Bilingual report — County of Ventura Seeks Public Feedback on Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning

The County of Ventura is looking for input from residents on planning for sea level rise. The coastal zone in unincorporated Ventura County includes 29 miles of coastline and contains beautiful beaches, recreation facilities, critical infrastructure, coastal access trails, residential communities, and agricultural fields. Coastal storms, flooding, and erosion combined with sea level rise could damage these important resources in the future.  

Port of Hueneme Secures First Marine Highway 5 Shipping Route Designation

The Port’s SEA LINC Project (Spurring Economic Advantages with Logistical Investments for New Connectivity) was recently awarded official designation by the U.S. Department of Transportation, marking the first time a project has been designated in Southern California since the inception of the American Marine Highways Program in 2007.

The SEA LINC Project aims to move cargo off federal and state highways by shifting the cargo to barge along Marine Highway 5 (M-5) instead. The cargo, currently being trucked from the Pacific Northwest to Southern California, will now move on the water and reduce traffic and air emissions, improve safety, and eliminate wear and tear on the roadways spanning across three states. The Port’s project is also the first American Marine Highway Coastal Service project designated on the entire West Coast of the United States.

Housing Trust Fund Ventura County Board of Directors Welcomes Five New Members

Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC) has announced a slate of five new Directors for election to its 2021 Board at the organization’s Annual Meeting being held on Wednesday, January 27th, 11:30 am to 1:00 pm via Zoom. The new slate will fill the seats of five longstanding outgoing Directors, many of whom have served for years. 

The incoming Directors represent community members who bring a wide range of diversified knowledge and experience to Housing Trust Fund VC, especially as it relates to affordable workforce housing, socio-diversity, and inclusion. 

Museum of Ventura County — Virtual Event with Chris Hillman + New Meme Contest + More!

You’re invited to join us on Zoom on Thursday, January 21, 2021 @ 6:30pm—7:30pm for Ivor Davis: Up Close & Personal with Chris Hillman. Among the topics of conversation, Mr. Davis will interview Chris Hillman about his recent memoir, “Time Between: My Life as a Byrd, Burrito Brother, and Beyond,” his time living in Ventura County, his rock ‘n roll roots, and much more. This is not to be missed!

Bilingual report — Workforce Development Board of Ventura County Roundtable Via Zoom

Plans to increase workforce development opportunities and skills in Ventura County through 2022 will be discussed at a Zoom Workforce Development Board of Ventura County (WDB) Strategic Workforce Planning Roundtable Thursday, January 28, from noon to 1:00 p.m. The public is invited to discuss the plans and provide input.

One regional and one local plan was initially created in 2017 by WDB as part of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

Bilingual report — COVID-19 Update: New Cases 3,288, 17 Additional Deaths

There are 3,288 (includes Saturday, Sunday, Monday) new cases of COVID-19. There have been 30, 806 new tests performed. Current hospitalizations: 432 and current ICU: 83. Current doubling time is 26.3. The current R-effective (average number of people each infected person will pass the virus onto and represents the rate at which COVID-19 is spreading is 1.14. R-effective for California is .99.

There have been 17 additional deaths:

Ceres Makes Its Mark at The Port of Hueneme with Two New Hybrid Cranes

Over the holiday season, the Port was in full swing preparing for two new hybrid mobile harbor cranes. Their arrival on Saturday marks another step toward further reducing emissions and greening cargo operations at “The Greenest Port in the U.S.”. These new cranes will help speed the delivery of goods to local stores, increase efficiencies, support additional cargo movement, and reduce air emissions for the surrounding community.

Ventura County District 5 Supervisor Carmen Ramirez takes oath of office

District 5 Supervisor Carmen Ramirez took her oath of office on Jan. 5.

“I am honored to begin my service representing the residents of Ventura County’s Fifth District. I know that we have many serious challenges to overcome the difficulties each of us experience in different ways because of the health and economic crisis. But I am an optimist and believe that working together for the greater good will get us to a better future. Thank you for the opportunity to serve,” said Supervisor Ramirez.

A Thank You for Restaurant Workers

Local Oxnard restaurant, The Raven Tavern, is following State Health Orders to shut down all dining except take-out but they want restaurant employees throughout the area to know how much they appreciate them and thank them for keeping the restaurant industry going during the past 9 months. Beginning this Monday they will offer a complimentary “Thank You” meal to any restaurant employee.  Restaurant workers can stop by between 2-4 pm on Monday and receive their “Thank You” meal.

