Business News: Week of Oct. 1, 2012

Business Journal Staff Report
Mon, 01 Oct 2012 12:00:29 +0000
Business News, Business Register, Health Care and Senior Living, Hospitality and Tourism, Local Government, Marin Report, Napa Report, North Bay News, Solano Report, Sonoma Report, Technology, CrossCheck, Larkspur, Left Bank Brasserie, Napa, Napa Tourism Improvement District, North Bay Business Journal 10-1-2012, Petaluma, Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit - SMART, Sutter Health, Sutter Medical Foundation, Sutter Solano Medical Center, Systema Software

Hospitality & Tourism

Left Bank Brasserie (leftbank.com, 415-927-3331, reservations OpenTable.com) in Larkspur will host “An Evening With CleanFish” dinner Oct. 4 at 5:30 p.m. A $49.50 five-course prix menu prepared by chef Fabrice Marcon will showcase sustainable seafood. The regular menu will also be available.

Napa Tourism Improvement District has renewed its contract with AugustineIdeas, a media relations firm based in Roseville, for a second year. In continuing its work with the district, AugustineIdeas will help the city increase its visibility to prospective visitors and plan regular events, including the inaugural Plate It! culinary event in November and bi-monthly culinary crawls that visit three downtown Napa restaurants. During its first year on the job, AugustineIdeas launched award-winning DoNapa.com website, participated in numerous local forums and events and helped to increase the number of visitors who stayed in the city’s resorts, hotels, inns and bed-and-breakfasts.

Government

Grants totaling $2 million for six urban open space and recreation projects were recommended for the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District‘s matching grant program. It was part of the 1990 ballot measure that created the district and extended by voters in 2006. The district offers grants on a regular basis to city and county agencies and nonprofits for urban open space and recreational projects. Funds were granted for Creekside Park in Monte Rio, Forever Forestville, Guerneville River Park, Irwin Creek Trail Access in Santa Rosa, a Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit connecting pathway from Hearn Avenue to Bellevue Avenue in southwest Santa Rosa, and Sonoma Garden Park.

Health Care

Sutter Health in Solano County awarded three local students $7,000 in scholarships from its Van R. Johnson Sutter Scholars program. The awards were among 155 ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 for community college, four-year university or graduate programs in the 2012–2013 academic year. Awardees have parents or grandparents employed by Sutter Solano Medical Center or Sutter Medical Foundation.

Technology

Southern Trust Insurance Co. selected as its new claims management system the SIMS Claims by Systema Software, a Larkspur-based provider of claims administration software and services to the insurance industry. Southern Trust provides a variety of personal and business insurance products, and has experienced expansive growth in the southeast. SIMS Claims will be implemented in the company’s commercial lines of business.

CrossCheck, Inc., a Petaluma-based provider of check guarantee and electronic check-processing services, today announces the opening of its newest sales office in the Phoenix area. Located in Scottsdale, the new office will open under Jason Lindell, director of sales. Mr. Lindell will be in charge of recruiting and training a team of account executives to sell CrossCheck’s payment services to merchants throughout the country.