Village Properties' Renee Grubb and Ed Edick celebrate the opening of the new Montecito office Calcagno & Hamilton Real Estate. To view the article, click here, and read more about the dynamic team, Michaael Calcagno and Nancy Hamilton.
We arranged for our client Sasha Ablitt of Ablitt's Fine Dry Cleaning to speak on The Elizabeth Stewart Show on 1290 AM. Sasha talked about dry cleaning misconceptions, and gave listeners tips to better garment preservation! Ablitt's is celebrating 30 years of business.
Local real estate professional Wayne Natale will serve as event chair of the fifth Annual Salute to Teachers Golf Tournament and Cocktail Party scheduled for Friday, Oct. 2 at Glen Annie Golf Course, located at 405 Glen Annie Road in Santa Barbara.
Registration for the tournament begins at 10 a.m., tee of is at noon, and the cocktail party is scheduled for 5 p.m.
In addition to the golf tournament, there will be contests, a silent auction and plenty of food and drink. All money raised from the tournament is earmarked for the Teacher’s Fund.
Founded in 2002, Teacher’s Fund raises monies for Santa Barbara area teachers for supplies and outside classroom activities not covered by school funding.
Renee Grubb and Ed Edick, co-owners of Village Properties, started the nonprofit, which has given over $1 million to local educators.
Wayne Natale
Helping Natale stage the Oct. 2 event are the following committee members: Renee Grubb and Sheila Hunt, sponsors organizers; Steve Puailoa, golf activities; Adrienne Schuele, auction; Bob Curtis, volunteers and food & beverage; Dianne and Brianna Johnson, special promotions; Rich Nahas, emcee; and Joan Roberts, Terrie Whipple, Lara Casatagnola, Robert Watt, Lee Hung, Patty Armor and Jon McCusky, volunteers at large. Natale is in charge of set-up.
So far, sponsors of the fifth Annual Salute to Teachers Golf Tournament and Cocktail Party include Cox Media, Santa Barbara Foundation, Prospect Mortgage, Coastal Copy, Heritage Oaks Bank, On Q Financial, Union Bank, Montecito Bank & Trust, Banc of California, First American Title, Chicago Title Company, Fidelity Title Company, Haaland Diving Inc., Adrienne Schuele Real Estate, Marborg Industries and Movegeen and WFG Title Company.
From the time Natale earned his real estate license in 1981, he has sold and marketed residential, ranch, land, vineyard and estate properties in the Santa Ynez Valley, where he and his wife, Patti, have lived since 1976.
When not volunteering with Teacher’s Fund, Natale gives his time as a board member of the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation and sits on their Santa Ines Mission Mills committee.
He is also a member, as well as past president, of the San Lorenzo Foundation and a board/founding member of the Santa Ynez Chamber of Commerce.
To learn about participating in the fifth Annual Salute to Teachers Golf Tournament and Cocktail Party or sponsorship opportunities, contact Natale at 805.686.7454 or WayneN@villagesite.com.
— Jennifer Goddard Combs is a publicist representing the Teacher's Fund.
Wells Hughes
The Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation has named Wells Hughes as the recipient of its 2015 Humanitarian Award, according to Lindsey Leonard, executive director of TBCF.
The Humanitarian Award recognizes an individual, individuals, organization or business for dedication to improving the human condition of TBCF families by alleviating suffering while supporting and contributing to the welfare and well-being of those in need.
Hughes, founding board chair of TBCF in 2002, will be recognized at TBCF’s Gold Ribbon Luncheon Oct. 1, 2015 at the Four Seasons Resort, The Biltmore.
The Gold Ribbon Luncheon is the celebratory culmination event for TBCF’s Gold Ribbon Campaign held in recognition of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month during September.
The Campaign will increase awareness about pediatric cancer, secure financial support and provide networks for youth with cancer and their families.
Introduced to TBCF by the nonprofit’s founder, Nikki Katz, Hughes currently serves as an emeritus board member as well as a member of TBCF’s Fund Development Committee.
