The month of June 2020 will end in historical landmark victories for our LBGTQ+ and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) communities. The Association of Mexican American Educators, Inc., Oxnard Chapter, applauds our Supreme Court Justices for supporting these communities and future generations.
Carnegie Arts Cornerstones had been a major financial contributor to the planning and support of the now defunct Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard, CA.
So while there is no longer a physical museum to support, the spirit of our mission lives on, and our future is bright. We still believe our mission to promote creativity, learning, and growth in the careers of artists, and to inspire passion and appreciation for the visual arts is still vital to the communities around Oxnard and throughout Southern California.
A May 14, 2020 article in the Los Angeles Times reports that “With the coronavirus-induced shock to the economy crippling businesses of all sizes and leaving millions of Americans out of work, homelessness in the United States could grow as much as 45% in a year.” The data trend, which comes from research conducted by Dr. Brendan O’Flaherty, a professor of economics at Columbia University, is mirrored in our community. According to the most recent Point-in-Time count completed in January 2020, the study found 1,897 homeless residents countywide, with 914 (48%) living in the City of Santa Barbara. The chronically homeless in the county rose from 423 to 614, a 45% increase. While the nation continues to grapple with adequately addressing this issue, the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara (HACSB) is moving forward with plans to build new housing specifically to address the needs of homeless individuals.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley (BGCGCV) is pleased to announce a new member to its Board of Governors, Steve Mosko.
Mosko is Chief Executive Officer of Village Roadshow Entertainment Group (VREG), one of the world’s leading global entertainment content companies. VREG produces content across film, television and digital platforms.
The Simi Valley Family YMCA and Yarrow Family YMCA (in Westlake Village) will reopen Wednesday July 1. The Conejo Valley YMCA remains closed pending implementation of additional social distancing measures. Conejo Y members can use the Simi Valley and Yarrow facilities.
“We understand how important our Y is to the health and wellness of our community,” says Ronnie Stone, President/CEO of the Southeast Ventura County YMCA, which oversees the three local Y branches. “We hope to see our members back at the Y as soon as they feel comfortable.”
When the Community College Public Relations Organization (CCPRO) held its annual awards ceremony on June 10 – a virtual watch party via Zoom this year – Santa Barbara City College walked away with three first place awards, two second place awards and one third place award.
LaserAway, the nation’s leader in laser hair removal and aesthetic dermatology, now has a new location at The Collection at RiverPark. The new clinic officially opened on June 15, 2020, and is now accepting appointments.
The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District is asking parents to complete a simple seven-question survey to assist in the planning of school reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Questions focus on student attendance area, in-person instruction options, remote learning options, sports participation, internet availability and a possible delay to the start of school for staff training. The survey was released through the All Call System to parents late Friday.
Oxnard College student Ashley M. Gonzales has joined the Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees as the Student Trustee for the 2020-21 academic year. Gonzales was selected through a districtwide student election in April and installed at the June 16 board meeting. She joins the elected board comprised of Chair Bernardo M. Perez, Vice Chair Josh Chancer, and Trustees Dianne McKay, Larry Kennedy and Gabriela Torres.
A record number of migrant students have enrolled in a program that will provided important educational opportunities this summer in Ventura County. A total of 850 students have signed up for at-home summer instruction offered by the Migrant Education Program at the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE). The program provides services to students who frequently change schools as their families move throughout the state to follow work opportunities in the agriculture industry.
KidSTREAM, Ventura County’s children’s museum, which is committed to providing hands-on exhibits and programs based on science, technology, reading, engineering, arts and math (STREAM), announced the addition of three new members to its board of directors: Wendy Acevedo-Solis, Iris Ilao, and Michael Jump.
“We are incredibly honored to have Wendy, Iris, and Mike join a team that is committed to bringing kidSTREAM to fruition; We are equally thrilled that each new board director brings strength and passion to their commitment to serve all the children of Ventura County” said Michael Shanklin, kidSTREAM’s Executive Director.
Based on recent guidance provided by the state, county and Centers for Disease Control, SBCC will offer a substantial majority of credit courses online for the Fall 2020 semester.
As some courses are difficult to teach online, a limited number of courses will be offered in a face-to-face or hybrid format, maintaining appropriate health and safety protocols.
Read the press release for more details…
The 2019-2020 Ventura County Civil Grand Jury surveyed eleven charter schools authorized either by a school district located in Ventura County or by the Ventura County Office of Education, concerning policies and procedures for implementation of curriculum on sexual health.
The California Healthy Youth Act (AB 329) requires parents/guardians of students in grades 7 through 12 be given written notice that the school will be providing mandated sexual health curriculum. The Grand Jury inquired by written survey:
Diego Barraza, recent graduate from Santa Barbara High School and participant in the PSHH College Club! Diego has been accepted to UC Davis, where he will be pursuing a major in Environmental Science and Medicine this fall!
