November 2011

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Arena Politics

Less debate, and more big thinking, is needed

I’ve lost count of just how many times during the past decade we have debated the how and where of building a new arena for the Sacramento Kings. Few doubt the team needs an upgraded home, but the high-pressure tactics of the Kings’ owners — who threatened to leave Sacramento unless they got the deal they wanted — alienated many.

Nov 1, 2011 Winnie Comstock-Carlson

Money Tree

New Helvetia Hardwoods is homegrown

Tree aficionado Clark Kayler rescues fallen elms, walnuts, sycamores and redwoods — giants that have lined the streets of midtown Sacramento for more than 100 years — and grants them new life in the form of furniture.

Nov 1, 2011 Carol Crenshaw

Working Lunch with Allen Warren

Not unlike most Capital Region developers, New Faze Development has been through some very serious and trying financial scenarios during the past four years. The North Sacramento-based company has abandoned projects, lost properties and seen its lenders go out of business.

Nov 1, 2011 Douglas Curley

A Taxing Tug of War

The Amazon tax hits retailers where it hurts

In the past 10 years, Alzada Knickerbocker of independent bookseller The Avid Reader has seen her revenue cut in half. To help businesses like hers that suffered during the e-commerce boom, earlier this year lawmakers introduced the Assembly Bill X1 28, the so-called Amazon tax law.

Nov 1, 2011 Andrea Kennedy

Age of Ag

A new generation of farmers emerges

When Eric Hart ended his eight-year military term, he felt like he was missing a sense of purpose. He tried a few corporate jobs, but he didn’t feel at home. He preferred working outside with his hands, and he wanted his job to serve something higher than a paycheck.

Nov 1, 2011 Linda DuBois

Character Building

Local development melds history with modern luxury

Three years ago a wrecking ball known as the subprime mortgage meltdown slammed into Sacramento’s real estate market, kicking up a dust cloud over the city’s urban development plans. But rather than dwell on the financial obscurity of the future, David Miry and Steve Lebastchi kept their eyes on the past.

Nov 1, 2011 Russell Nichols

Due or Die

Redevelopment agencies are ransoming their projects

If Gov. Jerry Brown had his way, the redevelopment agencies throughout California would be history. Not only would he demolish all of the nearly 400 active agencies, Brown would also use the billions they earn in property taxes to plug the state’s massive deficit and support schools and public safety services.

Nov 1, 2011 Russell Nichols

Voted Off the Island

Dream studio for filmmakers dissolves amidst Vallejo debate

Carissa Carpenter had her eye on Mare Island for the location of a state-of-the-art movie and television studio plus production company. Headed by Carpenter and studio president Howard Kazanjian, renowned producer of blockbuster films such as “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi,” the studio aimed to be an alternative to Hollywood’s heavily booked and expensive movie sound stages.

Nov 1, 2011 Carol Crenshaw

Rooms for Rent

There’s a spark of life in housing construction this year. A tiny, weak spark, but a real one nonetheless. Builders are putting up more apartments in the Sacramento region.

Nov 1, 2011 Robert Celaschi

Reel to Real Estate

Today's home sales call for video, social media

To sell a house in today’s market, real estate agents can’t simply shove a sign into the lawn, schedule an open house and expect offers to roll in. Competition is fierce. Increasingly, the agents who are successfully selling homes in this marketplace have embraced high-tech marketing, including videos.

Nov 1, 2011 Samantha Bronson