Keeping the seats full: Arts organizations battle the recession
NonprofitsA recession is never a pretty picture, especially for arts and culture nonprofits, which rely heavily on private donations and visitor attendance. Arts organizations around the country laid off workers last year, adopted hiring freezes or cut other expenses in response to a falloff in private donations and government grants. In California, the Santa Read More →
Small particles, big ideas at UCSB venture fair
UncategorizedSix teams of entrepreneurial UC Santa Barbara students are gearing up to pitch their business plans for a chance at thousands of dollars in financing. They’re part of the UCSB Technology Management Program’s venture competition. Each year, students come up with business plans, hone them with the help of faculty and area business leaders and Read More →
Investing in Santa Barbara: As stock market rebounds, financial firms target region
UncategorizedThe finance world is still holding its head as it recovers from near-collapse, but you wouldn’t think so in Santa Barbara. Two financial firms — Crowell Weedon & Co. and Partnervest — are expanding their reach and services in the city, with one opening a local branch and another launching a nationwide investment platform. Here’s Read More →
Summerland
ColumnsIf you’re in the market for a big, yellow fixer-upper, you can grab one for a steal these days. The iconic but dilapidated Summerland property known as The Big Yellow House is back on the market after sitting vacant for more than five years — and this time it’s listed at just over half its Read More →
Three people to watch as recession ends
ColumnsDuring the past 10 years, we’ve come to rely on a select group of leaders to guide major enterprises in the Tri-Counties. Although there have been changes from time to time, that leadership has been remarkably stable. But there are signs of a changing of the guard in leadership in business, and politics as Read More →
Special Comment: Where the region's biggest bank goes from here
OpinionBest and worst of times, indeed. Behind Pacific Capital Bancorp’s decision to sell a 90 percent stake to a Texas investment firm is a recognition that the California real estate market has not yet begun to turn around. That is the nightmare the bank faced — a slow bleeding of capital, including a loss of Read More →
