January 13, 2012, 12:20 AM
Newly appointed State Architect Chester Widom said yesterday that he is "digging deep" and looking at all possible solutions to address issues cited in a recent audit critical of the state's seismic safety regulator for public schools. Speaking for about five minutes near the end...
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January 12, 2012, 12:05 AM
Newly appointed State Architect Chester Widom is slated to discuss today what steps seismic regulators are taking to address problems with their enforcement of earthquake safety requirements for public schools. Widom will brief the state Seismic Safety Commission in Sacramento about a...
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December 22, 2011, 12:04 AM
Despite California’s strict seismic safety regulations, the construction process at two school districts illustrates how mismanagement, disregard for safety requirements and allegations of fraud led to structural defects that could endanger students during an earthquake.
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December 22, 2011, 12:03 AM
Frequently asked questions about earthquake safety in California public schools
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December 22, 2011, 12:03 AM
December 22, 2011, 12:02 AM
California Watch uncovered systematic failures by the state's chief regulator of construction standards for public schools. You can contact school officials, politicians and state agencies about earthquake safety.
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December 22, 2011, 12:02 AM
Here are ways that you can learn more and get involved in earthquake safety at schools in your community.
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December 22, 2011, 12:02 AM
Find information to help you better understand earthquakes and the terms used throughout our seismic safety coverage. There are resources for getting involved, tips on how to prepare for the Big One, a parent’s preparedness checklist and more.
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December 8, 2011, 1:48 PM
State regulators charged with overseeing school construction have failed to ensure that the buildings children occupy are safe, according to a state audit released today.
The California State Auditor’s report found that the Division of the State Architect has limited authority to penalize...
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November 18, 2011, 12:05 AM
UPDATE, Dec. 6, 2011: Gov. Jerry Brown announced today that he has selected Chester “Chet” Widom as the new state architect. An ex-designer and supervisor of building projects at UC Berkeley, two former national presidents of an architectural organization, and the state architect...
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October 31, 2011, 12:05 AM
As many as 17,000 older concrete buildings in California could be vulnerable during a major earthquake, according to a new inventory by a coalition of volunteer structural engineers, universities and government agencies. A number of schools, state and local government buildings, and other...
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August 30, 2011, 12:05 AM
In 2004, Liberty High School had just laid new carpet, finalized a fresh paint job and installed up-to-date air-conditioning units when the Liberty Union High School District learned the campus was on a state list of school buildings that may be unsafe in an earthquake. Alarmed and trying to...
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August 25, 2011, 12:05 AM
The governor's office has been working with the American Institute of Architects to help find a new leader for the embattled state office responsible for the seismic safety of school buildings. Gov. Jerry Brown has taken a special interest in the position of state architect in light of...
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August 22, 2011, 12:05 AM
In a move designed to kick-start the review and repair of 7,600 potentially unsafe California school buildings, the State Allocation Board in May scrapped restrictive rules that blocked school districts' access to nearly $200 million in seismic retrofit money. But weeks after lowering...
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August 3, 2011, 12:05 AM
Concerned about a renewed state focus and the potential for lawsuits, the Los Angeles County Office of Education has stepped up efforts to help local school officials investigate the seismic safety of their buildings. In June, the office asked Terry Tao, an attorney who specializes in...
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