In an Unsettled World, the Ventura County Class of 2020 is Ready to Lead

It’s safe to say there has never been a senior year quite like this one. In March, the coronavirus crisis abruptly forced students from their schools and into a strange new world of distance learning. Then at the end of May, the death of George Floyd and resulting protests threw important and difficult issues of racism and equity into the spotlight in a way most students have never experienced.

This is the time of year when graduating seniors are usually celebrating with friends, attending proms and receiving their hard-earned diplomas in front of crowds of beaming family and friends. Instead, they are participating in car caravans, watching virtual graduations and contemplating an unsettled world where our economy, our social fabric, even our basic health and safety seem far from secure.

Against this backdrop, I am proud to introduce you to some remarkable Ventura County graduates who aren’t letting the difficulties of our current moment extinguish their spirit or stop them from pursuing their dreams. Among them are students who have personally felt the sting of social inequity and found the inner strength to rise above.

Museum of Ventura County — With your support …

COVID-19…. Nearly every aspect of our daily lives is impacted. None of us is immune. We are living through unprecedented, historic times.

How will we remember the details of this life-altering experience? What will future residents learn about how Ventura County reacted to the crisis? Who will tell our grandkids the stories of our experience? The answer to those questions and the key to the historical records will be in the archives and the collection of the Museum of Ventura County. Such is the case with all of our county’s history.

Ventura County Community Development Corp. — Check out our FREE Workshops and Updates! ?

Do you have a will or a trust? If the answer is no, you are leaving your loved ones and your assets at risk if something were to happen to you. Regardless of your age or your income, estate planning is an important part of planning for the future for anyone! Join us to learn how you can prepare and protect yourself and your loved ones! Guest speaker: Attorney, Rennee R. Dehesa.

Firefighters to conduct live fire training on Thursday, June 4 at the Water Recycling Plant in Fillmore

The Ventura County Fire Department, in cooperation with Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (VCAPCD) and the California Department of Forestry (CAL FIRE) is proceeding with a live fire training burn in Fillmore on Thursday, June 04, 2020, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Fillmore residents may notice smoke and helicopter traffic in the area. 

Conejo Democratic Club Meeting on Monday, June 8

REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING!
Monday, June 8, 2020
6:30 pm – Arrival & Mingling
7:00pm – Meeting Starts
A DCCV ZOOM!
Register Here 

Guest Speakers include…
Tim Allison
CSUCI Political Science Adjunct Professor 
Educating Activists:  The 5 things everyone should know to understand CA politics
&
Speaker(s) – TBD
Social Justice Update & Actions 
around George Floyd

Meadowlark Service League Annual Giving to award grants

Meadowlark Service League Annual Giving will award grants to 24 local Ventura County charities and 25 college scholarships this June.  The annual celebration luncheon was cancelled due to Covid-19, but the grants will still be awarded to the recipient charities and students.  Meadowlarks raised $180,000 to support our community this year.  This small group of less than 20 active members, plus it’s generous supporting members, planned and executed 3 major fundraisers for the 2019/2020 Giving.  A full list of the grant recipients is provided below. 

June Newsletter & Special Thanks! ~ Friendship Center

Here at Friendship Center, we foster and encourage strong partnerships with our family caregivers to assist our members in getting connected online, so that they can continue participating with their friends in virtual social settings – we call this our virtual community. We are ready to help make this possible, so please contact us and let’s embrace something new together!

Increased Financial Help Arrives for Thousands of Vulnerable Individuals and Families in Santa Barbara County through COVID-19 Joint Response Effort

United Way of Santa Barbara County announced on June 1 that thanks to their generous supporters, the COVID-19 Joint Response Effort for Santa Barbara County, has secured more than $1.2 million to provide ongoing support for individuals and families in need through Individual Assistance Grants. To date, more than 800 households (representing 2,600 individuals) have received much-needed relief funds. Hundreds more households will receive support in the coming weeks. Paying rent and covering basic needs remain the top concerns for the thousands of residents who have lost employment. In addition, 94 local nonprofit organizations have received grants totaling more than $1.3 million to also help them meet immediate and near-term community needs.

Guest contribution: Love in the Time of COVID-19 Calls for “Minimony” Weddings by Santa Barbara’s Weddings by the Sea

Planning a wedding is a big deal, no matter the size of the event, the location or budget. After all, it’s one of the most important days in the lives of couples everywhere. A great deal of time, care and thought goes into creating a memorable event months ahead of tying the knot. Right now, millions of couples are reeling from the impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on their “Big Day.” Imagine the frustration of realizing that your celebration is frozen in suspended animation due to travel and social distancing restrictions, hotel, event venue and honeymoon destination closures, lost deposits, and worst of all, not knowing if the date you set will actually be the official day you’ll share your marriage ceremony with loved ones. Catherine Forester, an officiant and owner of Weddings by the Sea in Santa Barbara, understands the emotional turmoil couples are suffering. She has developed a practical solution to stop coronavirus from defeating happiness.

EDC Business Alert- SBA Loan Denials, How to Inquire about SBA Loan Status and More!

EDC has been proud to walk alongside nearly 5,000 businesses in Ventura and Santa Barbara County who have been navigating every possible resource to move forward and thrive. Your courage and perseverance has been inspiring and we know that many of you have faced tremendous obstacles.

In response to questions around SBA loan denials, unknown loan status, unemployment benefit concerns and much more, we offer the following guidance.

Ventura County Public Health Issues Visitation Guidance for Long-Term Care Facilities

The Ventura County Public Health Officer has issued visitation guidance for Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCF). For more than two months residents of the facilities have not been able to have visits from friends and family members to protect these seniors from COVID-19 infection. These residents have missed special visits with their loved ones and the following guidance will allow for facilities to maintain and enhance the quality of life for these residents.

State Sen. Jackson Teleconference Town Hall with EDD this Wednesday, June 3

Join State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson’s (D-Santa Barbara), Assemblymember Monique Limón, and Congressman Salud Carbajal as well as a representative from California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) for a teleconference town hall this Wednesday, June 3 at 5:30 p.m.

Please note that the EDD presenter will not have access to benefit claim information and cannot respond to specific claim inquiries.

Ventura County Public Works Agency and Southern California Edison Enhance Safety by Upgrading Streetlights

In an effort to make unincorporated streets safer, Ventura County Public Works Agency (VCPWA) and Southern California Edison (SCE) are working together to begin work on May 26 to replace existing high pressure sodium vapor fixtures with energy efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights. 

GUSD: Kermit McKenzie Intermediate School Drive-Thru Promotion on June 2

Kermit McKenzie Intermediate School eighth graders will join a drive-thru parade when they are promoted to high school on June 2.

The social-distancing celebration is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the school parking lot with teachers and staff cheering them on. Student arrival times will be by last name. One vehicle per graduate with persons from the same household. Vehicles can be decorated as much as safely possible.

Bilingual report — STAY WELL VC Order – Safely Reopening Ventura County Effective May 29

This Order issued by the Ventura County Health Officer shall become effective at 11:59 p.m. on May 29, 2020. At that time, all current Orders of the Ventura County Health Officer shall expire and no longer be of any force or effect, except any and all prior violations of the previous orders remain prosecutable, criminally or civilly. Pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 120295 et seq., violation of or failure to comply with this Order is a misdemeanor punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both.

Make Your Mark: Check in and Protect Older Adults

For the past 57 years, our nation has designated May as Older Americans Month to celebrate the countless contributions that older adults make in their communities. This year’s theme is Make Your Mark, and California is celebrating by highlighting how older adults are making their mark during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep our communities safe and healthy.