Category: Locales

Bilingual report — Kaiser Permanente — A remarkable recovery, surviving cancer against the odds

by Community Contributor • July 11, 2025 • Comments Off

As she was halfway around the world in New Zealand when her fight against cancer began, Santamaría would soon launch a journey that would bring her back to her California roots and back to Kaiser Permanente for care that she credits for her survival. She shares her story as a beacon of hope.

Santamaría is the associate vice president of strategy at California Lutheran University, where her role encompasses driving diversity, equity, inclusion, justice and belonging initiatives to deliver optimal offerings to students through partnerships with local businesses, nonprofits, municipalities and healthcare organizations.

Bilingual report — City of Ventura releases 12th episode of Ventura Voices podcast featuring new Police Chief David Dickey

by Community Contributor • July 9, 2025 • Comments Off

VENTURA — The City of Ventura is excited to announce the release of Episode 12 of its Ventura Voices podcast, now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube. This latest episode features a conversation between City Manager Bill Ayub and Ventura’s new Chief of Police, David Dickey.

In this engaging interview, Chief Dickey shares how he got his start in law enforcement, what inspired his journey to Ventura, and his vision for the future of the Ventura Police Department. He discusses the importance of community policing, building public trust, and investing in strategies that strengthen neighborhood safety.

Bilingual report — People’s Self-Health Housing — Cleaver & Clark Commons in SLO: Pre-Applications Available Now | Cleaver & Clark Commons: Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles ahora

by Community Contributor • July 8, 2025 • Comments Off

Eligibility:

Households earning at or below 60% of the Area Median Income
Visit pshhc.org/CCC to view income limits
14 units are set aside for agricultural worker households earning 30 to 60% of the AMI

Bilingual report — Upcoming pavement project to resurface Telegraph Road from Ashwood Avenue to Hill Road

by Community Contributor • July 7, 2025 • Comments Off

VENTURA — The City of Ventura will begin resurfacing Telegraph Road from Ashwood Avenue to Hill Road in late July 2025, with construction scheduled through January 2026. This much-anticipated project will rehabilitate approximately 690,000 square feet of roadway and is funded by the SB1 Gas Tax Road Repair and Accountability Act and Measure O, Ventura’s voter-approved local sales tax dedicated to essential community improvements.

Ventura County leaders stand in solidarity in support of our immigrant families, impacted businesses and the Ventura County community

by Community Contributor • July 2, 2025 • Comments Off

VENTURA — Elected officials and leaders from across Ventura County gathered (June 27) to address growing concerns about unjust immigration enforcement and reaffirm the community’s values of inclusion and justice. Speaking directly to Ventura’s immigrant community and the broader public, the event highlighted local leadership’s commitment to humane policy, community protection, and civil rights defense for all.

Speakers at the event included Vianey Lopez, County Supervisor, District 5, FatherTom Elewaut, Pastor of Mission Basilica San Buenaventura, David Newman, Mayor, City of Thousand Oaks, Bruce Stenslie, President/CEO, Economic Development Collaborative (EDC), Gabe Teran, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Oxnard, Rabbi Lisa Hochberg-Miller, Temple Beth Torah, Dr. Martita Martinez-Bravo, PsyD, Councilmember, City of Camarillo and Executive Director, Friends of Fieldworkers, Dr. Felix Nuñez, CEO, Gold Coast Health Plan, Helen McGrath, fifth-generation member of the McGrath farming family and Dr. Ana DeGenna, Superintendent, Oxnard School District.

Bilingual report — Enjoy the Fourth of July, but do so in a Safe Way to Prevent Injury and Harm

by Community Contributor • July 2, 2025 • Comments Off

As families in Ventura County are looking forward to celebrating America’s birthday during the upcoming Fourth of July weekend, it’s important to know that it’s OK to have fun under the sun, but without putting your health at risk and causing long-lasting injuries.

That’s especially true when it comes to fireworks, grilling and drinking alcohol, according to health experts.

“Celebrating the Fourth of July holiday is a special time many of us treasure dearly and look forward to every year,” said Dr. Juan Cruz, an internal medicine physician with Kaiser Permanente in Oxnard. “But I can’t stress enough the importance of celebrating responsibly and keeping safety in mind to ensure this festive holiday will be accident- and injury-free.”

Bilingual report — Teatro de las Américas — VCCF Power of Purpose – June 2025

by Community Contributor • July 2, 2025 • Comments Off

Bilingual theater course for girls and boys during which they will create an original story inspired by the characters of El Chavo del Ocho

Bilingual report — Prepare now to reduce the impact of wildfire smoke

by Community Contributor • July 2, 2025 • Comments Off

CENTRAL COAST — The Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County, and Ventura County Air Pollution Control Districts (APCD) encourage residents to prepare for potential poor air quality caused by smoke, now that the area has entered peak wildfire season.

Smoke and ash from wildfires contain very small particles known as particulate matter that can travel hundreds of miles. These particles harm the lungs and heart and can cause coughing, wheezing, breathing difficulty, chest pain, nausea and, in severe instances, premature mortality. People with heart or lung disease, older adults, kids and pregnant women are especially sensitive.

