Nurture our Mother by Adriana Arriaga & Claudia Borfiga
“Nurture our Mother, is a celebration of the power of the Earth and the many magical things within it that play vital roles in our ecosystem.”
There are 55 new COVID-19 cases. There have been 3,359 new tests performed. There have been 0 additional deaths.
The current R-effective (average number of people each infected person will pass the virus onto and represents the rate at which COVID-19 is spreading) is .75 which means that spread of COVID-19 is likely decreasing; R-effective for CA is .88 right now.
COVID-19 vaccines are now available by walk-in! No appointment is required. There are locations offered throughout the County. Vaccine eligibility is now open to everyone 16 and older. You can also make an appointment at myturn.ca.gov or 833-422-4255.
Ventura County is currently in the Orange Tier. Learn more about the State of California’s Blueprint for Safety Economy here.
oin us for the next installment in our new Zoom series, Local History Happy Hour with Jeffrey Maulhardt, author of “A History of Oxnard,” on Tuesday, May 18, 2021 from 5—6PM. In this series, local authors and historians sit down with The Barbara Barnard Smith Executive Director Elena Brokaw to discuss their unique perspectives on our region’s history, and take questions from the audience.
This online program is free, but requires advanced registration.
While accepting his award from Ventura County Leadership Academy (VCLA) during its 2021 Journey to Leadership Awards, Alumnus of the Year James Joyce, III noted, “VCLA is an accelerator that gave me an incubator year for my business, Coffee with a Black Guy. The simple idea of sitting down to have a conversation with our neighbors builds community around genuine connections, which to me is an extension of what VCLA stands for.” Joining Joyce in being honored were four other impactful Ventura County leaders who exemplify what it means to contribute to our community.
“We are truly honored and grateful to be able to recognize these exceptional community leaders and to celebrate the work they do in support of the citizens of Ventura County,” said VCLA Director, Pattie Braga.
Friendship Center, with the help of our fabulous CARE partners, is preparing to distribute its 10th round of Take Care Totes to isolated seniors in Santa Barbara County.
Many of our senior friends are living with a dementia diagnosis and other health conditions and have had little to no contact with the outside world for 12 months. The Take Care Totes, providing healthy snacks and drinks, personal care items, activities, games and more, have become a lifeline for our senior friends as well as their family caregivers.
A veteran teacher who has spent his career working with students with disabilities has been named Teacher of the Year for schools operated by the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE). Shamus Auth has been a special education teacher at VCOE schools for 18 years and currently teaches young adults with disabilities at VCOE’s Dorothy Boswell School in Ventura. Mr. Auth will now be in the running for the Ventura County Teacher of the Year award, which is open to all teachers countywide.
Mr. Auth found out about the honor today when his family, his Principal Aran Burke and Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Dr. César Morales made a surprise visit to his classroom. Also on hand to break the good news were VCOE Associate Superintendent of Student Services Dr. Consuelo Hernandez Williams and VCOE Executive Director of Special Education Holly Minear.
Ventura Land Trust (VLT) launched a major reforestation project at its 2,100-acre Harmon Canyon Preserve with the planting of a new oak grove on Saturday, April 24th. The 4-acre grove, funded by a grant from SoCalGas, is planted in a terrace area of the preserve near the preserve’s trailhead.
With 10 miles of trails for hiking and biking, Harmon Canyon Preserve is Ventura’s first large-scale nature preserve.
SoCalGas’s grant award funded the planting of 50 coast live oak trees, as well as 150 native plants like California sagebrush, purple sage, coyote brush, bush sunflower, and Yerba Buena. A trail winds through the grove, so that the public can see and enjoy the reforested area.
Spiritual and community leaders will be part of the virtual Southeast Ventura County YMCA National Day of Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, May 6. This is the 22nd year the YMCA has hosted the Prayer Breakfast and the second year it has been held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speakers and performers will provide inspirational messages and song during the 40-minute program. Our keynote speaker this year is Dr. Gary Dickey, Retired Pastor of United Methodist Church, Chaplain of United States Air Force Auxiliary and Deputy Chaplain of California Civil Air Patrol.
There are 76 new COVID-19 cases. There have been 10,100 new tests performed. There has been 0 additional deaths.
The current R-effective (average number of people each infected person will pass the virus onto and represents the rate at which COVID-19 is spreading) is .80 which means that spread of COVID-19 is likely decreasing; R-effective for CA is .89 right now.
60.7% of people 16 years and older have received one dose in Ventura County.
Click here for information about COVID-19 testing.
COVID-19 vaccines are now available by walk-in! No appointment is required. There are locations offered throughout the County. Vaccine eligibility is now open to everyone 16 and older. You can also make an appointment at myturn.ca.gov or 833-422-4255.
