Transitions noted
Sometimes the owner is the company. Such was apparently the case with the Wine Cask, a popular Santa Barbara watering hole and wine shop that closed abruptly in mid-February. Owner Doug Margerum sold the operation a year or so ago and the new owners tried hard. But with the down economy and without Doug’s magic, Read More →
Tri-county innovation can rebrand the region
In a dramatic speech on Feb. 24, President Barack Obama vowed to lead America’s economy back to health and prosperity. In doing so, he laid down a considerable challenge to local elected officials, community and business leaders in the tri-county region. That challenge boils down to this: creating a new brand for the Highway 101 Read More →
San Luis Obispo County named least affordable in California
Even though the flurry of foreclosures in the past few months has driven home prices down and made owning a home a realistic dream, recent data suggests that one county’s buyers are still looking at a very unaffordable market. According to findings from the California Association of Realtors, San Luis Obispo County was the least Read More →
Memo to California GOP: Don
Mayor Richard Riordan built the modern Los Angeles. Supervisor Brooks Firestone kept Santa Barbara County from splitting. Gov. Ronald Reagan created the economic foundation for the Silicon Valley boom. What ever happened to achievement-driven Republicans? If you ask state Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria, the GOP in the Golden State is locked in a battle Read More →
NASA rocket fails
A NASA rocket failed after liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base Feb. 24, ending a $274 million global-warming exploration mission. The 95-foot-tall rocket built by Orbital Sciences Corp. blasted off from Space Launch Complex-576 E at about 2 a.m., but something went wrong several minutes into the flight when the rocket’s nose cone apparently didn’t Read More →
Race for S.B. mayor seat hot
Several people have already announced they’ll be throwing their hats into the Santa Barbara mayoral race, which is less than nine months away. Santa Barbara City Council member Iya Falcone said Feb. 24 she plans to run and Santa Barbara Region Chamber of Commerce President Steve Cushman said he will likely enter the race within Read More →
Tea Fire funds dispersed
The Santa Barbara Tea Fire Response Fund, a collaborative community partnership formed after the November fire in Montecito, announced the first distribution of $77,204 in funds donated by individuals and organizations. The total funds raised to date are $434,426. Ninety-one percent of the funds went toward individuals in need of “self-sufficiency,” including self-employed professionals whose Read More →
