Exploring Walter’s Solar System, Roger’s ‘Universe’
OC INSIDER by Rick Reiff
Walter Cruttenden says his Cruttenden Partners still does a private deal now and then, but the VCer, investment banker and E*Offering founder has been absorbed the past two years with star-gazing,sun-gazing, to be precise. Cruttenden believes Earth’s sun is a binary star, curving through space around a gravitational center created by it and its undiscovered star mate. If he’s proven correct, Cruttenden says it would explain a lot of puzzling astronomical phenomena and have practical applications for the human race when and if it begins traveling outside of the solar system. “This is what I was born for,” Cruttenden declares, while acknowledging that the scientific establishment regards his ideas as “crackpot.” Undeterred, Cruttenden has founded the Binary Research Institute in Newport Beach and hired a mathematician and graphic artist and retained a physicist to assist him with calculations and modeling. He encourages an inquirer to drop by for a half-hour demonstration. He’s making some headway: Last month he addressed the annual meeting of the Society for Scientific Exploration on the University of Virginia campus. Sitrick and Company followed up with a press release. “I want to get the facts out,” Cruttenden says. He’s got a lot of facts at www.binaryresearchinstitute.org
Roger Johnson, the former Western Digital chief and ex-General Services Administration head under Bill Clinton, is eight months into being chairman and CEO of Collectors Universe. The Santa Ana-based grading service for rare coins and baseball cards (dba PCGS and PSA) was founded by David Hall, who remains active in the company. At about $50 million in annual sales, CU is roughly the size Western Dig was when Johnson took it over, about 1/20th the size of Western Dig when Johnson left. In February CU linked up with eBay to offer live auctions, and last week the company hired former Callaway Golf CIO Stuart Orr to help grow “technology based business initiatives.” So far under Johnson, the stock (Nasdaq: CLCT) has mostly traded in a 1-to-1.50 range. Johnson, by the way, was in Europe last week with other supporters of the Pacific Symphony Orchestra helping maestro Carl St. Clair celebrate his 50th birthday
And, turning 50 this week, though she doesn’t look it: Disney Resort’s Cynthia Harris
Former Atlanta mayor and current Jackson Securities CEO Maynard Jackson, Magic Johnson’s business partner Ken Lombard and ad agency owner Carol Williams headline the “California African American Business Summit 2002” this Friday and Saturday at the Hyatt Regency Irvine. There’s a kickoff golf tournament at Oak Creek Thursday co-hosted by the 100 Black Men of Orange County. Call (949) 653-1450 or go to www.turningpointmagazine.com KOCE’s “Real Orange,” the only daily TV show devoted to OC news, has been nominated for two Local (L.A. area) Emmys
The Senior PGA’s annual stop at Newport Beach CC, the Toshiba Classic, has been an early March event. But next year it will be a late-month event (March 17-23). Maybe that will help keep the rain away.
