If you or someone you care about is in crisis there is help. The Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available at 1-800-273-8255. September is suicide prevention awareness month. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress and prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones.
Learn more about resources by clicking here.
The Connected Commerce Council (3C) this week released a report detailing the existence and importance of the small business “Digital Safety Net” to businesses in all 50 states. The report confirms that small businesses using more digital tools, technologies, and online marketplaces are doing better during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who embrace digital tools early and integrate them more are doing even better. 3C defines the Digital Safety Net as the free and low-cost small business services that include communications and workflow tools, digital marketing and advertising, websites and social media, back-office tools, and e-commerce and online payment tools.
When he was a child growing up in New York, actor/comedian Nicholas Santa Maria loved to listen to his parents laugh about the antics of Charlie Chaplin or the Marx Brothers.
“I realized they seem to enjoy themselves most of all when their friends and contemporaries would come over and they would talk about old movies,” Santa Maria said. “I always felt more comfortable in that old movie world.”
A history graduate student’s research and skill set lead to the discovery of Black nurse Biddy Mason in Depression-era murals in San Francisco.
The Community Environmental Council (CEC) announced the launch of this year’s Solarize Ventura County – a community-led, group purchasing program for solar and battery systems open to residents of Ventura County through December 9. CEC’s 2020 program is offered in partnership with Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance, the County of Ventura, and the cities of Ventura, Thousand Oaks, and Camarillo.
To take part in the program, homeowners can visit SolarizeVentura.org to submit an application. On the website, those looking for more information can also register for CEC’s free webinars:
Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees fully supports and is committed to serving its approximately 31,000 students by making the District the accessibility leader for the State of California and the California Community Colleges System.
Recognizing that succeeding in college is an important step in mobility, independence and career success for students with disabilities, the Board approved a resolution on Access and Accessibility at its August meeting. The resolution coincides with the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
September is National Preparedness Month and is a good time for your family and community to make sure they have a disaster plan now and throughout the year. As our community continues to respond to COVID-19 and we head into peak wildfire season, there is no better time to get prepared than now.
Make a plan today! Your family may not be together if a disaster strikes. Know how you’ll contact one another and reconnect if separated. Establish a family meeting place that’s familiar and easy to find.
For more tips and to view a printable version of the Ready Ventura County Emergency Preparedness Guide, click on the link below.
On August 31, Governor Newsom signed the Tenant, Homeowner, and Small Landlord Relief and Stabilization Act of 2020 (the “Act”), urgency legislation that immediately went into effect on September 1. The Act provides temporary relief for financially distressed residential tenants, homeowners and small landlords to avoid widespread evictions and foreclosures due to COVID-19 financial hardships.
Although the Act provides some relief for residential landlords and tenants, including mobile home tenants and assessor dwelling unit rentals, the Act does not include protections for commercial landlords and tenants, who must continue to rely on existing state law, local eviction moratoriums and legal advice for guidance.
Although we have not reduced our cases enough to move from the purple tier to red tier according to the California Blueprint for a Safer Economy metrics, we are making significant progress. On August 31st, the county’s 7-day case rate was 9.0 per 100,000 population. Yesterday, the Santa Barbara County Department of Public Health released our first official report card number as 8.3 cases per 100,000 population. We need to lower our 7-day average positive case number to 7 per 100,000 population to move to the red tier. If we remain vigilant and maintain this positive momentum, we will likely be able to move to the red tier by the end of September. See more about which sectors can operate in each tier.
California Clean Air Day is October 7
TAKE THE PLEDGE! Join us in challenging yourself to create clean air in your community! The Clean Air Pledge allows individuals and organizations to commit to do our part to clear the air, through actions big and small.
Take the Clean Air Day Pledge!
National Preparedness Month (NPM) is recognized each September to promote family and community disaster planning now and throughout the year. As our community continues to respond to COVID-19, there is no better time to be involved this September.
Make a plan today! Your family may not be together if a disaster strikes, so it is important to know which types of disasters could affect our area. Know how you’ll contact one another and reconnect if separated. Establish a family meeting place that’s familiar and easy to find.
Visit readyventuracounty.org
CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) announced Sept. 8 that a student has a positive case of coronavirus (COVID-19). The individual was on the campus Sept. 3, 2020, is not a residential student, and is now in self-isolation at their off-campus residence. Any campus buildings visited by the individual have been closed until thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.
