As I was perusing my daily blog list, I came across this story about Dreyfuss & Blackford Architects, apparently the first Sacramento-based firm to win "Firm of the Year" from the American Institute of Architects, California Council - the first time in 30 years it hasn't gone to a Los Angeles or San Francisco company. ORIGINAL STORY HERE

• Walk: This mode of transport needs no explanation. One tip: Live somewhere that is within a mile or so to most of your job and shopping-social life-activity destinations. Now put on a good pair of shoes and start working those leg and glute muscles! • Bike: This one is also self-explanatory. One addendum: Check out this local merchant who sells motorized bikes, because sometimes you just want to cruise. • Hop a bus. Take Sacramento Regional buses and/or light rail: Learn the bus system here. One caveat: Services end before 10 p.m. Not good news for night owls or swing shift workers. • Ride a moped: Craigslist and other sites offer listings of people selling street legal mopeds and sco

From along the Garden Highway, an airliner is seen making its approach to the Sacramento International Airport  right after the sun dropped behind the distant mountains.

Sacramento International Airport’s new Terminal B echoes with the sounds of local musicians this holiday season, with airport officials saying they want to add to the flying experience, especially since travelers are recommended to arrive earlier. “Under normal circumstances, we advise them to get here 90 minutes earlier,” said airport spokeswoman Laurie Slothower. “For the holidays, we’re saying two to two and a half hours early because there are so many little stresses that can be alleviated if you get here early.” Travelers who haven’t been to the new terminal – which opened in October – should check the airport website to be sure they know where their airline is located. Anyone trav

Sacramento International Airport received the first wave of advanced imaging technology scanners – commonly called full-body scanners – after the opening of Terminal B earlier this month, and the rest should be installed by the end of November. The scanners, which each cost between $150,000 and $170,000 and are paid for by the Transportation Security Administration and are designed to detect both metallic and nonmetallic threats to security, namely explosives, according to TSA spokesman Nico Melendez. “The walk-through metal detectors do a great job finding metallic items, but they aren’t as effective at finding explosives,” Melendez said. “The threat as we know it is definitely explosiv

Here are more photos from Saturday night's big celebration of The Big Build, the name of the Sacramento International Airport's new Terminal B project: For more info CLICK HERE>>>

Sacramento International Airport’s new Terminal B opened to the public on Sunday to give locals a preview of the $1.03 billion project before it opens for air traffic on Oct. 6. Airport spokeswoman Karen Doron said nearly 4,500 people made reservations to observe the terminal's new art and its elaborate design. “It’s beautiful,” said Merrilyn Hirsch, a 65-year-old retiree. “They really got their money’s worth.” Starting at 10 a.m., guests lined up to be the first to see the architectural feat. They were led onto the trains, called “people movers,” and brought from the terminal’s “land side” to the “air side.” The trains sped across the airport and went back and forth every two minutes, b

More than 1,000 people attended a party Saturday that included Cirque du Soleil performers dancing with hoops, walking on stilts and performing acrobatics from 40-foot-long ribbons hanging from the rafters to celebrate the grand opening of the new Terminal B of the Sacramento International Airport. “We didn’t want to stand in the shadow of another city,” Hardy Acree, director of airports for Sacramento County Airport System, said Saturday. “We wanted to create our own identity here in Sacramento and with this, we certainly have.” The party – hosted by the architect and construction firms responsible for the terminal project, Corgan Associates and Turner Construction – was a grand spectac

An intuitive travel experience is one of the main goals of Sacramento International Airport’s new Terminal B, according to airport officials. Made up of two buildings – a “land side” portion with ticket counters, and an “air side” portion with security and aircraft gates, connected by two trains – the new terminal is designed to be linear and make passing through the airport very easy, said airport spokeswoman Karen Doron. The $1.03 billion facility will open Oct. 6. One of the ease-of-use features in the waiting area at each gate is the seating arrangement. The familiar rows of seating common to many airport waiting areas are not the standard in the new facility. Terminal B seating is

Art installations are largely complete as the Sacramento International Airport’s new Terminal B readies to open Oct. 6, and they include a range of pieces from technologically advanced works to traditional painting and mosaic pieces. While not the first thing arriving passengers will see, a giant red rabbit seemingly jumping from outside the building into a waiting suitcase opening up like a vortex on the floor is one of the most-talked-about of the 12 currently installed works. More than 1,600 aluminum triangles make up the rabbit’s exposed surface. The work, entitled “Leap,” is by Denver-based artist Lawrence Argent and is suspended above the ticket hall in the “land side” portion of t

The first flights will take off Oct. 6 from Sacramento International Airport's nearly $1.1 billion Central Terminal B complex, officials announced Friday at the California State Fair. The airport expansion, dubbed “The Big Build,” was initially budgeted at $1.27 billion. It will replace a 44-year-old, far smaller terminal and will be completed seven months ahead of the originally scheduled opening. The complex was expected to start operating in March of 2012 when construction began in 2008. Hard economic times led Sacramento County Airport System officials to scrap plans for an airport hotel and a new parking garage. Airport officials chose an early October opening date so the new termi

