Sunglass Hut opening soon at The Collection

The Collection at RiverPark will soon be home to Sunglass Hut, a leading global retailer of high-quality fashion and performance sunglass brands. The store officially opens on March 25, 2021, at 550 Town Center Drive, Suite 6225. Hours will be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Consulado de Mexico en Oxnard — Feria universitaria virtual

Buenos días, queremos invitarlos a la feria universitaria virtual que está organizando en Consulmex Sacramento con apoyo de los consulados de México en California. En este evento se llevarán a cabo talleres con todos los sistemas de educación superior de CA, ayuda financiera, asesorías uno a uno y un día dedicado especialmente a DACA y estudiantes indocumentados.

Community Environmental Council Announces New UC Climate Leadership Course

The Community Environmental Council (CEC) is proud to announce a new certification course, UC Climate Stewards, that will empower locals to take clear action on climate change. The course, offered in coordination with the UC Division of Agriculture and the Natural Resources California Naturalist Program, is part of a statewide effort to build on-the-ground support to advance local and state climate goals.

Aerospace Startup, LaunchPoint, Releases New Hybrid Generator for Electricity-Powered Flight

A newly released, hybrid-electric generator system developed by Santa Barbara-area startup, LaunchPoint, opens up new possibilities in the fast-growing field of hybrid electric-powered flight. The product is currently available only from LaunchPoint and is shipping to domestic and global customers.

Created by a team of elite engineers over a decade, the LaunchPoint HPS400 GenSet is a 40kW generator with the capacity to power large drones and flying vehicle missions that require extended ranges of flight. This innovative technology offers new opportunities for companies working to develop extended-flight, airborne transportation and cargo delivery systems for what’s known as the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) markets.

Santa Barbara City College recognized for 3 top degree programs by Intelligent.com

Santa Barbara City College has been named among the top 10 best community colleges in the U.S. — in addition to receiving top rankings for its medical coding and photography programs — by Intelligent.com for 2021. Intelligent.com’s comprehensive research guide is based on an assessment of 2,277 accredited colleges and universities. Each program is evaluated based on curriculum quality, faculty, graduation rate, reputation and post-graduate employment.  

Take To The Great Outdoors With An Island Packers Winter Whale Watching and Excursions To the Channel Islands National Park

Island Packers, the official boat concessionaire to the Channel Islands National Park, with daily departures to the Channel Islands from Ventura Harbor Village, has now re-opened! 

A winter Whale Watch is a perfect way to gather with family and friends to view Pacific Gray whales migrating through the Santa Barbara Channel from their feeding grounds in Alaska to their breeding grounds in Baja. Pacific Gray Whales are normally sighted in the National Marine Sanctuary near Anacapa and Santa Cruz Island that began in late December and extending through middle of April 14, 2021. This mammoth migration of over 20,000 whales and 6,000 miles twice a year remains a major attraction in Southern California. 

Consulado de Mexico en Oxnard — Invitación al evento “Café Conexito” para dueños de negocios y futuros emprendedores

Café Conexito es nuestro grupo de empoderamiento /reunión virtual mensual en la que te invitamos a conectarte (con tu bebida matutina preferida) un Viernes al mes de 9:00 am a 10:00am.

Conocerás a un invitado especial cada sesión y disfrutaras de la oportunidad de compartir, escuchar y apoyarse mutuamente mientras alcanzas las metas de tu negocio. Esta sesión estará titulada: Metas Inteligentes para ti y tu negocio, y será facilitada por Irene Kelly, Administradora del Programa de Educación Financiera de WEV con nuestro invitado especial, Armando Sahagun, Asesor de Negocios de WEV.

CSUCI’s growing virtual micro-internship program continues into the spring semester

A virtual micro-internship program launched at CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) during the first months of the pandemic has proved to be so successful, it is continuing through the spring semester with even more participants. 

The micro-internships, which are hands-on learning projects with pay, are offered through the Martin V. Smith School of Business & Economics’ (MVS) Entrepreneurship & Small Business Institute (ESBI) with Associate Professor of Marketing Ekin Pehlivan, Ph.D. and Assistant Professor of Management Cynthia Sherman, Ph.D., Director of the ESBI. 

Social Justice Fund for Ventura County Monthly Update

We want to wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year. We are all hoping for a less tumultuous year and a year that brings healing and justice for all. Here are some of this month’s highlights:

First of all, thanks to all for your generosity in 2020. The Social Justice Fund for Ventura County had its best fundraising year in many years. With this money we are poised to continue our Fellowship Program and support emerging leaders become new voices for social justice in our community. Your contributions are helping our Social Justice Fellows introduce new ideas to bring fairness and justice.

