Special Comment: Remembering Fess Parker
[Editor’s note: Business Times Editor and Chairman Henry Dubroff takes a moment to remember Fess Parker business owner to business owner.] I’ve always felt there was a special bond between Fess Parker, the Pacific Coast Business Times and the pioneering spirit of entrepreneurship that’s a hallmark of this region. The man who played Davy Crockett Read More →
Santa Barbara developer Fess Parker dies at 85
Fess Parker, the face of Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone to an entire generation of Americans and perhaps the best-known developer in Santa Barbara, died at his home in the Santa Ynez Valley on March 18. He was 85. A Texas native, the television frontiersman played Davy Crockett in the 1950s and Daniel Boone in Read More →
First California to sell 10M shares
Westlake Village-based First California Financial Group, parent of First California Bank, said March 17 it plans to sell 10 million shares to raise capital to fund potential acquisitions and new customers. A per-share price has not been set for the stock offering, which is being underwritten by investment bank Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. At First Read More →
SkyWest adds Oxnard to nixed flights
After raising fares in the face of declining passenger numbers, SkyWest is cancelling its flight from Oxnard to LAX starting in June. The 20-minute connection to one of the nation’s largest airports has been a mainstay for Ventura County business and government passengers looking to cut down time and hassle getting to Los Angeles. Without Read More →
SB city manager: General fund cuts inevitable
General fund cuts are inevitable as revenue declines are historic, Santa Barbara City Manager Jim Armstrong said March 16 at the annual State of the City address. The $140 million general fund has experienced a 20 percent decline in retail taxes, a 16 percent decline in hotel taxes and an even sharper decline in property Read More →
Santa Barbara needs its Silicon Valley link
Word that the Santa Barbara airport is about to lose its daily service to San Jose is a troubling development that threatens the 101 Technology Corridor’s link to the Silicon Valley. But examples from San Luis Obispo show that a strong lobbying effort by business interests can keep service going. We think that a coalition Read More →
Hollywood
Perhaps it was the moment that Montecito resident Jeff Bridges stepped on stage to accept his well-deserved Oscar for Best Actor on March 7. Perhaps it was the evening that music industry maven Mark Hartley turned on the lights at the Watermark restaurant in downtown Ventura. Or the moment when property titan Triliad Developers and Read More →
