Worth Noting in business: Amgen merchandise available, ID theft seminar and more
| Monday, Feb 22 2010 05:53 PM
Last Updated Monday, Feb 22 2010 05:56 PM
The Bakersfield Sports Foundation has announced that official 2010 Amgen Tour of California merchandise is available.
Paraphernalia for the professional cycling race includes vintage track jackets, long-sleeve T-shirts, retro mascot T-shirts and the official 2010 race T-shirt. The clothing line also includes the newly-designed 2010 Amgen Leader Jersey, 2010 Rabobank Best Young Rider Jersey, 2010 Breakaway from Cancer Most Courageous Rider Jersey and 2010 Herbalife Sprint Jersey.
Retailers selling the merchandise include Action Sports, Snider's Cyclery, Finish Line, Snead's Apparel, H. Walker's Clothing Co. and the Kern County Board of Trade.
The race is scheduled to conclude in northeast Bakersfield in May.
Kern Schools Federal Credit Union plans to host a free presentation Tuesday about how consumers can protect against online identity theft.
Titled "Protect Your Identity Online," the workshop is to feature a speech by Scott Whitten of Carney's Business Technology Center.
The presentation is set for 6-7:30 p.m. at the KSFCU Administration building, 9500 Ming Ave. Sign up by calling 833-7045, or go online at ksfcu.org.
E&B Natural Resources Management, a Bakersfield-based oil and gas production company, announced Monday that it has made an equity investment in Connecticut-based Green Earth Technologies Inc.
Green Earth makes and sells environmentally safe lubricants and appearance products, including an oil certified as having achieved "ultimate biodegradability" by the American Society of Testing Materials.
E&B, established in 1971, has operations in California, Louisiana, Texas and Wyoming. It produces the equivalent of about 5,000 barrels of oil daily.
Bakersfield Homeless Center has teamed up with the city of Bakersfield's Solid Waste Division to create entry-level jobs for 15 local homeless people.
The pre-screened and trained workers started Feb. 8 on a part-time basis sorting and removing non-biodegradable material from the division's green waste stream. They work at the city's green waste facility on South Mount Vernon Avenue.
The year-long program is designed to give participants experience and skills to find regular work and permanent housing.
The Bakersfield PODS franchise has donated the use of its mobile storage containers to help several local charitable organizations.
In December, Bakersfield Association of Retarded Citizens used donated PODS containers to process and package photographs at a community light display.
Other ways the donated containers have been used: Toys for Tots stored donations in them, and the Bakersfield Boys & Girls Club used them as flower and gift shops at fundraiser events. The Bakersfield Police Department set up PODS near the Famoso Raceway drag strip to store emergency supplies.
The Franchise Tax Board Monday announced that many of the state's taxpayers may have a completed tax return ready for review and to file, for free.
ReadyReturn uses wage and tax withholding data already provided by employers to complete taxpayers' returns. The program offers taxpayers the flexibility to accept the tax return as presented, change any information on the return, or disregard it for another way of filing. About 2 million California taxpayers qualify to use ReadyReturn.
Taxpayers can check to see if they qualify by visiting the Franchise Tax Board's website at ftb.ca.gov.
For taxpayers not eligible for ReadyReturn, the board offers CalFile, a free e-file program that accommodates more complicated tax filings and takes about 15 to 30 minutes to complete.