Additionally, he has continued to be an active ambassador of the cause by participating in speaking engagements and fundraising endeavors, including co-chairing the organization’s inaugural Little Heroes Breakfast in June 2015.
His contributions also include developing the organization’s board governance structure during TBCF’s early days.
“Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation is proud to recognize Wells with our Humanitarian Award for dedicating the past decade to contributing to the welfare and well-being of families that have a child with cancer by garnering resources to further the organization’s mission,” said Leonard. “He is a proven advocate for families and has time and time again gone the extra mile to ensure the financial and emotional burdens families experience when caring for a child with cancer are alleviated.”
Additionally, Hughes serves on the advisory board and finance committee for the Dream Foundation and still has a big brother relationship with the 7-year-old boy he met 14 years ago while volunteering with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.
He is a founding partner of the wealth management firm Arlington Financial Advisors in Santa Barbara.
To learn more about Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation or to purchase tickets to the Gold Ribbon Luncheon, visit www.teddybearcancerfoundation.org or call 805.962.7466.
Sarah Oberman Bartush of Channel Islands Aviation has just been honored by Pacific Coast Business Times for 40 under 40. Oberman Bartush is the Flight School Manager and CMO at CIA, which was started by her parents 40 years ago. Although business was always familiar to Oberman Bartush, growing up in it with her family, she feels that she developed a passion for business in college, and it was at Cal Poly SLO that she visualized a business plan for CIA. Oberman Bartush has since expanded CIA tremendously, and has plans to continue growth of the company through rebranding CIA as a jet company. CIA has an outstanding flight school and is also well known for its flights to the Channel Islands National Park and executive jet charter flights through CI Jets.
Sarah Oberman Bartush (left), chief marketing officer and flight school manager with Channel Islands Aviation greets Summer Liu, president and CEO of Shanghai Avieve General Aviation Co on April 28 in Camarillo, California. Image provided by China Daily.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015 CHINA DAILY USA
A partnership between a California-based flight school and a Chinese company looking to find pilots for single-engine aircraft is a growth opportunity for both parties, according to one of the school's executives.
"For Channel Islands, this is a business growth opportunity," said Sarah Oberman Bartush, chief marketing officer and flight school manager with Channel Islands Aviation in Camarillo, California. "We are Avieye's exclusive US flight training provider, and they are our exclusive Chinese client, but [this program] will definitely open doors for us.
"The aviation industry is so new in China," Bartush told China Daily on Monday. "They're just opening up the low-level airspace, which is so key to general aviation, and we're getting in kind of at the ground level."
A two-month intensive course in Shanghai kicks off the training program, with prospective pilots taught in English and Chinese.
After the first two months, a group of roughly 20 will travel to the United States to complete the training program, spending 10 months at Camarillo Airport.
Some graduates will return to China to work as pilots for Avieye in Shanghai, while others will continue training to gain flight instructor certification.
A recruitment campaign is underway, and the first crop of pilots is expected in the US by August or September, Bartush said.
A key difference in this case is that pilots will be trained for general aviation, not commercial, she said.
General aviation refers to civil aviation operations other than scheduled air services, and ranges from helicopters to private jets.
Channel Islands Aviation was founded in 1975 and has operated out of Camarillo Airport for nearly 40 years, providing aeronautical services, including fueling, aircraft maintenance and flight instruction.
Channel has been an affiliate of the Cessna Aircraft Co since 1976, operating as a Cessna Pilot Center, Cessna Service Center and a single engine dealer.
"As an affiliate of Cessna, they mentioned they had a company in China that they were working with," she said. "That company was looking for a flight-training partner. So Cessna was an inaugural part in introducing us."
Pilots training with Channel Islands will operate single-engine Cessna aircraft, Bartush said.
"Most of the training will be in-aircraft here in the US, but there will definitely be a simulator in use," she said.
Local governments and the Aviation Industry Corp of China, the country's leading aircraft maker, have realized the importance and potentially lucrative prospects for the general aviation industry.
