
CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) announced today that an employee had tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). The employee was physically on the campus within the last 14 days and has been in self-isolation at their residence.

The Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office is committed to public service and even during this challenging time, for complicated cases, we want to offer taxpayers the opportunity to speak directly to our staff while our office is closed.
Beginning Tuesday, May 19th, 2020, our office will be available by appointment only for cases requiring in-person assistance. In order to keep both the public and our staff safe during this COVID-19 Pandemic, we are able to provide appointments under the following requirements:

Despite a large increase in the amount of testing, COVID-19 infections continue to be modest. During Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors hearing, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department Director presented the above graph, which indicates that new cases have continued to decline if you exclude the cases from the Lompoc Federal Correctional Institution. At the Board of Supervisors meeting this coming Tuesday, the Board will receive a presentation on the Reopening In Safe Environment (RISE) Guide, which builds off of the guidance from the Governor’s Resilience Roadmap but also provides local guidance and best practices for industry sectors as developed by an expert panel.

Dental health care personnel (DHCP) are in the “very high-risk category” for exposure to SARS- CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The CDC recommends postponing elective procedures, surgeries, and non-urgent dental visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) put out guidance on May 7, 2020 for resuming selected dental services. This guidance relies on low community transmission rates and ample supplies of PPE at the county level.

In accordance with recent updates to the stay-at-home orders for Ventura County and the state of California, several businesses at The Collection at RiverPark are reopening to offer curbside service and/or online order pickup.
In addition to the essential businesses that have continued to serve customers throughout the pandemic, the following stores have now reopened:
Afters Ice Cream
Starbucks
REI
The Container Store
White House Black Market

State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson’s (D-Santa Barbara) issued the following statement today on Governor Gavin Newsom’s May Revise, his revised budget proposal:
“California is facing a very tough budget year as the result of the pandemic, and this revised budget proposal reflects this new and painful reality.

What we define as “livable” has now changed, of necessity, but what does this hold for the future? In our first article, Kerry Roscoe takes a moment to think about the positives and negatives ahead of us.
Our next article takes a new look at the Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY) movement. Each of us may have our own definition of what we think a NIMBY is or is not, but I would bet that few, if any, would define a NYMBY as Alan Durning has in his February 2020 article entitled KNOW THINE NIMBY. Because the negative impact of NIMBY entrenchment is so strong, housing advocates need to better understand who we are addressing during debates regarding new housing.

The coronavirus pandemic has hit hard at Oxnard’s tourism industry, which, according to Visit California’s latest economic impact report, was thriving in 2019.
The “California Travel Impacts” report, prepared for Visit California by Dean Runyan Associates, shows visitor spending reached $1.8 billion, a $33.8 million boost from 2018, and supported 17,050 jobs in Ventura County. Continued growth highlights how important tourism is to the region and California’s economy.

Back to the Future Part III hit theaters May 25, 1990, which means it’s been 30 years since Oxnard’s Doris Avenue and Oxford Drive hit the silver screen as planned neighborhood Hilldale in the iconic film. Railroad tracks at South Ventura Road and Shoreview Drive in neighboring city Port Hueneme also appeared in the film as the scene of the DeLorean’s destruction. Fans of the franchise continue to visit the modern-day film locations to pay homage to these movie history landmarks.

The County of Ventura announces that more businesses are permitted to reopen on the State’s Roadmap to reopening. Governor Newsom announced modifications to the State-wide stay-at-home order today. The State has added more businesses to Early Stage 2. The Governor announced that Counties, under the guidance of the Public Health Officer, can move forward in reopening office-based businesses, car washes, pet groomers, outdoor museums and other public spaces.

