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April 9, 2001 GTE/AT&T wireless customers in San Diego have noticed changes in their cell phone service over the past week. Some good, some bad, but mostly good.
At midnight March 30, a new digital network using TDMA technology began being turned on. Anybody with a new digital handset went digital and noticed they had added features. Caller ID and message waiting indicator were again available and the battery life of the phone is greatly extended.
The old CDMA digital network is still operating and will continue to provide the old service. “The plan is to keep it on for a few months until everyone has moved over,” says Fred Devereux, g.m. for AT&T in San Diego. “The big switch is done. Next is the optimization period. For the next two weeks we will go and fine tune everything.”
The fine tuning is what may cause the bad changes in some service areas. The radio frequency operations, call quality and signal strengths all are being tested. During this time signal strength may not be available like it has been, quality may be reduced and calls may be dropped in unexpected places.
“Dont’ judge the quality of the network now,” Devereux says. “It’s like looking at a painting that’s half painted and deciding you don’t like it.”
He says when all the testing is done San Diego will have a great platform for growth.
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The year 2000 was a big one for the San Diego County apartment sales market, with 992 transactions involving 19,980 units — the highest level of activity in more than 10 years, reports Burnham Real Estate Services.
“This is the most annual transactions in San Diego County since 1990 when 1,033 complexes were sold,” says George Carlson, a v.p. and apartment specialist with Burnham. “It is the highest number of units sold since 1989 when 21,794 units changed hands.”
The report analyzes quarterly apartment and condominium sales and permit activity for the 12-month period ended Dec. 31. The firm has been conducting these studies every year since 1981.
The apartment market’s record performance in 2000 was not unexpected, given the current lack of available apartment units to meet growing renter demand, Carlson reports.
“Investors recognize that the San Diego County multifamily market continues to experience a severe supply and demand imbalance, evidenced by a current vacancy rate of less than 2 percent,” he says.
However, what is good news for the investor is not necessarily good news for today’s renter.
“The limited supply of available units is generating strong competition among would-be renters,” says Carlson. “As a result, rents have risen more than 30 percent over the past three years alone. While this combination of limited supply and escalating rents is prompting substantial increases in the value of existing apartment buildings, it is also contributing to the county’s serious shortage of affordable housing options.”
Where today’s renters are concerned, Burnham studies indicate that there is no immediate relief in sight. Despite a record 4,212 permits issued for new apartment units in 2000 — the highest annual total since 1987 — most of the new building activity is comprised of pricier Class A product where two-bedroom rents average about $1,420 monthly.
“These new projects have to be high-end in order to compensate for San Diego County’s high land and development costs,” says Carlson. “Unfortunately, rents for these luxury units are prohibitive to many of the county’s young workforce and families.”
Strong demand for housing resulted in permits for 1,322 new condominium units in 2000 — the highest number since 1992 when 1,631 units were approved.
Still, the region faces an ongoing shortage.
The most notable apartment sale of the year involved the Jefferson at Mission Valley, a 670-unit Class A project that sold for $103.7 million, or $154,849 per unit.
Other major sales included Villa La Jolla, a 385-unit luxury complex in La Jolla which sold for $44.1 million, or $114,545 per unit; El Conquistador, a 280-unit complex serving San Diego State University which sold for $21.9 million; Vista Terrace Hills, a 262-unit project located in San Ysidro that sold for $18.8 million, or $71,564 per unit; Breeze Hill Apartments, a 260-unit complex in Vista that sold for $18.7 million, or $71,923 per unit.
Areas of the city of San Diego and county in general that experienced the highest sales activity, in descending order, were: East San Diego, with 133 transactions involving 1,318 units; North Park, with 107 sales involving 938 units; Golden Hill/Southeast San Diego with 89 transactions totaling 886 units; Inland North County, with 88 sales totaling 2,940 units; Normal Heights, with 81 sales involving 823 units; Coastal North County with 72 transactions totaling 1,799 units; and El Cajon, with 67 sales totaling 1,400 units.
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The SDSU Alumni Association will host the 2001 Monty Awards at 6 p.m. Friday, April 27, at the San Diego Marriott and Marina in the Marriott Hall.
