NBBJ Insider

The farm market and 1% vs. 99%

A few weeks ago, a fictional conversation was started between a member of Occupy Wall Street and a banker. Today the Occupier returns to have a conversation with a fellow native of Sonoma County. On the agenda: the proposed rent increase for the Sonoma County Farmers Market.

Occupy Santa Rosa vs. Exchange Bank: The wrong target

This is the time of year when news organizations pick their “best photo of the year.” My choice is a photo of Exchange Bank CEO Bill Schrader meeting Occupy Santa Rosa protesters who recently descended on the bank’s branch in Roseland.

Schools Plus needs our help

Schools Plus has been a huge contributor to sustaining arts, sports and other programs under funding pressure in our schools.

Now the organizers of the largest Schools Plus’ fundraiser need help. Please see the message below from Schools Plus’ Ted Grafe. It’s a call to action to support our kids.

Abandon Highway 37 to the Bay?

With relatively little public notice, four obscure Bay Area regional bureaucracies, the Association of Bay Area Governments, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission have come together under the Orwellian sounding OneBayArea.org.

Green Music Center world class, world known

At precisely 2 p.m. Tuesday when the embargoed press release became public, news broke of a stunning $12 million gift to the Donald and Maureen Green Music Center at Sonoma State University that will allow the concert hall to be completed next fall.

City official calls Brown redevelopment plan ‘shell game’

Gov. Jerry Brown’s ears likely were burning early Wednesday morning.

That’s because his idea to end redevelopment funding for cities and counties – part of his plan to close a more than $26 billion California budget deficit – came in for a shellacking.

Solano index full of promise — and one troubling sign

Solano County, which for years has been considered something of a rest stop between Sacramento and San Francisco, is no more.

Alliance to focus on economic opportunities

Doug Clark, CEO of Metier, and Steven Harrison, CFO of TriVascular, will speak Wednesday at Sonoma County Alliance breakfast, 7 a.m., Santa Rosa Golf and Country Club.

More public pension pain

The City of Santa Rosa last week became the latest public entity to declare a hole in its pension liabilities: $100 million.

Marin peers into its economic future and gets worried

One could have heard a pin drop as Marin County native Harry Thomas spoke passionately about the area he grew up in and where he spent a successful career in finance.