Daily Business Report-March 25, 2021
Sycuan Casino Resort hiring for more than 250 positions
Sycuan Casino Resort announced that the organization is now hiring for more than 250 positions. The new positions became available in preparation of San Diego County being promoted to less-restrictive tiers in the coming weeks and months.
The open positions are in a variety of departments including food and beverage, housekeeping, hotel reservations, hotel front desk agents, valet, bell attendants, retail associates, lifeguards, customer service, cashiers, electricians, poker dealers, table games dealers and more. Many of the positions offer both part-time and full-time opportunities at various skill levels.
To begin hiring for these positions, Sycuan is hosting a job fair on Friday, March 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Heritage Event Center located inside of Sycuan Casino Resort. During the job fair, hiring managers from Sycuan will be interviewing applicants and making on-the-spot job offers for specific departments. Those interested in attending the job fair are encouraged to bring multiple copies of their resume. All health and safety protocols will be strictly enforced during the event.
Gun microstamping debate returns to California
CalMatters
As national debates over gun control reignite in the wake of a Monday mass shooting in Colorado and mass shootings last week in Georgia, California is revisiting some of its own decades-old battles to regulate firearms.
Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel on Tuesday introduced a bill that would require law enforcement to use guns manufactured with microstamping technology, which imprints a unique mark on bullet casings linking them to a specific firearm. The Woodland Hills Democrat’s bill comes 14 years after California became the first and only state to require all new semiautomatic pistols be made with microstamping technology — but manufacturers have effectively rendered the law toothless by not introducing new handgun models in the state since 2007. Gun-rights advocates also question whethermicrostamping technology is effective.
Gabriel: “The main priority here is to really overcome the obstinance from gun manufacturers. They’ve resisted at every step of the way.”
Mark Olivia, spokesperson for the National Shooting Sports Foundation: “It sounds great on paper but … it doesn’t hold up. All it does is infringe on the rights of law-abiding citizens and make firearms unavailable to them.”
No state has enacted more gun regulations than California, and although its gun violence rate is much lower than the national average, it’s difficult to parse how much of that is due to stricter laws.
General Atomics Gray Eagle surpasses 1 million flight hours
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) announced that the family of Gray Eagle Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) surpassed 1 million flight hours on March 16, 2021 during U.S. Army flight operations.
This historic milestone is the latest accomplishment on a remarkable journey that started in March 2004 with the first flight of an early variant of the Gray Eagle UAS family called Army IGNAT. Since that first flight, GA-ASI and the U.S. Army have fielded over 250 Gray Eagle-type aircraft, including the new Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER) aircraft. Over 80 perent of the 1 million flight hours were flown in support of deployed operations with a better than 90 percent Mission Capable Rate.
“This landmark event demonstrates the inherent value of our Gray Eagle systems for the warfighter,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “It also is a testament to the great partnership between GA-ASI and the U.S. Army, which have worked together to expand the capability of Gray Eagle so the system will continue to be a key enabler for today’s mission and an enduring platform for tomorrow’s Multi-Domain Operations (MDO).”
SDG&E customers to receive bill credit in April, August and September
San Diego Gas & Electric’s (SDG&E) residential customers will receive a break on their utility bills in the coming months, thanks to the California Climate Credit program, which is part of the state’s efforts to fight climate change.
In April, natural gas customers will see their bill reduced by $17.86. This summer, SDG&E electricity customers will also see their bills offset by $34.60 in climate credits in both August and September (or a total of $69.20), when energy use typically goes up due to hot weather.
The California Climate Credit is a state program that requires power plants, natural gas providers, and other large industries that emit greenhouse gases to buy carbon pollution permits. The credit on customers’ bills is their share of the payments from the state’s program and provides customers an increased opportunity to invest in energy-savings products.
There is no action required to receive the credit. All residential natural gas customers will automatically receive this credit from SDG&E on their April bill. All electricity customers, including community choice aggregation customers, will automatically receive the credit on their August and September billing cycles.
CBRE Global Investors closes $40.3 million mortgage loan for apartments
A fund sponsored by CBRE Global Investors has closed on a $40.3 million mortgage loan to finance the acquisition and renovation of Villa Del Sol, a 203-unit multifamily complex located in San Diego. The floating-rate loan has an initial term of three years and can extend up to two additional years.
Located at 5474 Reservoir Drive, Villa Del Sol features a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments. Resident amenities include a tennis court, two resort-style pools with a cabana area, outdoor barbeques, a clubhouse, a state-of-the-art fitness center and saunas.
The new owner plans to make both interior and exterior renovations, including installing new windows and updating the landscaping, elevators, flooring, appliances, cabinets, lighting fixtures, backsplashes and countertops.
Villa Del Sol is located just off the Kumeyaay Highway, adjacent to Alvarado Medical Center and close to the city’s light rail system, which connects directly to Downtown and is only one stop away from San Diego State University.
San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy awarded grant from Conrad Prebys Foundation
The San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Conrad Prebys Foundation which will be used to upgrade the Conservancy’s educational programming website to be more interactive, intuitive, inclusive and informational. The grant is part of the Foundation’s Inaugural Grant Cycle Awards of $78 million in grant funding to 121 projects.
In all, there were 114 nonprofit recipients and 212 grant projects supported. 98 percent of grant projects were awarded to San Diego-based organizations with an impact of 6.7 million anticipated touchpoints across San Diego County, according to the Foundation’s website.
Executive Director, Trish Boaz, said, “We are excited about developing a robust virtual space that enriches minds and ignites passion for our natural environment.”
