Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to equity supports Latino-owned businesses in recovering from the pandemic.
Furthering equity among Latino communities
Category: Commentary
Bilingual commentary — Learning From the Birds
There is so much we have learned from birds, and there is much more to learn as we unlock the secrets of their magnificent abilities.
By observing birds over millennia, we finally figured out, just over a hundred years ago, how to emulate their flight and soar through the air—first in propeller planes, and now in jets. Birds gave us a solid starting point for developing our ability to fly.
Commentary — PODS® Local Helps Homeowners Sell Homes for More
Home staging continues to save homeowners time and generate more money from a sale than homes that are not staged. According to a 2021 survey by The National Association of Realtors®, 41% of real estate agents said staging a home can increase the value of offers by up to 10%. It was also found that home staging can greatly decrease the amount of time a house spends on the market as buyers can better visualize a property as a future home. As staging often requires sellers to remove or significantly reduce the presence of their belongings in a home, PODS Local offers tips and solutions to help homeowners sell their homes quickly and for higher closing prices.
Bilingual report — County of Ventura Update – COVID-19
A second Pfizer and Moderna booster dose is now available for people who received their first booster dose at least four months ago. Eligible Californians include people who received their first Pfizer or Moderna booster and are age 50 and up or individuals who are age 12 and up and moderately to severely immunocompromised. The CDC also recommends everyone who received a J&J booster receive a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least 4 months after their first booster. Talk to your provider about receiving your booster today! For information about COVID vaccines, visit www.vcrecovers.org/vaccine
Bilingual commentary — Plastic – The Monster
One of the memories I have from my childhood in the 1950s is the sound of the glass milk bottles in a small crate being delivered early in the morning on the side porch of our home. The “milkman,” a friendly, jocular, “older” man (who was probably in his 40s) always had a friendly greeting for my mother when she opened the door to retrieve the fresh milk.
But then just like clotheslines, answering machines, and typewriters, the milkman’s role faded away from our lives. Technology’s slow advance began accelerating and then, like an avalanche, seemed to suddenly overtake most facets of our lives. The milkman’s visits were no longer necessary in a world that now provided refrigeration and plastic.
Bilingual report — It Wasn’t Supposed to be This Way!
On December 12, 2019, I finished teaching my last mathematics class at a local community college. I announced to my students that I was saying good-bye to my life as an educator. I was completely retiring after teaching for more than 40 years as both a full- and part-time math instructor. We were all looking forward to 2020 and beyond, with the kind of promise that only a new year can offer.
I walked out of the classroom thinking about the possibilities. I reflected on the many decades of work that I always had to come back to, even if I took a few days off for a vacation. Now, finally, I could consider more time with my family, longer trips, and the ability to pursue interests for which I never had the luxury of time.
Much of that was not to be—for several more years, at least.
Bilingual commentary — Native Americans Words and Commercial Sales
In years past, American companies that sell items such as cars, military weapons, food, gasoline, airplanes, baking supplies, and items for personal use found that using Native American words in their product names was good for business. Now, however, some of these companies are taking a second look at their choices. In the current age of cultural awareness, appropriating words from Native American languages is deemed “unseemly,” and in some cases just plain bad for the bottom line.
Bilingual report — Environmental Justice Youth Leaders to host the second annual virtual ‘Other Strawberry Festival’ on May 1
The Other Strawberry Festival virtual event is a place for conversations about the impact of pesticide use and racial injustice in conventional strawberry growing, bringing together community to create change for a more just and healthy food system for people and the planet.
Bilingual commentary — The Big Lie and the Flat Earth
The vast majority of Republicans believe Trump’s Big Lie about last year’s election. They support the “alternative fact” that the election was “stolen” and “fraudulent” and that Trump indeed “won.” They cling to this belief despite the mountains of evidence and reams of data to the contrary. There are thoroughly fact-checked, credible reports about the 61 courts, including the Supreme Court, that struck down lawsuits claiming election malfeasance. This means nothing to the “True Believers” who consider themselves “real Americans” and “patriots.”
“Trump won.” That’s their belief and they’re sticking to it.
