Daily Business Report: Aug. 7, 2023
Drones, tacos, and billboards: How California
community colleges are trying
to get students back to school
By Adam Echelman | CalMatters
San Diego is known for many things: surfing at La Jolla, the giant pandas at the zoo, and great Mexican food, to name a few.
Now, there’s a new item on your must-see list. On billboards, buses, and through social media posts starting this week, the city’s community college district is placing ads featuring iconic San Diego images, but scrawled over words like “zoo” and “surfing” are new ones: “community colleges,” “career training” and “affordable education.” In one ad, a picture of carne asada and corn tortillas is paired with a question: “Are you ready to taco-bout your future?”
The San Diego Community College District isn’t the only one vying for attention. Los Rios Community College District, which encompasses four community colleges in Sacramento County, put on a drone light display at a Sacramento Republic soccer game last fall with words like “Low Cost,” “Local Careers” and “Start Your Future” suddenly appearing in blue lights across the night sky. The show, along with other signs and marketing efforts at the soccer stadium, cost the district $160,000.
These eye-catching stunts are part of a new marketing push to lure California community college students back to campuses after enrollment dropped to a 30-year low during the COVID-19 pandemic. Statewide, community colleges lost nearly 20% of students between 2019 and 2021, according to a memo from the California Community College Chancellor’s Office.
Aztecs competitive on the field and in the classroom
The Aztecs Going Pro program looks back at the 2022-2023 academic year filled with major accomplishments for San Diego State University student-athletes.
While being competitive on the field and in the classroom, the Aztecs were also prepared for life after SDSU as its graduating student-athletes participated in over 64 hours of content related to civic engagement, personal growth, and career development through the Aztecs Going Pro (AGP) program.
Of the graduating seniors, 15 student-athletes are already employed at companies such as Insight Global, San Diego Junior Golf Association, Fidelity Investments, Federated Insurance, and Eating Recovery Center.
One of the new initiatives this past year was the inaugural AGP Summer Internship, a paid, eight-week internship opportunity designed exclusively for student-athletes at SDSU. The goal of the program is to provide student-athletes with professional and transferable work experience by allowing them to intern in one of the various offices of the San Diego State Athletics Department.
Dynamic pricing superior to organic waste bans in preventing climate change
By Christine Clark | UC San Diego
While composting and organic waste ban policies are gaining popularity across the United States, a new study from the University of California San Diego’s Rady School of Management finds dynamic pricing could be the most effective way for grocery chains to keep perishables out of landfills, reducing food waste by 21 percent or more.
During decomposition, organic waste releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Globally, food waste releases up to 10 percent of worldwide annual greenhouse gas emissions, which has caught the attention of lawmakers working to slow global warming. Last year, California rolled out a residential composting program and the state’s legislature recently introduced a bill to reign in “sell by” dates from manufactures, which prompts consumers to needlessly throw out food.
More than 10 percent of food waste comes from grocery retailers that throw out surplus perishables past their expiration date. The Rady School of Management study, to be published in Marketing Science, evaluates two of the most popular programs targeted at businesses and residents to divert waste from landfills: organic waste bans, which have been introduced in nine U.S. states including California and dynamic pricing, which is more popular outside the U.S.
Hugely popular Tokyo ramen shop enters the San Diego noodle scene
By Candice Woo | Eater San Diego
An essential ramen shop that consistently draws crowds in both Los Angeles and the Bay Area has finally made its way to San Diego, where it is scheduled to emerge on Tuesday at Westfield UTC in the space next to Raised by Wolves.
This is just the fifth location in the U.S. for Ramen Nagi, which was founded in Japan in 2004 and operates multiple outposts in Tokyo, including in Shinjuku’s legendary Golden Gai district.
Master ramen chef Satoshi Ikuta, who will be in San Diego for the opening, trained at several acclaimed hakata-style ramen shops before launching Ramen Nagi as an itinerant pop-up; the brand now has nearly 40 restaurants that are mostly located in Asia.
General Atomics’ Mojave UAS completes first dirt operation
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) completed multiple successful takeoffs and landings with its Mojave Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) on a dirt strip near El Mirage, Calif., on Aug. 1. The ability to take off and land on unimproved surfaces demonstrates Mojave’s departure from traditional fixed-wing aircraft’s dependance on prepared runways. This new capability provides greater versatility and allows the aircraft to operate in areas previously deemed unsuitable for UAS operations.
“Being able to execute missions in austere locations with runway independence opens the operational envelope for commanders across all services and geographic locations,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “Mojave can do this while retaining significant advantages in endurance and persistence over Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) and manned aircraft.”
San Diego Tourism Authority seeking proposals
to update tourism’s Destination Master Plan
The San Diego Tourism Authority has launched a new Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking
submissions for a 2024 Tourism Master Plan Update by Aug. 18. The master plan evaluates San Diego’s tourism industry landscape and better educates the public on the region’s tourism industry’s future.
The San Diego Tourism Marketing District developed the 20-year master plan, which became the roadmap to guide the district’s and the Tourism Authority’s investment in sales and marketing programs to stimulate hotel room night demand and lodging revenues.
Over the past eight years, technological advances, social changes and the COVID-19 pandemic have radically reshaped the travel industry. As a result, the SDTA is soliciting a qualified vendor to research, prepare, and design an update to the San Diego Destination Master Plan to include resident sentiment, visitor insights, considerations for sustainability, and tourism sector resiliency.
