A new study reveals the development of livestock-guarding dogs in the Adriatic region.
SBCC’s Scheinfeld Center announces student winners of its 12th Annual Scheinfeld New Venture Challenge
The Scheinfeld New Venture Challenge business plan and pitch competition returned for its 12th season on Friday, April 29, showcasing some of our region’s most exciting and innovative college and high school student entrepreneurs. The event was live-streamed on YouTube, and videos from the college and high school competitions can be viewed on the Scheinfeld New Venture Challenge website.
Students from Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) kicked off the collegiate tier of the event, followed by the high school tier, which featured students from San Marcos High School, Anacapa School, Santa Barbara High School and Cabrillo High School. The aspiring entrepreneurs competed for over $15,000 in cash awards and startup support.
Guest contribution — PODS® Local Makes Home Renovation Projects a Breeze
Home renovation projects are at an all-time high and are expected to continue rising through 2022. In 2021, According to Improving America’s Housing Report by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, the home improvement market reached $281 Billion in 2021. While the cost of a renovation varies depending on the scale of the project, remodeling can increase the value of your home should you ever decide to sell. Homeowners are seeing an average of 65.7% return on investment for bathroom renovations and up to 83.1% a typical kitchen remodel (Realtor.com).
Moorpark College Holds Auditions for Summer Productions of ‘Blithe Spirit’ and ‘Disenchanted!’
The Moorpark College Theatre Arts department will host auditions for its upcoming summer 2022 productions of “Blithe Spirit” and “Disenchanted!” Auditions for actors for both productions will be held May 16-18 on campus. Both productions will run in July.
“We are thrilled to have the Performing Arts Center fully open and bring to our summer stage a classic family farce and the inaugural presentation of the hit fairy tale parody ‘Disenchanted!’” said John Loprieno, director and theatre arts faculty member.
Union Bank Grants $10,000 to United Way of Santa Barbara County
Union Bank, as part of its Community Recovery Program, has announced its decision to award $10,000 to United Way’s Young Leaders Society in Santa Barbara County, making Union Bank the largest supporter of the affinity group this year.
Union Bank is a longtime supporter of United Way community programs and initiatives, including the organization’s Fun in the Sun summer learning program and crisis response and recovery efforts. The bank engages with the organization year-round, with many of its employees representing Union Bank in United Way affiliate groups and various volunteer opportunities.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Union Bank was one of the first organizations to partner with United Way to support community-wide crisis response efforts. With their support, United Way was able to broaden reach and impact for thousands of local residents and families.
Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) — Free Webinar Schedule
VENTURA COUNTY SCORE: HOW TO RECORD IN QUICKBOOKS ONLINE FROM THIRD PARTY COMPANIES
May 10 @ 10:30 am
This live, interactive webinar session is designed to help you understand the features, functions and benefits of QuickBooks Online for small business owners as well as assist you in implementing accounting best practices to manage your business finance. This webinar will concentrate on steps to properly record payroll transactions that are administered by third party companies like ADP and Paychex. Juliana Ramirez from JR Bookkeeping will live answer your questions related to the subject matter including live demonstrations.
Ventura County Community Foundation Awards $192,556 to Ventura College Foundation To Support Ventura College’s Veterinary Technology Program
The Ventura County Community Foundation (VCCF) awarded $192,556 to the Ventura College Foundation to help support the Ventura College’s Veterinary Technology Program. The two-year vet program is a partnership between the Ohana Pet Hospital and the college that began in 2021 and takes place adjacent to Ventura College’s East Campus in Santa Paula.
The VCCF conducted an Animal Welfare Needs Assessment for Ventura County. This assessment showed, among other things, the need for more veterinarian professionals including qualified vet technicians in Ventura County.