PODS® Local Helps Households Looking to Downsize in Hot Markets
The sizzling hot housing market is driving some homeowners to cash in big, selling their larger homes and opting to downsize while pocketing the profits. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), in October 2021, the U.S real estate market registered a 7% increase in existing home sales. The average home price in Ventura County in December 2021 was $805,000, an 18.4% increase from December 2020 (Redfin.com).
Top housing markets in California, Arizona, and Nevada are seeing a hot new trend – downsizing. While some families look to make the jump to expansive suburban homes, there is a savvy group of homeowners making a different choice: downsizing to a comfortable and affordable home. Whether it be a city condo in a more walkable neighborhood closer to public transit or a tidy beachfront estate they have always dreamed of owning, young professionals to retirees are making moves.
Bilingual report — The War on Education
As I sit down to write this article, the Russian army is waging war on its neighbor, Ukraine. This is of enormous concern in Europe and around the world. But there is a different kind of war in our own midst that threatens to undermine the very foundations of our country’s success as a nation.
Until recently, education of our children and young adults was something that we valued – something in which we took pride and strove to provide for them. We thought it was important that our children were learning math and history and music. We used to admire young people who chose to go to our colleges and universities. Now we also recognize that higher education is not the only path to financial and personal success.
Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Democracy Under Threat
I know you have noticed, but democracy and our way of life is being challenged at home and abroad. But these challenges are rarely clearly understood in the moment for what they really are, and rarely met before they spiral out of control.
Putin’s war of aggression in Ukraine is a crisis for the good people of Ukraine, a young and imperfect (as if ours is perfect) democracy in the heart of Eastern Europe. Putin is bombing civilians in Ukraine, and it will get worse. Ordinary citizens in Ukraine, people just like you and me, people who were only last week at their jobs in restaurants, as nurses, as accountants and factory workers, are now taking up weapons to defend their democracy and their freedom from the full might of the Russian army.
Bilingual commentary — Baptisms: Letter vs. Spirit of the Law
A mortified and remorseful priest who served the Diocese of Phoenix in Arizona for more than two decades resigned from his duties this month. No, he was not embroiled in a sexual abuse case. He had not pilfered any proceeds from contributions to the church. He was not accused of having a flagrant affair with a female parishioner. He was a good man who made an honest mistake. But in the eyes of the Bishop of Phoenix, that error carried huge implications that will reverberate through the congregation for years. The shock waves are no less unsettling than those of a convulsive earthquake.
During his tenure as pastor at St. Gregory Parish, Father Andrés Arango performed thousands of baptisms. However, in all those baptisms, he had replaced one itsy-bitsy but crucial word with another. The formulaic “I baptize you in the name of the Father, etc.” became “We baptize you….”
Bilingual commentary — A Letter to My 5-Year-Old Self
David, this is your older self writing a letter to you from nearly 70 years in the future. I have a perspective that people acquire only after having lived through several decades, watching their own children and grandchildren navigate the rivers that are their lives.
At your five years of age, you are living in relatively prosperous times. The world is ten years down the road from the end of World War II, and people are still rejoicing as they build back their lives in a booming economy. The adults around you are creating their families, and that Baby Boom bulge will travel down time like a rodent travels down the gullet of a python. Take full advantage of the opportunities that are going to be laid at your feet. As you become older, you will see that the young people won’t have what your generation takes for granted.
Bilingual commentary — Governor Needs to be ‘Schooled’
As if we didn’t already have enough controversy around masking mandates in California.
Several days ago, Governor Newsom, along with Los Angeles and San Francisco mayors Eric Garcetti and London Breed, respectively, attended the National Football Conference Championship Game at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The problem that erupted shortly thereafter was the result of images of the governor appearing maskless at a mega-indoor event. These are precisely the types of gatherings that public health officials seriously warn us about attending. The governor’s pretext was that he had “removed the mask for a brief period,” but that excuse was widely dismissed as insultingly disingenuous.
