Category: Commentary

Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Big News on COVID Metrics and Happy National Voter Registration Day!

by Community Contributor • September 22, 2020 • Comments Off

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.

Guest commentary — Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States of America in 2020

by Community Contributor • September 18, 2020 • Comments Off

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.

Santa Barbara City College — Fall term off to unconventional start amid COVID-19 pandemic

by Community Contributor • September 18, 2020 • Comments Off

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.

COVID-19, Latino Working-Age Adults, and Citizenship

by Community Contributor • September 17, 2020 • Comments Off

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.

United Way of Ventura County — United We Serve

by Community Contributor • September 17, 2020 • Comments Off

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.

Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Air Quality Watch and More

by Community Contributor • September 16, 2020 • Comments Off

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.

County of Ventura — Interim Halloween Guidance

by Community Contributor • September 16, 2020 • Comments Off

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.

September is National Pediatric Awareness Month and Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation would like you to meet Axel!

by Community Contributor • September 15, 2020 • Comments Off

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.

Bilingual commentary — Minority Students and STEM Education, Part II

by Community Contributor • September 11, 2020 • Comments Off

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.

Bilingual report — COVID-19 update for Sept. 10

by Community Contributor • September 10, 2020 • Comments Off

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.

Bilingual commentary — A September to Remember that Democracy is in Your Hands

by Amigos805.com • September 4, 2020 • Comments Off

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.

Bilingual commentary — Minority Students and STEM Education

by Community Contributor • September 4, 2020 • Comments Off

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.

Guest commentary — Reforming of the Oxnard Police Department Requires the Creation of a Community Police Review Board

by Community Contributor • September 3, 2020 • Comments Off

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?

Bilingual commentary — Looking Into a Foggy Future

by Community Contributor • August 28, 2020 • Comments Off

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.

Guest commentary — The Chicano Moratorium: A 50 Year Struggle Continues*

by Community Contributor • August 28, 2020 • Comments Off

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.

Guest commentary — Ivanka’s “Find Something New”

by Community Contributor • August 14, 2020 • Comments Off

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.

Guest commentary — Oxnard this is no way to run a prosperous, safe and caring city!

by Community Contributor • August 13, 2020 • Comments Off

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.

Bilingual commentary — Time to Reflect on the American Diet

by Community Contributor • August 7, 2020 • Comments Off

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.

Guest commentary — 2nd Open letter to Scott Whitney, Police Chief of Oxnard

by Community Contributor • August 7, 2020 • Comments Off

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.

Bilingual commentary — Lessons from the Least Terns

by Community Contributor • July 31, 2020 • Comments Off

This past weekend I had the opportunity to wander around the “settling ponds” by the water treatment plant in Ventura. To the casual outsider, this might sound like the last place on earth to go for a stroll, but it’s really a bit of a hidden treasure in our community.

One of the highlights of this location is the quantity and quality of the bird-watching that is available. I’m learning that birds have much to teach us, and the more I learn about them, the more in awe I am of them.

Guest commentary — The Oxnard Civil Gang Injunction is DEAD! Reconciliation, Healing and Reparation Begins NOW!

by Community Contributor • July 30, 2020 • Comments Off

After 16 years of illegal profiling, harassment and enjoining Mexican youth and adults, the racist and unconstitutional Oxnard Civil “Gang” Injunction is DEAD! Irrational fear, ignorance, and racism created this unconstitutional monster. There is the universal antidote to irrational fear, and racist hate and it is love; and love is at our miraculous and transformative disposal any time we wish to act boldly and put love into action. Oxnard here is where we must act boldly and immediately with love on a local level.

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

by Community Contributor • July 24, 2020 • Comments Off

Last week we rummaged through Oxnard’s past and found some interesting and unsettling history regarding the former Colonial House restaurant and motel complex in the city’s downtown. The ambiance had been designed to invoke the feeling of the “Old South,” as if people were visiting a Southern plantation, with all that that implied.

