The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department and the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District issued an Air Quality Warning for Santa Barbara County. Smoke from wildfires burning throughout the state, including in Monterey County, are affecting local air quality, and conditions may continue over the next several days. Due to elevated temperatures and stagnant air conditions, we are also experiencing increased ozone levels in regions of the county.
Week Day 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
Oxnard College, 4000 S. Rose Ave., Oxnard. The site is open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
Walk In Monday Through Friday 9 am to 6 pm
Ventura County Fairgrounds,10 W. Harbor Blvd in Ventura, Enter Gate 2.
Join us online on National Women’s Equality Day,
Wednesday, August 26, 2020 from 4—6 PM
as we commemorate the centennial of the 19th Amendment, and honor the sacrifices of the courageous Suffragists, with a family-friendly free virtual event that will feature performances, and presentations about voting, advocacy, and equality. The Museum of Ventura County will be providing a virtual tour of its newly curated exhibit “Amendment 19: Votes for Women.”
Local author Peter Martin is releasing his first book, Dragons on the Purple Moon in honor of his son’s successful recovery from brain cancer. He will be donating 100% of the proceeds to Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation (TBCF) for National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
In the last week we have received quite a few notices from businesses asking about protections around evictions. With the new information from the State of California that evictions can begin as early as September 1st, due to the repeal of the eviction moratorium, (Unlawful Retainer) we understand that landlords may now have a sense of urgency to collect back rent.
The Ventura County Complete Count Committee will lead a Census Caravan on Saturday, August 22. The caravan, which will have the participation of organizations and groups such as the Ventura County Mobile Library, Child Development Resources, and the US Census Bureau, will begin its route in Thousand Oaks at 9:30am and will end in Simi Valley around 3:00pm. The goal for the caravan, which will make its way through most cities in the county, is to encourage participation by residents before the Census ends on September 30.
Oxnard College has received a $1,265,160 grant over five years from the U.S. Department of Education to support its TRIO Student Support Services program. TRIO programs are especially important to Oxnard College because they support the large number of first-generation and low-income college students who require additional services to help them stay in school, graduate and transfer to four-year universities. Through the federal grant, the college will serve 140 students annually over five years.
Congressperson Julia Brownley’s office notified Oxnard College in early August that it had earned a perfect score on its application, beating out strong competition for the grant.
The Community Environmental Council (CEC) and Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation on Aug. 19, with support from 165 additional partners, announced the launch of Born This Way Foundation’s third annual #BeKind21 Campaign. As communities across the world face the trauma of a pandemic, the ongoing racial inequalities, and a host of global challenges, this year’s campaign has been uniquely designed to be responsive to today’s movements, showcasing that kindness is not an empty gesture; rather, kindness is a verb. To be kind is to speak up. To be kind is to prioritize your mental wellness. To be kind is to advocate for a world that values, validates, and respects all people.
If sustainably managed, wild fisheries and mariculture could help meet the rising demand for food in the long term.
There are 54 new cases today (11 (20.4%) of which have a lab collection from August 12th or earlier), 626 additional people tested, and 1 additional death (65 year old male with comorbidity). Current doubling time is 85.7 days.
View today’s press conference at www.venturacountyrecovers.org.
Ventura County Public Health has announced today that public and private elementary schools in Ventura County can submit school waiver applications to allow in-person instruction at their campuses. The waivers cover Tk through 6th grades.
In accordance with state guidelines, waivers may be granted “when requested by a local superintendent (or equivalent for charter or private schools), in consultation with labor, parent and community organizations. Local health officers must review local community epidemiological data, consider other public health interventions, and consult with the California Department of Public Health when considering a waiver request.”
The RISE Up Awards recognize excellence in community service supporting RISE’s sexual abuse, sexual assault, and intimate partner violence programs; the 2020 RISE Up Award winners are Megan Baliterra, Amber Hollarman, the Portola Inn, Cal Poly’s Safer, and Heidi Spencer.
RISE will present the awards at the 6th Wine Women & Shoes on September 13th at 1pm, online. Wine Women & Shoes is a wine and food tasting, boutique shopping experience complete with raffles, silent and live auctions, a fashion show, and the presentation of the 2020 RISE Up Awards.