February is American Heart Month — Plant-Based Diet Offers Strong Medicine for a Healthy Heart
It is a troubling statistic! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one person dies every 36 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease. Additionally, about 655,000 Americans die from heart disease each year – that is 1 in every 4 deaths.
With February being American Heart Month, Kaiser Permanente reminds everyone about the importance of caring for one’s heart by taking steps toward lifestyle changes that can lead to a healthier life.
February is Children’s Dental Health Month — ‘Sealants Make Sense’
February is Children’s Dental Health Month and it’s the perfect time to encourage and educate the benefits of good oral health. This year’s theme is “Sealants Make Sense.” There are many ways to maintain your oral health. Consistently brushing and flossing are excellent ways to add a sealant for extra coverage.
Bilingual commentary — Bread and the Power of Redemption
Several years ago, I was shopping for sliced bread at my favorite local supermarket. I headed over to the aisle where a cornucopia of breads, cookies, crackers, jams, and nut butters burst into view. The innumerable choices at American grocery markets are legend throughout the world.
And before I digress too far, let’s return to my quest for bread. I almost never buy the same kind of bread twice in a row because I enjoy experiencing the flavors, textures, and the very essence of “our daily bread.” Bread, after all, is an ancient food representing the life force. It possesses deep religious—even sacramental—connotations.
Bilingual commentary — The Threat to Affordable Medications
Millions of Americans have come to depend on credentialed online pharmacies outside the U.S. for their prescription medications. These pharmacies have strict guidelines. They will sell only to adults who are able to produce a legitimate doctor’s prescription for a particular drug or medication. Quality control of their products is of utmost importance. Quantity limits are imposed.
For the struggling masses of Americans who would normally be unable to afford highly inflated prices for these vital pharmaceuticals, these online vendors based in Canada and other countries are a godsend. They offer a legitimate service that allows untold numbers of people to purchase lawful, medically prescribed drugs for a considerably discounted price. People shouldn’t be forced to decide which they can afford to pay in a particular month: food, rent, heat, or prescription medications.
United Way of Ventura County — United in compassion
After six months of working with a family of two adults and five children (all ages 7 and under, including an infant), our team has successfully found permanent housing for them thanks to our partnership with a private landlord in Port Hueneme. The landlord is also looking to purchase another property to continue her partnership with United Way. Housing First is a proven model and it’s working. Since we launched the program two years ago, we’ve helped permanently house 146 individuals.
Next week as part of our United to End Homelessness Ventura County Symposium, I’ll be interviewing keynote speaker, Jessica Bruder, author of the award-winning Nomadland. The book, and the Oscar-winning film based on the book, documents the lives of itinerant Americans who travel from job to job out of economic necessity. I hope you’ll join me for this important virtual symposium on February 4.
Bilingual commentary — Workforce Training for a Post-Pandemic World
Last week, the new mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, quickly found himself embroiled in a self-inflicted controversy. At a press conference, he casually referred to cooks, dishwashers, messengers, shoe shiners and fast-food workers as “low-skill workers.” That got the attention of some powerful and influential people.
Liberal U.S. State Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez fired back via Twitter. She claimed that calling workers “low-skilled” plays into a “myth perpetuated by wealthy interests to justify inhumane working conditions, little/no healthcare, and low wages.”
But looking past the outcry over the mayor’s remarks, we might want to pause and consider the implications of the issues at hand.
Guest commentary — ‘Take Small Steps, Daily’ — VISIONALITY CEO Emily Barany and Senior Project Manager, Kristian Almeida, reflect on 2021 and makes predictions for 2022
VISIONALITY CEO Emily Barany says, “Take Small Steps, Daily: We are NOT going to solve all the world’s problems in one sitting. In 2021, I really focused on taking small steps towards big goals. In the moment, that small step doesn’t feel like much, but after a year of small steps, you’ll realize you’ve gone far.”
Barany recently sat down with Senior Project Manager, Kristiana Almeida to discuss 2021 reflections and 2022 predictions. While their complete two-part discussion covering their perspectives on business, leadership, development, and the much used term, pivoting, can be found on the company’s website – www.visionalitypartners.com/resources, they share a few of their top level take-aways from 2021 and predictions for 2022 below.
