VENTURA — After serving for 10 days as a one-stop center for fire recovery information and assistance, the Local Assistance Center that was run to assist residents impacted by the Mountain Fire will close its doors on Saturday, November 23, at 7:00 p.m. Residents still seeking services are encouraged to visit the Center by Saturday or they may obtain services after Saturday by visiting existing local County and City of Camarillo government offices.
VENTURA COUNTY — Ventura County Schools are making improvements in attendance, graduation rates, academic performance, and other measures according to new data from the 2024 California School Dashboard released today by the California Department of Education. Highlights for Ventura County include:
GRADUATION RATE: Ventura County’s graduation rate of 89.3% for 2024 has improved by six percentage points since 2021 and is nearly three percentage points better than the statewide rate.
CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM: Ventura County’s chronic absenteeism rate of 18.3% for 2024 marks the third consecutive year of improvement and is more than two percentage points better than the statewide rate.
SUSPENSION RATE: Ventura County’s suspension rate of 3.2% for 2024 is a 0.4% improvement from the prior year and slighter better than the statewide rate.
MATHEMATICS: Ventura County students’ performance in mathematics on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) for 2024 improved by 1.2 percentage points over the prior year.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS: Ventura County students’ performance in English language arts on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress for 2024 improved by 0.63 percentage points over the prior year.
CAMARILLO — Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP) (on Nov. 18) announced the launch of a groundbreaking scholarship program that aims to develop a more diverse behavioral health workforce to ensure Ventura County residents have access to culturally responsive care. The $1.5 million initiative is funded through the state Department of Health Care Services’ Student Behavioral Health Incentive Program (SBHIP), which aims to expand access to behavioral health services for children and adolescents enrolled in Medi-Cal.
Have you thought about kicking the nicotine habit to improve your health and reduce your chances of acquiring lung cancer or heart failure?
If you’re looking for extra motivation, then consider quitting smoking during the Great American Smokeout that takes place this Thursday, Nov. 21. Doing so won’t only improve your health, but it will also reverse years of likely damage done to your heart and lungs.
When it comes to giving up the nicotine habit, naturally, you may say that’s easier said than done, as giving up smoking can seem to be a daunting task. You may also think that it’s too late to quit smoking and reverse years of impact on your health.
CAMARILLO — The CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Dance Studies and Health Science programs teamed up this semester to offer a class designed to help students understand Parkinson’s disease from both a dance and neurological perspective. Plans are to open a community dance therapy clinic class in the Spring semester for Parkinson’s patients in the region.
“We have dance students and Health Science students working together,” said Professor and Chair of Health Science Sonsoles de Lacalle, M.D., Ph.D. “Our goal is to provide a service to the community by setting up a weekly dance studio session for people with Parkinson’s and other members of the community to come and dance with us once a week.”
Gail Pidduck was born and raised on a citrus ranch in Santa Paula. After earning a B.A. in art from Brigham Young University in Utah, she returned to Santa Paula and started a family. With three young children, Pidduck made art when and where she could, in her kitchen or on her back porch. Her preference for oil painting stemmed from her ability to set the slow-drying medium aside in a house with busy kids.
As her children grew older, Pidduck was able to dedicate more time to painting and exhibiting her work in Ventura County and beyond. She built a studio and acclaim as a rural landscape painter. Gail’s work has been acquired by numerous private and public collections, including the City of Ventura, City of Santa Paula, City of Thousand Oaks, Museum of Ventura County, and Dixie State University.
If policy makers implemented just four policies acting across the plastic lifecycle (from production to use and disposal), researchers say, we could reduce plastic pollution by 91%.
Rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and extreme weather events are driving the severity and frequency of wildfires. So far this year, California has had more than 7,000 wildfires — including our region’s recent Lake and Mountain Fire — that have ravaged a million acres, destroying homes and communities, impacting air quality, and releasing massive amounts of pollution into the atmosphere. Every one of these fires represents a setback to carbon reduction efforts.
But we have the collective power to stop this climate chaos.
The Community Environmental Council recognized early on that the California Central Coast provides the perfect climate lab to test solutions that can protect our and other regions from future fires. The good news is our solutions are working.