Guest commentary — The Oxnard Civil “Gang” Injunction is Officially Dead; A Victory for the People and the Constitution

by Community Contributor • July 24, 2020 • Comments Off

In a new release by the VC Star is was reported on Tuesday, July 21, 2021 that the, “Oxnard Police Department Will Work With District Attorney’s Office to Vacate Civil Gang Injunctions”

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

by Community Contributor • July 17, 2020 • Comments Off

Last week I wrote about the change in a local school’s name, from that of Richard B. Haydock to that of Dr. Manuel Lopez. The former was a segregationist in Oxnard’s early history; the latter was a beloved unifier and promoter of civil rights in Oxnard’s recent history.

This week I want to bring attention to a former landmark in downtown Oxnard, the Colonial House, a restaurant and motel built by developer Martin V. Smith in the 1940s.

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

by Community Contributor • July 17, 2020 • Comments Off

Last week I wrote an op-ed piece on racism that got quite a lot of circulation in the local electronic media. I want to lend some nuance to the often ugly race relations in American. I also wanted to give the reader a 62 year historical perspective through a few of my personal and traumatic race relation experiences I had in America. The negative comments from readers came fast and furiously as expected. Some of the exasperated readers wrote the usual racist advice and complaints, “get over it…stop whining…your comments are toxic…America belongs to white people…MAGA” and the old standard bile “If you don’t love this country then go back to Mexico”, but I also got positive feedback like, ”you should write a book… and the one that keeps me writing and helps me take on all the slings and arrows from the haters was, “you have to keep writing to tell our history.”

And then I read Caroline Randall Williams’s profound, painful and poignant article, My Body Is A Confederate Monument, in the New York Times and I was moved to tears and a solemn recommitment to speak truth to power as inspired by her searing and eloquent truth.

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

by Community Contributor • July 15, 2020 • Comments Off

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

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

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

by Community Contributor • July 10, 2020 • Comments Off

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

Guest commentary — Throwing the Proverbial Bones to the Mongrel Dogs

by Community Contributor • July 10, 2020 • Comments Off

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

Bilingual commentary — Health Privilege

by Community Contributor • July 2, 2020 • Comments Off

Most days I scroll through my Facebook timeline to see how my family and friends are doing. I feel a variety of emotions, love, happiness, sadness, anger and compassion as I review their lives and their commentary. Sometimes I contribute some understanding to a topic. I often learn something about life from someone else’s viewpoint or history.

Letter to the Editor — In Solidarity

by Community Contributor • June 25, 2020 • Comments Off

The month of June 2020 will end in historical landmark victories for our LBGTQ+ and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) communities. The Association of Mexican American Educators, Inc., Oxnard Chapter, applauds our Supreme Court Justices for supporting these communities and future generations.

Bilingual commentary — African Americans and the Reconstruction Era

by Community Contributor • June 25, 2020 • Comments Off

We live in a great country with a history that is both magnificent and, at times, not so magnificent. Until very recently, we were the light of the world, the “shining city upon a hill,” as our country has been called in flights of oratory throughout modern history. Nonetheless, there have been several ugly periods of time in American history that should have us hanging our heads in shame: the massacres of Native Americans in the nineteenth century; the internment of Japanese Americans in the mid-1940s; the persecution and humiliation of Mexican American youth in Los Angeles by military servicemen and white Angelenos during World War II. Few of us are aware of the Reconstruction era, just after the Civil War when the black slaves were given their freedom. In school, many of us were taught that the slaves were freed and we went on to become a great industrial power. And we lived happily ever after. But the truth is otherwise.

Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Not Out of the Woods Yet & Preparation for Fire Season

by Community Contributor • June 25, 2020 • Comments Off

We continue to see increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases in some regions of the County. I urge you not to panic, but to remember that jobs, businesses, and lives depend on continued use of precautions. These include:

Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, or having been in a public place.
Avoiding touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoiding close contact with people who are sick, and staying away from large gatherings and crowds.
Putting distance between yourself and other people (at least 6 feet).
Wearing face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. Face coverings may act as additional protection, but are not a substitute for physical distancing, which is the most effective way to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces daily.