As part of this year’s activities for its all-virtual Ventura County Farm Day, Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) is hosting a drive-in movie night on Sunday, November 1 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds featuring the award-winning, family-friendly documentary “Biggest Little Farm.” The evening includes a question and answer session with John Chester, farmer, cinematographer and co-founder of Moorpark’s Apricot Lane Farms where the documentary was filmed. SEEAG is seeking event sponsors.
Branches of the Southeast Ventura County YMCA are accepting sign-ups for their Youth & Government programs. The programs are an opportunity for high school students to learn about the legislative process and what it takes to participate in such roles as elected officials, judges, lawyers, advocates, legislators, county supervisors and city council persons.
The Economic Development Collaborative is proud to offer the following webinars at no-cost.
Space is limited. Register today!
SEPTEMBER EDC WEBINAR SCHEDULE
he Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 1 approved the program design of the Farmworker Household Assistance Program, providing up to $250,000 in county general funds to match private donations made through the Ventura County Community Foundation.
The program aims to provide farmworkers financial relief from the impacts of COVID-19. Farmworkers may apply for this funding assistance from September 1 at 5 p.m. through September 30, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. at www.vchsa.org/FHAP.
Libro de estrategias del COVID-19 para el Día de Trabajo: No hay reuniones. Use mascarillas. Manténgase a 6 pies de distancia de los demás. El fin de semana festivo es un momento crucial para controlar el coronavirus.
Por lo general, que marca el último fin de semana del verano, el Dia del Trabajo es tradicionalmente un momento para barbacoas y reuniones come el ultimo “hurra” del verano. Los líderes del Departamento de Salud Pública están ofreciendo una combinación de aliento y advertencia.
1,651 deaths were reported to the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office during calendar year 2019. Jurisdiction was accepted for 826 of these deaths, requiring further investigation and certification. Postmortem examinations were performed on 585 cases. Of the cases investigated, 149 deaths were due to medications, alcohol and or illicit drugs.
Biologists discover a gene critical to the development of columbines’ iconic spurs, which promises new insight into key innovations in evolution.
Due to COVID-19 public gathering restrictions, the 2020 Senior Expo is canceling its traditional active aging fair for seniors and caregivers this fall. Instead, the Expo is collaborating with Santa Barbara County Public Health Department to provide free flu vaccines to low-income seniors at specific residential facilities and mobile home parks in South Santa Barbara County during the month of October. The flu vaccines will be provided by Sansum Clinic and administered by Santa Barbara County Public Health and Medical Reserve Corps nurses. Locations, dates, and times will be posted at SeniorExpoSB.com.
When the U.S. Department of Education first awarded CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) a five-year $6 million grant to launch Project PROMESAS (Pathways with Regional Outreach and Mathematics Excellence for Student Achievement in STEM) in the 2016/17 academic year, no one could foresee what would happen in 2020/21— the last year of the grant.
For 24 years, United Way of Santa Barbara County (USWBC)’s Red Feather Ball event has raised funds for United Way initiatives and programs.In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, United Way has transitioned its Red Feather Ball event to a virtual and unique United | Together Red Feather Campaign to raise funds for thousands of students in Santa Barbara County.
There are 33 new cases today (19 (57.6%) of which have a lab collection from August 25th or earlier), 643 additional people tested, and 0 additional deaths. Current doubling time is 89.6 days
The State has changed the monitoring metrics to a tiered system. Learn more by clicking here. Additional information from the California Department of Public Health can be found by clicking here.
Your hard work is paying off! Thank you Ventura County. Please continue to wear a mask (your masks protects you and others), social distance and please only gather with members of your household. Let’s work together to fight the spread of COVID-19.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, every voter will receive a Vote-by-Mail ballot for the November 3 Presidential General Election. Your ballot will be mailed to you on October 5 to promote safe voting at home. You do not need to request a Vote-by-Mail ballot.
Voters will not be assigned to a specific polling location. There will be 47 in-Person Voting Locations available throughout Ventura County open Saturday, October 31 through Election Day, November 3, for in person Voting Services and 33 secure ballot drop boxes open beginning October 6.
Arts & Lectures’ new season aims to educate, entertain and inspire with virtual events, digital exclusives and live performances.
African American actors Phylicia Rashad, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Roy Wood Jr., are among 34 renowned Black actors from stage and screen who will join in an online weekly reading marathon of W.E.B. Du Bois’ “Black Reconstruction In America” beginning on Friday, Aug. 28. “The ReadIn Series” is produced by CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Performing Arts/Dance Lecturer MiRi Park with assistance from Associate Professor of Performing Arts/Dance Heather Castillo.
