
The Carsey-Wolf Center presents “Subversives,” a film series with moderated discussions over Zoom.

Welcome to the Santa Barbara County Food Action Network’s first newsletter! We appreciate your time and attention in a year filled with new information coming at you by the minute. Rest assured the content will be relevant, inclusive, informative, and valuable to both you as an individual and our community Countywide. The quarterly newsletter will include: a feature on recent collaborative activation of Food Action Plan goals; a community profile in Santa Barbara County that is building food system resilience; upcoming events and funding opportunities; ways to take action.

In addition to stepping into the role of president of the board at The Foundation at Hearst Castle in January, longtime Hearst Castle benefactor Abe Marquez is a champion of a unique education program at W.R. Hearst’s former San Simeon estate. Now virtual, but no less impactful, the “STEAM Program at the Castle” aims to inspire and empower middle school students from underserved communities across California — including small agricultural communities like Gonzales, where Marquez was raised and still calls home.

During this challenging time of COVID 19, Livingston Memorial’s Grief and Bereavement Program is committed to providing bereavement services to the community. Our highly skilled grief counselors and volunteer support group facilitators are providing tele-therapy to those grieving the death of a loved one. We have just added two teenage grief support groups via Zoom for any teen grieving the death of a loved one. For teens ages 12-14 years of age: Wednesdays 3:00 to 4:00 pm. For teens ages 15-18 years of age: Mondays 4:30 to 5:30 pm.

Calling all Santa Barbara County performers, writers, musicians, poets, dancers, and artists! On the Verge is looking for local creators to contribute to our exploration of Santa Barbara’s history. We’re seeking pieces that dive into your personal relationship with Santa Barbara, and what it means to be a part of this community. Latinx and Indigenous creators are especially encouraged to participate!

FREE WEBINAR: REINVENTING YOUR BUSINESS DURING COVID-19
Thursday, October 15 @ 5:30 pm
Have COVID-19 disruptions left you in a position to rethink, or reinvent your business or business model? Join the EDC’s Small Business Development Center Advisors and Startup Simi this Thursday in their free Inspire Entrepreneurship- Startup Speaker Series.

We are so excited to announce that the Santa Paula Art Museum will reopen Wednesday, October 14, 2020, as part of Ventura County’s reopening plan! Both of our summer exhibitions have been extended. Visit the Museum to enjoy Inspiration and Influence featuring sculptor Duane Dammeyer and painter Rima Muna, and Santa Paula Sojourn, a solo exhibit by painter Shannon Celia. Guests will also be able to preview the 20 gorgeous works of art that will be available in our November online art auction, including artworks by Jessie Arms Botke, Cornelis Botke, Douglas Shively, Susan Petty, Gail Pidduck, and more.

The Days of the Dead season is here, and it’s time to honor the lives of our dearest departed and send them love. The Museum of Ventura County invites you to join us for a A Zoom Workshop: Creating Family Altars with Dr. Roberto Vargas on Wednesday, October 14, 2020 from 6:30PM—7:45PM. In this free, family-friendly Zoom experience, Dr. Vargas will teach viewers how to celebrate Días de los Muertos by remembering their loved ones and creating a Family Altar, or ofrenda.

A “crisis” most often refers to intense difficulty or danger that is temporary. A “mid-life crisis” will eventually burn itself out. A “crisis of conscience” will work itself out over time. A “political crisis” will normally resolve itself, ideally without the loss of life or cherished institutions.

I was moved to revise this article that I wrote previously. I recently saw the Netflix documentary Carlos Almaraz: Playing with the Fire. The documentary on the life of Almaraz was co-directed by Elsa Florez Almaraz, an artist and wife of the late Almaraz, and Richard Montoya, one of the founding member of the Chicano theatre group known as Culture Clash.

Breast cancer is a potentially deadly disease that affects approximately 245,000 women each year in the U.S. and causes more than 44,000 to lose their lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Additionally, it is estimated that one in eight women in the United States (12%) will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Hispanic/Latina women and the leading cause of cancer death among this ethnic group in the U.S., according to Susan G. Komen, a non-profit organization that strives to raise public awareness about breast cancer, treatment and prevention.

COVID-19 Testing Available – No cost. No appointment needed.
Weekday Drive-Through Sites – Monday through Friday 10 am to 7 pm
Moopark College, 7075 Campus Road, Moorpark
Weekend: Oxnard College, 4000 S. Rose Ave., Oxnard. The site is open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
Walk-In Site – Monday Through Friday 9 am to 6 pm
Ventura County Fairgrounds,10 W. Harbor Blvd in Ventura, Enter Gate 2.

