NEW IN TOWN

Pita franchise opens

A Canadian franchise called Extreme Pita has opened its first Tucson location at 235 W. Wetmore Road.

Extreme Pita offers made-to-order hot and cold pita sandwiches, gyros and salads. It was founded in 1997 by brothers Alex and Mark Rechichi. The company is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario.

The company says it plans to open 25 locations in Arizona over the next five years. The Wetmore location is its eighth in the state.

The store is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. The phone number is (520) 887-7482.

MANUFACTURING

Raytheon 2007 profits

up 20%, missiles up 13%

Raytheon Co. reported company-wide operational improvements accomplished during 2007 helped increase profits by 20 percent to $2.3 billion.

Its Missile Systems Division, headquartered in Tucson, reported $541 million profit for the year, up 13 percent from 2006.

Overall, the company said sales climbed 8 percent to $6 billion, helped by United States and international demand for Patriot missile defenses and information technology for border security and the military.

For the fourth quarter alone, Raytheon’s profits were up 63 percent to $598 million compared to the same quarter in 2006.

The Missile Systems division had fourth quarter net sales of $1.36 million, up 3 percent, primarilydue to higher volume on the Standard Missile program. The division’s profit for the quarter was $148 million, up $10 million from the fourth quarter 2006.

The company reported Missile Systems bookings in the fourth quarter included $242 million for Phalanx Weapons Systems for the U.S. Navy, $234 million for the design and development of the Mid Range Munition system and $196 million for the production of Tube-launched Optically guided Wire controlled (TOW) missiles for the U.S. Army.

TECHNOLOGY

Global Solar develops

more efficient film

Global Solar Energy, producer of thin-film photovoltaic solar cells that can be used to produce power in remote locations, has developed a new substrate that can sustain better solar efficiency.

While other companies have produced thin-film products that have exceeded 10 percent efficiency "achieving 10 percent average solar cell efficiency over the course of several sustained, continuous production runs is a significant achievement," said Jeffrey Britt, vice president of technology for Global Solar, 5575 S. Houghton Road.

Mike Gering, CEO of Global Solar, said the film was developed in response to growing demand for low-cost, renewable-energy products in government and commercial use.

BIOTECHNOLOGY

ImaRx shifts away from

microbubble development

In an effort to preserve capital ImaRx Therapeutics is shifting its business focus to marketing an anti clotting drug and away from further development of its proprietary microbubble and ultrasound technology for strokes.

The drug, urokinase is a commercially available product approved by the Food and Drug Administration for dissolving clots in the treatment of aute massive pulmonary embolism, or blood clots in the lungs.

The switch in priorities came about as part of a Jan. 22 agreement with Toronto-based Microbix Biosystems, developer of urokinase, to commercially develop the product.

"By focusing on broader commercial opportunities for urokinase, we believe we can unlock shareholder value and pursue a risk mitigated corporate strategy overall," Bradford A. Zakes, president and CEO of ImaRx, said in a statement.

The company said its cash resources would have lasted only through the third quarter of this year under its previous focus on microbubble technology, called the SonoLysis program. In the meantime, ImaRx said it would pursue the possibility of having a third party pay the costs of further development of SonoLysis.

ImaRx Therapeutics is headquartered at 1635 E. 18th St.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Sunquest Systems signs

IT deal with L.A. County

Sunquest Information Systems, 250 S. Williams Blvd., announced it has signed a deal with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services to expand and transfer its software information technology to a new Los Angeles County-University of Southern California hospital due to open this spring.

Los Angeles County’s Department of Health Services is the nation’s second largest public health system serving nearly 10 million residents through four hospitals, two multi-service ambulatory care centers, six comprehensive health centers and numerous other health centers and clinics.

SMALL BUSINESS

Business coaching firm

is renamed ActionCoach

ActionCoach is the new name for the national coaching franchise that had been known as Action International.

Clint Parry, who owns the Tucson franchise, said he feels the new name better defines the company’s roal in helping business owners reach their full potentials.

Action International was founded in 1993 by internationally known business expert and author Brad Sugars. It currently has over 1,100 franchises operating in 26 countries.

Parry’s office is at 5060 N. Northridge Circle. Contact him at clintparry@actioncoach.com or (520) 529-6100. The company’s website is http://www.proactioncoaching.com .

BORDER ISSUES

Border crossing now

requires specific IDs

All United States citizens, ages 19 and older, are now required to show both proof of identity, such as a driver’s license, and proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, when coming through any Arizona port of entry from Mexico.

Although a valid passport is still not required, it would fulfill the requirements as a single document.

The new federal rules went into effect Jan. 31 and apply to all travel by land or sea from Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda into the U.S. Rules put into effect last year require air travelers to use a passport.

As of Feb. 1, frequent border crossers can apply at passport agencies for a wallet-sized passport card to be issued starting later this year by the State Department. The cards will not take the place of a full passport but will be available for limited use at land crossings.

Ultimately, the U.S. government will require that passports or a passport card be used for all border crossings but a date has not been set for that to take effect.

CULTURAL/RECREATION

Match Play tickets

near to selling out

Daily tickets are nearing a sellout for this year’s World Golf Championships - Accenture Match Play Championship Feb. 18 - 24 at the The Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain in Marana.