The award ceremony is a time-honored San Diego State University tradition that began in 1971. Past recipients have included many notable San Diegans such as Tony Gwynn, Marion Ross, Diane Jacob, Leon Parma, Suzy Spafford, Tom Blair, Bob Breitbard, Ellen Ochoa, Kathy Najimy, Art Linkletter and William Kolender.
Now in its 29th year, the Monty award is a symbol of achievement and success, presented to distinguished alumni and faculty from each of San Diego State University's seven academic colleges and the Imperial Valley Campus.
"It is gratifying to pay tribute to alumni and faculty whose personal and professional accomplishments have helped make San Diego State University a model for higher education," says Jim Herrick, executive director of the alumni association. "The Monty award reflects the dedication these individuals have shown to our community and how their achievements have enhanced the lives of thousands of San Diegans."
2001 award recipients are:
Alumni
• Albert F. Moreno, senior vice-president and general counsel of Levi Strauss & Co.;
• Arthur E. Nicholas, managing partner and founder of Nicholas-Applegate;
• Doris Pichon Givens, president of Spokane Community College;
• William Y. Son, chairman and CEO of NeoPoint;
• Vincent L. Gracco, associate professor of McGill University, professor of City University of New York and v.p. for research of Haskins Laboratory;
• Phyllis Schwartz, president and general manager of NBC 7/39;
• JoAnn Eder, research associate in radio astronomy at the Arecibo Observatory;
• John Dekker, county superintendent of schools, Imperial Valley Office of Education.
Faculty
• C. Ben Christensen, College of Arts and Letters;
• Mark C. Butler, College of Business Administration;
• Alberto M. Ochoa, College of Education;
• Janusz C. Supernak, College of Engineering;
• Winnie O. Willis, College of Health and Human Services;
• Margaret McKerrow, College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts;
• Christopher C. Glembotski, College of Sciences;
• Dana W. Murphy, Imperial Valley Campus.
Distinguished Service Awards
• Ethelyn & George Sorenson, alumni
• Daniel B. Nowak, staff, SDSU alumni association and alumni
The celebration begins at 6 p.m. with a cocktail reception, followed by dinner at 7:30 p.m., awards presentation at 8:15 p.m. and dancing beginning at 9:30 p.m.
Individual tickets are $95 each and $850 for a table of 10 if purchased by April 13. For more information, call the SDSU Alumni Association at (619) 594-ALUM (2586).
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More than 50 employers will be at Cuyamaca College's seventh annual Career Fair from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday, May 2, in the quad.
The free event offers students and the community at large an opportunity to meet employers and possibly, get hired on the spot. Companies and organizations will be discussing the job market, interviewing and collecting resumes. Professional attire is recommended.
Employers to be at the event include the local, state and federal government: the state National Guard, California Department of Forestry, the City of San Diego, the county Probation Department, state Department of Corrections, the FBI, the Border Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard and the California Highway Patrol.
Also sending representatives are private-sector employers, including 24-Hour Fitness, The Home Depot, Children's World Learning Centers, Aztec Dining, Century 21, Dixieline Lumber, Dynamic/Hardy Instruments, Federal Express, Geico Direct, Host Marriott Hotels, Kragen Auto, Macy's, Mossy Automotive, Robert Half International Temporary Service and many more.
For more information contact the career center at (619) 660-4450 or visit www.cuyamaca.net/careerserv/.
Cuyamaca College is at 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway in El Cajon.
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To assist former military personnel with finding a job, The Destiny Group of San Diego has formed a partnership with JobOptions.com.
JobOptions.com, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, will potentially power several career channels within The Destiny Group, including www.davjobs.com, www.Vets4Hire.com, www.militaryspouses.com, www.mil2civ.com and www.vetsofcolor.com.
“You’d be surprised at the number of companies that are reluctant to hire people who served in the military,” says Bill Gaul, president and CEO of The Destiny Group. “Companies are under the assumption that these people won’t understand their equipment, are too structured or have limited skills that are not transferable.”
