Category: News

John H. Howard named California’s top trial attorney of the year

by Community Contributor • August 17, 2021 • Comments Off

John H. Howard, a Ventura County-based personal injury attorney with the law firm Lowthorp, Richards, McMillan, Miller & Templeman, has been named trial lawyer of the year by the California Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (CAL-ABOTA).

Howard’s selection is widely regarded as the highest honor a California trial lawyer can receive. It’s also the first time a trial attorney from the Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo-county region has received the annual award, which dates back to 1962.

Information Meetings For Southeast Ventura County YMCA’s Youth & Government

by Community Contributor • August 17, 2021 • Comments Off

Information meetings are scheduled for the Southeast Ventura County YMCA’s three Youth & Government Model Legislature & Court delegation programs. Youth & Government is an opportunity for high school students to learn how government works and join other Youth & Government delegations from around California in a major conference in the legislative chambers at the State Capitol in Sacramento.

The Conejo Valley YMCA Youth & Government (serving Thousand Oaks and Moorpark) will host its information meeting on Wednesday, September 1 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Email for location: conejoyandg@gmail.com.

United Way of Ventura County — Come celebrate 8 amazing women with us and more news

by Community Contributor • August 16, 2021 • Comments Off

This Thursday evening, we will host our first in-person event in almost two years.

We will be celebrating the educational achievements of eight outstanding women at our annual Women United Education Awards. Please join us at the Camarillo Ranch for this special occasion.

It will be an inspirational evening full of passionate educators, students, and community partners.

As always, the health and safety of our guests is vitally important to us. We will be following and enforcing public health mandates at this event.

Limited tickets are still available.

Family Service Agency Names Alexander Murkison to Board of Directors

by Community Contributor • August 16, 2021 • Comments Off

Family Service Agency (FSA) of Santa Barbara County, also known as Santa Maria Valley Youth and Family Center and Guadalupe’s Little House By The Park, is pleased to announce the appointment of Alexander Murkison to its Board of Directors.

Alexander Murkison is the Advancement Associate at Midland School in Los Olivos. A recent graduate of Allan Hancock College,Alex is particularly passionate about mental health support in schools, and is an advocate and activist in the local community.

Union Bank Donation Brings ‘Tools for School’ to 400 Local Children in Need

by Community Contributor • August 16, 2021 • Comments Off

After 18 months of pandemic life, some 400 school-age children walked away from the 8th Annual “Tools for School” on Aug. 14th with backpacks filled with school supplies for the coming school year. 40 individuals signed up for vaccinations at the event as well.

Santa Paula Art Museum Online Art Auction Starts Monday

by Community Contributor • August 16, 2021 • Comments Off

The Santa Paula Art Museum’s biggest fundraiser of the year starts Monday, August 16, and it’s all online! Bid on 21 stunning works of art by some of our region’s most popular historic and contemporary artists. You can preview the auction items and preregister to bid online on Bidsquare.com now. The auction artworks are also currently on display at the Museum during regular business hours.

You can even purchase raffle tickets for your chance to win one of the two paintings pictured below by historic Santa Paula artist Jessie Arms Botke! All proceeds from the auction and raffle benefit the Museum and the thousands of visitors it serves each year.

Bilingual report — Consulado de Mexico en Oxnard — Programa de Asistencia de Energía en el Hogar (HEAP) / The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)

by Community Contributor • August 16, 2021 • Comments Off

Home Energy Assistance Program

Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara — BEST OF 2021 | Vote MCASB for Best Museum

by Community Contributor • August 16, 2021 • Comments Off

Voting has opened for the Santa Barbara Independent’s Best of
Santa Barbara 2021 Readers’ Poll

2021 has not been easy, but MCASB persevered! From collaborating with local artists to record attendance for our recent exhibition, Shana Moulton: The Invisible Seventh is the Mystic Column, we have been actively working on enriching the Museum experience for everyone. But it doesn’t stop there! We look forward to sharing our plans for upcoming exhibitions, special guest talks, dinners, yoga, shopping events and more.

