Response: April/May 2007

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COMMENTS

Re: Home Green Home
Jim Agnew says …
I too am attempting to “go green” ?(or at least save some money) with ?the new fluorescent light bulbs. I have replaced most of my home bulbs with the newer fluorescent kind. I began buying them at Costco a couple of years ago.
     However, I have found that they are not lasting anywhere near as long as advertised; in some cases they do not last as long as the old-style incandescent bulbs! I have found that they are especially prone to a short life if they are pointing down, with the lighting element hanging below the base. This heats up the base too much and may be the cause of their premature failure. Also, the fluorescent bulbs do not come on immediately and do not reach maximum brightness for several minutes, in some cases, which can be very annoying. The ones I have installed outside, in recesses under the front porch overhang (and thus hanging upside down), are especially short-lived. It seems like I am changing light bulbs much more frequently now than I was with the older incandescent ones.
     The money I thought I had saved on these alleged “10x longer life” bulbs may actually be costing me more by having to buy and replace them more often.

Re: Dr. New School
Chris says …
It is not just that some long-timers think Alexander Gonzalez is changing too much. I have worked at Sac State for four years (I am leaving in large part due to his lack of leadership and contempt for students and faculty alike) and I object to the substance of his change. His main goal is to become a state supported University of Phoenix. ? As for his “people skills,” they are ?incredible. He has managed to alienate the entire campus community in less than four years. Impressive indeed. ?Please have a follow up article when there is a vote of no-confidence in ?him later this spring.

Steve says …
Gonzales is a man of vision. “The first thing I realized is that there was too much poultry on campus,” he said. Using his leadership skills developed ?in the crucible of CSU San Marcos, he immediately acted. “Once I decided no more chickens, they were gone in like, three hours.” ? Some people in the campus community enjoyed the chickens. “It was nice — the chickens reminded us of our agrarian roots here in the central valley,” said Joe Smith, a junior Business major.
     But, replied Gonzales, “there has never been one example of a destination campus with wild poultry roaming free. We had to put an end to that two times quick.” Courage, decisiveness, leadership. ‘Nuff said.

Re: Unplugged, Dr. Frank Slachman
Kipp Slachman says …
I just wanted to follow up and inform everyone that my dad was invited to go to Mt. Everest, and accepted. He leaves on March 27 for his three-month trek.

Re: Foothill Lights
Greg Jones says …
Prosper did not do its homework. ?The “bitter local election” was not last fall, it was in November 2005. And the “warring factions” were not among the overwhelming number of city-council candidates, all of whom got along pretty well.
     The REAL fight was over Measure P, the ballot measure seeking to incorporate EDH, which Prosper says “went down to ignominious defeat.” Losing with 43.6 percent of the vote is ignominious?
     That’s a cool word but it overstates reality. No on P backers out-spent ?cityhood supporters nearly 4 to 1, ?perhaps more. The vast majority of ?the “no” money was from developers and their industry partners.
     Moreover, developer-backed, elected ?El Dorado County officials — our ?auditor-controller and a supervisor — vigorously and publicly opposed Measure P. Letters with their names/titles were sent to thousands of EDH voters. That’s politics. And it’s why, in part, cityhood was not to be. But perhaps the underlying reason was that thousands of “newbies” from the Bay Area (like myself) believed that life was pretty darn good here compared to where they had lived.
The challenge was to get voters to ignore all the noise and look to the future, and we failed.

Re: Heart & Sold
Teri Leeper-Blue says …
Having known Shari, her sister Dana and the rest of the family when we were kids, it doesn’t surprise me in the least that she has bounced back with absolute moxie and grace! Shari...the magic in this formula is definitely YOU!

Kimberly White says …
I’m grateful for stories such as yours, Shari, heartbreaking as it is. I have all the faith in the world that you will be on TOP again. As you said, it was your “baby, your creation,” and no one can take that from you. You’re all the wiser now. P.S. Love the boots and Jag combo!

LETTERS

Not Just Suits
I read, with interest, the article about Shari’s Berries. I was surprised that you did not include any response from George and Nancy Wong.
     Certainly, the reader is led to believe that the Wongs played a leading role in the “suits,” as Shari refers to them, and from her viewpoint they don’t come across very positively. This is ?in stark contrast to what I have seen ?in my dealings with the Wongs over the past several years.
     They are gentle, caring people whom, I have witnessed, treat all, especially entrepreneurs, with great respect.
     But at the end of the day, they were also board members.
     And judging from the success that Shari’s Berries has garnered since the split from Shari, they made the right choice on the future direction of the company.?
Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Kudos on Green, Opera
I just wanted to comment on two articles I really appreciated in the February issue.
     First, your two-page spread on “Home Green Home”- — our priority for the City of Sacramento Development Services department in 2007 — is to encourage and promote ?green building and sustainability.
A huge part of our success will depend on outreach, education and acceptance by the public. Your spread offered a very understandable and clear explanation of ways to achieve energy efficiency, particularly referring to the all-important issue of payback.
     Secondly, on a personal level, my wife and I are ardent fans of Sean Bianco’s “Friday Night at the Opera.” We look forward to sitting in front of our stereo system for four hours every Friday night. No matter how tired we are, we always make it to midnight — his show is that good!
     This, mind you, is from one who, although a classical and ballet lover for decades, never could get into opera; that is, until friends convinced me to join them at the San Francisco Opera Company’s annual free Opera in the Park in Golden Gate park some five years ago.
     There was something about laying on the grass with friends, having a picnic, and listening to opera that ?got me hooked.
     I sincerely hope your article will ?encourage at least a few people to ?tune in to Sean — their lives will be ?all the richer for it.
Robert Lee Chase?
AIA

BLOG HITS

On Scott Doniger’s, ?“Do We Need a Second Life”
Josh Morgan says …
While Second Life does provide some interesting opportunities, these opportunities are not without risk as John Edwards recently found out when his “Second Life Campaign Headquarters” was “virtually vandalized.”

CORRECTIONS

In the March Prospering section, ?the Sacramento Young professionals’ ?fashion show was put on by “Runway en Vogue,” and the clothing was ?from the boutiques “Britt Steele” ?and “Felicia Strati.” The models ?pictured are Aaliyah and Raychel.

In the March article, “Dr. New School,” Sacramento State hosted the president of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, in April 2005, not the U.S. ambassador to Rwanda.

In the March article, “MBA ?Programs Dare to Improve,” the correct spelling of the name of the associate dean at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business is Andrew Shogan.

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