While the city of San Diego is backing away from the concept of selling naming rights to its new City Hall complex as undignified, the Port District is happy to put a name on its proposed cruise ship terminal, thank you.
How about Carnival Cruise Ship Terminal? Or, Celebrity Terminal? Princess Cruise Ship Terminal has a lofty ring? Somehow, calling the terminal Royal Caribbean or Holland America seem geographically out of whack. All of these are cruise lines that home port in San Diego and, hence, might be interested in striking a deal.
But S.D. Unified Port District officials say the sponsor doesn't have to be a cruise line. It can be a corporation, a product or even a person – “Welcome to the Thor Heyerdahl Cruise Ship Terminal.” The one caveat is that the port has the right to reject something inconsistent with its vision.
The price? A minimum of $5 million for a 10-year run. That cost reflects the difference between the original $23.6 million terminal cost estimate and its current $28 million price tag, with an upgraded design and more environmentally friendly features.
The port will be happy to take more than $5 million, however. A request for bids will go out nationally in the next couple of months. Only time will tell what a name on the Broadway Pier facility, scheduled to open in 2011, could be worth.
End of an era
UC Santa Barbara senior Colin Bruce made a quick trip home to Point Loma for Labor Day weekend because he knew ExpressJet was about to stop operating here. The Houston-based carrier offered the only nonstop flight between San Diego and Santa Barbara.
As Bruce crossed the Lindbergh tarmac to board his return flight early Monday evening, he noticed somber-faced airline personnel snapping photos of the jet. As he took his seat, the captain was taking pictures of the cabin.
Then the captain announced that this, sadly, was the airline's very last flight and, as such, it was somewhat historic. Therefore, he said, he would fly beneath the clouds all the way up the coast so passengers could enjoy the view throughout the flight.
The captain thanked everyone for their business, paused to control his emotions, and added, “This will also be the last flight on which I serve as captain.”
Passengers applauded him as he returned to the cockpit.
When the plane neared Santa Barbara, it suddenly curved south over the ocean again, “giving us, not one, but two amazing looks at the sunset – a final token of appreciation,” said Bruce, who called it “a very moving experience.”
Picture perfect
Photos of Abraham and Jessie Polinsky in the lobby of Polinsky Children's Center were so faded they were barely recognizable. So, as operators of the county's shelter for abused and neglected kids prepared to dedicate its new gymnasium Wednesday, they wanted to bring the photos back to life. After all, longtime donors Art and Jeannie Rivkin (she is the Polinskys' daughter) would be attending.
Photographer Paul Nestor concluded that restoration was nearly an impossible task, but then he noticed that the lighting in the portraits looked like the work of a prominent 1970s photographer, Antony diGesu. Nestor remembered that, upon his death, di Gesu had bequeathed his photo collection to the San Diego Historical Society. Sure enough, a check of its archives yielded the Polinsky negatives – just in time to make new portraits before the ceremony.
San Diegans Ink
Kudos to Chargers executive Bill Johnston, one of five national recipients of an award created by Marjorie Guthrie, the widow of Woody Guthrie. Johnston was chosen for his efforts to raise money and awareness of Huntington's disease.
More kudos to San Diego Chargers kicker Nate Kaeding for challenging San Diegans to make a contribution to the Ronald McDonald House building project for every field goal he kicks this season. Let's hope he makes several tomorrow.
Diane Bell's column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Fax items to (619) 260-5009; call (619) 293-1518; e-mail to diane.bell@uniontrib.com; or mail to The San Diego Union-Tribune, Box 120191, San Diego 92112-0191.