Bilingual commentary — “White Privilege” and Latinos

by Community Contributor • June 19, 2020 • Comments Off

Last week I wrote about the obvious impact of white privilege on the African American community. There has been an uptick in dialogue in this country regarding white privilege. Lynching of blacks in different forms continues to this day. Last year the college admissions scandal, in which affluent white parents gamed the system to their children’s advantage, came to light. And then this year, incidents of murderous police aggression against the black community were caught on video and widely circulated on social media. The good behavior of most police officers is completely eclipsed by these outrageous occurrences.

Lost in the conversation is the discussion about the repercussions of white privilege in the Latino/Hispanic, Native American and Asian communities as well as a myriad of others. In this article, I want to focus on the Latino—and specifically Mexican—community, since locally we are very much a majority-minority in some parts of Ventura County.

Guest commentary — On this Father’s Day our Mother Earth Weeps!

by Community Contributor • June 19, 2020 • Comments Off

Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805. Armando Vazquez. Courtesy photo. By…

Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — State-Wide Face Covering Mandate & Some Detail on Recent Covid Cases

by Community Contributor • June 19, 2020 • Comments Off

Governor Newsom (on June 18) announced that face coverings are required to be worn State-wide in the circumstances outlined in the State guidance. It does not substitute for existing guidance about social distancing and handwashing.

Additionally, our Santa Barbara County Public Health Officer has put a pause on further reopening of personal care services such as nail salons, tattoo parlors, businesses offering facials, electrolysis, and waxing, etc.

Despite these significant acts of warranted precaution, we are seeing that the majority of active cases in Santa Barbara County are regional in nature. During the Public Health Department presentation to the Board of Supervisors this week, we learned more about why so many of our cases have been in North County, versus a much smaller amount of cases in South County (34 cases total).

Bilingual report — Community Invited to Take Action on Local Transportation System Reform

by Community Contributor • June 19, 2020 • Comments Off

The Community Environmental Council (CEC), in partnership with Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) and Just Communities, invites the community to participate in online and phone listening sessions as part of their Connected 2050/Conectados 2050 long-range planning effort.

The public is invited to request a listening session by visiting the Connected2050.org (English) or Conectados2050.org (Spanish) website. The public can also sign up to get updates and give input by texting “CONNECT” to (833) 956-0921.

United Way of Ventura County’s Stuff The Bus Campaign — Day of Action

by Community Contributor • June 18, 2020 • Comments Off

Sunday, June 21st is United Way’s Day of Action!

You can participate by joining
United Way of Ventura County’s
2020 Stuff the Bus campaign!

Provide essential school supplies for local students experiencing homelessness or from disadvantaged families.

You can help pave the path to academic success for a child from a homeless or low-income family. Furthermore, your support not only provides essential school supplies – studies show that it also promotes learning, building self-esteem, and helps ensure that our youth stay in school.

Guest commentary — Open Letter to Scott Whitney, Chief of the Oxnard Police Department

by Community Contributor • June 12, 2020 • Comments Off

Hello Scott,

It has been a while since we last talked or met. I think the last time we talked was at the old Social Security building, a few times in the past two years when you announced to us (CORE) and other community organizations and leaders your intentions to revising the two original Oxnard Civil Gang Injunctions (OCGI). You law enforcement folks saw the adverse decisions being render by courts up and down California that much of the language of the ill-conceived and hastily drafted Civil Gang Injunctions in California were being challenged, and upon judicial review were not passing judicial muster and where in eminent danger of being struck down and rendered unconstitutional. Under your leadership the OPD, and the Ventura County District Attorney’s Offices, saw the writing on the wall and decided to drastically rewrite and modify significant language of the original OCGI.

