Category: Local

Grants up to $15,000 awarded to non-profit organizations by the Rebozo Festival Inc.

The Rebozo Festival Inc. has awarded grants up to $15,000 awarded to qualified non-profit organizations focusing on the Ventura County communities deeply affected during this difficult time.

In accordance with COVID-19 restrictions, the 2021 Rebozo Festival Inc .annual event has been postponed to May 15, 2022 and the application process is suspended.

The awarded non-profit organizations are:

Clinicas Del Camino Real Inc. — “Feeding the Frontlines”
Boys and Girls Club of Camarillo 
Friends of Field Workers — “Grocery Security Network” (GSN)

Gold Coast Health Plan and AmericasHealth Plan Partner on Three-Year Medi-Cal Pilot Program

Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP) and AmericasHealth Plan (AHP) announced their collaboration on a pilot program to serve Ventura County’s Medi-Cal beneficiaries.

The three-year program would give up to 10,000 of GCHP’s more than 200,000 members the option of choosing AHP, a subsidiary of Clinicas del Camino Real, Inc. (Clinicas), as the administrator of their health care benefits in the first year. As members of AHP, Medi-Cal beneficiaries will have access to Clinicas’ network of medical, dental, optical, preventive, specialty, ancillary, and institutional providers and will benefit from having their care coordinated by one entity. Members will maintain their access to GCHP’s providers for pharmacy, transportation, and mental health services, and to its 24-hour advice nurse line.

Bilingual report — County of Ventura COVID-19 Update for Sept. 13, 2021

The last email update was sent on Thursday, September 9, 2021.

Since Thursday, there are 1,146 new COVID-19 cases reported and 33,781 new tests performed. There are 111 people hospitalized, 34 in the ICU. There have been 6 additional deaths of a 79 year old female, 67 year old male, 75 year old male, 71 year old female, 35 year old male and a 87 year old male. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those who have passed away.

78.1% of Ventura County’s population 12+ has received the first dose.
79.7% of Ventura County’s population 18+ has received the first dose.
70.1% of Ventura County’s population 12+ are fully vaccinated.

Testing information: www.vcrecovers.org/testing

Vaccine information: www.vcrecovers.org/vaccine

Ventura County Office of Education presenting ‘Emotional Wellbeing Conferences for Parents and Educators’ on Sept. 20-24

The Ventura County Office of Education is presenting two free, virtual conferences to help address the emotional toll the COVID-19 pandemic is taking on parents, caregivers and school employees. Entitled “Living Well: Healthy Children Need Healthy Adults,” the conferences will give attendees strategies and tools to use every day to increase resiliency, manage stress and improve overall wellness.

“Over the past year and a half, there’s been much well-deserved attention to the emotional impact the pandemic is having on children,” said Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools. “It’s also vital that we recognize the ways it’s affecting us as adults. When we take the time to improve our own wellbeing, we’re better able to meet the needs of our kids as educators and parents.”

Oxnard Non-profit seek support to help children in Guatemala through online fundraiser on Sept. 13

The families in this community scratch out a living by scavenging at the landfill, and their children attend the local school. However, even though the school serves the most impoverished people of Guatemala, it receives little governmental support. It lacks basic infrastructure that brings dignity and safety for the kids. With your help we will feed the children and build a lunchroom and assembly room for them to eat in, and gather during hurricanes and other times.

United Way of Ventura County — Pumpkin Spice United Way

Fall officially begins next week and it’s hard to believe that 2022 is just around the corner. Like many businesses, institutions, and nonprofits, we’ve been challenged by the ever-changing ebb and flow of the pandemic, which has frequently disrupted our operations and has forced us to move forward amidst great uncertainty. But thanks to your continued generosity, your United Way has been able to navigate these storms. Because of your generosity, our programs have continued to serve those in need. Because of your generosity, our homelessness initiative has exceeded expectations since its launch almost two years ago.

We recognize that we will continue to face adversity and uncertainty in the months ahead, but together, united, we will continue to serve our community and change lives.

