
ITH, obra de un acto VIDEO | Jimmie… ¡Último fin de semana!

As a testament to Oxnard’s strong financial footing, Standard and Poor’s Global Ratings (S&P) upgraded the City’s Issuer Credit Rating from “A” to “A+” on October 26, 2022. The report also revised its long-term rating on the City’s lease revenue bonds from “A-” to “A”, the City’s Gas Tax Bond from “A+” to “AA-” and assigned a “stable” outlook to all three.
The City has made steady progress improving its ratings in recent years. The new S&P ratings mark Oxnard’s 5th upgrade by S&P in just the last 12 months. As shown in the table below, ratings were also increased by one notch on the wastewater fund earlier this year, and the outlook on the water bonds was moved to “positive” from “stable.”

Labor Market Report for September 2022
The California Labor Market Information Division (LMID) released its September 2022 report on Friday, the overall data showing some positive change, including a net gain of 2,100 industry jobs and an improvement in the unemployment rate, from 3.5% in August to 3.3% in September.
Most encouragingly, the improvement in the unemployment rate came as a result of a gain by 3,100 more workers reporting employment and, happily, by a decline of 900 workers reported as unemployed.
Or put another way, our unemployment rate improved not because workers were dropping entirely out of the labor market (as has been the case for several recent months), rather, as we so strongly prefer, because more workers were taking jobs. This is good both for workers and their earnings as well as for employers who have been struggling to find workers to take their jobs. That noted, the gains varied widely across the key industry sectors. We’ll share more on how that played out by industry in our comments below. For the official September data, click here.

The Uplift Central Coast Coalition is excited to announce that we have been awarded the $5 million grant through California’s Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF). We are excited for the opportunity to drive a 2-year planning process to create an inclusive economic development plan for the six Central Coast counties of Santa Cruz, San Benito, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura, with a focus on equity, sustainability, job quality, economic competitiveness and resilience.

VENTURA — Ventura County Parks has launched the Rincon Seawall Beautification project located south of Solimar Beach. This pilot project is being funded by County Parks in an effort to introduce art into parks and inspire community beautification. The 285’ stretch of seawall will take approximately 5 weeks to complete and will depict an ocean scene with the sea life found off the Ventura County Coast. Successful completion of this project will provide an upgraded look to the day-use parking area.
For more information on County parks and trails, please visit www.ventura.org/parks-department or call (805) 654-3951.

The Ventura College Foundation is now accepting scholarship applications for the 2022-23 school year. The deadline for application submissions is January 20, 2023.
Students currently enrolled at Ventura College in the 2022-2023 academic year, who have completed at least six credits by the end of Fall 2022 semester, are eligible to apply. Units earned in previous semesters at Ventura College count towards the unit requirement.
“We recently lowered the minimum number of credits from 12 to 6 so many part-time students now qualify to apply,” says Anne Paul King, Ventura College Foundation executive director. “Many of our students work full time and have family commitments that prevent them from taking a full class load. Our new credit policy opens eligibility to these students.”

A Celebration of Life event to honor Supervisor Carmen Ramirez will take place on Saturday, October 15, 2022, at 3:00 pm at Pacifica High School’s Outdoor Stadium located at 600 E. Gonzales Road, Oxnard, CA 93036. Community members are invited to attend to honor Supervisor Ramirez’s life and legacy. Doors open at 2:00 pm.

Community leaders and Oaxacan communities living throughout the United States strongly reject racism, classism, colorism and discrimination against the indigenous people of Oaxaca.
The Oaxacan community living in Los Angeles, California, whom have been an essential workforce during the pandemic, working in restaurants, construction, and contributing to a vibrant culture in the United States, are subject to racism, classism, and discrimination from Los Angeles, California, City Councilors.
These outrageous comments were made known in an audio recording published by the Los Angeles Times where the voice of the sixth district councilor, Nury Martinez, is heard mocking minority communities that include LGBTQ, children, African Americans and the indigenous community. Particularly Oaxacan residents of Korea Town. “I see a lot of short and dark people,” the councilwoman said with laughter about the Oaxacan residents of Korea Town. “I don’t know what village they come from,” she continued to mock, “so ugly.”