Businesses of all sizes, most private nonprofit organizations, homeowners, and renters may apply for SBA federal disaster loans to repair or replace disaster-damaged property caused by the civil unrest that began May 26, 2020.
There are 43 new cases today (16 (37.2%) of which have a lab collection from August 11th or earlier), 437 additional people tested, and 1 additional death of an 88 year old male with comorbidity. Current doubling time is 88.2 days.
Governor Newsom today declared a statewide emergency to help ensure the availability of vital resources to combat fires burning across the state, which have been exacerbated by the effects of the historic West Coast heat wave and sustained high winds.
“We are deploying every resource available to keep communities safe as California battles fires across the state during these extreme conditions,” said Governor Newsom.
“California and its federal and local partners are working in lockstep to meet the challenge and remain vigilant in the face of continued dangerous weather conditions.”
Since we weren’t able to celebrate in person, on August 6, PSHH staff gathered for a special Company Celebration in honor of our 50th Anniversary! Thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey for the past 50 years. Join us in the celebration: pshhc.org/anniversary
Housing Trust Fund Ventura County announced this week that it applied for California Proposition 1 matching funds from the CA Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), the agency responsible for fund disbursement. Housing Trust Fund VC has raised $5 million locally with the goal of bringing $10 million to the county for affordable housing developments through the Prop 1 matching grant program.
Superintendent/President Dr. Utpal K. Goswami announced an update regarding plans for the Fall 2020 semester. Given current community conditions, classes will start fully online. Although the plan is for all courses to begin online, the College will be pursuing a very limited exemption for some classes that support essential and critical infrastructure. The Fall term starts Monday, Aug. 24.
In the second project of the Pahl Initiative on the Study of Critical Social Issues, researchers will examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the underserved.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley (BGCGCV) recently received a $5,000 grant from Farmers Insurance® to help fund COVID-19 relief efforts.
The grant will help provide healthy meals, high-speed internet access and academic support, vital enrichment programming to bridge gaps in virtual learning, social & emotional learning and more for vulnerable families and youth.
There is a significant warming trend and heatwave impacting California and the rest of the West Coast that will put pressure on our energy grid. In order to avoid electricity shortages, we are asking businesses and residents to reduce energy usage in order to prevent service interruptions.
It’s especially important to limit energy usage from 3 pm to 10 pm, especially air conditioning, electric car charging and other energy intensive technology.
Sign up to receive Flex Alert notifications from your utility provider to help California conserve energy during times of grid stress. You can also check out https://readysbc.org/psps/ for tips on what to do before, during, and after power loss.
School starts August 17 in a non-traditional way at SMJUHSD, as COVID-19 forces the continuance of distance learning at least until December when a re-valuation of returning to school safely occurs.
“I want to wish everyone the best year considering the circumstances,’’ said school board president Amy Lopez. “It will be different, but staff are working hard to make learning engaging for our students. We all want our students to return, but it must be safe for them to do so.’’
Curiosity and imagination transcended the COVID-19 pandemic throughout CSU Channel Islands’ (CSUCI) 2020 Summer Student Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) program, which ran from June 8 to July 31.
From the moment last March when SBCC made the decision to move all instruction online for the remainder of the Spring semester, the Music Department knew it had better prepare for the situation to extend into the Summer and Fall terms as well.
Our recent, adorable visit from Lucky the dog got us thinking about how artists celebrate pets and animals in art, so with the help of Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center, the Museum’s August Art To-Go Bag is all about animals (see below). We also took a moment to appreciate the animal art in the Museum’s permanent collection. You’re probably quite familiar with Jessie Botke’s birds, but do you know about John Nichols and his beloved cat, Sespe Red? Hear the story behind the artwork. It’s part of our collection of local artist self-portraits. And be sure to check out this week’s outdoor art classes at the Museum below.
We are in a revolution!! These last 6 months have been nothing short of that. This is not true for just a couple of isolated area or topics, but in general across all walks of life. Some aspects of the revolution have been like technology, where we knew we were going to change over the next decade, but now we are changing over in a matter of months, not years. Other aspects of the revolution were more surprising. Could any of us have predicted the rapid and comprehensive changes in social order and public policy that are being proposed for policing and justice reform?
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley (BGCGCV) is ready to assist parents with back-to-school programs and activities in addition to childcare.
The programs include academic support, assistance with online learning, sports & games, performing & fine arts, science, socialization, social emotional learning, and leadership development.