Plans to open airspace up to 4,000 meters are part of China's current Five-Year Plan, and should be in place by 2020, according to China: Aerospace Industry Outlook 2013, a report from the US Commercial Service, a branch of the US Commerce Department.
Bartush said Channel Islands worked with some other international clients in the mid-1990s for pilot training, but that the partnership with China's Avieye is "much more formalized".
"It was definitely good for us to have that exposure, but this is going to be so much bigger than that ever was," Bartush said.
Bartush said she expects to travel to China later this year.
Zhao Lei in Beijing and the Associated Press contributed to this story.
Contact the writers at jackfreifelder@chinadailyusa.com and zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn
The March 2015 issue of Architectural Products Magazine featuring EnduroShield.
Published on Noozhawk (frontpage) on January 9, 2015
Village Properties real estate agent Elizabeth Wagner has the distinction of being Santa Barbara’s first credentialed EcoBroker. Not only that, she is one of the first two area real estate professionals with a Green Designation from the National Association of Realtors.
This is why Wagner is perfect for the dream green team representing Alma del Pueblo, the LEED certified, new concept housing space located next to the Santa Barbara Public Market.
With a focus on energy and environmental issues along with strategies for capitalizing on the growing green market, EcoBroker is a rigorous international designation program for licensed real estate professionals.
“As an EcoBroker, I assist clients in choosing properties that are aligned with their green principles, helping them save money and live comfortably through energy efficiency and environmentally-sensitive choices,” said Wagner, who has served on the Community Environmental Council board for the past several years.
Known for its stunning architecture and central downtown location, Alma del Pueblo’s biggest claim to fame may be its Platinum certification under the LEED for Homes rating system. LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) recognizes best in class building strategies and practices.
Alma del Pueblo’s certification includes increased building density, drought tolerant landscapes, energy efficient design and systems, indoor water conservation measures and outside education/outreach.
Working with Wagner to represent Alma del Pueblo are Village Properties real estate agents Emily Kellenberger, Pippa Davis and Tim Walsh. They may be reached at 805.845.4393.
Alma del Pueblo is located at 18 W. Victoria St. in downtown Santa Barbara.
— Jennifer Goddard Combs is a publicist representing Village Properties Realtors.
EnduroShield—a revolutionary, permanent* non-stick, invisible treatment for glass that repels water, grime, and dirt—protects the 223,890 square feet (20,800 square meters) of glass façade on the almost 860-foot tall Infinity Tower in Brisbane, Australia.
The Infinity Tower, the tallest tower in Brisbane and the third tallest skyscraper in Australia, was completed in 2014 by Karimbla Constructions (a division of Meriton Apartments). The uniquely designed tower contains 81 levels of commercial and serviced residential apartments. It is located in the heart of Brisbane's CBD in Queensland, Australia.
In addition to protecting the glass from the elements and reducing cleaning time, EnduroShield Protective Coating for Glass also shielded the glass against staining and etching from exposure to cement slurry, dirt and grime during construction.
“We used EnduroShield Professional coating on the Infinity Tower in Brisbane as our client wanted protection during the building process and long term easy clean benefits after construction,” said Steve Harrity, the Project Manager for Micos Group.
“The coating came into its own 20 stories up when there was a concrete spill which went over a large part of the façade,” Mr. Harrity said. “It was two days before the cleaning contractor could get to it, and they commented on how easy the concrete was to remove. Best of all, it hadn’t etched the glass, eliminating the need for any costly replacement.”
EnduroShield, chosen for the company’s high level of technical knowledge, experience and training, helped eliminate the costly and problematic need for glass replacement on the job site, according to Mr. Harrity.
The glass curtain wall factory applied EnduroShield after receiving training, consultation and implementation of a quality assurance procedure. The factory has now been certified and is authorized to provide the EnduroShield 10 Year Warranty.
After construction of the Infinity Tower, EnduroShield significantly reduced the risk of scratching, which often occurs when cleaning contractors try to remove stubborn concrete and debris from untreated glass with razor blades and abrasive cleaners.
