Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the greatest classical musicians of all time, composed a musical piece entitled (in translation) “Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage, Opus 112.” Beethoven was inspired by the eternally stirring poetry of the renowned philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, whom he had met and to whom he dedicated this work.
Two Ventura County Schools have been named National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2020 by the U.S. Department of Education. The schools were selected based on or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. The Ventura County winners are among 367 public and private schools to be selected nationwide. The local honorees are:
Meadows Arts and Technology Elementary School in Thousand Oaks
Charter school authorized by the Ventura County Office of Education
Weathersfield Elementary School in Thousand Oaks
Conejo Valley Unified School District
The 2020 edition of the U.S. Latino GDP Report was released today by the Latino Donor Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to reshaping the perception of Latinos as part of the American social mainstream.
“The report shows that, during 2018, the nearly 60 million Latinos living in the U.S. generated the world’s eighth largest gross domestic product (GDP),” said Matthew Fienup, Executive Director of the Center for Economic Research and Forecasting at California Lutheran University, one of the report’s co-authors. “The GDP is the total value of all goods and services produced by a region in a given year.”
Thank you to the amazing donors who have helped us raise over $10,000 in the first week of our Perfect Match campaign!
We are off to a great start and we need YOUR help to reach our fundraising goal.
Get Rid of the Ballots…That is what he said, that is what he will do, and who is going to stop him? We are less that 42 days away from the most cataclysmic, potentially apocalyptic, American election in our lifetime. However the election results turn out, approximately half of the American electorate will be enraged, convinced that the election was rigged. The evil tyrannical genius of Trump, is that in less than four years he has been able to consolidate all federal power under his control and in the process is annihilating all semblance of American democracy. Trump with his tyrannical power grab, along with the considerable help of all his well-placed and well-paid henchmen/women, has turned us all into a pathetic nation of cowards, haters, doubters and conspiracy theorists. Make no mistake all of us, by omission or commission, are responsible for the creation of this monster that now occupies the White House.
The Southeast Ventura County YMCA and the Columbia Memorial Space Center have collaborated on a new advanced STEM program for local middle schoolers. The YMCA’s STEM Club begins October 19 with virtual meetings.
The program is divided into three units–Aerospace (October 19 through December 18), Solar Chemistry (January 18 through March 26) and 3D Printing and Robotics (April 12 through June 18). Club members meet Monday through Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (virtually and when approved, in person).
ESTACIÓN MÓVIL DE VACUNACIÓN CONTRA LA GRIPE
El Programa de Inmunización de Salud Pública del Condado de Ventura y la Agencia de Servicios Médicos de Emergencia ofrecerán la vacuna contra la Gripe GRATIS.
DÓNDE: Oxnard College – Estacionamiento Norte
4000 S. Rose Ave, Oxnard CA 93033
CUANDO: Miércoles, 30 de septiembre, 2020
de 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
The Ventura County Public Works Agency – Watershed Protection (VCPWA-WP) is preparing the Matilija Dam Ecosystem Restoration Project Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIR), and they are soliciting community input.
Santa Maria High School seniors already academically prepared for universities received recognition during a drive-through event in the Thornburg parking lot on Sept. 24.
About 250 Saints, who have met A-G requirements (university entry mandates), plan to pick up a certificate, lawn sign, senior toolkit and enter a raffle for prizes. The UC/CSU application process is approaching.
The State of the County presentation took place on September 17, 2020. The annual event, hosted by local Chambers of Commerce and the Ventura County Tax Payers Association and community groups, provided an inside view of the dynamic coordination of COVID-19 response. “2020, what can you say? Recovering from disasters, responding to a new disaster and preparing for future disasters has become our new normal. The pandemic impacts all communities but not many communities have had the emergencies we have faced. Our community had to answer the call yet again, and you did. We have done better than most and I think we will emerge stronger than most because of the selfless generosity and compassion of our community,” said County Executive Officer Mike Powers as he kicked off the event.
Students are still learning remotely, but in partnership with local school districts, our educators are supporting families throughout the whole day, and not just with homework!
A new report reveals for the first time the level of terrestrial synthetic microfiber emissions on a global scale.
2020 will forever be known as the year of one of the most impactful and furthest reaching public health events in history. We have had to pull together, and stand apart. With no stone unturned, we have had to re-think many of our routine habits through a new pandemic lens. In doing so, we have become even more aware of the importance of our health, our families, and the need for companionship. And conversely, recognize that isolation and depression are very real factors during this time.
They lay by wheelchairs on the sidewalk, on benches, along storefronts and in the park where CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Professor of Art History Irina D. Costache, Ph.D., likes to play tennis with her husband, Cristian Costache.
The Costaches would leave their Los Angeles home to head for the tennis courts and pass one homeless person after another on their way.
COVID-19 Testing Available – No cost. No appointment needed.
Weekday 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 Site – Monday Through Friday 9 am to 6 pm
Ventura County Fairgrounds,10 W. Harbor Blvd in Ventura, Enter Gate 2.