Cubic Nuvotronics awarded contract from Department of Defense
Nuvotronics, which operates within Cubic Corp.’s Cubic Mission and Performance Solutions (CMPS) business division, has been awarded a contract worth more than $10 million from the Department of Defense through the National Spectrum Consortium to develop a dual-band, ultra-high performance and low size, weight and power fifth generation (5G) Wireless Network Communications Transceiver for military applications.
Cubic Nuvotronics will support the DoD’s “5G to Next G” Program which was established to accelerate the implementation of wireless communications for the military. Wireless Network Communications Transceiver’s simultaneous dual-band operation provides greater operational resiliency and ensures high-speed data with low latency, with no interference on current DoD operational frequencies.
Nuclear waste survey shows demand for action, distrust of utility
Southern California Edison should be more transparent and the government should require independent monitoring of the nuclear waste stranded at the San Onofre nuclear power plant. Those are two of the key findings revealed this month in a UC San Diego survey of 1,000 registered voters in San Diego and Orange Counties.
The survey shows 500 respondents from each of the two counties are highly concerned about the consequences of storing 3.6 million pounds of radioactive waste 100 feet from the beach at the shuttered nuclear plant. An overwhelming majority of respondents support more aggressive action at all levels of government to protect the environment, the economy and surrounding communities.
“People don’t trust Edison, they’re appalled by the toxic waste dump on the beach and they’re demanding that the government do something about it,” said Dr. Bart Ziegler of the Samuel Lawrence Foundation. “We’ve known all this for years and now have a scientific poll to back it up.”
Directed by Tom K. Wong, associate professor of political science at UC San Diego, the survey obtained data through calls to landlines and cell phones. Data are weighted to reflect the registered voter population by party, by age group and gender. The margin of error is +/- 4.1 percent.
San Diego County Bar Association announces 2021 Service Awards
The San Diego County Bar Association (SDCBA), the region’s largest law-related organization serving the needs of attorneys and the legal community in San Diego County, announce the recipients of its distinguished 2021 Service Awards.
These annual awards celebrate the contributions and commitment of remarkable individuals and organizations serving both the San Diego legal community and the public.
Award recipients will be recognized at the SDCBA’s Annual Awards Ceremony & Celebration of Community Service, which will be held on May 21, 2021. The virtual event takes place during the SDCBA’s celebration of Law Week, which will focus this year on “Advancing the Rule of Law Now.”
The 2021 SDCBA Service Award recipients are:
Andrea St. Julian, Attorney, Law Office of Andrea St. Julian, Outstanding Attorney Award
Recognizes an exemplary attorney who over the course of a career has demonstrated significant legal expertise and professionalism and who has made an outstanding contribution to the legal profession, the justice system, and/or the public.
Hon. Randa Trapp (Ret.), Supervising Judge, San Diego Superior Court, Outstanding Jurist Award
Recognizes an exemplary jurist who over the course of a career has provided outstanding service to the bench, the legal profession, and/or the community.
Commissioner Nadia Keilani, Commissioner, San Diego Superior Court, Community Service Award
Recognizes outstanding contributions to the needs of the community (e.g., charitable, cultural, humanitarian, or educational), other than directly through the SDCBA by an attorney, law firm, or agency.
Robert Gleason, President and Chief Executive Officer, Evans Hotels, Community Service Award
Recognizes outstanding contributions to the needs of the community (e.g., charitable, cultural, humanitarian, or educational), other than directly through the SDCBA by an attorney, law firm, or agency.
Carolina Bravo-Karimi, Partner, Wilson Turner Kosmo LLP, Service to Diversity Award
Recognizes outstanding service by a member of the legal profession over a substantial period of time in promoting and encouraging diversity within the legal profession or the legal community.
Alex Calero, with the Department of Financial Protection & Innovation, Service By a Public Attorney Award
Recognizes an individual who demonstrates a combination of excellence in the practice of law in the public sector with significant service to the community, to mentoring, to the legal profession, to the SDCBA or to legal education.
David Grapilon, Deputy District Attorney, San Diego County District Attorney,
and Matthew Wechter, Deputy Public Defender, San Diego County Office of the Public Defender, Service to the Legal Community Award
Recognizes outstanding long-term or significant contributions to furthering the goals of the legal profession and promoting ethics, integrity, and professionalism in the practice of law by legal education, civics education, mentoring, or service to the SDCBA.
Maresa Martin Talbert, Founding Attorney, Talbert Law Office, Outstanding Service By a New Lawyer Award
Recognizes outstanding service by a new lawyer in the first six full years of practice who has demonstrated a significant commitment to serving the legal profession via legal education, mentoring, or community service.
John Adkins, Retiring Executive Director of the San Diego Law Library, Distinguished Citizen or Organization Award
Recognizes outstanding contributions by a lay person or group not composed primarily of lawyers or judges whose contributions over a period of time have had significant favorable impacts on some facet of the legal system, legal community, or civics education.
Mary Silva, Retiring Executive Director of the North County Bar Association, Distinguished Citizen or Organization Award
Recognizes outstanding contributions by a lay person or group not composed primarily of lawyers or judges whose contributions over a period of time have had significant favorable impacts on some facet of the legal system, legal community, or civics education.
Elaine Lawrence, Retiring Executive Director of Lawyers Club of San Diego, Distinguished Citizen or Organization Award
Recognizes outstanding contributions by a lay person or group not composed primarily of lawyers or judges whose contributions over a period of time have had significant favorable impacts on some facet of the legal system, legal community, or civics education.
