Around the Valleys

– San Fernando Valley Glendale President Barack Obama visited the campus of DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. in Glendale to get a look at how the studio makes its feature films. The president was escorted around the studio by DreamWorks Animation Chief Executive Jeffrey Katzenberg, a major donor to Obama’s campaigns. Obama watched the filming of a scene for “How to Train Your Dragon 2” using motion-capture technology, and the recording of lines for the upcoming film “Home.” Following the tour, Obama gave a speech about the economy to a crowd of nearly 2,000 DreamWorks Animation employees and invited guests. Calabasas Aurora Capital Group has completed its acquisition of National Technical Systems Inc., a product engineering and testing company. The Los Angeles private equity firm purchased National Technical for $267 million. Aurora has $2 billion in assets. National Technical provides testing and engineering services for the aerospace, defense and transportation industries at facilities throughout the United States, including a 150-acre site in Santa Clarita. Burbank A federal appeals court upheld a lower court decision giving Warner Bros. Entertainment’s DC Comics the ownership of the Superman character. The decision by two Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals judges brings to an end the legal battles over the character between DC and the heirs of Joseph Shuster and Jerry Siegel, the creators of Superman. In the eight-page majority ruling, the panel agreed with the decision by Los Angeles U.S. District Court Otis D. Wright that a 1992 agreement between the parties could not be terminated by the heirs as they attempted to do in 2003. DC Comics became part of Warner Bros. in 1969 and in 2009 was folded into the DC Entertainment division. La Cañada Flintridge Sport Chalet Inc. has received a notice from Nasdaq Stock Market LLC that it is non-compliant with the exchange’s rules. Nasdaq requires a company to have a minimum of $10 million in stockholders’ equity in order to maintain a listing on the Nasdaq Global Market. In the sports retailer’s most recent quarterly earnings filing, it reported $9.5 million in stockholders’ equity. The company has 45 days to submit a plan to comply, or it can alternatively transfer its securities to the Nasdaq Capital Market if it meets that exchange’s listing requirements. The company has two classes of shares, both of which were trading under $1.25 last week. Van Nuys Apparel and accessories brand-licensing company Cherokee Inc. has struck a deal to have its Liz Lange Maternity Brand sold online and at retail stores in India. The Van Nuys company reached an agreement with Mahindra Group of Mumbai to have the maternity brand sold at the firm’s retail stores and websites. Cherokee acquired the Liz Lange brand in the second fiscal quarter of this year. This comes as Cherokee has entered the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Indonesia markets in the last few months. The company has licensing agreements in 40 countries. – Ventura County Simi Valley The Smart & Final Center in Simi Valley has been purchased by Milan Capital Management of Anaheim for $16.9 million from Sv Marketplace LLC of Anaheim. The 99,662-square-foot retail center at 1856 Erringer Road was built in 1965. The 6.8 acre property is anchored by a 20,000-square-foot Smart & Final Inc. outlet. Milan Capital Management owns various commercial properties in Southern California. Its Valley holdings include an eight-story office building at 6400 Laurel Canyon Blvd. in North Hollywood, and the Panorama Point, a 44-unit apartment building in Panorama City. – Antelope Valley Lancaster City of Hope opened its full-service cancer center in Lancaster through a partnership with Antelope Valley Hospital. The City of Hope Antelope Valley Cancer and Community Education Center is offering cancer diagnosis, surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. In addition to clinics, the 56,000-square-foot, two-story building at 44151 15th St. West includes doctor offices, a conference center and a 172-seat auditorium. City of Hope, a non-profit cancer research and treatment center based in Duarte, is expanding its presence in the greater San Fernando Valley. In October, it announced a partnership with Providence Health & Services, owner of three local hospitals, to provide cancer treatment. – Around the Valleys – To be considered for publication, submissions should be emailed to: [email protected]. Please put ATV in the subject line. For more information, call (818) 316-3123.