Author: Community Contributor

Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Multilingual and Migrant Education Program (MMEP) held a Health and Wellness Drive-thru Fair

Nutrition knowledge and essential food help arrived for 150 Santa Maria Joint Union High School District families when the SMJUHSD Multilingual and Migrant Education Program (MMEP) held a Health and Wellness Drive-thru Fair at the Santa Maria High School student parking lot on Saturday, February 20.

MMEP along with community organizations from Mixteco Indigena Community Organization Project (MICOP), Community Health Centers (CHC), Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo (CAPSLO), Center for Employment Training (CET), and the Food Bank of Santa Barbara County offered families free information packets. Organization packets included information on health, dental, rental assistance, healthy food choices, COVID. Families also received hygiene kits, groceries/produce and pan dulce.

Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara announces Collectors Series | Christie’s x MCASB

Join us for the second installment of MCASB’s Collectors Series, a behind-the-scenes dive into the many facets of collecting art.

On Thursday, March 4, Vivian Brodie, Associate Vice President, Specialist, working in Private Sales at Christie’s in New York will lead a walkthrough and discussion of the Post-War to Present Day Sale. This exclusive walkthrough will offer an early glimpse of the exciting work on sale, including artists Elaine de Kooning, Ruth Asawa, Henry Taylor, Beatriz Milhazes, and Titus Kaphar, and will provide insight into how to work with an auction house.

Post-War to Present jumpstarts Christie’s Spring 2021 auction season in New York with artwork spanning the Post-War era to the most celebrated contemporary artists of today. Click here to read more about this event.

Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) — EDC Business Alert- Important PPP Updates

On Monday February 22nd, 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration and the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced steps the agency is taking with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to further promote equitable relief for America’s mom-and-pop businesses.

Please review the following changes to the Paycheck Protection Program:

Travis-Teague Appointed to Santa Barbara City Fire and Police Commission

Dianne Travis-Teague has been appointed to the Santa Barbara City Fire & Police Commission. She brings a wealth of knowledge and lived experience that will benefit the Commission at a time when the city is focusing efforts toward racial justice and equity.    

As Director of Alumni Relations for Pacifica Graduate Institute, Travis-Teague has created and maintained numerous pathways for alumni engagement. Her capabilities include project management, financial analysis, training, team building, mentoring, and creative brainstorming. Travis-Teague earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Marketing from Northwestern University in Illinois and also currently serves on the Board of Hospice of Santa Barbara.   

YMCA Branches Offering Kids’ Outdoor Enrichment Classes

Branches of the Southeast Ventura County YMCA are offering outdoor, in-person enrichment programs for preschoolers through age 11.
The Yarrow Family YMCA holds classes Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Preschoolers get moving with “Preschool Hip Hop” on Mondays and “Preschool Ballet” on Thursdays and Fridays. Storytime readings are from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Thursdays.

Parents looking for creative after-school enrichment classes for their 5 to 11-year-olds can sign them up for “Theater Games” on Mondays, and “Move And Groove” and “Beginning Hip Hop” on Thursdays.

Guest commentary — Family Law Attorney Maya Shulman Says Courts Are Not the Place to Be

Family law attorney Maya Shulman is used to hearing from clients who say they want an “aggressive” lawyer, someone they envision boldly striding into court and convincing a judge to rule in their favor.

Most often, Shulman tells them that’s a bad idea.

Courts are unpredictable and hard to navigate, even with a good lawyer by your side, she says. Divorce and custody proceedings can drag on for months, piling stress on clients and their children, and draining families financially. Even then, there are no guarantees that clients will get what they want in court, Shulman explains. Judges, like all humans, have blind spots, biases, and bad days. Taking a case to court means leaving critical, life-impacting decisions to the whim of a judge, and losing control over the outcome, the attorney says.

February News from People’s Self-Help Housing

Even with the challenges of the pandemic, students at our learning centers are working hard and excelling! Recent reporting from our educators have shown that 3rd graders participating in our Camino Scholars program are doing 35% better in reading and 48% better in math, compared to their peers!

Bilingual report — County of Ventura COVID-19 Update for Feb. 23

Sitas de vacunación COVID-19 disponibles para Fase 1A, Trabajadores de Cuidado de Salud y personas de 65 años y mayores. Prueba de sector o identificación verificando la edad son requeridos en la cita de vacunación. Las citas de vacunaciones son para las personas que viven o trabajan en el Condado de Ventura.

1)     Registrarse en línea www.venturacountyrecovers.org/vaccine-information-sp/portal-sp/
2)     Los que tengan acceso limitada a una computadora/internet pueden llamar a la línea de registración 805-477-7161. Esta línea telefónica está abierta de lunes a viernes de 8:00-5:00.

Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) — Free Webinar Schedule

THE FUTURE OF TRADE- INTERNET TRADE FINANCE: EUCP & EURC

February 25 @ 10:00 am

Presenters John Dunlop, ITFGlobal Limited, and Simona Racek, EDC SBDC advisor, will discuss important information about trade finance documentary letters of credit that have gone digital and the new guidelines that were issued by the International Chamber of Commerce to supplement the UCP 600 for credits and URC 522 or collections, which have sped up collection time and will improve your cash flow.

More Elementary Schools Permitted to Reopen as Educator Vaccinations are Set to Begin

Ventura County has reached a COVID-19 case rate that allows all elementary schools to resume in-person instruction as early as today if they choose to do so and have taken required safety measures. At the same time, the County of Ventura will begin vaccinating teachers starting next Monday. “These two developments are encouraging steps in the effort to safely bring more students and teachers back to the classroom,” said Dr. Cesar Morales, Deputy Superintendent for the Ventura County Office of Education.

Guest commentary — Reevaluating Your Retail Business Security Measures During Next Phase of COVID-19 Pandemic

Almost a year into the COVID-19 shutdown, retail businesses must continually reevaluate their security needs as pandemic restrictions and public behavior change, says Access Patrol Services (APS), a security guard company serving California and Arizona.

“What worked early on in the pandemic may not make sense now,” says Fahim Abid, APS security director. “A strong retail security plan needs to have a two pronged approach—one, to ensure that safety and health procedures are followed by employees and the public, and two, that customers, employees and property are not subject to increasing criminal behavior.”

Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) — State Aid for Businesses, Individuals and Families Impacted by COVID-19

On February 17, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom reached an agreement on a package of immediate actions that will speed needed relief to individuals, families and businesses facing significant economic hardship from the COVID-19 Recession. The items detailed below are a part of the Immediate Action Agreement. Please note that many details on how these resources will be rolled out are still being developed.

Bilingual report — County of Ventura COVID-19 Update for Feb. 22 — COVID-19 Vaccine Information

More vaccine appointments are now available for those 65 or older or in health care. Please make your appointment by visiting www.venturacountyrecovers.org/vaccine-information/portal/.

If you have limited internet access you can also call the registration hotline at 805-477-7161. The phone line is staffed M-F 8-5. Appointments are set aside for both online registration and the phone line.

Magana Education and the Ventura County Office of Education Announce New CyberLeader Lab

Breakthrough, peer-reviewed research from Dr. Sonny Magana was shown to double student learning productivity regardless of grade band or content area. The Ventura County Office of Education has partnered with Magana Education to expand their highly successful CyberTeacher training system with the new CyberLeader Lab.

Bilingual report — A Threat to California Citrus

California is one of the nation’s leading providers of fresh citrus fruit, including oranges, mandarins and lemons. The California citrus industry is worth $3.4 billion and provides 22,000 jobs. However, our backyard citrus trees and the citrus industry as a whole are currently under threat by a devastating disease called Huanglongbing (HLB). 

VCCCD Issues Statement Regarding Video of Faculty Member. Please see related stories

The Ventura County Community College District is deeply troubled by the behavior seen in a video posted on social media by students on Feb. 18, showing an interaction between a student who is hard-of-hearing and an Oxnard College faculty member. 

“The Ventura County Community College District is opposed to any language or behavior which is offensive or harmful to anyone based on gender, ethnicity, religion, sex orientation, age or disability,” stated Board Chair Joshua Chancer. “Comments in the video do not reflect the District’s values of integrity and honesty in action and word, respect and the constant pursuit of excellence.”

CLU School of Management Community Newsletter

Even in these unusual times, California Lutheran University’s School of Management continues to provide a stimulating environment for our learners and the community around us. Today, we are once again happy to share a selection of exciting news, updates, and upcoming events to our communities in Southern California and beyond.

If you want to stay current on what is going on at the School of Management, please follow our Showcase page on LinkedIn.
 

Actualización de la vacuna COVID-19

¡Nuestros héroes usan máscaras! ¡Gracias especiales a nuestro equipo de Servicios Ambientales por su dedicación a nuestros hospitales durante la respuesta al COVID-19 y durante todo el año! Estas personas excepcionales trabajan 24/7 detrás de las escenas proveyendo apoyo crítico para las operaciones. Estamos muy agradecidos por su servicio.

Bilingual report — Call for Partners to Connect Struggling Tenants and Small Property Owners with the California Emergency Rental Assistance Program

The State of California is launching an Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) to aid income-qualified tenants most at risk of eviction due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is calling on community-based organizations to sign up as partners to reach out to those who qualify.

