On November 4, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced a new emergency temporary standard to protect more than 84 million workers from the spread of the coronavirus on the job. The nation’s unvaccinated workers face grave danger from workplace exposure to coronavirus, and immediate action is necessary to protect them.
Family Service Agency (FSA) of Santa Barbara County, also known as Santa Maria Valley Youth and Family Center and Guadalupe’s Little House By The Park, is pleased to announce the appointment of Blanca E. Mejia to its Board of Directors.
“We are thrilled Blanca has joined our board,” said Executive Director Lisa Brabo, “Our agency will benefit from her background in law and her understanding of the Santa Maria community.”
Ventura County Community College District will preserve retirees’ comprehensive health benefits, while saving taxpayers $53 million, and Spanish speakers can learn English in Piru, thanks to two of the many actions recently taken by the board of trustees. The board also passed a measure to receive contract funding for workforce development.
The taxpayer savings was noted in the 2021 Actuarial Study of Retiree Health Liabilities from Total Compensation Systems, Inc., which illustrates how the recent transition of purchasing retirees’ medical benefits through California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) saves taxpayer dollars today and into the future through a substantial reduction of the District’s Net Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) liability.
EDC Proudly Partners with REACH and the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP)
The Uplift Central Coast Coalition comprises 13 partners across industry, government and education and is expected to grow over time. The coalition is being overseen by the region’s three economic development organizations, Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, Economic Development Collaborative and REACH, with REACH as the lead agency on the U.S. EDA Build Back Better grant application.
Administration
Letter from Heidi
Virtual Tour of FC
Catholic Daughters
Covid Booster Update
Program
Connections Resumes Nov. 16
Halloween Party
Cycling without Age
This holiday season, The Collection at RiverPark is offering a wide variety of timeless festive events and experiences for all ages and interests. Stop by for shopping, dining, entertainment and holiday merriment that lasts all season long.
Pfizer Bio-NTech vaccine available for 5- to 11-year-olds in Ventura County
The Pfizer Bio-NTech vaccine has been approved for 5- to 11-year-olds and may be available in Ventura County beginning today. The California Department of Public Health’s vaccine appointment system, MyTurn.CA.gov, will be updated by tomorrow November 4, and that is when the Ventura County Public Health Department will begin offering the vaccine to this age group. Families are encouraged to contact their medical provider for information about the vaccine. “I welcome the authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup and California Department of Public Health of the COVID-19 vaccine for children of five years of age and older. This will protect our children and get us closer to our goal of herd immunity,” said Public Health Officer Doctor Robert Levin.
Ventura County’s community colleges are among 150 institutions nationwide eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura colleges are now eligible for the 2023 prize, known as the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges. It recognizes colleges with robust student outcomes in equity, teaching and learning, certificate and degree completion, transfer rates and bachelor’s degree attainment and workforce success.
Only 15% of the approximately 1,000 community colleges the Aspen Institute eval uates across the U.S. are selected to contend for the esteemed honor. This is the first time that all three Ventura County Community College District colleges have been eligible for the Aspen Prize at the same time. Ventura College was previously eligible in 2017, 2019 and 2021; and Moorpark College in 2019.
Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation (Cabrillo EDC)?is pleased to announce a call for artists to participate in its 40 Years of Home Mural contest. Founded in 1981, Cabrillo EDC’s early roots were in response to a farmworker community’s demand for secure housing. Rooted in community-building and ongoing support, their mission aims to provide comprehensive affordable housing services and community economic development activities to residents most lacking in opportunity.
The purpose of the mural is to promote awareness about the importance of developing housing that positively impacts the community’s health, education, public safety, social services and economic development – And Cabrillo EDC’s contributions over the past 40 years.
Top aerospace power generation and propulsion development company, LaunchPoint Electric Propulsion Solutions, Inc., is pleased to announce the commercialization of its highest power controller to date. The highly efficient MC250 is an ultra-lightweight, bi-directional 250 kW power electronics solution capable of controlling permanent magnet motor or generator power. Applications include electric propulsion and power generation for aircraft in defense, commercial aerospace, and advanced air mobility.
The City of Oxnard Cultural and Community Services Director Terrel Harrison announces the appointment of Renee Rakestraw as Assistant Director to the department.
Rakestraw has served the Oxnard community for over 19 years in various capacities and emerged as a leader within the department. She began her career as a Recreation Leader and later became a Recreation Coordinator before being named Recreation Supervisor in 2017. Most recently, she was appointed as the Cultural and Community Services Manager in 2019.
The City of Thousand Oaks has made a commitment to the Arts and Culture organizations of the Thousand Oaks area by setting aside $500,000 to be used for emergency COVID-19 relief.