Ventura County Arts Council — Employee Art Show Winners, Free Online Trainings, Art in the Community
Greetings! A new year has begun, and though we collectively find ourselves facing new challenges and closures due to the pandemic, there are still many arts opportunities to enjoy in our community. Below you’ll find various events, news, grants and educational resources for artists, arts organizations and arts supporters. We hope you are continuing to make, enjoy and support art!
Bilingual commentary — Stories of the Spanish Flu Pandemic
We are all traversing this time that will remain in our memories the rest of our lives. If we are old enough, not only we but also our children and grandchildren are experiencing the disorientation, stress, and anguish of the COVID-19 pandemic. Someday, these children and grandchildren will be telling stories of the Great Pandemic of 2019 – 2022 (hopefully not longer than that) to their descendants, possibly including our great-great-grandchildren. We cannot begin to guess what technology will be used to record those stories for posterity. Some of us may even have venerable photographs of immediate ancestors who suffered and died during the Spanish Flu of 1918 – 1920.
Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Highway 101 Construction Update, New Mask Guidance, & Input Needed for CAP
In the latest Highway 101: Carpinteria to Santa Barbara project construction update there is new information regarding San Ysidro Road and the freeway ramps, traffic lane switches by Sheffield Drive, and temporary closure of southbound on-ramp at Santa Claus Lane:
When the southbound off-ramp at Sheffield Drive reopens on January 18th, flagging to direct traffic at the intersections of San Ysidro Road and the freeway will cease during the morning peak periods. The flaggers have been on-site to help direct the extra traffic associated with the Sheffield off-ramp detour as it routes people to exit southbound at San Ysidro Road. With the detour complete, we won’t have the added traffic routed to the southbound off-ramp at San Ysidro Road.
Traffic lanes will switch between Romero Creek and Sheffield Drive to let people use the new pavement and provide space for the next stage of construction.
The southbound on-ramp at Santa Claus Lane began a 10-day closure on Jan. 10th to begin work on the improvements in that area.
Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Volunteer for Point In Time Count, 1/9 Remembrance Event, COVID-19 Info & More
I want to wish you a healthy and happy New Year, and encourage you to live with less worry. I believe that living without worry is not about ignoring dangers, it is about controlling what you can control, taking precautions, but also living your life and not putting energy into what is outside our control.
“If you have a piece of truth, do not hide it like a treasure, but hang it on a shingle for the world to see.”
Bilingual commentary — A Tale of Wealth and Privilege
I never forgot a story I read in a college English Literature class about wealth, privilege, and compassion. The title of the story, The Garden Party, is simple and plain. Nonetheless, this narrative, written by Katherine Mansfield, encompasses a range of emotions ranging from the indifference of the wealthy to the suffering endured by the less fortunate. As seen in this story, the two groups often live side by side, hardly aware of each other’s existence. This is happening more frequently here in California as the state seeks to build more affordable housing, even if it happens to be adjacent to moneyed neighborhoods.
LULAC Warns A Repeat Of The January 6, 2021 Insurrection Is Still Possible
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) issued the following statement on the first anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The protest and violence were carried out in an attempt to stop the ratification of the electoral ballot results from the November 2020 presidential election that defeated Donald Trump. The US Justice Department issued a report six months following the attack and stated that more than 535 people who took part in the insurrection were arrested in all 50 states. Five people died during the incident, a Capitol police officer lost his life the following day of stroke complications from injuries he suffered in the violence, and four other officers on duty during the attack died later from suicide. A full congressional investigation into the insurrection continues.
Guest commentary — Lady Whiskers and the Miracle of Christmas
Roughly four Christmas ago Debbie and I where unceremoniously run out of Oxnard. We had lost our lease at the Café on A location that we had occupied and provided programs and services to at-promise youth and their families for three decades. No matter how much we “negotiated” with the landlords and the Oxnard City Manager at the time, they were determined to kick us out. They told us impatiently and obliquely that they had other plans. Yesterday, I returned to Oxnard, the pain of the eviction, almost gone. I bravely drove down the old part of downtown Oxnard, on to A Street. What has replaced our beloved Café on A is a smoke shop, soon I suspected they will sell cannabis products out the location. The irony of this building tenant change makes me both want to laugh and cry, all at the same time!
