Author: Community Contributor

SBCC to begin Fall 2020 fully online

by Community Contributor • July 28, 2020 • Comments Off

Superintendent/President of Santa Barbara City College Dr. Utpal K. Goswami announced an update regarding plans for the Fall 2020 semester. Given current community conditions, classes will start fully online.

Initial plans for the Fall semester considered offering the majority of courses online, with a small percentage of classes conducted face-to-face. The College has been working diligently on those plans for several months. However, since Santa Barbara County has been on the State of California’s Monitoring List since June 6, 2020, SBCC has had to reassess its plans.

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for July 28 — Vitalant is collecting plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19

by Community Contributor • July 28, 2020 • Comments Off

Vitalant is collecting plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19.

To be eligible, you must have:

A prior laboratory diagnosis of COVID-19, either by a positive swab test OR a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies requested by your health care provider
Complete resolution of symptoms for at least 28 days
All other donor eligibility for an automated plasma donation
Learn more at: https://www.vitalant.org/covidfree

Bilingual report — County of Ventura to Expand Crisis Treatment Unit and Inpatient Psychiatric Unit Beds

by Community Contributor • July 28, 2020 • Comments Off

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors has approved the addition of ten mental health nurses in this year’s Health Care Agency budget. These nurses are a critical component of Ventura County Medical Center’s plan to expand the Hillmont Inpatient Psychiatric Unit from 30 to 36 beds.

“Expansion of inpatient and crisis stabilization services is a demonstration of the County’s belief that mental health care is an essential component of complete health. These expanded services will enable the County to increase capacity to provide care to individuals who are often in their most critical time of need. We recognize that this is one of many steps ahead and the County will continue to work with our local health providers, state and federal sources to continue to expand services in this vital area of healthcare,” said County Executive Officer Mike Powers.

CEC Launches Solarize Santa Barbara with Webinar on Solar and Battery Storage

by Community Contributor • July 28, 2020 • Comments Off

The Community Environmental Council (CEC) announced the launch of this year’s Solarize Santa Barbara – a community-led, group purchasing program for solar and battery storage systems open to residents of Southern Santa Barbara County from July 28 – October 31. CEC’s 2020 program is offered in partnership with the cities of Santa Barbara, Goleta and Carpinteria, and the County of Santa Barbara.

Bilingual report — Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Online Meal Program Application & Cafeteria Pre-Pay

by Community Contributor • July 28, 2020 • Comments Off

The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District announces its policy to serve nutritious meals every school day under The National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. Effective July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, children are eligible for free or reduced-price meals if the household income is less than or equal to the federal guidelines.

Hospice of Santa Barbara Brings McDonalds, iPads and Games to Elderly at Casa Naomi

by Community Contributor • July 28, 2020 • Comments Off

Since the start of COVID-19, with prolonged closures of businesses and isolation of senior care facilities, Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB) has done outreach within the Santa Barbara community and discovered a shortage of support at Casa Naomi – a residential care facility with four homes in Santa Barbara serving developmentally delayed seniors.

Since the residents have been quarantined with the rest of the world since March, they have been in need of mental stimulation and emotional support. Jeanne M. West, HSB Community Engagement Manager saw an opportunity to help.

VCPWA Encourages El Rio Residents to Fill Out Survey for Essential Community Projects

by Community Contributor • July 28, 2020 • Comments Off

The Ventura County Public Works Agency, Roads & Transportation (VCPWA-RT), which is responsible for maintaining roadways and safety within the county road right-of-way, needs feedback from the El Rio community to secure Active Transportation Program?funding from the State of California.

These funds support projects that encourage active transportation which includes biking, walking, and safe access to public transportation (buses and trains), sidewalks for safer walking and biking as well as to build facilities that reduce greenhouse gases.

UCSB — The Current — Starve the Cancer

by Community Contributor • July 28, 2020 • Comments Off

A newly detected cancer metabolic pathway could be a valuable target for therapy.
Read More ?

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for July 27 — Register Your Business to be in Compliance

by Community Contributor • July 27, 2020 • Comments Off

All businesses in the County of Ventura are required to register at www.vcreopens.com. Even if your business never had to close during the pandemic you must register. There is no cost to register.