First District Supervisor Das Williams — Get Rid of Your Gasoline Bill, Fire Safety, & Eastside Neighborhood Cleanup
Join me for a Education Community Forum (on May 11) on EV incentives for residents hosted in collaboration with my office, Central Coast Community Energy(CCCE) & Community Environmental Council(CEC)
2022 Young Authors Fair & Family Literacy Celebration Announced
The Ventura County Reading Association (VCRA) announces its 43rd Annual Young Authors Fair & Family Literacy Celebration to be held at kidSTREAM Children’s Museum in Camarillo on Saturday, May 21, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The museum is located at 3100 E. Ponderosa Dr., Camarillo, CA 93010. The event is FREE and open to the public.
This special event shines a spotlight on student writing through displays of books written by children in grades PreK to 12, which they can share with families and the public. Each submission receives a gold “Young Author Participation” seal from VCRA. Young authors will be able to read books of other writers, participate in fun book-related STREAM activities, and enjoy a presentation by Kirsten Larson, author of Wood, Wire, Wings: Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane. Families with children as well as teachers who participate in the event will receive a free, autographed copy of Kirsten Larsen’s book while supplies last.
Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation Joined by Local First Responders on May 30 to Pay Tribute to Those Who Died Serving our Country
Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation (PCVF) will be joined by local First Responders as they pay tribute to those who died serving our country on Monday, May 30, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. sharp at the Santa Barbara Cemetery.
Representatives of local first responders attending include:
The California Highway Patrol, Santa Barbara Area
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
Santa Barbara Police Department
Santa Barbara City Fire Department
Santa Barbara County Fire Department
Montecito Fire Protection District
Santa Barbara County Food Action Network — Spring Newsletter
Spring has sprung in Santa Barbara County: strawberries are at their peak and the abundance of asparagus, peas, artichokes, garlic, freshly dug potatoes, and tender greens of all kinds are hard to miss at farmers’ markets, farm stands, and local food retailers. Ridgeback shrimp and Spot prawns have joined the year-round offerings of live red abalone, sea urchin, oysters, kelp, and fish available from the nutrient-rich waters of the Santa Barbara Channel. Lamb and other recently born grazers can be found dotting the hillsides alongside their parents, protecting our region against impending wildfires and providing quality protein and fiber for our community.
United Way of Ventura County — 17th Annual Spirit Awards – Early Bird Pricing Available Now!
United Way of Ventura County is thrilled to share with you this year’s honorees for the 17th Annual Spirit Awards Gala.
Midge Campbell-Thomas, President, Bank of America Ventura/Santa Barbara, will be recognized with the Milton M. Teague Award for Outstanding Community Volunteerism.
Armand Begian, DDS, will be honored with the Douglas Shively Award for Outstanding Community Impact.
Procter & Gamble will receive the The Roy Pinkerton Award for Top Corporate Citizenship for its sixth time.
Tickets are now available to purchase for the June 4 event, where we’ll come together at the Hyatt Regency Westlake for dinner and awards to celebrate this year’s wonderful community champions.
Cultural, Educación, Education, En español, familia, Family, Finance, Health, Home, Local, Locales, News, Noticias, Seniors
Bilingual report — Get it Done SB! and Mi Regalo Initiatives Launched to Encourage SB Community to plan ahead by completing their Medical Advance Care Planning Forms
Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB) and Mi Vida, Mi Voz (MVMV) have launched a new advance care planning initiative for both English and Spanish speakers in Santa Barbara County. Advance Care Planning is a way for people of all ages to prepare for their end of life medical wishes. An Advance Directive assists individuals in making decisions about the types of healthcare they wish to receive in the case they become very sick or injured and are not able to speak for themselves. Additionally, it allows them to select a person to make healthcare decisions in the case they are unable to make them themselves. Everyone, 18 years or older should have a completed document regardless of health condition.
Bilingual commentary — The Tragic Loss of Native American Wisdom and Knowledge
I still remember my fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Knoll. It was her duty to follow the state tradition that had us studying the California missions. Our homework assignment was to craft a model of a mission of our choice. Mine, as I recall, was Mission San Gabriel Arcángel (Archangel), which was located not too far from my home. In class, we were taught that the “Indians” who worked at the missions were fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from the Catholic priests who taught them Spanish and converted them to Catholicism. The padres looked upon them as “children” and treated them “kindly.”