VENTURA COUNTY — As the season of giving approaches, Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation (Cabrillo EDC) is proud to announce that this year’s Giving Tuesday efforts will center around the Rodney Fernandez Leadership Fund (RFLF) Scholarship Program, a program that has changed lives and opened doors for countless students within the community.
Established in honor of Cabrillo EDC’s founding Executive Director, Rodney Fernandez, the RFLF Scholarship Program provides scholarships to local youth and residents of Cabrillo EDC affordable housing communities, helping them pursue higher education and achieve their career goals. The program embodies Cabrillo EDC’s ongoing commitment to building stronger, more empowered communities through education, support, and leadership development.
VENTURA COUNTY — Nate’s Place, A Wellness and Recovery Center (Nate’s Place), a 501c3 nonprofit who’s unique “recovery recipe” program is designed to support teens and young adults at risk of substance use and/or mental health disorders, earned itself a place in the national spotlight recently, with a feature in People Magazine.
“With this new facility, we are providing vital resources that help address the challenges many of our students face, from food insecurity to health and wellness needs,” said Hancock Superintendent/President Kevin G. Walthers, Ph.D. “All of us at Hancock are here to change the odds for our students, and today, we turn that vision into reality.”
As we reflect on another successful year of bringing history, art, and culture to life, we are excited to share a story that embodies the heart of our mission. It’s the story of Elisa Torres, a young artist whose journey reflects the power of creativity, perseverance, and community—reminding us of why the work we do here at the Museum of Ventura County (MVC) is important.
Elisa’s story began right here in Ventura County. A first-generation Californian born and raised in Oxnard, Elisa’s first job after high school was in an assembly factory, where she worked alongside her mother piecing together fiber optic cables. It was honest work, but not her dream.
“We are setting an example for other universities by making a positive impact on the environment,” said then-CSUCI Director of Sustainability and Energy Roxane Beigel-Coryell, who entered the University in the DOE’s Better Climate Challenge.
Over 17 years, researchers and conservationists team to save, then reintroduce, mountain yellow-legged frogs to lakes in Yosemite where they’d been extirpated by a deadly fungus.
MOORPARK — Moorpark College alumnus Mike Madrid will be honored with the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award by the Community College League of California (CCLC) at its Annual Convention on November 22 in Burlingame, California.
Madrid and fellow honorees Marlin “Skip” Davies (Yuba College) and Mike McGuire (Santa Rosa Junior College) were nominated by their peers and colleges to receive this honor.
“On behalf of the Community College League of California, I am immensely proud to celebrate the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award honorees,” said Larry Galizio, CCLC president and CEO. “Their achievements exemplify the transformative power of California’s community colleges and reflect the profound impact our community colleges have on individual lives and our society as a whole.”
VENTURA — Property owners whose property was physically damaged by the Mountain Fire and sustained losses over $10,000 may be eligible for property tax relief. Through services offered by the Ventura County Assessor’s Office, property owners can work with the office to adjust their property’s current assessment to reflect the damage incurred by the fire and reduce their current year property taxes.
SCORE: FUND YOUR BUSINESS WITH SPONSORS, EVEN IF YOU’RE JUST STARTING OUT
November 19 @ 10:00 am
Would you like to do what you love and have someone else foot the bill? Have you ever thought about corporate sponsors for your business, show, book, charity, speaking or events? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this webinar is for you! America’s most successful companies partner with sponsors. Why not you? Linda Hollander can help you. She is the author of the #1 best-selling book, Corporate Sponsorship in 3 Easy Steps and the CEO of Sponsor Concierge. Linda has consulted with many entrepreneurs to help them profit from the awesome power of corporate sponsors and has 20 years of experience in business. Her corporate sponsors have included Microsoft, Wells Fargo, Epson, Citibank, Fed Ex, Health Net, Southwest Airlines, Bank of America, Staples, American Airlines, Walmart and IBM.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
VENTURA COUNTY — In a national partnership with NBCUniversal and inspired by the theatrical release of WICKED, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County (BBSVC) youth led the creation of “The WICKED Kindness Challenge” – an online experience that explores what kindness really means, for oneself, their family and friends, and the greater community.
Fifteen BBSVC youth participants of all ages from across the county came together for four full days to brainstorm ideas on what kindness looks like, and how to teach and inspire others to make kindness an everyday part of their lives. They worked closely with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Learning and Development Team, playing a BIG part in structuring, developing, and creating the content and messages for the script and videos for the challenge. A film crew met with youth to create the videos that were featured in the challenge. Everything for the ongoing challenge was organized at the BBSVC@Ventura Youth Room at the Pacific View Mall.
