Celebrating both a 40th and 50th year business anniversary, Gary Garaventa is enjoying the sweet smell of success.

It’s easy being green for Alonso Corona. 

The other day I read an article on Wired.com about a young freelance writer in San Francisco who’d taken it upon himself to see how well he could make everyone aware, in real time, exactly where he was within 10 meters using only his iPhone.

Piccolino’s Italian Café, in the Napa Town Center at First and Franklin streets for the past 12 years, has added a full cocktail bar and brewery. The lounge features a 35-foot hand-painted bar, a fireplace and a glass wall opening to an outdoor patio.

The other day, I noticed a storefront banner in tall, capital letters proclaiming, “WE’RE GOING GREEN!” The sign included the image of a Costa Rican tree frog, a familiar rain-forest icon, putting a cute face on a vague pronouncement.

Dear Len & Rosie, My husband of 30 years recently passed away without a will. Our home is in joint tenancy, so I know that an affidavit of death of joint tenant should be recorded with the county recorder. Our cars were titled in both our names, and all our bank accounts were also joint tenancies. Other than a small IRA, of which I am listed as the beneficiary, everything was in both of our names. As I see it, all of our assets now will pass to me and there is simply no estate to probate. Or am I over-simplifying things?

There is an old adage on Wall Street that says, “Nobody rings a bell at the bottom of a bear market.”  Economists and market forecasters use many indicators to assist them in the determination of whether we are at or near the bottom.