Bilingual commentary — The Promise and the Challenge of 2021

We’ve just bid adieu to The Terrible Year. Yes, 2020 was the year that many of us simply want to forget and make believe it never happened. But it did happen. And we are not going to snap back to normal in the very near future, at least, just because a vaccine on a white horse is about to ride into town.  Maybe we’re “done” with the pandemic and believe that we should “take our chances” because we’re so tired of the lockdowns and restrictions that robbed us of life as we knew it.

Ventura College Launches Veterinary Technology Program

Ventura College is offering a new two-year Veterinary Technology Program culminating in an Associate of Science degree. Classes begin spring 2021 at Ventura College’s East Campus in Santa Paula.

After successfully completing the first-year curriculum, students will receive a Certificate of Achievement in Veterinary Assistant, which will enable students to seek entry level employment in the field of veterinary technology while completing the Associate of Science degree requirements.

Bilingual report — COVID-19 Update: New Cases 985, 9 Additional Deaths

There are 985 new cases of COVID-19. There have been 10,764 new tests performed. Current hospitalizations: 411 and current ICU: 80. Current doubling time is 31.9. The current R-effective (average number of people each infected person will pass the virus onto and represents the rate at which COVID-19 is spreading is 1.13. R-effective for California is.97.

Museum of Ventura County — Up Close & Personal

Happy New Year, Ventura County! After the wildly successful, members-only Zoom series Behind the Scenes with Ivor Davis wrapped up this past fall, the Museum of Ventura County is thrilled to present Ivor Davis: Up Close and Personal, a new Zoom series featuring a rotating guest list of notable and celebrated Ventura County residents, including Chris Hillman, Malcom McDowell, Miriam Arichea, and more. This new series is free and open to the public with registration.

Join us on Zoom on Thursday, January 21st, 2021 @ 6:30pm—7:30pm for the first in this series with musician Chris Hillman!

Bilingual report — Capturing COVID — A Time Capsule of Photos, Writing and Art Depicting 2020

The City of Oxnard Recreation and Community Services Division seeks the public’s help in creating a time capsule that summarizes a year like none before it. 

Capturing COVID will record this historic time and help put the year into perspective for those who open the time capsule in the future. It will contain both written word and art, and is expected to help explain this period’s impact on all aspects of life in our community, from the advent of digital learning to isolating at home to missing important family celebrations.

Red Door Escape Room coming soon to The Collection

The Collection at RiverPark is welcoming Red Door Escape Room to the 650,000-square-foot, open-air shopping center. The new facility, which is expected to open around May, will be Red Door’s ninth location nationwide and its third location in California.

The Red Door facility at The Collection will be 5,600 square feet and feature eight of Red Door’s proprietary escape room episodes as well as an event suite for corporate events, birthday parties and more. The facility will be able to host groups of about 80 people when large gathering are permitted again.

New Year Brings New, Virtual Art Classes to the Santa Paula Art Museum

The new year means new, virtual art classes at the Santa Paula Art Museum! While the physical Museum remains closed due to COVID restrictions, you can still enjoy the joy and solace that art and community offer by taking a live, online art class with one of the Santa Paula Art Museum’s incredible teaching artists. Discover a new skill or passion in 2021! Reserve your spot in class at www.santapaulaartmuseum.org.

Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Montecito Debris Flow Remembrance, COVID-19 Update, & Oath of Office

Given the events happening in this country, particularly the storming of the Capitol yesterday, I make an urgent plea to all of us to RAMP THIS DOWN. Civil strife of this kind erodes our republic, and in other societies, leads inevitably to bloodshed and often worse. The hate is contagious. We must value our nation’s future and our ability to live together in common humanity more than short term partisan advantage, and stop devolving into warring tribes that share no dialogue, understanding or future pursuit of happiness together.

CAPS Media — Welcome 2021

Best wishes to all our friends and members for a Safe, Healthy, and Productive New Year from your crew at CAPS Media: Alex Uvari, Donald McConnell, Elizabeth Rodeno, Evan Carpenter, Gary Roll, Jamie Cawelti, Jorge Godinez, Manny Reynoso, Patrick Davidson and Phil Taggart. And best wishes from our outstanding board of directors: Ashley Bautista, Barry Fisher, Cathy Peterson, Cliff Rodrigues, Darryl Dunn, Kathy Good, Marieanne Quiroz, Mike Velthoen, Pam Baumgardner, Tim Harrison and Bill Schneider.

Bilingual report — COVID-19 Update: New Cases 1,520, 8 Additional Deaths

There are 1,520 new cases of COVID-19. There have been 7,560 new tests performed. Current hospitalizations: 420 and current ICU: 81.

