If anyone in Costa Mesa still had any doubts, it’s now official. The city is getting a second Trader Joe and now we know where.
The Monrovia-based chain recently updated its “coming soon” location list to include the store.
In July, the grocer declined to confirm what many in the neighborhood already suspected: The store was going into a closed 99 Cents Only Store on Harbor Boulevard.
The Register in July dig some digging and learned that a lease had been signed at 2180 Harbor Blvd. by a “national specialty grocer,” according to a marketing brochure by Western Retail Advisors.
The Trader Joe’s store map now confirms it. Expect the quirky grocer with all kinds of store-brand items to open sometime in the distant future. (The company is mum on opening day until the week before.)
The new store will be about 2 miles north of the city’s other Trader Joe’s at 640 W. 17th St.
$15M for UC Irvine’s vision research
The Brunson Foundation has given UC Irvine $15 million to support its vision research program.
In honor of the donation, the university renamed the Center for Translational Vision Research to the Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research.
The bulk of the donation made in the name of the late entrepreneur Robert M. Brunson will go toward an endowment that will fund research on treatments and cures for blinding diseases. Brunson suffered from vision loss later in his life.
“We are deeply grateful to the Brunson Foundation for this transformational gift that will accelerate our mission to develop life-changing treatments for blinding diseases,” said Dr. Steve Goldstein, vice chancellor for UC Irvine Health Affairs.
The donation will be split in two:
—$5 million for the final construction and outfitting of the 215,000-square-foot Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building.
—$10 million to establish the Robert M. Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research Endowment
The Brunson Foundation is managed by the DeBoard family, longtime business partners and friends of the entrepreneur.
1,032 backpacks stuffed, provided
Before school got its start, volunteers working with Miracles for Kids assembled and delivered more than 1,000 backpacks filled with school supplies to families in need across Southern and Northern California.
The volunteers also decorated boxes filled with household essentials and fresh produce, part of the nonprofit’s Back to School Basket of Miracles program.
The program helped 450 families this year, the organization said.
“This event is at the heart of our mission,” said Autumn Strier, co-founder and chief executive of Miracles for Kids. “By rallying our community, we help families ease the burden of caring for a critically-ill child and give kids the tools and confidence to start the school year strong.”
Volunteers stuffed 1,032 backpacks with 544 1-inch binders, 3,264 pocket folders, 1,826 spiral notebooks, 1,032 pencil cases, 417 crayon packs, 544 colored pencil packs, 2,370 pens, 4,224 pencils, and 961 highlighters.
Sponsors included Ingardia Bros. Produce Inc., which provided more than 1,500 pounds of fresh vegetables; Vessel Bags (the backpacks), and U Brands (school supplies). Additional partners included Irvine Company, Baby2Baby, Target, Womble Bond & Dickinson, Assa Abloy and Invesco.
Miracles for Kids helps families with critically-ill children. For more information, go to miraclesforkids.org.
On the move
Judy Contino is the new vice president of people and culture for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County & the Inland Empire. She has 25 years of human resources experience, including roles at Ernst & Young, Squar Milner and Baker Tilly.
On board
Lutheran Social Services of Southern California elected four new board members: Damon L. Alexander, former San Bernardino councilmember, Danón R. Carter, educator and community advocate, Laura L. Steele, licensed psychologist, and Tomashu Kenyatta Jones, education and social services professional.
Kristin Brkich was elected board chair at Servite High board of directors. She’s in her second term as a board member and is the former chair of the board’s finance committee. The board also appointed Jeff Hamar to vice chair and Father Michael Pontarelli to board secretary. Newly elected board members include Bob Colgan, a senior vice president at RSI Holding Corp., Michael Hennessey, principal of the real estate firm Hennessey Group, and David M. McCloskey, a vice president at Intel Corp.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County appointed to its board Helena Ferrari, CEO of The HRrx; Michael McGee, vice president at J.P. Morgan; Gordon Roth, partner and CFO at Roth Capital Partners LLC; Garett Sleichter, partner at Rutan & Tucker; and An Tran, director at Orange County Social Services Agency. Each board member will serve a three-year term.
Status Update is compiled and written by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items and high-resolution photos to sgowen@scng.com. Allow at least one week for publication. Items are edited for length and clarity.
