Category: Cultural

Bilingual report — County of Ventura March 14, 2022 Update – COVID-19

by Community Contributor • March 14, 2022 • Comments Off

Happy Women’s History Month! “The teamwork that I contribute to the Fire Department family is meaningful and impactful to me as I am able to serve the people of Ventura County, including the community I grew up in. Women’s History Month is a good reminder that so many hard-working, and dedicated women have paved a path before me that I am honored to walk. I love investing my time into the county and community that has invested in me.” – Marisol Rodriguez, Captain of Engine 84, Ventura County Fire Department.

Conejo Community Outreach’s diaper bank surpasses 500,000 diapers distributed

by Community Contributor • March 14, 2022 • Comments Off

Conejo Community Outreach (CCO), a local 100% volunteer-run nonprofit, has surpassed half a million diapers distributed to families in Ventura County through its community diaper bank. The diaper bank, which launched in March 2018, averaged 25,000 diapers per year prior to COVID-19. In March 2020, as the local economy shut down, requests for diaper support increased by more than 88%. Now, the diaper bank is averaging 225,000 diapers per year, regularly distributing more than 25,000 diapers per month to more than 300 local children.

2022 California Strawberry Festival Cancelled

by Community Contributor • March 14, 2022 • Comments Off

The 2022 California Strawberry Festival, which had been set for May 14 and 15 at Strawberry Meadows of College Park in Oxnard, is officially cancelled due to the uncertainty caused by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are disappointed that we’ve had to again cancel the Festival,” says Dean Kato, Chairman of the California Strawberry Festival Board of Directors. “Tens of thousands of festivalgoers look forward to attending the celebration each year. Sponsors, exhibitors, performers, vendors, and hundreds of volunteers are instrumental to its success.

Bilingual report — Covered California Responds to White House Announcement on American Rescue Plan Gains Across the Nation

by Community Contributor • March 11, 2022 • Comments Off

Covered California Executive Director Jessica Altman applauded today’s announcement from President Biden’s administration, which highlighted the anniversary of the American Rescue Plan and the increased investments to expand health care coverage and reduce costs for Americans.

“The American Rescue Plan opened the doors of health care coverage to more people than ever before by building on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) at a time when people needed it most.

Bilingual commentary — The Big Lie and the Flat Earth

by Community Contributor • March 11, 2022 • Comments Off

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.

Santa Paula Art Museum — This Weekend: Two New Exhibits & Two New Classes

by Community Contributor • March 10, 2022 • Comments Off

Saturday, March 12, 2022, from 4 PM to 6 PM
Free admission

Join Ventura artists (and couple) Lynn Hanson and John Robertson for the premiere of their concurrent exhibitions, Fieldnotes: Lynn Hanson and A Narrative: John Robertson. The side-by-side exhibits span thirty years of each artist’s work, including drawings, paintings, assemblages, and more. Admission to the event is free, and reservations are not required. Fieldnotes and A Narrative will be on view March 12 to July 10, 2022.

Ventura Land Trust Hosts Annual Monarch Madness Community Restoration Event

by Community Contributor • March 10, 2022 • Comments Off

Ventura Land Trust (VLT), in partnership with Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas), will host its annual Monarch Madness community restoration event on Saturday, March 19th from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at Hayden Teaching Preserve. Monarch Madness celebrates the importance of monarch butterflies and monarch habitat for a healthy ecosystem in and around Ventura.

UCSB — The Current — ‘A Model Scientist’ and more news

by Community Contributor • March 10, 2022 • Comments Off

Ecologist Anna Trugman has received an award for her work modeling how forests respond to change.

Southeast Ventura County YMCA National Day of Prayer Breakfast Seeks Sponsors

by Community Contributor • March 9, 2022 • Comments Off

The Southeast Ventura County YMCA is seeking sponsors for its annual National Day of Prayer Breakfast. The breakfast is Thursday, May 5 at CLU’s Gilbert Sports Center in Thousand Oaks.

The prayer breakfast, one of the largest in Ventura County, will be from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and will include speakers, spiritual and community leaders providing invocations and prayers and live musical performances.

Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara — March Newsletter

by Community Contributor • March 9, 2022 • Comments Off

APPLY NOW!

Calling artists living and working in Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo counties! Artists in the Tri-Counties are invited to submit their concepts for the Earth Day Mural 2022 via an online portal. Applications will be accepted until Friday, March 11 @ 5 pm PST.

Mental Wellness Center Partners with SeaVees to Support Mental Health Education for Local Youth

by Community Contributor • March 8, 2022 • Comments Off

Mental Wellness Center (MWC) is partnering with SeaVees, the Santa Barbara-based shoe company, to support mental health education for local youth throughout Santa Barbara with a shoe that gives back to the community. Designed in collaboration with Carissa Potter Carlson of People I’ve Loved, this new collaboration is meant to bring awareness to the importance of mental health, with 10% of every pair sold being donated to MWC.

“The Mental Health Awareness Baja Slip On” is a limited-edition slip on sneaker that includes Carissa’s affirmation artwork on the outside upper and a secret message screen-printed in the inside footbed. The outsole uses a pop of colorful green, the color of the international symbol for mental health awareness.

Housing Authority honors City Net as 2021 Outstanding Community Partner of the Year

by Community Contributor • March 8, 2022 • Comments Off

The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara honored City Net as their 2021 Outstanding Community Partner of the Year. The Housing Authority created its annual partner award as a way of recognizing and thanking organizations and businesses that help change lives for the better. The supportive services provided to clients through a collaboration with City Net are an essential part of the Housing Authority’s holistic service delivery approach. Founded in 2005 in Long Beach, California, their mission is based on a commitment to break the cycle of homelessness in the communities they serve by connecting neighbors experiencing homelessness to transformative care and innovative housing solutions.

UCSB — The Current — ‘Moving on Up’ and more news

by Community Contributor • March 8, 2022 • Comments Off

Geography professor Somayeh Dodge receives two early career awards for studying movement.

Bilingual report — County of Ventura March 7, 2022 update

by Community Contributor • March 7, 2022 • Comments Off

The last day to apply is March 31, 2022! HousingIsKey.com is still accepting and reviewing applications for the CA COVID-19 Rent Relief Program, which can help protect tenants from eviction through the end of March. Funds for rental reimbursement are prioritized for those based on their time of submission and the highest risk of eviction. Even if you aren’t sure if you are at the highest risk, you are still encouraged to apply to help protect yourself from eviction. To learn more and to connect with local partners for application assistance, visit: vchsa.org/community-events/basic-assistance-community-events/californias-covid-19-rent-relief-program. Receive more information, check eligibility and apply at HousingIsKey.com today or call 833-430-2122.

Born in isolation, CLU exhibit explores community

by Community Contributor • March 7, 2022 • Comments Off

An online art exhibit and virtual conversation series organized when the COVID-19 pandemic kept people from connecting in person has become an in-person exhibit that examines the concept of community.

“Common Ground: Artists Reimagining Community” opened Feb. 17 in the William Rolland Gallery of Fine Art on California Lutheran University’s Thousand Oaks campus and will be on display through April 8.

In May 2020, while California was in the early months of its COVID-19 stay-at-home order, Cal Lutheran adjunct art faculty member Jennifer Vanderpool and Rachel Schmid, curator of collections and exhibitions, began assembling the original virtual exhibit. Inspired by community aid efforts that started with individuals issuing pleas to their connections, Vanderpool decided to employ this as a curatorial strategy. She invited 10 artists to exhibit who, in turn, each invited an artist who then asked another. The project continued to grow like a web to eventually include 24 artists when it launched online in November 2020.

SEEAG Reaches Over 15,000 Students And Community Members In 2021

by Community Contributor • March 4, 2022 • Comments Off

SANTA PAULA — Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG), a nonprofit organization that aims to help young students and the community understand the farm origins of their food and the importance of local agriculture, spread its message to more than 15,000 students and community members in 2021.

“One of SEEAG’s goals is for the public to better appreciate our local farmers, ranchers and farmworkers who grow the food we eat,” says Mary Maranville, SEEAG founder and CEO. “The food supply chain from farms to our tables is a journey we don’t often think about, but we should.”