Ventura County Civic Alliance — Livable Communities Newsletter for Aug. 15, 2021

by Community Contributor • August 16, 2021 • Comments Off

See the 3 articles below that address the following issues:

1. EQUITY – CAFWD (California Forward) pulled together a session on May 13 entitled: Building Equitable Economies that featured eight Inland Empire / Central Valley community leaders who are passionate about making sure that equity is a key component in the rebuilding of a post-pandemic economy. Dozens of key words, concepts, situations, and actions that are critical to understanding the task at hand were shared to help give leaders the material required to set goals and develop the necessary plans to reach those goals.

Bilingual report — Ventura County Office of Education — Live Back to School Q&A on Monday, August 16 at 6:00 PM

by Community Contributor • August 16, 2021 • Comments Off

From COVID-19 safety to student mental health, there are many questions about the new school year that is now getting underway in Ventura County. Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools, will address some of these pressing questions in a live virtual Q&A on Monday, August 16 at 6:00 PM.

Bilingual report — County of Ventura COVID-19 Update for Aug. 13

by Community Contributor • August 13, 2021 • Comments Off

There are 289 new COVID-19 cases reported since Wednesday and 4,481 new tests performed. There are 123 people hospitalized, 30 in the ICU. There have been 0 additional deaths.

66.3.% of Ventura County’s community members 12+ are fully vaccinated.

California information
64.1% of California community members 12+ are fully vaccinated.

For more information visit www.vcrecovers.org

Mental Wellness Center Welcomes Alice Villarreal Redit to Board of Directors

by Community Contributor • August 13, 2021 • Comments Off

The Mental Wellness Center (MWC) announces the addition of Alice Villarreal Redit to their Board of Directors.

Villarreal Redit has been employed with the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara since 1997. She worked for 10 years in the Authority’s Housing Management Department before joining the Resident Services team in 2007. As Resident Programs Supervisor, she is responsible for overseeing the operations of the department and ensuring the coordination and delivery of supportive services to families, seniors, youth and disabled individuals. Villarreal Redit is passionate about affordable housing and social justice. She is a former Mental Health Commissioner and is deeply involved in community efforts to promote social equity.

Clinicas del Camino Real Inc. — Survey Demonstrates Patient Motivation To Receive The COVID-19 Vaccine

by Community Contributor • August 13, 2021 • Comments Off

To better understand why patients elected to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, Clinicas del Camino Real, Inc. (CDCR) surveyed 429 patients in Ventura County who received a vaccine to understand their motivations better.

The survey results show that 37% of the patients reported that they received the COVID-19 vaccine as a precaution, 11.4% because a family member urged them to be vaccinated and 12.8% because of a doctor recommendation, 7% because of an employer recommendation and 6.5% because of a medical condition, 4.2% because of something they heard on the news and 0.9% because of travel. The remaining patients had other reasons.

Bilingual commentary — Pregnant People—What’s That About?

by Community Contributor • August 13, 2021 • Comments Off

I was calmly reading an article in my favorite newspaper one morning when I came across the term “pregnant people.” I nearly choked on my coffee. Words get my attention, and I had never in my life seen those two words together.

I started to mumble about “liberals” (although I am one, with conservative leanings). I wondered if this was some far-left conspiracy to ignore womanhood or reduce it to “peoplehood.” Before I went off writing letters to the editor and state representatives or clamoring to appear on talk shows to rant about liberalism gone amok, I thought I had better investigate. I needed to find out what this nomenclature was all about.

Back-to-school fund drive organized by The Teacher’s Fund aims to raise $60,000 to support local educators

by Community Contributor • August 12, 2021 • Comments Off

As kids and teachers head back to in-person school after a challenging year of online learning, the non-profit Teacher’s Fund is aiming to raise at least $60,000 to help local educators get the tools and materials they need for their classrooms. To date, $47,000 has been raised with only $13,000 needed in the next two weeks to hit the goal of $60,000.

