A gift of $30,000 will be given to Historic Chinatown, located on J Street between 3rd and 5th streets, for improvements to safety and lighting. The funds are coming from the Community Development Block Grant, which is made up of funding by the federal government but is given out at the discretion of the Sacramento City Council. The $30,000 was approved at the March 9 City Council meeting. Jennifer Lee-Lewis, community manager of the Ping Yuen Apartments, said the funds are needed because the area is home to a significant senior population that encounters tripping hazards. These tripping hazards, such as cracked tiles and big tree roots, are harder to spot during the night due to the poo

One of the first stories I was assigned as a new intern in late January was SMUD's installation of energy smart meters. SMUD customers were told the smart meters would provide them with more information about their energy usage, which could lead to better energy management for them and SMUD. The utility had just about finished testing the technology, and was ready to install more than 600,000 meters throughout the Sacramento area. SMUD contracted with South Carolina-based Utility Partners of America for the majority of the installation work, and my assignment was to find out why SMUD had contracted with an out-of-state company rather than a local one. Installation of the smart meters mea

The fourth annual Green California Summit and Exhibition wrapped up today at the Sacramento Convention Center, giving attendees a look at new green technology that provided a glimpse into what the world could look like in the near future. The summit featured keynote presentations from four speakers: 15-year-old Alec Loorz, founder of Kids vs. Global Warming; Noel Perry, Next 10 founder; David Roland-Holst, director of the University of California at Berkeley's Center for Energy, Resources and Economic Sustainability; and Fran Pavley, the state senator who authored Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. The summit also offered classes on green building codes, new media

The fourth annual Green California Summit and Exposition is coming to the Sacramento Convention Center next week. The expo is one of the biggest green forums with a public-sector focus in the nation. It's also where government and businesses interested in green technology can get educated, according to Racquel Palmese, managing editor of Green Magazine. The expo's theme is "Committed to Sustainability." "In this time of economic hardship, it's important for everyone to keep their eye on the ball, as well as be good for the environment," she said. In addition to an exhibit hall that will feature new developments in green technology, there will be four keynote speakers: 15-year-old Alec L

Parking was the subject Wednesday at the Urban Design Alliance's Design Dialogue, an event that occurs every fourth Wednesday and features a different topic each time. Howard Chan, parking services manager for the Sacramento Department of Transportation, led a discussion about downtown parking, which also included an update about the Central City Parking Master Plan that the City Council adopted in 2006. "We don't really have a parking problem," he said. Chan noted that there are usually enough parking spaces throughout downtown, although not all of the spaces are used efficiently. While the congestion usually lies near the Capitol at the peak time between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., he said, sp

Sacramento, CA--This month marks the fourth year of my father’s death. Dad was so caught up in the day-to-day particulars of his suburban North Sac life and as a caregiver to my Mother, I think at times he actually forgot to enjoy it.   The day after he passed, I was searching his home office, drowning in grief and looking for something (anything) to comfort me. I spied Dad’s small spiral bound note pad with his pen resting at a jaunty angle on top of the page. There was a long "To Do" list scribbled in ink—bills to pay, errands to run, and fix-it projects around the house. Just five days prior, he had renewed his October subscription to National Geographic and his AARP membership.   A