United Way of Santa Barbara County Delivers Impactful Virtual Fun in the Sun Program in Light of COVID-19

by Community Contributor • July 27, 2020 • Comments Off

Thanks to the generosity of over 50 funding partners and service delivery partners, United Way of Santa Barbara County’s (UWSBC) Fun in the Sun program has the capacity to support up to 350 children and families this year through a virtual format in light of COVID-19. Seven virtual sites are serving students from Carpinteria Unified School District, Santa Barbara Unified School District (4 school sites instead of its usual 2 school sites), Goleta Union School District, and school districts throughout the Santa Ynez Valley.

Doctors Without Walls – Santa Barbara Street Medicine Nationally Recognized for Supporting the Safety Net

by Community Contributor • July 27, 2020 • Comments Off

Doctors Without Walls – Santa Barbara Street Medicine (DWW–SBSM) has been nationally recognized for its healthcare efforts to benefit the homeless in the Santa Barbara community. Nominated by local Medi-Cal managed care plan CenCal Health, DWW–SBSM received an honorable mention from The Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP) at its fifteenth annual Supporting the Safety Net Award program held last month. The earned recognition honors community organizations and individuals nationwide that exceed expectations for care by implementing health programs to benefit underserved populations.

Teatro de las Américas’ ‘Pláticas on Wednesday’ with actor/director James Donlon to be held July 28

by Community Contributor • July 27, 2020 • Comments Off

James Donlon: actor, director, and playwright presenting his original performance work internationally for 5 decades. Film coach to Oscar winners.
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Pre-registration required, no fees
Sign up now, send email to info@teatrodelasamericas.org

Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Let’s Get Out of this Together

by Community Contributor • July 27, 2020 • Comments Off

America, and even our community, is very divided on how to respond to the strange times we are in. However, we must be united in concern about the futures of our children and grandchildren, preserving lives, and saving as many jobs and people from poverty.

How can we do all that?

SMILE! Free Professional Headshots by Christian Ramirez at OPAC on Aug. 6

by Community Contributor • July 24, 2020 • Comments Off

The Oxnard Performing Arts Center Corporation (OPAC) is teaming up with Oxnard photographer and filmmaker Christian Ramirez of Mezz Studio to offer a day of free professional headshots for those on the jobseeking trail. The event is scheduled for Thursday, August 6 from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm.

A professional headshot plays an important role in creating a positive first impression and can be used in many ways: email accounts, email signatures, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, personal websites, portfolios, guest blogs, resumes, and more. Sixty percent of employers research job candidates via social media and OPAC wants to ensure that community members who have lost work due to COVID-19 are supported and equipped in their career search.

Bilingual commentary — Racism in Oxnard’s Past, Part III

by Community Contributor • July 24, 2020 • Comments Off

Last week we rummaged through Oxnard’s past and found some interesting and unsettling history regarding the former Colonial House restaurant and motel complex in the city’s downtown. The ambiance had been designed to invoke the feeling of the “Old South,” as if people were visiting a Southern plantation, with all that that implied.

Guest commentary — The Oxnard Civil “Gang” Injunction is Officially Dead; A Victory for the People and the Constitution

by Community Contributor • July 24, 2020 • Comments Off

In a new release by the VC Star is was reported on Tuesday, July 21, 2021 that the, “Oxnard Police Department Will Work With District Attorney’s Office to Vacate Civil Gang Injunctions”

2020 Census Caravan to Parade Through Guadalupe, Rally Residents

by Community Contributor • July 24, 2020 • Comments Off

The Little House By The Park and the Guadalupe Community Changers will lead a 2020 Census Car Caravan on Saturday, July 25, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. to rally residents to complete the census. More than one dozen vehicles will participate in the caravan, including cars from the Guadalupe Fire Department, Catholic Charities, Dignity Health, Mechanics Bank, and City Council member Liliana Cardenas. Residents are invited come out and cheer on the caravan, and then attend a Census Clinic at the Little House By The Park, at 4681 11th Street, from 2 to 5 p.m., where they can complete the 2020 Census questionnaire.

July News from Peoples’ Self-Help Housing — Building Together Book Now for Sale!

by Community Contributor • July 24, 2020 • Comments Off

Amidst COVID-19, PSHH’s educators have been working tirelessly to support students and families with the transition to distance learning. Educators have helped families obtain free internet access, secured chromebooks and laptops, taught internet navigation skills, facilitated meetings with school districts, delivered hundreds of free school meals, provided school supplies, and so much more!

During these months, we added 96 new students to our learning centers, raising our enrollment from 274 to 370 students – a 35% increase!