A representative from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (USDA FSA) will be available onsite this week to assist ranchers and growers.
November 19th, Tuesday 9am-2pm
VC Ag Commissioner’s Camarillo Office
555 Airport Way, Suite E
Camarillo, CA 93010
November 20th, Wednesday 9am-2pm
VC Ag Commissioner’s Camarillo Office
555 Airport Way, Suite E
Camarillo, CA 93010
November 21st, Thursday 9am-2pm
VC Ag Commissioner’s Camarillo Office
555 Airport Way, Suite E
Camarillo, CA 93010
UPDATED: Local Assistance Center for Mountain Fire Recovery
Local Assistance Centers are designed to provide one centralized location for information, referrals, resources and services to individuals and families impacted by disasters. Several Local, State, and Community-Based Organizations will offer support and services at the Local Assistance Center.
“The demand in our area and throughout the state is unmistakable, given its growth and success. Very quickly, flag football will be ubiquitous throughout the college athletics landscape,” Davis said. “I’m proud that Cal Lutheran is an early adopter and excited to add what I believe will be another elite athletic program for us.”
The federal government currently lacks the resources to fulfill Trump’s pledge of mass deportations in the first months of his presidency, but ICE?can and will act?quickly to target immigrants for arrests. However, before that begins, President Biden has two months left in office to take decisive action to protect people at risk under Trump’s indiscriminate immigration enforcement plans.
Opening night for Nos Traen Cortitos 2024 is almost here and we’d love for you to join us! Your support means the world to us, and we can’t wait to share this special moment with you!
SANTA BARBARA — At times when the world feels unsettled, the Community Environmental Council is the place where you can turn for hope, empowerment, and tangible action. That’s what we’ve been doing for over 50 years, and we’re good at it.
But building strong heart-centered, climate-resilient, environmentally-sound communities isn’t easy. It takes grit and — for real — we need your support. Here’s our plan of action:
This quarter’s Livable Communities Newsletter reports on the 2024 FUTURE OF THE REGION CONFERENCE: HOW WILL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SHAPE OUR REGION?. Our keynote speaker gave a balanced view of the positives and negatives of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and our panel discussed these points. However, this is not your typical conference report, as writer Kerry Roscoe soon found out. In interfacing with AI for these articles, she learned that AI can be a great partner in the quest to understand what AI is, and what it can do to shape our region. Read through the following three articles to see what surprises Kerry and AI have for all of us.
Let us know what you think about this.
Investigating major migrations in global weather patterns, research by Zhe Li and Quingha Ding suggests this poleward shift is part of a natural cycle in sea surface temperatures in the Tropical Eastern Pacific.
THOUSAND OAKS — The Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) has been awarded a $92,113 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to support programs aimed at preventing motor vehicle injuries to children, the agencies announced today. The grant program runs through September 2025.
This year’s funding continues VCFD’s mission to educate the community on child passenger safety, with initiatives to increase awareness and provide resources to ensure that children are properly secured in vehicles throughout Ventura County.
VENTURA — Sustainably harvested white and red “silver tipped” fir trees from Northern California will be available for pickup on Saturday, Nov. 30 during “Christmas On The Ranch” at Petty Ranch (11971 Darling Rd.) in Ventura. Proceeds from the Christmas tree fundraiser will support Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) agriculture education and healthy eating programs for kids in Ventura County.
The hand-harvested trees are 6’ to 10’ tall. Trees are available for pick-up and purchase from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on November 30. Free hot cocoa and cookies will be served.
Thank you for opening your complimentary edition of The Blueprint!
Each month we curate thoughtful, and thought-provoking, content from some of the best housing researchers and think tanks around the country.
We hope you will subscribe to receive the monthly edition, which has the aim of providing tools for informed advocacy for affordable housing.
MOORPARK — Commemorating its fifth year, Bank of America’s Neighborhood Champions® program provides multiyear flexible grant funding annually to high-impact nonprofits in nearly 40 communities nationwide. In the Ventura/Santa Barbara market, Bank of America has named Moorpark College Foundation as its local 2024 Neighborhood Champion for its work to remove barriers to employment and re-skill the local workforce.