CSUCI will present honorary degrees to a global businessman and a prominent advocate for equity in education
Two champions of higher education will each be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters during the CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) 2022 Commencement ceremonies.
President Richard Yao, Ph.D. will present honorary degrees to The Trade Desk Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey T. Green and Educational Credit Management Corporation (ECMC) Foundation President Peter J. Taylor during the May 21 and 22 ceremonies. This year’s Commencement will consist of four in-person ceremonies taking place at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
LaunchPoint Returns to the World’s Leading International Technical Event on Vertical Flight Technology
LaunchPoint Electric Propulsion Solutions, Inc. is pleased to announce its return to the Vertical Flight Society’s (VFS) 78th Annual Forum and Technology Display, being held in Fort Worth, Texas, USA from May 10 to 12, 2022. The LaunchPoint Team is co-presenting two technical papers in the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) Technical Session I on Tuesday morning, May 10. Michael Ricci, LaunchPoint’s Chief Technology Officer and co-founder is also co-instructing the VFS’s signature Short Course on Electric VTOL Technology.
Celebration of World Trade Week at the Port of Hueneme Highlights Importance of Green Tech and Blue Economy
Trade consuls from around the world, high-ranking Department of Commerce officials, local elected officials, business leaders, and maritime industry experts gathered at the Port of Hueneme to present an important program with a special focus on environment, green technology, and the economy as it relates to the marine realm.
The 10th annual World Trade Week event, “Green Tech and Blue Economy,” was held at the Port of Hueneme on May 3, 2022 and welcomed over 100 people from around the globe with an interest and involvement in international trade.
UCSB — The Current — ‘National Recognition’ and more news
Scholars Alison Butler, Richard Church and Craig Hawker have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
CSUCI’s Summer Taste of OLLI (June 13 through July 22) includes Finland, the electoral college, cryptocurrency and the rogue COVID-19 virus
From June 13 to July 22, lifelong students age 50 and up can explore everything from the geopolitics of Finland to the magic of Sri Lanka to Hamilton, the musical, to name only a few of the offerings in CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI)’s Summer Taste of OLLI.
Each summer, OLLI—the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute—offers lifelong learners the opportunity to drop into any or all of at least two dozen different classes over a six-week period for just $15 a class.
OLLI Program Coordinator Michael Trainor explained that Summer Taste of OLLI is designed to give current and new OLLI students the chance to sample all that OLLI has to offer without the commitment of the regular six-week classes.
“This is also a time where we encourage people to try OLLI in hopes they will join us for the Fall session coming a few months later,” Trainor said.
VCCCD Names Three Finalists for Chancellor
The Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) board of trustees announces its three final candidates for the position of chancellor. A nationwide search was conducted to replace Chancellor Greg Gillespie, who is retiring at the end of June. The finalists are, in alphabetical order: Cory Clasemann, Ph.D., vice president for student success, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana; Lee Lambert, J.D., chancellor, Pima Community College District; Rick MacLennan, Ed.D., former president, Northern Idaho Community College.
“The Chancellor’s Search Committee conducted the search understanding just how critical this position is to the students and employees of the District, Moorpark College, Oxnard College and Ventura College. The board of trustees especially recognizes and appreciates the work of this hard-working committee. Their dedication to a thorough and extensive process led to three finalists for board consideration,” said Board Chair Dianne McKay.
Bilingual report — City of Oxnard Partnership With Amazon Gets Local Residents Hired
With Amazon’s new Oxnard fulfillment center officially open for business, the City of Oxnard highlights how its partnership with Amazon ensured local residents got hired.
In October 2020, when Amazon announced it was building a new fulfillment center that would create more than 1,500 new, full-time jobs with industry-leading pay and benefits, the City began to work with Amazon to notify and prepare Oxnard residents for these much needed jobs. Through this collaboration over the past year, about 60% of Amazon’s new hires at the fulfillment center are from the City of Oxnard.
