Category: News

Bilingual report — November 3, 2020 Presidential General Election Final Results and Certification Announced

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Ventura County Clerk-Recorder, Registrar of Voters Mark Lunn announced today the final election results for the November 3, 2020 Presidential General Election with 100% of precincts reporting.

A total of 429,922 ballots were cast in this election. Final results for this election yielded the highest voter turnout to date of 85.9%. The county had a record-breaking total of 500,442 registered voters.                                                             

“Despite an ongoing pandemic, this was the largest election in county history. This is a record on all accounts,” Lunn stated.

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Port of Hueneme & City Partnership Reinvigorates Community Park Project

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The Port and City joined forces to replace crumbling bridge infrastructure at Bubbling Springs Park for the local community. The Port invested $22,000 to rebuild the Farmer’s Bridge with in-kind services from the City and volunteers from the NBVC Seabees.

“Since 2015, the Port has invested over $630,000 into the Community Benefit Fund that brings to fruition projects to benefit the local community, like the Farmer’s Bridge improvement project”, said Oxnard Harbor District Board President Jess J. Ramirez. “The spirit of these investments is to tackle some of the local issues that we can fix and improve outside of the Port’s everyday goods movement operations.”

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Trade Desk CEO Jeff Green teams up with CSUCI to help students graduate on time 

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The Trade Desk (TTD) Chief Executive Officer and co-founder Jeff Green believes the same data science used at TTD can also be used to address disparities in education. So, CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) and TTD have teamed up to support students to stay in school and on track.

Based in Ventura, TTD is a billion-dollar global digital advertising company that uses data to help ad digital buyers best target their marketing efforts—to get the best value for their money, so to speak.  

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Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara — We’ve almost reached our fundraising goal!

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There is still time to join The Roddick Foundation, Hutton Parker Foundation, California Arts Council, and MCASB Board of Trustees in support of MCASB’s Perfect Match Campaign. Your contributions directly support MCASB in our continued goal of maintaining and advancing meaningful, artistic engagement within our Santa Barbara community. We are only $20,000 away from our final goal, and we could not have done it without you! Thank you for your support and generosity! 

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OC LIVE Conversations — 2020 Election Analysis

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The 2020 election results are in! As the new administration prepares to take power we can feel our future changing. Yet many challenges remain, from the pandemic to systemic inequities and racism. What does it all mean for Oxnard College, our students, and the larger community?

Join OC Professor Tim Fontenette as he leads a powerful discussion of the 2020 election and its impact on our community. Joining Prof. Fontenette are OC President Luis Sanchez, Professor and Coach Erin Lawley, Professor Jose Maldonado, and Professor Dolores Ortis.

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Girls Inc. of Carpinteria Launches Operation Holiday Cheer to Provide Gifts for Local Girls

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Girls Inc. of Carpinteria on Nov. 23 announced the launch of Operation Holiday Cheer, a holiday giving program created to provide local girls and families with a brighter holiday season following the challenges of this year. Girls Inc. will collaborate with Presenting Sponsor Cox Communications to purchase holiday gifts for local girls and their families.

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Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice to present virtual 36th annual ‘Light Up A Life’ celebration on Dec. 3

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Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice will present a virtual 36th annual “Light Up A Life — Remember & Celebrate the Life of Someone Special,” from 5:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3

An important part of our Light Up a Life season has always been the four memorial programs we hold throughout Ventura County.

Out of an abundance of caution and respect for the safety of the families who attend, Livingston will hold a virtual program this year. Although we cannot gather in person, we can still honor those we hold close to our hearts and feel gratitude for the beautiful ways they enriched our lives.

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Santa Paula Art Museum — Giving Thanks and Finding Inspiration

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Happy Thanksgiving from the Santa Paula Art Museum! We are feeling extra grateful following the success of our recent online Fine Art Auction Fundraiser. Thank you to everyone who participated. With your support of our auction and raffle, the Museum was able to raise over $40,000! Proceeds from the auction are more important than ever this year and will enable us to continue serving our community during this challenging time.

We especially want to thank the local artists who donated art to this year’s auction: Shannon Celia, Kevin Gleason, Annie Hoffman, Virginia Kamhi, Beverly Lazor, Susan Petty, Anette Power, Pamela Strautman, Patricia Prescott Sueme, Laura Wambsgans, Sharon Weaver, and Chris Zambon (click on any artist name to view their website).

We wish you a safe and joyful holiday. If you find yourself in need of inspiration this weekend, we invite you to a Virtual Artists Talk on how to find it (see below)! And don’t forget that Sunday, November 29 is #MuseumStoreSunday and #ArtistsSunday.

