Daily Business Report-May 9, 2019
The study was designed to simultaneously illuminate two of the bridge’s supporting concrete piers with color LED lighting units. (Photo courtesy of Port of San Diego)
Port conducts lighting study on
San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge
The Port of San Diego has successfully completed an engineering lighting study to test and evaluate the potential use of color-changing LED lights to illuminate the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge. The tests were conducted on the evenings of April 29 through May 2 as part of the design development process for the proposed San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge Lighting Project. The study focused on a small portion of the bridge structure located over land near Barrio Logan.
The study was designed to simultaneously illuminate two of the bridge’s supporting concrete piers with color LED lighting units (luminaires) provided by two leading manufacturers of architectural lighting products—Philips Color Kinetics and Lumenpulse. To effectively illuminate the approximately 165-foot tall piers, sets of LED lights were mounted at ground level, beaming upward, and with the use of boom lifts positioned near the tops of the piers, beaming downward. The study allowed the Port to observe, evaluate and collect data related to the output and performance of the lights over a broad range of the color spectrum and at varying intensities. The lighting displayed during the tests did not, however, represent any particular lighting configurations or scenarios being envisioned for the final bridge lighting design.
The proposed Bridge Lighting Project is currently in the midst of Phase 2 in which the objectives are to update and refine the design, obtain environmental clearance through the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process, and acquire all applicable agency approvals and entitlements. There will also be extensive community outreach and opportunities for public comment.
The proposed project is estimated to cost between $14 and $16 million, funded through a Port-led fundraising campaign. Currently, about $1 million in contributions has been raised in the fundraising effort. Architectural lighting designers Speirs & Major, BuroHappold consulting engineers, and artist Peter Fink are designing the lighting project, which is anticipated to be completed in 2022.
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Single-family home sales continued
to rise in San Diego County in April
Sales of existing homes in San Diego County continued to rise in April, according to housing statistics compiled through the San Diego Multiple Listing Service by the Greater San Diego Association of Realtors.
Sales of previously owned single-family (detached) homes in April grew by 9 percent compared to March, and attached properties (condominiums and townhomes) were nearly 7 percent higher. Compared to the same month last year, sales of single-family homes are down 2 percent, and for attached properties they are 12 percent lower.
The median price of detached homes ticked up in April to $655,000, an increase of 4 percent over March and 2 percent over April of last year. Condos and townhomes, however, are unchanged since last month, settling at a median price of $420,000, which has changed little over the past year. There is an encouraging 3.8 percent increase in the supply of all homes on the market compared to the same month last year.
“Buyer demand is growing in force this spring,” said SDAR President Kevin M. Burke. “For well-priced homes in desirable locations, I can tell you that competition is fierce.”
In April, the ZIP codes in San Diego County with the most single-family home sales were:
92065 (Ramona) with 52
92114 (Encanto) with 48
92057 (Oceanside North) and 92071 (Santee), both with 47
92078 (San Marcos South) with 45
92127 (Rancho Bernardo West) with 44
The most expensive single-family property sold in April in San Diego County is a newly constructed ocean-view home in Olde Del Mar, with 5,700 square feet, 6 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, and a sale price of $9.45 million.
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U.S. EPA honors ProduceGood
for leading food recovery efforts
As part of the Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized Encinitas-based ProduceGood for its outstanding efforts in food recovery. This is the first Food Recovery Challenge award received by the nonprofit organization.
ProduceGood diverts excess produce from its path to landfill and makes it available to people in San Diego County. In 2017, ProduceGood rescued 86,000 pounds of produce through 176 harvesting events, equal to 258,000 servings of fresh produce. Donated produce benefits food-insecure children and adults in the San Diego area.
“EPA is delighted to honor ProduceGood’s leaders and volunteers with this national award for their exceptional role in making fresh produce available to those in need,” said EPA Regional Administrator Mike Stoker. “We encourage all communities to consider partnering with businesses, growers and donors to redirect surplus foods away from landfills and on to the dinner table.”
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Renowned Physician to Speak
at Palliative Care Conference
Dr. Lucy Kalanithi, a Stanford medical school physician and professor and the widow of a New York Times bestselling author, will be the keynote speaker at the fourth annual San Diego Palliative Care Conference at Cal State San Marcos.
The event, titled “Changing Tides: Innovation in Palliative Care,” will take place on June 7 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in CSUSM’s University Student Union. The cost for registration is $175 and includes food and parking.
Kalanithi is the widow of the late Dr. Paul Kalanithi, a neurosurgeon who wrote a memoir about his life and his fight against stage IV lung cancer that was published posthumously in 2016, less than a year after his death at age 37. “When Breath Becomes Air” spent 68 weeks on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list and was a finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for biography or autobiography. Lucy Kalanithi wrote the epilogue to the book.
Kalanithi is an internal medicine physician and faculty member at the Stanford School of Medicine. She completed her medical degree at Yale, her residency at UC San Francisco and a postdoctoral fellowship training in health-care delivery innovation at Stanford’s Clinical Excellence Research Center.
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Naval Medical Center San Diego
nurse earns recognition for Nurses Week
A Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) nurse earned special recognition for exceptional leadership from two distinct organizations: the American Nurses Credentialing Center in March, and the Defense Health Agency for Nurses Week in May. 6-12.
