We are so grateful for the highly skilled teams working at County vaccination sites who are helping us get one step closer to normal. Staff from the Ventura County Emergency Medical Services Agency (EMS) are working alongside our nurses and administrative teams to deliver vaccines to our community. Thank you to Frank Gomez, Kaden Gibson, Victor Hernandez from EMS (as pictured left to right).
This year we feature three dynamic OC graduating students – Karla Ramirez, Freddy Cardenas, and Associated Student Government President Lorena Ortiz – who share their stories of resilience and fortitude in achieving their educational goals during this toughest year. These inspiring OC grads help us see how we can adopt the same hope and commitment in our lives!
WEspeak is guided and directed by OC English Professor Jose Maldonado and OC ASL Professor Emily Zwaal. This episode was filmed live on campus April 29, 2021!
Theater and Dance presents “Shanghai,” a new play about Jewish refugees in China during World War II.
United Way of Santa Barbara County (UWSBC) announced funding for 13 nonprofit organizations to support vaccination equity strategies across Santa Barbara County. The grants are in response to the national and local trend that shows certain demographic groups are getting vaccinated at lower-rates and that many of these same people have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
A Message from Betsy Swanson Hollinger about her experience as a County Disaster Service Worker. Betsy is pictured (bottom right) with the team at our vaccine site in Thousand Oaks at the Goebel Adult Center.
Message from Betsy:
I wanted to share a brief summary of being a Ventura County Disaster Service Worker (DSW), as you may not have had the opportunity to hear from the details on the front lines of our vaccination clinics. I will speak on behalf of the clinic I was asked to manage with Suzy Watkins. It is the Thousand Oaks Goebel Center clinic.
My summary of the experience is that most of our DSW’s (me included) had been teleworking for almost year prior to deployment. The isolation and all the uncertainty COVID created in our lives was strange and hard for everyone. Coming to work at the clinic, although rough at the beginning since we had not interacted that socially with others, was a weird transition and somewhat overwhelming. We all had so little in-person all day interaction for the 10 months prior. None of us knew anything about working in a clinic either, so we all had some mild anxiety starting out. Needing to interact with hundreds of members of our community each day and also with each other demanded a different store of energy and skill from each of us. Since the get go, we were incredibly aligned with the mission of getting our community vaccinated, our purpose was very clear and has been powerful. For the team, we needed to learn who each of us is, what makes us tick, and how can we become a team with such an interdisciplinary group of county DSW’s and travel nurses from all over our country.
The Economic Development Collaborative encourages you to sign up for our no-cost webinars. Space is limited. Register today!
COVID-19 RESTAURANT REVITALIZATION FUND / FONDO DE REVITALIZACIÓN DE RESTAURANTES
This event will be held simultaneously in English and Spanish
El evento se presentará simultáneamente en inglés y español
May 20 @ 11:00 am
1. Economy: There is strong business case for racial equity that is independent of the human to human considerations that we all have felt. Would you believe that ensuring that people of color across the country have equitable wages will lead to an additional $1 trillion in earnings (a 15% gain), an additional $800 billion in spending, and an increase of $450 billion in federal taxes collected? Equity is great for business!
Las entidades elegibles que han experimentado pérdidas de ingresos relacionadas con la pandemia incluyen:
Does up to $100,000 in down payment assistance sound too good to be true? You could be the next family to benefit from our incredible programs and resources. Find out more at our Homeownership Conference where we have a magnificent line up of breakout sessions for you to chose from! Topics range from boosting your credit score, down payment assistance programs, rental relief help and more! Attend our sessions and join the Session Q& A after.
Win a Painting from Anette Power’s Silver Linings: Journey of Light
Exhibit closes May 30, 2021. Raffle tickets on sale now.
As Anette Power’s solo exhibition Silver Linings heads into its final two weeks, the artist wants everyone to have a chance at finding their own silver lining. The artist will raffle off her painting Island Fika (pictured above) to one lucky winner on May 30! All proceeds from the raffle will benefit the Santa Paula Art Museum’s education program. Purchase one raffle ticket for $35; three tickets for $60; or six tickets for $175 (you do not have to be present to win). More importantly, come and see Anette’s light-filled exhibit before it closes Sunday, May 30!