“African American history is American history and I think a lot of people don’t realize that,” Park said. “A lot of it has been written out of our textbooks and relegated to something that is ‘other.’”
The Economic Development Collaborative is proud to offer the following webinars at no-cost.
Space is limited. Register today!
Following Trump Administration Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’s roll back of Title IX protections for student survivors of sexual assault on college campuses, State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson’s (D-Santa Barbara), SB 493 to ensure California schools provide a transparent and fair process for all students involved in a sexual assault allegation, passed the State Assembly today. The bill will go back to the Senate for a final concurrence vote before heading to the Governor’s desk.
A worldwide virtual dance project is among the imaginative concepts that Associate Professor of Performing Arts/Dance Heather Castillo and Performing Arts/Dance Lecturer MiRi Park designed after CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) switched to online learning.
The project, called CORontine Corps, along with an online dance instruction guide they created earned Castillo and Park a 2020 Faculty Innovation and Leadership Award (FILA) honoring CSU faculty and/or staff members who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership that advances student success.
The State of California announced a new blueprint for reducing COVID-19 in the state with revised criteria for loosening and tightening restrictions and activities.
Learn more at: Blueprint for a Safer Economy Click Here
Learn more about County Monitoring Click Here
Salons, Barbershops and Malls are able to reopen for indoor services beginning Monday, August 31. These sectors must follow the state issued industry guidance.
This decennial Census has significant impact on our business community. The Census not only determines local funding for schools, hospitals, and infrastructure, but it also allocates money for direct business resources. As a business owner, you can consult the Census data to understand where cities are expanding and strategize investing in your current business or opening a new location. We encourage you to check in with your employees, friends, and community to ensure everyone is counted.
The EDC believes in the importance of completing the 2020 Census to improve the economic vitality of the businesses we serve and the region we support.
Do your part today. Stand up and be counted!
For more information, please visit Ventura County Counts.
Report No.8 of UCLA’s Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture (CESLAC) addresses the increase in death rates of working-age Latino adults. These COVID-19?associated deaths are burning their way through the entire Latino working-age population. Over the three months from May 11 to August 11, 2020, there was a nearly five-fold increase in death rates in all three age groups: young adult, early middle age, and late middle age.
“In the early days of the pandemic, we worried about the skyrocketing death rate for the elderly,” explained David E. Hayes-Bautista, lead author of the report and Distinguished Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “Now the virus is falling on the working-age population, and the young Latino population is disproportionately represented in this demographic.”
The Chicano Moratorium March of August 29, 1970, in East Los Angeles, that was organized by Chicano anti-war activists, students from throughout the greater Southwest, the Brown Beret and various Chicano civil rights groups and organizations, drew over 30,000 peaceful marchers protesting their opposition to the Vietnam War, police brutality, and incessant universal discrimination and inequality for minorities, culminating that day in a murderous state-sanctioned law enforcement (the Los Angeles Sheriffs for the most part, with some LAPD reinforcements) riot.
For many of us actively involved in the Chicano Movimiento the Moratorium was/is a bloody and murderous reminder that the deadly and oppressive force of the state would come down hard and furious on any minority, individual or group, that in any way challenged their societal dominance and superiority.
¡Vota de forma segura desde casa este noviembre!
Debido a la pandemia del COVID-19, por ley, cada votante recibirá una papeleta de votación por correo para las Elecciones Generales del 3 de noviembre. Su papeleta de votación será enviada por correo el 5 de octubre para promover el voto seguro desde casa. Usted no necesita solicitar una papeleta de votación para Votar Por Correo.
Los votantes no serán asignados a ningún centro de votación. Habrá 47 centros de votación disponibles en todo el Condado de Ventura que abrirán el sábado 31 de octubre hasta el Día de Las Elecciones, el martes, 3 de noviembre. Las 33 cajas de entrega estarán disponibles el 6 de octubre hasta el Día de las Elecciones.
The Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) on Aug. 24 marked the completion of the new the Mary E. Samples Education Services Center building in Camarillo. The 29,944-square-foot, two-story building at 5250 Adolfo Road was finished just over two years after construction began. The building is the new, permanent home of VCOE’s Triton Academy, which serves students with autism in 3rdthrough 12th grades. It also houses the administrative offices of VCOE’s Special Education Department and has space reserved for what could become a high-tech makerspace lab for middle school students throughout the County.