The 64 top-ranked professionals who will play in the championship will be announced Feb. 11. Among those who have already said they intend to play include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott.

Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.worldgolfchampionships.com or by calling 1-866-942-2672.

Daily prices range from $30 to see practice rounds up to $60 for Wednesday when all 64 golfers will be on the course. Because it is match play, fewer tickets are available for the weekend rounds and the only remaining tickets available for those days are in a $1,250 package that includes two tickets for each day, two parking passes, $50 credit in food and beverages and admittance to the Championship Club.

EDUCATION

Two Tucson teachers win

technology grant awards

Two Tucson area teachers have received first-round grants from the Qwest Foundation and the Arizona Technology in Education Alliance for their innovative use of technology in the classroom.

The recipients are:

• Laurie Burrell at Richard B. Wilson K-8 School in the Amphitheater Public Schools District received $9,809 for a study titled "Bats, Bridges and Biosphere 3," a coordinated six-school study of cross-border Sonoran Bat migration and climate.

• Sheri Marlin of Borton Primary Magnet School in the Tucson Unified School District received $7,907 for a project titled "Language Learning Live," in which a portable language learning lab of laptops, digital cameras and voice recorders was developed for students learning English.

ENVIRONMENT

Civano Elementary named

America’s greenest school

Civano Elementary School in the Vail Unified School District was named the Greenest School in America in a contest sponsored by All laundry detergent.

Civano won over 3,054 schools that had entered the contest.

For winning, Civano students and staff were featured on Ellen DeGeneres’ daytime TV show. The school also received a $50,000 cash prize and the students all won solar-powered iPod shuffles and a year’s supply of All detergent.

To be the Greenest School in America, All challenged elementary school students to become environmentally conscious through "Go Green & Small with ‘All’" contests that teach that children can help the environment.

Schools were required to submit an eco-report card showing students’ families practice environmentally friendly behavior at home. Civano won for having the largest percentage and the most passionate eco-stories.

HUD gives $3M grant

for lead paint detection

With the help of a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the City of Tucson will launch a three-year program to help low-income families detect and help eliminate lead-based paint hazards in their homes.

In addition to the federal grant, the city has another $846,456 in other contributions to help with the program.

The program is available to homeowners and tenants with children under 6 years old living in residential units built before 1978. Rehabilitation grants averaging $7,900 are available.

The program is being administered by the city’s Community Services Department.

Altar Valley group wins

Farm Bureau award

The Altar Valley Conservation Alliance has received the Arizona Farm Bureau Environmental Award for its work on habitat restoration and conservation.

Specific projects of the alliance include preservation of family ranching against development pressures, erosion control along the Altar Wash, the return of natural fires and prescribed burns and protection of native species, including six that are threatened or endangered.

NONPROFITS

Wells Fargo gives money to

four anti-poverty nonprofits

Four Tucson area nonprofits were among 11 across the state to receive part of $50,000 from Wells Fargo Community Partners.

The local recipients were:

• Educational Enrichment Foundation, $5,000, to provide resources to expand and enrich student learning in the Tucson Unified School District.

• Old Pueblo Community Foundation, $4,820, to heighten awareness of homeless needs and to train people to meet those needs.

• San Miguel Preparatory High School, $5,000, to help students from families of limited means.

• The Hope of Glory Ministries, $5,000, to help homeless and needy people through an inner-city multi-purpose facility, The Hope Center.

La Frontera to produce

TV videos for refugees

La Frontera Center Inc. has received a $25,000 grant from Catholic Healthcare West to help local refugee populations.

The funding will be used by the nonprofit behavioral health agency to develop a series of television programs focusing on injury prevention, how to establish a safe home environment, symptoms of mental/behavioral health issues, and how to access appropriate care, among other topics.

The programs will be taped in refugees’ first languages for the Somali, Somali Bantu, and Burundian populations.

Partnering with La Frontera are Access Tucson, Catholic Social Services, International Rescue Committee, Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest and the University of Arizona College of Medicine.

Child fingerprining and

safety events at eegee’s

Eegee’s fast-food restaurants is hosting a month-long series of community safety events, in cooperation with DayBreak International Inc. and Child Protection Education of America (CPEA).

At each of the events, representatives from the two organizations will offer free fingerprinting of children.

Eeegee’s will give away coupons for its frozen slushee drinks.

The schedule of events, all of which will take place at eegee’s locations is:

• Feb. 4 - 9 at 2510 E. Speedway and 3743 S. 12th Ave.

• Feb. 11 - 16 at 1105 S. Craycroft Road and 401 W. Valencia Road.

• Feb. 18 - 23 at 8320 E. Broadway and 3806 E. Grant Road

• Feb. 25 - March 1 at 2470 N. Campbell Ave. and 7102 E. Broadway

KUDOS

World Boating Center

wins two top awards

World Boating Center, 576 W. Ventura St., has been named top new dealer and top volume dealer for the 2007 model-year by Glastron Boats.

The first award was based on the dealer’s first-year sales and the volume award was for posting more than $1 million in wholesale purchases with Glastron.

World Boating Center says its 10,000 square-foot boat showroom is the only one in Southern Arizona that is entirely indoors. It is also a Volvo Penta dealers and sells several brands of used boats.

World Boating Center’s website is www.worldboatingcenter.com.