Oil pumping allowed
Santa Barbara County officials have notified Greka Oil & Gas Inc. that a stop- work order will be conditionally rescinded for the company’s UCAL facility, 6527 Dominion Road, near Santa Maria. One other Greka production operation remains under a stop work order by the County Fire Department and Petroleum Unit: the Bradley 3 Island Read More →
Union Bank taken over
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. and UnionBanCal Corp. agreed on a tender offer at a raised price of $73.50 a share in a deal worth $3.5 billion, the Japanese bank said Aug. 18. Union Bank has 10 branches in the Tri-Counties. Japan’s biggest bank has been trying to take over the 35 percent of California Read More →
Speak softly and carry a big stick: Little Lompoc is busier than ever
Described as a “small, Midwestern town on the California coast,” by its economic development director, Kate Griffith, the city of Lompoc has been undergoing efforts to build on its signature Californian characteristics and strengthen its economic vitality, all while maintaining its quaint, small-town appeal. As California has long been a leader in sustainability and Read More →
Nonprofits becoming more nimble, results oriented
Philanthropy is changing. With entrepreneurs like Eli Broad, Ted Turner and Venoco’s Tim Marquez calling the shots, nonprofits are becoming more nimble and results oriented But there is a catch – in the new environment for philanthropy, star power matters, and there’s a tendency for issues of the day like global warming to grab big Read More →
Financial promoter – Advancing young entrepreneurship
The right speaker can transform an event, and two tri-county groups are working to harness the power of oratory to help nonprofit groups. Santa Barbara-based Catalyst offers a lecture series on financial literacy and entrepreneurship, targeting young professionals as its audience. Catalyst sells tickets to the events, and 100 percent of the ticket sales go Read More →
Taking it to the streets
After a career as a top executive at firms such as IBM and Cylink, Fernand Sarrat left the corporate world and decided in mid-2007 to start the Collaborative Communities Foundation to help young people stay out of trouble in Santa Barbara. “I’m from El Salvador and look what the gangs there have done,” Sarrat said Read More →
Trans fats aren
While public health officials say they are happy about a state crackdown on trans fats, a new law may mean some bread products will get a recipe overhaul. In the Tri-Counties, doughnuts are bearing the brunt of the burden, as the new measure requires that all oil, shortening or margarine containing these partially hydrogenated vegetable Read More →
