
Purchase tickets online today—it’s quick and easy!
Muestra de cortos en español
Presented By Teatro De Las Americas
Dec 15th 2023, 7:00 PM

I hope this message finds you in good spirits! As we approach the end of yet another year, I am reminded of the transformative experiences and traditions that often shape our childhoods. Do you remember your first visit to a museum? The wonder and curiosity it sparked in you?
Last year, thanks to supporters like you, third graders from Montalvo Elementary School embarked on an enlightening journey exploring our County’s rich Chumash history and culture through the Museum of Ventura County’s School Tours. This unforgettable experience was possible because of donations from contributors like you, which allowed these students from low to moderate-income families to participate in our school tours, entirely free of charge.

OXNARD — In a heartwarming display of community commitment, Cooper Kupp, the celebrated wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams, took center stage at Food Share’s Thanksgiving Turkey n’ Trimmings giveaway in College Park, Oxnard, yesterday, Tuesday, 11/21. The event saw 1,800 families receive packages containing turkeys, seasonal fresh produce, and Thanksgiving trimmings, along with essential shelf-stable food items.
Kupp was joined by an impressive cohort of 45 student volunteers from Simi Valley’s Royal High School football team. Kupp has been actively mentoring these young athletes as part of the Rams’ partnership with the school.
Passionate about combating food insecurity, Kupp has championed various initiatives in Southern California, alongside fellow Rams players and staff. His commitment also reaches beyond state lines, as he has supported food banks in the Yakima and Richland areas in his home state of Washington.

The recognition streak continues for the 13th consecutive year! The Oxnard Harbor District was awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the United States and Canada. This award was given to the Oxnard Harbor District, which owns the Port of Hueneme, for its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2022.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE — The Southeast Ventura County YMCA’s 5th Annual Gala raised $367,900 to support YMCA programs. The event, held November 4 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, drew 340 guests.
The event celebrated local YMCA programs.
–Find My Genius is a five-week, no-cost achievement gap program for low- and moderate-income students who are not reading at grade level. It is also offered year-round in the Moorpark and Simi Valley Unified School Districts.
–Safety Around Water, which teaches children water safety and basic swimming skills at no cost.

PORT HUENEME — The City of Port Hueneme, in collaboration with the Oxnard Performing Arts Center Corporation (OPAC) and the Ventura County Library, is pleased to announce a Call for Artists and Request for Qualifications for the development of a new mural at the Ray D. Prueter Library located at 510 Park Ave in Port Hueneme, California. This project will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the City of Port Hueneme and will launch the City’s public arts initiatives.
City of Port Hueneme City Councilmember Laura Hernandez comments, “I am extremely excited to see that we are now on the path to making the City’s first mural project a reality. It has been over three years since the City’s mural project was initially conceived and funding approved through the Port of Hueneme and City of Port Hueneme Community Benefit Fund. …”

With Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday approaching, the 2023 holiday shopping season is about to be underway! Last year an approximate $17.9 billion was spent on independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday according to the 2022 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey commissioned by American Express.
Local small business purchases this holiday season makes a big difference for your neighbors and community. Now is a critical time to encourage friends, family members and local businesses to shop local and join the Small Business Saturday movement!

The California Labor Market Information Division has released its October 2023 report, showing job growth in Ventura County across just about all industry sectors and losses in none.
For the most encouraging news, now at 349,600 total industry jobs, Ventura County is up by more than 10,000 jobs since just prior to the pandemic.
While that’s extraordinarily positive for overall recovery, the major labor market indicators are still a bit mixed, as we had a slight uptick in October in the number of unemployed workers and in the unemployment rate, up from 4.4% in September to 4.5% in October. To be clear, the unemployment rate is up not because we’re failing to create jobs, rather because more workers are coming back to the labor force and because volatility, or churn—workers changing jobs—remains high.

