Our view: Cal Poly’s prominence grows but there is a cost
The Frost family’s $110 million gift to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is the ultimate validation of former President Warren Baker’s vision of Cal Poly as a leading research institution within the California State University system. It also validates current President Jeffrey Armstrong’s decision to double-down on entrepreneurship, forging close connections with the SLO business Read More →
Our view: Small businesses shine with plenty of support
We can’t think of a better way to celebrate National Small Business Week than to provide a report on the state of entrepreneurship in our region. The good news is that a spirit of innovation continues to spark new startups, with much activity coming from business plan competitions and new workspaces like Impact Hub, the Read More →
Our view: Ventura County students on path to attend college
Ventura County has taken a big step forward when it comes to math and science education with the P-20 Council, a business-education group, forming better connections between public education and the private sector. Those connections include a new program aimed at identifying strong students in STEM fields and providing them with the support they need Read More →
Our view: Towbes, Morton, Lacayo were rare type of leaders
In the normal course of business relationships, men and women build companies or lead nonprofits and then retire to leave the operations to a new generation or a new team. More rare is the circumstance where leaders are so committed to an enterprise or so intrinsically identified with their organization that they stay at the Read More →
Our view: Two Trees preservation wonderful for Ventura
Concerned citizens, community advocates and one of Ventura County’s emerging power couples has made an impressive effort to preserve the city of Ventura’s iconic “Two Trees” hilltop gathering place. On Earth Day, Rich and Bonnie Atmore led a volunteer effort to plant a new eucalyptus tree to begin the process of replacing one of the Read More →
Our view: Shuttered oil pipelines too much for Venoco
Updated at 12:05 p.m. April 24: When a Plains All American pipeline broke, spilling 142,000 gallons near Refugio Beach two years ago, few would have foreseen the unintended consequence that played out in a Delaware bankruptcy court on April 17. Venoco, a capable operator and the largest corporate taxpayer in Santa Barbara County, announced it Read More →
Our view: Mike Towbes’ legacy will live on
The Central Coast will be remembering the late Mike Towbes for a long time. By creating a trust to ensure local ownership of Montecito Bank & Trust, the Princeton-educated engineer created a vehicle for community philanthropy that will stretch on for future decades. The people around him, family members, his widow Anne Smith Towbes, Montecito Read More →
