Trump Is Sending Migrants to Guantánamo Bay to Look Tough Your weekly summary from the Council. LATEST ANALYSIS Sending Migrants to Guantánamo Bay Is a Costly, Optics-Driven Shift in Immigration DetentionPresident Trump ordered the Secretary of Homeland Security to expand…
Ventura Music Festival Proudly Presents our Annual Gala Fundraiser
Bob Eubanks’ — BACKSTAGE WITH THE BEATLES
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Concert Experience and (optional) Intimate Award Dinner with Bob Eubanks & Ivor Davis
Saturday, March 22, 2025
5:00 PM Concert ? 7:30 PM Gala & Award Show
Top of the Harbor Room, Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach
“Public Texts: A Californian Visual Language” at the Art, Design & Architecture Museum explores how artists use text to challenge perception, critique culture and reflect California’s evolving identity.
I hope this message finds you well. I want to take a moment to provide important safety information regarding the upcoming storm impacting our community.
The Ventura County Sheriff Office – Emergency Services and the National Weather Service are closely monitoring a moderate storm expected to impact Ventura County from Wednesday through Friday. Rainfall is anticipated to begin Wednesday morning, peak Thursday afternoon, and taper off by Friday morning.
Storm Details:
Rainfall Projections: 1”-3” along the coast and valleys, 3”-6” in the hills and mountains.
Rainfall Rates: .10”-.33”/hr, with the remote possibility of .50”-1”/hr during thunderstorms.
Wind: Gusty Westerly winds of 20-40 MPH throughout the region.
Residents are urged to stay updated with weather forecasts and monitor their homes for any changing conditions.
“The importance of this project to our City cannot be overstated, as it plays a crucial role in enhancing public safety. We sincerely appreciate the continued efforts of our state legislature and agency partners, who are committed to collaborating on these important improvements in Oxnard,” said Mayor Luis Mc Arthur.
VENTURA — The City of Ventura is thrilled to announce the official groundbreaking for Marina Park’s new playground. This project represents a key milestone in the revitalization of one of Ventura’s most treasured parks, delivering a modern and thoughtfully designed play space for the Pierpont Bay community and surrounding areas.
In 2022, the original playground was removed due to structural deterioration after years of exposure to seaside conditions. Plans were immediately made to replace the equipment with a more resilient design using traditional wood materials, better suited for the coastal environment.
Stoll, who previously had his own legal practice in Camarillo, advises companies in all areas of employment disputes. He has extensive experience in labor relations, with special focus on agriculture, wage and hour litigation, collective bargaining, employment risk analysis, personnel management employment contracts, union issues, sexual harassment/workplace violence prevention and management and supervisor training. He also represents clients at trial and in arbitrations.
SANTA BARBARA — On Friday, February 7, 2025, the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara (HACSB) celebrated the official groundbreaking of the Bella Vista affordable housing project. The Bella Vista development is located at 200 N. La Cumbre Rd in Santa Barbara.
The 48-unit development will provide much-needed affordable housing for families with low and very low incomes. The project will feature a two and three-story building, with 48 apartments constructed on top of a podium. The development will also include a semi-subterranean garage with 58 parking spaces for the tenants and a 10 space surface parking lot for the guests accessed off Via Lucero.
“We want to ensure that every student has the opportunity to participate in our hands-on Farm-to-Food Lab programs. Covering transportation costs helps remove a major financial barrier,” says Caitlin Paulus-Case, SEEAG executive director. “We often hear from students that their trip to Farm Lab is their very first field trip. It leaves a lasting understanding of the connection between agriculture and the food we eat.”
On view now through March 9, 2025
Joanne Julian decided early on to be an artist. Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Julian inherited a strong immigrant work ethic and sense of discipline from her first-generation Armenian American parents. From her father, Joanne also acquired a fondness for gardening; from her mother, a love of art, dancing, and music. Julian’s first art lessons at age 12 included formative exercises in line and inspired her love of draw
Daniela Soto has earned a prestigious fellowship with eight years of funding to study the evolution of human brains from a genomic perspective.
?During the workshop, Hancock staff will be available to help participating students and their parents fill out a FAFSA (Free Application?for?Federal Student Aid) or a California Dream Act application. Students will also be able to apply?for?state and federal grants, including a Cal Grant, which offers?cash?for?college?and does not have to be repaid.?The application process takes about one hour to complete. Spanish-speaking staff will also be available.