Chiques Organizing for Rights and Equality (CORE) has been fighting for the abolishment of both the Colonia and Southside Oxnard Civil Gang Injunctions since their inception in 2003-2004 on the simple grounds that they are racist, profile a specific class of Oxnard residents (Latino men) and are outright unconstitutional, not to mention horrifically written and ambiguous ordinances. ABOLISH THE TWO OCGI NOW!!!!

Bilingual report — A message from County of Ventura CEO Mike Powers

by Community Contributor • June 12, 2020 • Comments Off

We all watched in horror as Mr. George Floyd was killed by a Minnesota police officer, it is incumbent upon us to recognize the pain and the outrage of this injustice. Each time one of these needless and tragic events happens, it seems we all pledge and hope it will get better. And then this happens again. We have reached a tipping point from which we can never go back. My heart is with the family of Mr. Floyd, with the African American community and with all members of our community who are hurting, feeling hopeless, and afraid.

It is time we seize this moment and work to stop these events from happening. Together, as a community we can and will do it. We must do more. It starts with having an open and honest dialogue with one another. We value our relationships with our community members and community groups. We are stronger together. We stand in solidarity with those who wish to ensure all have a sense of safety, belonging, justice, equity and peace regardless of race, gender, age, sexuality or other identities.

Bilingual commentary — The Pervasiveness of “White Privilege”

by Community Contributor • June 11, 2020 • Comments Off

At this time, once again, we find ourselves discussing the unfortunate reality of “white privilege” in our unspoken, pernicious societal rules. “White privilege” is that social construct that makes it easier for whites to work within the grand system, to manipulate it in their favor if they choose to do so, to benefit from the blessings of a social order without even trying, simply by virtue of the color of their skin. Whites often are not even conscious of the privileges extended to them at the expense of non-whites. Whites can almost be forgiven for being unaware—indeed, clueless—of the generational suffering of those who do not participate in the grace that flows from the fountain of privilege.

CAP Media — Message to CAPS friends and family

by Community Contributor • June 11, 2020 • Comments Off

Dear CAPS friends and family,

Citizens all across the nation are letting their voices be heard in peaceful protest, condemning the reprehensible actions of police officers in Minneapolis that resulted in the horrific death of George Floyd. All of us at CAPS Media were sickened and saddened by what we saw.

We do not condone racism, discrimination, inequality or violence towards anyone. We stand in solidarity with our community and support everyone in exercising their first amendment right to assemble and to petition government to redress grievances.

UCSB — The Current — Distinguished Graduates

by Community Contributor • June 11, 2020 • Comments Off

The Dean’s award and other prizes recognize scholastic achievement in the sciences, social sciences, humanities and fine arts.
Read More ?

Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Black Lives Matter

by Community Contributor • June 10, 2020 • Comments Off

This has been an especially difficult last couple of weeks as we continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic while being forced to confront the reality of systemic racism with the murders of several Black lives over the last few months – George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Tony McDade. This isn’t the first time there have been protests in the streets over the taking of Black lives and a lot of the anger and pain you see is because of the reality for Black Americans knowing this won’t be the last time they have to protest in the streets to get justice and make change – and knowing that the next time the protest might be for them. We must take this time where we are already being forced out of the norm and out of our routine to look within our collective soul as a country and address the pain and discomfort of racism that has existed since the founding of our country.

Un mensaje de los doctores de las salas de emergencias del Centro Médico del Condado de Ventura y el Hospital de Santa Paula

by Community Contributor • June 9, 2020 • Comments Off

Las comunidades de California continúan enfocándose en detener la propagación de COVID-19 a través del distanciamiento social. Estos esfuerzos son prometedores, pero una consecuencia involuntaria ha sido una brecha cada vez mayor entre las personas con padecimientos y los proveedores de atención médica. El departamento de emergencias del Hospital de Santa Paula ha visto una disminución en el número total de visitas a la sala de emergencias. “Esto es de esperar, cuando las personas no están saliendo fuera de casa”, explica el Dr. Richard Rutherford, médico de emergencias y director de calidad y seguridad de Seaside Emergency Associates. “Pero también nos preocupa que algunos miembros de nuestra comunidad se queden en casa cuando realmente tienen una emergencia médica”. A algunas personas les preocupa ser una carga al hospital durante una pandemia. Otros temen que puedan infectarse con el virus COVID. “Hemos visto pacientes con ataques cardíacos, derrames cerebrales y otras enfermedades críticas que han esperado demasiado para visitar el hospital”, lamenta el Dr. Rutherford. Demorar la atención médica de estos eventos potencialmente mortales puede dificultar que el equipo del departamento de emergencias recupere la salud de los pacientes.