ATTACHED PHOTO: EnduroShield protected the glass on Australia’s Infinity Tower during construction and, now that construction is finished, protects the glass from staining and etching.
*Based on 10 years of simulated normal use and certified by TÜV Rheinland, Germany.
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EnduroShield is a revolutionary permanent* non-stick, invisible coating for glass, ceramic and tile surfaces. By repelling water, soap scum, grime and dirt, the coating reduces cleaning time by up to 90 percent. EnduroShield can be used to treat glass, tile, grout, stainless steel and car windshields. The product is available in Home Depot stores in the United States and Canada. For more information, visit www.enduroshieldusa.com.
Kelly Marsh, branch manager of Broadview Mortgage in Santa Barbara, was named Affiliate of the Year for 2014 by the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors.
Marsh was chosen for her “exceptional contributions and service to our association members and the education committee” and her “time leadership and dedication to the membership and our community,” according to SBAOR.
“I am truly honored and humbled to be chosen for this distinction,” Marsh said after receiving the award this month.
A Santa Barbara native, Marsh has more than 17 years of experience in the mortgage industry. In the past 2½ years alone, she has closed more than $250 million in loans. She is committed to helping her clients navigate the most complex financial transaction — a home mortgage.
Earlier this year, Marsh was named one of the top mortgage originators in the United States by Scotsman Guide, an industry media resource. With a posted loan volume of almost $104.5 million in 2013, she ranked in the top 100 Mortgage Loan Originators List Nationwide. She was also included in the Origination News Top 40 Nationwide and ranked in the top 1 percent of all loan originators nationwide by Mortgage Executive Magazine.
Marsh believes clients are clients for life and continues to nurture relationships beyond the closing of the loan. She offers a range of specialized programs to clients, including Conventional, FHA, VA, Jumbo and more.
— Jennifer Goddard Combs is a publicist representing Broadview Mortgage.
Kelly Marsh of Broadview Mortgage receives the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors’ Affiliate of the Year Award for 2014 from John Chufar, broker associate at Sterling Properties. (Broadview Mortgage photo)
Inga Hartmann (left), owner of Old Wharf Trading Company, stands with the new store manager, Rina Mitchell.
Old Wharf Trading Company, a clothing and souvenir shop on Stearns Wharf, recently hired a new manager.
Rina Mitchell brings a wealth of managerial experience to Old Wharf Trading Company. Her previous experience includes managing clothing stores, movie theaters and other retail stores.
“Rina has been a wonderful addition to our staff,” said Inga Hartmann, who owns Old Wharf with her husband Patrick Hartmann.
Since joining the team, Ms. Mitchell has assisted in implementing a new software program which has streamlined the store’s re-ordering process, Mrs. Hartmann said.
“Old Wharf is a wonderful place to work,” Ms. Mitchell said. “People are always happy when they walk in here. They are usually on vacation and relaxed.”
As the economy continues to recover and the Hartmanns look toward the busier spring and summer seasons, they will start hiring additional staff, Mrs. Hartmann said.
Old Wharf Trading Company, which has been in business on Stearns Wharf for more than 30 years, features a wide variety of gifts and decorator items, clothing, toys, books and more. For more information, call 962-4118.
Dr. Judy Dean and Dr. Winnie Leung stand next to Pueblo Radiology’s digital 3D mammography imaging unit.
Since installing the only tomosynthesis (3D mammography) imaging unit in the Tri-Counties two years ago, Pueblo Radiology Medical Group recently tested its 4,000th patient using this state-of-the-art technology.
Tomosynthesis—which is a better form of mammography—improves accuracy in detecting breast disease while reducing the number of false positives and follow up examinations. The 3D images, as compared to the 2D images produced by conventional mammography, help radiologists evaluate the overlapping and complex structures of the breast, especially when there is dense breast tissue, according to Dr. Winifred Leung, medical director at Santa Barbara Women’s Imaging.
The other doctors at Santa Barbara Women’s Imaging—an affiliate practice of Pueblo Radiology—using this technology along with Dr. Leung are Dr. Judy C. Dean and Dr. Laurel Hansch.
