By Jim Logan • UCSB Ron Jimenez was not on the college track. His high school GPA was 1.5. He dropped out a week before graduation. Higher education wasn’t an option — or even a consideration. Fast-forward nearly two decades.…
VENTURA — Ventura County Superior Court graduated 15 court employees with a Certificate of Achievement in Supervision from Ventura College on May 23. This is the third cohort of graduates from the industry partnership developed between Ventura College and the Superior…
SANTA PAULA ART MUSEUM JEANETTE COLE ART CENTER & COLE CREATIVITY CENTER Our kids’ summer art classes are off to a great start here at the Santa Paula Art Museum. In this week’s playful “Geo-Me-Tree” class for kids age 3 to…
Click here to view entire e-newsletter Our sincere thanks to all the Carnegie Art Museum audience and members that have campaigned during the unfolding City of Oxnard FY 2019-20 budget crisis in support of keeping the museum open. Your…
CENTRAL COAST — Summer break is finally here! While some families are ready to let loose, others may feel a sense of unease without the structure and safety that the school day provides. Family Relationship Educators at Family Service Agency…
VENTURA COUNTY — The Board of Supervisors was presented a preliminary budget of $2.3 billion for Fiscal Year 2019-2020 on June 4, 2019. They are expected to approve a final budget following two hearings for public comments on the budget…
Click here for the entire e-newsletter POETRY AT THE CARNEGIE THE JACKSON WHEELER SERIES Dan Gerber and Alis Morris Soto with CSUCI student poet Damien Aguilar Saturday, June 15 6 pm $5 / members free Organized & Hosted…
By Shelly Leachman • UCSB Rodolfo Hernandez is the eighth of nine siblings in his family. And on June 16, he’ll become the first among them to finish college. That he has reached this point — graduating from UC Santa…
VENTURA — The Human Services Agency announced that as of June 1, 2019, Supplemental Security Income/Supplemental Payment (SSI/SSP) recipients may be eligible to receive CalFresh food benefits. CalFresh food benefits stretch household budgets, allowing individuals and families to afford nutritious food,…
Click here for the entire e-newsletter SACRAMENTO — Pesticide use in California topped two hundred million pounds for the third year in a row in 2017, according to data just released by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Included in this…
CAMARILLO — Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) Board of Trustees approved a Resolution in Support of Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability during its April 8, 2019 Board meeting. The resolution commended the colleges’ current efforts and outlined the Board’s…
By David Magallanes • Guest contributor David Magallanes We boomers grew up when this country was in a prosperous, expansive mood. Even those without college degrees, such as my father, could readily acquire work that would sustain a family, even…
Santa Barbara City College’s Community Newsletter JUNE 2019 (Nell Campbell Photography) Rotary Club of Montecito gives $12,500 in scholarships to SBCC students In partnership with the SBCC Foundation, Rotary Club of Montecito and its supporting foundation have announced the awarding…
EDC SBDC CLIENT SUCCESS SPOTLIGHT EMILY BARANY Emily Barany, founder and owner of Visionality, did not waste any time in setting up a nonprofit to offer assistance to impacted residents in the 805 area during the Thomas Fire. Founding 805…
MOORPARK — Moorpark College is launching its new Program for Accelerated College Education (PACE), a fast-track college initiative designed for busy adults. The program allows students to earn an Associate degree in Business Administration or Early Childhood Education in about two…
OXNARD — The Oxnard School District Board of Education is pleased to announce that Karling Aguilera-Fort has been selected as the finalist for the position of Superintendent pending a site validation visit and contract approval. It is anticipated that Aguilera-Fort’s…
VENTURA — The Ventura County Public Works Agency (VCPWA) has appointed Joan Araujo as the new Director of Central Services. Araujo replaces J. Tabin Cosio, who recently accepted a Human Resources position in the County Executive Office. She will oversee the…
View in Browser Our thanks to all the Carnegie Art Museum audience and members that have sent communiques during the unfolding City of Oxnard FY 2019-20 budget crisis in support of keeping the Museum operational in some format. Your testimonies on how…
CAMARILLO — KidSTREAM founder and president Kristie Akl presented at InterActivity 2019, the Association of Children’s Museums’ annual meeting that was held recently in Denver, Colorado. With nearly 1,000 attendees, the Association of Children’s Museums’ annual conference is the world’s…
VENTURA — The County’s Planning Division will host three Planning Commission work sessions beginning on June 6th to review the Preliminary Public Review Draft 2040 General Plan and share public input received during recent public outreach events. All work sessions…
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Actual Reality opening reception this past Saturday. The turnout was fantastic! If you didn’t have the opportunity to see Carlos Grasso and Peter Fox’s exhibit, be sure to visit the Museum…
OXNARD — The Boys & Girls Clubs of America recently honored the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme with a national merit award for program excellence – the tenth one it has received. BGCOP won an…
Slash and Burn Approach Outlined in Proposed Budget Will Close La Colonia Branch Library, Carnegie Art Museum, Performing Arts Center, and Layoff Dozens of City Employees; Residents Will Speak Out Against City’s Knee-Jerk Decision to Rectify Years of Financial Mismanagement…
OXNARD — To kick off a weekend of nonstop salsa and Latin entertainment, the Oxnard Salsa Festival will present a free general admission concert on Friday July 26 featuring legendary percussionist Pete Escovedo. Escovedo is known worldwide for his live…
VENTURA — The Ventura College Foundation presented scholarships to 140 students during its 32nd Annual Scholarship Awards luncheon and ceremony, Saturday, May 4 at the Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach. Ventura College students received $326,529 in scholarship funds. Some earned multiple…
