Sustaining Security
Finding solutions when safety measures and green principles collide
Sometimes, a building’s security needs can pop up unexpectedly during the design process.
McNamara’s Peace Garden
From D.C. to a walnut farm in Winters
How many farmers can say they spent their childhood bowling at Camp David or playing football with the Kennedy clan on the White House lawn? It’s the path Craig McNamara, 60, has taken from Washington, D.C., to his 450-acre organic walnut farm, and, at times, it was torturous.
Out of Pockets
City leaders urge communities to brace for this year's budget shortfalls
It’s no secret that city leaders have cut jobs, programs and services as quickly and responsibly as possible in response to economic malaise. But the numbers still fall short of filling growing budget gaps in jurisdictions across the region.
The Donna Lucas Show
A political powerhouse on gender, reform and the recall election
Donna Lucas’ political acumen has made her one of the most respected public affairs strategists in the nation and one of the most influential people in California state government.
Billable Solution
When attorneys and clients negotiate fees
Stop me if you’ve heard this one: A lawyer dies young and arrives at the Pearly Gates.
“There must be some mistake!” he wails. “I’m only 31!”
St. Peter consults the records and disagrees. “Judging by the number of hours you’ve billed, you’re at least 73.”
Mayor, May I?
Kevin Johnson's shot at a strong-mayor initiative
From the moment Kevin Johnson began his 2008 campaign to unseat Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo, he promised that, if elected, he would shake things up at City Hall. Now, slightly more than a year into his tenure, nobody can deny he has kept that promise.
Storm Shelter
Architects and engineers find ways to build around a rough market
The design-build industry has been absolutely battered by the spoiled economy. Architecture and design firms lament layoffs, nonexistent financing and an utter lack of optimism for 2010. Yet a number of large regional projects are keeping local firms afloat and offering a silver, albeit temporary, lining.
By Any Other Name
Government watchdogs keep tabs on those who call themselves architects
Just because you can design, doesn’t make you an architect. That was certainly the message sent when the California Architects Board issued two fines of $2,500 each in September 2008 to Diana Suhanova, owner of All in One in Sacramento.
How the West Was Lost
The bipartisan effort to destroy California
Everyone seems to agree we are in a mess: collapsing state revenues, inadequate infrastructure, schools that don’t educate — you name it. So who is guilty? Here’s a rundown of the usual suspects and one new one.
Peripheral Vision
Can state and federal officials agree on comprehensive reform before it's too late?
For centuries, the biggest environmental concern for most California water users was how to squeeze every last drop from nature. While a wet year might shift concerns to flood control, grab-as-grab-can gusto came back almost as soon as the waters receded. But that was then. Today, environmental concerns are center stage in the state’s ongoing effort to reform its water system.