To celebrate more of our incredible graduating students, visit pshhc.org/graduation!
Sunday, June 21st is United Way’s Day of Action!
You can participate by joining
United Way of Ventura County’s
2020 Stuff the Bus campaign!
Provide essential school supplies for local students experiencing homelessness or from disadvantaged families.
You can help pave the path to academic success for a child from a homeless or low-income family. Furthermore, your support not only provides essential school supplies – studies show that it also promotes learning, building self-esteem, and helps ensure that our youth stay in school.
Neuroscientist Emily Jacobs has been awarded a $5M NIH grant to advance women’s health.
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We are so excited to welcome you back to the Santa Paula Art Museum to enjoy two never-before-seen exhibitions: Inspiration and Influence and Santa Paula Sojourn! The Museum and gift shop will be open regular hours: Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Students pursing an online bachelor’s degree in Business from CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) have a new academic director at the helm, Assistant Professor of Management Maria Ballesteros-Sola.
Ballesteros-Sola, who holds a masters and a doctorate of business administration, is taking the lead for a year while the current director, Assistant Director of Marketing Ekin Pehlivan, Ph.D., is on sabbatical.
With groundbreaking discoveries and innovative techniques in long-term ecological research, scientists at Gump Research Station, Mo’orea, are expanding our understanding of coral reef ecosystems.
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Food Share Pop-up Sites
6/15 3 pm Ventura County Fairgrounds 1- W. Harbor Blvd
6/16 5 pm El Rio, Rio Mesa High School, 545 Central Ave
6/17 3pm Oxnard, College Park, 3250 South Rose Ave
6/18 3 pm Thousand Oaks, Conejo Creek South, 1300 E. Janns Road
6/19 3 pm, Santa Paula, Harding Park, 1330 E. Harvard Blvd
6/20/20 12:30 pm Moorpark, Ruben Castro Charities, 5700 Condor Drive
Hello Scott,
It has been a while since we last talked or met. I think the last time we talked was at the old Social Security building, a few times in the past two years when you announced to us (CORE) and other community organizations and leaders your intentions to revising the two original Oxnard Civil Gang Injunctions (OCGI). You law enforcement folks saw the adverse decisions being render by courts up and down California that much of the language of the ill-conceived and hastily drafted Civil Gang Injunctions in California were being challenged, and upon judicial review were not passing judicial muster and where in eminent danger of being struck down and rendered unconstitutional. Under your leadership the OPD, and the Ventura County District Attorney’s Offices, saw the writing on the wall and decided to drastically rewrite and modify significant language of the original OCGI.
Chiques Organizing for Rights and Equality (CORE) has been fighting for the abolishment of both the Colonia and Southside Oxnard Civil Gang Injunctions since their inception in 2003-2004 on the simple grounds that they are racist, profile a specific class of Oxnard residents (Latino men) and are outright unconstitutional, not to mention horrifically written and ambiguous ordinances. ABOLISH THE TWO OCGI NOW!!!!
Farmworker Resource Program: Special thanks to Oak Park High School and community member Olde Thompson for their generosity in donating to our local Farmworkers! Learn more about the Farmworker Resource Program at https://cdn.ventura.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Flyer_English_web.pdf. Learn about ways to donate at https://vcportal.ventura.org/covid19/docs/Farmworker_Resource_Program_Donation_Flyer_v3.pdf.
Click here for the entire e-newsletter Ways you can support, educate yourself, and take action in Santa Barbara County Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara wishes to reaffirm our commitment to our community. We stand in support of the peaceful…
PLANS FOR RE-OPENING
While all sites are still closed to the public, MVC is preparing to re-open with limited, members-only hours, in mid-July, expanding to the general public in August.
Thank you to all of you who completed our online survey. Your responses are critical in developing our re-opening plans. Our first priority upon re-opening will be the safety of guests and staff. We will have more information about what to expect when you visit the museum in the next e-blast.
COVID-19 drive through testing sites are located at:
Ventura College, 4667 Telegraph Rd., Ventura CA 93003
Moorpark College, 7075 Campus Rd., Moorpark, CA 93021
Ford Dealership, 128 S. Hallock Dr., Santa Paula, CA 93060
NEW LOCATION: Oxnard College, 4000 S. Rose Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033 (Fri-Tue)
No appointment or insurance is needed.
Hours of operation: Monday – Friday 10 am to 7 pm.
No cost.