SANTA BARBARA — State Street Commercial Space transitioned on Nov. 17 to Workforce Housing with 14 residential studio apartments in Public-Private Partnership.
The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara’s innovative Workforce Housing Program is designed to address the affordable housing needs of our community’s low to moderate income workforce who are increasingly caught in the gap between skyrocketing rents and ineligibility for other assistance.
The Housing Authority is committed to providing affordable housing to make it possible for more people to live where they work, in Santa Barbara. This approach benefits people who can keep transportation and other costs to a minimum, and have more time to spend with family, education, or career development. And benefits us all by minimizing the impact of commuting on our environment and quality of life in Santa Barbara.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, SANTA BARBARA AND VENTURA COUNTIES — 3C-REN (Tri-County Regional Energy Network), a partnership between the Counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura that delivers energy-saving programs, was selected along with BayREN in Phase 1 of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Buildings Upgrade Prize to win $400,000 towards its Climate Smart Multifamily Property Upgrade Program. Phase 2 involves creating a detailed, actionable implementation plan that will direct even more climate-friendly investments into the region.
“The proposal we submitted will expand our multifamily services. The goal is to include technical and financial assistance for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure at low-income or affordable housing properties that are also doing building energy efficiency and electrification upgrades,” said Marisa Hanson-Lopez, 3C-REN Program Manager. “As residents switch to more climate-friendly transportation, we want multifamily residents to have the infrastructure support they need while closing critical EV charging gaps in the region.”

SBA: HOW TO START A BUSINESS
November 20 @ 10:00 am
Are you interested in starting a business? If you are please join the Small Business Administration (SBA) Los Angeles District Office for a virtual workshop to learn about SBA’s 10 Step Guide on How to Start a Business. This virtual workshop targeted to new entrepreneurs. Topics covered from creating a business plan, finding capital, registering your business, getting necessary permits and/or licenses and getting a business bank account. This is a great opportunity to get any questions you may have answered and find out about the multiple resources available to help you. SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. For reasonable accommodation request please send an email to LADO@SBA.GOV at least 7 days in advance.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

VENTURA COUNTY — A study session is scheduled before the Ventura County Board of Supervisors on December 5, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. to request that the Board of Supervisors consider theStudy of Additional Potential Disadvantaged Community Designations in unincorporated areas of Ventura County and select the option to designate disadvantaged communities as amended by the recommendation of the Planning Commission to include the Limoneira farmworker housing on Cummings Road, and to include homes in the Ortonville neighborhood. The study session will be held in the Board Hearing Room in the Hall of Administration, County Government Center, 800 S. Victoria Avenue, Ventura, California. Spanish interpretation is available for this meeting. A live stream of the meeting will be available online on the day of the meeting at ventura.org/bosagenda. To provide comments on this matter, visit ventura.org/boscomments.

I’ve lived in the Oxnard/Port Hueneme area for nearly 50 years. Throughout that time, I’ve driven past the “Teatro” on Oxnard Boulevard at least a couple hundred times. I hadn’t realized how little I knew about it.
I had a vague understanding of its history. I’ve since learned that the building was constructed in 1929 around the time that “palace theaters” were flourishing in this country.
The venue was originally called Boulevard Theater, but its name changed to Teatro Boulevard in the 1960s in recognition of its importance to the Latino population that supported it. It was a thriving Spanish-language theater in its heyday. In fact, it was the only Spanish-language theater in Ventura County at the time. I seem to recall seeing a couple of films there in the 1970s.

Native American Heritage Month is a time to honor, learn and stand united in appreciation of the invaluable contributions of Native Americans, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians. Celebrating the rich history and vibrant cultures of Native American communities is critical for fostering understanding, preserving cultures and promoting unity across our nation. The EDC is dedicated to providing equitable access to resources, advising and capital. Since 2010, the EDC has helped generate over $130 million in revenue to Native American businesses.
The EDC is proud to support the community by providing professional technical assistance in English and Spanish through our Small Business Development Center. Our NO-COST advising areas include:

VENTURA — It’s beginning to look a lot like a true SEAside holiday, and Ventura Harbor Village, located off scenic California Highway 101, is making waves. The waterfront destination has an unforgettable lineup of holiday celebrations this November and December.
It’s time to exchange snow for sand and winter boots for flip flops and hula your way Ventura Harbor Village. On tap are the destination’s dazzling Small Business Saturday Celebration, Ventura Harbor’s 46th Annual Parade of Lights & Fireworks,, the “Must SEA” Winter Wonderland & Holiday Marketplace, Santa Paddle, and festive Holiday Boat Cruises.
Festive folks from near and far engage in all things merry and bright amid the sun and sparkle of ocean-inspired decorations in a color palette of twinkling blue, aqua, and green beachy hues.