In a year shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic and local affordable housing challenges for low-income seniors, the Housing Authority City of Santa Barbara (HACSB) had something to celebrate with the residents of Gardens on Hope (GOH). On April 13, 2021 they joined together to mark the first-year anniversary of this residential complex designed for seniors located at251 South Hope Avenue in Uptown Santa Barbara. The celebration was hosted by HACSB, Garden Court, Inc. and The Parsons Group, agencies that collaborated in the conception and subsequent development of this housing development.
The Scheinfeld New Venture Challenge business plan and pitch competition returned for its 11th season on Friday, April 23, showcasing some of our region’s most exciting, innovative, and cutting-edge college and high school student entrepreneurs. The event was live streamed on YouTube and the video can be viewed on the Scheinfeld Center’s YouTube channel.
Students from Santa Barbara City College and University of California, Santa Barbara, kicked off the collegiate tier of the event, followed by the high school tier, which featured students from San Marcos High School. The aspiring entrepreneurs competed for over $15,000 in cash awards and startup support.
It all started with a small thing in the early 1970s when Cynder Sinclair was helping in her son’s classroom. “I noticed some of the kids were not dressed warmly enough for the weather,” she says.
Cynder was living with her husband and five children in the small farming community of Kingsburg, where it gets cold in the off season and the migrant workers don’t get paid.
Because she’s fluent in Spanish, her son’s teacher assigned Cynder to tutor the farmworker’s children.
Some of us see a problem and feel bad. We might talk to friends or post on social media. Others get busy and fix it. Cynder, chief executive of Nonprofit Kinect and Friendship Center board member is by nature firmly planted in the latter group.
United Way of Ventura County is excited to share with you that we’ve created a website to exclusively cover our United to End Homelessness Initiative efforts. This website will be a central hub that features resources, upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, tenant and landlord testimonials, resources and beyond.
The website will continue to evolve and expand as we develop more efforts related to this initiative.
The following clinics are accepting walk-ins (no appointment required).
Sunday, May 2
Cuyama Valley Family Resource Center
4689 Highway 166, New Cuyama
10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Moderna
Thursday, May 6
The Lark
131 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara
10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
There are 20 new COVID-19 cases. There have been 5,727 new tests performed. There has been 1 additional death of a 40 year old female.
The current R-effective (average number of people each infected person will pass the virus onto and represents the rate at which COVID-19 is spreading) is .88 which means that spread of COVID-19 is likely decreasing; R-effective for CA is .87 right now.
60% of people 16 years and older have received one dose in Ventura County. 19.8% of the population 16 years and older have received one dose in CA.
Click here for information about COVID-19 testing.
Vaccine eligibility is now open to everyone 16 and older. Make your appointment today at myturn.ca.gov or 833-422-4255.
Now On View: Erin Hanson: Colors of California
Exhibit runs May 1, 2021 to July 25, 2021
West Coast artist Erin Hanson has earned a huge following thanks to her unique painting style, which has been dubbed “Open Impressionism” and is now taught to art students worldwide. (She also started selling paintings at the age of 10!) Open Impressionism is a blend of classical impressionism and modern expressionism, with a dash of plein air style. In other words, prepare yourself to be completely impressed. Erin Hanson: Colors of California is on view now through July 25, 2021.
The exhibit can also be enjoyed online, although we encourage you to visit all four of our current exhibitions in person!
Support Women, Art, and Small Businesses
Tomorrow May 1st from 11 am-4 pm join the Fundraiser Mixer at Open Door Studio to celebrate local women, small businesses, and the creative arts.
Live Music, Free Art Classes, Food, Vendors, Prizes, and an all-female exhibit. At 329 W 5th St.
For more info: ARTGIRLS#!T
Open Doors 2020 Study Abroad report has ranked CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Study Abroad as 9th in the nation for the 2019-2020 academic year. The 2020 Open Doors report is released by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Institute of International Education (IIE).
The pandemic cut the programs short at the end of the 2019-2020 academic year, but the Study Abroad staff is ready to go when it’s safe for students to travel again.
A Gallup news item from last month describes the precipitous drop in religious affiliation in the United States since the turn of the century—not that long ago. In just over 20 years, the number of those who declare themselves members of a church, mosque, or synagogue has decreased more than 20%. In fact, according to the Gallup poll cited in the report, less than half of Americans claim to belong to a religious organization.
Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Police Reform and Social Justice Movement,
We pray that you dear folks are well. We send you all our love, peace and happiness. It has been a long while since we have enjoyed each other wonderful company. So as I reach out, perhaps in an untimely and out of the blue manner, please be sure that we understand the hardship of the times and if replying to this note is difficult or impossible at this trying time, of course, we understand. You can contact me at: ava1040@yahoo.com
That being said I, I am sure you folks as well, have anguished over all of the mayhem, and killings that are being levelled upon our sisters and brothers of color throughout this nation by the police. And we are left with a feeling, almost always, of total impotence because we feel powerless to do anything about the deadly cop violence or reforming the police. I have been filled with an impotent sense of dread and paralysis too!
