CAMARILLO — Ventura County’s senior population (age 65+) is expected to increase 14% this year to 224,812, outpacing the overall growth of the county population, which is projected to increase just 2% to 884,148 in 2023. CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI)…
OXNARD —The City of Oxnard announced the appointment of Rob Ruben as Oxnard’s new Chief Information Officer (CIO), effective Sept. 5, 2023.
With more than 20 years of industry experience leading large-scale project implementation and overseeing diverse operational teams, Ruben brings a wealth of expertise to his role in shaping Oxnard’s technological future.
“We’re excited to promote from within an experienced professional like Rob to lead our IT Department,” said City Manager Alexander Nguyen. “I look forward to him providing secure, efficient, forward-looking IT solutions for our organization.”
Mountains to Sea Jubilee
FAMILY FAIR
?Saturday, October 21
11:00 am – 3:00 pm
@Agriculture Museum
926 Railroad Ave., Santa Paula
Celebrate Ventura County’s 150th Anniversary at the Mountains to Sea Jubilee, a FREE all-day family event culminating in a music festival! The Family Fair features food trucks, kids’ zone, community stages, pumpkin patch, Exhibit opening: Ventura County, The Place We Call Home, and MORE! Get the details HERE.
EN ESPAÑOL: COMO CONSTRUIR TU EQUIPO FINANCIERO
7 de septiembre a las 12:00 pm
Aprenda cómo, identificar sus necesidades, conectar con asesores profesionales, investigar y entrevistar, y alinearse con sus valores. Patrocinado por Bank of America.
HAGA CLIC AQUÍ PARA INSCRIBIRSE
SACRAMENTO — On September 1st, 2023, the California Assembly Appropriations Committee voted in favor of the Latinx and Indigenous Disparities Reduction Act. The bill now heads to its final legislative vote on the Assembly Floor before heading to Governor Newsom’s desk to be signed. The bill, which collects and disaggregates more detailed data for Latinx subgroups and Indigenous Mesoamerican nations to improve health outcomes, makes it past this critical vote amidst rising COVID-19 cases and the threat of new variants – in addition to experiencing impacts from recent climate change-related flooding.
We are only one week away from our Inaugural Kern County Homeownership Conference “A New Way Home” happening on Saturday, September 9th from 10am – 2pm at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bakersfield! VCCDC with presenting sponsors U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo and in collaboration with the City of Bakersfield and the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco invite renters across Kern County to learn about the programs and resources available to achieve homeownership.
The event kicks-off with our onsite Loan Center where conference attendees can get a free, personalized consultation with loan officers from VCCDC and our partner lenders. The no-obligation pre-qualification sessions can help potential borrowers determine their eligibility for first time homebuyer loans and programs.
Kelly Noble, our exceptional Office Manager, is celebrating 20 incredible years with EDC. Since 2003, Kelly has been an indispensable part of our team, contributing her expertise, dedication and infectious positivity. With a background in party planning, catering and entrepreneurship, Kelly brings a unique blend of creativity and precision to her role.
As we await the formation of our new cohort of Social Justice Fellows, SJFVC has very exciting news to share!
SJFVC has received a grant for $32,500 from the McCune Foundation!
SJFVC is deeply grateful for this grant, as it will help us build our Fellowship Program and better support our Social Justice Fellows!
CAMARILLO — Part of the legacy of former Ventura County Supervisor Carmen Ramirez can be found in the thank you notes from the school classrooms she visited.
“Laws and rights are very important to me. Especially the littering one,” wrote one student. “And I was impressed an immigrant without documents can become a lawyer on (the) Supreme Court. That gives me hope that someday maybe I’ll become a lawyer.”
Another child wrote: “Thank you for coming and telling us what your job is. I think lawyers are cool. I always wanted to be a lawyer, so I’m going to stay in school and become one.”
And: “That’s cool that you can talk Spanish.”
The children’s letters are included among the 15 boxes of documents, planners, diaries, proclamations and even favorite cartoons collected by Ramirez during 45 years of service before her life was cut short in a pedestrian accident on Aug.12, 2022.