During the 1st Semester of Santa Maria Joint Union High School District’s Distance Learning, August 17, 2020 – December 18, 2020, the Food Service Department will provide walk-up and drive thru pick-up breakfast and lunch meal service at the student’s nearest comprehensive high school – Santa Maria, Pioneer Valley, and Ernest Righetti as well as at various locations throughout the community.
Please note that your student’s meal eligibility from the 2019-2020 school year will carryover into the 2020- 2021 school year through September 28, 2020. Please make sure you submit a new application either online at https://family.titank12.com/ or a paper application – available from food service staff, school community liaison’s office, school administration office and at the main District Office. If a new application is not received, effective September 29, 2020, students will need to pay for meals until a new application is processed and approved.
Researchers partner with national labs in DOE-funded collaborations to expand research in quantum sciences.
Week Day Drive Through Sites Monday through Friday 10 am to 7 pm
Moopark College, 7075 Campus Road, Moorpark
Ford Dealership, 128 S. Hallock Drive, Santa Paula
Weekend: Oxnard College, 4000 S. Rose Ave., Oxnard. The site is open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
Walk In Monday Through Friday 9 am to 6 pm
Ventura County Fairgrounds,10 W. Harbor Blvd in Ventura, Enter Gate 2.
Pop Up Testing: In addition to the regular testing locations there will be pop up testing sites offered in the coming weeks. Learn more about the locations and times in the image below.
If your relationship to money has become shaken in these unprecedented times, revive your prosperity pulse with “C.P.R., Core Prosperity Relief,” an inspirational transformative audio class offered in 15-minute day doses delivered direct to you September 1 through 30th.
Hosted by Dr. James Mellon, a sought-after teacher, author and inspirational leader in the field of personal growth, the program has helped thousands of people break free from the limiting beliefs that have kept them from recognizing their wealth with purpose.
On August 20, Excelencia in Education — an organization that works to accelerate Latino student success in higher education — announced that SBCC’s Math Tutorial Lab has been named a finalist for the 2020 Examples of Excelencia. Of this year’s 112 national submissions from 24 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., the SBCC program was one of six at the community college level recognized for its leadership in effectively serving Latino students.
The Economic Development Collaborative is proud to offer the following webinars at no-cost. Space is limited.
Register today!
Community Environmental Council announces Community Ambassador Resilience and Equity Response (CARER), a new pilot program aimed to foster community resilience and support climate justice efforts by responding to immediate needs of frontline communities during the pandemic.
CARER’s primary goal is to provide critical outreach to frontline community members, sharing resources and information related to COVID-19 public health, food access, and tenant rights. One way they are doing this is by conducting direct bilingual outreach to frontline community members and convening online or phone-based house meetings.
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department and the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District issued an Air Quality Warning for Santa Barbara County. Smoke from wildfires burning throughout the state, including in Monterey County, are affecting local air quality, and conditions may continue over the next several days. Due to elevated temperatures and stagnant air conditions, we are also experiencing increased ozone levels in regions of the county.
Local author Peter Martin is releasing his first book, Dragons on the Purple Moon in honor of his son’s successful recovery from brain cancer. He will be donating 100% of the proceeds to Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation (TBCF) for National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
The Ventura County Complete Count Committee will lead a Census Caravan on Saturday, August 22. The caravan, which will have the participation of organizations and groups such as the Ventura County Mobile Library, Child Development Resources, and the US Census Bureau, will begin its route in Thousand Oaks at 9:30am and will end in Simi Valley around 3:00pm. The goal for the caravan, which will make its way through most cities in the county, is to encourage participation by residents before the Census ends on September 30.
Oxnard College has received a $1,265,160 grant over five years from the U.S. Department of Education to support its TRIO Student Support Services program. TRIO programs are especially important to Oxnard College because they support the large number of first-generation and low-income college students who require additional services to help them stay in school, graduate and transfer to four-year universities. Through the federal grant, the college will serve 140 students annually over five years.
Congressperson Julia Brownley’s office notified Oxnard College in early August that it had earned a perfect score on its application, beating out strong competition for the grant.
The Community Environmental Council (CEC) and Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation on Aug. 19, with support from 165 additional partners, announced the launch of Born This Way Foundation’s third annual #BeKind21 Campaign. As communities across the world face the trauma of a pandemic, the ongoing racial inequalities, and a host of global challenges, this year’s campaign has been uniquely designed to be responsive to today’s movements, showcasing that kindness is not an empty gesture; rather, kindness is a verb. To be kind is to speak up. To be kind is to prioritize your mental wellness. To be kind is to advocate for a world that values, validates, and respects all people.