There are 32 new COVID-19 cases. There have been 4,423 new tests performed. There have been 3 additional deaths of a 45 year old male, 75 year old female, and an 87 year old female. Our thoughts and sincere condolences to the family and friends of those that have passed away.
The current R-effective (average number of people each infected person will pass the virus onto and represents the rate at which COVID-19 is spreading) is .91 which means that spread of COVID-19 is likely decreasing; R-effective for CA is .86 right now.
COVID-19 vaccines are now available by walk-in! No appointment is required. There are locations offered throughout the County. Vaccine eligibility is now open to everyone 16 and older. You can also make an appointment at myturn.ca.gov or 833-422-4255. The full schedule of county clinics and mobile events can be found at: https://www.venturacountyrecovers.org/vaccine-information-sp/
Women’s Economic Ventures’ Spirit of Entrepreneurship (SOE) foundation will present Lupe Anguiano of Oxnard with the 2021 Rock Star Award, to be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. Friday, May 21.
Register here for the virtual event.
Anguiano, 92, is the daughter of Oxnard fieldworkers, who has worked as an entrepreneur and an activist for more than seven decades to improve the social, educational, economic, and environmental conditions of women and the poor. Her many achievements include organizing grape boycotts for Cesar Chavez, developing a program for gang members in East LA, founding a powerful women’s political group with Gloria Steinem, and helping welfare mothers find a better life.
OPAC, the Oxnard Performing Arts Center Corporation, is pleased to announce the culmination of The Esperanza Project, a year-long programming series addressing Teen Latina Mental Health, with the premiere of the Esperanza Documentary on Thursday, June 3 from 6:30-8:30 pm on Zoom. The series was curated by OPAC’s Artist-in-Residence, Oxnard filmmaker Arcelia Martinez, in an effort to raise awareness about the disproportionately high rates of suicide amongst young Latinas compared to their peers and create space to tackle the stigmas surrounding mental health in the Latinx community.
As I was coming of age in the 1960s, the United States economy was galloping along after the end of World War II and still heading for its peak. By then, we had established ourselves as the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world.
In the 1950s and ‘60s, college was the indisputable ticket to the middle class, which at the time was an indicator of affluence. Young people were acquiring college educations to graduate and fuel the engines of prosperity. Single-income families were the norm. Except for the scourge of racial discrimination, it was by some measures almost an idyllic society compared to today’s problem-ridden existence for far too many Americans.
But now, even some wealthier families are questioning the intrinsic, assumed value of a college education.
Young people ages 12 through 15 are now eligible for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in the County of Ventura and throughout the state of California. All county run sites that are offering Pfizer are now open to vaccinate children 12-17; minors should be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or responsible adult, and present a photo ID and verification of age.
This expanded eligibility comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) vaccine safety review panel and the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup recommended on Wednesday that the vaccine is safe and effective in protecting this age group against severe illness, hospitalization, and death. On May 10, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the Pfizer vaccine’s Emergency Use Authorization to allow administration for 12- to 15-year-olds, following clinical trials that proved it safe for this age group with only non-serious side effects like fatigue and headache.
After months of COVID-related delays and cancellations, research vessels are once again sailing the ocean to study its carbon cycle.
Ventura County high school students are invited to attend the Hackathon by the Sea, a two-day computer coding event presented by the Ventura County Office of Education with support from the U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Engineering & Expeditionary Warfare Center. Hacker Fund, which is a national nonprofit network of STEM mentors, is joining us again this year to deliver the event.
his National Hospital Week, we celebrate the healthcare heroes who do so much to keep our community safe and healthy every day. They continue to work hard to move us beyond the pandemic and we appreciate them every day. You are appreciated!
Get rent relief at VCCDC! If you’re struggling with paying rent due to a COVID-19 financial hardship, and you’re an income eligible household, you may be eligible for the State of California’s COVID-19 Rent Relief Program! You can receive help with past due or future rent and utilities, especially if you’re at risk of eviction. VCCDC is a Local Network Partner approved to assist you with applying for this program!
Contact VCCDC to schedule an appointment today:
805-273-7800 or vgalicia@vccdc.org
Please join us on Saturday, May 15 at 3:00 p.m. for a special opportunity to ask questions and hear our REFLECT 2020 street view showcase artists discuss their work.
Thousand Oaks Arts (TOArts) Presents is back with a diverse lineup of entertainment for the community. With a mix of virtual, outdoor, and eventual in-person events, TOArts and the Bank of America Performing Arts Center (BAPAC) are excited to bring back safe and fun performances to the Conejo Valley.