2023 State of the County: A Triumph in Safety and Progress
Celebrating 150 years as a County, on November 2nd, community members gathered at the iconic Ronald Reagan Presidential Library for the State of the County address by CEO Dr. Sevet Johnson. In a visionary speech, Dr. Johnson delivered an update on the County’s programs, initiatives and future endeavors.
Dr. Johnson also proudly highlighted the County’s achievements and distinction as not only fiscally healthy but as the “safest large county in the State of California.”

SANTA BARBARA — Cottage Children’s Medical Center (CCMC) is hosting its annual holiday toy drive to bring some extra joy to pediatric patients during the holiday season and throughout the year. The community is encouraged to participate in the toy drive by donating new, unwrapped toys, games and supplies for activities.
There are three ways to participate in the holiday toy drive:
In-Person Drop-Off: Purchase toys and drop-off the unwrapped gifts at the front entrance of Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital (400 W. Pueblo St.) on Tuesday, December 5 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and Wednesday, December 20 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Contactless Delivery: Purchase toys, supplies and gift cards through our wish list at MyRegistry.com by searching for Cottage Children’s Medical Center.
Donate: Make a monetary contribution to help purchase toys by visiting cottagechildrens.org/cmn/donate

CENTRAL COAST – People’s Self-Help Housing (PSHH) has been recognized by the Ventura County Community Development Corporation (VCCDC) as the recipient of their Michael McGuire Award for Excellence in Community Partnership.
Each year, VCCDC honors individuals and organizations for their contributions to improving the lives of families and individuals through investment of time, resources, and advocacy, thereby underscoring important community engagement, visionary leadership, and lifetime of excellence. At this year’s Annual Awards Ceremony, ‘Leading People Home’, PSHH was selected for this prestigious recognition for their dedication to building robust, inclusive communities and offering affordable housing solutions to those in need.
“We are so humbled and honored to have received this award,” said Ken Trigueiro CEO & President, “Thank you to VCCDC for their acknowledgement of our organization. We are proud to be selected with four other incredible individuals who are all working in the joint effort to positively affect our communities.”

SANTA BARBARA — Aaron Lee Arndt, a partner at the Santa Barbara-based law firm Foley Bezek Behle & Curtis, has been recognized by the nonprofit organization US Thalidomide Survivors for his service on behalf of Americans disabled by the now-banned drug.
Arndt, whose own mother was impacted by thalidomide after her mother took the drug during pregnancy, received a certificate of recognition for his “dedication to the mission and commitment to those in the United States affected by thalidomide who still await justice.” Arndt serves on the board of directors of the non-profit and works toward the organization’s central task of advocating for all those Americans who have been affected by thalidomide.

“From the first phone call that I made, I could tell they were really interested in doing anything they could to help me… fortunately that program (California Mortgage Relief) did work for me and now I don’t have to worry those past due bills and I don’t have to sell my home”.
Back in March 2020, the projects that Tobey had lined up for work were cancelled due to COVID leaving him essentially unemployed and unable to pay the property taxes on his home. Tobey applied for the California Mortgage Relief and was denied for reasons unclear to him. He sought out help and connected with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) who referred him to VCCDC, a HUD-approved housing counseling agency. At VCCDC, HUD-Certified Homeownership Specialist, Gabriela Muñoz, helped guide Tobey through the appeal process which consisted of document submissions and numerous calls and emails during a span of about 2 months. We are happy to report that Tobey was approved to receive funds from the California Mortgage Relief Program which has allowed him to stay in his home!
“I would recommend [VCCDC] to anyone….whether to purchase a home or in my case keeping what I already had. They’re amazing give them a try”.
If you have fallen behind on your mortgage or property tax payments, or a concerned you will, contact VCCDC to explore your options. Our dedicated team will provide information about the different options available to you including the California Mortgage Relief Program which offers up to $80,000 in assistance to homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments, property taxes, reverse mortgage or have a COVID related deferred mortgage loan .

