Tech Exec Hosts Davis; OC Grows Its Rag Trade
by Rick Reiff
The Insider has noted the frequent sightings of gubernatorial hopeful Dick Riordan in donor-rich OC. But incumbent Gov. Gray Davis drops in, too. One example: The governor plans to be in Newport Beach Jan. 24 for a webcast and campaign fundraiser arranged by Alex Kanakaris of Kanakaris Wireless, a small public company in Costa Mesa that delivers online movies. Kanakaris said the governor is coming to his Eastbluff home to discuss the “next generation Internet” on www.ak.tv. That will be followed by an “intimate dinner”,limit 20 persons, $5,000 a plate OC’s Velcro Valley expands: In four years Orange County has blown past San Francisco to become California’s second-largest garment center. JL Sullivan, former OCBJ ME and now editor and partner of Pacific Textile News in Los Angeles, notes that OC has gone from about 13,000 apparel jobs in 1998 to 20,000 today, while ‘Frisco has fallen from 15,000 to 10,000 (many of those jobs have shifted to Oakland). LA still has almost 100,000 apparel jobs, but that’s down by about 20% in the same span. Maybe half of apparel jobs are minimum wage, Sullivan says, but there are a lot of good-paying marketing and professional jobs, too, especially in OC, where there is more emphasis on brand labels: “It’s a pretty clear growth story for Orange County” CEO Michael Mussallem says job recruiting is five times easier for Edwards Lifesciences than it was a year ago: Besides having increased name recognition after 20 months as a public company, “We’re not competing with the Internet bubble and the high-tech boom or the venture-backed startup environment” Invisible OC: An image ad for the St. Regis Monarch Beach describes the resort as being “located between Los Angeles and San Diego” Has B-1 Bob been replaced by Lockheed Loretta? Chapman U prez Jim Doti recently lauded alumna and new university trustee Rep. Loretta Sanchez, saying the congresswoman and House Armed Services Committee member “is doing a great job getting defense contracts,” especially for small subcontractors in central Orange County Steppin’ up: After three years at the El Toro base, the CHOC Follies is moving to a big top next to the OC Performing Arts Center. “The Slipper and the Surfer, An Orange County Cinderella Story,” is set for May 17 – 19. The annual revue featuring volunteer talent has cleared $1 million for Children’s Hospital. Call (714) 532-8690 Sorry guys: The OCBJ’s Jennifer Bellantonio is engaged, to Anthony Zerrer, math teacher at Bernice Ayer Middle School in San Clemente Two recent additions to the extended OCBJ family: Jackson Cole Reed, to former OCBJ reporter Alexandra Lin and Register reporter Chris Reed, and Connor Scott Tefft, to real estate lawyer and former OCBJ reporter Roger Tefft and OC deputy DA Lesley Young.