“Large, multicenter trials performed in the United States and internationally have found that tomosynthesis reduces false positives by about 40 percent and increases the cancer detection rate by about 25 percent. Over the past two years, our Santa Barbara office has mirrored these findings.”
Tomosynthesis outperforms conventional mammography by allowing radiologists to see “slices” of the breast. In the 2D images produced by conventional mammography, overlapping breast tissue can simulate a mass or breast cancer. Seeing the thinner “slices” produced through tomosynthesis allows radiologists to see the breast more clearly, according to Dr. Leung.
“Just as digital mammography replaced film-screen mammography in the early 2000s. I foresee that tomosynthesis will replace digital mammography within the next 10 years.”
Santa Barbara Women’s Imaging’s tomosynthesis unit is one of the few units in the United States with the added “C-view” software enhancement, which reduces the x-ray dose for tomosynthesis to essentially the same level as a conventional 2D mammogram.
“Patient health and care is our priority,” said Dr. Leung. “By reducing the x-ray dose as much as possible and avoiding unnecessary imaging, we can help protect our patients.”
Pueblo Radiology of Santa Barbara is located at 2320 Bath Street, Suite 113. Santa Barbara Women’s imaging—an affiliate practice of Pueblo Radiology—is located at 1525 State Street, Suite 102 in Santa Barbara. To contact Santa Barbara Women’s Imaging, call 805-560-8111.
Miguel Flores—general manager at Moby Dick, a family-friendly restaurant on Stearns Wharf—celebrates 10 years at the ocean-front restaurant this year.
Mr. Flores grew up in Mexico City and came to San Jose as a teenager. He attended De Anza Community College and started working in restaurants as a bus boy. He moved to Santa Barbara on recommendation from a friend and got a job at Moby Dick after the same friend, who worked at the restaurant then, referred him. Mr. Flores started as a server.
“The minute I walked into the restaurant, I was in love,” Mr. Flores said. “It was early in the morning and still dark when I first walked in. When the sun rose, I said, ‘This is it. I don’t want to work anywhere else.’”
Now, 10 years later, Mr. Flores is general manager, managing more than 60 employees.
Under Mr. Flores’ leadership, Moby Dick has a re-vamped menu, with fewer, higher-quality options. All ingredients are local, purchased from The Berry Man, Inc., Jordano’s Foodservice, Harbor Meat & Seafood and the downtown farmer’s market, Mr. Flores said.
“Our business is better than ever,” Mr. Flores said. “We are breaking records.”
For more information, visit www.mobydicksb.com.
Sasha Ablitt, of Ablitt’s Fine Cleaners and Launderers, next to the company’s bailer machine, which compresses film plastic for pick up by Trex.
As part of its 5-year anniversary of going green, Ablitt’s Fine Cleaners and Launderers plans to switch out their lights in January 2015 to save energy and be more eco-friendly.
This is an extension of Ablitt’s already robust recycling program.
“I have always been a recycler,” said owner Sasha Ablitt, whose parents founded the dry cleaners in 1984. “It’s always been part of who I am.”
In 2010, Ms. Ablitt set up a partnership with Trex, the world’s largest manufacturer of wood-alternative decking products. Trex buys bails of film plastic (the thin plastic used to cover dry-cleaned clothes) from Ablitt’s and turns it into plastic flooring. Since Trex’s first pick up almost five years ago, Ablitt’s has recycled more than 5,000 pounds of plastic through Trex, Ms. Ablitt said.
In addition to the film plastic, Ablitt’s also has programs in place to recycle paper, textiles and hangers. The Ablitt family also donates clothes if they are left at the dry cleaners for more than a year.
Last year, Ablitt’s recycled 25 percent of its waste. This year, it recycled 75 percent, according to a Marborg report.
“I am so proud of my staff for embracing and contributing to our recycling programs,” Ms. Ablitt said.
R.W. Ziegler
Attorney and business consultant R.W. Ziegler has been named to the Santa Barbara Family YMCA Board of Directors.