SEEAG’s Farm Lab at Petty Ranch in Saticoy welcomed over 1,600 second graders, including low-income, Title 1 students, for a hands-on farm experience. “In addition to the wonderful experiential education benefits that Farm Lab gives students,” says Maranville, “it also gets kids outside off their devices and tech, which improves their mental health and wellbeing.”

Bilingual report — The War on Education

by Community Contributor • March 4, 2022 • Comments Off

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.

Kaiser Permanente launches Ukrainian relief giving campaign

by Community Contributor • March 4, 2022 • Comments Off

Kaiser Permanente has launched an employee and physician giving campaign to help with the urgent Ukrainian refugee crisis for physicians and employees who wish to personally support organizations helping with the relief effort, providing refugees with food, shelter, warm clothing, medical care, and supplies. Employees and physicians can choose to support these efforts by donating to any of 3 organizations selected by Kaiser Permanente, and the nonprofit integrated health care organization will match individual donations dollar for dollar, up to a total of $200,000.

The program was announced March 1, and in less than 2 days employees and physicians donated more than $200,000 in relief funds, ensuring the organization will contribute at least $400,000 for Ukraine relief.

Museum of Ventura County — ‘Arte Para la Gente: The Collected Works of Margaret Garcia’ and more upcoming events

by Community Contributor • March 3, 2022 • Comments Off

Arte Para la Gente:
The Collected Works of Margaret Garcia
Now – Spring 2022
at the Museum of Ventura County

Arte Para la Gente explores artist Margaret Garcia’s vast body of work that captures and encapsulates culture, family, and urban life. Over the past four decades, Margaret Garcia has been a leader in the L.A. Chicano Art Movement, championing women, community, and those individuals who are marginalized by society. Her most recent works, many shown here for the first time, were painted in Ventura County.
?Learn more here.

Sponsored by
Lazer Media
KXLM 102.9 • KLJR 96.7 • KOXR 102.1
and The Port of Hueneme

Social Justice Fund for Ventura County February 2022 Update

by Community Contributor • March 3, 2022 • Comments Off

We are currently living in a time that will surely be written about in history books. There continues to be a lot of uncertainty about the future, what it will look like and who will shape it. Nevertheless, we must persist. With your support and donations, we will persist.

To bring some positive and hopeful news to you today, we are sharing the inspiring work of our 2021-2022 Fellows. Your donations have helped to make this work possible. Our Fellows are all demonstrating extraordinary leadership and ingenuity in carrying out their projects. We hope you find inspiration in their work and the impact they are having in the community.

Museum of Ventura County — How Does Your Museum Engage You?

by Community Contributor • March 3, 2022 • Comments Off

We at MVC care deeply about creating bold and relevant programs to share our county’s diverse artistry and history in-person and online. Preserving, expanding, and making accessible our Research Library and Collections. We find what we share with you, our community, and our visitors very meaningful.

But we need your help. Our visitors come to us with different needs and values, and we want to understand them so we can best serve you. From how museums (like ours!) can support your wellbeing in these tumultuous times to how we address challenges our society is facing, we need to hear your thoughts.

To learn more about how we can do this, we are participating in a national survey of museum-goers, sponsored by the American Alliance of Museums. This survey will provide us with data from our visitors as well as nationwide results for context, helping us be more effective in the coming months and in the communities we serve.

UCSB — The Current — ‘Determined to Rebound’ and more news

by Community Contributor • March 3, 2022 • Comments Off

Director Delila Moseley brings a diverse slate of choreographers to UCSB Dance Theater’s first live shows in two years.

Bilingual report — County of Ventura March 2, 2022 update

by Community Contributor • March 2, 2022 • Comments Off

COVID-19 Update

Since Monday, there have been 108 new COVID-19 cases reported and 9,152 new tests completed. There are 44 people hospitalized and 9 in the ICU.

There have been 9 new deaths of community members between the ages of 36-94. We extend our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the 1,434 community members who have passed away throughout the pandemic. The R-effective for Ventura County is 0.65, meaning that the spread of COVID is likely decreasing.