If sustainably managed, wild fisheries and mariculture could help meet the rising demand for food in the long term.
There are 54 new cases today (11 (20.4%) of which have a lab collection from August 12th or earlier), 626 additional people tested, and 1 additional death (65 year old male with comorbidity). Current doubling time is 85.7 days.
View today’s press conference at www.venturacountyrecovers.org.
Ventura County Public Health has announced today that public and private elementary schools in Ventura County can submit school waiver applications to allow in-person instruction at their campuses. The waivers cover Tk through 6th grades.
In accordance with state guidelines, waivers may be granted “when requested by a local superintendent (or equivalent for charter or private schools), in consultation with labor, parent and community organizations. Local health officers must review local community epidemiological data, consider other public health interventions, and consult with the California Department of Public Health when considering a waiver request.”
The RISE Up Awards recognize excellence in community service supporting RISE’s sexual abuse, sexual assault, and intimate partner violence programs; the 2020 RISE Up Award winners are Megan Baliterra, Amber Hollarman, the Portola Inn, Cal Poly’s Safer, and Heidi Spencer.
RISE will present the awards at the 6th Wine Women & Shoes on September 13th at 1pm, online. Wine Women & Shoes is a wine and food tasting, boutique shopping experience complete with raffles, silent and live auctions, a fashion show, and the presentation of the 2020 RISE Up Awards.
Superintendent/President Dr. Utpal K. Goswami announced an update regarding plans for the Fall 2020 semester. Given current community conditions, classes will start fully online. Although the plan is for all courses to begin online, the College will be pursuing a very limited exemption for some classes that support essential and critical infrastructure. The Fall term starts Monday, Aug. 24.
In the second project of the Pahl Initiative on the Study of Critical Social Issues, researchers will examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the underserved.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley (BGCGCV) recently received a $5,000 grant from Farmers Insurance® to help fund COVID-19 relief efforts.
The grant will help provide healthy meals, high-speed internet access and academic support, vital enrichment programming to bridge gaps in virtual learning, social & emotional learning and more for vulnerable families and youth.
There is a significant warming trend and heatwave impacting California and the rest of the West Coast that will put pressure on our energy grid. In order to avoid electricity shortages, we are asking businesses and residents to reduce energy usage in order to prevent service interruptions.
It’s especially important to limit energy usage from 3 pm to 10 pm, especially air conditioning, electric car charging and other energy intensive technology.
Sign up to receive Flex Alert notifications from your utility provider to help California conserve energy during times of grid stress. You can also check out https://readysbc.org/psps/ for tips on what to do before, during, and after power loss.
14 de agosto del 2020- El Distrito Escolar Unificado de Ventura (VUSD) comenzará las clases el martes 18 de agosto del 2020 utilizando un modelo de aprendizaje a distancia. Todos los estudiantes formarán parte del modelo WEAVE el cual permite una mezcla de herramientas y técnicas de aprendizaje para permitir una mayor interacción con los maestros, un mayor apoyo y una educación mejorada fuera del plantel escolar. Todos los distritos escolares del Condado de Ventura comenzarán con el aprendizaje a distancia durante el comienzo del semestre de otoño del 2020, sin embargo, la Mesa Directiva de Educación de VUSD decidió en julio que permanecerían en el aprendizaje a distancia hasta enero del 2021 para proporcionar estabilidad a los padres de familia. El Distrito también ha adoptado un entorno tecnológico 1:1 asegurando que cada estudiante reciba un dispositivo del distrito.
Curiosity and imagination transcended the COVID-19 pandemic throughout CSU Channel Islands’ (CSUCI) 2020 Summer Student Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) program, which ran from June 8 to July 31.
From the moment last March when SBCC made the decision to move all instruction online for the remainder of the Spring semester, the Music Department knew it had better prepare for the situation to extend into the Summer and Fall terms as well.
Our recent, adorable visit from Lucky the dog got us thinking about how artists celebrate pets and animals in art, so with the help of Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center, the Museum’s August Art To-Go Bag is all about animals (see below). We also took a moment to appreciate the animal art in the Museum’s permanent collection. You’re probably quite familiar with Jessie Botke’s birds, but do you know about John Nichols and his beloved cat, Sespe Red? Hear the story behind the artwork. It’s part of our collection of local artist self-portraits. And be sure to check out this week’s outdoor art classes at the Museum below.
