Daily Business Report-July 25, 2016
The USD Center for Cyber Security Engineering and Technology s one of an estimated 80 universities nationally to receive funding for a camp and the only one in San Diego.
USD Camp Seeks to Create Next
Generation of Cyber Professionals
Inspiring a new generation of students to consider the cyber security field is the goal of a free summer day camp at the University of San Diego.
The GenCyber Academy of Excellence, funded by the National Security Agency and National Science Foundation, takes place today through Friday.
“In order to meet the cyber challenges facing the military, corporations and other U.S. institutions, we need to build a pipeline of young people ready to go into these fields,” said Winnie Callahan, director of the USD Center for Cyber Security Engineering and Technology. “Capturing their interest and attention at an early age is the way to do that.”
USD’s CCSET is one of an estimated 80 universities nationally to receive funding for a camp and the only one in San Diego.
The program includes formal instruction from USD Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering faculty, hands-on experience with cyber defense tools, and field trips to local cyber security organizations and companies such as Playstation, Sony and Qualcomm.
Students will be engaged in a variety of exciting activities including responding to mock cyber attacks and hacking, designing systems to prevent them, as well as the basics of cyber security knowledge, skills and ethics.
More than 400 applications were received from all over the country for just 40 spots in the camp. Students selected range from those with lots of experience, including one who already holds a patent to those from underrepresented communities who will be encouraged to consider STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers. A group of 40 K-12 teachers also selected for the camp will learn how to incorporate cyber security principles into their curriculum on a regular basis.
— USD News Center
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San Diego Unemployment Rate
Increased to 5.1 Percent in June
The San Diego Monthly Employment Report (May 2016 to June 2016) shows increases in the civilian unemployment rate, labor force and employment.
National Manufacturing Day in San Diego
On Oct. 7, the San Diego Regional EDC will host the largest Manufactuing Day event on the West Coast. It will be staged from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the Liberty Station Conference Center, 2600 Laning Road, in Point Loma.
More than 300 local business and industry leaders will celebrate National Manufacturing Day. The event, underwritten by Samsung, will feature representatives from Solatube, Chuao Chocolatier, Dr. Bronner’s, Calbiotech and more, discussing industry successes across the region.
Tickets are $30. Click here.
Typical San Diego Home
On Market for Just 61 Days
Times of San Diego
Homes are selling faster than at any time since 2010, with San Diego properties typically on the market for just two months, according to a new report from Zillow.
The online real estate marketplace said that nationally homes are selling an average of a week faster than they did a year ago, with a median time on the market of 78 days. The figure for San Diego is 61 days, and it’s only 43 days in Silicon Valley.
“Homes are selling faster than ever as the home shopping season hits its peak,” said Zillow Chief Economist Svenja Gudell. “If you’re looking for a home, be prepared to move quickly.”
“Adding to this difficult buying environment is low inventory — there simply aren’t many homes to choose from,” she added.
Zillow offered these tips for buyers in a competitive market:
• Meet with your lender early and get pre-approved for a loan — even before you begin seriously shopping for your new home.
• Work with an agent who has expertise in the local market. Read reviews on local agents and find someone with a successful record in a tough market.
• Request to pre-inspect a home before submitting an offer. You risk losing a few hundred dollars if you end up not wanting the house; but if you do, you’ll be able to submit an offer not contingent on home inspections.
The limited supply of homes is also driving up home values. The average U.S. home is worth $187,000, a 5.4 percent increase from June 2015. In San Diego, the average is almost three times higher at $512,900.
While homes are selling fast, Zillow said rents are growing at the slowest pace in nearly two years.
Council to Weigh In On Lease of San Diego Polo Fields
By City News Service
The San Diego City Council is scheduled to take up a controversial proposal today to lease the San Diego Polo Fields to the organizers of the Surf Cup soccer tournaments held at the site.
After a hearing of more than two hours last month, the council’s Smart Growth and Land Use Committee passed the plan along with a unanimous recommendation for approval, despite hints of litigation by nearby homeowners.
Surf Cup Sports LLC, which has been operating the tournaments and running club teams for 24 years on the fields east of Interstate 5 near Via de la Valle, was the only compliant respondent when the city sought a lessee to replace the Fairbanks Polo Club, city staff said.
Former Councilman Jim Madaffer, who represents Surf Cup Sports, told the committee members that the organization attracts the best youth soccer players in the region.
Around 200 youngsters and their parents attended the meeting, and many spoke about how playing at the facility resulted in offers of college scholarships.
The problem is that the organization’s activities have grown so popular that large crowds of people come to the field on about half the weekends of the year, causing traffic tie-ups and noise, said lawyer Maria Severson, who represents owners of 55 bluffside homes above the property.
She told City News Service that her clients will protect their rights, though she declined to say whether they would sue if the full City Council approves the lease.
According to city staff, the 600-acre site was deeded to the city in 1983 and has been used for both polo and soccer. Severson said the deed came with conditions that permitted quiet and non-commercial activities like jogging and equestrian events, but not things that would attract large crowds.
Subsequent agreements have allowed soccer to be played on the land, and no complaints about the facility were heard until recently, city staff said.
Madaffer said Surf Cup officials are already working on traffic control measures, and are willing to meet with nearby residents to work out the dispute. He also said polo events will continue at the site.
The Surf Cup is planning to make numerous improvements to the soccer fields, parking areas and polo facilities, and to build a new equestrian center, he said.
The tournaments held at the site are considered among the most prestigious in the U.S., and attract teams from around the nation and some foreign countries.