“Access to the arts is a critical part of a well-rounded community. We understand how much the pandemic seriously affected many arts organizations. We want to help our wonderful arts groups get back on their feet, so that our community can experience the soothing and healing beauty of the arts again” says Thousand Oaks Mayor Claudia Bill-de la Peña.
Many food businesses, especially producers, have been unable to take advantage of traditional financing because there are too many barriers, the structure is too narrow, and other programs are not informed by those who apply for funding. Recognizing this regional need, SBCFAN and the Economic Development Collaborative proudly announce the Food System Resilience Loan Program, providing food businesses an equitable opportunity to access financing, address gaps in our food system, and ensure that their businesses thrive.
The Workforce Development Board of Ventura County (WDB) announced the re-opening of the America’s Job Center of California location in Oxnard and the affiliate East County office in Simi Valley. The Oxnard office also reopened with some welcomed changes.
America’s Job Center of California is a direct link to resources that help choose and pursue careers. The centers provide free access to a host of employment-related resources to help individuals find rewarding careers. They can receive assistance with resume preparation, training referrals, view job openings and employer information and learn about in-demand occupations. Customized training in the region’s in-demand occupations and assistance with tuition and books is also available. Services are available in English and for English language learners.
¡Feliz Día de Los Muertos! Community members celebrated the holiday this weekend through dance, art, altars, and song at the Soliz-El Rio Library event in Oxnard, honoring ancestors and loved ones who have passed.
United Way of Santa Barbara County (UWSBC) Board of Directors welcomes Tim Armour. Tim quickly joined UWSBC’s Marketing & Communications Committee where he has helped enhance UWSBC’s messaging. Armour was born in Santa Barbara and lived in Montecito until his family moved away in 1960. He grew up in Westchester County, NY and graduated from Gettysburg College in 1970 and spent 3 years as a Supply Officer in the U. S. Navy. After receiving an M.B.A. from Columbia University in 1975, he embarked on a marketing career first with General Foods in product management and then with Citibank in NYC and Chicago. He later became President of Stein Roe Mutual Funds in Chicago and President of Morningstar Inc. which went public in 2005.
EDC WEBINAR SCHEDULE
The Economic Development Collaborative encourages you to sign up for our no-cost webinars. Space is limited. Register today!
United Way of Santa Barbara County (UWSBC) Board of Directors welcomes Suzanne Birch. She and her husband, Ed Birch, have a long history with UWSBC. Sue was previously involved in advising the original launch of UWSBC’s United Learning Center and Ed previously served as UWSBC’s Board chairman.
Sue Birch holds BS and MS degrees from State University of New York and the Ohio State University as well as Educational Computer Certification from UCSB. She has had a long career in Education as a teacher, counselor, computer director and administrator.
Remote employment. Virtual meetings. Combined business and leisure or “bleisure” travel. The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed how Americans work.
To meet this new reality, Workzones, a pioneering coworking space in downtown Santa Barbara, has scaled up its offerings to provide entrepreneurs, professionals and remote employees with comfortable, flexible, and customized work options. The expansion includes a vast new array of fully equipped private offices, meeting rooms, team rooms and conference facilities, as well as an open coworking area with access to a kitchen, printers, lightning fast Wi-Fi, phone booths, and quality local coffee.
Attorney Manny Ignacio has joined the Camarillo employment law firm LightGabler.
Ignacio defends employers in a broad range of litigation matters including wage and hour, class action, Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), harassment, and discrimination claims in state and federal court, as well as regulatory compliance claims by Cal/OSHA, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, and the Department of Labor.
TAX CREDITS THAT MAY APPLY TO YOUR BUSINESS
Tax Credits may help reduce the amount of tax your business owes. Your business may be eligible for more than 1 tax credit if you:
Bring or grow your business in California
Hire employees in certain areas
Produce a movie or television show
Do qualified research in California
Nurses, teachers, labor leaders, elected officials and concerned residents held a news conference at the Kern County Administrative Building in Bakersfield (on Oct. 28) to release a report revealing extensive use in Kern and Ventura Counties of 13 pesticides linked to childhood cancers. The group, organized by the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment (CRPE) and the Ventura County-Coalition Advocating for Pesticide Safety (VC-CAPS), called on state and local governments to restrict the use of these pesticides, and web-post warnings before they and other hazardous pesticides are used.