Then something happened to me just very recently that made me re-think this police reform conundrum and I do not feel so hopelessly impotent now. I have a vision, not an original vision, to be sure, but a clear vision nonetheless, sparked by what I thought was an innocuous effort on my part to reach out to my justice and police reform brethren in this time of acute pain and suffering.
Rotary Club of Montecito officially announces the chairs of its “Back 2 School” fundraiser as Tony Morris, Club Director of Vocational Service, and Cathy Cash, past Club President.
Since its founding in 1953, Rotary Club of Montecito has been developing projects and delivering service to their community and the wider world for over 67 years. Continuing that philanthropic mission, the Club is hosting a “Back 2 School” fundraiser on May 19, 2021 for Santa Barbara City College student scholarships.
As productive members of the California Central Coast philanthropy community, Tony Morris and Cathy Cash are charged with planning and oversight of the fundraising event for the SBCC Foundation.
Two Ventura County high schools are being honored as 2021 California Distinguished Schools by the California Department of Education. Oak Park High School in the Oak Park Unified School District and Rancho Campana High School in the Oxnard Union High School Districts are recipients of this coveted award.
“I want to congratulate everyone at Oak Park High School and Rancho Campana High School for being named 2021 California Distinguished Schools,” said Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools. “It’s an especially impressive achievement in this school year that’s been filled with unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic,” he said.
THIS FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2021
5pm PST
Painters, Math Bass and Christina Quarles, join Author Suzanne Hudson for a conversation moderated by curators from MCASB and Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Register here!
COVID-19 Update
There are 21 new COVID-19 cases. There have been 4,817 new tests performed. There have been 0 additional deaths.
The current R-effective (average number of people each infected person will pass the virus onto and represents the rate at which COVID-19 is spreading) is .79 which means that spread of COVID-19 is likely decreasing; R-effective for CA is .88 right now.
41.3% of the county population of 16 years and older are completely vaccinated.
Click here for information about COVID-19 testing.
Vaccine eligibility is now open to everyone 16 and older. Make your appointment today at myturn.ca.gov or 833-422-4255.
www.venturacountyrecovers.org
La inscripción para el Fondo de Revitalización de Restaurantes (RRF) comenzará el viernes 30 de abril a las 6:00 am, y la SBA comenzará a aceptar solicitudes a través del portal de solicitudes el lunes 3 de mayo a las 9:00 am. El portal de solicitudes permanecerá abierto a cualquier establecimiento elegible hasta que se agoten los fondos. Como preparación, se recomienda a las empresas que se registren para obtener una cuenta con antelación y que revisen el modelo de solicitud, la guía del programa y la tabla de elegibilidad de los distintos programas.
The Port of Hueneme is a World Trade Center licensee, and in concert with our strong team of stakeholders, is hosting this event as part of our overall initiative to advance the businesses of Ventura County and expand their reach into the global marketplace. The focus this year will be on the challenges and opportunities offered by our post-pandemic world.
There are 11 new COVID-19 cases. There have been 4,183 new tests performed. There has been 1 additional death, 90 year old woman.
The current R-effective (average number of people each infected person will pass the virus onto and represents the rate at which COVID-19 is spreading) is .80 which means that spread of COVID-19 is likely decreasing; R-effective for CA is .85 right now.
Click here for information about COVID-19 testing.
Vaccine eligibility is now open to everyone 16 and older. Make your appointment today at myturn.ca.gov or 833-422-4255.
www.venturacountyrecovers.org
Our highly rated Digital Marketing Science course combines online learning with weekly live, group sessions.
Marketing in the Digital Age
This module will ground you in the core concepts you will need to be a successful digital marketer.
Mapping Strategy to Tactics
Research competitors, investigate concepts like brand, persona, and journey, then define the messaging and content that best connects with your target audience.
Mastering Digital Marketing Channels
You will learn marketing analytics, search engine optimization, paid search, paid social, multichannel campaigns and more.
Using Marketing Technology
Understand the martech stack, gain in-demand technical certifications, and learn how to manage complex multichannel campaigns that influence the customer experience.
The Results
You’ll walk away with industry-recognized certifications and a Strategic Digital Marketing Playbook that showcases your robust digital marketing skills to current and future employers.
For the sixth year, people from around the globe can get up-close-and-personal with an endangered California condor chick in real-time through live streaming video of a cliff-side nest in a canyon near the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge in Ventura County, California.
