December 8, 2020 Top News No Refuge from the Heat Scientists find marine protected areas do little to mitigate the effects of climate change. Read More ? An Award of Distinction Suma Ikeuchi receives the Hsu Prize for best book…
We are collaborating with Santa Barbara County farmers markets, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department and Edible Santa Barbara to celebrate this season, while supporting our local farmers, ranchers, fisherfolk, and food artisans during the pandemic. Together, we have created a “Stay Home (and Eat Local) for the Holidays” Shopping Guide, which includes in-season recipes by Edible Santa Barbara to plan your fresh, beautiful and nutritious holiday meal. The guide also features suggested budgets based on the size of your small gathering; sample menus with basic preparations; and a shopping list with an easy to follow market map to use at your local farmers market!
In collaboration with a group of international researchers, CSU Channel Islands Entrepreneurship & Small Business Institute is studying how entrepreneurs deal with the consequences of COVID-19 during this most unusual year.
This research focuses on the impact of emotional intelligence and resiliency on entrepreneurial well-being world-wide during a black swan event. Upon taking an 8-minute survey you can see your scores for emotional intelligence and resilience. You can opt in to receive information via email to learn more about what your scores mean and to explore the range of results from the study.
For the past half-dozen years or so, there have been two warring governments in Libya. The resulting disorganization and chaos had led to a power vacuum that terrorists were only too happy to fill.
Venezuela’s presidential elections in 2018 resulted in two presidents claiming victory. The United States was quick to condemn the strongman who refused to concede, despite a vote count that was deeply flawed. …Could these scenarios presage our fate here in the United States, where only months ago we’d said, “Oh, that could never happen here”?
As you all know, this year has been a year like no other, and it has been no exception for Casa De Vida. Yet, the Casa De Vida Board, Staff and myself have been left in awe as we have seen how God has continued to keep His hand upon this ministry.
This year marks our 15th anniversary, and we are truly grateful for God’s keeping power and the support and love from all our friends, families and business associates who have supported Casa De Vida in one way or another.
With Covid-19 we have had to make adjustments to the home’s daily schedule for precautionary measures. Family visits have been altered to shorter time periods and confined to one area of the house for the safety of everyone’s health. Church attendance, inside and outside AA/NA meetings turned into Zoom meetings. The zoom meetings have been great for the men because it has allowed them to interact with others throughout the United States who also struggle with addiction.
Approximately 30,000 years ago our early ancestors began migrating crossed the Bering Straits. Between 15,000 to 20,000 years ago these first migrants continued their long journey into what is now known as the Americas. We the Indigenous of the “Americas” are the progeny of these first migrant. In the ensuing 15,000 years our Indigenous ancestors would continue their migration from what is now known as the North Pole all the ways south to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.
So there you are standing by yourself at a party, or at a dance, and you wander over to someone you’d like to get to know. Maybe you’re just curious about the person, or you find him or her attractive. Or perhaps you’ve been attending those webinars or listened to podcasts that instruct you in the art of determining whether someone is or isn’t a prospect for your business.
Maybe you’re an introvert and you feel clumsy in social milieus. But you just read a book with a title similar to, “How to Make Friends,” and you want to practice your new skills, as unpolished as they might be. So you approach someone. Now the hard part: what do you say? After all, “small talk” is a social minefield. One misstep could blow up a chance to make a good first impression.
We often hear about having to hire, refer to, or consult an “expert.” But what exactly is an “expert”?
Technically, an expert is someone with either substantial knowledge or skill in a particular endeavor. A data analyst might be consulted for his expertise in statistical studies, whereas a professional musician might be hired for her adroit skill with a particular musical instrument that she has practiced playing throughout her entire life.
The American people have driven the mad tyrant out of the White House, long live Democracy! The last four years have been the most polarizing, uncertain, and painful years in our lifetime, nonetheless, we got the job done we have a new president. Without doubt Biden would not be the president-elect if Black, Latino, Asian, Native American and the young folks vote had not come to the rescue of the Democratic Party again. 19 million Latinos voted in this Presidential Election, more than 13million or roughly 67% of the Latino votes went to Biden. The first time in American history that the Latino vote represented the highest minority vote in the nation. The powerful and decisive Latino voting pattern will continue to grow in the coming years. Both the Democrats and the Republican are aware of this growing American electorate, and we will no longer will be appeased, marginalized, manipulated or simply be ignored. Biden know this better than most, and he must act accordingly! We will closely watch Biden not in what he says but in what he does.