VENTURA — Bill Foley, the Director of the Ventura County Health Care Agency, announced several initiatives designed to improve its financial performance in the new fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2019. “The performance improvement initiatives include several strategies designed…
Local residents are invited and encouraged to join Ventura County Public Health to go smoke free on Friday, May 31st. VENTURA COUNTY — Every year, on May 31, World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is observed, encouraging 24-hour abstinence from all forms…
SIMI VALLEY — The Simi Valley Family YMCA is accepting registrations for before and after school childcare for the 2019-20 school year. Childcare is for children in kindergarten through sixth grade in the Simi Valley Unified School District. Childcare is…
VENTURA COUNTY – EF Educational Homestay Programs announced that 25 More Beds Needed for Summer Program. Volunteer families are asked to host international exchange students, ages 13-17, who are scheduled to arrive in the U.S. in June for a two-four week…
SACRAMENTO — As California prepares for the next catastrophic wildfire season, legislation by State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) to strengthen local planning requirements in high fire hazard areas and encourage local governments to pursue more fire-resistant and home hardening strategies in…
AGOURA HILLS — The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley (BGCGCV) was recently awarded $12,500 from Let Them Play Foundation resulting from a fundraising event held by the Women in Corporate Growth (WCG), part of the Association for Corporate…
A Night to Remember: A prom for students with disabilities (ages 12-25) in Ventura County. VENTURA – Mission Church hosted the eighth annual A Night to Remember (NTR), a free prom for students with disabilities, to be held at the…
SACRAMENTO – As the Trump Administration seeks to roll back Title IX protections, the California State Senate today approved State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara)’s legislation to protect the civil rights of California college students by requiring schools to follow specific…
SANTA BARBARA — On May 23, 2019, the Santa Barbara City College Board of Trustees finalized the 17-member screening committee for the hiring of the new Superintendent/President. Three of the 17 members represent the community or noncredit programs while the…
CAMARILLO — Three days after making his last speech as the student government president at CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI), Class of 2019 graduate Atticus Reyes accepted a fellowship that takes him to the halls of the California State Capitol. Reyes, 22,…
Click here for the entire e-newsletter President’s Message Dear Friends, May is a month filled with community activity, from graduations and social gatherings to an array of community events. As we approach the end of our fiscal year on June…
VENTURA COUNTY — The three branches of the Southeast Ventura County YMCA are taking signups for their annual summer resident camp at Camp Oakes in Big Bear. Camp runs from July 6 through July 13. The YMCA camp is for…
SACRAMENTO — As the gender pay gap persists, State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson’s (D-Santa Barbara)’s legislation to require California’s larger employers to report salary data to the state passed off the Senate Floor today on a 27 to 9 vote. The bill…
Click here for the entire e-newsletter Dear CAM Members, Donors, Artists, and Friends, Although the City of Oxnard must responsibly resolve a $9.2 million budget deficit projected for next fiscal year 2019-20, Carnegie Art Museum and its 501(c)3 nonprofit…
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — Jennifer (Jenny) Adams, Executive Director of RISE San Luis Obispo County, is retiring on June 28, 2019. She has worked in the field of gender-based violence for over 20 years, serving as Executive Director for…
CAMARILLO — Their earning power will increase once they receive their degrees, but while students are still attending CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI), they sometimes need help affording groceries. So, CSUCI launched the Basic Needs Program, which helps students with food…
Event Raised Close to $350,000 for Senior Meal Program. Art of Giving Back Fundraising Dinner and Presentation Featured Notable Fine Artist at Work SANTA BARBARA — At its annual awards dinner and presentation, Community Action Commission of Santa Barbara County (CAC)…
CENTRAL COAST — A new 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. Companies must be in…
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — As the rainy season in Southern California tapers off and more cyclists are using the roads, officials with the Debris Removal Operations Center (DROC) in Calabasas are urging cyclists in areas affected by last November’s Woolsey and Hill…
VENTURA — The Board of Supervisors adopted a Disaster Recovery Plan at their April 30th meeting which will be incorporated into the County’s overall disaster plans to provide for an efficient recovery process following a major incident. The recovery plan…
SLO County Law Enforcement, Prosecutors, and Victim Service Professionals to Receive Training from National Experts on Sexual Assault Response SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — Over 150 law enforcement professionals, prosecutors, victim service providers and others attended a one-day training on…
There are social media concerns about nitrate contamination in the drinking water in Oxnard. The problem is not in the City of Oxnard’s water supply. It is with the Vineyard Avenue Acres Mutual Water Company (VAAMWC). The water provided by…
SANTA BARBARA — In a unique collaboration between Hospice of Santa Barbara and Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care, the No One Dies Alone (NODA) program helps ensure that those who are dying in our community, with no family or friends…
SANTA BARBARA — The Mental Wellness Center (MWC) held its first ever Stigma Buster Celebration May 1 in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month and the efforts of its local graduates and partners. About 100 supporters gathered at MWC’s Fellowship…
By David Magallanes • Guest contributor David Magallanes Some 50 years ago, when I was starting to explore the world and found myself living in the barracks of a military radio school in Mississippi, I already had the custom of…
