Daily Business Report-July 21, 2017
Anisa Omar holds her friend’s son while his mother dances at a picnic where primarily Congolese refugees celebrate completion of English classes. (Photo by Peggy Peattie for CALmatters)
San Diego Welcomes More Refugees
Than any Other California County
By Elizabeth Aguilera | CALmatters
Zawadi Namagazuzyo was about 12 when she was forced to flee her native Congo. Her mother and many family members were dead. Her father wanted her to live.
“There was fighting, a lot of fighting,” she said, recalling how the two of them ended up at a
refugee camp in Zambia. She grew up there for 13 years— getting married, giving birth, and
always waiting to be resettled somewhere else in the world.
Then 10 months ago, Namagazuzyo and her family were resettled in San Diego County, where her father had been living for a few months. And under a brilliant sun on a recent Friday, she joined other refugees at a picnic to celebrate their graduation from a 12-week English intensive class. Drumming reverberated through the park, Congolese and Somali dishes were spread out alongside pizza— and a red, white and blue cake anchored the dessert section.
“I ask questions about the life in San Diego, about the rent, bills, electricity,” said Namagazuzyo, who was surprised to find so many fellow African immigrants in her new home. “We speak together the language, we are many in San Diego. I feel good.”
For nearly a decade, no California county has received more refugees than San Diego County, followed by Los Angeles and Sacramento, according to state and federal data. A large number of refugees are assigned to San Diego because of its concentration of four resettlement agencies and the existence of several rooted immigrant communities already in the area. The trend dates back to the Vietnam War, when hundreds of thousands of Southeast Asians landed at Camp Pendleton for U.S. resettlement. Many stayed, helping make the area a beacon for people fleeing from violence, hunger and instability.
“San Diego historically has been a very welcoming county,” said David Murphy, executive director of the International Rescue Committee there that resettled Namagazuzyo’s family and hosted the English class. “There is now a vibrant multi-cultural population living in San Diego.”
At a time when President Donald Trump cites terrorism as justification to crack down on immigration — the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld, for now, key provisions of his ban on refugees — California lawmakers are working to extend the Golden State’s welcome to the world’s displaced people.
Democratic legislators from counties with significant refugee populations are pushing bills to help with education and employment, and secured a $10 million budget allocation to help refugee children.
“We are a warm place and not just the weather but our hearts, and the legacy of that continues,” said Democratic Assemblyman Kevin McCarty of Sacramento, lead author of the refugee bills. “We welcome refugees who are escaping war and persecution.”
President Donald Trump’s current executive order states that more than 300 people who entered the United States as refugees are currently under FBI counterterrorism investigation, and cites two examples of convictions —including a Somali man brought to the U.S. as a child refugee and sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in the plot to bomb a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Portland, Oregon. It also would cut the number of refugees admitted this fiscal year from 110,000 to no more than 50,000, saying any more would be “detrimental” to the country.
It’s unclear what that means for refugees from countries the order singled out for a broader ban: Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan, Yemen and Somalia.
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear challenges to the order this fall.
“They’ve had to flee some of the most horrific things human beings have to offer, they are escaping war, they are escaping terrorists, they are escaping ISIS, they have been vetted and now we are putting them through another merry-go-round of uncertainty,” Murphy said.
Last year the U.S. admitted nearly 85,000 refugees. More than half went to just 10 states including Texas and New York, but the largest group,7,908 refugees, settled in California, according to a Pew Research study. And 3,100 of those landed in San Diego County, along with another 520 military interpreters on Special Immigrant Visas, who are also classified as refugees.
Since the end of the Vietnam War, California has welcomed 732,000 refugees, according to state data. During that time, San Diego resettled more than 85,000 refugees —roughly equal to the entire population of cities such as Chico or Newport Beach.
This is an abridged version of the full story, which is available at calmatters.org
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Juanita Brooks First Latina Named to
California Bar Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame
Juanita Brooks, a principal of Fish & Richardson in San Diego, will be inducted into the California State Bar Litigation Section’s Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame in a ceremony on Aug. 18. Since 1994, the honor is annually bestowed upon one or two exceptional trial lawyers whose careers exemplify the highest of values and professional achievement.
Brooks will be the first Latina honoree and only the third inductee from San Diego to receive the honor.