Updated state masking guidance: In California, starting March 1, masks are no longer required for unvaccinated individuals, but strongly recommended for all individuals in most indoor settings. After March 11, in schools and child care facilities, masks will not be required but will be strongly recommended. Masks will still be required for everyone in high transmission settings like public transit, emergency shelters, health care settings, correctional facilities, homeless shelters and long-term care facilities. For more information visit: https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/02/28/governors-newsom-brown-and-inslee-announce-updated-health-guidance/

Santa Paula Art Museum — This Month: Fieldnotes, Gorgeous Gourds & More

by Community Contributor • March 2, 2022 • Comments Off

Premiere Party: Fieldnotes: Lynn Hanson & A Narrative: John Robertson

Saturday, March 12, 2022, from 4 PM to 6 PM
Free admission

Join Ventura artists (and couple) Lynn Hanson and John Robertson for the March 12 premiere of their concurrent exhibitions, Fieldnotes: Lynn Hanson and A Narrative: John Robertson. The side-by-side exhibits span thirty years of each artist’s work, including drawings, paintings, assemblages, and more. Admission to the event is free, and reservations are not required. Fieldnotes and A Narrative will be on view March 12 to July 10, 2022.

Tickets available for Ventura County Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business ‘Spring Bash’

by Community Contributor • March 1, 2022 • Comments Off

Dear Ventura County CoLAB Supporters,

We are busy preparing for our biggest event of the year – Our Spring Bash! We are so excited to welcome you to our NEW venue – the beautiful Petersen Ranch in Somis on April 30th! This is an event you won’t want to miss!

Click Here to Purchase Your Tickets or to Sponsor the Event!

UCSB ‘The Current’ — ‘Theater for Social Change’

by Community Contributor • March 1, 2022 • Comments Off

El Teatro de la Esperanza, founded and active at UCSB in the 1970’s, promoted justice through storytelling; a 50th anniversary conference will celebrate its legacy.

Bilingual report — County of Ventura Feb. 28, 2022 update

by Community Contributor • February 28, 2022 • Comments Off

Since Friday, there have been 402 new COVID-19 cases reported and 11,704 new tests completed. There are 44 people hospitalized and 9 in the ICU.

There have been 4 new deaths of a 67 year old male, 73 year old female, 90 year old female, and a 94 year old male. We extend our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the community members who have passed away throughout the pandemic. Wellness Everyday offers grief and loss support and resources.

The R-effective for Ventura County is 0.51, meaning that the spread of COVID is likely decreasing.

Masks Mandate for Ventura County Students Ends after March 11

by Community Contributor • February 28, 2022 • Comments Off

Students at public and private K-12 schools in Ventura County and throughout California will no longer be required to wear masks after March 11, regardless of their vaccination status. Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration made the announcement today, saying COVID-19 conditions have sufficiently improved to warrant the change.

The state’s decision to lift the mask mandate for students is in line with guidelines issued Friday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC says schools should only mandate masks when COVID cases and hospitalizations are high in the counties where they are located. Ventura County’s rates are in the medium category according to the CDC’s website.

Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Democracy Under Threat

by Community Contributor • February 28, 2022 • Comments Off

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.

Ventura County’s Community Colleges Named Among Top 100 Colleges and Universities for Hispanics

by Community Contributor • February 28, 2022 • Comments Off

In recognition of Ventura County Community College District’s commitment to the success of its Hispanic/Latino students, Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine™ named the District’s colleges among the Top 100 Colleges and Universities for Hispanics. The national magazine’s 2021 annual Top 100 issue recognized Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura colleges in the categories of Total Enrollment for Two-Year Schools and Total Associate Degrees Granted for the 2019-2020 Academic Year.

Bilingual report — County of Ventura Feb. 25, 2022 update

by Community Contributor • February 25, 2022 • Comments Off

We have extraordinary people serving our Health Care Agency! Dr. Thomas Duncan is the Trauma Medical Director at the Ventura County Medical Center. He works alongside a team of highly trained nurses and technicians to care for people suffering life-threatening injuries. Their work is truly remarkable.