Aug. 27 — Oxnard’s Los Mixos to Live Stream Concert
Los Mixos, one of Oxnard’s newest music bands, in collaboration with Red Sky Productions and HOPE Social Skills for Teens with Autism, will be performing live for a multi-camera, internet-streamed studio concert called Downtown Window (DTW), to promote their original 5-song music EP. The concert will be performed and streamed on the internet at www.DowntownWindow.com on Saturday, August 27th at 4pm at the Red Sky Productions studio in downtown Oxnard. Through the livestream, fans will see and hear Los Mixos’ newly released songs filmed in a music video type set with lighting, set design and props with the help of a crew of camera operators, sound engineers, a cinematographer and television director.
Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara — ’tis the season of giving!
You’re the reason we are looking so merry and bright!
Thank you all for supporting contemporary art and the artists whose passion compels them to create. It is you who challenges our team to bring our best selves in service to our visitors and our community.
We were inspired by so many enthusiastic visitors and supportive collaborators this year. Looking back brings as much wonder as it does gratification. Just take a look at our very first Earth Day Mural – it still takes our breath away!
The team at Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (MCASB) is working on some truly fantastic exhibitions, events, travel, and educational programs for 2022. MCASB prioritizes accessibility for all, and maintains a steadfast commitment to free admission.
Please consider a year-end donation, which allows us to continue to bring you awe-inspiring, thought-provoking, and beautiful encounters with the art of our time. Our work is only possible because of your support.
Bilingual report — Entering an Age of Virus Mutations
Last summer, we started doffing our masks and reuniting with family and friends. There was a festive glee in the air we breathed as if we who were now vaccinated against COVID were celebrating “The End of the Pandemic.” There was a feeling that now, finally, we could get on with our lives and regard the previous year as something akin to a very bad dream.
The party did not last long. Just as we were putting away the champagne glasses and summer party hats, the Delta variant emerged “from out of nowhere,” quashing our hopes of a return to near normal. We grumbled as we took our masks out from the drawers where we had stored them as “souvenirs” from a crisis that we had survived. Or, if we had ceremoniously burned or shredded our masks, we kvetched as we had to go out and buy new ones.
Bilingual commentary — See a Doctor? But I Feel Fine!
“I’m not going to see a doctor. Why should I? I feel fine!”
I’m willing to bet that we’ve all heard this line, or variations of it, from people we know. Or perhaps we ourselves have this belief that if we are feeling well, then visits to doctors’ offices are futile, a waste of precious time, and a fool’s errand. Admittedly, for many people, visits to their doctor could also very well feel like a waste of their money if the test results indicate, over and over, that “all is normal.”
As one example of the cost of ignoring routine medical tests, let’s consider one “silent disease” that often goes undetected: glaucoma. According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, over three million Americans have glaucoma, a disease that seriously affects vision over time, but only half of them are aware of their condition. However, early detection can prevent the otherwise inevitable loss of vision.
Bilingual report — Teatro de las Américas — ¡Feliz Navidad y próspero Año Nuevo!
What joy we feel sending you Holiday Greetings. We hope you pass these festive days happy and in good health.
Here goes a report for the years 2020 and 2021.
Mandated Harassment Prevention Training Video Available Through LightGabler
California law requires employers with at least 5 employees to provide two hours of harassment prevention training to supervisors and one hour of instruction to other workers once every two years. Employment law firm LightGabler offers online video courses that meet California harassment and bullying training requirements.
SB 1343 also mandates that employers must train newly hired employees and those promoted to supervisory roles within six months of employment or promotion.
Moving Companies Brace for Possible Record Number of Holiday Moves
Between remote work opportunities, rising rent rates, people prioritizing being closer to family, and mass migration out of densely populated areas, 2021 has been an unprecedented year for moving trends. In fact, according to the Neighbor 2020-2021 American Migration Report, more than 20% more people have planned to move in 2021 compared to 2020. That leaves moving companies ramping up for what might turn into a record number of holiday moves.