Brooks was chosen for her accomplishments in both the courtroom and community, the breadth and diversity of her litigation practice, her pro bono work and well-known integrity and professionalism — attributes and achievements for which she is often recognized.
She is a leading trial and appellate litigator, who specializes in intellectual property, product liability and mass tort litigation. She is nationally known for her storytelling, hard-hitting cross-examinations and ability to decipher complex technologies for judges and juries.
Nicknamed “a titan of the patent bar,” an “IP icon” and a “jury whisperer” Brooks has led more than 150 trials throughout her 40-year career. Brooks’ courtroom success translates to billions of dollars in verdicts and savings to clients while paving the way for new patent laws to be established.
Often the only woman and minority in the courtroom, Brooks has spent her career dedicated to diversifying the legal profession.The first in her family to graduate from high school, Brooks graduated from San Diego State University at the age of 19 and Yale School of Law at the age of 22 before entering the legal arena.
Brooks was the first Hispanic woman to establish a private criminal defense practice in San Diego and has remained a frequent volunteer, speaker and advocate for women and minorities for decades. After more than 20 years in practice, Brooks joined Fish & Richardson in 2000, refocusing her practice on intellectual property and patent litigation.
In 2014, Brooks was named “Litigator of the Year by The American Lawyer. She has also been honored by numerous organizations including the National Law Journal, Managing Intellectual Property, Daily Journal, Best Lawyers in America, Law360, Benchmark Litigation and LMG Life Sciences North America.
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Downtown Ritz Carlton on Hold
Following Legal Challenge
Plans for a $400 million Downtown development that would include a Ritz Carlton, a Whole Foods and luxury condos are now on hold because of a lawsuit alleging that last year’s approval of the project relied on faulty environmental documents. Project developer Cisterra Development said it would normally be breaking ground right about now on the full-block hotel and housing complex were it not for the suit filed late last year. It is scheduled to go to trial this October. — San Diego Union-Tribune
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Cubic Corporation Acquires
Deltenna Limited of UK
Cubic Corporation announced the acquisition of Deltenna Limited, a wireless infrastructure company specializing in the design and delivery of radio and antenna communication solutions.
The addition of Deltenna, headquartered in Chippenham, United Kingdom, will enhance Cubic’s tactical communication and training capabilities by effectively delivering high-capacity data networks within challenging and rigorous environments, according to a company statement.
Since 2002, Deltenna has developed a reputation for its expertise in specialized applications of wireless communication technology including those for use by public safety and emergency response teams worldwide. Deltenna’s products incorporate enhanced Long Term Evolution (LTE)/4G technology to deliver fast data rates needed to meet the communications needs of Cubic’s customers, the company said. With the advancement of training and tactical technologies requiring high capacity data sharing, Deltenna offers fully expeditionary and integrated LTE solutions to support warfighters in every setting.
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SDSU Ranks Among Top State
Universities for English Majors
San Diego State University was ranked among the best colleges in California for English majors in a list released by Zippia, an online platform designed to help recent college graduates make career decisions.
Zippia looked at comparative data from the National Center for Education Statistics and College Scorecard data from the U.S. Department of Education to determine which schools are best for English majors.
Zippia ranked universities based on career results, overall school performance and the percentage of English majors in the graduating class. SDSU came in at No. 7 overall of the 31 institutions considered, outranking traditional powerhouse universities in the state.
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County Departments Unveil
New Online Appointments Service
San Diego County’s land use and environmental departments have introduced a new service to make life easier for customers — a tool to let people set up appointments on their own online, rather than over the phone or in person. The new “Click to Schedule” tool lets customers use their smartphones, laptops, tablets or computers to access onscreen calendars, find open dates and set appointments for roughly 30 different types of land use consultations and inspections.
Some of the services include: consultations for temporary events and community events; follow-up meetings with code compliance officers; submitting grading permit applications; making appointments to drop off hazardous household materials in Ramona; over-the-counter plan check consultations for food, food truck and body art businesses; and setting times for courtesy inspections for businesses by Air Pollution Control District officers.
Click here for the “Click to Schedule” site.
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RAF Pacifica Group Starts Construction
on 3 Industrial Developments
RAF Pacifica Group, a San Diego-based developer, has started construction on three ground-up developments totaling $110 million in North County.