If you’re planning a large Thanksgiving gathering with family and friends this year, think twice!
That’s because health officials are warning against such gatherings this year, and they are imploring the public to take important safety precautions to protect themselves and their loved ones against the coronavirus, which continues to pose a serious health threat in California and across the nation.
Merino Productions is a Multilingual Solutions Agency based in Ventura County with a national and international curriculum in video productions, voice-overs and document translations.
Our experience with local government agencies, has shown a need to raise awareness on multiple subjects such as domestic violence, sexual abuse, drunk driving, drug addiction, personal growth and multicultural awareness.
Merino Productions has decided to start a new community awareness program on all these matters and will be volunteering hours to create a series of on-going bilingual (English and Spanish) videos. We are looking for volunteer actors and actresses of all ages to help us create these video messages.
Thank you all very much for participating in our democracy by casting your ballot during the Nov. 3, 2020, general election.
No matter who you have voted for, you have set national records in participation this year — all during a time of one of the worst pandemics in our nation’s history.
Now, the hard part begins. Patience.
As we write this, various news agencies are reporting that former Vice President Joe Biden has won Pennsylvania to put him over the 270 electoral votes needed to become the 46th U.S. President.
Those news services include:
Associated Press — Biden wins White House, vowing new direction for divided US
CNBC — Election 2020 live results: Biden projected to defeat Trump, claims national mandate
CNN — Election results live: Joe Biden wins presidency
Fox News — Fox News projects Biden to defeat Trump, become 46th president after winning Nevada, Pennsylvania
NBC News — Biden defeats Trump to win White House, NBC News projects
New York Times — Joe Biden Wins 2020 President Election
NPR — Biden Wins Presidency, According To AP, Edging Trump In Turbulent Race
Washington Post — Biden Defeats Trump
However, thousands of ballots remain to be counted in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. We owe it to election workers to complete their jobs and count every single ballot.
November 3rd is Election Day, but we may not know all the election results for days or even weeks afterward. This doesn’t mean anything is wrong. It just means our elections officials are doing everything possible to make sure every vote is counted and the election results are accurate.
In memory of those taken on November 7, 2018, and in honor of those that survived, this campaign is designed to encourage the community to perform 12 Acts of Kindness. An act of kindness can be simple and performed on behalf of those closest to you, a stranger, an organization, or for some, an act of kindness for themselves.
The campaign is mix of printable items and social media imagery for use across all platforms. The concept is to encourage everyone to participate in the way that is best for them. Participating in 12 Acts of Kindness does not require anyone to spend money, which is a critical aspect. Raising awareness around how many simple Acts of Kindness are possible and helping the healing process for the community is the goal of this campaign.
Missed the online registration deadline in your state? Same-day registration is available in-person in the states highlighted above: TURQUOISE – Same-Day Registration during Early Voting Dates ONLY PURPLE – Same-Day Registration on Election Day (November 3) ONLY BLUE – Same-Day Registration during Early Voting AND on Election Day ALASKA – Allows Same-Day registration but ONLY for President and Vice President.
PLEASE NOTE: Same-day registration must typically be done IN PERSON and only at limited locations. An elections official may request a state-issued photo ID and proofs of residency for each new registration. Contact your local / county elections office for specific requirements for same-day voter registration.
In 1945, my father returned home from World War II after taking part in the Normandy Invasion, fighting the Nazis in France and Germany, and surviving the Battle of the Bulge against the German army. Having entered the U.S. Army as a Mexican kid from the streets of Los Angeles, he came out on the other side of the war as an American citizen, battle-hardened and fully expecting to live the American Dream.
We are in our last days out from the 2020 Presidential elections and the very future of this Democracy is in peril. We have Trumps’ criminal Republican Party that will stop at nothing to retain tyrannical power and a mealy mouth and pathetically weak Democratic Party that feints outrage cries foul, but is either strategically out maneuverer at every political turn or rolls over like a broken lap dog and refuses to fight Republican political fire with fire. Our national politics are a mess! On November 3, 2020 the people have the critical and solemn hands-on opportunity through our votes to weigh in on the future of this nation, and in the process quite possibly preserve our democracy against the tyrannical forces that threaten to destroy it!
