Santa Ynez Marriott paves way for future hotel green certifications
The Santa Ynez Valley Marriott just became the first hotel certified by Santa Barbara County’s Green Business Program. And it all started when General Manager Mike Hendrick heard Bill Hayward of Hayward Lumber speak at a green business luncheon. “We were already listed as a participating business, but we hadn’t done the big thing — Read More →
Ten things to be thankful for this year
Face facts. This has been a horrible year to have to navigate a business through the tri-county economy. Between the meltdown in commercial real estate, California budget woes, softness in tourism, the foreclosure mess and the ongoing travails of community banking, this has been one for the books. But hey, kvetching only makes things worse. Read More →
Tech firms get a boost from small business
The economic slump has many small businesses scrambling to cut costs, but as a direct result one group of businesses is getting a boost: information technology firms. As small businesses look for ways to streamline their budgets, tri-county IT firms are seeing a wave of new clients — if they offer the right products and Read More →
ValueClick moves could point to acquisition
Despite turning in a $25 million profit last quarter, Westlake Village-based online marketing firm ValueClick disappointed Wall Street analysts with a gloomy revenue forecast for the fourth quarter. But the company has quietly signed more than 70,000 square feet of new lease agreements and stockpiled hundreds of millions of dollars in cash and untapped credit Read More →
Bailing out the party crowd
Each year on Halloween, tens of thousands of partiers descend on Isla Vista near the University of California, Santa Barbara, and most stores within a 10-mile radius stock up on booze to meet the swell in demand. The results this year: 25,000 revelers, 311 arrests and 701 citations, according to the Santa Barbara County Sherriff’s Read More →
Area Republicans set example for the GOP
At first blush, there doesn’t seem to be too much connection between Nao Takasugi and Abel Maldonado. They are generations and miles apart in their backgrounds. But Takasugi, who passed away Nov. 19 at age 87, and Maldonado, who was nominated to the lofty post of lieutenant governor shortly before Thanksgiving, do share plenty of Read More →
Montecito Bank & Trust shares the wealth
It’s nice to see traditions get established — especially when it comes to philanthropy. That’s why we once again recognized Montecito Bank & Trust for its seventh annual Community Dividends program, where some 150 area nonprofits shared in $1 million in grants at a luncheon on Nov. 23. The privately held bank, which has nine Read More →