Bludog Telecom provides Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP phone systems to businesses. These systems are a modern and reliable way for companies to communicate with customers while saving hundreds or even thousands of dollars compared to traditional business phone services. Additional communications tools such as text messaging, voicemail and video conferencing can be integrated into the system and presented using a single, streamlined interface. Known as Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS), these integrated communications systems allow businesses to manage a variety of customer interactions all in one place.
VENTURA COUNTY — Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC) proudly welcomes five distinguished community leaders to its Board of Directors in 2025. The new class of directors includes Elsa Brown, Maruja Clensay, Garry Collett, Angel Garcia and Sean Morreale. These new additions bring a wealth of expertise in finance, government affairs, housing development, and real estate investment, helping to further position Housing Trust Fund VC as a leader in addressing the area’s affordable housing crisis. Their expertise and dedication will support Housing Trust Fund VC as the organization continues to drive forward its mission to increase affordable housing options throughout Ventura County. Housing Trust Fund VC extends its utmost appreciation to outgoing Board members—Marni Brook, Jennie Buckingham, Carrick DeHart, and Emilio Ramirez—for their dedicated service and unwavering commitment to advancing housing affordability. Their leadership and contributions have made a lasting impact.
SANTA BARBARA — The Cottage Obstetrics & Gynecology (Ob/Gyn) Clinic is pleased to announce the addition of two obstetrician-gynecologists, Dr. Britta Gray and Dr. Helen Matthews, along with certified nurse midwife Maribeth Claassen. This expansion of the care team furthers the clinic’s mission to enhance access to comprehensive Ob/Gyn services for women.
Joining Medical Director Dr. Lisa Lepine, the expanded team will continue caring for patients at the Cottage Ob/Gyn Clinic, located at 2416 Castillo Street, Unit A, in Santa Barbara.
The Cottage Ob/Gyn Clinic is a practice led by women specialists offering comprehensive medical services—from routine wellness examinations to diagnosis and treatment of gynecological conditions, and complete obstetric care from pre-conception to pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum visits.
SACRAMENTO — Assemblymember Steve Bennett (D-Ventura) introduced AB 506 to increase transparency from online pet brokers on the original source of a pet. This bill is part of a legislative package aimed at stopping the puppy mill pipeline, including AB 519 (Berman) and SB 312 (Umberg).
California has made concerted efforts to disrupt the lucrative puppy mill industry, the operations of which have been underpinned by online brokers. These anonymous sellers leverage steep nonrefundable deposits against consumers as a paywall to withhold where they’ve acquired the animal and the conditions in which it was raised.
VENTURA COUNTY — The Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 Ventura County Academic Decathlon, which was held over the past few weeks. The winners were revealed at a ceremony this evening in Camarillo. The three teams with the highest overall scores this year are:
1st Place: Westlake High School
2nd Place: Channel Islands High School
3rd Place: Thousand Oaks High School
Rain is on the way, and now is the time to prepare.
The National Weather Service is forecasting the potential for a major storm in Santa Barbara County, expected to arrive as soon as Tuesday night, February 11, 2025. Flooding in low-lying areas and hazardous road conditions are expected countywide. This storm also poses a potential risk for debris flows and significant flooding to residents and businesses within and surrounding the Lake Fire burn scar.
Evacuations are NOT being issued at this time. If you live in or near the Lake Fire Burn Area and are concerned that this storm may cause unsafe conditions to your local roads and home, leave the area before rain starts. Do not wait for an official evacuation notification to leave.??
Public safety officials are keeping a close eye on the incoming storm and working with the National Weather Service. Officials will continue to work together to further assess if protective actions, such as an evacuation warning, evacuation order, or shelter in place are necessary.
OXNARD — The Oxnard Performing Arts Center Corporation (OPAC) announces that a critical agenda item concerning the future of the Oxnard Performing Arts & Convention Center (PACC) will be presented before the Oxnard City Council on February 18, 2025. This meeting will serve as a pivotal moment for the community, stakeholders, and supporters of OPAC as the City deliberates the future management of the venue.
As of March 1, 2020 the current operator for both the Auditorium and the Community Center is Sterling Venue Ventures (SVV), more widely known as The Canyon. Their two agreements – one for each side of the complex – are set to expire or be rolled over on March 1, 2025. OPAC has formally requested – and will request again on February 18, 2025 – its own agreement with the City to operate the Community Rooms / Center, which includes two ballrooms, five classrooms and several outdoor courtyards.
We’re kicking off 2025 with great momentum, and we’re excited to share January’s highlights with you! Here’s a look at what’s happening at the VC Taxpayers Association.