For many children of all ages, Halloween is synonymous with the American tradition of dressing up in costume and heading out into the neighborhood with friends and family to trick-or-treat and collect candy in the crisp autumn air.
However, with the coronavirus still spreading throughout much of the country, including in California, families are advised to take extra precautions this year, which could mean finding new and innovative ways to safely celebrate this holiday, according to a health expert.
We are still in the Red Tier according to the California Blueprint for a Safer Economy metrics, but we are getting closer to moving into the Orange Tier. Currently we have 1 active case in the South County Unincorporated Areas (which include Montecito, Summerland and the City of Carpinteria), 6 active cases in the City of Santa Barbara, and 138 active cases County-wide. Additionally, the Board of Supervisors recently voted to pass an Ordinance to adopt remedies, including administrative fines, for violations of County Health Officer Orders Pertaining to COVID-19.
Olvera Street in Los Angeles is where history, culture, multicultural livelihoods, and now a pandemic all intersect. This street is the cornerstone of the very character and identity of Los Angeles. But now this iconic testament to Mexican culture in one of the nation’s oldest metropolises just south of us here in Ventura County is suddenly having incredulous visions of its demise.
National Politics: With less than two week before the Presidential Election, the stakes have never been higher. We must all vote like our live depend on it! It is also incredibly important to focus on the local races because what happens in Washington, D.C., is going to play out in Oxnard.
In celebration of Días de los Muertos, the Museum of Ventura County invites you and your family to pick-up a Grab ‘n Go Day of the Dead Craft Bag at the Ventura Museum (100 E. Main St., Ventura) on Saturday, October 17, 2020 @ 10AM (while supplies last) and at the Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula (926 Railroad Ave.) on Sunday, October 18, 2020 @ 12PM (while supplies last).
The MVC and AG Grab ‘n Go Day of the Dead Craft Bags include:
• Día de los Muertos mask-making kit
• Instructions on how to build your own at home altar (English and Spanish)
• Materials and instructions on creating Papel Picado
• Materials and instruction on creating tissue paper marigolds
• Recipe for baking Pan de Muerto
Drive-ups only, please. You will be met curbside by our friendly staff members. Gloves, masks and social distancing practices will be in place.
Like many other things in 2020, Halloween will need to be celebrated differently this year to keep people safe. Trick-or-treating is strongly discouraged by the state this year to prevent household mixing amid the pandemic. Alternative activities for Halloween and Día de los Muertos include:
In an effort to inform voters, the League of Women Voters, Ventura County conducted candidate forums for local city council, mayoral, state senate and assembly elections as well as the Congressional District 26 election.
The League of Women Voters also conducted discussions of the California Ballot propositions and Ojai School Bond K. You can access the video recordings of these events at the following link:
The Carsey-Wolf Center presents “Subversives,” a film series with moderated discussions over Zoom.
Welcome to the Santa Barbara County Food Action Network’s first newsletter! We appreciate your time and attention in a year filled with new information coming at you by the minute. Rest assured the content will be relevant, inclusive, informative, and valuable to both you as an individual and our community Countywide. The quarterly newsletter will include: a feature on recent collaborative activation of Food Action Plan goals; a community profile in Santa Barbara County that is building food system resilience; upcoming events and funding opportunities; ways to take action.
A “crisis” most often refers to intense difficulty or danger that is temporary. A “mid-life crisis” will eventually burn itself out. A “crisis of conscience” will work itself out over time. A “political crisis” will normally resolve itself, ideally without the loss of life or cherished institutions.
I was moved to revise this article that I wrote previously. I recently saw the Netflix documentary Carlos Almaraz: Playing with the Fire. The documentary on the life of Almaraz was co-directed by Elsa Florez Almaraz, an artist and wife of the late Almaraz, and Richard Montoya, one of the founding member of the Chicano theatre group known as Culture Clash.
There once was a time when we Americans didn’t seek shelter in our echo chambers where we soak in the news that corresponds to our world view and ideology. We weren’t a nation of Fox News vs. CNN viewers, scorning each other and inhabiting very different but parallel universes. We didn’t accuse each other of subscribing to conspiracy theories. We didn’t have leaders at the very top rungs of government actively promoting some of the vilest, most unimaginably preposterous and downright quirky fabrications that we hear today, every day, everywhere and all the time.