Santa Paula Art Museum — Work from Home

Virtual Class: Figure Drawing Essentials (Ages 18+)

Five consecutive Thursdays starting Thursday, September 16, 2021, from 6 PM to 8 PM

Learn the essentials of Figure Drawing from the comfort of your own home. Join teaching artist Jem Morris online via Zoom for a five-part course in sketching the human form. It’s one of the most beneficial skills to develop as an artist, and there are only a few spots left in class! The cost of the five-part, online class series is $100. Preregistration is required.

LEARN MORE / PREREGISTER

Remembering Mexico: Mexican Consulate Debuts New Art Exhibitions to Mark Multiple Historic Commemorations

The Mexican Consulate in Oxnard, with support from the Port of Hueneme and the Oxnard Performing Arts Center Corporation (OPAC), will celebrate numerous historical commemorations, including Mexican Independence Day, with the opening of two art exhibitions. 

Twenty twenty-one marks the Bicentennial of the Consummation of Mexican Independence and 500 years of the historical Memory of Tenochtitlan, the fall of the Aztec empire. On September 15, 2021, the Consulate of Mexico in Oxnard presents two exhibitions of Mexican art that celebrate the past and connect us to the present with contemporary work.  One exhibit brings visitors closer to the giants of mid-20th century Mexican Art, including Leopoldo Mendez, Rufino Tamayo, Clemente Orozco, Francisco Toledo, Jose luis Cuevas, Fanny Rabel, and others through the incredible Mexican Print Collection of Gil García and Marti Correa de García from Santa Barbara, CA.

Bilingual report — Choosing the Enemy

Sometimes we reach for an artifact, a bauble, a seashell, or a book because something—we don’t know what—attracts us to the object. It’s almost as if the object chooses us. 

I’ve often randomly reached for books or watched a movie or documentary. For reasons unknown to me, they caught my attention and ended up giving me a new perspective that helped me understand more about the world around me. These sources of information have pulled my life into different orbits, and at times even changed the course of my existence completely and irrevocably. One of my latest book choices certainly had me reconsidering some of the things that I had observed and learned throughout my life. 

Bilingual report — Sept. 14, 2021 California Gubernatorial Recall Election Reminders

Fifty-one vote centers will be open throughout Ventura County beginning Saturday, September 11. Voters can vote at any location; they are not assigned a specific location. Vote centers will offer same day voter registration and Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant touchscreen devices and voting assistance.

Bilingual report — County of Ventura COVID-19 Update for Sept. 9, 2021

The last email update was sent on Tuesday, September 7, 2021.

Since Tuesday, there are 233 new COVID-19 cases reported and 9,719 new tests performed. There are 143 people hospitalized, 37 in the ICU. There have been 8 additional deaths of a 44 year old male, 78 year old female, 82 year old male, 79 year old male, 83 year old female, 85 year old male, 74 year old female, and an 83 year old female. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those who have passed away.

6 of the 8 deaths reported since Tuesday were among unvaccinated people.

77.7% of Ventura County’s population 12+ has received the first dose.
79.4% of Ventura County’s population 18+ has received the first dose.
69.6% of Ventura County’s population 12+ are fully vaccinated.

Testing information: www.vcrecovers.org/testing

Vaccine information: www.vcrecovers.org/vaccine

Rotary Club of Montecito opens applications for 2021 Community Grants Program

The Rotary Club of Montecito has opened applications for its 2021 community grants program, which awards grants to non-profit organizations located in Santa Barbara County.

Grants range from $1,000 to $1,600 and can be used to fund future projects that help the Santa Barbara County area. The one-page, online application is available at montecitorotary.org. The deadline to apply is Friday, October 8. 

League of Women Voters and Community Environmental Council Invite Public To A Screening And Panel Discussion On Powerful New Climate Documentary through Sept. 30

The League of Women Voters of Santa Barbara (LWVSB) and Community Environmental Council (CEC) are proud to present a month-long virtual screening and culminating expert panel discussion of The Race to Save the World by Emmy award-winning filmmaker Joe Gantz. 

