Author: Community Contributor

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

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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.

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

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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.

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County of Ventura COVID-19 update for July 23

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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

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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

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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…

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

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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.”

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County of Ventura COVID-19 update for July 22

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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

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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

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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.

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County of Ventura COVID-19 update for July 21

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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

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

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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

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CSUCI graduate heads to Ireland as a Fulbright Scholar

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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…

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

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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.

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Ventura County Business Ambassadors help businesses navigate COVID-19 compliance

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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. 

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County of Ventura COVID-19 update for July 17

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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

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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*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

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

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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.

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County of Ventura Government buildings closing to public effective July 20

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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.

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Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Protect. Respect. Wear your mask! And more closures

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(On Monday,) July 13, Governor Gavin Newsom ordered statewide closures of some indoor business operations and additional closures for those counties that have remained on the state’s County Monitoring List for 3 consecutive days. Santa Barbara County is included on this list, found here. 

The Governor’s order is effective immediately. Santa Barbara County has issued a Health Officer Order which provides more details and guidance. I’ve listed out a summary of the changes below.

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Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley (BGCGCV) Receives Grant from Anthem Blue Cross

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The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley (BGCGCV) recently received a $2,500 grant from Anthem Blue Cross for their “Whatever It Takes to Build Healthy Futures” program and for the BGCGCV’s response to COVID-19.

“The funding has enabled us to keep four Club sites open during school closures, with the capacity to serve 300 youth,” stated Dr. Crystal N?one, President/CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley.  “It has also allowed us to provide 100% of our working youth development staff with intensive social emotional learning (SEL) support and training which provides them with the needed tools to best support our youth,” she added.

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Friendship Center — Donations for isolated seniors in SB!

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Friendship Center, with the help of our fabulous partners, has delivered over four hundred Take Care Totes to isolated seniors in South Santa Barbara County during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many of our senior friends are living with a dementia diagnosis and/ or other health conditions and have had little to no contact with the outside world for four months. The Take Care Totes, providing snacks, personal care items, activities and more, have become a lifeline for our senior friends as well as their caregivers.

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County of Ventura COVID-19 update for July 14 — State orders additional restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19

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On July 13, Governor Newsom and the California Department of Public Health announced closures for indoor operations for many sectors. Read the full order at: https://vcportal.ventura.org/covid19/docs/2020-07-13_Statewide_Public_Health_Officer_Order.pdf. Read the news release at: https://vcportal.ventura.org/covid19/docs/pr/2020-07-13_PressRelease_VCPH_AdditionalRestrictions.pdf.

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Framework for Reopening Ventura County Schools is Released

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The Ventura County Office of Education on July 10 released a document intended to help local public schools prepare for the start of the 2020-2021 school year. The Framework for Reopening Ventura County Schools was prepared by the Ventura County Office of Education in consultation with Ventura County Public Health and the county’s school districts and charter schools.

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CSUCI awarded Bee Campus USA designation for the second time in a row

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While most of the campus operates in cyberspace, the roughly 24 colonies at CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI)’s bee yard are thriving, thanks in part to two 2019 graduates who suit up and show up to care for the bees.

CSUCI’s pollinator-friendly campus, bee education, outreach and student involvement along with a number of other factors have earned CSUCI a Bee Campus USA designation for a second year in a row. CSUCI is one of 103 Bee Campus USAs across the nation.

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Outdoor dining and additional businesses now open at The Collection

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Several additional businesses have recently reopened at The Collection at RiverPark for the community to enjoy this summer.

Many restaurants and stores at The Collection remained open throughout the pandemic as essential businesses, and several others have reopened over the past several weeks. The businesses that have most recently reopened include:

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Bilingual report — Offices Eligible for Election and Voter Nominated Offices Run-Off Election in the November 3, 2020 Presidential General Election

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VENTURA — Ventura County Clerk-Recorder, Registrar of Voters Mark Lunn announced that the November 3, 2020 Presidential General Election is a non-partisan run-off election, as well as a regular election date for cities, special districts, and school districts. Lunn stated,…

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Gold Coast Health Plan Awards More than $20,000 in Sponsorships to Ventura County Organizations, including LUCHA and Poder Popular de Santa Paula

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Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP) has provided $20,500 in sponsorships to seven community organizations that are helping county residents during the pandemic.

“We saw the immense need caused by the pandemic and we wanted to do our part to ensure the health and wellbeing of our community,” said Margaret Tatar, GCHP’s interim chief executive officer. “We are grateful to our community partners for working tirelessly to meet the needs of Ventura County residents and help them get through this crisis.”

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

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Some of us who are “old enough” remember when racism was so prevalent and “accepted” that it seemed to permeate the very air that we breathed. It surrounded us.  Just as a fish doesn’t think about breathing underwater, and a bird thinks that flying is “no big deal,” many of us growing up in the 50s and 60s were vaccinated against the guilt that would shame us today. 

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Guest commentary — Throwing the Proverbial Bones to the Mongrel Dogs

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American racism is complex, insidious and multi-layered. It is not a just black or white phenomenon. Our American racism comes in many shades of color and degrees of ignorance, contempt, stupidity and hatred. This brings me to the current seldom talked about or completely ignored ongoing racist beef/pedo between some Brown and Black folks in this country and in California, in particular.

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Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Testing Update & Racial Justice

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In early May, Santa Barbara County began community testing in partnership with the California Department of Public Health. The testing being conducted is intended to identify if an individual currently has the COVID-19 virus. Over the course of the past two months the testing sites’ utilization has increased significantly. While we continue to support members of our community getting tested, the current volume of asymptomatic, low/no-risk individuals getting tested has reduced the capacity of these state-run sites to test essential and healthcare workers, symptomatic individuals, those who have had an exposure or individuals at risk. Community members unable to schedule an appointment at the state-run sites should contact their primary care provider or local urgent care centers.  

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