If you are entertaining a move this holiday season, keep these things in mind:
Bilingual commentary — Mexico’s “Third-World” Reputation
Much of the world regards the United States with either admiration, envy, jealousy, anger, mistrust, or outright hostility.
I have a cousin in Mexico who frequently mentioned the U.S. with rancor and a hint of animosity. She disdainfully described her own country as “Third World.”
However, I’ve come to understand that the term “Third World” is now considered derogatory. It’s no longer “politically correct” to refer to a country as “Third World.” The term is a relic of the Cold War. It was originally meant to designate countries that were not aligned with either NATO or the communist bloc. At the time, Mexico fit that description, and the term stuck.
Guest commentary — Despieto (Woke) and Seeing in Aztlan
In Journey to Ixtlan, by Carlos Castaneda, Don Juan explains to Carlos, that after more than a decade, of “ordinary exploration” he is on the precipice of stopping the world and seeing for the first time, “You have simply stopped the world…Yesterday the world became as sorcerers tell you it is, in this world coyotes talk and so do deer, as I once told you, so do rattlesnakes and trees and all other living being. But what I want you to learn is seeing. Perhaps you know now that seeing happens when one sneaks between the worlds, the worlds of ordinary people and the world of sorcerers.”
Bilingual commentary — How We Can Stay Informed
Last week I wrote about the importance of being informed. But as I mentioned in the article, it is even more important that we be properly informed and not misled by heavily biased news sources with ulterior motives.
So then the question we could ask ourselves is, “How can I stay adequately informed about news that matters?” What matters to us could be, for example, subjects such as politics, health, legal decisions, science, religion, family issues. We could also have a particular interest in specific regions of the world such as Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, or the Americas. It would be best for us to be aware of local issues, especially when they have a direct impact on our lives.
Let’s look at a list of twelve things we can—or should or shouldn’t—do:
Guest commentary — The Artist in Retirement
I hate it. I hate it when folks start talking to me about “retirement”. I detest that word. It is euphuism for ‘OK you old fart go away and die, and make it quick. You and your sorry useless ass is costing us; everyone, the hood, the country, the world. And most of all the family, their valuable time, resources and most especially their hard earned money. The precious money that we just don’t have to waste on you wretched and demented carcass. So be done with it quick, retire and die!’
But they won’t let it go. I’ll be gone soon enough! When I insists that if I stop what I love doing that I will die. They will tell me ‘stop it anyway. You know that it has always annoyed us, your stupid and indulgent artista pendejadas’. That is the point I say, art keeps me alive. Loco pendejo! They respond, enraged that I am so broke, slow witted and not quite dead, yet I continue to try to create. Yeah, moron we want you to die. We never knew what the hell you were doing anyway. And now all you are is old, stubborn, and forgetful. Always into your stupid writings that no one reads. No one cares old man, and you have not made one penny from your ‘art’. Never, not a single penny, ever from your art!
Bilingual commentary — The Importance of Being Informed
For me, keeping abreast of the news is a lifelong habit. For some reason, I tend to think that everyone keeps up with the news at least as much as I do. But then not everyone is as obsessed with the news as I am! And there are others who are far more diligent than I am about analyzing the affairs of the world.
I often talk with people I know about something in the news on the national, state, or local level. I mistakenly assume that “everyone” knows what I’m talking about, but I’m often faced with a blank stare. They may be interested but not aware of the circumstances that make something newsworthy. They may be embarrassed that they don’t know what I’m referring to. Or they flat-out may not care.
And then again, sometimes I’m the one with the blank stare.
Bilingual commentary — The “Day of the Living”
In a few days, on November 2, we of Mexican heritage will be celebrating one of our most cherished traditions: honoring the departed souls of our family members on “Día de los Muertos”—the Day of the Dead.