Santa Maria Joint Union High School District adopts action plan for the safe reopening of schools

by Community Contributor • July 24, 2020 • Comments Off

The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Board of Education adopted an action plan for the safe reopening of schools during a special meeting Thursday night, clearing the way for distance learning instruction to begin August 17.

The decision gives the district flexibility and the use of three models: distance learning, hybrid (only part of the students on campuses at one time), and traditional (full-time in-person) depending on the changing conditions and risks of the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan is available at www.smjuhsd.k12.ca.us.

For Whom the Bell Tolls: COVID-19 Death Patterns in California

by Community Contributor • July 24, 2020 • Comments Off

Report no.7 of UCLA’s Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture addresses the effects of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on Latino communities. As of July 8, 2020, a total of 6,519 people in California had died due to COVID-19?associated conditions. These deaths did not occur randomly in the state’s population. Rather, they occurred more in some racial/ethnic (R/E) populations than in others.

Museum of Ventura County — Uncovering Black History in Ventura + People, Art, and Ice Cream

by Community Contributor • July 23, 2020 • Comments Off

Welcome to the finale episode of Season 1 “MVC Insider.”
Chief Curator Anna Bermudez, is joined by Government Archivist Amber de la Cruz as they discuss black voices in Ventura County’s past and present.

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for July 23

by Community Contributor • July 23, 2020 • Comments Off

Here is your COVID-19 update for the County of Ventura.

107 new cases

6,156 total cases

1,641 new people tested

3,360 recovered cases

88 hospitalized

18 current ICU

2,733 active cases under quarantine

63 deaths

100,289 total people tested

County of Ventura Board of Supervisors approves executive position to promote diversity and inclusion in County workforce and hears report from Diversity and Inclusion Task Force

by Community Contributor • July 23, 2020 • Comments Off

VENTURA — On Tuesday, July 21, the Board of Supervisors received a report from the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force and approved the creation of a full-time executive position for a Diversity and Inclusion Officer. The position, which will operate…

UCSB — The Current — A COVID State of Mind

by Community Contributor • July 23, 2020 • Comments Off

A doctoral candidate who has studied mental health amid the pandemic offers insights into coping strategies.
Read More ?

National Science Foundation grant will enable CSUCI anthropologist to research more than 10,000 years of human history on the Channel Islands

by Community Contributor • July 22, 2020 • Comments Off

CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Professor of Anthropology Jennifer Perry, Ph.D., has been awarded $57,806 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to expand her research into those who lived on California’s Channel Islands for the last 10,000+ years.

“We’re looking at human-environment interactions through time, trying to understand how people lived on the Channel Islands,” Perry explained. “What we are looking at are archaeological sites along the channel that have evidence of human occupation over the past 10,000 years or more. From plants and animals and artifacts, we can look at change through time, such as changes in climate, and how people responded to that change.”

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for July 22

by Community Contributor • July 22, 2020 • Comments Off

Here’s your County of Ventura COVID – 19 update:

94 new cases

6,049 total cases

1,524 new people tested

3,100 recovered cases

90 hospitalized

22 current ICU

2,886 active cases under quarantine

63 deaths (1 additional death – 84 year old female with comorbidity)

98,648 total people tested

Close to $4 million Raised for Santa Barbara County through COVID-19 Joint Response Effort Led by United Way of Santa Barbara County, Santa Barbara Foundation and Hutton Parker Foundation

by Community Contributor • July 21, 2020 • Comments Off

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, monies raised for the COVID-19 Joint Response Effort to support Santa Barbara County are still available to help individuals and families, as well as the nonprofits serving them, during this time of crisis. Those still in need of financial assistance are encouraged to apply for funding as soon as possible.

“United Way and its lead partners deeply appreciate our community’s trust in this collaborative effort as we get these funds into the hands of individuals and organizations that desperately need financial support,” said Steve Ortiz, CEO and President of the United Way of Santa Barbara County.

UCSB — The Current — Managing the Complex

by Community Contributor • July 21, 2020 • Comments Off

The Bren School announces a master’s degree program in environmental data science.
Read More ?

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for July 21

by Community Contributor • July 21, 2020 • Comments Off

Here is your COVID-19 update from the County of Ventura.

207 new cases

5,955 total cases

1,519 new people tested

3,000 recovered cases

94 hospitalizations

24 in the ICU

62 deaths (4 additional deaths – 79 year-old female with no comorbidity; and a 73 year-old male, an 82 year-old male, and a 98 year-old male – all with comorbidities)

2,893 active cases under quarantine

97,124 total people tested

Oxnard College offers English as a Second Language Classes 100% online

by Community Contributor • July 20, 2020 • Comments Off

Registration for ESL classes are open for the fall semester 2020 at Oxnard College. Credit and non-credit classes start August 24 and will be delivered online with flexible morning and afternoon schedules.

