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PrimeCell Therapeutics’ lead stem cell researcher, Francisco Silva, was invited to present the company’s germ cell reprogramming technology at an international conference on stem cell research. The conference was organized by the Pontifical Academy for Life and the World Federation of Catholic Medical Associations. Silva was also afforded a private meeting with Pope Benedict XVI.
The conference, Stem Cells: What Future For Therapy?, was held Sept. 14-16 near Vatican City.

Minimum wage soon to be $7.50
California’s hourly minimum wage, affecting thousands of Orange County workers, particularly those in service-oriented jobs, will increase from $6.75 to $7.50 an hour, on Jan. 1. It will be raised to $8 in 2008.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill this month enacting the increase, which will affect 1 million of the state’s workers. According to the Los Angeles Times, the new wage will be the eighth-highest for minimum payments in the country. Affected businesses will be paying out more than $2.5 billion a year in higher wages.

Hotel glitters
Orange County continues to come into its own as a luxury resort destination with the grand opening of the Fairmont Newport Beach on Sept. 7. Formerly the Sutton Place Hotel, the 440-room property at MacArthur and Von Karman was acquired by Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. in July 2005. Sunstone immediately brought in Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, a luxury brand comparable to Ritz Carlton and St. Regis, to take over management, and invested $32 million in a top-to-bottom renovation that includes a new lobby, a new restaurant and room upgrades.

“The hotel was stripped down to the bones and then rebuilt from the ground up,” says General Manager Randy Zupanski, who drove a bulldozer through the lobby doors to start the renovation. “The finished product is very much in keeping with Fairmont standards and the luxurious feel we envisioned.”

The hotel has 21 meeting rooms totaling 31,000 square feet. Executive Chef Bruno Egea leads the team at Bambu Restaurant, which features fresh, bold California cuisine. A full service spa will open later in the year.

Nonprofit leader steps down
Kathy McCarrell, one of Orange County’s longest-serving nonprofit leaders, has stepped down after 12 years as executive director for the Child Abuse Prevention Center of Orange County. Scott Trotter, chief operating officer, has been named as interim director. McCarrell is credited with expanding services throughout the county and helping grow the annual budget to $5.2 million from $200,000. The organization reported that she will remain a consultant.

John Laing Homes No. 1
J.D. Power & Associates has named John Laing Homes No. 1 in homebuilder customer satisfaction in Orange County. It’s the second straight year the company was honored.
The company offers homes in nine county neighborhoods, from Crystal Cove to San Clemente. John Laing Homes has long been one of Orange County’s most respected builders.
The categories in which homebuilders are rated include warranty/customer service; home readiness; sales staff; construction manager; and quality, price and perceived value.

WM goes Hollywood
You won’t see any special effects or stunt doubles in Waste Management’s new television advertisements that started airing on TV Sept. 4. The casting call went out to employees inside the company, not professional actors. Waste Management of Orange County driver Jose “Paco” Gonzalez is one of two employees who play featured roles in the company’s television ads, which will air nationally through the end of the year.

Waste Management is not only rolling out commercials with information about the company’s conservation and sustainability efforts; it is also branding 20,000 vehicles from its truck fleet with a variety of environmental factoids. Stay tuned.

Governor late for Concert Hall dedication
Attendees of the dedication ceremony for the $200 million Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall stared at the sparkling new interior read more...

Rob-May is now all about Macy’s
The last of the Robinsons-May stores went bye-bye this month as Federated Department Stores, which bought the chain last year, finishes a makeover.

Several of the stores were closed throughout Orange County because of duplication at shopping centers that already had a Macy’s. The Macy’s brand is replacing many Rob-Mays.

Among the changes countywide: South Coast Plaza is converting its Robinsons-May store into a Bloomingdale’s. At Fashion Island, the Robinsons-May store in April became a Macy’s; the Macy’s women’s store there is now closed as The Irvine Co. contemplates use of that space. The Robinsons-May store at Irvine Spectrum Center became a Macy’s this month.

Federated Department Stores bought the May Co. stores last year for $11 billion. The shrinking retail segment over the past several years includes the loss of May Co., Kmart, Broadway, Bullock’s, I.Magnin and Seattle-based Frederick & Nelson. OCM