Covered California Executive Director Jessica Altman commended President Joe Biden’s administration for finalizing the proposed fix to the “Family Glitch,” an issue that had prevented millions of Americans with unaffordable employer health insurance from getting marketplace coverage through the Affordable Care Act.
“Covered California supports this proposed rule change, which will build on the Affordable Care Act’s vision and intent to expand access to affordable health insurance, by opening the door of coverage to millions of Americans.
This is a new era for the Affordable Care Act, as Covered California prepares to enter its 10th open enrollment period, with increased financial help available for those who need coverage as well as our 1.7 million enrollees.
With renewal beginning Oct. 18 and open enrollment starting Nov. 1, we look forward to spending the next four months getting every Californian covered.”

As we enter Flu Season, the Ventura County Health Care Agency is reminding the community that the best way to protect against the flu virus is to receive an annual flu vaccine.
The Ventura County Health Care Agency is offering multiple options for the community to conveniently receive a flu shot, through our Ambulatory Care Clinic system, Public Health Clinics, as well as pop-up community clinics.
Although seasonal influenza (flu) viruses are detected year-round in the United States, flu viruses are most common during the fall and winter. The timing and duration of flu season can vary, but influenza activity often begins to increase in October, and most often, flu activity peaks between December and February.

CenCal Health, the community health plan for Medi-Cal in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, received high marks in two respected professional health care assessments — the national Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®), and the state-wide report on Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®). With results released in 2022, the findings in both annual audits concluded that, in multiple categories, CenCal Health and its providers delivered exceptional care to child members, as well as members that are new mothers and members with diabetes

Cottage Health and Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, along with several other community organizations, are partnering to improve the well-being of Santa Barbara County residents. To better understand the needs and strengths of the entire community, and the many diverse groups within it, the collaborative is asking residents to participate in a Community Health Needs Assessment.

On Thursday, September 22, EDC’s Director of Strategic Relations, Alondra Gaytán, was recognized as a 40 Under 40 winner of the Pacific Coast Business Times’ (PCBT) annual 40 under 40 event. Each year the PCBT hosts an event to recognize 40 people who positively impact the Tri-county region.
Since childhood, Alondra has always been committed to serving underserved communities. Alondra shared, “I love that every day I contribute, collaborate and strategize ways to build economic growth in the region for now and our future.” As the Director of Strategic Relations, Alondra oversees vital relationships with the community and businesses.
CLICK HERE to read the full article on all 40 Under 40 Recipients.

In partnership with the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (VCAPCD), the Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP), Líderes Campesinas, the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), and the Public Health Institutes Achieving Resilient Communities (ARC) project have added audio alerts in Mixteco and Zapoteco to the recently launched smoke alert system to protect farming communities from wildfire smoke.
California is experiencing longer and more intense wildfire seasons. Wildfire smoke exposure is becoming a growing health threat to farmworkers, who must often continue to work in the fields during wildfires and extreme heat events. Wildfire smoke has been linked to a variety of health problems, including burning eyes, runny nose, scratchy throat, and headache, and can also worsen and cause chronic heart and lung disease. Due to climate change, wildfire seasons are getting longer, more intense, and more dangerous: This year’s season in the US is 116% above the 10-year average before 2022, according to the National Center Fire Interagency.

The County of Ventura’s General Services Agency has executed an agreement with ForeFront Power to expand solar panels at the Government Center by an additional 5.8-Megawatts, furthering progress toward the County’s climate action goals. The 20-year agreement will result in $10.8 million in savings.
“The County continues to make significant progress towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and meeting climate action goals,” said County Executive Officer Dr. Sevet Johnson. “We are grateful to our General Services Agency for identifying this opportunity to expand our renewable energy use and lead by example to reduce emissions in our government operations significantly.”
Adopted in 2020, the County’s Climate Action Plan calls for a 41% reduction in communitywide greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, with additional goals identified for 2040 and 2050.