California condor chick #1075 hatched on April 10, 2021. Its parents are ten-year-old female condor #594 and 15-year-old male condor #374. This is the pair’s first nesting attempt together and they are using a nest cavity used in 2018 by #374 and his former mate. Female condor #594 previously paired with male condor #462 in 2018 and 2020, successfully fledging one chick each year. This year marks male condor #374’s sixth nesting attempt at raising a chick; he has successfully fledged four chicks in previous years.
Upcoming Workshops Must-have information accessible from wherever you are! If you are a tenant or a landlord, this is a workshop you won’t want to miss! Learn about rights and responsibilities when it comes to fair housing. Plus learn about…
We are coming down to the wire, just a few more days/hours to vote in both competitions! We have surpassed our goal of 800 participants voting by 400% but we want more. If you haven’t seen the work of our students, check it out today and select your favorites. The PRiME Competition closes on Tuesday followed by the New Venture Fair on Wednesday.
Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) is proud to announce the 30 finalists for the 11th annual Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards (SOE) to be held virtually on May 21, from 12noon -1:30pm. The SOE Awards celebrate outstanding women business owners from Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties in ten industry categories. Community members are invited to attend the free, online event; register at Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards.
A panel of independent judges, who all live outside the tri-county area, selected the finalists from an impressive group of applicants throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. This year, the judges also took into consideration the impact the businesses make in their community and the entrepreneurs’ resiliency to the challenges presented by the global pandemic. Stacy Harris, a judge from Phoenix, Arizona, said the finalists are “an impressive class of driven female entrepreneurs adapting to an unpredictable environment during the pandemic in support of community and creative services and products.”
The Board of Supervisors on April 27 approved an additional $3.65 million in Federal Coronavirus Relief Funds to support the Farmworker Household Assistance Program (FHAP) bringing total support to more than $7.1 million to assist farmworkers and their families. This funding will provide financial aid of $1,000 to eligible households who were previously funded through this program and who still reside in the County.
“We appreciate the opportunity to provide assistance where it’s needed most. This program is important in supporting Farmworkers who are vital members of our community. This will help those who are struggling from the impacts of the pandemic and those who support us all through the agricultural products they provide throughout the year,” said County Executive Officer Mike Powers.
The nationally recognized Moorpark College Forensics team has once again won the team championship in its division at the Phi Rho Pi National Championships, held April 6-11. This is the college’s 11th national championship in forensics, or speech and debate. The team also competed at the California Community College Forensics Association State Championships in March.
“Of the 12 students who represented Moorpark College at the national championships, eight are new to the team this year, and to speech competitions of any kind,” said Rolland Petrello, chair of the Communications and Media Arts Department and head forensics coach. “Six of those students are new to the team this semester. We have not met most of the team members in person, as everything we are doing–from recruiting and coaching to competitions–has taken place virtually. However, I think these students are a testament to how excellence can be achieved even under the most trying of conditions.”
There are 52 new COVID-19 cases. There have been 2,582 new tests performed. There have been 0 additional deaths.
The current R-effective (average number of people each infected person will pass the virus onto and represents the rate at which COVID-19 is spreading) is .77 which means that spread of COVID-19 is likely decreasing; R-effective for CA is .87 right now.
Click here for information about COVID-19 testing.
Vaccine eligibility is now open to everyone 16 and older. Make your appointment today at myturn.ca.gov or 833-422-4255.
Join us at the Agriculture Museum (926 Railroad Ave., Santa Paula) this Saturday, May 1st @ 10am and at the Museum of Ventura County (100 E. Main St., Ventura) this Sunday, May 2nd @ 10am for our next Grab & Go Bag giveaway!
Discover creative ways to help protect our planet by using the 3Rs: Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling. Each fun-filled bag contains Small Footprints: Mateo Learns About the 3Rs storybook, Small Footprints: Activity and Coloring booklet, Paper Populous Garbage Truck Favor Box Craft, Food Forward’s Get Crafty with Your Food Waste Recipes, Play-Well TEKnologies wrist band, Compost Circle of Life, Composting at Home!, and so much more.
The Board of Supervisors on April 27 unanimously approved the concept of a 3rd Business Assistance Grant Program to provide $5,000 grants to recipients of the County’s first and second Business Assistance Grant Programs totaling $30,700,000 in additional assistance bringing the total amount to more than $60 million in grants for local businesses. Staff will return to the Board with a final program for approval.
“The coronavirus pandemic has created both a health and economic crisis. Local businesses have been subjected to shutdowns, reduced capacity, and health and safety protocols that have inflicted a significant financial burden,” said County Executive Officer Mike Powers. “The survival of our local businesses, the economy, and jobs they support is essential to the wellbeing of Ventura County. Every business matters. Each one represents owners, workers, jobs and families that are vital to our community. We hope additional support will help these businesses continue to move forward.”
