Daily Business Report-April 23, 2018
Dan Shea, left, and Peter Seidler in one of the tents erected to house some of San Diego’s homeless population. (Photo by Jamie Lytle Scott)
Join the Campaign
to Help the Homeless
Two years ago, Peter Seidler, majority owner of the San Diego Padres, asked businessman Dan Shea, owner of Donovan’s restaurants, to join him in a humanitarian campaign to help solve the plight of the homeless in San Diego.
Today, as a result of that initiative, large, industrial-sized tent structures have been placed in areas of the city to house the homeless, and a growing number of groups and organizations have come forward to provide services for them — food, medical, dental and health care — as well as mobile veterinary services for those who have pets. More needs to be done, of course, and that’s why Seidler and Shea put together a group of seven business and civic leaders who meet weekly to find solutions to one of San Diego’s most pressing social problems.
Neither Seidler nor Shea have sought publicity for their endeavors, preferring to work behind the scenes. But the Editorial Board of SD Metro believes it is important for people to know how this campaign for the homeless came to be, hoping it will spur further humanitarian efforts. We refer you to the magazine’s current cover story, “Powerful Advocates for the Homeless,” available in PDF form here.
or on the website here.
Some of the agencies you can volunteer at, or contribute to:
Feeding San Diego
9455 Waples St., Suite 135, San Diego, CA 92121
858-452-3663
Family Health Centers of San Diego
823 Gateway Center Way, San Diego, CA 92102
http://www.fhcsd.org
619-515-2300
Father Joe’s Villages
3350 E St., San Diego, CA 92102
619-446-2100
The Alpha Project
3737 Fifth Ave., Suite 203, San Diego, CA 92101
https://alphaproject.org
619- 542-1877
Veterans Village of San Diego
4141 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 92110
619-497-0142
Helen Woodward Animal Center
6461 El Apajo Road, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92091
858-756-4117
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San Diego Unemployment Rate Drops to 3.2 Percent
San Diego Workforce Partnership
The San Diego Monthly Employment Report (February 2018 to March 2018) shows a decrease in the civilian labor force and employment and a decrease in the unemployment rate.
Phil Blair, executive officer, Manpower/Staffing San Diego: “The unemployment rate is low, and businesses are still hiring. While there were 50,900 individuals looking for jobs in March, there were over 41,000 online job postings. First-line supervisors in retail, food preparation, and office admin are in-demand — let’s help front-line workers to gain the managerial experience they need to fill those roles.”
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County Report Details Terrible Toll
from Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
Two county studies show an increasing economic and physical toll of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia on San Diego County families and the region’s health care economy.
The pair of studies, produced by the County’s Health and Human Services Agency, say the San Diego County region can expect the cost to provide care for those suffering and the number of caregivers needed will both balloon by 2030.
They were highlighted as part of an announcement that the federal government has awarded a $1.3 million grant to Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute to advance the local search for a cure.
The report, “The Economic Burden of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias in San Diego County,” says that the current price tag that currently exceeds $38 billion for the lifetime cost of care for local residents with Alzheimer’s or dementia will increase to more than $52 billion by 2030.
Meanwhile, the number of family members and caregivers needed to help sufferers will grow from the current 214,000 to nearly 300,000 by 2030, according to the report.
The number of county residents age 55 and older with dementia is expected to increase from an estimated 84,000 today to 115,000 by 2030.
The studies are part of the work of The Alzheimer’s Project, a county-led initiative that has gained national recognition, and its spinoff, Collaboration4Cure. Collaboration4Cure has brought together the region’s top research institutions with Alzheimer’s San Diego to expand the drive to find a treatment or cure.
Some risk factors for Alzheimer’s and related dementias cannot be controlled or prevented. The study, however, says there is growing evidence that it may be possible to delay, slow down, or even prevent the onset of the dementias by practicing some of the following brain strategies:
- Eat a healthy diet of dark-skinned vegetables and fruits with high antioxidant levels
- Get active and stay active with at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day
- Manage chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, vascular disease, heart disease and type 2 diabetes
- Learn new things and keep the brain active
- Make sure you get seven to eight hours of sleep per night
- Drink alcohol in moderation
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Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences Among
New Majors Offered at UC San Diego
The University of California San Diego has added four new majors engaged with real-world concerns to address topics ranging from tackling climate change to sustainable development.