“In order to save lives on a minute-by-minute basis, it takes a well-groomed trauma center with skilled trauma teams. A fastidious trauma team is the equivalent of a successful sports team that has many important components to be triumphant. Trauma is no accident, and most traumatic situations are preventable. Working in concert with the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, our aim is to achieve zero preventable deaths.” Learn more here.

National Association of Women Business Owners – Santa Barbara announces BRAVO 2022 Award Winners

by Community Contributor • February 25, 2022 • Comments Off

The National Association of Women Business Owners, Santa Barbara Chapter (NAWBO-SB) has announced the winners to the 8thannual BRAVO Awards, which recognizes women business owners and community leaders in the Santa Barbara area who have demonstrated outstanding entrepreneurship, leadership and innovation.

Accomplished leaders in their industries, dozens of women were nominated by NAWBO-SB members and the Santa Barbara community. The eight winners will be celebrated at the Hilton Garden Inn Santa Barbara/Goleta on March 23.

Bilingual commentary — Baptisms: Letter vs. Spirit of the Law

by Community Contributor • February 25, 2022 • Comments Off

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….”

Consulado de Mexico en Oxnard — Nuevo número para hacer citas en los consulados de México en EU

by Community Contributor • February 25, 2022 • Comments Off

Consulado de Mexico en Oxnard.

Teatro de las Américas announces auditions casting call

by Community Contributor • February 24, 2022 • Comments Off

Monday March 07 6:00 – 9:00 PM
Auditions will be held at Teatro
321 W 6th St. Oxnard
More info / Más información

United Way of Ventura County — Uniting Together

by Community Contributor • February 24, 2022 • Comments Off

Thanks to your continued generosity, your United Way has been able to navigate through these incredibly challenging times and, together, we’ve been able to continue serving those in need.

Because of your generosity, our homelessness initiative has exceeded expectations since its launch two years ago—permanently housing more than 150 individuals including families, seniors, and veterans. Earlier this month we held our second homelessness symposium, facilitating the important and necessary conversations needed to create housing solutions for our county’s unhoused community members.

UCSB ‘The Current’ — ‘Wealth Is Not Health’ and more news

by Community Contributor • February 24, 2022 • Comments Off

Global studies scholar Jan Nederveen Pieterse pinpoints three key factors in effective Covid-19 response.

Bilingual report — County of Ventura Feb. 23, 2022 update

by Community Contributor • February 23, 2022 • Comments Off

Since Friday Feb. 18th, there have been 741 new COVID-19 cases reported and 18,487 new tests completed. There are 65 people hospitalized and 15 in the ICU.

There have been 10 new deaths – ages ranging from 64-89. We extend our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the community members who have passed away throughout the pandemic. Wellness Everyday offers grief and loss support and resources.

The R-effective for Ventura County is 0.55, meaning that the spread of COVID is likely decreasing.

February News from People’s Self-Help Housing

by Community Contributor • February 22, 2022 • Comments Off

From the broken ‘forty acres and a mule’ promise to the tragedies of the subprime crisis, Black Americans have found themselves both the unintended and fully intended victims of over one hundred years of racially motivated ordinances, practices and policies.

As a nation we have much to mourn as we have systematically prevented, and inhibited communities of color from fully participating in the American Dream. During this Black History Month, I invite you to re-exam for yourself how discriminatory lending, nefarious use of eminent domain, and the displacement of communities of color, have prevented the wealth building opportunities routinely afforded the white middle and upper classes.

UCSB — The Current — The Forever Scholar

by Community Contributor • February 22, 2022 • Comments Off

The American Association of Geographers honors the late Clyde Woods

Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) — Employee Retention Tax Credit

by Community Contributor • February 21, 2022 • Comments Off

The Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) is a refundable credit that businesses can claim on qualified wages, including certain health insurance costs, paid to employees. Qualified employers can claim a credit against:

50% of qualified wages paid, up to $10,000 per employee annually for wages paid between March 13 and Dec. 31, 2020
70% of qualified wages paid, up to $10,000 per employee per quarter for wages paid in the first three quarters of 2021