TOArts Presents kicked off in May with “TOArts Scene at the Greens” at the Los Robles Greens golf course. Upcoming performances will include a trio from professional orchestra and Resident Company, New West Symphony, and comedian Craig Shoemaker. Tickets will be sold in pod seating to ensure social distancing and community safety.
MCASB is proud to present Quaranteen, a group of video works by the 2020-2021 Teen Arts Collective. Featuring seven individual bodies of work, Quaranteen explores the lived experience of each artist throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent quarantine. Quaranteen aims to embody an experience that has been both universally shared and individually unique, from the teenage perspective and through the medium of film. The Teen Arts Collective comprises seven students from Santa Barbara and surrounding areas, spanning across several different schools and grade levels.
Professors Denise Montell, Linda Petzold and Glenn Fredrickson have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
The Economic Development Collaborative encourages you to sign up for our no-cost webinars. Space is limited. Register today!
COVID-19 BUSINESS RESOURCES: THE RESTAURANT REVITALIZATION FUND
This event will be held simultaneously in English and Spanish
El evento se presentará simultáneamente en inglés y español
Hacerse chequeos médicos y pruebas regulares de servicios preventivos es ahora más importante que nunca.
Conozca el Dr. Jaime Arana, cirujano general en el Hospital de Santa Paula. En sus varios años de experiencia como doctor, ha visto la importancia de los servicios preventivos para todas las edades en asegurar que vivamos vidas largas y saludables.
Es importante visitar a su médico de atención primaria para acceder a los servicios preventivos, incluso durante la pandemia. El Centro Médico del Condado de Ventura, el Hospital de Santa Paula, y las clínicas de la Agencia de Atención Médica del Condado de Ventura están abiertas con medidas de seguridad de COVID-19 y ofrecen el cuidado compasivo. Obtenga más información sobre los servicios preventivos en: https://vchca.org/
CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Associate Professor of History Robin Mitchell, Ph.D., is headed east in the Fall after receiving a year-long fellowship from Harvard Radcliffe Institute in Cambridge, Mass.
“It is humbling and really wonderful,” Mitchell said. “Most of the time we apply for these fellowships that don’t come through. So, we’re encouraged to apply for multiple fellowships.”
Later this morning, I’ll be rolling up my sleeve for the second COVID-19 vaccine dose. While I’m not looking forward to the potential side effects, I know I’ll feel safer seeing friends and family at various celebrations and gatherings that have been put on hold for far too long. You can learn more about why the vaccine is one of our most powerful tools to ending the pandemic at www.vaccinateall58.com.
Spring is a vibrant time for our food system – farmers are harvesting their first crops of the year, eaters are savoring the abundance, and many of you are busy working on and/or trying to garner funding for projects (see below for the latest funding opportunities).
This season, SBCFAN is sharing stories of collaboration that are activating closed loop systems and projects that build resilience, access, justice, and sovereignty into the food system – read our South County Community Profile to learn more.
Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV), in partnership with the Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP), has been awarded a $500,000 Grant for the 2021 Social Entrepreneurs for Economic Development (SEED) Entrepreneurship Program from the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency and the Employment Training Panel (ETP). WEV and MICOP will use the SEED Initiative funding to support underrepresented and marginalized individuals who face significant barriers to employment by providing them with entrepreneurial training, technical assistance, and micro-grants to launch or grow their own businesses in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
“We are thrilled to partner with MICOP to launch the SEED Program,” said WEV CEO Kathy Odell. “With MICOP’s expertise in supporting and empowering the indigenous migrant community in our region, and WEV’s history of providing small business training and small business loans to women and other local entrepreneurs, we have the combined expertise to provide our SEED participants with pathways for economic self-sufficiency.”
Former senator from Pennsylvania Rick Santorum echoed last week what many of us learned in school about the history of early America: that the original white “settlers” who arrived from distant shores had planted the seeds of American culture. In fact, he said that there was “nothing here” when the colonizers arrived. He flatly declared that “there isn’t much Native American culture in American culture.”
Mr. Santorum’s baseless claims about the absence of Native American influence on our national character is a continuation of white nationalist propaganda that ignores, or at least gravely understates, the vast impact of Native American culture upon ours. To say, as he did, that the first settlers to arrive on our eastern shores “birthed a nation from nothing” is to erase the wisdom and knowledge that was already present and predated the birth of the United States by several millennia.