The report reveals regular use in the Kern-Ventura area of 11 out of 13 pesticides identified in two recent studies by UCLA as being linked to early childhood cancers. The UCLA studies found that these pesticides increase risk of a child developing specific forms of cancers ranging from 1.60 times (or 60% increased chance) to 3.38 times (or 238% elevated risk), if their mothers lived within 2.5 miles of the pesticide application while pregnant. More than 28 countries have banned or not approved 10 of the 13 pesticides.
Veteran educator Rob Collins has announced his resignation from the Ventura County Board of Education. Collins was elected to the board in 2018 for the second time. He had previously served as a board trustee from 2002 to 2004. He also served for twelve years as a trustee for the Simi Valley Unified School District Board of Education and has many years of experience as a classroom teacher and school administrator. Collins was honored as the Simi Valley Teacher of the Year in 1998.
We’re celebrating Día de los Muertos with our community with an extra special, free Art To-Go Bag Giveaway. Drive by the Museum this Saturday at 9 a.m. to pick up free bags filled with fun art making materials (while supplies last). Kids will receive everything they need to create festive art projects at home likepapier maché sugar skulls, papel picado, calavera puppets, paper flowers, and more!
Fall is in the air across our food system – the mornings are crisp and the days are shorter as farmers transition from tomatoes, peppers, and corn to pumpkins, root vegetables, pomegranates, pears, apples, and walnuts. Local ranchers are raising turkeys for holiday feasts and fishermen are pulling California Spiny lobster and Ridgeback shrimp out of the cooler coastal waters.
When surrounded by this incredible bounty of locally produced food, it can at times be easy to take for granted the many food system actors who help get our food from farm to table. As you’ll read in our Santa Maria Community Profile, training programs for the next generation of food producers are critical to ensuring accessible pathways to careers in agriculture – and a vibrant future for our food system.
The campus teams with students and community on rules, regulations, safety enhancements and alternative events for October 29 through November 1.
Application Window Opens Wednesday, October 29!
The California Venues Grant Program will support eligible independent live events venues that have been affected by COVID-19 in order to support their continued operation. Eligible independent live events venues must have a physical address and operate in California, which will be validated through submitted business tax returns. If your business tax returns do not reference a California address, you will be deemed ineligible. For more information on how to apply CLICK HERE.
In light of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent declaration of a statewide drought emergency, including a voluntary 15 percent reduction in water usage, the Triunfo Water & Sanitation District is urging its water customers to take advantage of current water conservation rebates.
For a limited time, a $3 per square foot rebate is available to replace lawns with organic, drought-tolerant landscaping and water-saving irrigation systems. “This offer will last until funding runs out,” says Triunfo Board Chair Raymond Tjulander. “Then, the rebate will likely return to $2 per square foot so it’s best to act now if you’re thinking of replacing your lawn. A 500 square-foot lawn conversion can mean a $1,500 rebate.”
The holidays are a busy time for everyone, especially for those in the hospitality industry. This isn’t stopping Seasons Catering Chef and Owner Gabrielle Moes from prioritizing her employees this Thanksgiving. Emphasizing the importance of time with family, Moes is choosing to forego booking traditional Thanksgiving caterings, which keep her employees away from their own families, and instead bringing back Seasons’ popular chef-crafted, heat and serve Good2Go Thanksgiving meals. Pre-orders are open now through November 15th with meal pick- up on November 24th.
The Board of Directors of the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum (SYVHM) is pleased to announce that John McCarty has been named the 2021 Vaquero of the Year. John will be honored and presented with his award on Friday evening, November 12, 2021 at the Annual Vaquero Gala benefit celebration, which officially launches a weekend of exciting events. Now in its 37th year, the Museum’s Vaquero Show and Sale promotes the traditions and influences of the California Vaquero way of life and is a tribute to it. Mr. McCarty, this year’s honoree, is an integral part of this heritage.
Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D – Thousand Oaks) announced that $330,000 in state funding was secured for the Camarillo Health Care District for their work during the COVID 19 pandemic.
“Camarillo Health Care District’s work during the early days of the pandemic is a great example of how we all came together to take care of each other,” stated Assemblymember Irwin. “They didn’t ask if they would be reimbursed or have their budget backfilled, they just did the work to serve their clients and ultimately our community. I’m pleased we were able to secure much needed financial support through the state budget for their important work, so their critical programs can continue to serve the residents of Camarillo and the surrounding area.”
Holidays in the Village, A European Marketplace will celebrate the warmth and joy of the holiday season with lots of food, music, kids’ fun, and artisan and craft vendors–all with a European flair. The Marketplace is Sunday, December 12 from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Lakeview Canyon Road and Agoura Road (adjacent to Stonehaus) in Westlake Village. It is being hosted by the two Rotary Clubs of Westlake Village.