There have been 8 additional deaths:

82 year old male,
52 year old female,
63 year old male,
71 year old female
102 year old male
68 year old male
56 year old male
47 year old male

Now Accepting Submissions! Ventura County Artist Showcase

We are accepting proposals now for our ongoing Artist Showcase in the storefront windows at Victoria Ave. and Moon Dr. in Ventura. Each of four storefront windows will be dedicated to a unified installation created by a single artist or created as a collaborative project by more than one artist.

2020 was a year of challenge, grief, longing, questioning, reflection and, hopefully, insight. To kick off the new year, we are looking for artwork that represents your experience of this time. Selected artists will conceive of each window as a diorama, a space in which an installation of accumulation, sculptural pieces, work in any medium uses the three-dimensional space dynamically.

Bilingual report — COVID-19 Update: New Cases 894, 8 Additional Deaths

There are 894 new cases of COVID-19. There have been 12,493 new tests performed. There have been 8 additional deaths:

77 year old male
93 year old female
89 year old female
81 year old female
87 year old female
80 year old female
78 year old male
78 year old male

Our thoughts are with the loved ones of each of the people who have passed away and with the medical staff who cared for them. Please help save lives by following the public health guidance.

Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) — Free Webinar Schedule

January 8 @ 12:00 pm

Join the EDC for a discussion of new COVID-19 Business Relief. Business Disruption Resource Director, Clare Briglio and EDC SBDC Financial Advisor Juliana Ramirez will be presenting and answering questions around these new federal benefits and expansions to existing programs. Space is limited. Please register early.

Jan. 26 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Isabel Wilkerson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Caste: The Origins of our Discontents, as part of its acclaimed Race to Justice virtual series

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Isabel Wilkerson, author of Caste: The Origins of our Discontents and winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Humanities Medal, on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 5 p.m. Pacific. The virtual presentation is part of UCSB A&L’s acclaimed Race to Justice series. This presentation will be followed by a Q&A moderated by Ingrid Banks, Chair of the UCSB Department of Black Studies. Ticket holders will be able to replay this event for one week. 

Isabel Wilkerson has become a leading figure in narrative nonfiction, an interpreter of the human condition and an impassioned voice for demonstrating how history can help us understand ourselves, our country and our current era of upheaval. Her debut work, The Warmth of Other Suns, won the National Book Critics Circle Award and many others. Her new book, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America and shows how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions. Linking the caste systems of America, India and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations. Using riveting stories about people – including Martin Luther King, Jr., baseball’s Satchel Paige, a single father and his toddler son, Wilkerson herself and many others – she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day.

Feb. 12 — UCSB Arts & Lectures celebrates Valentine’s Day with Two of Today’s Most Exciting Classical Musicians Alisa Weilerstein, cello and Inon Barnatan, piano

UCSB Arts & Lectures celebrates Valentine’s Day with Two of Today’s Most Exciting Classical Musicians Alisa Weilerstein, cello and Inon Barnatan, piano on Friday, Feb. 12 at 5 p.m. Pacific.American cellist Alisa Weilerstein and Israeli pianist Inon Barnatan have come together for a bracing and beautiful recital filmed at La Jolla’s Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center. Weilerstein is a MacArthur Foundation “Genius,” widely acclaimed for the precision and passion of her playing, while Barnatan is regarded as “a true poet of the keyboard” (Evening Standard, U.K.).

Feb. 24 — SBCC’s Atkinson Gallery Art Talk ‘Introducing Cosmovisión Indígena’

SBCC’s Atkinson Gallery, in conjunction with the SBCC Foundation, invites everyone interested in art and science — past and present — to a conversation with the creative team behind its upcoming project and exhibition, “Cosmovisión Indígena: The Intersection of Indigenous Knowledge and Contemporary Art.” 

The group discussion, scheduled via Zoom on Feb. 24 at 4 p.m., will provide the regional community an opportunity to learn about and engage with the project as the research process begins. “Cosmovisión Indígena” will trace the history, science, and contemporary uses of Mesoamerican dyeing and weaving, while exploring the mythology, ritual, and storytelling used to preserve and pass on this traditional knowledge.

Feb. 26 — Black history, culture, literature and scholarship celebrated with two Broome Library lecture series

It’s 1936 and young Opal Pruitt is growing up in Parsons, Georgia where the tension is thick with the Depression, the summer and the Ku Klux Klan.

This is the premise behind “When Stars Rain Down” by award-winning author Angela Jackson-Brown, a rising star in the African American literary community, and a guest speaker Feb. 26 for CSU Channel Islands’ (CSUCI) Broome Library Monthly Recognition Lecture Series.

Each month, the John Spoor Broome Library will welcome a speaker that celebrates a theme from the California Department of Education’s calendar. Jackson-Brown’s presentation honors February as Black History Month. March is National Women’s History Month and April is Poetry Month and Autism Awareness Month, and so on.