Reigniting the fall tradition: Ventura Harvest Festival Original Art & Craft Show returns to VC Fairgrounds Oct. 1-3

There is much to celebrate October 1-3 when the 49th annual Harvest Festival® Original Art & Craft Show welcomes back attendees to the Ventura County Fairgrounds. Family-owned and operated, the beloved tradition returns with the nation’s finest artists and crafters eager to showcase their newest creations for a one-of-kind shopping experience unlike any other.

Following state Covid protocols and safety guidelines, the Festival offers a safe, full day of fun for all ages with more than 24,000 handmade creations from exhibitors, with specialty foods, strolling performers, a Kidszone, demonstrations, contests, and more.

Local Philanthropist Gives The Gift of Broadway To Santa Barbara With Unprecedented Revival of Broadway Musical KISMET

Philanthropist, businesswoman and arts advocate Sara Miller McCune, co-founder and executive chair of SAGE Publishing, brings together an extraordinary production of the Tony Award®-winning musical KISMET with The Santa Barbara Symphony and State Street Ballet, all under the direction of New York’s acclaimed Lonny Price. Price is renowned for Broadway productions of Sunset Boulevard, Sweeney Todd, Company, and Sondheim! The Birthday Concert. The show is executive produced by two-time Tony® Award-winning theatre producer Ken Davenport, and regionally produced by Miller McCune.

KISMET’s unique, one weekend only run, comes to The Granada Theatre October 23-24, 2021 for three performances only.  

Social Spice Media Hires Seasoned Business Development Director

Social Spice Media, a top digital marketing agency serving Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties, is excited to announce the hiring of Scott Ericson as its new Director of Business Development.

Ericson will bring his extensive national experience in industries ranging from food and beverage, pharmaceuticals and chemicals to nonprofits, community organizations and others. His varied background includes distribution and manufacturing of natural compounds to clean and sanitize personal protective equipment (PPE) and other emergency services equipment through a company he co-owned.

School News for Families and Educators in Ventura County

Reflections on the New School Year from the Superintendent

The first day of school is always special, but this year it held even deeper meaning for obvious reasons. It was a real pleasure for me to visit some of our local schools as students arrived for the start of the new school year. You could feel the joy and excitement as students were welcomed back by their teachers from Ojai to Oxnard to Westlake and everywhere in between.

Getting to this point hasn’t been easy. The rise of the Delta variant and a slew of new pandemic-related state laws and regulations that came at the end of the summer left school leaders scrambling.

READ MORE

Bilingual report — Oxnard Mayor John Zaragoza Announces Mayor’s Gateways Task Force

Mayor John Zaragoza announced the creation of the Mayor’s Gateways Task Force, a group of five everyday residents that the Mayor has appointed to lead the effort to create gateways into the City of Oxnard.

As part of the City Council’s 5-year priorities, the Council committed to restoring proper maintenance of parkways and medians, tree trimming cycle, and cleaning up the gateways to the City. Thanks to the voters’ approval of Measure E, residents are starting to see the landscaping restoration efforts throughout Oxnard over the past two months.

The Mayor’s Gateways Task Force will work collaboratively with City staff, community members and the Mayor to identify and create gateways to Oxnard that complement the City’s restored landscaping efforts.

Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Flex Alert at 4 p.m. (Sept. 8), Community Choice Energy Enrollment, and more!

Due to extreme heat throughout the state, the California Independent Systems Operator (which manages the flow of electricity throughout the state) has issued a statewide Flex Alert from 4-9pm TODAY. Due to the extreme heat, energy demand is expected to be high, and if demand exceeds supply, they will implement rolling power outages. To avoid outages, residents are being asked to conserve energy from 4-9pm today to reduce strain on the energy grid.

Please avoid using major appliances between 4-9pm today!

Before 4pm:
Pre-cool your home if you use air conditioning
Close window coverings to keep home or apartment cool
Use major appliances
Charge electric devices and electric vehicles

Between 4-9pm:
Set your thermostat to 78 or higher, health permitting
Avoid using major appliances like dish washers and clothes washers and dryers
Turn off unnecessary lights

Sign up for Flex Alert notifications here.