Oceanic and atmospheric sciences, business psychology, data science, and real estate and development were developed as new majors in response to anticipated demand, workplace trends, and alumni feedback. These majors take advantage of the interdisciplinary nature of UC San Diego, exposing students to a range of faculty and learning experiences across campus and across divisions.,
The oceanic and atmospheric sciences major, managed by Scripps Institution of Oceanography, applies physics, chemistry, and math to develop an understanding of the ocean and atmosphere. It is one of three undergraduate majors offered by Scripps Oceanography, along with marine biology and earth sciences. Students will study a range of topics of increasing social concern including ocean waves, natural climate variability, human-caused climate change, ocean acidification, atmospheric phenomena, and more.
“One of Scripps’ main strengths is our ability to access the ocean,” said Dan Rudnick, a physical oceanographer and professor at Scripps who helped create the major. “This new major is an opportunity for students to be involved with Scripps science, including using data we’re collecting and by going on cruises or working in labs.”
According to Rudnick, this hands-on major is ideal for students interested in natural sciences. Classes students may take include Ice and the Climate System, Physics of the Atmosphere, Ocean Acidification, and Experiences in Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences. And yes, those experiences include trips to the beach and time at sea, including data collection on Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier and an undergraduate student cruise on R/V Robert Gordon Sproul.
For more information on undergraduate programs offered through Scripps Oceanography, visit https://scripps.ucsd.edu/undergrad.
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Shirley Murphy Appointed to Grossmont
Hospital Corporation Board of Directors
El Cajon resident Shirley Apple Murphy, a cultural psychologist, life coach and advocate for Native American issues, has been appointed to serve on the Grossmont Hospital Corporation (GHC) board of directors as a representative of the Grossmont Healthcare District. Murphy will serve as a designee of GHD board member Gloria Chadwick.
Murphy is returning to the board after previously serving from 2011 to 2016. She was succeeded by Allan Goetz, a retired aerospace engineer, who served in 2016 and 2017.
Murphy is president of Taspan Consulting Co., which she founded to conduct research and development of indigenous knowledge and its application to educational curriculum, career counseling, community development and life coaching. Her career has focused on health care, education and language retention.
With husband Hank, she was one of the founders in 1982 of a health care clinic that today is operated by the Southern Indian Health Council. She has lived with Hank on the Sycuan Indian Reservation in El Cajon’s Dehesa Valley since 1974. Hank is a member of the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. Shirley is an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota Tribe of Pine Ridge, South Dakota.
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April 27 Conference Emphasizes Humanities
Perspective in Addressing Today’s Challenges
Exploring the ways a humanities perspective can provide vital insights in addressing some of the world’s most pressing problems is the theme of an April 27 conference hosted by the San Diego Community College District.
The one-day conference, Reclaiming the Humanities: Resistance, Justice, & the Arts, will be held at San Diego City College. Following an 8 a.m. registration and breakfast at the campus Corporate Education Center, poet, essayist, and author Julia Alvarez will deliver a morning keynote address at 9 a.m. in the Saville Theatre. Alvarez has earned a number of honors, including the Pura Belpré and Américas Awards, the Hispanic Heritage Award, the F. Scott Fitzgerald Award, and the National Medal of Arts from former President Barack Obama.
Breakout sessions and lunch will follow in the Corporate Education Center. Artist Titus Kaphar will deliver the afternoon keynote address at 1 p.m. His honors include the Creative Capital Award, Gwendolyn Knight and Jacob Lawrence Fellowship, Artist in Residence (The Studio in Harlem), and Belle Arts Foundation Grantee. The afternoon keynote will also be followed with breakout sessions.
Click here for more information
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