The developments encompass over half a million square feet of industrial space and will be delivered to the market in 2018, according to Adam Robinson, founder and principal of the company.
The three development projects:
- vec•tor: The 171,098-square-foot, two-story industrial/R&D facility will accommodate one to four industrial or research tenants. Estimated development costs total $29 million. Located in the Carlsbad Oaks North corporate business park, vec•tor will feature 30’ clear height ceilings, grade-level and dock-high loading doors, and a glass-centric design to ensure natural lighting for users.
- dis•trib•ute: Comprised of two buildings totaling 277,410 square feet in Carlsbad, dis•tri•bute will incorporate a mix of office and industrial suites.
- pro•duc•tion: The 219,477-square-foot, four-building creative industrial campus will be RAF Pacifica Group’s first ground-up spec development in San Marcos. The campus will integrate tech buildouts, flexible office space, 28-foot clear height ceilings, and overall high-end finishes. Estimated development costs for this project total $37 million.
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Salk Scientists Find Compound
That Could Help in Age-Related Conditions
Scientists at Salk Institute for Biological Studies have found further evidence that a natural compound in strawberries reduces cognitive deficits and inflammation associated with aging in mice. The work, which appeared in the Journals of Gerontology Series A in June, builds on the team’s previous research into the antioxidant fisetin, finding it could help treat age-related mental decline and conditions like Alzheimer’s or stroke.
“Companies have put fisetin into various health products but there hasn’t been enough serious testing of the compound,” says Pamela Maher, a senior staff scientist in Salk’s Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory and senior author of the paper. “Based on our ongoing work, we think fisetin might be helpful as a preventative for many age-associated neurodegenerative diseases, not just Alzheimer’s, and we’d like to encourage more rigorous study of it.”
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UC San Diego Researchers Join
$14.9M Fight Against Mosquitoes
UC San Diego scientists have been selected by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to be part of a “Safe Genes” research team that will receive up to $14.9 million to study an innovative genetic research technique as a way to control disease-causing mosquitoes.
Led by UC Riverside’s Omar Akbari, assistant professor of entomology, the project will focus on a technique known as gene drive, which can spread desirable genes in wild populations and suppress harmful organisms.
The researchers want to understand the potential risks and benefits of using gene drives to control mosquitos that carry diseases including Zika, chikungunya, dengue and yellow fever.
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USD Senior and Midshipman Elizabeth Barker
In Five-Week Training Aboard USS Shiloh
NavyMidshipman 1st Class Elizabeth Barker, a senior at the University of San Diego, and three other college students from across the country arrived on the guided missile cruiser USS Shiloh to take part in a summer cruise program for training.
The midshipmen will rotate through several departments as part of the United States Naval Academy and Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program. While aboard, they will receive training in a variety of jobs throughout the ship including areas such as the bridge, combat direction center, damage control center and supply department.
“My time aboard Shiloh has been much more interactive,” said Barker. “I am grateful I came out to a forward-deployed ship in 7th Fleet.”
The other students are: Midshipman 1st Class Seth Xie, a senior at the U.S. Naval Academy, Midshipman 2nd Class Korrissa Lambert, a sophomore at Purdue University, and Midshipman 1st Class Lucas Tom, a senior at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Shiloh is on patrol with Carrier Strike Group 5 in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
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Personnel Announcements
Kristin Blackston Joins Environmental Science Associates
Kristin Blackson has joined Environmental Science Associates as a California Environmental Quality Act project manager in its San Diego office. She has been an adviser and consultant for private entities and local jurisdictions for the past 17 years.
Blackson received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management from UC Santa Barbara and a Master’s degree in Environmental Science from University of San Francisco. Her career originally started out in the public sector, working as the Environmental Planning Manager for the County of San Diego for projects such as Lilac Hills Ranch and large-scale energy projects such as the Tule Wind and Soitec Solar projects located in the San Diego County backcountry.
In 2015, Blackson became a consultant in the private sector, applying her firsthand experience in the public realm to become a CEQA adviser. Since joining ESA in May, she has been involved in a handful of projects, including an Environmental Impact Report for the Escondido Country Club project, which will be drafted in an accelerated five-month schedule.