Congratulations to the class of 2020!
Although all in-person campus operations have been suspended until further notice, that didn’t stop SBCC from holding a commencement ceremony to honor the graduating class of 2020. On Friday, May 8, at 5 p.m., the college held a “virtual” commencement online.
View the video here…

This past Saturday was going to be the end of our special online event “Building Together”. I say ‘was’, because due to its heartwarming success, and overwhelming requests to keep it up and running, we have decided to continue accepting submissions! If you have not yet had a chance to see what “home means” to people across our nation, and in some cases around the globe, you will not want to miss it, so check out the Building Together pages and even consider a submission yourself, if you haven’t already!

Good Evening, Here’s your COVID-19 Update from the County of Ventura.
22 new cases
700 total cases
475
Recovered cases
25 hospitalized
13 in the ICU
204 under quarantine
21 deaths
Tune in at 1 pm on 5/13/20 at www.vcemergency.com for a video update.
Register your business to reopen at www.vcreopens.com.

Learn how RKS Design, a globally recognized design and innovation consulting firm whose mission is to move people through design, is working through the COVID-19 crisis. Our guest speaker is Ravi Sawhney, founder and CEO of RKS Design and member of the Dean’s Executive Council at California Lutheran University’s School of Management. Mr. Sawhney will discuss personal and organizational strategies that have been employed, due to the crisis, at RKS Design. This short 45-minute webinar will include both a presentation by Mr. Sawhney and a Q&A session with our virtual audience, moderated by Dean Gerhard Apfelthaler.

Dear friends of The PACC,
We hope you and your family are healthy and safe during these unprecedented times. Thanks to Mechanics Bank for helping us secure Paycheck Protection Program funds, our nonprofit staff is hard at work on enhancing the visitor and programming experience while we are temporarily closed. When we re-open, YOUR PACC will be more beautiful and exciting than ever. Please consider making a donation to help support our efforts.
In the meantime, we have wonderful news to share in this month’s newsletter.
Thank you for your continued support!

Ventura County residents grateful for approval of restrictions
SAN FRANCISCO – California Gov. Gavin Newsom has directed all counties to tighten restrictions on pesticide spraying near homes, to protect children from toxic chemicals drifting from crop fields while they are homebound during the coronavirus pandemic. Newsome’s order signals a new approach to California agriculture regulation, calling for “transitioning away from harmful chemicals.”

Good Evening, Here is your daily COVID-19 update from the County of Ventura.
View today’s video update at: https://vimeo.com/416539740.
By the numbers:
21 new cases
652 total cases
435 recovered cases
29 in the hospital
12 in the ICU
198 under quarantine
19 deaths
12, 863 tested
Testing The County of Ventura expanded testing throughout the County this week for essential workers and residents. You will not be charged for the test, and you do not need to have health insurance. There are two sites for essential workers and seven drive thru sites for all community members. Learn more at: https://vcportal.ventura.org/covid19/docs/2020-05-03_Covid19Testing_updated.pdf.

The County of Ventura has reached an important milestone for our community, County and our local economy. The Public Health Officer announced today a new modified Stay Well VC Health Order to align with the State of California’s four-stage framework for reopening. The County will move forward with the State’s Stage 2 of reopening lower-risk businesses on May 8, 2020. This will allow retail businesses, such as clothing stores, bookstores, sporting goods stores and florists, for example, to reopen with curb side delivery, as well as the related manufacturing and supply chain businesses.

As California schools remain shut down to slow the spread of COVID-19, State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson’s (D-Santa Barbara), announced legislation on May 8 to expand job protected leave for working parents affected by school and childcare closures as a result of a declared federal, state, or local emergency.

Despite economic challenges brought on by the COVID-19 Outbreak, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley (BGCGCV) continues to support youth and staff to cope and emerge from the COVID-19 crisis.
The BGCGCV continues to keep 4 out of 9 of its Clubs open to provide the critical childcare needed for essential working families. In addition to childcare, the BGCGCV is working hard to maintain a sense of routine for youth, help prevent learning loss, and focusing on the social, and emotional wellbeing of its members.