Single Tickets on sale now for Arts & Lectures 2021-2022 “CREATING HOPE” season of world-class performances and special events

Single event ticket sales available today (Sept. 8). Patrons canCreate Your Own series, which allows maximum flexibility: select your four favorite events from the 2021-2022 lineup to save 10% on each ticket. 

UPDATE: EDC Business Alert- CA Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program for Nonprofit Cultural Institutions Only deadline extended to Sept. 30

Round 8- Nonprofit Cultural Institutions Only
Application Window is still OPEN until Thursday, September 30th!

Round 8 supports California eligible nonprofit cultural institutions of any revenue size that meet eligibility criteria found at CAReliefGrant.com. Eligible nonprofit cultural institutions must complete a new application even if they already applied in Rounds 1, 2, 5 or 6; nonprofit cultural institutions that applied in Round 4 do not need to reapply. Grants will only be available to nonprofit cultural institutions that did not receive funding in any previous rounds. Grants will be prioritized based on the documented percentage revenue declines based on a reporting period comparing Q2 and Q3 of 2020 versus Q2 and Q3 of 2019.

Upcoming Outdoor Art Events at the Museum of Ventura County!

First Annual
Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration
Presented by SoCalGas
at the Museum of Ventura County
October 3
The Plaza, Courtyard, Children’s Garden, and Sculpture Garden at the Museum will be free and open to the public, registration is not required. Enjoy live music, drinks, cultural activities, and booths with our other community partners, including the Girl Scouts! Partake in and discover Latino traditions with activities for the whole family.

VCCU board member donates $10,000 to nonprofits in honor of retirement

As a member-owned, not-for-profit financial institution, Ventura County Credit Union supports the local community in a variety of ways, including offering its board members $10,000 at retirement to donate to nonprofits of their choice. In honor of his recent retirement from the board, Phil Bohan chose to contribute $5,000 to each Food Share and Casitas Rowing.

“Food Share has done a remarkable job of addressing the basic nutritional needs of our most vulnerable communities, and I am proud to support their efforts,” Bohan said. “The Casitas Rowing family continues to support the health and athleticism of our local youth and adults through its rowing programs. My thanks to both organizations for your efforts, and best of luck in continuing to grow and thrive.”

Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) — Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program for nonprofit cultural institutions closes Sept. 8

Round 8- Nonprofit Cultural Institutions Only
Application Window Closes Tomorrow, September 8!

Round 8 supports California eligible nonprofit cultural institutions of any revenue size that meet eligibility criteria found at CAReliefGrant.com.

United Way of Santa Barbara County’s Fun in the Sun serves more than 350 children in Santa Barbara this Summer

United Way of Santa Barbara County’s (UWSBC) annual Fun in the Sun (FITS) summer learning program served over 350 children and 250 parents at six locations this summer throughout the Santa Barbara area from June 21st through July 30th. Locations included Carpinteria, Santa Barbara-Eastside, Santa Barbara-Westside, Goleta, Santa Ynez, and a brand new Guadalupe site which launched in 2021 to serve North County students. The free six week program addressed summer learning loss, COVID-19 learning and social skill loss through academic and social emotional programming. 

Bilingual report — When Science Becomes the Enemy

There has always been a certain degree of distrust toward science in this country—sometimes justifiably so. But over the past year and a half, that distrust has been amplified to literally dangerous levels, mostly via social media (many people’s only source for “news”) and extreme right-wing hysteria on the news channels. 

The severe lack of science education in this country has fomented the massive paranoia that brings many of our fellow citizens to misunderstand, misinterpret, despise, and deny scientific information. National and state leadership that plays into the hands of an insidious disinformation campaign are decimating conservative bastions throughout the country with completely preventable illness and death. 

Bilingual report — COVID-19 Update for Sept. 2, 2021

Since Wednesday, there are 93 new COVID-19 cases reported and 5,794 new tests performed. There are 123 people hospitalized, 29 in the ICU. There have been 3 additional deaths of a 64 year old male, 91 year old female, and a 64 year old female. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those who have passed away.