The City of Oxnard today announced a partnership with Amazon, the global internet retailer, to open a new fulfillment center at the Sakioka Farms Business Park in Oxnard. Located just off the 101 freeway between Rice Avenue and Del Norte Boulevard, the Amazon project will bring more than 1,500 jobs with benefits to Oxnard when the company launches the facility next year.
“This is a transformational project for the Sakioka property and highlights the strong economic opportunities in Oxnard,” said Mayor Tim Flynn. “We have been engaging with Amazon in a variety of ways and it’s exciting to see the company now come to build and hire in the City.”

The County of Ventura Board of Supervisors has appointed Michael Walker to serve as Acting County Counsel effective October 11, 2020. Walker has served in the County Counsel office for thirteen years including the last ten years as the Chief Assistant County Counsel.
“The County Counsel’s office will be in good hands with Michael Walker as the Acting County Counsel,” said Leroy Smith.

After seven months of battling COVID-19 and dealing with the unrelenting fallout affecting the economy and the rhythm of daily life, everyone around the world could use some good news. Halloween has not been canceled! You’re invited to virtually attend the safest, “creepy-cool” party of the year! The “THRILLS & CHILLS” Halloween Dance Fest is the first of its kind, global celebration sponsored by World Dance for Humanity (WD4H), a non-profit organization with headquarters in Santa Barbara California. The Zoom-based festivities begin with a THRILLER dance event on Saturday, October 24th at 3:00 PM (Pacific time), followed by a Halloween Costume Dance Party on Saturday, October 31st at 3:00 PM.

The County of Ventura’s drive through COVID-19 testing site in Santa Paula, located at 128 S. Hallock Drive, will be closed on Friday, October 9, 2020. The site will be relocated to the Santa Paula Oil Museum located at 1001 E. Main Street in Santa Paula beginning October 16, 2020. The operating hours will be Friday through Tuesday from 10 am to 7 pm. The change of location and hours will allow easy access to testing for residents.

High school Future Business Leaders of America will zoom into the hearts and minds of local business professionals thanks to the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce Speaker Series on Oct. 8, Nov. 12 and Dec. 10.
The sessions include “Meet Local Millennial Business Representatives”, “Networking – Tips on Working in Today’s Virtual Environment” and “Job Preparation Tips”. All virtual engagement times are from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Prior to Covid-19, the chamber event was called “Take a Future Business Leader to Lunch”.

With a strong background in business and educational leadership, Dr. Cynthia Herrera has been named the Associate Vice Chancellor of Strategic Partnerships, Enrollment, and Advancement at the Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD). In her new role, Herrera will oversee all aspects of workforce development programs, grants and other academic and student support initiatives.

At (Oct. 6’s) Board of Supervisors meeting, we received an update on COVID-19 and we are still in the Red Tier according to the California Blueprint for a Safer Economy metrics. Currently we have 4 active cases in the South County Unincorporated Areas (which include Montecito, Summerland and the City of Carpinteria), 11 active cases in the City of Santa Barbara, and 118 active cases County-wide. This is a significant reduction compared to the peak of nearly 450 active cases County-wide during the spike in July. As you can see from the graph below, daily hospitalizations are decreasing overall as well.

Summer may be over, but the weather is still beautiful, and The Collection at RiverPark is offering a safe place for the community to shop, dine and enjoy the fresh air. As Ventura County moves into the red tier, even more businesses will be open at the shopping center for visitors to enjoy.
For those interested in dining out, many of The Collection’s restaurants are reopening indoor dining at 25% capacity. Restaurants will also be offering outdoor dining with extended patio space, giving visitors an opportunity to enjoy a meal and the warm Southern California weather, while safely social distancing. Additionally, The Collection’s Park View Court area is open for the community to enjoy. Visitors can grab their food or coffee and sit in the courtyard for an outdoor picnic.

Ventura County (on Oct. 6) moved off the most restrictive tier of the state’s COVID-19 watch list, which means schools could soon have the option of reopening for in-person instruction at all grade levels. If Ventura County maintains its status for two additional weeks, schools may choose to reopen as early as Wednesday, October 21. However, it will be up to each individual school district to determine exactly when they can safely begin welcoming students back to class. Some schools may choose to reopen their campuses later than October 21 for a variety of reasons.