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 County of Ventura is partnering with Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance (VCREA) and EV Advocates of Ventura County to host daily virtual events during this year’s National Drive Electric Week, starting on September 28th through October 4th. The local Ventura Drive Electric Week events are part of the tenth annual nationwide celebration to heighten awareness of the availability and benefits of all-electric and plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles.
Good Morning, Here are the most recent updates from the County of Ventura.
Nail Salons: Can be open for indoor service following the expanded personal care services guidance.
Camping: Campgrounds can be open at 100% capacity following campgrounds, RV parks and recreation guidance.
Biology and Global Studies major Patricio Ruano was raised in a large Latino family in the Silverlake region of Los Angeles. As the youngest in the family, he always got a variety of viewpoints under one roof.
“One aunt would tell me one thing, a sibling would tell me another,” Ruano, 21, said. “I learned it takes a village to raise a child and the same is true for education. It takes a campus village to raise a successful student.”
To assist in the financial support for families who have a child with cancer during Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, Teddy Bear Cancer foundation (TBCF) is holding an online silent auction with over 100 unique and highly desirable items. The online silent auction is now LIVE and their in-person preview event takes place this Saturday, September 26th at Nurture Cottage & Mesa Burger any time between 8am and 11am.
At (Sept. 22)’s Board of Supervisors hearing, we received an update on COVID-19. The graphic below shows the adjusted case rate for Santa Barbara County for this week as 6.7 new cases per 100,000 population. According to the California Blueprint for a Safer Economy metrics, we need to lower our 7-day average positive case number to at least 7 per 100,000 population to move to the red tier. That being said, if our case rate stays below 7 positive cases per day per 100,000 for another week, we will be able to move into the red tier as early as September 29th. Additionally, we would need to remain in the red tier for 14 consecutive days in order for K-12 schools to reopen, which could be as soon as October 13th. Currently we have 2 active cases in the South County Unincorporated Areas (which include Montecito, Summerland and the City of Carpinteria), 19 active cases in the City of Santa Barbara, and 151 active cases County-wide.
While efforts continue to count residents across the state and nation in the 2020 Census, Ventura County has achieved a significant milestone. To date, all cities across the County have surpassed the self-response rate recorded in 2010, with many cities recording a 5-point increase or higher in the response rate recorded a decade ago.
“This is an exciting achievement for our County especially in the midst of the COVID-19 response efforts, said Mike Powers, County Executive Officer. “Prior to COVID-19, it was reported that our County would be difficult to count, so it’s incredible that we not only overcame but exceeded expectations. Now is the final stretch to make it count! Now more than ever, it’s especially important as our community is responding to, and recovering from, the health and economic impacts of COVID-19. We hope that as the Census enters into the last week of the response period that we continue to see these numbers grow.”
National Voter Registration Day is celebrated each year in September. This nonpartisan civic holiday celebrates our democracy and encourages us to use our voice and VOTE!
Are you registered to vote? Have you checked your registration for correct address and language preference? It is easier to do than you may think.
Once you receive your official ballot in the mail in early October, you can return it by the US Postal Service mail – postage is prepaid. It must be postmarked by Nov 3 and received by Nov 20 (in California) for your vote to be counted. We recommend you vote as early as possible after receiving your ballot.
An alternative to mailing your ballot is using one of the 34 Ballot Drop Boxes that are located throughout the county and will be open from Oct. 6 until Election Day, Nov. 3 at 8 pm. Ballot Drop Box locations can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/y45ol4mo.
In support of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley’s (BGCGCV) “Rising Stronger Together” Campaign, Logix Federal Credit Union donated $5,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Conejo Valley this summer, with the help of the Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce. Logix hosted a fundraiser through its Community Stars Foundation in June to provide additional dollars; members participated in this fundraiser.
Logix has been a long-time supporter of the club, making contributions toward programming, like camps and day activities.
The wine grape harvest is underway at Pioneer Valley High School.
With no Ag students on campus, about a dozen staff members recently rolled up their sleeves and hit the small vineyard behind the softball field. The yield for the varietals included 200 pounds of chardonnay and 120 pounds of pinot noir. Syrah will be harvested in October.
n online tool allows users to detect whales and ships in the Santa Barbara Channel in near real-time.
According to co-founder of Sun Microsystems Vinod Khosla, “In the next 10 years, data science and software will do more for medicine than all of the biological sciences together.” Whether that bold prediction will prove true is yet to be seen, however the there is no denying that in all fields there is a growing demand for people who can interpret and analyze the massive amount of data being collected every day. Santa Barbara City College stands ready to play its part in preparing students to meet that demand.
Governor Gavin Newsom (on Sept. 17) signed legislation ensuring millions more Californians can utilize Paid Family Leave benefits they pay for without the fear of job loss. SB 1383 was developed through the Paid Family Leave Task Force convened by the Administration last year and builds on previous work to extend Paid Family Leave benefits from six to eight weeks for each parent of a newborn.
“Californians deserve to be able to take time off to care for themselves or a sick family member without fearing they’ll lose their job,” said Governor Newsom. “The COVID-19 pandemic has only further revealed the need for a family leave policy that truly serves families and workers, especially those who keep our economy running. This bill will ensure almost all Californians can access the time off they need to keep themselves and their communities healthy.”
