” Campaign" - Let advanced manufacturing companies know that we want them here. Often California is labeled “unfriendly.” If we want high-tech manufacturing, let’s tell them. Simple but effective.

 

2." Make California Regulations a Competitive Advantage" - Not as straight forward as

    creating the campaign but it is true that business don’t just compete on products and

    price. In the high-tech world, customers also care about social responsibility and the

    environment. California has some of the strictest regulations in the nation. How can

    companies use this to be more competitive?

3.  "Promote Innovative Manufacturing Partnerships" - California is a big state with a variety of unique regions. Each region has its own assets - universities, community colleges, communities and businesses. These groups need to identify and focus on their high tech manufacturing clusters.

4.  "Support Manufacturing Skills" - Training programs that meet the skills of a region’s high tech manufacturing industry are critical if businesses are to grow.

5.  "Promote Exports and Direct Investments" - No state can beat Southern California when it comes to exports and direct foreign investment opportunities. We have the Ports, airports, Foreign Trade Zones and EB-5 program. They all work together to support exporting and foreign investments.

The next California Economic Summit is on November 7- 8, 2013 at the LA Hotel Downtown, 333 S Figueroa St. This meeting will focus on implementing the plans.  Check it out at www.caeconomy.org/summit. It's not too late to be involved.    

Medical center transforms lives

Pasadena Star News  

By: Cynthia Kurtz                   

Posted 10/30/2013 

This year the City of Hope is celebrating its 100th anniversary. It was 1913 when the Los Angeles Sanatorium opened on 10-acres in the City of Duarte. There were two tents - one for the three patients and one for the nurse. It was a free hospital dedicated to the care of those with life threatening diseases, spurred by the lack of care for tuberculosis patients. 

Its reputation for compassion attracted many supporters and by the 1920s the tents had become buildings, the three patients had grown to hundreds of patients and the nurse had become a team of doctors, nurses and caregivers.

By the mid-1940's tuberculosis was on the decline and the institution's leaders adopted a plan to turn the sanatorium into a national medical center with a focus on cancer. In 1949 the institution officially adopted the name "City of Hope." 

Each decade has brought new services generated by new and often astounding discoveries. Today, City of Hope holds more than 30 new investigation drug applications at any given time. More than 200 patients generate over $220 million each year for medical research. Over 4,300 staff members serve at the not-for-profit research center, hospital, and graduate school which now occupies 110 acres in the central San Gabriel Valley.

City of Hope's research promises to transform the future of medical care through reprogramming patients' immune cells, harvesting compounds from super foods, and using stem cells to reboot immune systems to name just a few of its advanced research projects.

While much has changed over the decades - the compassion at the heart of City of Hope has not. One of City of Hope's early leaders, Samuel Goller said "there is no profit in curing the body if, in the process, we destroy the soul." 

None of this would have ever been possible without great leadership. For the last decade, the City of Hope has been under the exemplary leadership of Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Michael Friedman. This year Dr. Friedman announced that he would retire at the end of 2013.  

Thank you Dr. Friedman and congratulations to everyone at the City of Hope. You have transformed the San Gabriel Valley and the world through research, education, and outstanding compassionate medical care.

Pasadena, Alhambra rank 20 and 21

Pasadena Star News  

By: Cynthia Kurtz                   

Posted 10/23/2013  

Thank you Livability.com. Finally, a study that doesn’t lump all of Southern California into one place called the “Los Angeles area.” 

Livability is an online publication that looks at life in small to mid-sized cities. Every month it publishes a top-10 list ranking some aspect of city life. It is always looking for the best places to live, work and visit. 

Once a year it selects the top 100 best cities to live in. These 100 cities are selected from more than 1,700 cities nationwide, so it is no easy task to make the list. This year two San Gabriel Valley cities not only made the list - they made the top 25 - Pasadena at 20 and Alhambra at 21. 

The rankings aren’t based on opinions or hunches. Access, affordability, choice and utilization of eight essential attributes of community life are examined - economy, health care, housing, social and civic capital, education, amenities, demographics and infrastructure.

Livability partners with two well-known organizations to prepare the Top 100 list. Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto’s Rothman School of Management prepares the index and Ipsos Public Affairs, a leading market research company, conducts survey research.

Pasadena’s highest score was for amenities. Livability looked at physical amenities, weather and the arts, which have a positive impact on developing creative and innovative communities. Is it any mystery why Pasadena scored well? Its historic neighborhoods, exceptional architecture, and exemplary climate all added points.

Being home to the Tournament of Roses, Rose Bowl, Kaiser Permanente and Caltech - the number one school in the world - are all amenities that are unmatched in any other place. With 16 museums, 11 performing art halls, restaurants and shopping all accessible by walking, Pasadena easily beat the average amenities score of 46 with a whopping 88. 

Alhambra scored especially high in demographics which includes diversity in race, education level, age and social economic status. Livability says diversity of demographics is necessary to get “diversity of opinions (and) better decisions for businesses, governments and societies.” The average diversity score was 50 but Alhambra blew the competition away with a 79.

All that adds up to a lively mix of businesses, events, international restaurants and markets. Having excellent schools, charming neighborhoods and an active nightlife also helped get Alhambra rank high on the list.

Some of the SGV’s neighbors were also winners. Burbank was 33, Glendale, which just so happens to have a city manager from the SGV, came in at 52 and Whittier 82.

Of course Livability didn’t find all the great SGV cities. Many others - Claremont, Glendora, Sierra Madre, Arcadia, Duarte, and Monrovia just to name a few - are also great places to live. But SGV can’t take all the top awards in the same year!

Congratulations Pasadena and Alhambra for this well-deserved recognition.