The County of Ventura’s Sustainability Division has launched a new online hub to support local climate action, available at sustain.ventura.org. Community members and partners can now easily access sustainability resources and information about county progress towards meeting climate action goals and find information about local sustainability events and initiatives.
“Climate change is presenting challenges and opportunities to Ventura County,” said Chair of the Board Matt LaVere. “Our new Sustainability website provides our residents tools to directly engage with these issues by allowing them to participate in local climate action, social equity, and economic vitality efforts and learn about actions our Board has taken in support of a sustainable and resilient future.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 23 announced the appointment of Vianey Lopez as District 5 County Supervisor to fill the vacancy created by the untimely passing of Supervisor Carmen Ramirez on August 12, 2022. Lopez will serve as appointed District 5 County Supervisor until the next general election in November 2024.
A long-time resident of South Oxnard, Lopez was elected to the Oxnard City Council in November 2018 and re-elected in November 2020. She serves as District Director for Assemblymember Monique Limón in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Prior to joining Assemblymember Limón, Lopez worked for former Congresswoman Lois Capps. For six years, Lopez served as a Trustee on the Hueneme Elementary School District Board. She served on the Board of Directors of the Future Leaders of America. She is the former vice president of the Ventura County Women’s Political Council (VCWPC) and is an active member of the Ventura County League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).
“I am honored and humbled to have been appointed by Governor Newsom to the Ventura County Board of Supervisors to carry out the term of my friend and mentor, Carmen Ramirez,” said Vianey Lopez. “Carmen was unwavering in her passion for public service and the belief in working together for the greater good. I am committed to this purpose and working towards building a better and brighter future for Ventura County and its residents. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the outpouring of support I have received from people throughout our community.”

Join the community in celebrating Oxnard’s cultural diversity at the 25th Annual Multicultural Festival on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Plaza Park (500 S. C St.). The event is free and open to the public.
The Multicultural Festival features a variety of fun, educational activities, entertainment and exhibits for all ages. Activities include:
Musical performances by Caliente805 Band, Kaylanie Barrera, DJG-Cut (A Female Vibe), and more!

The Economic Development Collaborative would like to recognize National Hispanic Heritage Month. Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15 by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.
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The EDC is proud to support our community by providing professional technical assistance in English and Spanish through our Small Business Development Center. Our NO-COST advising areas include:
Start-up Guidance
Marketing & Branding
International Trade
E-commerce & Social Media
Manufacturing Assistance
Legal Compliance
Strategic Planning
QuickBooks & Accounting
And MORE

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) created Fire Prevention Week to promote fire safety at home and in the workplace. This year the Oxnard Fire Department joins the association in celebration of Fire Prevention Week’s 100th anniversary and its “Fire won’t wait, plan your escape” campaign with a series of community events throughout Oxnard.
According to the NFPA, you may have two minutes or less to safely leave a home once your smoke alarm goes off. Having a fire evacuation plan will help to keep you and your family safe.
“It’s important for everyone to plan and practice a home fire escape. Everyone needs to be prepared in advance, so that they know what to do when the smoke alarm sounds. Given that each home is different, every home fire escape plan will also be different,” said Stephen McNaughten, Oxnard Fire Marshal. “Have a plan for everyone in the home. Children, older adults, and people with disabilities may need assistance to wake up and get out. Make sure that you plan to help them.”

Supervisor Carmen Ramirez’s family and staff have established a Legacy Scholarship Fund in collaboration with the Ventura County Community Foundation to honor her lifelong work and support the next generation of public service leaders. Donations can be made at https://bit.ly/Carmen-Ramirez-Legacy-Scholarship-Fund. Inquiries about the Scholarship Fund may be directed to the District 5 Office at 805-654-2613 or District5@ventura.org.

The County of Ventura’s Executive Office has selected David Yoshitomi as the new Arts and Culture Manager to lead countywide arts, culture, and economic vitality efforts.
“Arts and culture are a fundamental thread of our community’s fabric and contribute greatly to our economic vibrancy and quality of life,” said Chair of the Board of Supervisors Matt LaVere. “We are thrilled that David will help lead the County in this area. Our Board created this new position in May this year, and I deeply appreciate Supervisor Carmen Ramirez’s dedication to building support for arts and cultural efforts in Ventura County, making it possible to create this position.”
“We are grateful to welcome David Yoshitomi to the County as his 15-year track record of cultivating community connections around arts and culture will contribute greatly to preserving and promoting the rich culture, traditions, and community bonds that bring our local economy to life,” said County Executive Officer Dr. Sevet Johnson.