For thousands of families in our community, the new school year has been top of mind. The stress of finding child care and an appropriate learning environment for their children has been overwhelming. In an effort to support local schools and students with their recent remote launch in August, United Way of Santa Barbara County (UWSBC) and its community partners have created the Learning & Enrichment Centers Collaborative, a broad child care and learning/enrichment model. This collaborative involves dozens of partner schools and youth-serving agencies, and local leaders in philanthropy. The Learning & Enrichment Centers Collaborative provides support for Santa Barbara County children and families during this time of distance learning.
Participating in the 2020 Census helps our community! The Census helps determine how billions in federal funding is distributed to our community over the next 10 years.
There are three easy ways to complete the Census survey:
By phone at 1-844-330-2020
Online at www.my2020census.gov
By mail – you can send in the paper form that you should have received in the mail if you still have not completed the Census.
Consortium Media is pleased to announce multiple promotions across departments within the well-known branding firm. From culturalist,? brand development level advances and more, Consortium Media is a diverse, talented?branding and outreach team that goes above and beyond.
Denise Bean-White has led Consortium Media as the CEO and President for 30 years. Recently, as a culturalist, she has integrated cultural branding and ThoughtShift trend work into the Consortium client strategy.
An introduction to Righetti High School agriculture came with a free plant this week.
More than 200 freshman picked up a variety of succulents, rose plants, small house plants and lavender. Ag teachers and FFA officers handed out the plants.
The Greenhand Plant Distribution is the first step for the Ag students Supervised Ag Experience project (SAE). The students are tasked with doing research on their plant in order to successfully care for it. All Ag students are required to have an SAE project as part of the Ag education curriculum.
CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) is listed among the top 20 “Best Bang for Your Buck” Colleges in the West in Washington Monthly’s annual college guide.
CSUCI was ranked the 19th “Best Bang for Your Buck” college in 2020, up from last year’s ranking of No. 22. CSUCI has been rising steadily for years, up from its No. 26 ranking in 2018 and 2017.
From children performing from the Inlakech Cultural Arts Center and email messages from El Concilio Family Resources, both in Oxnard, to a commentary by the co-founder of the Acuna Art Gallery and Community Collective, the Latino community is coming out to support the twin goals of completing U.S. Census forms by Sept. 30, 2020 and doing everything possible to make sure your vote counts in during the Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020 general election.
“… So we must all vote, and get every one that is of voting age to vote. We must be guardians of the poll booths to assure that no intimidation of our people is taking place. Must by any means necessary be present at the poll booths to assure that any one that has the right to vote, can exercise that privilege! If you vote by mail it is, of course, imperative that you mail your completed ballot as quickly as possible so that every vote can be counted,” wrote Armando Vazquez, of the former Café on A Street / Acuna Art Gallery, in a column this week on Amigos805.
Oxnard College has received a $3 million federal Title V grant to provide support for equitable student outcomes among Latinx and low-income students as they pursue their career and transfer goals. Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) throughout the country applied for this competitive grant, which will begin Oct. 1 and be distributed over a five-year period. The grant is directed by the U.S. Department of Education’s Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program (DHSI).
“It is both a privilege and a tremendous opportunity for Oxnard College to receive and invest these funds in our students,” said Oscar Cobian, the college’s vice president of student development. “For decades, Oxnard College has proudly served the hardworking Latinx families of Ventura County. Step into any of our classrooms and you will find that our students facing the greatest adversity often show the most dedication and demonstrate tremendous potential. With this grant, we will tap into that potential and help our students build better lives through the transformative power of higher education.”
The Museum of Ventura County is pleased to present the first installment in its series of conversations with Changemakers: Dolores Huerta, Founder & President of the Dolores Huerta Foundation, civil rights activist and community organizer, will join longtime activist and civic leader Jorge Corralejo, documentary film producer and farmworker activist David Damian Figueroa, and Chief Curator Anna Bermudez for a Zoom Conversation onMonday, September 21, 2020 @ 6:30—7:30PM.
Admission to Changemaker Series: A Zoom Conversation with Dolores Huerta, Jorge Corralejo, David Damian Figueroa, and Anna Bermudez is free with registration.
RSVPs must be received before Monday, September 21, 2020 8AM.
As promised last week, here are some highlights of the biographies for the racial-minority professors of mathematics at our local university, California State University, Channel Islands, right here in Camarillo. These biographies are available online at the university website. Their role in the community is outsized because of the example they set for the second largest population sector in Ventura County, which is Hispanic/Latino.
If it were not so pathetically packaged as totally absurd, insincere and damaged capitalistic propaganda, of absolutely no consequence or redeeming value whatsoever, for the roughly 18 million Latinos, it would be laughable, cruel, ironic hypocrisy at the highest level. I am referring to this phony period from September 15, to October 15, 2020 that we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States of America. Celebrate what? When this our government has effectively declared war on us, the Latinos of this nation.