Dr. Himat Tank, pediatric physician in Santa Maria, is being recognized as a Champion in Health Care. This week, Pacific Coast Business Times published its annual list of front line medical workers, first responders, and volunteers who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to providing quality care. Nominated by local Medi-Cal managed care plan CenCal Health, Tank is honored in the Treating the Underserved category, as he has been the doctor of choice for parents of many CenCal Health members since the agency was founded in 1983.
New walking testing begins 8/13/20 from 9 am to 6 pm at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. It is offered Monday through Friday. Please enter at Gate 2. The testing is no cost. No appointment needed.
The Southeast Ventura County YMCA is now offering outdoor exercise classes at its three branch locations and virtual exercise classes online.
Outdoor exercise classes include total body conditioning, group cycle, spin, Pilates/yoga, boot camp, tai chi and senior-focused exercises. Classes start as early as 6:00 a.m., Monday through Friday, at the Conejo Valley YMCA, Simi Valley Family YMCA and Yarrow Family YMCA. The classes are free to YMCA members and $29 per month (introductory rate) for nonmembers.
Luis Ismael Gómez, of Ventura, formerly of Santa Barbara, passed away peacefully due to heart failure, surrounded by family on August 4, 2020. Luis was born the 8th out of 11 children in Pacayas de Alvarado, Cartago, Costa Rica during the Calderón Administration, to the late Rafael Angel Gómez and Etelvina Ramírez de Gómez.
Food Share, Ventura County’s largest hunger-relief organization, has partnered with Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) to bring the “Fueling Our Communities” program to Ventura County with drive-thru meal distribution events in Santa Paula and El Rio community in Oxnard. The events, which were funded in part by the utility, provided more than 26,000 free meals to individuals and families struggling with food insecurity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Schmidt Environmental Solutions Fellows program receives an additional two years of funding to support student research in environmental science.
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The Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project has an opening for a promotora position. The application deadline is Aug. 24. Click here or see below for the entire application.
YO CUENTO (I TELL) continues..
with James Donlon
Tuesdays:
August 18, 25,
September 8, 15
7-8PM
Learn basic storytelling, acting, directing, and staging to produce an original Teatro work using your own personal stories.
James Donlon: actor, director, and playwright presenting his original performance work internationally for 5 decades.
Film coach to Oscar winners.
Pre-registration required, no fees
info@teatrodelasamericas.org
Oxnard Housing Authority Resident Services Department from La Colonia is proud to announce the completion of the fifth mural installment of the Youth Summer Mural Program. This year’s mural is aptly named “2020”. The mural is located in the back parking lot of the Oxnard Housing Authority Resident Services Offices, located at 1500 Camino Del Sol, Oxnard.
Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) and local growers are creating a series of short videos highlighting agriculture in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. In-person Farm Days tours that were to take place in September in Santa Barbara County and in November in Ventura County have been canceled due to the continuing pandemic. In their place will be “Farm Day Features,” 10-minute videos designed to give the public a behind-the-scenes look at agricultural issues facing farmers and the types of produce grown in the area.
New restaurant from Silverlake Ramen development team soon to open at The Annex Food Hall OXNARD — Burnin’ Mouth, a new restaurant from the development team behind local favorite Silverlake Ramen, has signed a lease to set up shop at The…
We hope this finds you well and you have a moment to read about the inspiring work of our team and partners. As a result of the generosity of community members like you, we’ve been able to temporarily house and provide daily meals for 44 veterans and 17 family members in local motels since April. We’ve also transitioned six of these veteran households to permanent housing and a total of 30 households have been permanently housed since our Landlord Engagement Program launched nine months ago.
Since mid-May, Food Share of Ventura County has provided a staggering 4.1 million pounds of fresh produce to people experiencing hunger in the county.
The scale of food insecurity in Ventura County has nearly doubled since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Current projections from Feeding America show that 115,000 people, including 42,000 children in our County, are now facing a daily struggle to access enough nutritious food.
The fresh produce is a result of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “Farmers to Families Food Box Program.” Oxnard-based wholesale produce distributor, The Berry Man, was approved to deliver the first 3.6 million dollars of a 14.7 million dollar contract to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to nonprofits throughout the Tri-Counties Area. The majority of the produce is locally-grown.