“Our goal is to gather our community of friends and family to celebrate the holidays in a warm and joyful setting. We’ve created something unique in replicating a European village filled with festive food, drink, artisan vendors and seasonal entertainment for all to enjoy,” says Erin Culbertson, event co-chair and president-elect of the Rotary Club of Westlake Village.
Two Ventura County Community College District colleges have received multi-million-dollar federal grants to support STEM programs targeting underrepresented students interested in pursuing science, technology, engineering and math-related fields. A grant for Oxnard College totals $4,901,245, and the grant for Ventura College is $5 million. Both grants are for the period of Oct. 1, 2021, to Sept. 30, 2026.
“For the third consecutive time, the U.S. Department of Education has recognized Oxnard College’s leading work in STEM education through the Hispanic-Serving Institution STEM grant,” shared Luis Sanchez, president of Oxnard College. “This grant’s renewal will infuse additional resources and staffing into our academic programs, expanding career pathways in STEM for countless Ventura County students and their families. We relish the opportunity to continue this life-changing work for our community.”
On Sept. 1, SBCC was awarded a Title V “Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (DHSI) Program” grant. The grant award is for nearly $3 million over a five-year period starting Oct. 1, 2021.
The grant has five main objectives: expand outreach, enrollment and academic planning; increase completion in transfer level math and English; increase first to second year retention rate; decrease time to degree completion; and increase transfers to four-year institutions.
Fall is here, and the change in season is evident all around. Leaves are falling, cooler breezes are swirling, daylight is shortening, all signs that change is in the air. Our address has changed too, with the opening of our new corporate office in San Luis Obispo. Keep that contact page for us open though, soon we’ll have another change of address, our new corporate office in Ventura County! Other changes this month see the start of construction of new apartments in Pismo Beach, and first-time home owners completing construction on their self-help houses in King City.
Meet Will Jones and his son. Will was born in Detroit and moved to California when he was 16 years old with little to his name. As an adult, he worked hard for the things he wanted but living in California quickly made him realize that owning a home would be very expensive. He made a promise to his son that one day, they would afford a home to call their own. As a single father working long hours over multiple jobs, saving was almost impossible. Their living situation was less than ideal, staying on friend’s couches. Then, he met his Realtor, Cynthia. She took Will under her wing and guided him through the homebuying process, connecting him with Alex at VCCDC. VCCDC helped Will access as much financial assistance as possible for Will’s down payment and closing costs, removing a lot of the burden he felt to come up with such a large sum of money.
“Having an affordable home for my children and I has been the biggest blessing I could ever have received. VCCDC made it possible for me to make owning a home a reality.”
The Art, Design & Architecture Museum reopens to in-person visitors and welcomes new director Gabriel Ritter.
The Economic Development Collaborative encourages you to sign up for our no-cost webinars. Space is limited. Register today!
I am excited to announce that the Simi Valley Animal Shelter is, once again, fully open for all business, including pet adoptions! I am equally pleased to report that pet adoptions have steadily increased to match the expected rise of stray animals coming into our care.
As a reminder, adoption hours are 1:00pm – 6:00pm, Tuesday – Sunday, at both the Camarillo and Simi Valley locations. We encourage everyone to preview our dogs, cats, rabbits and other critters online prior to your visit. Also, please take a moment to review our new and improved adoption process which employs text messaging to reduce wait times and long lines.
Our staff and volunteers are here to answer questions and help make the best matches possible! Thank you for your continued support of our lifesaving efforts!
The California Labor Market Information Division (LMID) released its September 2021 report earlier today, showing extraordinary progress in our unemployment rate, dropping from 6.2% in August to 5.3% in September.
What’s odd though, is we had very little gain in our industry employment, up month-over-month by only a net 1,200 jobs. Usually when we see a big improvement in the unemployment rate without a corresponding increase in industry employment—that is, payroll jobs created by employers that are paying into the unemployment and social security systems—it’s because we had a bunch of workers drop out of the labor market entirely. When workers drop out, neither working nor looking for work, they’re not considered “unemployed” so that contributes an artificial improvement to our unemployment rate. But this month we actually had a small increase in our total labor force, by 900 workers, so that doesn’t help explain the improvement.
After an extensive search, the House Farm Workers! Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Gabrielle Vignone has accepted the position of Executive Director at the nonprofit and began her new position on October 1, 2021.