This year’s annual “Back to School” fundraising drive launched August 1 and runs through August 31. Similar to last year, fundraising will take place entirely online, given the ongoing pandemic risks. Individuals and organizations interested in donating to the drive can do so here.

Bilingual report — August 12, 2021 – COVID-19 Update for Aug. 12, 2021

by Community Contributor • August 12, 2021 • Comments Off

There are 166 new COVID-19 cases reported since Wednesday and 4,475 new tests performed. There are 121 people hospitalized, 27 in the ICU. There has been 1 additional death, 49 year old male. Our thoughts and sincere condolences to the loved ones of those that have passed away.

74.4% of Ventura County’s population 12+ has received the first dose.
66.2.% of Ventura County’s population 12+ has been fully vaccinated.
76.5% of Ventura County’s population 18+ has received the first dose.

For more information visit www.vcrecovers.org

Moorpark College Work-Based Learning Program Championed by Congresswoman Julia Brownley

by Community Contributor • August 12, 2021 • Comments Off

Moorpark College’s Work-Based Learning Program, a paid internship that connects students with local employers, is one of nine programs potentially to benefit from more than $20.6 million requested by Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA 26th District) for Ventura County. Before the pandemic, the program, launched in 2018, annually served 250 students. The $225,000 in funds would provide an additional 150 students with $1,500 in paid internships while they earn college credit.

“I’m proud that so many of our community’s priorities were included in this first round of the appropriations process,” said Congresswoman Brownley. “Our work is only now beginning, and as these projects make it through the legislative process I will continue to fight for Ventura County’s priorities.”

The Collection at RiverPark welcomes several new tenants

by Community Contributor • August 12, 2021 • Comments Off

The Collection at RiverPark, a 650,000-square-foot, open-air shopping center, is growing once again, with the addition of eight new businesses that will be opening their doors throughout the rest of the year. This marks a continued trend of success for The Collection, which has celebrated several grand openings in the past year.

New tenants opening soon at The Collection include PizzaMan Dan’s, Red Door Escape Room, Bowlero (a 32,000-square-foot venue), King and Queen Cantina, Salons by JC, Keller Williams and Exer Urgent Care.

Offshore Aviation Completes Test Flight of More Than 90 Minutes with LaunchPoint’s Hybrid UAS Propulsion System

by Community Contributor • August 12, 2021 • Comments Off

Three months after introducing their revolutionary, hybrid GenSet technology for drones, Santa Barbara-based LaunchPoint Electric Propulsion Solutions, Inc. (“LaunchPoint”) announced today in collaboration with Offshore Aviation, the success of their extended flight trials.

Offshore tested their advanced unmanned quadcopter aircraft, the OA-8C (ER) Dragonfly, fitted with LaunchPoint’s integrated 5.5 kW hybrid-electric HPS055 GenSet. With LaunchPoint’s flight-extending technology, the Dragonfly’s hover endurance increased to more than 90 minutes in 90-degree Fahrenheit ambient temperature conditions without refueling, effectively tripling the range of current battery-powered drones on the market. In both forward flight and in lower temperatures, endurance is expected to increase. The weight of the test configuration flown was reported at 62 lbs. (28.1 kg) empty with 13 lbs. (5.9 kg) of fuel. The total weight at take-off was 75 lbs. (34.1 kg).

Announcing Melissa Baffa as Ventura Land Trust Executive Director

by Community Contributor • August 12, 2021 • Comments Off

The Ventura Land Trust is pleased to announce that Melissa Baffa has been selected by the Board of Trustees as its new Executive Director. Her appointment comes at a time of historic expansion for Ventura Land Trust, which in the past year has grown to hold nearly 4,000 acres of land designated for conservation and public access in Ventura County.