In the summer of 2024, ANTX-Coastal Trident will be conducted to facilitate concept demonstrations and field experiments in the following technology areas:
Critical infrastructure security, threat mitigation, and incident response
In-service engineering, maintenance and sustainment of surface fleet and expeditionary combat systems
Port and maritime domain awareness, data fusion and decision support
Augmented and virtual reality modeling, simulation and digital engineering
Unmanned systems applications, implementation and countermeasures

Dear Friend,
Previously living in an unheated trailer, with no running water or basic sanitary amenities, this month a family of seven moved into PSHH affordable housing. These are the moments we work for, these are the significant victories where we can all pause and celebrate.
And while despite our collective best efforts, the scale of the housing crisis seems only to increase, for those who do not have the assurance of a safe and comfortable place to call home, our work continues.
The upcoming weeks give us so many opportunities to express our gratitude. So, whether you are a fellow houser, a funder, a policy maker, a developer, an elected official, a voter, a donor, or any one of the myriad partners needed to bring solutions to the over 15,000 people patiently waiting on our housing lists, during this season of thankfulness, I want express my appreciation for your dedication and service.

VENTURA — Sustainably forested silver-tip fir trees from Northern California will be available for pickup on Saturday, December 2 during “Christmas At The Farm” at Petty Ranch (11971 Darling Rd.) in Ventura. Proceeds from the Christmas tree fundraiser will help fund Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) agriculture education and healthy eating programs for kids in Ventura County.
Trees are available from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on December 2 or can be delivered ($75 delivery charge). Free hot cocoa and cookies will be served. Local vendors will be on hand at a pop-up holiday market.
The trees were donated by Rob Paulus, a retired Cal Fire Battalion Chief, and his family to support SEEAG and its ag-education efforts. Paulus has a 200-acre parcel of private land near the northern Sierra Nevada mountain range. He thins the overgrown forest on the property to reduce the risk of forest fires and to help restore the natural environment.
“By purchasing your Christmas tree from SEEAG you’re supporting the education of thousands of students and improving the natural forest landscape, says Mary Maranville, SEEAG founder and CEO. “We thank Rob and his family for their wonderful donation.”

VENTURA COUNTY — With the closure of California Youth Authority facility in Camarillo, many talented workers have been left jobless and in search of the next step in their careers. Originally 93 affected workers, 45 are remaining and using the Workforce Development Board of Ventura County to find local jobs.
One of the key Business Solutions the WDB offers is working to help reunite and relocate workers with employers who have available jobs and to help them find a valuable team member.

OXNARD — The City of Oxnard is hosting a series of meetings (Nov. 15, Dec. 5, 13) for community members to learn more about the City’s Environmental Resources (ER) Division, which protects public health and the environment by safely and efficiently disposing of trash and recyclables, and ensures compliance with local, State and federal laws relating to trash disposal and recycling.
Oxnard’s ER services include collecting, sorting, processing, and disposing of waste six days a week for 34,154 residential properties and 16,378 commercial customers, which includes apartment buildings. The division handles approximately 294,938 tons of waste annually and recycles approximately 12,918 tons of material and 14,177 tons of organics, which includes green waste and food scraps. Combined, this weight is almost as heavy as the Empire State building.

VENTURA — Bank of America today announced Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County as the 2023 Neighborhood Champion® awardee for its work providing mentorship to youth facing adversity across Ventura County. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County will apply the Neighborhood Champion $50,000 multi-year grant and leadership training towards expanding its Mentor Academy one-to-one mentorship for at least 20 more underserved youth.
Neighborhood Champions is part of the bank’s Neighborhood Builders program — one of the largest philanthropic investments into nonprofit leadership development in the nation. As a Neighborhood Champion, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County also will receive leadership training for its executive director and an emerging staff member delivered by experts in the nonprofit sector on topics like human capital management, increasing financial sustainability, and storytelling.

It’s Husky Week at Ventura County Animal Services! Husky Week is a week-long celebration of Siberian Huskies which includes education about the breed and, of course, FEE-WAIVED adoptions! Husky Week ends Sunday, November 19th, 2023. Visit www.vcas.us/huskyweek to view all Siberian Huskies. When you’re ready to adopt, you can either schedule an appointment at www.vcas.us/adopt, or simply come down to the shelter during normal business hours of 1:00pm – 6:00pm, Tuesday – Sunday.
If you’re unable to adopt, please help spreading the word to friends and family. With over 40 Siberian Huskies in our care, it is critical to find homes for as many as possible! Please note that pet promotions do not guarantee the adoption of a shelter pet. All interested parties must participate in the full adoption process to help ensure the best possible matches are made!