Ramirez’s husband, friends and family organized the archives and donated them to CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) this summer. Ramirez’s husband, Roy Prince, believes CSUCI is the ideal place for the archives as she worked from the very beginning to advocate to establish a CSU campus in Ventura County.
How could we have gone through those early stages of losing our baby teeth without the help of the famed tooth fairy?
We all have a preconceived image of this ethereal creature, which has been solidified by Disney’s introduction of fairy creatures into our lives. We in the U.S. got our first glimpse of the tooth fairy in 1908, when the Chicago Daily Tribune published an article about this beloved creature. The myth was rebooted in 1927 when Esther Watkins Arnold published the book, “The Tooth Fairy: Three-Act Playlet for Children.”
VENTURA COUNTY — Rebozo Festival, Inc., is pleased to announce that awards of up to $30,000 will be granted to qualified non-profit organizations that focus on the cultural, social and/or educational needs of the Ventura County community. The application process will open September 1st and will close September 29th, 2023 at 5:00 pm.
Rebozo Festival, Inc., encourages non-profit organizations that meet the following requirements to apply: Nominated organizations must be located in Ventura County serving primarily Ventura County Latino residents and must be an IRS 501©(3) non-profit organization/institution or operate under the fiscal sponsorship of a qualified organization/institution.
The application and additional information is available at http://www.RebozoFestival.org.
Premiere Party: The Art of George Lockwood
Saturday, September 16, 2023, from 4 PM to 6 PM
$5 SPAM Members • $10 Non-members
Meet Santa Barbara County artist (and Santa Paula native) George Lockwood at the Santa Paula Art Museum for the premiere of his all-new solo exhibition, “The Art of George Lockwood,” on Saturday, September 16! With a lifelong passion for wildlife and the outdoors, Lockwood taught himself to draw and paint as he worked as a guide in Alaska for 19 years. A full-time painter since 2003, Lockwood’s newest works feature scenes and subjects from Santa Paula to the Central Coast to the Pacific Northwest.
“The Art of George Lockwood” will be on view from September 16, 2023, to January 14, 2024. All of the artworks in the exhibition will be available for purchase.
OXNARD — The City’s Community Relations Commission (CRC) announces that nominations are now being accepted for the 2023 Community Recognition Awards Program.
The CRC is a citizen advisory group for the City of Oxnard that promotes mutual understanding and respect among all minority and non-minority groups, and it facilitates inter-group harmony through educational and cultural activities. Since 1989, the CRC awards program has recognized deserving individuals and groups that work to support the mission of the CRC in the Oxnard community.
“We look forward to celebrating individuals, organizations and businesses that are committed to discouraging unfair practices and prejudices in Oxnard,” said CRC Chair Tiffany Lopez. “These individuals further promote our efforts to encourage education, acceptance and understanding for all community members.”
VENTURA COUNTY — The Foundation of VCCU, Ventura County Credit Union’s (VCCU) philanthropic nonprofit organization, has awarded $75,000 in grants to 17 nonprofits who deliver invaluable help and support to our local community. This grant cycle, which is the second round of awards distributed in 2023, has set a new record for the Foundation of VCCU as it is the most the organization has ever awarded at a single time.
The 17 organizations serve a wide variety of our neighbors in need including foster children, college students, cancer patients, and individuals with hearing impairment, as well as families struggling with homelessness, housing and food insecurity.
This Labor Day I am especially excited to announce that the County of Santa Barbara Community Workforce Agreement is 100% signed by Labor. This is the first-ever local-hire opportunity for workers on County public works projects. Residents across our county — from newly graduated high school students to our veterans returning home, the misplaced workers, or someone who just needs a second chance will benefit tremendously from this agreement. I want to thank the Tri-Counties Building and Construction Trades Council and our County Public Works Department for working diligently to get this agreement across the finish line, and my colleague Supervisor Joan Hartmann and former colleague Assemblymember Gregg Hart for championing these huge opportunities for local workers.