Check out 2 new videos attached below. You will see two clips from a zoom conference we co-sponsored with the Chalice Newbury Park. The first is Rabiah and I introducing the Fund and our Fellows. The second – – which is not be missed – is Kavita Rai from Justice in the Classroom, one of our Fellows, describing her new organization and her personal motivation for change. These videos are the start of a “Get to Know” series we will be releasing of the Social Justice Fellows you have funded to make change. They are very inspirational!

Standard & Poor’s gives highest rating to County’s Treasury Pool

Ventura County Treasurer/Tax Collector Steven Hintz has announced that Standard & Poor’s has reaffirmed its “AAAf” and “S1+” ratings of the Ventura County Treasury Pool.  

“Standard & Poor’s conducts a careful examination and analysis of the portfolio. The process is almost like an audit,” said Hintz. “I am extremely pleased and proud to receive this affirmation of the hard work, dedication, and due diligence displayed by the Investment Work Group of my Office. It is a privilege to manage the investment pool for our portfolio participants and for the citizens of Ventura County.” 

Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Governor Lifts Stay-at-Home Order

The California Department of Public Health issued guidance today lifting the Regional Stay at Home Order due to projected increasing ICU capacity. All California counties will return to the Blueprint for a Safer Economy and color-coded tiers. Santa Barbara County has returned to the Purple Tier and a Health Officer Order outlining the specific restrictions and allowances for Santa Barbara County businesses and residents will be issued. This Health Officer Order will take effect at 8 a.m. on January 26, 2021. 

Santa Barbara County will continue to restrict gatherings of any size at this time.

Bilingual report — County of Ventura COVID-19 Update for Jan. 25

Vaccine Update

The County of Ventura is in Phase 1A which includes those in the health care sector and those who are 75 and older. Vaccines are for those that live or work in Ventura County.

The County receives vaccines from the State once a week. Once vaccines are received the County creates appointments for those vaccines to be distributed.

Appointments open every Monday.

Community members who are eligible to be vaccinated may register online on Monday’s at the following link:

www.venturacountyrecovers.org/vaccine-information/portal/.

Bilingual report — State of California Lifts Regional Stay at Home Order for All Regions

The California Department of Public Health hasannounced that the Regional Stay Home Order has been lifted in Southern California. Four-week ICU capacity projections for the region are above 15%, the threshold that allows regions to exit the order.

The action allows Ventura County to return to the rules and framework for the Blueprint for a Safer Economy and color-coded tiers that indicate which activities and businesses are open based on local case rates and test positivity. Services and activities, such as outdoor dining and personal services, may resume immediately with required modifications. Tier updates will be provided weekly on Tuesdays by the California Department of Public Health

Bilingual report — CenCal Health Addresses Gaps in Care with over $2 Million in Funding for Physician Recruitment, Medical Equipment

In response to noted gaps in access to health care locally, CenCal Health, the publicly-sponsored health plan for Medi-Cal in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, is implementing a Network Access Improvement program. The program will focus on increasing primary and specialty care capacity for local Medi-Cal members, as well as improving access to care for children and disabled members. These priorities will be accomplished in two ways – by recruiting new medical professionals to the network, and by funding specialized medical equipment such as vaccine refrigerators and exam room apparatus that accommodates the needs of mobility-impaired patients.

OC LIVE — VPA Student Showcase — where are they now?

Jonesin’ for a little OC student jammin’? Hungry for some home-grown creative talent? We know how you feel!  And that’s why we’re bringing back this encore presentation of the Visual and Performing Arts Student Showcase.

Relive the pre-pandemic glory days with some all-star student work in Communication Studies, Music, Art, Film, and Dance! And stick around for a  conversation with two stars of the show, Adan Nevarez and Jullianne De La Cruz. Find out how these OC students have kept heart and soul together during one of the most challenging years ever!

Ventura College’s Advanced Manufacturing Program is Preparing for the Future

Ventura College’s new degree program in advanced manufacturing is training the future manufacturing workers of Ventura County. Prompted by student interest, employer demand and Ventura County’s strength as a manufacturing sector, Ventura College’s new manufacturing training program will offer the latest information and technology in both lecture and laboratory settings.

Ventura College’s advanced manufacturing degree program offers an associate degree, certificates of achievement, pre-apprenticeships and a Journeyman Machinist program.

2021 California Strawberry Festival Cancelled

The California Strawberry Festival, which had been set for May 15 and 16 at Strawberry Meadows of College Park in Oxnard, is officially cancelled and will not be rescheduled for 2021 because of the continuing public health crisis due to COVID-19.

“We know that this will come as an enormous disappointment, not only to the thousands of guests we welcome every year, but also to the sponsors, exhibitors, performers, vendors and volunteers who help make the Festival what it is,” says Dean Kato, Chairman of the California Strawberry Festival.