Gabrielle Vignone joins the organization with over 13 years of comprehensive experience in the housing industry. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English as well as an Associates Degree in Legal Studies. Vignone is certified in Fair Housing by the Housing Rights Center, has a Housing Credit Certified Professional designation from NAHB, and a USDA Housing certification. Vignone previously worked with The Towbes Group where she was both the Affordable Senior Community Manager and the Market Rate Community Manager. In these roles, she worked closely with the Ventura Housing Authority, built a strong command of regulations related to fair housing, local building codes, and OSHA. Additionally, Vignone worked at Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation (CEDC), where she interacted directly with farmworker families by supporting their housing needs, and created a resident run Food Share program that is still flourishing.
The Board of Supervisors has approved $12.7 million in additional funding for the County’s Business Assistance Grant program, totaling $70 million in financial assistance. Following an overwhelming response of 1,455 applications in the fourth round of the program, the additional funds will allow nearly 1,100 eligible businesses and nonprofits to receive grants. The Board also authorized $3.7 million in unused program funds from the third round of grants to supplement funding to all eligible businesses and organizations in the fourth round. At the completion of the fourth round, over 7,000 businesses will have received $10,000 in grant funding.
COVID-19 Update
Since Monday, there are 331 new COVID-19 cases reported and 9,464 new tests performed. There are 30 people hospitalized, 9 in the ICU. There has been 1 additional death of a 58 year old male. Our sincere condolences to the loved ones of the community member who has passed away.
80.7% of Ventura County’s population 12+ has received the first dose.
82.2% of Ventura County’s population 18+ has received the first dose.
74.1% of Ventura County’s population 12+ are fully vaccinated.
Booster Information
Pfizer booster shots are approved by the CDC and FDA. The Moderna and J&J vaccines are still pending full approval. Residents who received Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will need to wait until the FDA and CDC review the data and determine the need for and safety of boosters for these vaccines. Click here for Booster Information.
COVID vaccine and testing information: www.vcrecovers.org
In celebration of Día de los Muertos, MVC invites you and your family to pick-up a Dia de los Muertos Craft Kit at the Ventura Museum and at the Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula. The MVC and AG Dia de los Muertos Craft Kits include: “Let’s Learn about Dia de los Muertos”, Mini Skull Book, CalaveraNecklace/Decoration Craft, Ofrenda Word Search, A Letter to the Dead, Dia de los Muertos Coloring Sheets, and Calavera Stickers.
The Ventura County Public Health Officer has extended the indoor mask order, requiring all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, to wear face coverings when indoors in public settings, with limited exceptions. “The order is necessary to reduce the rate of community spread and to reinforce the need for safe interactions. We will continue to monitor transmission rates, hospitalizations, deaths and vaccination rates throughout the County,” said Public Health Officer Doctor Robert Levin.
COVID-19 Update
Since Friday, there are 107 new COVID-19 cases reported and 16,107 new tests performed. There are 34 people hospitalized, 9 in the ICU. There has been 1 additional death of a 78 year old male. Our sincere condolences to the loved ones of the community member who has passed away.
80.5% of Ventura County’s population 12+ has received the first dose.
82.0% of Ventura County’s population 18+ has received the first dose.
73.9% of Ventura County’s population 12+ are fully vaccinated.
Booster Information
Pfizer booster shots are approved by the CDC and FDA. The Moderna and J&J vaccines are still pending full approval. Residents who received Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will need to wait until the FDA and CDC review the data and determines the need for and safety of boosters for these vaccines. Click here for Booster Information.
The Gene Haas Advanced Manufacturing Lab had its grand opening Thursday, October 7 at the Applied Science Center at Ventura College. More than 100 guests attended the celebration, including Ventura Unified School District high school students, dignitaries and strategic community partners.
In December 2019, the Gene Haas Foundation made a $250,000 grant to the Ventura College Foundation to support the Advanced Manufacturing program at Ventura College. The funds were used to relocate the current manufacturing lab to the college’s Applied Science Center and to renovate the new location into a modern manufacturing facility designed to promote manufacturing occupations and enhance student workforce manufacturing skills.
The Economic Development Collaborative encourages you to sign up for our partner’s no-cost webinars. Space is limited. Register today!
COVID-19 Update
Since Thursday, there are 78 new COVID-19 cases reported and 11,484 new tests performed. There are 40 people hospitalized, 7 in the ICU. There has been 1 additional death. Our sincere condolences to the loved ones of the community member who has passed away.
80.4% of Ventura County’s population 12+ has received the first dose.
81.9% of Ventura County’s population 18+ has received the first dose.
73.7% of Ventura County’s population 12+ are fully vaccinated.
Mask Order Update
The Order of the Ventura County Health Officer requiring all individuals in the County to wear face coverings in all indoor public settings and businesses will be extended. More information will be provided on Monday.
www.vcrecovers.org