Capt. Andrea Petrovanie senior nurse officer, Directorate for Branch Clinics, was awarded the 2019 ANCC Certified Nurse Award in the Ambulatory Care Nursing category. The award recognized her work toward establishing the first Specialty Leader in Ambulatory Care Nursing by the director of the Navy Nurse Corps, resulting in a centralized voice for ambulatory care nurses across Navy Medicine.
Her work implemented several standardized initiatives that contributed to streamlined processes throughout 10 branch clinics, resulting in improved care and safety promotion for NMCSD’s patient population.
“It is a privilege to serve our military population, and I can’t think of anything else I would rather be doing,” said Petrovanie. “Each day brings an opportunity to touch lives and make a difference.”
In addition, the Defense Health Agency recognized Petrovanie for superior leadership in an online profile honoring Nurses Week 2019. She is one of only 10 military nurses who are profiled for the occasion on the Military Health System website.
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Allen Matkins attorney Josi Swonetz
receives award from Black Lawyers Assn.
Josi Swonetz, a litigation senior counsel in the San Diego office of Allen Matkins, was presented the California Association of Black Lawyers (CABL) President’s Leadership Award for her outstanding and dedicated service to the organization.
The award recognizes Swonetz’s efforts in planning the Southern District Reception held last September in San Diego, which Allen Matkins sponsored, and serving as the acting chair of the Bylaws Review Committee. She was also appointed to the position of general counsel of the South, effective immediately.
The California Association of Black Lawyers represents over 6,000 African-American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. Its mission is “to promote reform in the laws and the administration of justice” as it continues its quest for equality and empowerment.
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San Diego County Vintners Association
holds annual wine festival on May 18
San Diego County Vintners Association is having its annual wine festival Saturday, May 18, 1-4 p.m. at Sikes Adobe Historic Farmstead 12655 Sunset Drive, Escondido.
For more information visit sandiegowineries.org
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Classy releases new report on
‘The State of Modern Philanthropy’
San Diego-based Classy, creator of online fundraising software for nonprofits, has released its second annual report, “The State of Modern Philanthropy 2019,” featuring online and mobile fundraising trends via the company’s proprietary platform data. Subtitled Trends in Return Donor Behavior, the 2019 report explores the patterns and behaviors exhibited by a critical cohort of donors—specifically those who make an initial one-time donation to organization and then return to re-engage with that same organization.
In order to highlight patterns in supporter behavior up to two years after a first donation, the 2019 report leverages data from both 2017 and 2018, spanning nearly 1 million transactions, over 15,000 campaigns, and almost 4,000 recurring plans from organizations ranging in size.
“Our customers found the data in last year’s report to be useful in driving their fundraising strategies forward, so we decided to make this an annual endeavor,” said Ben Cipollini, director of Data Science at Classy.
Click here for the full report.
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Wildfire insurance losses from
November 2018 blazes top $12 billion
Insured losses from the most destructive wildfire month in California’s history climbed $614 million in the first three months of the year, pushing total claims over $12 billion as of April. The increase in claims came as homeowners and businesses continue to assess damages from the Camp Fire in Paradise and Butte County and the Woolsey and Hill Fires in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.
The Department of Insurance is releasing this data during Wildfire Preparedness Week (May 6-12) and urges homeowners and businesses to take a fresh look at their insurance coverage.
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Talent Rising
Jacob Spaid joins Higgs Fletcher & Mack
Attorney Jacob Spaid has joined Higgs Fletcher & Mack as an Associate in the firm’s Business Litigation Practice Group. Spaid’s practice focuses primarily on business and securities litigation in state and federal courts. He has successfully represented clients at all stages of litigation, including at the California Court of Appeal and the Federal Court of Appeals for the 9th, 2nd, and 5th Circuits. He also has considerable experience litigating class action cases.
“Jacob Spaid is a great litigator, and we know that he will add to the strength of our business litigation practice,” said Steve Cologne, Higgs Fletcher & Mack’s managing partner. “His educational background and his substantial experience in all types of business litigation add to the breadth of our services, and we are proud to welcome Jacob to the Firm.”
Spaid earned both a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from San Diego State University. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from California Western School of Law, where he served as senior editor of the California Western Law Review, and Editor of California Western International Law Review. He was the recipient of the Diane Ethics Award, the Law Review Outstanding Editor Award, and several academic achievement awards while in law school.
An active participant in San Diego’s legal community, Spaid is a member of the Leadership Development Committee for the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, and a member of the Louis M. Welsh American Inn of Court. He also had an article published in the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation.
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David S. Casey Jr. and Gayle M. Blatt
named among Top 10 San Diego Attorneys
The 2019 edition of San Diego Super Lawyers and CaseyGerry is the only firm to have two attorneys — partners David S. Casey Jr. and Gayle Blatt — ranked among the Top Ten San Diego lawyers. Blatt is also listed among the Top 25 female attorneys.
Ten CaseyGerry attorneys are featured in this most current edition, including partners Robert J. Francavilla, Thomas D. Luneau, Thomas D. Penfield and Frederick Schenk, and associates Angela Jae Chun and Srinivas Hanumadass. Jason Evans and Adam B. Levine are featured as San Diego Super Lawyers Rising Stars.
Super Lawyers annually ranks the top attorneys in San Diego with just five percent of San Diego attorneys featured.