77.1% of Ventura County’s population 12+ has received the first dose.
78.8% of Ventura County’s population 18+ has received the first dose.
68.8% of Ventura County’s population 12+ are fully vaccinated.

Anyone age 12 and older can get vaccinated for free in Ventura County. Anyone who is immunocompromised 12 or older can get a booster at any vaccine location.

How do I get a copy of my vaccine record?
Visit myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov California’s Digital COVID-19 Vaccine record portal to get a digital copy in minutes.

Find information about COVID-19 vaccines and testing at www.vcrecovers.org

Santa Paula Art Museum September Classes and Our August Replay!

Class: Still Life in Oil – Essential Skills (Ages 16+)

Four consecutive Saturdays starting Saturday, September 4, 2021, from 11 AM to 2 PM

There are only a few spots left in the four-part Still Life in Oil – Essential Skills course starting Saturday, September 4, at the Santa Paula Art Museum. If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to oil paint, or are looking to improve your skills, this is the perfect class for you! Teaching artist Gabriel Islas will break down the theory and process, and provide you with one-on-one guidance. The cost of the four-part class series is $140. All materials will be provided. Preregistration is required.

County of Ventura COVID-19 Update for Sept. 1, 2021

September 1, 2021 – COVID-19 Update COVID-19 Update Since Tuesday, there are 183 new COVID-19 cases reported and 5,585 new tests performed. There are 124 people hospitalized, 24 in the ICU. There have been 5 additional deaths of a 58…

Triunfo Water & Sanitation District Initiates Stage 1 Water Conservation Measures

The board of directors of the Triunfo Water & Sanitation District voted to initiate Stage 1 water conservation measures for its nearly 14,000 Oak Park residential and business potable water users. The measures, which were originally established in 2018, go into effect immediately.

Stage 1 water conservation measures include:

–Watering or irrigation of lawn, landscape or other vegetated areas with potable water is limited to three days per week. The provision does not apply to watering by hand-held hoses equipped with self-closing water shut-off devices. Other exclusions apply. …

Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) — Ventura County COVID-19 Business Assistance Grant Program

The County of Ventura has launched the fourth COVID-19 Business Assistance
Grant Program for businesses and nonprofit organizations that did NOT receive a grant during any of the County’s previous business grant programs. Businesses
and nonprofits based in Ventura County may be eligible for a $10,000 grant.
The County Board of Supervisors has supported more than $65 million in grants
to help local businesses move forward.

Channel Islands Aviation founder Mark Oberman (Class of 1969) retires from flying after 46 years of faithfully serving community

Channel Islands Aviation’s founder Mark Oberman, retired from flying after 46 1/2 years of serving the island community at the end of last month, his daughter Sarah Oberman Bartush confirmed.

Oberman, who graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in Agricultural Engineering, founded the charter flights company alongside his wife, Janie Oberman, in 1975, taking his first charter flight to Santa Cruz Island on January 1, 1975.

UCSB Arts & Lectures, the Central and South Coasts’ premier cultural arts presenting organization, proudly announces its 2021-2022 season of world-class performances and lectures

UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L), the Central and South Coasts’ premier cultural arts presenting organization, proudly announces its 2021-2022 season of world-class events. Highlights include two new series, Soul of America and Justice for All; dazzling dance; revered musical superstars; several new commissions; a world premiere; and so much more! Series subscriptions go on sale Wed., Sept. 1 at 10 a.m. and single tickets go on sale the following week on Wed., Sept. 8 at 10 a.m.

Joe Weiland named board president at The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County

Joseph R. Weiland, managing partner of independent advisory firm Arlington Financial Advisors, has been appointed president of the Board of Trustees of The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County.

Weiland, a Certified Financial Planner and 30-year veteran of the financial services industry, joined The Land Trust’s board in 2018. As president he will lead more than a dozen fellow trustees from the community whose expertise ranges from agriculture, law and finance, to teaching, biology, and planning.