Sacramento International Airport's nearly $1.1 billion Central Terminal B complex is expected to open this fall – months earlier than originally scheduled. When construction began in 2008, the terminal project was expected to cost $1.27 billion and was scheduled to open in spring of 2012. The project will open months ahead of that because of changes in construction plans due to the recession. Plans for a hotel and new parking garage were dropped to save money. A new garage will be built once there is enough need. Other cost savings were found during a simultaneous design and construction phase, , airport spokeswoman Gina Swankie said. The construction schedule was later revised to refle

Twenty-eight handmade Gold Rush era miniature building replicas by local artist Tony Quattrociocchi, will be on display from Monday through Sept. 30 at the Sacramento International Airport’s Terminal B. “Each piece was individually made, every brick, every shingle, and I found that really intriguing,” said Lorrie Kempf, Art in Public Places program assistant and gallery curator. Quattrociocchi, 87, is no stranger to the Sacramento area. His miniature replicas have been featured in The Sacramento Bee, displayed at four libraries, Sunrise Mall and the State Fair, according to Quattrociocchi’s niece, Nancy Garrett. “He used to take them to schools, and the kids really, really loved it,” Ga

On Tuesday, 1pm, an improvised explosive device (IED) denoted in the public area of the International Arrivals Building at Sacramento's airport. Significant structural damage impacted two floors. Four people were killed by the explosion and six were seriously injured, four minor. A Cougar Air 5150, a Boeing 737, was taxiing to Gate 40. The aircraft's air frame was extensively damaged due to flying derbris from the explosion. The aircraft initiated emergency evacuation and passengers deplaned via slides onto the tarmac. Of the 60 passengers on board five are deceased, 11 seriously injured, and five with minor injuries. Among the five crew members one is deceased, one seriously injured

Every year, the Sacramento County Airport System creates 11,000 jobs with a payroll of $442.5 million and contributes approximately $4 billion to the local economy, according to the Airport System’s most recent economic impact study.  The results of the study were delivered to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. The study includes data from Sacramento International Airport, Mather Airport and Executive Airport. “The Sacramento County Airport System is a bright spot in this slowly recovering economy,” said Interim County Executive Steven Szalay, “and the new terminal opening later this year at Sacramento International Airport will ensure that our region has an airport r

What do a local restaurant menu, a preloaded MP3 player with chart-topping songs and souvenirs from the American River Parkway have in common? All three are being considered for inclusion in the New Central Terminal B 2011 time capsule at Sacramento International Airport. Sacramento County Airport System is asking local residents to share their creative ideas for more items to place in the capsule. Ideas should include small items that focus on the year 2011, Northern California or the airport. The County Airport System recently launched a survey about the time capsule. A link to the survey can be found on sacairports.org or bigbuild.org. Airport fans can also share their ideas via Twitte

Sacramento International Airport’s expansion – dubbed “The Big Build” – is on-track to be completed by the end of next year, providing 19 new gates and an all-new, two-building terminal. “We started this effort in May of 2000,” said G. Hardy Acree, director of the Sacramento County Airport System. “We started construction in June of 2008 and are 30 months into a 42-month construction cycle.” The new terminal, known as Terminal B, will be composed of two buildings connected by an above-ground people-moving train system. The “land-side” portion of the terminal will front a two-level roadway, with one level for arrivals and the other for departures. That section will also include ticket sa

Changes are coming to the commercial airline industry that will affect the region’s businesses. One of the nation’s leading commercial airline industry economic analysts, Bill Swelbar, is the featured speaker at the State of the Sacramento County event, hosted by the Sacramento Metro Chamber on Wednesday, Nov. 10. Swelbar, a research engineer who advised Congress on the recent merger of Continental and United Airlines, will talk about the global airline industry and its impact on businesses and the Sacramento region. Also speaking will be Chair of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors Roger Dickinson, Interim Sacramento County Executive Steven Szalay and Sacramento County Airport Sy

Sacramento International Airport’s Terminal B will welcome Starbuck’s, Peet’s and yes, Old Soul Co. The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors announced its final decision Tuesday and Old Soul Co. co-owner Jason Griest couldn’t be happier. “We feel great about it,” he said. “We’ve had some really, really productive talks in the last two or three weeks, and we feel like it’s an honor to be part of something that’s going to be so big for Sacramento and the region. We’re really excited about it.” The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors amended its previous vote in order to accept the agreement between Old Soul Co. and SSP, a company that owns and operates food concessions at airports, w

As part of the NBA Cares campaign, “Paint the Town,” the Sacramento Kings will be greeting fans throughout the Sacramento region Saturday, October 16 and Sunday, October 17 to thank them for their support in advance of the 2010-11 Kings season. The entire Kings training camp roster, members of the Sacramento Kings Dance Team, Slamson and the Kings Breakers will interact with the Sacramento community at various locations. Fans are encouraged to attend and players will be available to greet and interact with fans. Additionally, the Kings Karavan, a Kings-branded bus, will be on display at select locations and exciting Kings prizes will be awarded to Kings fans on-site. Following is the fu