At the Keys to Empower You in the System (KEYS) Leadership Academy, which was housed at the Café on A, Oxnard, we believed that the best community safety is where all adults, young adults, kids and everyone else in Oxnard (all the cities of this nation) feels a real sense of civic involvement and transparency, responsibility of ownership, peace, love and respect. We know full well that safety is mostly perceptual, thus any community safety program must incorporate a rigorous mental health and wellness component. We have relied much too long on “traditional policing” alone to bring us safety. As a sobering reminder, let us not forget that Oxnard is yearly designated by highly reputable demographers as one of the safest cities in the country for it size in the entire nation.
Yet, we have often let others assign us the “bum rap” about “crime riddled Oxnard”.
En este video de servicio público, los miembros de la legendaria banda Los Tigres del Norte animan a todos a recibir la vacuna para el COVID-19 porque es muy importante cuidar a nuestros seres queridos, nuestra familia, nuestros amigos y todos los que nos rodean.
Listos California, en asociación con la Liga de Ciudadanos Latinoamericanos Unidos (LULAC) y la Fundación Nacional Hispana para las Artes (NHFA), produce la serie de conversación en línea “InformaGente” para fomentar una cultura de preparación para emergencias entre las comunidades latinas.
Maria Hernández, a community member in Santa Paula, shares why she rolled up her sleeves and got vaccinated.
Watch for the special appearance from her mother, Elvia Hernández, from Proyecto Esperanza and Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Santa Paula!
Thank you Maria for protecting yourself, your daughter, and your community.
House Farm Workers! announced this week that Phase II of the Farmworker Household Assistance Program (FHAP) is beginning to provide further emergency assistance to more farmworkers and their families in need from among the 45,000 who live and work in Ventura County. There is an immediate effort to raise $100,000 in order to maximize a 1:2 challenge match up to $50,000 from Ventura County Community Foundation’s (VCCF) COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund. The goal is to raise a total of $500,000 in Phase II. All donations will be provided directly to local farmworkers in need with eligibility and distribution overseen by the Farmworker Resource Program within the Human Services Agency of Ventura County.
To help reach the 1:2 challenge match, tax-deductible donations are being requested immediately at www.vccf.org/fhap/
The campus’s annual Staff Celebration Week goes monthlong with a host of virtual events.
RISE is proud to announce the launch of its latest campaign, raising awareness about RISE’s expanded services to survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence who have disabilities.
Funded by a $125,000 grant from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal-OES), RISE has bolstered services for survivors with disabilities, including advocacy, case management, crisis support, and shelter. RISE will also begin offering an end-to-end encrypted website chat feature providing access to their state-certified crisis counselors for those who are not able to make a confidential phone call. This pilot program will begin with limited hours in late May 2021.
Now through May 31, the entire community is cordially invited to visit an online pop-up exhibition featuring the work of Santa Barbara City College students from the departments of American Ethnic Studies, Art, Film and Television Production, Graphic Design, Photography, Journalism, and Multimedia Arts and Technologies.
Students worked closely with faculty to create and articulate a body of thought-provoking work inspired by the theme of this year’s All-SBCC Student Conference hosted by the Honors Program, “Justice: Environmental, Economic, Racial.”
What began in 1971 as a way to improve the lives of the medically underserved population across Ventura County has evolved into one of the largest healthcare systems on the Central Coast. Today, Clinicas del Camino Real, Inc. is able to meet the needs of more than 100,000 patients with an array of comprehensive and culturally competent; primary health care, chiropractic, dental, vision, mental health, pharmacy, specialty, telehealth, hospital and preventative care services to facilitate both healing and growth. Through operation of 16 full-service health centers, a fleet of mobile medical units, and more than 25 school-based sites, patients of all ages are embraced by a culture of care from more than 800 employees; making Clinicas’ one of the largest employers in Ventura County.
The Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA) is pleased to welcome visitors back into the galleries on May 11, in accordance with the State of California and Santa Barbara County COVID-19 protocols.
In order to ensure social distancing in the galleries, SBMA is recommending all visitors to make reservations through the online ticketing system at tickets.sbma.net, with admission being free for the foreseeable future.