Paying workers and providing good benefits is good, but to truly honor American workers, we must support unionization – the only way to create an equal platform between employer and employees and the only way to empower the American worker. To do this, please buy Union. Here is a list of union products you can buy for your Labor Day BBQ.
The nonprofit co-founded at UC Santa Barbara teams with Direct Relief to provide efficient and clean sources of light and electricity to the Maui community left decimated by wildfires.
VENTURA COUNTY — On Monday, August 28th, 2023, five (5) dedicated members of our Ventura County Animal Services’ Animal Care Team embarked on a compassionate journey 170 miles to Coachella Valley Animal Services in Riverside County. Their mission was to provide mutual aid to Coachella Valley Animal Shelter, whose facility was landlocked by flood waters amidst the aftermath of Cyclone Hilary.
The devastating flooding had rendered their shelter inaccessible, forcing their staff to rely on shuttle rides via 4-wheeled vehicles, trekking over submerged terrain just to reach the shelter. The primary access road, once solid ground, now lay submerged under several feet of water, causing the shelter to close their facility to the public.
Erika Endrijonas, Ph.D., began her new role as SBCC Superintendent/President on Tuesday, Aug. 1, marking her return to SBCC (she was the Dean of Career and Technical Services from 2000 to 2009). Most recently she served as Superintendent/ President of Pasadena City College since January 2019.
“My first week back at SBCC has been wonderful,” said Dr. Endrijonas. “I had my sights set on returning to SBCC for over a decade, and I am still pinching myself that my dream became a reality. I have started to meet folks here on campus — some for the first time, some I haven’t seen in 14 years — and it does feel like I have come home. I look forward to the next few weeks on campus as we launch our Fall 2023 semester and as I start to meet members of our local community who hold a special place in their hearts for SBCC.”
OXNARD — Oxnard College celebrated major investments in its arts programs and facilities on Thursday. The campus held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new Art + Design complex, which includes upgraded classrooms, state-of-the-art studios and a myriad of new art supplies to serve students beginning this fall.
The day’s festivities highlighted the contributions of alumni through the dedication of the college’s most recent mural, designed by alumni artists and located in the campus Outdoor Amphitheater. The piece, entitled the Community of Resilience Mural, reflects on the COVID-19 pandemic by honoring those who were lost and celebrating the community’s resilience. The day also included the opening of a new Alumni Art Exhibition in the McNish Gallery of Art set to run through September 27.
Welcome Back to School!
Supporting Students is a Communitywide Priority
As we begin the 2023-24 school year, there’s a lot to be excited about in Ventura County. The worst of the pandemic is behind us and students are receiving all of the academic, social and developmental benefits of an in-person education. The new Transitional Kindergarten grade level for four-year-olds is available to more students than ever. Many of our high schools and middle schools now have Wellness Centers to help students deal with emotional stress, so they can better focus on learning. And we’re celebrating the opening of the beautiful new Del Sol High School in Oxnard, the first new high school to be built in Ventura County since 2015.
But the new year is not without its challenges. More students are missing school than before the pandemic and our high cost of living continues to make teacher recruitment difficult. The good news is that our entire community is engaged in finding solutions to these problems for the benefit of our kids. I invite you to read more about this in my back-to-school message for the 2023-24 school year.
READ MORE
This year, the Santa Maria Valley Youth & Family Center (SMVYFC) is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Board members and other local leaders recently reflected on the impact the nonprofit has made during its half century of service. SMVYFC, which merged with Family Service Agency (FSA) of Santa Barbara County in 2017, supports thousands of families each year in stabilizing and achieving greater well-being.
“Strong families are the cornerstone of strong communities,” said Brian Zimmerman, Director of Student and Family Services for the Santa Maria Bonita School District. “Santa Maria Valley Youth & Family Center has helped students and their families in our district for generations.”