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MC Direct, headquartered in San Diego, has been chosen to handle the 2001 membership acquisition campaign for the John G. Shedd Aquarium, the largest indoor aquarium in the world.
MC Direct will be responsible for creative direction, program management, database development and management, list strategy and procurement and all production services.
"MC Direct comes to us with a terrific track record with other high profile institutions and we felt their full-service direct marketing capabilities best matched our needs," says Jill Koski, director of annual giving programs at Shedd Aquarium. "We’re excited about working with them on the 2001 campaign."
Shedd Aquarium's account will be managed from MC Direct's Chicago office with support from the agency's East Coast headquarters and their 20,950-square foot processing facility in Virginia Beach, Va. MC Direct also maintains a 77,000-square foot processing facility in San Diego.
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Advanced Personnel Systems Inc. has introduced Version 7.0 of SmartSearch Online.
SmartSearch Online is an Internet-based staffing management system that eliminates the need for companies to purchase expensive hardware, software or technical support.
“One of the most exciting new features of Version 7.0 is Job Track,” says Doug Coull, APS‚ president. “With Job Track you get a detailed look and can establish business rules for the hiring process. It’s tightly integrated with candidate, contact and job notes and you can keep detailed information for each job action. You can also establish multiple tracks to support different business rules and types of positions.”
Version 7.0 also features Candidate Duplicate Checking. A link on a candidate’s profile page informs you of any possible system duplicates. You can view and merge them into a single record and activity and notes are always combined.
Coull says navigational tools also have been improved.
In addition to selling and marketing SmartSearch Online in the United States, San Diego-based APS maintains strategic partnerships with companies in France, Germany and Hong Kong that distribute the product throughout Europe and Asia.
Clients include Tyson Foods, Corestaff, Adecco, Interstate Hotels, Sharp HealthCare, Belcan Technical Services, Quantum Resources and Copper Mountain Networks.
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Sempra Energy and San Diego Gas & Electric officials took the opportunity of Friday’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy announcement by Pacific Gas & Electric to issue public statements reaffirming their companies' strong financial position and the significant regulatory and legislative differences between SDG&E and PG&E.
"We want to reassure our customers and shareholders that Sempra Energy and SDG&E remain very strong and financially viable companies," says Stephen L. Baum, chairman, president and CEO of Sempra Energy, the parent company of SDG&E. "SDG&E is continuing its record of providing safe and reliable gas and electric service for our 1.2 million customers today, tomorrow and for years to come. There are several significant financial, legislative and regulatory differences that distinguish Sempra Energy and SDG&E from PG&E."
SDG&E is covered under Assembly Bill 265, a law signed by the governor last September which guaranteed that SDG&E will be able to collect the difference between the capped price of electricity and the wholesale cost of power, providing the power was prudently purchased.
PG&E is not covered by AB 265 and that guarantee. At the end of February, the under-collection in the balancing account was $681 million. Since the state's power procurement agency, the California Department of Water Resources, has been purchasing power for SDG&E, the growth of the company’s balancing account has slowed significantly.
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Qualcomm Inc. and Westech Korea Inc. have entered into a CDMA worldwide license agreement.
Under the terms of the multi-million dollar, royalty-bearing agreement, Qualcomm has granted Westech a license under Qualcomm's CDMA technology and patents to design and market Wireless Local Loop subscriber units and modem card products for cdmaOne and cdma2000 1x/1xEV systems.
As part of the agreement, Qualcomm is making an equity investment in Westech. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
"Qualcomm is pleased to license its CDMA technology to Westech Korea for the development of fixed wireless communications devices and CDMA modem card products," says Marvin Blecker, senior v.p. of technology transfer for Qualcomm. "We look forward to working with Westech Korea as they establish themselves in the worldwide CDMA market."
“This agreement demonstrates Westech's commitment to enhancing and expanding its product offerings for wireless local loop voice and data communications solutions," says Wan Kim, v.p. for Westech. "Integrating CDMA into our products will allow us to succeed in meeting the growing demand for wireless local loop and Internet access applications."
Westech is headquartered in Incheon, Korea.
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