This day is one of our cultural treasures. Our observance on this day is the culmination of the blending of three powerful influences: 1) the Aztec obsession with natural cycles, including life and death; 2) the medieval Spanish practice, brought by the conquerors of Mexico, of honoring the dead; 3) the Roman Catholic belief in the everlasting life of the dearly departed. The Aztec final resting place, Mictlán, was transmuted into the Christian heaven.
Bilingual commentary — What Became of Fernando Valenzuela?
Last week I wrote about the demise of Chávez Ravine, originally a neighborhood of primarily Mexican American families and its metamorphosis into the world-famous Dodger Stadium. But initially this transformation came at a cost to the Dodgers.
Mexican Americans resented the disrespectful treatment that the inhabitants of the early Chávez Ravine had received at the hands of government. They had been on the land for generations, yet the City of Los Angeles appeared to dismiss their concerns, rights, and sense of dignity when the land was earmarked for “redevelopment.” The families were told that they had to move, but they were promised “first choice” of the new units in the proposed housing project.
UCSB — The Current — ‘Postcards from Salinas’ and more news
Bilingual commentary — Wild Geese and White Pelicans
A number of years ago, I was pursuing a college degree in liberal arts at Oxnard College (OC). I wanted to soften the sharp edges of the decades of technical education that I had acquired up to that point. The classes that I took at OC imparted to me a vision of the world that no physics, math, or engineering class could ever have given me.
Some of my most cherished classes in the liberal arts program taught me to appreciate poetry. Those classes in poetry were taught by one of my colleagues, English professor Shelley Savren.
One of the poems that deeply impressed and mesmerized me was Mary Oliver’s Wild Geese. It conveys sheer, unvarnished truths—the ones that are not easy to confront and that we don’t want to admit are relevant to our lives.
Mustang Marketing looks to the future with new brand identity
Mustang Marketing, Ventura County’s premier full-service marketing agency, has unveiled a new brand identity. The updated logo embodies the qualities that have made the company successful over the past three decades while also capturing its future.
“Since 1986, our clients have come to depend on our ability to infuse the right combination of seriousness, fun, strategy and creativity into marketing pieces, and this logo represents all of those traits,” said Mustang Marketing President Dianne McKay. “While staying true to what we’re known for, we’re also excited by what lies ahead, and this new identity clearly reflects that, too.”
Community Environmental Council and Electric Drive 805 Coalition Partners Invite Public to Learn About Benefits of Driving Electric through Oct. 2
The Community Environmental Council (CEC) and Electric Drive 805 coalition partners are proud to sponsor a variety of free, in-person and virtual events leading up to and throughout National Drive Electric Week through October 2, 2021. The public is invited to learn about the wide range of electric vehicles (EVs) that can fit most every lifestyle and budget.
Legislature Passes Assemblymember Irwin Bill Package
ssemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) announced that 6 bills that she authored have passed the State Legislature and have been sent to the Governor for his signature or veto. The six bills cover a wide range of issues impacting her constituents in the 44th Assembly District and across California. They are as follows:
United Way of Ventura County — Pumpkin Spice United Way
Fall officially begins next week and it’s hard to believe that 2022 is just around the corner. Like many businesses, institutions, and nonprofits, we’ve been challenged by the ever-changing ebb and flow of the pandemic, which has frequently disrupted our operations and has forced us to move forward amidst great uncertainty. But thanks to your continued generosity, your United Way has been able to navigate these storms. Because of your generosity, our programs have continued to serve those in need. Because of your generosity, our homelessness initiative has exceeded expectations since its launch almost two years ago.
We recognize that we will continue to face adversity and uncertainty in the months ahead, but together, united, we will continue to serve our community and change lives.
Bilingual report — Choosing the Enemy
Sometimes we reach for an artifact, a bauble, a seashell, or a book because something—we don’t know what—attracts us to the object. It’s almost as if the object chooses us.
I’ve often randomly reached for books or watched a movie or documentary. For reasons unknown to me, they caught my attention and ended up giving me a new perspective that helped me understand more about the world around me. These sources of information have pulled my life into different orbits, and at times even changed the course of my existence completely and irrevocably. One of my latest book choices certainly had me reconsidering some of the things that I had observed and learned throughout my life.