UNLOCK THE EMERGING ROMANIA MARKET: OPPORTUNITIES FOR ROMANIA – U.S. BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS
August 30 @ 8:00 am
This webinar will provide valuable insights for U.S. companies interested in expanding their business to Romania. Seize this opportunity to hear from representatives from the Consulate General of Romania in Los Angeles and Romanian companies sharing insights on partnering with U.S. firms. Additionally, you will hear from representatives from WITOC, EDC SBDC and U.S. Commercial Service Irvine working together to increase the level of Romania-US trade and economic relations. Learn more about the upcoming Trade Winds Mission to Europe and Eurasia on May 13 – 15, 2024.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
VENTURA — Ocean water quality results for samples collected this week indicate ocean water quality at the following Ventura County beach sampling location failed to meet State standards for bacteria:
We are thrilled to share an exciting accomplishment that speaks to our team’s dedication and impact on small business development. We are delighted that Juliana Ramírez, an EDC SBDC Business Advisor, was honored at the Pacific Coast Business Times (PCBT): Spirit of Small Business Awards held on August 17th.
The Spirit of Small Business Awards, a partnership of Pacific Coast Business Times and the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Los Angeles District Office, shines a spotlight on the innovation and resilience of small enterprises. Since its inception in 2003, this event has showcased inspiring company profiles, informative how-to articles and a valuable resource guide.
“Infinity” means, quite literally, “without end.” Since humans could reflect, they have pondered infinity. Very likely, the first inklings of infinity occurred as the earliest humans contemplated the night sky replete with what seemed to be an infinite number of stars.
Having taught college math, I often talked with my students about “infinity,” but in a mathematical sense. For instance, we discussed infinite iterations, infinite limits, an infinite number of classes of numbers, the infinite number line, infinitesimal differences, infinitely large numbers, infinitely small numbers, the infinite decimal nature of constants such as “pi.”
SANTA BARBARA — UC Santa Barbara is conducting a research project with Latina, Latino, or Hispanic immigrant families who currently live apart because one parent migrated to the United States, while the other parent remained in a country within Latin America. Families who participate in the study will receive $140 in compensation for their time.
LOMPOC — With cooler temperatures on the way, fall is the ideal season for a road trip to Lompoc! Sip award-winning wines from Sta. Rita Valley wineries, warm up with a pumpkin latte in one of our cozy coffee shops, take a lazy drive on our scenic country roads or relax at Jalama beach, catch a rocket launch from Vandenberg SFB, and stay at one of our comfy hotels!
Whether you visit for a week or a weekend, the comfortable weather conditions clear the way for outdoor activities like these:
LOMPOC — Savie Health, a free medical clinic for low-income people without health insurance, is pleased to welcome a new behavioral health specialist to its team.
Art Dossey, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with expertise in mental health and addiction treatment, is now available to see patients at Savie Health’s clinic in Lompoc on Saturdays. The nonprofit, which relies on private donations and volunteers, was able to hire Dossey with the help of the Santa Barbara-based Towbes Foundation.
CARPINTERIA — Girls Inc. of Carpinteria A group of eleven young girls from Girls Inc. of Carpinteria’s Eureka! Program recently returned after a five-day excursion to Washington D.C. The trip included a visit with Congressman Salud Carbajal and Senator Padilla plus a tour of the white house!
The focal points of this year’s excursion were centered around three main topics: 1) The challenge of healthcare accessibility because of financial obstacles or inadequate insurance coverage, 2) Reversing the decision of Roe vs. Wade and safeguarding women’s reproductive rights, and 3) Inequalities around the pink tax and the financial burdens associated with menstrual products.
“This trip showed me that women and people like me from a small town can truly achieve any dream or goal we may have. It was also impactful because having our voices truly heard by people in congress will help better change/develop our future”, Eureka! cohort member Camila E Hernandez-Sanchez.
VENTURA — To provide hope and foster resilience in childhood victims of domestic violence, human trafficking and physical and sexual abuse, the Ventura County Family Justice Center (VCFJC) hosted 49 children at its annual Camp Hope summer retreat.
Since 2015, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office and VCFJC have hosted an annual five-day-long summer camp in partnership with Camp Hope America, the first evidence-based camping and mentoring program in the nation for children exposed to trauma. Camp Hope’s goal is to give healing, hope and childhood experiences back to children and teens who have been impacted by violence.