MCASB — New Year, New Art, & A Fresh Start

Family Friendly Workshop 
Seed Paper Tutorial 
Saturday, January 30, 2021 @ 11AM PST
 
Enjoy a morning of learning how to give your paper waste a new life as seed paper! We will be demonstrating how to transform everyday waste into paper that can be used to make artwork, cards, gift tags, note paper and other crafts that can later be planted in the earth! This event is free to all and we encourage people of all ages to attend.

Bilingual report — County of Ventura COVID-19 Update for Jan. 22

Ventura County we want you to have access to vaccines as soon as possible! We receive vaccines each week from the state and open appointments for the vaccines we are provided. We are not given enough supply to vaccinate all community members at one time. We are advocating for more vaccines and we have the infrastructure to get vaccines in arms as quickly as possible once they are received.

We understand headlines in other places say 65 and older now. Unfortunately, in those places many people in that age range cannot get vaccinated yet because Counties throughout the State are in the same position of not having enough vaccines. The supply issue impacts the ability to expand the vaccine to more sectors at this time.

Cabrillo Economic Development Corp. Awards 14 Students with Rodney Fernandez Leadership Fund Scholarships

The Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation (Cabrillo EDC) recently recognized 14 graduating high school seniors and college students for their academic achievements and pursuits with Rodney Fernandez Leadership Fund (RFLF) Scholarships.

The RFLF was created in 2011 and honors the legacy of Rodney Fernandez, Cabrillo EDC’s founder and Executive Director for 30 years (1981–2011). The scholarship continues Fernandez’s legacy of community building by cultivating the leadership of residents to attain their goals and empower themselves to take action to improve the quality of life in their communities.

“This scholarship opened up the doors for me to do what I love,” said Alexa Gruener, student recipient of the RFLF Scholarship. “As a freshman in college, this scholarship has helped me pay my tuition for both semesters, allowing me to take on fewer work hours and thus seek out research and internship opportunities. Currently, I am volunteering at Westminster Free Clinic and working for the Boston University Medical School’s MANOS project, which does research on chronic kidney diseases in field workers from Central America.”

Bilingual commentary — The Power of Oratory

The past few days in our country have been exhausting, frightening, sickening, traumatic, dispiriting. The attack on the Capitol, with threats of even more violence in the coming weeks and months, starkly demonstrated the power of words.

An impeached and diminished president stands accused of incitement to riot. He may well believe that his words were “appropriate,” but then he believes many things that are not true. Even several of his supporters in Congress have admitted that his words carried the weight that crushed any remaining sense of stability we might have had.

Bilingual report — County of Ventura COVID-19 Update for Jan. 21, 2021

As of 1/19/21 31,553 individuals have been vaccinated in Ventura County. We have received 44,625 first dose vaccines. All appointments are filled this week.
More appointments will be opened next week. A notice will be sent when they open up.

We have to wait each week on the amount of vaccines provided to the County from the State and then more appointments can be made. All vaccines coming in are going out to the people in Phase 1A and 75 and older. We have more eligible people wanting the vaccine than vaccines available.

It will take months to vaccinate all people. Vaccine supply is the biggest barrier to making this effort move more quickly. This is impacting Counties throughout the State.

Once appointments are opened you can register on the Ventura County Recovers website at the following link:

January News from People’s Self-Help Housing

Leadership may very likely be on your mind, with changes of leaders happening now at the national level, leaders at the state level recently announcing decisions over budgets and policy, and local leaders governing critical issues and responses to covid and vaccines – leadership seems to be in our collective focus!  And of course leadership matters, to get us through hard times and challenges, solve tough issues, and to do good and difficult things, that are best accomplished in unity. At People’s we have multiple great leaders in dozens of departments, set to lead us into the new year, and ready for starting a new chapter altogether. Each is skilled in motivating the individuals within their groups toward reaching our company’s goals, in giving focused guidance for directing our activities toward implementing our strategic plan, and thereby meeting the needs of our communities. Leaders aren’t successful though without greatness coming out through those around them, to do the hard work that is required to make the mission happen. 

Bilingual report — County of Ventura COVID-19 Update

COVID-19 Vaccine appointments are full at this time. There are more community members wanting vaccines than appointments available this week because of the amount of vaccines we have available. More appointments will be added as more vaccines become available. The County receives vaccines from the state on a weekly basis. More vaccine distribution sites are launching but the County still needs more vaccines to add more appointments. We understand this is frustrating. We want to vaccinate the entire community as quickly as possible. We continue to expand infrastructure for distribution which will help move things forward once we receive more vaccines.