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Moorpark College Recognized as a 2020 Champion of Higher Education

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Moorpark College is pleased to announce that it has been chosen by the Campaign for College Opportunity as a 2020 Champion of Higher Education for the fifth consecutive year. Of the state’s 116 community colleges, only 12 received this prestigious award. A virtual ceremony was held Nov. 19 with California Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Assemblymember Marc Berman, who recognized the honorees from California community colleges and California State University campuses.

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Port of Hueneme – Thanksgiving Greetings

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During this Thanksgiving holiday we reflect on the adversities many of us have faced during this unprecedented year. Through it all, we have seen first-hand the strength in unity with all our Port partners and with you, our amazing community! We are thankful for our customers, our community partners and our amazing Port team! Together, our #CommittedToCommunity Drive has helped provide food and resources to 26,000 families and over 760,000 pounds of produce. We intend to continue and stand alongside our community during these challenging times. Together, we will overcome and conquer this challenge together.
 
The Port crew wishes all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

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Happy Thanksgiving from MVC + Meme Contest + More!

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A very Happy Thanksgiving to all from the Museum of Ventura County! While most of us are settling in at home to celebrate a much quieter holiday than in past years, most will still put a roasted turkey on the table. To residents of the Santa Clara River Valley, a Deeter turkey was always part of the celebration in times past.

The Deeters left Oklahoma and settled in Fillmore in 1938 and opened the Deeter Turkey Ranch that same year. Son, Calvin Deeter, took over the ranch in the 1950’s.

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Ventura County Arts Council — The latest art shows and opportunities from VCAC

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As our world remains turned upside down by a global pandemic, so too do we remain unable to gather to experience art together in the usual ways. But of course, artists are a creative bunch, and many in our community are finding new ways to provide and enjoy inspiration through art.

In this edition of our newsletter, we have a few new things to inspire you, including a new show in our online gallery, a public art exibitionthat you can enjoy while observing social distancing, a new episode of our radio show, TEEN CENTRIC, and video poetry from Ventura County Poet Laureate Luzmaria Espinosa. We also have an important COVID-19 impact survey that we hope you will take a few minutes to fill out.

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EDC Business Alert- CA Manufacturers’ Recovery Support Program

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With the pandemic dramatically redefining the landscape for California manufacturers, the Economic Development Collaborative is committed to helping businesses survive, recover, and thrive as they navigate through the challenges. In partnership with CMTC’s California Manufacturing Network, the EDC’s Small Business Development Center provides direct support to manufacturers across Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.

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Bilingual report — COVID-19 Update — Wishing our community a safe Holiday! Please wear a mask, social distance and only gather with members of your household

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Wishing our community a safe Holiday! Please wear a mask, social distance and only gather with members of your household. Your actions are saving lives and keeping businesses open.

Today, volunteers helped deliver special Holiday meals for the most vulnerable populations in Ventura County. More than 150 volunteers from across the community and from County agencies helped with this effort.

Nearly 1,000 deliveries and a total of 3,000 meals were provided. Along with the meals each recipient received a homemade holiday greeting card. The cards were received as part of the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging Holiday Greetings Campaign. Nearly 1,000 cards were received from children and adults alike from throughout the County.

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CSUCI now offers master’s in Nursing

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CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) welcomed its inaugural class to the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree in the fall of 2020. Within the program, students can choose between two different concentrations: Nurse Educator and Family Nurse Practitioner. Nurses who already have a master’s degree in nursing may choose to complete post-master’s certificates in Family Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Educator.

CSUCI is the only university in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties to offer an MSN program or a Post-Master’s Certificate program.

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Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Thanksgiving Reflections, COVID Update, Racial Equity Hearing, and More!

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Happy Thanksgiving.

What do you feel seeing those words? Angry? Sad? Hopeful? Or a combination of all three? I thought it would be good to go back to when the national holiday was established – back in a time when Americans were grappling with political divisions greater than any before, the legacy of racism, and experiencing death and economic hardship unlike any time in our history.

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United Way of Santa Barbara County Partners with Albertsons to Deliver 40 Thanksgiving Meals

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Every year, Albertsons stores collects donations to help buy local families a Thanksgiving meal. This year, United Way of Santa Barbara County (UWSBC) has partnered with Albertsons in Goleta onCalle Real, for their annual Turkey Bucks fundraising project. 

Turkey Bucks is an annual campaign where local grocery stores collect donations and use the money raised to buy turkey dinners for families who cannot afford to buy their own for the holidays. 

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Bilingual report — COVID-19 Update for Nov. 24

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Good Evening , There are 140 new cases today, 1,971 additional people tested and 0 additional deaths. Current doubling time is 68.2 days. There are 82 people in the hospital and 17 in the ICU. Thank you Ventura County for following the public health guidance of wearing a mask, social distancing and not gathering. You also answered the call to action with increased testing. More than 40k people have been tested over the last two weeks! Increased testing has allowed for a rate adjustment from the state and has also helped to slow the spread of COVID-19. Once someone tests positive they isolate which prevents further spread. We appreciate your efforts in helping to save lives and keep businesses open.