I am a Mexican immigrants, who along with my entire family, I entered into the United States in 1958. I became a naturalized citizen of this country in 1997. The very first time I was eligible to vote, I voted, and I have been voting in local and national election ever since. All immigrants, no matter what part of the world we come from cherish our American citizenship. Not all of us however vote and that is a shame because some of us still think that our one vote does not matter. Our singular vote won’t make a damn bit of difference, and that my dear reader is how we got into some of this mess in the first place. So come November 3, 2020 vote, your VOTE matters!
The circumstances of this election are like no other in a hundred years. We need to execute our Constitutional right to vote and stay safe from the Covid-19 virus. The best way to do that is to vote from home.
At (Sept. 22)’s Board of Supervisors hearing, we received an update on COVID-19. The graphic below shows the adjusted case rate for Santa Barbara County for this week as 6.7 new cases per 100,000 population. According to the California Blueprint for a Safer Economy metrics, we need to lower our 7-day average positive case number to at least 7 per 100,000 population to move to the red tier. That being said, if our case rate stays below 7 positive cases per day per 100,000 for another week, we will be able to move into the red tier as early as September 29th. Additionally, we would need to remain in the red tier for 14 consecutive days in order for K-12 schools to reopen, which could be as soon as October 13th. Currently we have 2 active cases in the South County Unincorporated Areas (which include Montecito, Summerland and the City of Carpinteria), 19 active cases in the City of Santa Barbara, and 151 active cases County-wide.
If it were not so pathetically packaged as totally absurd, insincere and damaged capitalistic propaganda, of absolutely no consequence or redeeming value whatsoever, for the roughly 18 million Latinos, it would be laughable, cruel, ironic hypocrisy at the highest level. I am referring to this phony period from September 15, to October 15, 2020 that we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States of America. Celebrate what? When this our government has effectively declared war on us, the Latinos of this nation.
In the days running up to the first day of the Fall term, Noozhawk interviewed officials at SBCC about the innovative ways the college has prepared to support teaching and learning in an online environment. Acknowledging that the college provides vital services in addition to classes, Noozhawk noted that the college is working to address the technical needs of all learners while also taking time to ensure social and emotional needs are met.
Report no. 9 of UCLA’s Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture (CESLAC).
Farm workers provide a good example of how age, citizenship, essential jobs, and COVID-19 intersect to deadly effect. We provide a demographic profile to give context showing that the largest number of Latino non-citizens in California are concentrated in the age groups 35-49 and 50-64. They are more likely to be employed as essential workers, and therefore are more likely to be exposed to COVID-19.
This week, three AmeriCorps VIP Fellows will be sworn in to serve United Way and our partner sites. Partner sites for the upcoming year include the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging and Westminster Free Clinic, a brand new site. These VIP Fellows are part of a cohort serving sites across 17 California counties. United Way of Ventura County has served as the Supervising Organization for the AmeriCorps Volunteer Infrastructure Project (VIP) in our county since 2016.
At (the Sept. 15) Board of Supervisors hearing, we received an update on COVID-19. Santa Barbara County remains in the purple tier according to the California Blueprint for a Safer Economy metrics. However, according to the graph below, we are getting closer to meeting the metrics of the red tier after recovering from the spike we endured in July.
As fall approaches families start to plan for the upcoming holiday season beginning with Halloween. Since some of the traditional ways in which this holiday is celebrated does not allow you to minimize contact with non-household members, it is important to plan early and identify safer alternatives. The Ventura County Department of Public Health would like to share information on how to take part in this holiday in a manner that reduces the risk of spreading COVID-19. Since some of the traditional ways in which this holiday is celebrated are not permitted this year, consider some safer alternatives that are listed below.
Just imagine having a child with cancer during this COVID-19 crisis–a pandemic that is leading to job loss or insecurity, financial hardship, mounting health concerns, and an overworked and exhausted health care community.
Today, you can have a direct and meaningful impact on local families who have a child with cancer and need your help..
Meet Axel! We are honored to share his uplifting story, as told with the help of his mom, as a way of spreading some positive light during these frequently dark periods of COVID-19.
Last week I wrote about representatives of minority populations who study STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) topics in school and emerge into our communities as scientists, teachers, engineers and role models. Within our local community, we have a substantial number of college students majoring in STEM fields. Likewise, we are fairly well represented professionally in math education. I may be a bit biased because of my background, but many of us know, or at least intuit, that mathematics is the gateway to all branches of science and the foundation of areas as diverse as music, logic, business, finance and cryptography.