CAMARILLO — If we want to protect ecosystems, try protecting the surf breaks.
That’s the gist of a 2021 research study, “Conservation Opportunities Arise from the Co-Occurrence of Surfing and Key Biodiversity Areas” led by CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Associate Professor of Environmental Science & Resource Management (ESRM), Dan Reineman.
“There’s a conservation opportunity ‘two-for’ here,” Reineman said. “We found that many of the world’s surf breaks are located in the same places as critical, but unprotected, ecosystems. Surfing – for recreation and tourism – provides an additional incentive to protect both.”
VENTURA — On Thursday, November 14, 2024, the County of Ventura and the City of Camarillo will open a Local Assistance Center (LAC) at the Ventura County Office of Education Conference Center at 5100 Adolfo Road in Camarillo. The Local Assistance Center will help residents as they begin their recovery process from the Mountain Fire.
Information will be available on-site on the following topics: rebuilding, tax relief, business and employment assistance, debris removal, permits, housing, rental assistance, vital records, property assessments, public assistance, crisis intervention stress management, and basic needs. Services such as replacement of driver’s licenses and connection to health care resources will also be available on site.
On November 11, Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in Ventura County due to the Mountain Fire. As of right now, the proclaimed state of emergency has NOT triggered FEMA or SBA disaster assistance.
County Specific Resources
Ventura has been proclaimed a state of emergency. Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties have not declared any disasters. For updates, check your county’s website below.
County of Ventura, click here
County of Santa Barbara, click here
Celebrate the season with a festive shopping experience and a complimentary beverage! From 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm, enjoy a special appearance by Ventura County Ballet as they present “Storytime and Excerpts,” an interactive preview of The Nutcracker. Plus, members enjoy a 10% discount on all in-store purchases. Join us for an evening of holiday cheer!
Researchers at Craig Montell’s lab created deaf mosquitoes by knocking out a single gene and found that the males had absolutely no interest in mating. The results could have major implications for how we manage disease transmission.
As our community comes together in the wake of the Mountain Fire, we want to assure all Ventura County residents that support is here.
This newsletter update offers information on essential resources, key information, and upcoming events to aid in recovery efforts. Our teams are working alongside local and state agencies to deliver the assistance you need as quickly as possible.
Community members who are not already subscribed to receive this newsletter may sign up to receive it in English here and in Spanish here.
On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of the Social Justice Fund for Ventura County (SJFVC), I am pleased to announce two organizational changes. These changes will help us lay a stronger foundation for our Fellowship program to ensure its growth and sustainability.
As the Mountain Fire continues to impact Ventura County, we want to help you access the resources and support needed to protect your operations, workers, and property. Our hearts are with all those affected, and we stand ready to help in any way possible.
In partnership with Farm Bureau Ventura County, the Ag Commissioner’s Office, UCCE, VCRCD, USDA-FSA, Thomas Fire survivors, and others, VC CoLAB is co-hosting a series of webinars for the agricultural community.
Dear Neighbors,
A community meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 11/13 at 6:30 pm for those impacted by the Mountain Fire. The CalFire Incident Management Team, the County of Ventura and the City of Camarillo will host the meeting at the Rancho Campana High School Performing Arts Center located at 4235 Mar Vista Drive in Camarillo.
Please stay informed about the situation at www.vcemergency.com and www.venturacountyrecovers.org.
SBA: INTRO TO CYBERSECURITY
November 12 @ 10:00 am
Empower your small business with a deep dive into cybersecurity basics at SBA’s upcoming Introduction to Cybersecurity event. Discover practical strategies to protect your business online. Join SBA for insights tailored to small businesses, ensuring your digital assets are secure. Do not miss out on the chance to boost your digital security knowledge. This event will take place online using Microsoft Teams, please register to obtain for the login information. Please note, if you are planning to use a mobile device to access this webinar, you must first download the Teams app to your device. SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. For reasonable accommodation request please send an email to lado@sba.gov at least 7 days in advance.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
VENTURA COUNTY — Monday, November 11, is a regularly scheduled school holiday. On Tuesday, November 12, most Ventura County schools will be operating normally. However, the following schools and districts have announced closures as they continue to respond to impacts from the Mountain Fire.
