A new Santa Barbara can lead rebound
Among the region’s larger cities, Camarillo probably has the strongest retail environment — and a much better-than-average fiscal position. Oxnard, Santa Maria and Paso Robles probably have some of the best long-term growth prospects, thanks to affordable housing and a pro-business attitude. San Luis Obispo has a dynamic new city manager with a laser-like focus Read More →
Special Comment: Remembering Fess Parker
[Editor’s note: Business Times Editor and Chairman Henry Dubroff takes a moment to remember Fess Parker business owner to business owner.] I’ve always felt there was a special bond between Fess Parker, the Pacific Coast Business Times and the pioneering spirit of entrepreneurship that’s a hallmark of this region. The man who played Davy Crockett Read More →
Santa Barbara needs its Silicon Valley link
Word that the Santa Barbara airport is about to lose its daily service to San Jose is a troubling development that threatens the 101 Technology Corridor’s link to the Silicon Valley. But examples from San Luis Obispo show that a strong lobbying effort by business interests can keep service going. We think that a coalition Read More →
Hollywood
Perhaps it was the moment that Montecito resident Jeff Bridges stepped on stage to accept his well-deserved Oscar for Best Actor on March 7. Perhaps it was the evening that music industry maven Mark Hartley turned on the lights at the Watermark restaurant in downtown Ventura. Or the moment when property titan Triliad Developers and Read More →
A nod to an agricultural pioneer
If you have sliced open a ripe Hass avocado recently, you probably owe a debt of gratitude to Hank Brokaw. Brokaw, who passed away in Santa Paula Feb. 18 at age 82, was a pioneering grower. His attention to detail in cultivation and grafting led him to produce a disease-resistant variety of the Hass avocado Read More →
I.V. 2.0 sets example for redevelopment
Long lampooned for being nothing more than an appendage to the University of California, Santa Barbara, the community of Isla Vista is finally getting a major architectural makeover. For years, Isla Vista has been the butt of jokes about sofa burnings and the scene of not-so-funny Halloween mayhem. But powerful forces are reshaping the community Read More →
Airport gets much-needed grant
Also from San Luis Obispo County comes a sign that a concerted economic development effort can pay off. Just a few years ago, the SLO Airport was struggling with the loss of major carriers and a maintenance operation. But things seem to have stabilized thanks to a community wide effort to support existing flights and Read More →