In Ventura County, $52.2 million has been designated to assist households affected by COVID-19, with priority on those below the area median income and recently unemployed.

Santa Maria HS FCCLA take part in Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) during FCCLA Week

 The Santa Maria High School FCCLA recently joined more than 182,000 members across the nation in raising awareness of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America and advocating for Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) during FCCLA Week.

Held annually during the second week of February in conjunction with Career and Technical Education Month, FCCLA Week celebrates the accomplishments of FCCLA and the positive impact FCS has on our society, according to Saint Teacher and Advisor Nicki Pedeliski.

Timely Vaccines Going Strong at GranVida

Carpinteria’s only senior living and memory care community, GranVida, can rest easier, as almost all of their staff and residents received their final vaccinations.

Management has expressed deep gratitude to the residents for adhering to vaccination schedules, and for staff and residents’ immediate cooperation with COVID-19 protocols. 

Bilingual commentary — Relationships in the Age of Covid

“Ok, fine, but I go wherever I want and don’t worry about anything. In fact, I don’t believe what the scientists say about the coronavirus.”

This was more or less the response I got from a family relative who wanted me to go into Los Angeles, the global epicenter of COVID-19 at the time, to meet with her. She had arrived from out of town. We hadn’t seen each other in years. This would have been our big chance to reconnect, but I couldn’t bring myself to contravene the health guidelines that the health authorities have been pounding into our heads for the past year—guidelines, by the way, that have made perfect sense to me.

LULAC — Please Help Us Rush Assistance To The Worst Affected Areas Of Texas

The situation in Texas is dire. Dozens of people have died and countless more have been hospitalized for treatment from hypothermia and other effects of freezing weather. Electric power for millions has been knocked out. This has left people trapped in their homes without power for heating or a way to cook meals. Major water supplies have gone dry as sources and pipelines have frozen. The situation has led to alerts for residents to boil all remaining drinking water. Seniors are at especially high risk, along with patients operating medical equipment at home and are now using portable generators. Many food stores and gas stations are unable to meet the demand for essential items or fuel.

Please help us rush assistance to the worst affected areas of Texas. Donate what you can and ask others to do the same.

SBCC Vocational Nursing program ranked in Top 10 in western U.S.

After closely evaluating 423 Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) programs across the western United States, NursingProcess.org has ranked Santa Barbara City College’s Vocational Nursing program No. 10 for 2021. Programs were ranked based on four important factors: National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN) pass rates, academic quality, the nursing school’s reputation, and affordability.

SBCC’s three-semester Vocational Nursing program prepares students to practice as competent, compassionate and ethical Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs) in homes, clinics, extended care, sub-acute care units, surgery centers, and hospices. Classroom and laboratory courses include the foundation of nursing practice, nutrition and care for patients with gastrointestinal problems, administration of therapeutic agents, maternal and child nursing, pharmacology and medical-surgical nursing.

Bilingual report — County of Ventura COVID-19 Update for Feb. 18 — Vaccine Update

More vaccine appointments are now available for those 65 or older or in health care. Please make your appointment by visiting www.venturacountyrecovers.org/vaccine-information/portal/ or by calling 805-477-7161.

Frequently Asked Question: How do I get my 2nd dose appointment?

After receiving your first dose, you will become eligible for your second dose after a waiting period of 21 days if you received Pfizer and 28 days if you received Moderna.

You do not need to receive your second dose on the exact date you become eligible. You have a window of 6 weeks from getting your first dose to receive your second dose. Please do not schedule your second dose earlier than recommended. Refer to your vaccination card, which will list the date you received your first dose.

Bennett, Rivas and Limon introduce Farmworker Resource Center legislation

Assemblymembers Steve Bennett (D-Ventura), Robert Rivas (D-Holister) and Senator Monique Limon (D-Santa Barbara), introduced legislation today to establish a state-wide grant program for counties to create farmworker resource centers.

“The Covid pandemic demonstrated how valuable it was to have county employees who have developed trusted relationships with this important community,” said Assemblymember Bennett, “and the agriculture industry and the State of California need farmworkers who feel valued respected and supported.  There are so many things for low-income non-native speakers to navigate.  The Farmworker Resource program can help them tremendously.”

Ventura County Board of Supervisors Approves Four New Workforce Development Board Members

VENTURA COUNTY — Over the past year, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors approved the recommendation from the Workforce Development Board (WDB) to appoint four new WDB board members. Each will serve a three-year term. New member Shaffiq Rahim is…

Bilingual report — Alexander Hamilton appointed Oxnard’s Fire Chief

City Manager Alexander Nguyen has appointed Alexander Hamilton as Fire Chief, effective February 20, 2021. Hamilton has served as the Interim Fire Chief for the City following the retirement of Chief Darwin Base on August 31.

