Chamber changes the guard – Levett hands reins to Lederer in Thousand Oaks
After 20 years of self-diagnosed “chamberitis,” Janet Levett, president and chief executive officer of the Thousand Oaks-Westlake Village Chamber of Commerce, will retire Jan. 30. Levett started in 1989 with the Westlake Village Chamber and was a key figure in merging it with the Thousand Oaks Chamber in 1999. In the past decade, she has Read More →
Rusnak looks to service as mega-store opens
As the finishing touches are being put on its new BMW dealership in Thousand Oaks, Rusnak Auto Group is banking on a strong service department and more pre-owned vehicle business to weather the global downturn. The new Rusnak BMW Westlake is the largest BMW dealer in the country, according to Tom Valasek, director of marketing Read More →
Foreclosures overtake sales
With foreclosure rates soaring across both the state and the nation, the Central Coast has not been immune to defaults and lender takeovers. Santa Maria and Orcutt have been worst hit by the housing crunch, as the duo have seen almost twice as many foreclosures as regular home sales since the beginning of 2008. Former Read More →
Hearst Castle to celebrate 50th anniversary
The 50th anniversary of Hearst Castle becoming a state park has inspired the movement to increase community awareness and involvement in the landmark, ensuring William Randolph Hearst’s legacy carries on for another generation of visitors. “The guiding principle has been community access, interest and exposure,” said Carol Schreiber, executive director of Friends of Hearst Castle. Read More →
Not so jolly shopping season lies ahead
Just over a month after The Oaks shopping center in Thousand Oaks unveiled its 103,000-square-foot expansion, the mall will have to face one of the most challenging holiday shopping seasons in recent years. Sixty-one percent of those polled last month in GfK Roper Consulting’s Holiday Shopping study said their holiday shopping plans will be delayed Read More →
Trip reveals China syndrome
Conventional wisdom has it that China is destined to become the world’s next superpower. But one Westlake Village financial expert warns that the consensus view can turn out to be wrong. In late October, Arkady Milgram, a partner at Thousand Oaks-based Walker Financial Partners, took a nine-day trip across China. He and about 80 members Read More →
Paso
After more than 30 meetings about water, Paso Robles Mayor Frank Mecham hopes that just two more will do the trick. Mecham is vying to persuade residents that a proposed water rate increase is worth it to secure a reliable source of water for the city. The increase would help pay for water infrastructure improvements, Read More →