Bilingual report — The latest news from the County of Ventura

by Community Contributor • July 1, 2025 • Comments Off

Thank you for staying up-to-date on news at the County of Ventura! Want to sign up for our newsletter?

Community members who are not already subscribed may sign up to receive our newsletter in English here and in Spanish here.

Bilingual report — Valentine Road Apartments unveils first renovated units at Ventura County’s largest Homekey Project

by Community Contributor • July 1, 2025 • Comments Off

VENTURA — The Valentine Road Apartments unveiled the first of its newly renovated units during a progress celebration at the largest Homekey initiative in Ventura County, marking a major milestone in the region’s efforts to address homelessness through permanent supportive housing.

Led by the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura (HACSB), the Valentine Road Apartments are the result of a $32 million Homekey award secured in 2023 through the California Department of Housing and Community Development. That funding marked the largest Homekey grant in both City and County history and initiated the conversion of the 142-room hotel into 134 studio apartments for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Bilingual report — Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) — California Competes Tax Credit Program

by Community Contributor • July 1, 2025 • Comments Off

The California Competes Tax Credit (CCTC) is an income tax credit available to businesses that want to locate in California or stay and grow in California. Businesses of any industry, size or location compete for over $180 million available in tax credits by applying in one of the three application periods each year. Applicants will be analyzed based on fourteen different factors of evaluation, including number of full-time jobs being created, amount of investment and strategic importance to the state or region.

Application Period Timeline: For fiscal year 2025-2026, GO-Biz will accept applications for the California Competes Tax Credit during:

July 21, 2025 – August 11, 2025
January 5, 2026 – January 26, 2026
March 2, 2026 – March 16, 2026

Bilingual report — CenCal Health — Proposed Federal Medicaid cuts harmful to community health and local economy

by Community Contributor • June 27, 2025 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — CenCal Health, the Medicaid managed care plan for Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, provides health insurance to over 242,000 low-income people on the Central Coast. Recent federal proposals to reduce Medicaid funding and constrict eligibility would negatively impact local hospitals, healthcare providers, businesses, and thousands of area residents.

Bilingual commentary — Bulldozing Over Tradition

by Community Contributor • June 27, 2025 • Comments Off

Throughout our country’s history during the time that I’ve been alive, we have had presidents who embraced traditional values and customs. Despite their political maneuverings and strategies, for the most part these presidents adhered to cultural norms. Some were great orators (e.g., Kennedy, Obama, Reagan) while others were not, shall we say, “out of the top grandiloquent drawer” (e.g., Nixon, Bush II, Biden, Trump).

And then there are those presidents who, for better or for worse, deviate from tradition and norms.

Bilingual report — Gold Coast Health Plan announces inaugural grant awards to expand health care access across Ventura County

by Community Contributor • June 27, 2025 • Comments Off

CAMARILLO — Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP) (on June 25) announced the inaugural recipients of its new Resilience, Innovation, Sustainability & Equity (RISE) Grant Program—a three-year initiative with an initial commitment of $21.9 million dollars and second- and third-year opportunities for applications. The program is aimed at strengthening Ventura County’s health care infrastructure and improving access to care for Medi-Cal members.

Bilingual report — Ronald Miller II appointed Chief Probation Officer for the Ventura County Probation Agency

by Community Contributor • June 26, 2025 • Comments Off

“We’re very excited to welcome Ronald Miller to our team as he steps into this important leadership role,” shared 4th District Supervisor, Janice Parvin, Chair of the Board of Supervisors. “We’re confident that his longstanding experience and proven leadership will guide the agency forward with success. His deep commitment to community investment, combined with an extensive career in law enforcement, makes him exceptionally well-suited to lead the Ventura County Probation Agency.”

Bilingual report — County of Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors to hold meeting

by Community Contributor • June 26, 2025 • Comments Off

View this email online The next regular meeting of the County Board of Supervisors is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 1, 2025 County Administration Building Board Hearing Room, Fourth Floor 105 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara The public may participate…

Bilingual report — Santa Paula celebrates a successful State of the City event

by Community Contributor • June 25, 2025 • Comments Off

SANTA PAULA — The City of Santa Paula proudly hosted its first independent State of the City event on June 12, 2025, marking a departure from previous joint events traditionally held with the Chamber of Commerce. With more than 176 guests in attendance, the evening was a vibrant celebration of community, progress, and civic engagement, and by all accounts, a resounding success.

Held at the Ventura County Agriculture Museum, the evening began with a festive outdoor reception featuring live folklórico dancing by Proyecto Esperanza, musical performances by local group Chucumite, and hors d’oeuvres provided by local favorites including Flight 126, El Capricho, Mr. Shrimp, and Parque 1055. The community came together to enjoy food, music, and connection before moving indoors for formal remarks and presentations.

