Businesses honored at tech industry awards
UncategorizedThe Santa Barbara Technology and Industry Association honored five business and political leaders at its annual awards dinner Feb. 4. Kelly Magne of Jensen Audio Visual was named Executive of the Year, and Alex Rasmussen of Neal Feay Co. was named Entrepreneur of the Year. High Tech Sector Company of the Year honors went to Read More →
Region
UncategorizedJust as the Santa Barbara County began bracing for dour outlooks and dwindling numbers at area banks, several regional financial institutions surprised shareholders with unexpected reports. Others had the deflated numbers that had been projected. Harrington West Financial Group and Montecito Bank & Trust showed significant growth at the close of 2009. “Banks with good Read More →
Searching for survivors
NonprofitsThe massive earthquake that rumbled through Haiti on Jan. 12 left the capital city of Port-au-Prince buried underneath piles and piles of debris, twisted metal, fallen trees and shattered concrete — and underneath that, countless human survivors clinging desperately to the last remnants of life. Often, the first sign of hope survivors hear in the Read More →
Abuse survivor advocates for cause
NonprofitsTracy Sanginiti didn’t look like the kind of woman who would be pushed around. Young and sharp, she was the catering director at a hotel in Northern California and the breadwinner of her household. To outsiders, her future looked bright — but her life had a much darker side to it. “I wore a Read More →
Real estate firms deliver relief, one square foot at a time
ColumnsTwo Santa Barbara-based real estate firms are doing their part to help Direct Relief International’s Haitian relief efforts. After a magnitude-7 earthquake struck the small island nation on Jan. 12, Goleta-based nonprofit DRI started receiving an enormous amount of aid – pharmaceuticals and other medical supplies – but had nowhere to put it. “We already Read More →
Schwarzenegger has exit lesson for Obama
OpinionWe are inclined to think about our leaders in historic terms. George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and the Roosevelts are viewed as figures who tamed their legislatures and achieved great things. But as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger heads into the sunset, we are confronted with a new paradigm — a larger-than-life figure who is unable to overcome Read More →
Giving small banks a path to profitability
ColumnsIn the film “Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World,” Jack Aubrey, played by Russell Crowe, cleverly jokes about “choosing the lesser to two weevils.” When it comes to banking the choice is not quite so clever, but just as clear. Banks, especially those deemed “too big to fail” must go back into Read More →