Labor Market Report for August 2022
The California Labor Market Information Division (LMID) released its August 2022 report on Friday, the overall data showing little change, though an uptick in the Ventura County unemployment rate, from 3.2% in July to 3.5% in August. That increase, however, had less to do with any loss in jobs—in fact, Ventura County had zero change in total industry employment, from July to August—rather its cause was by a change in the total participating in the labor force, specifically by an increase in the total number of officially unemployed workers, up from 13,100 in July to 14,300 in August. We’ll unravel that best we can a bit more in our commentary below. For the official August data, click here.

EN ESPAÑOL: SBA Y SCORE: REUNIÓN VIRTUAL EN ESPAÑOL CON MENTORES DE SCORE
Septiembre 20 a las 4:00 pm
Acompaña a la SBA para hablar con los mentores de SCORE. SCORE es una organización, de voluntarios que prestan su tiempo, gratuitamente. Ayudan a las personas a crecer o a crear pequeñas empresas.
HAGA CLIC AQUÍ PARA REGISTRARSE

On September 13, 2022, the Ventura County Environmental Health Division (Division) received confirmation from the California Department of Public Health that a bird collected during the fourth week of August from the City of Simi Valley area tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV). This is the first bird collected in 2022 to test positive for WNV in Ventura County. There are no confirmed human cases at this time.
WNV is considered endemic, so we can expect the virus to stay in our environment.

The County of Ventura’s Environmental Health Division (Division) advises the public against consuming food and beverages made or sold by street vendors that do not possess a valid health permit.
Informational Flyer
Food trucks and food carts that operate with a health permit are expected to follow food safety laws and are subject to routine health inspections by the Division. These vendors will have an identifying sticker issued by the County of Ventura on the vehicle or cart that looks like this:
The Division is seeing an increase in unpermitted food sales from food carts and pop-up food stands throughout the county. Many unpermitted vendors are coming from areas outside of Ventura County. These vendors are unfairly impacting local vendors who have obtained their licenses and training to do business in Ventura County.

OXNARD — The City of Oxnard will open two emergency cooling centers on Sunday, September 4, and Monday, September 5, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in response to the National Weather Service’s excessive heat warning for coastal areas of Ventura County this holiday weekend.
CITY OF OXNARD COOLING CENTER LOCATIONS
Wilson Senior Center: 350 North C St., Oxnard, CA 93030
South Oxnard Center: 200 E Bard Rd., Oxnard, CA 93033
Residents should not bring large packages/items and pets as they will not be permitted inside the buildings.
Additional cooling centers are available throughout Ventura County. Visit www.vcemergency.com for locations and hours of operation.
HEAT SAFETY TIPS
Stay hydrated and drink plenty of water.
Wear loose, light-colored clothing that will keep you cool.
Check on neighbors who might be vulnerable to the heat, especially those without air conditioning.
Never leave children or pets in a vehicle!
If you work or play outside, take frequent breaks to hydrate and cool off in the shade.
Keep pets indoors if possible. Provide water and a shady area to rest.

The State has awarded the County of Ventura an additional $5.9 million in Homekey funds to expand Casa Pacifica Center for Children and Families’ Stepping Stones project in Camarillo in the County’s third Homekey award. Governor Gavin Newsom announced the awarded funding on August 24, 2022, as part of the statewide program, for the renovation of three existing buildings at Casa Pacifica to create 27 new units of transitional housing and high-quality support services for Transition Aged Youth (ages 18-24) who are experiencing homelessness or are at-risk of homelessness.
“This announcement marks great progress towards ending homelessness in Ventura County,” said Acting Chair of the Board of Supervisors Matt LaVere. “Thanks to these significant state funding opportunities that our County has pursued in collaboration with community partners, we can provide homes and supportive services to some of our most vulnerable residents more rapidly.”

The news of Carmen’s demise was stunning, not too unlike when the shocking deaths of President Kennedy, Princess Diana, and Beatles icon John Lennon were announced. Carmen was a politician who was widely admired. She could be trusted, believed, and embraced as a friend.
By now, we all know the sad circumstances of her death. She was doing the kind of thing that so many of us do on a pleasant summer evening. She was walking to a concert that once again was enlivening downtown Oxnard after a pandemic pause. Unanimously elected to be the first Latina chair of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors earlier this year, she likely had plans in her head for improving the lives of county residents as she took that fateful step into the crosswalk.