Social Justice Fund for VC on the Challenges of Racism

by Community Contributor • June 8, 2020 • Comments Off

The Social Justice Fund for Ventura County condemns police brutality, the continued police violence against our Black brothers and sisters, the over-policing of communities of color and all systems of oppression that have plagued this nation for far too long. We join in the grief for George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and the numerous others who have been murdered and victimized by this violence. This outrage cannot only be a moment! This needs to be a time for reflection and a call to action for all of us to actively engage in dismantling and elimination of the institutional, systemic and intentional racism that permeates throughout all levels of our society.

Guest commentary — The Vexations of History

by Community Contributor • June 5, 2020 • Comments Off

Oxnard Police Department officers cut short the lives of Meagan Hockaday (d. 3/28/15), Alfonso Limon (d. 10/13/12), Michael Mahoney (d. 8/14/12), Robert Ramirez (d. 6/23/12), and Juan Zavala (d. 6/28/2014).

Consequently, any City of Oxnard official who empathetically condemns the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police must also memorialize their deaths. Especially Robert Ramirez, who like Floyd and Eric Garner in New York, could not breathe as the medical examiner of Ventura County determined his death a police homicide from prone restraint asphyxia—choking.

Only then can we, as a community, have an authentic conversation on police violence elsewhere.

Guest contribution: Love in the Time of COVID-19 Calls for “Minimony” Weddings by Santa Barbara’s Weddings by the Sea

by Community Contributor • June 2, 2020 • Comments Off

Planning a wedding is a big deal, no matter the size of the event, the location or budget. After all, it’s one of the most important days in the lives of couples everywhere. A great deal of time, care and thought goes into creating a memorable event months ahead of tying the knot. Right now, millions of couples are reeling from the impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on their “Big Day.” Imagine the frustration of realizing that your celebration is frozen in suspended animation due to travel and social distancing restrictions, hotel, event venue and honeymoon destination closures, lost deposits, and worst of all, not knowing if the date you set will actually be the official day you’ll share your marriage ceremony with loved ones. Catherine Forester, an officiant and owner of Weddings by the Sea in Santa Barbara, understands the emotional turmoil couples are suffering. She has developed a practical solution to stop coronavirus from defeating happiness.

Guest commentary — A tribute to a fallen veteran

by Community Contributor • May 25, 2020 • Comments Off

“We were stationed off the coast of Vietnam. When we got the command from up top we would bomb the mainland” those are precisely the only two sentences that my late brother Sergio ever spoke to me about his protracted stint in the Navy during the deadly Viet Nam war years of circa 1968-1971 where he was stationed secretly out there somewhere in the vast Pacific Ocean. I never pushed my older brother for more details. I could tell from that one short abrupt conversation that I had with him shortly after he was honorable discharged from his military service that it was a history that that he would discuss with no one. He made good on his word! Just this past week my dear brother past away and with him his memories, secrets, nightmares and ruminations about the war in Viet Nam that he participated in are gone with him forever!

Guest commentary — Businesses Can Provide Mandated Harassment Prevention Training Even As Employees Work Remotely

by Community Contributor • May 22, 2020 • Comments Off

A California law requires that companies with five or more employees provide two hours of supervisory training and one hour of staff training every two years on harassment, discrimination, bullying and retaliation. With employees now working remotely, arranging in-person training in the workplace is not feasible. Employment law firm LightGabler offers an online training video course as an alternative solution that meets California harassment and bullying training requirements.

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