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for July 20 — Food Share Pop-Up Pantry Schedule for the Week of 7/20

by Community Contributor • July 20, 2020 • Comments Off

7/20 3pm Ventura County Fairgrounds, 10 W. Harbor Blvd., Ventura

7/20 12pm St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 185 St. Thomas Drive, Ojai

7/21 5pm Food Share of Ventura County, 4156 Southbank Rd., Oxnard

7/22 3pm College Park, 3250 S. Rose Ave., Oxnard

7/23 3pm Conejo Creek South, 1300 Janss Rd., Thousand Oaks

7/24 3pm Harding Park, 1330 E. Harvard Blvd., Santa Paula

7/25 12:30pm Ruben Castro Charities, Career Education Center, 5700 Condor Dr., Moorpark

CSUCI graduate heads to Ireland as a Fulbright Scholar

by Community Contributor • July 20, 2020 • Comments Off

CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Applied Physics and Mathematics double major Carmen Stepek will be pursing her doctorate in neuro-physics on the Emerald Isle as a Fulbright scholar.

The Class of 2020 graduate will attend the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) under the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

All Ventura County Schools to Begin New Year with Only Distance Learning

by Community Contributor • July 20, 2020 • Comments Off

Following the release of new state guidelines announced (on July 17) by Governor Gavin Newsom, all Ventura County school districts and charter schools will begin the new school year using distance learning without bringing students back to their campuses. The new guidance comes a day after most Ventura County schools had already committed to beginning the year with distance learning in support of the effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

SBCC — The Bridge — Drop in international and out-of-state students for Fall amid COVID-19 pandemic

by Community Contributor • July 20, 2020 • Comments Off

SBCC is bracing for a roughly 30 percent decline in non-California resident enrollment, especially students from outside the United States according to Superintendent/President Utpal Goswami. He offered his remarks during a virtual event titled “COVID Conversations” presented by the SBCC Foundation on July 16. In addition to enrollment trends, he discussed the college budget for the 2020-21 academic year. Read more…

United Way of Ventura County — This is the last week for our Stuff the Bus school supply drive!

by Community Contributor • July 20, 2020 • Comments Off

We need 95 more backpacks to reach our goal!

Provide essential school supplies for local students experiencing homelessness or from disadvantaged families.

You can help pave the path to academic success for a child from a homeless or low-income family. Furthermore, your support not only provides essential school supplies – studies show that it also promotes learning, building self-esteem, and helps ensure that our youth stay in school.

Ventura County Business Ambassadors help businesses navigate COVID-19 compliance

by Community Contributor • July 20, 2020 • Comments Off

To support local businesses and help ensure ongoing compliance with State and County Health orders and direction, the County of Ventura implemented a Business Ambassador program in partnership with City code enforcement partners, early in the COVID-19 response efforts. The special program has assisted businesses with navigating State and local guidance.

Santa Maria High School Agriculture Program 2020 California Outstanding Large Agriculture Education Program

by Community Contributor • July 20, 2020 • Comments Off

The Santa Maria High School Agriculture Department has been selected as the 2020 Outstanding Large Agricultural Education Program Award recipient. The honor was awarded at the California Agriculture Teachers Association’s (CATA) 101st Summer Conference, which was held virtually.

The SMHS Agriculture Program earned the recognition due to its excellent achievements in the following areas: classroom instruction, experimental learning, the FFA student organization and leadership development, community partnership, and the teachers’ professional development. In California, there are more than 330 agriculture education programs across the state.

Islands Packers in Ventura Harbor Village Announces Summer Whale Watching Trips to The Channel Islands Now Through September

by Community Contributor • July 20, 2020 • Comments Off

With summer upon us, Island Packers is happy to announce that Summer Whale Watching excursions have been added to their existing scheduled trips to the Channel Islands National Park and National Marine Sanctuary. Visitors to Ventura Harbor Village, Ventura’s top seaside attraction, can now board an Island Packers whale watching vessel (the boat departs adjacent to Ventura Harbor Village) and travel from Ventura Harbor through the Southern California waters off Santa Barbara Channel, known for their marine mammal diversity, to see breathtaking mammals that cavort in waters off of the Channel Islands. Summer whale watching is available through August 30, 2020. Cost is: Adults (12-54 years) $68, Seniors (55 years and older) $62, and Children (3-12 years) $55.