“I was honored to be asked to be on the board of the YMCA, an institution with which I have been a member,” Mr. Ziegler said. “I admire the YMCA’s work in and contributions to the community and look forward to adding my contribution.”
The Santa Barbara Family YMCA—a largest branch of the Channel Islands YMCA—provides youth development, healthy living and social responsibility programs to men, women and children of all ages, races, religious beliefs, and economic status to develop and enrich the spirit, mind and body. The YMCA is located at 36 Hitchcock Way and 701 Haley Street in Santa Barbara.
Mr. Ziegler is the COO of Mesa Consulting LLC. Mesa’s services include helping to develop vision, strategy, marketing and business plans; facilitating succession and transition; implementing change management; facilitating organizational development; planning and reviewing compensation systems; conducting technology audits; selecting software and hardware and vendor selection; and overseeing implementation and training.
As a management and business consultant, he has lectured to such groups as the American Bar Association, Accountants Computer Users Technical Exchange, The Young Presidents’ Organization, Association of Legal Administrators and National Computer Conference.
Mr. Ziegler attended Carnegie-Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh majoring in mathematics and receiving a Bachelor of Science degree. He went on to complete graduate work in economics, business, and computer science at the University of Pittsburgh and earned his Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law.
He has tried more than 1,000 non-jury and 25 jury cases and has been a member of the American Bar Association, American Arbitration Association, American Management Association, and has been admitted to the courts of Pennsylvania and California as well as the federal districts courts there, the U.S. Tax Court, and the Supreme Court of the U.S.
In addition to his work with the YMCA, Mr. Ziegler also volunteers with Surgical Eye Expeditions International and Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation.
ProHealth’s Facebook page
Santa Barbara-based ProHealth, a nutritional supplement company dedicated to helping Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients, has reached 200,000 likes on Facebook—www.facebook.com/ProHealthInc.
Many of the 200,000 people following ProHealth’s page suffer from Fibromyalgia or know someone who does.
“Our whole philosophy—whether in business or on Facebook—is to help our people who suffer from Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,” said Rich Carson, founder of ProHealth, who was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 1981. “We want our followers to be encouraged, receive trustworthy advice and know they are not alone.”
“My personal philosophy about healthcare is that our illness doesn’t define us, we define it,” Mr. Carson added.
Fibromyalgia patients suffer from long-term, body-wide musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep problems, headaches and anxiety.
ProHealth’s Facebook page gives lifestyle, diet, physical movement and nutritional supplement advice and encouragement. While these don’t cure the disease, they empower patients’ bodies to deal with the disease naturally, Mr. Carson said.
For more information, visit www.prohealth.com.
EnduroShield will protect the glass on One World Trade Center’s spire from staining and etching.
EnduroShield—a revolutionary, permanent* non-stick, invisible treatment for glass that repels water, grime, and dirt—is protecting the spire of the newly open One World Trade Center.
The building, previously known as the Freedom Tower, reaches a symbolic 1,776 feet—commemorating the year the United States Declaration of Independence was signed—in part thanks to the 408-foot tall, 758-ton spire.
EnduroShield glass treatment was applied to the glass panels in the factory before they were installed into the spire’s steel frame structure. EnduroShield chemically bonds to the glass substrate, turning the glass into a high performance, hydrophobic and oleophobic surface, protecting the surface against staining and etching. The treatment also makes surfaces significantly easier to clean, reducing costs, and has a 10-year performance warranty. The spire will be used as a world-class broadcast antenna.
“We are honored that our product is helping protect part of such a symbolic and meaningful building,” said Adrian Ray, EnduroShield International Business Development Director.
In addition to commercial and industrial buildings, EnduroShield can also be used in homes for shower doors and windows, significantly cutting time spent cleaning. The consumer version, EnduroShield Home, is available at Home Depot stores across the country. For more information, visit www.enduroshieldusa.com.
*Based on 10 years of simulated normal use and certified by TÜV Rheinland, Germany.