BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS

Sid Soffer memorial planned for Sunday

A public memorial celebration for restaurant maverick Sid Soffer is scheduled for 6:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday at his old haunt, the Blue Beet Cafe in Newport.

A private memorial will take place beforehand, but Sid Soffer’s daughter Shima Soffer and wife Michiko Soffer invite anyone who has a story or fond memories to share them in celebration of his life.

Sid Soffer died Jan. 30 in Las Vegas after battling leukemia and diabetes. He was 74.

He founded the Blue Beet in Newport and later owned Sid’s Steakhouse on Old Newport Boulevard. He fled to Vegas in 1995 to avoid jail time for code violation charges he said weren’t valid.

The bar and restaurant will be closed from 4 to 9 p.m. for Sid Soffer’s memorial.

Blue Beet Cafe is at 107 21st Place near the Newport Pier.

UC Irvine gets grant to research stem cells

A private Beverly Hills foundation has given UC Irvine $1 million for stem cell research, the campus announced Thursday.

The proposed gift, of which UCI has already received $900,000, is targeted at Hans Keirstead, the co-director of the UCI Stem Cell Institute. The Lincy Foundation, founded by philanthropist Kirk Kerkorian, intends the money to be used for researching macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in older people.

The gift represents the second major donation to UCI’s stem cell program in the last year. In July, Newport Beach philanthropists Bill and Sue Gross contributed $10 million to the institute.