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for July 17

by Community Contributor • July 17, 2020 • Comments Off

Here is your COVID-19 update from the County of Ventura.

224 new cases

1,588 new people tested

5,192 total cases

2,726 recovered cases

95 hospitalizations

31 in the ICU

57 deaths (1 additional death – 77 year-old male)

89,336 total people tested

SMJUHSD Board of Education to make Ethnic, Gender Studies requirement for graduation

by Community Contributor • July 17, 2020 • Comments Off

The SMJUHSD Board of Education on Tuesday night unanimously adopted a Resolution to make Ethnic and Gender Studies a requirement for graduation, starting with the class of 2025.

An Ethnic and Gender Studies Committee was formed several years ago to develop a plan and respective courses in this area. Ethnic and Gender Studies class offerings, with a focus on social justice and multiculturalism, have grown in the past few years. There were eight courses and in multiple sections offered last year across all comprehensive high schools in the district. The committee will now develop a five-year plan to continue to expand course offerings and ensure a successful implementation of the new requirement for all students.

Bilingual commentary — Racism in Oxnard’s Past, Part II

by Community Contributor • July 17, 2020 • Comments Off

Last week I wrote about the change in a local school’s name, from that of Richard B. Haydock to that of Dr. Manuel Lopez. The former was a segregationist in Oxnard’s early history; the latter was a beloved unifier and promoter of civil rights in Oxnard’s recent history.

This week I want to bring attention to a former landmark in downtown Oxnard, the Colonial House, a restaurant and motel built by developer Martin V. Smith in the 1940s.

Guest commentary — After 500 years it is Time for All Our History to be Heard and Respected!

by Community Contributor • July 17, 2020 • Comments Off

Last week I wrote an op-ed piece on racism that got quite a lot of circulation in the local electronic media. I want to lend some nuance to the often ugly race relations in American. I also wanted to give the reader a 62 year historical perspective through a few of my personal and traumatic race relation experiences I had in America. The negative comments from readers came fast and furiously as expected. Some of the exasperated readers wrote the usual racist advice and complaints, “get over it…stop whining…your comments are toxic…America belongs to white people…MAGA” and the old standard bile “If you don’t love this country then go back to Mexico”, but I also got positive feedback like, ”you should write a book… and the one that keeps me writing and helps me take on all the slings and arrows from the haters was, “you have to keep writing to tell our history.”

And then I read Caroline Randall Williams’s profound, painful and poignant article, My Body Is A Confederate Monument, in the New York Times and I was moved to tears and a solemn recommitment to speak truth to power as inspired by her searing and eloquent truth.

Most Ventura County Schools to Begin New Year Entirely with Distance Learning

by Community Contributor • July 16, 2020 • Comments Off

With cases of COVID-19 surging in Ventura County and throughout California, most local school districts and charter schools have decided to begin the 2020-2021 school year entirely using distance learning without bringing students back to campuses.

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for July 16 — COVID-19 drive through testing sites. No cost. No insurance needed. No appointment needed

by Community Contributor • July 16, 2020 • Comments Off

*Sites are for those that live or work in Ventura County.

Ford Dealership, 128 S. Hallock Dr., Santa Paula, CA 93060 M-F, 10-7

Moorpark College, 7075 Campus Rd., Moorpark, CA 93021 M-F, 10-7

Ventura College, 4667 Telegraph Rd., Ventura CA 93003, M-F, 10-7

Weekend testing: Friday to Tuesday at Oxnard College, 4000 S. Rose Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033 10-7

Thoughtful donation goes a long way to support Women of Substance & Men of Honor

by Community Contributor • July 16, 2020 • Comments Off

For the month of July, local organization Women of Substance & Men of Honor (WOSMOH) is the well-deserved recipient of a $1500 donation from Local PODS Moving and Storage. All year long, Local PODS is donating to a charity in the community in honor of their 15-year anniversary.

County of Ventura Government buildings closing to public effective July 20

by Community Contributor • July 16, 2020 • Comments Off

The County of Ventura will close all of its buildings to the public, with the exception of County health clinics, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Ventura County Fire Department, and other public safety services, effective Monday, July 20, to align with the Governor’s order to limit indoor operations as a precautionary measure to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Members of the public will continue to be able to access most County services online, by phone and by appointment.