Hiding in the Shallows
As farmers switch from flood irrigation to drip, California’s water tables are falling
Agricultural groups and the federal government are actively encouraging growers to improve their irrigation systems to save water, usually by graduating from flooding, and farmers who haven’t upgraded have received stinging criticism. But drip irrigation is not necessarily a panacea for water shortages.
University of California Sells $200 Million Fossil Fuel Holdings
Students representing the university’s 10 campuses have protested and collected petitions urging the school to divest from fossil fuels that include coal and oil sands, a mix of sand, clay, water and a heavy oil called bitumen. Fossil Free UC, a coalition of students, faculty, staff and alumni has asked the university to adopt a five-year plan to freeze new fossil fuel investments.
Building Without Bidding
Can an uncommon delivery method fast-track construction in California?
Eighteen months. That’s how long it took to design and build the 1.2 million-square-foot California Health Care Facility near Stockton. Sound impossible? It was an aggressive effort involving numerous parties. The facility, completed in 2013 to house chronically ill inmates, was lauded for its sustainable design. But the speed of the process was the big deal.
Please Wait to Be Seated
Dozens of new restaurants will be opening their doors in Sacramento in the coming months. But are there enough patrons to fill all those seats?
This strip between 14th and 15th street not long ago was a dead zone. Now it’s filled with bars and restaurants. Still, many worry that Sacramento could be roaring into a restaurant glut that could put pressure on current restaurants and those arriving soon.
The Gift Shop That Keeps On Giving
After years in limbo, William Glen returns with the old spirit for a new generation
For most people, William Glen was an enduring symbol of simpler times, a homegrown survivor of bad economies and big department chains. For Mark Snyder, the store was a family treasure. His father, Bill Snyder, co-founded the original store more than 50 years ago. But in 2010, the William Glen story became a tragedy, closing down after Bill passed away from lung cancer.
Brown Drops 50% Gasoline Cut in California Amid Big Oil Protests
California Governor Jerry Brown abandoned a plan to cut gasoline use in half as part of an ambitious bill to combat climate change, after oil companies and business groups waged a multi-million dollar campaign against the effort.
Are Californians absorbing the state’s water message?
The state’s top water cop on the challenges CA is up against
After years of drought and increasing government demands to cut water use and allow lawns to fade, the Golden State moniker is taking on new meaning. It has fallen to Felicia Marcus, Gov. Brown’s appointee to the head of the State Water Resources Board, to set the water-use rules for farmers, water districts, homeowners and everyone else. We sat down with the state’s top water cop to better understand the challenges she’s up against and the messages her office is communicating.
The Power of the Bean
How former President Ronald Reagan became a fixture in jellybean lore
It’s a story as old as marketing itself: A company looking to sell more widgets pays a famous person gobs of money to pitch their product and drive up sales. Some celebrities pimp so many products — we’re looking at you, Peyton Manning — we almost forget what made them famous in the first place.
Power Grab
California’s record drought may be a boon to power companies
California is in the fourth year of an unprecedented drought, with rivers and reservoirs running dry. The energy needed to help grow crops, including about 2 billion pounds of almonds annually, may reach a record this year, and utilities are responding by building new transmission lines and substations to handle the additional electricity.
The Many Shades of Structure
What legal structure is best for my business?
For many years, I have been making furniture that I sell to friends and family, and at local fairs and boutiques. It has become so successful that I’d like to work toward officially starting my own business. I know there are many ways I could set up my company; how do I know what will be best for me?