The County of Ventura has reached an important milestone for our community, County and our local economy. The Public Health Officer announced today a new modified Stay Well VC Health Order to align with the State of California’s four-stage framework for reopening. The County will move forward with the State’s Stage 2 of reopening lower-risk businesses on May 8, 2020. This will allow retail businesses, such as clothing stores, bookstores, sporting goods stores and florists, for example, to reopen with curb side delivery, as well as the related manufacturing and supply chain businesses.

This week it’s my pleasure to introduce Eric Knight, MVC’s Development Director. Eric is a fairly new member of the MVC family, having joined the staff team in July of 2019. Before he threw his heart and soul into the museum world, Eric most recently worked at the American Cancer Society where he was in charge of new business support. Eric heads up the fundraising and public relations teams at the Museum. He is a natural fit for MVC – he is creative, curious, and entirely devoted to making his adopted community – the county of Ventura – a better place. He is also just about to be a first time father!

The SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program is still open and accepting new applications. This SBA loan program may be accessed through any bank that currently issues SBA 7a guarantee loans. To find an approved lender visit this link.
This program will be available retroactive from Feb. 15, 2020, so employers can rehire their recently laid-off employees through June 30, 2020. NOTE: For more information please visit the SBA website. For frequently asked questions please visit the U.S. Department of Treasury.

Just as in person auto sales resume, the Port’s largest customers brace for an approximate 90% reduction in cargo over the next two months. Automobiles, the Port’s largest revenue generating commodity, will see reductions as manufacturers from Germany, United Kingdom, Sweden, South Korea, and Japan have been closed during most of April. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, auto manufactures in the United States and around the world have either halted production or switched to making ventilators to assist hospitals with demand.

With the all too familiar stay-at-home orders, many local organizations like FOOD Share and local advocate Carolina G. Magana, are helping those who are food insecure. To support them during this crucial time, Local PODS® Moving and Storage are offering their services to help with food distribution throughout the county.

During Friendship Center’s closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are challenged to find creative ways to serve and support our senior community. The FC team is up for that challenge, but we need your help! In addition to hygiene and home activity supplies for our Take Care Totes, we are accepting monetary donations to fund virtual support for our sweet seniors and their families. Thank you to all for any amount of support, be well and stay safe

On March 27th, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-37-20 implementing a statewide eviction moratorium on evictions through May 31st. EDC encourages renters who are unable to pay rent due to financial hardship and the impact of COVID-19, to inform their landlord by completing a Notice of Coronavirus-Related Inability to Pay Rent in order to preserve rights as a tenant. For more information on Covid-19 moratorium related eviction guidelines in Ventura and Santa Barbara County please visit this website.

State and terrritorial governors have implemented pandemic protection measures in order to interrupt and slow down the passage of the coronavirus throughout each state’s population. Some of these measures are implemented at the individual level, such as wearing a facemask or maintaining social distance. The risk of transmission is much higher among crowds of people in close proximity, so another set of measures operates at the group level, trying to keep large groups from forming by keeping potential members dispersed.
“Romaine lettuce tainted with E. coli can be recalled or removed from grocery stores to prevent transmission,” said Paul Hsu, an epidemiologist at UCLA. “When someone is infected with coronavirus, we have to rearrange social contacts to interrupt that person-to-person transmission.” Crowds at sporting events, audiences at concerts, and students in classrooms have been dispersed by cancelling games, events, and classes.

Now, more than ever, VCCDC strives for this unifying vision. Even during these challenging times, homeownership is still considered to be a foundation for building financial stability. As we pivot to address the recent challenges in our communities, we will continue to empower and connect people through all our programs.
After conducting a recent survey, we found that some of our most affected neighbors are homeowners at risk of foreclosure and frustrated tenants who are struggling to pay rent with limited understanding of their options or fair housing laws. We have also noted that a fair number of senior homeowners have reached out to us, asking about their options with their current mortgages. As a result, we are renewing focus on foreclosure prevention counseling, tenant education and reverse mortgage counseling to address these critical issues.