You simply drive up and get tested while seated in your vehicle.
www.vcemergency.com
Eva Cherrie from Elmhurst Elementary School in Ventura VENTURA COUNTY — The Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) is pleased to announce that Eva Cherrie from Elmhurst Elementary School in the Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) is the 2020 Ventura County…
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley (BGCGCV) is pleased to announce that Lisa Barron, Director of the Rocky & Lon Morton Boys & Girls Club in Newbury Park has been recognized nationally as a 2020 Maytag Dependable Leader.
Through a national partnership, Maytag and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) selected Barron as a recipient of this year’s distinction resulting in a financial grant for BGCGCV. The Maytag Dependable Leader Award recognizes Club officials who are committed to making a difference in the lives of youth and who are dependable and exceptional role models.
The Dean’s award and other prizes recognize scholastic achievement in the sciences, social sciences, humanities and fine arts.
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This has been an especially difficult last couple of weeks as we continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic while being forced to confront the reality of systemic racism with the murders of several Black lives over the last few months – George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Tony McDade. This isn’t the first time there have been protests in the streets over the taking of Black lives and a lot of the anger and pain you see is because of the reality for Black Americans knowing this won’t be the last time they have to protest in the streets to get justice and make change – and knowing that the next time the protest might be for them. We must take this time where we are already being forced out of the norm and out of our routine to look within our collective soul as a country and address the pain and discomfort of racism that has existed since the founding of our country.
All Natural Tie-Dye
We are beyond excited that Ventura County has given museums the green light to reopen! Our staff are busy working to ensure that the Santa Paula Art Museum will continue to be a safe space for all of our visitors and volunteers, and we will announce our official reopening date very soon.
We hope you’ve enjoyed the Museum’s “Art to the Rescue” curated resources and stay-at-home art project ideas over the past 12 weeks. We thought we’d conclude with a few sunny activities to try this summer like all natural tie-dying, which is eco-friendly and very in right now!
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“Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both” —C. Wright Mills, American Sociologist CAMARILLO — “During that first two weeks I walked around in circles uncertain of what to do…
By a unanimous vote on June 8, the Board of Supervisors concurred with the recommendation of County Executive Officer Mike Powers to appoint Melissa Livingston as the Director of the Human Services Agency.
“Melissa has been an influential County leader during her 40 years of service,” said County Executive Officer Mike Powers. “She has been a great partner and an integral member of our County leadership team in supporting the mission to provide comprehensive and compassionate services for our diverse communities. Dedicated, bright and compassionate, she has dedicated her life to helping the most vulnerable. She is exceptionally well qualified, and this is critical, especially as our community recovers from the impacts of COVID-19.”
UC Santa Barbara will recognize 6,793 graduates for the 2019-2020 academic year.
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The Southeast Ventura County YMCA, with branches in Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley and Westlake Village, is hosting free online trivia nights on Thursdays from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The weekly trivia contest for the entire family takes place over Zoom.
New State Guidelines Will Support Local Efforts VENTURA COUNTY — The California Department of Education (CDE) today released new guidelines for the safe reopening of the state’s public school campuses. The guidelines contain recommendations regarding a variety of measures to…
OXNARD — State guidelines for retail curbside pick-up were modified last week to allow libraries to provide curbside pick-up of materials, and libraries across the county have begun to reopen these limited services. The largest library system in the county, the…
Friday, March 13 of this year was suddenly the last day of school for the 894 children that attend preschool through the Children’s Services program at Community Action Commission of Santa Barbara County (CAC). Immediately after the weekend, beginning March 16, the 250 teachers and staff members for the core program Head Start and CAC’s other educational programs for young children began instruction again – albeit not in the classroom.
Student achievement was recognized for Righetti High School FFA members at a drive-thru event Monday, June 1, in place of the traditional Awards Banquet forced to be canceled because of social distancing rules of Covid-19.
Recognized were more than 38 State FFA Degree recipients, 20 senior who completed their ag programs, this year’s Star Greenhand, Star Chapter Farmers, outstanding senior, Regional Proficiency Award winners and scholarships awards. Also handed out to seniors were FFA graduation cords and sashes to wear over caps and gowns.
Righetti High School officials is advising students, motorists and area residents to expect traffic delays and road closures during the June 5 graduation parade.
The California Highway Patrol and the SB Sheriff’s Office will be strictly enforcing all traffic laws.
Delta High School had its drive-through graduation/parade on June 4
DHS – About 300 grads
Johnny Arguijo – Valedictorian
Nancy Elias Lopez – Salutatorian?
Arguijo received the Minerva Scholarship, Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara Scholarship and the Kiwanis Club of Santa Maria Honor Student Award. Lopez earned the Breanna Nicole Rodriguez Scholarship, Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara Scholarship and the Kiwanis Club of Santa Maria Honor Student Award.
