SAN FERNANDO VALLEYCANOGA PARKUS Nuclear Corp. announced a strategic manufacturing agreement with Dalian Zhonghe Scientific and Technological Development Co., a subsidiary of China National Nuclear Corp., a major investor in all nuclear power plants in China. The cooperation agreement will have the two companies working together to make instrumentation for Chinese nuclear power plants. The instruments will be built at a factory in China to make them cost-competitive and optimized for Chinese operators based on local regulations and procedures, US Nuclear said in a statement. Through its sales office in Beijing, the agreement with Dalian Zhonghe will allow US Nuclear to capture more of the Chinese nuclear power market, the company added. Also, the company said it has completed a shipment of tritium and carbon-14 air samplers and portable tritium monitors to China.CHATSWORTHAerojet Rocketdyne test-fired four Valley-made rocket engines on the Space Launch System, the new heavy-lift rocket NASA has under development to power future manned missions to the moon and possibly to Mars. The engines ran for 499 seconds during the test at NASA Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. It was the second time the four engines had been fired in unison on the core stage of the Space Launch System rocket, or SLS. The test simulated the profile of an actual SLS flight, including throttling sequences. Aerojet Rocketdyne makes the RS-25 engines at its Chatsworth campus. It is a modified version of the engines used on the space shuttle. Aerojet Rocketdyne Chief Executive Eileen Drake called the test firing a huge milestone for the rocket as it marks the most challenging test before all the SLS hardware is assembled at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. “SLS has been designed specifically for exploration and is key to returning American astronauts to the Moon and eventually sending humans to Mars,” Drake said in a statement. After post-test inspections, the vehicle’s 212-foot core stage will travel by barge to Kennedy Space Center in preparation for the first flight. During its inaugural mission, known as Artemis I, the SLS rocket will launch NASA’s Orion exploration vehicle on an un-crewed mission around the Moon and back to Earth, the company said. The Chatsworth facility is ramping up to manufacture more of the engines, which fit on the bottom of the core stage of the rocket. The company will use the latest in manufacturing methods, including 3-D printing, in making the engines.SAN FERNANDORandy Witt has resigned from the Fernando Award Foundation’s board and as its chairman and chief executive. Witt, who has worked with the Fernando board for 15 years in various capacities and became chairman about a year ago, said that “serving the Valley through this organization has been an honor and a joy, but after much consideration, I decided not to seek re-election when my term ended, and further decided to resign now.” In explaining the decision to leave, he said only that he wants to focus on his business, Randy Witt Productions, where he can continue serving the community. “I think I’m most effective when working creatively, producing videos that move people emotionally and help clients communicate effectively,” he said. Witt has long been active in Valley civic affairs. He was chair of the Valley Economic Alliance for 2 ½ years until he resigned in April to devote more time to Fernando. TARZANAA $50 million gift – called the largest ever to a Providence hospital in California – has been pledged to support the expansion of Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center. The donor is the Donald Friese family. As a result of the gift, the five-story patient tower now under construction will be named the Friese Family Patient Tower to honor Donald and Andrea Friese and their family. The $542 million project, which includes the five-story patient tower, outpatient and ambulatory services, is scheduled to be completed in 2023. Thomas M. Priselac, president and chief executive of Cedars-Sinai, said he is excited to continue the collaboration with Providence for the benefit of the region: “This transformative gift from the Friese family will enable Providence Southern California and Cedars-Sinai to further our collective mission of bringing the highest quality care o residents of the San Fernando Valley.” The Tarzana hospital is a joint venture between Cedars-Sinai and Providence.
TRI-CITIESBURBANKWarner Bros. Entertainment has backed off from its proposal to build a $100 million aerial tram to take visitors to the Hollywood sign. The film and television studio said that after exploring construction issues, required zoning changes and protocols necessary to protect guests during emergencies, it decided to focus on its core business interests. “We know there are other solutions being explored to provide access to the iconic Hollywood sign and address neighborhood congestion,” Warner Bros said in the statement. “We look forward to seeing those come to fruition for the citizens of Los Angeles and the millions of tourists eager to visit the sign each year.” The Hollywood Skyway, proposed in 2018, would have started from an area the studio owns along Forest Lawn Drive near its Burbank lot, travel up the mountain on the San Fernando Valley side and terminate near the famed Hollywood sign. Public access to the Hollywood sign has become a contentious issue for those living in the Beachwood Canyon area as tourists clog the narrow streets. In 2017, a trail to the sign was made off limits to hikers and the city agreed to spend $100,000 to study park access and mobility, including viewing the sign from a distance.Walt Disney Co. will open Disneyland Park, closed for the past year due to the coronavirus pandemic, on April 30. Disney California Adventure Park also will reopen on April 30, although both parks will initially operate at a reduced, 15 percent capacity. “Until further notice, only California residents may visit the parks, in line with current state guidelines,” the Disney parks website said. Visitors to the parks will need to obtain in advance a reservation. To enter the parks, a reservation and a valid admission for the same park on the same day will be needed by all visitors ages three years old and up. The company made no announcement about pricing. In the past, they were anywhere from $235 to $415 for a 2-day to 5-day single park or park hopper ticket for adults. One-day tickets were priced in five tiers.
SANTA CLARITA VALLEYSANTA CLARITACalifornia Resources Corp. has appointed Mark McFarland as the company’s permanent chief executive, effective immediately. McFarland has served as interim chief executive at the oil and gas company since Dec. 31, when former chief executive Todd Stevens stepped down. McFarland joined the board as the embattled company emerged from Chapter 11 reorganization in October. “In his role as interim CEO, Mac has been instrumental in repositioning the company post its bankruptcy exit, including the recent successful high yield financing,” James Chapman, lead independent director, said in a statement. “In addition, Mac is stewarding ongoing efforts to reduce costs and optimize the operating portfolio with the core objective for CRC to become a lean and efficient operator producing robust cash flow.” VENTURA COUNTYSIMI VALLEYThe city of Simi Valley has introduced its Economic Development Business Newsletter this month. The digital newsletter will provide local businesses with updates on important city programs, economic statistics and data, and information related to navigating the COVID-19 crisis. The first edition of the newsletter included links regarding vaccine appointments and risk-level tier status in Ventura County. Assistant City Manager Linda Swan, who with Management Analyst Kelly Tinker puts out the newsletter, said that the electronic flyer will for now be issued on a monthly basis and will later scale down to a quarterly schedule once the COVID-19 crisis has receded into the rear-view. “This is our newsletter to keep business owners up to date on economic issues and to provide them with resources to assist them,” Swan said, especially during the COVID-19 crisis. “It’s aimed at all Simi Valley businesses.”
AROUND THE VALLEYS