Bilingual report — Peoples’ Self-Help Housing (PSHH) — Cleaver & Clark Commons in SLO: Pre-Applications Coming Soon | Cleaver & Clark Commons: Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles pronto

by Community Contributor • June 25, 2025 • Comments Off

Pre-applications available Tuesday, July 8, 9AM at pshhc.org/CCC
Pre-solicitudes disponibles el martes 8 de julio a las 9AM en pshhc.org/CCC

Bilingual report — County of Ventura reports $2.31 billion in agricultural value for 2024

by Community Contributor • June 24, 2025 • Comments Off

“The 2024 Crop and Livestock Report focuses on the history of Ventura County’s top 10 crops and the issues that farmers face today in cultivating these crops,” stated Korinne Bell, Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner. “Ventura County is unique in that our agricultural community cultivates a significant number of crops with values well over $1 million. This allows for a wide range of products to be cultivated but also presents some substantial challenges for our farmers. Many thanks to the Ventura County agricultural community – growers, packers, and shippers – for providing the data on their efforts in 2024 and making the production of this report possible.”

City of Ventura — Marina Park Playground now open

by Community Contributor • June 24, 2025 • Comments Off

VENTURA — The City of Ventura is thrilled to officially open Marina Park’s new playground, delivering a modern and thoughtfully designed play space for the Pierpont Bay community and surrounding areas.

Local dignitaries, City staff, project partners, and community members gathered on Tuesday, June 24, for a celebratory ribbon-cutting to commemorate this exciting milestone.

Bilingual report — Joint Statement from the Fire Departments of Ventura County: Emergency services are for everyone

by Community Contributor • June 20, 2025 • Comments Off

VENTURA COUNTY — Every fire department in Ventura County is united in our commitment to protecting lives—no matter who you are or where you’re from. Everyone in our communities deserves safety, emergency care, and compassion. Our firefighters respond to every emergency without hesitation or judgment. Immigration status is never a factor in the care we provide, and we do not ask, record, or report that information.

Bilingual commentary — Compassion vs. Caution on the Street

by Community Contributor • June 20, 2025 • Comments Off

Having more time to walk the streets of the Oxnard and Ventura areas lately, I find myself navigating a world that had not been entirely apparent to me in the past. I am more aware now of the great number of people who are distressed, troubled, and immersed in mental illness.

Their plight becomes obvious as I witness people who are talking animatedly with themselves—sometimes cheerfully, but too often they are angry and threatening. It’s hard to feel safe when someone close by is screaming something such as, “I’m gonna kill every single person I find!”

Bilingual report — Gold Coast Health Plan denounces sharing of Medicaid enrollment data with Department of Homeland Security

by Community Contributor • June 20, 2025 • Comments Off

CAMARILLO — Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP), the local Medi-Cal plan for Ventura County, is deeply concerned about the possibility of sensitive Medicaid enrollment data—including names, addresses, and immigration statuses—being shared with the Department of Homeland Security as reported by the Associated Press. According to the article, the data sharing was conducted “despite internal objections from Medicaid officials” and without consent from states, health plans, or members.

The data includes information from individuals in various states, including California, that allow those with “unsatisfactory immigration status” to enroll in Medicaid programs funded by state dollars.

“This breach is not just a policy failure—it is a moral one,” said Dr. Felix Nuñez, GCHP’s chief executive officer. “Trust is the foundation of our health system. Undermining that trust by turning health care into a tool of immigration enforcement jeopardizes the well-being of entire communities. We must protect the right to seek care without fear.”

Bilingual report — June news from Peoples’ Self-Help Housing (PSHH)

by Community Contributor • June 19, 2025 • Comments Off

June is Homeownership Month and so I would like to shine a special light on our own Home Ownership department: the oldest team in our organization, the very reason we were founded 55 years ago. If you haven’t yet had a chance to check out some of People’s Self-Help Housing’s amazing early history, you can do that right here!

Of course, it is the incredible owner-builders themselves, the people who learn to dig, saw, hammer, and drill, who have been the stars of the show ever since the self-help program began. The physical and emotional investment made by the over 1,200 families who have completed building with us since 1970 is of a magnitude few of us could commit to. Usually over 40 hours a week (on top of regular day jobs!), 14 months of construction, and the desire to push through whatever the weather, or the date on the calendar.

Our organization has many facets which help those just trying to have a safe, decent, and affordable place to enjoy life. I hope you’ll join me this month in recognizing the efforts and achievements of just one of those – affordable homeownership.

Peoples’ Self-Help Housing (PSHH) — Reminder: Cypress Place (Oxnard) Pre-Applications due Tuesday, June 24 | Recordatorio: Cypress Place Las pre-solicitudes deben entregarse el martes 24 de junior

by Community Contributor • June 19, 2025 • Comments Off

Reminder: pre-applications due Tuesday, June 24 at 5PM
Recordatorio: pre-solicitudes deben entregarse el martes 24 de junio a las 5PM

Bilingual report — Ventura County Board of Supervisors approves $3.23B budget for fiscal year 2025-2026

by Community Contributor • June 17, 2025 • Comments Off

“The adoption of this balanced budget underscores our strong commitment to using public funds wisely, especially as we navigate an evolving economic landscape,” said 4th District Supervisor, Janice Parvin, Chair of the Board of Supervisors. “While we face unknowns at the state and federal levels that could impact future funding, this budget positions us to respond with resilience. This is a budget built on prudence, purpose, and a deep commitment to responsibly utilize taxpayer funds for the well-being of our community.”