View today’s special press conference message:

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Outdoor Fitness Center Opens at Simi YMCA

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With Ventura County shifting back into the purple tier, which prohibits gyms from operating indoors, the Simi Valley Family YMCA is opening a new outdoor fitness center in the parking lot behind the facilities.

The approximately 3,000 square foot outdoor center is partially covered to protect from the elements and contains cardio and strength training equipment.

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Bilingual report — Oxnard Secures $2.8 Million FEMA Grant For New Backup Generator at City’s Wastewater Treatment Facility

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The City of Oxnard applied for and won a $2.8 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through its Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which helps local communities significantly reduce or eliminate future risk to lives and property from natural hazards such as flooding, tsunamis, and earthquakes.

The grant money will fund the Oxnard Wastewater Treatment Plant Generator Project, which will improve the reliability and resiliency for continued plant operations during power outages. The project will replace the City’s aging, 54-year old backup generators with a modern, single emergency generator.

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Santa Barbara County Food Action Network Announces ‘Stay Home (and Eat Local) for the Holidays’ Campaign

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The Santa Barbara County Food Action Network (SBCFAN) has connected Santa Barbara County farmers markets, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department and Edible Santa Barbara to develop a safe, affordable, and healthy option for celebrating the Holidays – and supporting the County’s food system – during the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, these Network partners are launching an aligned “Stay Home (and Eat Local) for the Holidays” campaign to encourage County residents to avoid large gatherings and enjoy locally sourced holiday meals with their household instead.

The campaign, which launches on Saturday, November 21, sprouted from conversations with County Public Health around how to emphasize the importance of avoiding gatherings during the holidays to help stop the spread of COVID-19. “Stay Home (and Eat Local) for the Holidays” takes that message and elevates it by also encouraging residents to shop local in our safe, outdoor farmers markets for affordable and healthy holiday meal ingredients that support Santa Barbara County farmers, ranchers, fisherfolk, and food artisans,” said SBCFAN’s Executive Director, Shakira Miracle.

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Bilingual report — COVID-19 Update for Nov. 23

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Good Evening , There are 610 new cases today (includes information from Friday, Saturday and Sunday), 6,715 additional people tested and 1 additional death of a 66 year old man with comorbidities. Current doubling time is 62 days. There are 75 people in the hospital and 18 in the ICU.

Tune in at 10 am (Tuesday, Nov. 24) for the weekly press conference update. View the press conference at www.venturacountyrecovers.org.

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Early childhood education center feasibility study available on CSUCI website 

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A feasibility study examining the possibility of bringing an early childhood education center to the campus of CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) is now available on the University’s website.  

The study was a collaboration between several community partners including CSUCI, State Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks), the Ventura County Community Foundation, and Reiter Affiliated Companies. Irwin was responsible for convening the stakeholders and obtaining $5 million in state funding to pursue the study.  

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Santa Maria High School FAA students hold Turkey Drive

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The Santa Maria FFA Chapter was able to give 75 FFA families affected by the pandemic a free turkey for the holidays during a drive-through event Nov. 18.

The Santa Maria FFA Chapter asked for student’s whose families have been impacted by the pandemic to fill out a short survey, and then selected, based on need, the families that would be given a turkey for the Thanksgiving Day Holiday.

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CSUCI installs cost-saving solar array on campus

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CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) is set to begin installing a solar array that will provide approximately 68% of the University’s electrical energy needs on an annual basis.

“CSUCI has been working diligently toward having a solar array that will provide clean, renewable energy for the campus and greatly reduce costs for electricity,” said Tom Hunt, CSUCI’s Interim Assistant Vice President for Facilities Services.

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Santa Maria High School students take park in Catholic Charities Canned Food Drive

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About 55 Santa Maria High School needy families received generous food donations from Catholic Charities Friday.

The distribution took place from 11 a.m. to noon at the campus where students and their families picked up grocery bags packed with rice, beans, cereal, pasta, vegetables, snacks and other nutritious necessities.

Saint School Community Liaison Patricia Lopez Barriga began contacting non-profit agencies in town after the families reached out to her for help.

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EDC’s Economic 411 Labor Market Report for October 2020

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The California Labor Market Information Division released its October 2020 report earlier today, showing a slight acceleration in our month-over-month recovery, our unemployment rate improving from a revised 8.3% in September to 7.1% in October. That’s encouraging, though the region’s recent move back to the more restricted Purple Tier will almost certainly slow or even stall the recovery and, indeed, we are starting to see an increase in new unemployment insurance claims.  And while 7.1% is a grand improvement over our low point of 13.9% in April, it’s still more than double the 3.4% we enjoyed in October 2019. See here for the current summary detail.