For more information about the RFP and to obtain a copy of the submission guidelines, interested parties can visit the SDTA’s official website at https://www.sandiego.org/about/rfp/master-plan-update.aspx.
Assessed value of taxable property reaches record $727.48 billion
SAN DIEGO — San Diego County Assessor Jordan Z. Marks certified the 2023 assessed value roll of all taxable property with a record setting high of $727.48 billion, reflecting a 7.12 percent increase (or $48.3 billion) over last year. The 2023 assessment roll reflected unprecedented property tax savings of over $275 million for San Diego homeowners, disabled veterans, small businesses, and charitable organizations. This is the 11th straight year of record high revenue for key government services and record high property tax savings.
Palomar Medical Center Escondido Emergency
Department earns 2023 Lantern Award
ESCONDIDO — Palomar Medical Center Escondido’s Emergency Department (ED) has received the esteemed ENA Lantern Award, an honor earned by only 1 percent of emergency departments across the nation. Named after Florence Nightingale, the pioneering nurse and founder of modern nursing, the Lantern Award recognizes excellence and innovation in emergency care, symbolizing the commitment of health care professionals to provide extraordinary patient experiences.
Long Story Short to open Aug. 16 in North Park
SAN DIEGO — Long Story Short, which is taking over the space formerly held by Little Thief Wine Bar & Kitchen at 3017 University Ave. in North Park, is scheduled to open on Wednesday, Aug. 16. This marks the first permanent restaurant for the husband-and-wife team of Chefs Elliott and Kelly Townsend, who recently concluded a 20-month guest kitchen residency at Vino Carta Solana Beach, the sip-and-shop wine bar and store. Elliott and Kelly previously cooked at Juniper & Ivy and Cowboy Star, respectively.
Council votes 180-day building permit extension
SAN DIEGO — San Diego City Council voted unanimously Aug. 1 to amend the city code to allow an extra 180-day extension for applications for building permits. The measure is intended to allow developers more time between applications and expiration dates with the goal of allowing more housing to be built. Previously, a building permit application expired one year after the date it was deemed complete.
Broken and vandalized Downtown streetlights repaired
SAN DIEGO — More than 700 broken and vandalized streetlights in Downtown have been repaired ahead of schedule as part of a collaborative effort between the city and the Downtown San Diego Partnership. The project, which launched in May, focused on East Village and Gaslamp Quarter using data-driven analysis to prioritize repairs by geographical location. In addition to 710 streetlights being repaired, crews installed 129 anti-theft covers to prevent future outages, as many of the broken lights were caused by vandals.
Gaslamp’s Hilton debuts renovation
SAN DIEGO — Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter announced the completion of its $22.5 million dollar renovation project. The completely remodeled full-service hotel and new restaurant concept, Wild Hare Bar Garden, now offers the quintessential Southern California experience. Award-winning design firm waldrop+nichols studio based in Texas, created a contemporary casual California aesthetic featuring artistic and playful elements of the Gaslamp Quarter’s early inhabitants. All 286 guest rooms, lofts, and suites, are designed with modern furnishings with convenience in mind.
EnerSmart unveils Chula Vista energy storage facility
CHULA VISTA — EnerSmart has opened a 6,500-square-foot lithium iron phosphate battery storage facility in Chula Vista that will generate enough power to supplement 3,000 homes. The six-megawatt storage facility will add to the electric grid by storing solar power generated during the day and releasing the electricity at night. In partnership with SDG&E, Solana-based EnerSmart aims to lower power outages caused by stress to the electric grid during heat waves and extreme weather events.
Illumina, Pillar Biosciences partner to expand cancer care
SAN DIEGO — Global genomics powerhouse Illumina adds Pillar Bioscience’s targeted sequencing technology to its suite of oncology products. This addition will assist doctors and researchers in accurately identifying mutations driving tumor growth. Pillar’s technology complements Illumina’s state-of-the-art sequencing and bioinformatics solutions to support patients with highly personalized treatment options.
Cue Health awarded $28 million federal contract
SAN DIEGO — Cue Health, a health care technology company,announced that it has been awarded a new approximately $28 million contract by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to develop a Flu A/B, RSV, and COVID-19 molecular multiplex test for both over-the-counter and point-of-care use. Cue’s test would detect and differentiate between influenza A, influenza B, respiratory syncytial virus, and COVID-19 simultaneously, with results delivered in approximately 25 minutes to connected smart devices.
Tandem Diabetes Care announces technology access program
SAN DIEGO — Tandem Diabetes Care Inc., a leading insulin delivery and diabetes technology company, announced a limited time offer for its Tandem Choice technology access program. This program provides new and renewing, eligible t:slim X2 Insulin Pump (t:slim X2) customers in the United States a pathway to ownership of the Tandem Mobi System (Tandem Mobi) for $199. The Tandem Mobi was recently cleared by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
Artistic giants in exhibit at San Diego Museum of Art
SAN DIEGO —The San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park will continue to present “O’Keeffe and Moore,” a groundbreaking exhibition uniting the work of these artistic giants for the first time, on view through Aug. 27, before it travels to Albuquerque Museum in New Mexico and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in Canada. The exhibition re-creates both Georgia O’Keeffe’s and Henry Moore’s studios with their original found objects, tools, and furnishings.