Nurture our Mother by Adriana Arriaga & Claudia Borfiga
“Nurture our Mother, is a celebration of the power of the Earth and the many magical things within it that play vital roles in our ecosystem.”
There are 55 new COVID-19 cases. There have been 3,359 new tests performed. There have been 0 additional deaths.
The current R-effective (average number of people each infected person will pass the virus onto and represents the rate at which COVID-19 is spreading) is .75 which means that spread of COVID-19 is likely decreasing; R-effective for CA is .88 right now.
COVID-19 vaccines are now available by walk-in! No appointment is required. There are locations offered throughout the County. Vaccine eligibility is now open to everyone 16 and older. You can also make an appointment at myturn.ca.gov or 833-422-4255.
Ventura County is currently in the Orange Tier. Learn more about the State of California’s Blueprint for Safety Economy here.
oin us for the next installment in our new Zoom series, Local History Happy Hour with Jeffrey Maulhardt, author of “A History of Oxnard,” on Tuesday, May 18, 2021 from 5—6PM. In this series, local authors and historians sit down with The Barbara Barnard Smith Executive Director Elena Brokaw to discuss their unique perspectives on our region’s history, and take questions from the audience.
This online program is free, but requires advanced registration.
While accepting his award from Ventura County Leadership Academy (VCLA) during its 2021 Journey to Leadership Awards, Alumnus of the Year James Joyce, III noted, “VCLA is an accelerator that gave me an incubator year for my business, Coffee with a Black Guy. The simple idea of sitting down to have a conversation with our neighbors builds community around genuine connections, which to me is an extension of what VCLA stands for.” Joining Joyce in being honored were four other impactful Ventura County leaders who exemplify what it means to contribute to our community.
“We are truly honored and grateful to be able to recognize these exceptional community leaders and to celebrate the work they do in support of the citizens of Ventura County,” said VCLA Director, Pattie Braga.
A veteran teacher who has spent his career working with students with disabilities has been named Teacher of the Year for schools operated by the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE). Shamus Auth has been a special education teacher at VCOE schools for 18 years and currently teaches young adults with disabilities at VCOE’s Dorothy Boswell School in Ventura. Mr. Auth will now be in the running for the Ventura County Teacher of the Year award, which is open to all teachers countywide.
Mr. Auth found out about the honor today when his family, his Principal Aran Burke and Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Dr. César Morales made a surprise visit to his classroom. Also on hand to break the good news were VCOE Associate Superintendent of Student Services Dr. Consuelo Hernandez Williams and VCOE Executive Director of Special Education Holly Minear.
There are 76 new COVID-19 cases. There have been 10,100 new tests performed. There has been 0 additional deaths.
The current R-effective (average number of people each infected person will pass the virus onto and represents the rate at which COVID-19 is spreading) is .80 which means that spread of COVID-19 is likely decreasing; R-effective for CA is .89 right now.
60.7% of people 16 years and older have received one dose in Ventura County.
Click here for information about COVID-19 testing.
COVID-19 vaccines are now available by walk-in! No appointment is required. There are locations offered throughout the County. Vaccine eligibility is now open to everyone 16 and older. You can also make an appointment at myturn.ca.gov or 833-422-4255.
The Scheinfeld New Venture Challenge business plan and pitch competition returned for its 11th season on Friday, April 23, showcasing some of our region’s most exciting, innovative, and cutting-edge college and high school student entrepreneurs. The event was live streamed on YouTube and the video can be viewed on the Scheinfeld Center’s YouTube channel.
Students from Santa Barbara City College and University of California, Santa Barbara, kicked off the collegiate tier of the event, followed by the high school tier, which featured students from San Marcos High School. The aspiring entrepreneurs competed for over $15,000 in cash awards and startup support.
It all started with a small thing in the early 1970s when Cynder Sinclair was helping in her son’s classroom. “I noticed some of the kids were not dressed warmly enough for the weather,” she says.
Cynder was living with her husband and five children in the small farming community of Kingsburg, where it gets cold in the off season and the migrant workers don’t get paid.
Because she’s fluent in Spanish, her son’s teacher assigned Cynder to tutor the farmworker’s children.
Some of us see a problem and feel bad. We might talk to friends or post on social media. Others get busy and fix it. Cynder, chief executive of Nonprofit Kinect and Friendship Center board member is by nature firmly planted in the latter group.