VENTURA — Ventura College has been awarded a $150,000 grant through the Veterans Mental Health Demonstration Project. As one of only ten community colleges across California to receive this critical funding aimed at enhancing mental health and wellness support for veteran students, Ventura College will be able to commit even more resources to fostering a supportive and inclusive campus environment for veterans.
Provided through the California Chancellors Office, the grant aims to bolster mental health outreach and peer support for veterans transitioning from military to civilian life. These funds are particularly vital to Ventura College as its Veteran Resource Center (VRC) served more than 370 veteran students in the 2022-2023 school year.
The Economic Development Collaborative would like to recognize National Veteran’s Small Business Week. The EDC is dedicated to providing equal access to resources, advising and capital to all business owners. Since 2010, the EDC has provided over 2,000 hours of one-of-one business advising to Veteran-Owned businesses and has helped generate over $990 million in revenue.
The EDC is proud to support the community by providing professional technical assistance in English and Spanish through our Small Business Development Center. Our NO-COST advising areas include:
Farmworker Conditions Community Meeting
Tuesday, November 12 at 3:00 PM
Santa Maria Hearing Room, 511 Lakeside Parkway
Please join myself and Supervisor Hartmann at a community meeting to examine the conditions of farmworkers in our County, and to discuss strategies to improve conditions. The meeting will include panel discussions featuring farmworkers, researchers, ag operators, and more. Following the community meeting, the temporary ad hoc committee will report back to the Board of Supervisors with a summary of key points and possible suggestions for improving the lives of farm workers.
Live translation services will be available for attendees. The meeting can be watched live on CSBTV Cable Channel 20 and our CSBTV YouTube Channel. Following the event, our Committee will present a summary of key points to the Board of Supervisors.
Our hearts go out to all those who have been impacted by the Mountain Fire. We understand what an unpredictable and challenging time lies ahead for so many of our community members as they navigate seeking aid and resources in the face of tremendous loss.
Ventura County Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VCVOAD) has created a needs assessment form to support Ventura County community members impacted by the Mountain Fire.
If you, or someone you know, has been impacted, please fill out the Needs Assessment Form below or call 2-1-1 for assistance. This form can also be found on our Disaster Relief website page.
Ever inspired by nature, artist Joanne Julian’s solo exhibition, “Nature’s Spirits,” is a meditation on nature’s miracles, from birds, insects, and botanicals found in the garden to clouds, stars, and nebulae witnessed in the night sky.
“We want our students to know that everyone at Hancock is invested in helping them reach their educational goals this winter and spring,” said Hancock Superintendent/President Kevin G. Walthers, Ph.D. “We are encouraging them to register for classes now and take advantage of all the resources and support services that Hancock offers.”
In an era that sees our lives dominated by algorithms and personalized recommendations, the act of selecting a book at random can seem “quaint” and “antiquated.” However, what seems like a whimsical choice can open the door to unexpected pathways, broader knowledge, clearer perspectives, and a deeper appreciation for the mysterious nature of discovery.
Choosing a book at random can be akin to walking into an unexplored world. Each book that we hold in our hands and start to read has the potential to transport us to different cultures, eras, philosophies, and dimensions. When we select a book without express intentions, we may stumble upon topics that we would not have consciously chosen.
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom (on Nov. 7) issued a proclamation convening a special session of the California Legislature to safeguard California values and fundamental rights in the face of an incoming Trump administration. The special session will focus on bolstering California legal resources to protect civil rights, reproductive freedom, climate action, and immigrant families.
This is the first of several actions by the Newsom Administration, in partnership with the Legislature, as the Governor begins shoring up California’s defenses against an incoming federal administration that has threatened the state on multiple fronts.
A Note of Thanks from our Executive Director
As we welcome November and embrace the shift toward shorter days (and change in general) there’s also something reflective and revitalizing in the air as we approach Thanksgiving season.
As I choose to focus on gratitude and hope, I’d like to start by thanking our long time VMF’s supporters and sponsors, the VMF Board of Directors, and sister organizations with whom we have forged new and renewed collaborations. In 2024 so far we have received funding from VCCF, the City and County of Ventura’s Arts & culture divisions who have supported VMF with generous grants to augment our music and educational offerings for the entire Community. To them we extend a deep gratitude for spending our tax dollars wisely to enrich our culture in so many ways.