SCORE VENTURA COUNTY: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SBA LOANS
November 16 @ 10:30 am
Does your business need extra capital? Join Beatriz Devis of the SBA Los Angeles District Office in this free webinar to learn more about SBA lending, the different types of loan programs, how the programs work, eligibility, overview of application process and free assistance available to help you with your loan proposal.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

THOUSAND OAKS — Local leaders gathered at the Amgen Global Headquarters in Thousand Oaks today to announce and launch a regional job creation initiative developed by County Supervisor Jeff Gorell.
“Gold Team Ventura County” brings together elected, business, labor, utility and other leaders to engage targeted CEOs and industries to move or expand jobs to Ventura County. “Local elected officials at all the levels – city, county, state and federal – need to join forces and lead the effort on local economic development and job creations,” said Supervisor Gorell. “Supported by business experts and other important stakeholders, elected leaders can best open doors and start important dialogues with CEOs on job attraction or expansion. We need to do more to showcase Ventura County as the place to for key industries to grow the jobs of the future, and Gold Team Ventura County will do that.”

The Department of Pesticide Regulation allows for 14 times more 1,3-dichloropropene in the air than the official State cancer risk level
OXNARD — (On Nov. 8) dozens of concerned Central Coast and San Joaquin Valley residents gathered at the La placita de Oxnard to protest a new regulation of a cancer-causing pesticide that is the fourth most used in the Ventura County, 1,3-dichloropropene. The speakers at the rally included Ana Rosa Rizo-Centino, Kari Aist, Maria Navarro, Maria Trejo, Carmelo Castañeda, Rocio Madrigal, Eulalia Mendoza, Bill Allayaud, and Ron Whitehurst. All made their feelings clear: this new regulation does not protect farmworker communities and is racist. Video of the event can be seen here: https://www.facebook.com/100077352068463/videos/1275332433143901.

PORT HUENEME — The recognition streak continues for the 13th consecutive year! The Oxnard Harbor District was awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the United States and Canada. This award was given to the Oxnard Harbor District, which owns the Port of Hueneme, for its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2022.
“I am extremely proud of the hard-working financial team we have at the Port of Hueneme,” said Jess Herrera, President of the Oxnard Harbor District. “They have consistently demonstrated an obligation to uphold program and industry standards which is important to our stakeholders who have entrusted us to be fiscally responsible by maintaining a high level of professionalism, transparency, and experience.”

CAMARILLO — The job just doesn’t seem as rewarding as it was. There’s no time for your family anymore. You’re irritable and have trouble working up enough energy to be productive.
People from all professions will recognize the signs of burnout, but there are stressors and causes of burnout that are unique to academia, especially after the pandemic.
“We were doing our teaching under an emergency situation for a few years with online versus in-person teaching,” said CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Associate Professor of Psychology Melissa Soenke. “I’ll be looking at our culture of overwork and the life we’re finding post-pandemic. We’ve seen it with health care and people working in therapeutic settings, but there is not a ton of research on academic burnout.”

Last week I had the honor of cutting the ribbon on one of the County’s largest bridge projects in 40 years. Cuyama deals with a lot more extreme weather than the rest of us in Santa Barbara County, and this bridge creates an important connection for emergency access during storms. This area also has a higher poverty rate than the rest of the County, and Cuyamans have been at the mercy of two multi-national corporations over access to water. That one of the most significant bridge projects in County Public Works history was completed in Cuyama shows that we’re here for them.

SANTA BARBARA — Pam Tanase, who helped launch one of Santa Barbara’s first coworking spaces, Workzones, more than a decade ago, was recently inducted into the Ted Ducey Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Hall of Fame at Claremont McKenna College, her alma mater.
The Ted Ducey CMS Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding athletes, scholars and leaders within Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, an NCAA Division III athletic program comprised of student-athletes from three of the Claremont Colleges: Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, and Scripps Colleges.

VENTURA — Ventura Land Trust (VLT) honored distinguished donors and volunteers at its annual Supporter Spotlight event on Friday, November 3rd. Ventura Land Trust supporters joined the VLT Board of Trustees and staff members for happy hour and dinner while celebrating the 2023 VLT accomplishments and community impact.