“Alex has thrived in the Interim Chief role, and I have faith in his ability to modernize fire services and enhance the fire department’s role protecting the safety of our community,” said City Manager Alexander Nguyen.

Bilingual report — More Than $13 Million in Rental and Utility Assistance Funds Made Available by the County of Santa Barbara through United Way of Santa Barbara County

United Way of Santa Barbara County (UWSBC) has more than $13 million in rental and utility assistance funds generously allocated by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors for eligible County of Santa Barbara residents, that have experienced a loss of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This Emergency Rent Assistance Program is intended to prevent homelessness by providing rent assistance to residents who can demonstrate the need for rental support. 

Four Pioneer Valley High School Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) taking part in annual annual FCCLA competitions

Four PVHS Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) members are competing in this year’s annual FCCLA competitions, with hopes they will place at region and move on to the state level where scholarships, prizes and awards can be earned.

Once students created their projects and the supplemental materials, they had to record a video of themselves as if they were presenting to a panel of judges. Results will be shared during this year’s virtual State Leadership Meeting in March.

United Way of Ventura County — ‘Giving our children the smiles they deserve’ and more news

February is National Children’s Dental Health month. Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease and unmet need of children in California. More than 50% of California’s kindergartners have a history of dental decay. Nearly 25% of California’s children, ages 0-11, have never been to a dentist. When children don’t get the care they need, there are costs to taxpayers and families – the cost of emergency room visits for preventable dental problems and missed school days resulting in a loss of attendance-based school district funding.

Through the Building Healthy Smiles Initiative, United Way and its partners work to reduce dental disease in Ventura County through education, care coordination, and advocacy. Our goal is to eliminate untreated tooth decay for children in Ventura County. Pre-pandemic, over 2,500 children received oral health assessments in 2019 alone.

Bilingual report — County of Ventura COVID-19 Update for Feb. 17 — Vaccine Update

Frequently Asked Question: How do I get my 2nd dose appointment?

After receiving your first dose, you will become eligible for your second dose after a waiting period of 21 days if you received Pfizer and 28 days if you received Moderna.

You do not need to receive your second dose on the exact date you become eligible. You have a window of 6 weeks from getting your first dose to receive your second dose. Please do not schedule your second dose earlier than recommended. Refer to your vaccination card, which will list the date you received your first dose.

There are three ways to secure a 2nd dose appointment:

Bennett introduces legislation to provide remote access to courts

Newly elected Assemblymember Steve Bennett (D-Ventura) introduced legislation today to modernize open court proceedings by requiring courts to provide remote access for the public and media.

AB 716 strikes a balance between meaningful access and court flexibility, without limiting a judge’s ability to hold closed proceedings. The bill would require courts to provide the public and the media with remote access to hearings, via internet or telephonic services, during open court proceedings.

Improving COVID-19 Case Rates Could Soon Allow More Elementary Schools to Reopen

Declining COVID-19 case rates could soon remove a roadblock that has been preventing some Ventura County elementary schools from reopening for in-person instruction. Several local school districts already reopened their elementary schools when Ventura County was in the red tier on the state’s coronavirus watch list or by receiving waivers while the County is in the more restrictive purple tier.

Channel Islands Maritime Museum Sponsors Whale Coloring Page Contest as Part of its Ongoing 30th Anniversary Celebrations

The Channel Islands Maritime Museum (CIMM) is happy to announce its March activity in celebration of its 30th anniversary year. Local artist Brett Bednorz has created a wonderful whale “totem” coloring page for the Museum in honor of the magnificent animals that are so often seen off the local coast. Coloring contest participants are invited to let their creativity and imagination run wild. There will be four age categories, Adults? 18 years and up, Teens ? 13?17 years, Kids – 7?12 years, and Kids ? 6 years and under. One coloring winner will be selected in each age group.

Santa Maria High School breaks ground on new classroom/administration building

The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Board of Education and district officials on Feb. 16 held a groundbreaking for the Santa Maria High School 50 classroom/administration building that is projected to be completed in April 2023.

The new building will help ease the congestion on Camino Colegio, that small dead-end street, now the front entrance. It will also create permanent classrooms and eliminate nearly all portable classrooms.

Santa Maria High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) members shine at the Virtual Gold Coast Section Competitive Event Conference

Fourteen Santa Maria High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) members recently shined at the Virtual Gold Coast Section Competitive Event Conference.