As Metrolink’s Summer of Adventure winds down, travelers looking for deals can take advantage of the $10 Holiday Pass this Labor Day. Metrolink encourages everyone to take the train during the long holiday weekend to avoid traffic congestion, save on high gas prices, and to help the Southern California environment.
The $10 Holiday Pass provides unlimited rides throughout the Metrolink train system on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 5. More information can be found here.
On Saturday and Sunday of the holiday weekend, riders can also save with Metrolink’s $10 Weekend Day Pass that provides unlimited rides throughout the system on the day of purchase. As always, kids 17 and under ride free on weekends with a paying adult. More information about the Weekend Day Pass can be found here.

Wilderness Youth Project (WYP), the leading nature connection organization in Santa Barbara County, is proud to announce the addition of Devon Azzam and Teresa Romero as Board Trustees.
With the addition of these two respected leaders, WYP is responding to our community’s increasing recognition that all children need nature. Their leadership will support WYP’s efforts to deepen opportunities for local youth to connect with nature.
Operating summer camps, an outdoor early childhood program, after school nature-based programs, and a subsidized program called “Bridge to Nature” in local low-income public schools and at community partner sites, WYP brings nature connection to more than a thousand children a year on a weekly basis, building on the fact that nature connection makes kids “smarter, healthier and happier.”
“Devon and Teresa both have impressive histories of working in their communities to provide access and support for environmental education and nature connection.” WYP Executive Director Dan Fontaine said. “Recruiting them to the board will help us serve local children even more fully.”

The California Labor Market Information Division (LMID) released its July 2022 report on Friday, Ventura County’s unemployment rate remaining unchanged from June to July at 3.2%, a bit off from our low of 2.7% in May, but still at an extraordinary low. The County benefitted from gains in several sectors—Construction, Manufacturing, Professional & Business Services, Private Education & Health Services, Leisure & Hospitality and Other Services—but on net the gains were overshadowed by large declines in Farm, down by 2,800 jobs, and Public Education, down for summer break by 3,500 jobs. For more on the labor force and specific gains and losses in jobs, see below; for the July data, click here.

My three siblings and I grew up in Los Angeles next door to five cousins. But we are not your everyday cousins. We’re “special.” You see, we are “double cousins.” A bit of explanation is in order.
One of my mother’s sisters is their mother, and one of my father’s brothers is their father. To make this simpler, two sisters from the Rivas family married two brothers from the Magallanes family. We cousins all share the same four grandparents.
We cousins all played together and visited with each other daily. We shared our interests and some of our sorrows. Our parents are gone, and we are all now in our “golden years.” All nine of us today are well and thriving, to one degree or another. Having been raised by parents from the same families means that we understand each other like no one else in the whole world understands us.

The Ventura County Building and Safety Division is updating the 2019 Ventura County Building Code to adopt and amend the 2022 California Building Codes. The County will hold two public workshops for community members to learn about the process and review these proposed amendments. The amendments being considered apply to the unincorporated areas of Ventura County and include important new changes for constructing and retrofitting structures in fire zones and new provisions for all-electric appliances and equipment in new construction.
The proposed requirements for construction in Fire Zones are intended to reduce the risk to existing buildings that were not constructed to meet the current standards to protect combustible buildings from flying embers during wildfires, which became effective in 2008. The new provisions also enhance fire protection measures for new construction to improve a building’s resistance to heat and flames produced by wildland fires on large undeveloped slopes.

VENTURA COUNTY — Our County mourns the loss of our Chair of the Board of Supervisors, Carmen Ramirez. Chair Ramirez was a pedestrian involved in a vehicle accident in Oxnard and passed away Friday evening, August 12, 2022. We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family, loved ones, and her City and County community. An additional statement will be forthcoming.
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CONDADO DE VENTURA – – Nuestro Condado lamenta la pérdida de nuestra presidenta de la Junta de Supervisores, Carmen Ramírez. Carmen Ramírez fue peatón involucrada en un accidente de automóvil en Oxnard y falleció viernes 12 de agosto de 2022 por la noche. Compartimos nuestro más sentido pésame a su familia, seres queridos y su comunidad de la ciudad y el condado. Próximamente publicaremos información adicional.