Advocacy in Action: Our Executive Director, Ryan Grau, joined the Pacific Coast Business Times podcast Civil Dialogues, this week for an interview with Henry Dubroff. Ryan highlighted our collective efforts in advocating for transparency over the past year in the medical industry, school boards, local city budgets, bond measures, and more. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made and will continue working hard to ensure taxpayers’ voices are heard.
To watch the podcast, please visit: Spotify, Apple or Amazon.
OXNARD — Brinkman and Company, AAC, an accountancy firm focused on providing expert tax planning, preparation and other accounting services for individuals, families, professionals and businesses, has opened a new office in Oxnard.
Located at 300 E Esplanade Drive, Suite #1680, Oxnard, the office is the firms’ second location in Ventura County. Another office is located at 302 N. Montgomery Street in Ojai.
In the last 10 years, Oxnard-based Gibbs International Truck Centers has donated $1.3 million in financial and equipment to support the two-year program. Since the program began in 2015, the company has donated commercial diesel trucks, engine blocks, tools and lab space, and helped write the curriculum and hire instructors. It provides paid internships and scholarships to students in the program and has hired graduates.
CAMARILLO — Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP) (Feb. 5) announced the distribution of $225,000 in sponsorships to community-based and national organizations to support Ventura County and neighboring communities to provide relief to victims of the recent fires and strengthen preparedness efforts for future emergencies.
In response to the growing needs arising from the devastation of the recent fires in Camarillo and the Greater Los Angeles area, GCHP distributed $225,000 in total funding to support the following organizations:
If we have any ambition at all, we will want to make a difference, leave our mark on the world, and know that our existence, once it’s over, meant something. But how should we approach this daunting task?
Let’s consider a few ideas about how we can go about this sacred mission.
First and foremost, we need to discover our passion, or passions. Our healthy obsessions are fundamentally unique because we are, in essence, supremely unique. Whether we pursue science, music, art, writing, creating movies or work as an acrobat in the circus, we enrich our lives according to our natural talents and interests. Likewise, we enhance the lives of others who are inspired by our dedication or who see a reflection of something profound in our passionate approach to life.
Our three-alarm opera begins very early in our house each morning. First, Lady Whiskers, our huge Coon cat, meows politely, already in front of the bedroom door telling us quite empathically that she is ready to go into the darkness of the morning and begin her early dawn hunt. Our puppy, Maximiliano (Mad Max), hearing his sister, begins crying for attention and some warm milk. Half an hour later our family alarm goes off, all the while classical music is mesmerizingly reminding us to be mindful, trucha, and cool for the battles that lay ahead. This how we had begun our morning wakeup ritual for a while, until Trump ascended to the Monarchy of the United States roughly three weeks ago, and completely highjacked, assaulted, and disrupted our world.
Recognized for his stories of farmworker families in the vast and complex Central Valley of California, Muñoz is also a past recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship.
At the workshop, participants will learn about financial assistance, up to $350,000 per household, to help them purchase a home in safer, lower-fire-risk areas of California. The assistance, which is forgiven after five years, is designed to help bridge the affordability gap between what applicants can afford with a First Mortgage Loan and the purchase price of an eligible property.
Across the country, deportation is often discussed as an absolute end. What seems to be missing in the conversation is that for the deported people and their families, it’s the beginning of a new set of legal obstacles that often require advocates on both sides of the border to resolve. It is also the beginning of a new and often hard life chapter.
SANTA BARBARA — Professor Tania Israel at the UC Santa Barbara Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, has received the 2025 Award for Distinguished Senior Career Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest from the American Psychological Association (APA). Israel is in the Counseling, Clinical, & School Psychology Department at the Gevirtz School and is also the Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
The APA award recognizes an individual whose single extraordinary achievement or a lifetime of outstanding contributions meet one or more of the following criteria: (a) courageous and distinctive contribution in the science or practice of psychology that significantly supports efforts toward a solution to one of the world’s intransigent social problems, (b) distinctive and innovative contribution that makes the science and/or practice of psychology more accessible to a broad and diverse population, and (c) an integration of the science and practice of psychology that serves the public interest and advances social justice and human welfare.
“In 30 years of clinical practice, I’ve seen childhood change dramatically due to screen time. With kids spending more time in online neighborhoods than offline neighborhoods, digital injuries increasingly contribute to child distress,” said Dr. Bennet. “The key to prevention is awareness, information, and a strong parent-child connection. That’s the mission behind GetKidsInternetSafe. I’m so grateful to community leaders like Ventura Charter School for supporting their families during difficult times.”