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State issues Limited Stay At Home Order

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The State has issued a limited Stay at Home Order generally requiring that non-essential work, movement and gatherings stop between 10 pm and 5 am in counties in the Purple Tier per the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy. The order will take effect at 10 p.m. Saturday, November 21 and remain in effect until 5 a.m., December 21, although it may be extended or revised as needed by the State.

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Bilingual report — COVID-19 Update for Nov. 20

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November 20, 2020 COVID-19 Update Today, you can get tested for COVID-19 at the following locations: Ventura County Fairgrounds, 9-6, enter on Shoreline Drive in Ventura (Walk up site in San Miguel Hall) Oxnard College, 10-7, 4000 S. Rose. Ave.…

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November Newsletter from MCASB

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To remain in compliance with Santa Barbara County and California State health and safety guidelines, we must unfortunately, once again, close our doors to the public. Thank you to those who visited by appointment this past month, and we look forward to seeing you all again soon!
It is important that we do our best to keep our Santa Barbara community safe during these times. We apologize for any inconvenience that this closure may cause, but stay tuned for more information on re-opening in the future!

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Community Environmental Council Chosen as a 2020 Nonprofit of the Year

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The Community Environmental Council (CEC) is proud to announce it has been selected as a 2020 California Nonprofit of the Year by District 37 Assemblywoman Monique Limón.

“For 50 years, CEC has stood out as an environmental leader, both in Santa Barbara County and across California. They understand that issues like the climate crisis are too complex and too big to be solved by a single organization and work collaboratively to treat a healthy environment as both a human right and the foundation for a thriving world,” said Assemblywoman Monique Limón. “We need the leadership of CEC to build momentum to reverse the threat of the climate crisis and safeguard our communities. Their work today is critical.”

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Bilingual report — Jason Benites Named Oxnard’s Next Police Chief

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City Manager Alexander Nguyen has named Assistant Police Chief Jason Benites as Oxnard’s next Police Chief, effective December 29, 2020 upon the retirement of Chief Scott Whitney.

“We are very fortunate to have two great chiefs-in-waiting, Eric Sonstegard and Jason Benites, both of whom would be great Chiefs here or in any other city,” said City Manager Nguyen. “It speaks volumes of the quality and excellence of the Oxnard Police Department. The community is very fortunate that Jason is accepting the appointment to be our next Police Chief.”

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Ventura County Medical Resource Foundation Provides $40,000 Challenge Grant to United Way’s Homelessness Efforts

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The Ventura County Medical Resource Foundation (VCMRF) has presented a $40,000 challenge grant to United Way of Ventura County’s Landlord Engagement Program. The goal of the program is to increase housing stock and utilize existing housing vouchers and housing subsidies provided by local jurisdictions and community partners to prevent and end homelessness.

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Bilingual report — Beware COVID-19 spreads at gatherings

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This is a special update from the County of Ventura. We will send you today’s stats when they become available. This message is an urgent message to let you know that COVID-19 spreads at gatherings. Please do not host large gatherings for the Thanksgiving holiday. Keep it virtual or keep it small with three households or less. Keep it outside, socially distanced with a mask on. These simple steps can help to keep the numbers down, save lives and keep businesses open.

Today, you can get tested at the following locations:

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Bilingual report — COVID-19 Update for Nov. 19 — State of California has issued a limited Stay At Home Order effective 11/21 to 12/21

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The State of California has issued a limited Stay At Home Order effective 11/21 to 12/21 to stop all non-essential activities from 10 pm to 5 am.

Read more here.

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MVC Re-Closure + Exclusive Online Content + More

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Dear Community Member,

For the health and safety of the community, all Museum programs have been moved online. The Museum of Ventura County, the Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula, the Research Library & Archives, and the Albinger Archaeology Museum will be closed until further notice.

We will continue to offer a variety of diverse online programming, including Virtual Learning Modules, Zoom Conversations, family activities, and more! You are encouraged to explore below or visit our website.

Be safe, be well, and stay healthy. We look forward to welcoming you back at MVC when we reopen!

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Bilingual report — City Restarts Retail Cannabis Program for Opening of Dispensaries in Oxnard

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The City of Oxnard is restarting its retail cannabis program, and will issue 16 dispensaries permits throughout the City. The process is being restarted due to inconsistencies that were discovered in its City Code regarding the appeal process for applicants who were denied a retail permit. 

In fairness to all 50 applicants, the City has terminated the current program and will start a new accelerated retail cannabis and local equity retail cannabis program that will issue 16 permits (instead of 10 permits) by March 2021. No new fees will be required for previous applicants to apply to the new program. 

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