If you or someone you care about is in crisis there is help. The Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available at 1-800-273-8255. September is suicide prevention awareness month. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress and prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones.
Learn more about resources by clicking here.
Never has a September been more important to American democracy than this year with the deadline approaching to fill out U.S. Census forms and to do everything possible to make sure your vote counts in during the Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020 general election
During the next few weeks we will highlight the need for our reading audience to take action as these deadlines rapidly approach.
There will always be a special place in my heart for those students who pursue a solid math education. I once had—and continue to have—the same fascination as they have with the mysterious beauty of mathematics.
When I started teaching college mathematics several decades ago, Latinos in the field of math education were relatively rare. In the more recent past, there has been a surge of interest in encouraging minority students to pursue classes in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields. The technical sphere is where more lucrative careers beckon those who have the education and the wherewithal to survive the rigors of a STEM education.
The first crucial and mandatory step toward real and progressive 21st-century police reform in Oxnard is the community taking over the vital role of departmental management and policy administration of the Oxnard Police Department (OPD). The initial step is not about defunding the cops, because it deflects and detracts from the number one problem that every police department in the nation has, including the OPD, which is cops supervising cops! For 100+ years the Oxnard City Council and by silent complicit acquiescence of the residents, we have let the “foxes” patrol with unfettered power, control, and impunity the community’s “chicken coop”. How has that worked out, for people of color, the homeless, the disenfranchised, the immigrant, and the youth, Oxnard?
A couple of weeks ago, as temperatures in other parts of the Southland were starting to climb, we here in coastal Ventura County once again found ourselves blessed. Sometimes we’re a bit too blessed.
We who live on the coast often enjoy a sea breeze as other parts of the region swelter (that’s good for us). Our “marine layer” acts as a sort of preternatural air conditioner that cools and soothes us.
The Chicano Moratorium March of August 29, 1970, in East Los Angeles, that was organized by Chicano anti-war activists, students from throughout the greater Southwest, the Brown Beret and various Chicano civil rights groups and organizations, drew over 30,000 peaceful marchers protesting their opposition to the Vietnam War, police brutality, and incessant universal discrimination and inequality for minorities, culminating that day in a murderous state-sanctioned law enforcement (the Los Angeles Sheriffs for the most part, with some LAPD reinforcements) riot.
For many of us actively involved in the Chicano Movimiento the Moratorium was/is a bloody and murderous reminder that the deadly and oppressive force of the state would come down hard and furious on any minority, individual or group, that in any way challenged their societal dominance and superiority.
Ivanka Trump, daughter of President Trump, serves as a co-chair of the National Council for the American Worker. Several weeks ago, I, like many others, waxed skeptical of Ivanka’s suggestion that Americans laid off from their jobs “find something new” as they are displaced from their livelihoods by the tsunami-strength ravages of the coronavirus pandemic. She was roundly criticized for being the let-them-eat-cake embodiment of Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France before the French Revolution, who was ultimately executed at the guillotine.
Since about 2000 until this year, 2020, a total of twenty years, the city of Oxnard has had a top level executive dysfunctional, wasteful, costly and head-spinning management turnover rate. This hair on fire musical chairs approach to local governance, of course, contributes to horrific and untimely fiscal, planning and programmatic waste, malfeasance and mismanagement.
The apparently never-ending coronavirus pandemic has punched a hole in the panorama that was our American diet up to now. Suddenly, beginning earlier this year, meat became scarce. Delicately balanced supply chains were knocked off-balance, partly due to meat production workers “dropping like flies” as the virus surged through factories and warehouses. Meat counters in grocery stores became sparse and the cost of the meat that was available started to rise due to demand for the limited supply. Major grocery outlets started rationing quantities of meat to its customers to avoid the toilet-paper-hoarding fiasco that occurred at the beginning of the pandemic.
Now that the people have defeated the unconstitutional Oxnard Civil “Gang” Injunction (OCGI) what is the next move for the OPD? You, Scott, and all your current staff of Assistant Police Chiefs were with you back in 2003, all as aspiring “by the book” future police chiefs, you guys then were just following orders; when Greg Totten, the Ventura County District Attorney, your boss at the time Police Chief Art Lopez and the Oxnard City Council secretly conspired to create the Oxnard Civil “Gang” Injunction (OCGI) that the people of Oxnard just slayed after 17 years of community and court room fights.