Kids Club Returns to The Collection
Throughout the summer, The Collection at Riverpark will be offering a series of Kids Club events, sponsored by Sunny Smiles Dentistry for Children and Young Adults. Full of kid-friendly fun, these events will be free and open to all the community’s youngsters and their families.
The Kids Clubs will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon on the grass at Collection Park and take place on the following Wednesday mornings: June 22, July 6, July 13, July 20 and Aug. 3.
Village Properties’ David Kim Discusses Residential Housing Trends at UCSB 2022 Economic Summit
David Kim, a local realtor and former president of the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors, offered a “boots on the ground” assessment of the region’s residential real estate market during the 2022 South County Economic Summit on Wednesday, May 4, at the Granada Theater.
Kim, who works for the Santa Barbara area’s largest independent real estate company Village Properties, was one of five guest speakers at the annual summit, organized by the University of California, Santa Barbara’s Economic Forecast Project. The Department of Economics at UCSB established the project in 1981 to provide the community with information on economic, demographic, and regional business trends in the Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo County areas.
Business, Cultural, Educación, Education, En español, Events, familia, Family, Government, Health, Local, Locales, News, Noticias, Public Safety, Salud
Bilingual report — County of Ventura Update – COVID-19
(On May 2), the Consulate of Mexico in Oxnard and the County of Ventura Human Service Agency’s Farmworker Resource Program inaugurated a new Integral Service Window for Origin and Indigenous Peoples of Mexico Abroad, titled VAIPOIME in Spanish. The new service window will connect farmworkers of indigenous origins to information and resources about labor laws, resolutions to workplace issues, and services provided by the Mexican government to their communities abroad. Services will be available in English, Spanish, Mixteco and Zapoteco. This is only the third VAIPOIME in the nation and the first in collaboration with a government agency.
Two AMR Ventura County team members honored for excellence
Two American Medical Response Ventura County team members, paramedic Robert Sebree and retired paramedic William “Sterling” Johnson, were awarded for their exceptional efforts on behalf of the community. Sebree was honored with a Star of Life Award from the American Ambulance Association, as well as a Clinical Excellence Award from California EMS Authority. Johnson received California EMS Authority’s Distinguished Service Medal.
UCSB — The Current — Academy Honors
Professors Michael Doherty, Shelly Lundberg and Joan-Emma Shea have been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Top Cal Lutheran teaching honor awarded
A criminology and criminal justice professor committed to helping students learn by serving the community has received California Lutheran University’s highest teaching honor.
Helen Ahn Lim of Simi Valley received the 2022 President’s Award for Teaching Excellence during Honors Convocation on April 26. The award was created in 1995 to recognize professors who are held in high esteem by their peers, students and the rest of the university community.
Communities invited to take part in California’s Wildfire Preparedness Week
Ventura County information event to be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 3 at Camarillo Airport. Ventura County information event to be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 3 at Camarillo Airport. RSVP by calling 916-653-4561, www.fire.ca.gov
Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) — EDC and Uplift Central Coast Developing Inclusive Coalition to Access CERF
The six-county Uplift Central Coast Coalition—led by the Economic Development Collaborative, REACH and Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP)—is excited to announce its continued partnership to develop an application and secure our region’s share of California’s new $600 million Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF).
The six county region as defined by the state for the CERF program and funding includes Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito.
The purpose of CERF is to support new plans and strategies to diversify local economies and develop sustainable industries that create high-quality, broadly accessible jobs for all Californians.
Teacher of the Year for VCOE-Operated Schools is Announced
Beth Bowers, a dedicated and innovative teacher who has dedicated her career to serving students with disabilities, has been named the 2022 Teacher of the Year for schools operated by the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE). Bowers will now be in the running for the Ventura County Teacher of the Year award, which is open to all teachers countywide.