The students participated in various business & financial, entrepreneurship and software systems development career paths to qualify for the FBLA State Leadership Conference in April. The Saints Zoomed through the exams in professional business attire and captured several top awards.

Bilingual report — County of Ventura COVID-19 Update

Vaccine Update – now open to 65 and older. Appointments open weekly.

Vaccines are in limited supply throughout the State of California. Appointments are full at this time. The current phase in Ventura County is Phase 1A: Healthcare workers, long-term care residents and now 65 and older.

Appointments are limited because of the limited supply of vaccines. It will take time to secure an appointment if you are in the current phase. The County of Ventura wants you to have a vaccine and is advocating for more vaccines.

Once more appointments open a message will be sent. At that time, community members who are eligible to be vaccinated may:

1) Register online www.venturacountyrecovers.org/vaccine-information/portal/.
2) Those with limited computer/internet access may call the phone registration line at 805-477-7161. The phone line is open Monday through Friday 8:00-5:00.

VCCCD Receives Statewide CISOA Technology Excellence Team Award

When the COVID-19 pandemic required Ventura County Community College District’s employees to transition to remote work in March, the District’s information technology team faced a challenge. They needed to provide over 500 employees with an immediate, reliable secure process for accessing their core applications and files. A transition process that historically would take six to 10 weeks, the IT team did in 10 days. They accomplished this feat by evaluating, selecting and implementing Amazon AppStream 2.0, a fully managed application and desktop streaming service built on Amazon Web Services.

Studies show CSUCI’s early shift to virtual instruction helped prevent further COVID infections in the county 

Two national studies about college campuses and COVID-19 suggest that the California State University’s (CSU) early decision to pivot all 23 of the CSU campuses to virtual instruction went a long way toward keeping communities safer throughout the state. 

“Both reports carried a similar message that campuses can be super-spreaders of the virus,” said Vice Chair of the CSUCI Academic Senate and Professor of Mathematics Jason Miller, Ph.D., who reviewed the two studies and extrapolated the results for CSUCI. 

Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Limited Vaccines Available for 65+ Starting Tuesday & More Mask Guidance

Residents of Santa Barbara County who are age 65 and older will be eligible to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine beginning Tuesday, February 16, 2021. This expanded eligibility means that local health care providers, pharmacies, hospitals, and Public Health vaccination sites can open appointments to those 65+ once vaccines become available to them. Vaccine supplies are still very limited and health care providers are simultaneously ensuring those that received a first dose will also be able to receive a second dose.

LEON surprises seniors with gifts, Valentine’s Day message

Yesterday, the Latino Elder Outreach Network (LEON) surprised 400 isolated seniors in Goleta, Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Isla Visa, Santa Maria, and Lompoc with goodie bags and Valentine’s Day cards to share a message of support during the pandemic.  LEON is exploring the expansion of its network to North County and used the opportunity to introduce itself to seniors and organizations in Lompoc and Santa Maria.

Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) — Free Weekly Webinar Schedule

The Economic Development Collaborative encourages you to sign up for our no-cost webinars. Space is limited. Register today!

COVID-19 Business Resources – EIDL, PPP, UI and Grants

Alternating Wednesdays & Fridays @ 12:00 pm
Next Webinar: February 19, 2021

The EDC invites you to join our webinar series on alternative Wednesdays and Fridays at 12:00 pm to answer questions about EIDL, PPP, UI, Grants and all currently available COVID-19 related business resources. Please register in advance. Space is limited.

Ventura County Civic Alliance — Livable Communities Newsletter

Welcome to Our Winter 2021 Livable Communities Newsletter

As we recognized last quarter, COVID-19 is not only still with us, but it also casts a shadow over everything we think we know, including our understanding of the 3 Es that are the foundation of the Ventura County Civic Alliance: Economy, Environment, and Equity.  
 
Therefore, it is still fitting that this quarter’s Livable Communities Newsletter explores different aspects of the 3 Es and Livable Communities in a COVID-19 world

Santa Paula Art Museum — A Small Surprise

Happy Valentine’s Day to You and Happy Anniversary to Us

We’ve said it before, but we find it so fitting that the Museum’s anniversary falls on Valentine’s Day–because we are so in love with this place! It has been eleven years since the doors of the Santa Paula Art Museum first opened, and we have only our supporters to thank for each and every year. Thank you for helping us to build and sustain a place where we can share our love–for the arts, for learning, and for our community.

This year, artist Anette Power is helping us to celebrate the Museum’s anniversary with a special addition to her recently unveiled virtual exhibit Silver Linings: Journey of Light. Scroll down for a small surprise!