Business, Government, Health, Local, News

VC Air Pollution Control Board to award up to $52,000 from Clean Air Fund

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The Ventura County Air Pollution Control Board awards Clean Air Fund grants for community projects that reduce emissions that contribute to ozone and particle pollution. Ventura County exceeds current state and federal standards for ozone and the state standard for PM10, which is particulate matter with a diameter up to 10 micrometers. Clean Air Fund grants also support projects that address climate change, for instance by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases or mitigating the impact of carbon released into the atmosphere.

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Business, Family, Food, Local, News

Santa Barbara County Food Action Network announces the 2024 Food Justice Microgrant Program Awardees

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SANTA BARBARA — The 2024 Food Justice Microgrant Program seeks to address inequities and vulnerabilities in our local food system. The Santa Barbara County Food Action Network (SBCFAN), with seed funding from our corporate partner, Clevr Blends, is awarding microgrants for projects or programs that build regional food system resiliency through the power of food justice, food sovereignty, and/or agroecology. Flexible funding of up to $5,000 per grantee, for a total of $40,000, is being awarded. 

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Cultural, Entertainment, Local, News

TOArts welcomes new board members ahead of 30th anniversary celebration

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THOUSAND OAKS — TOArts, the nonprofit fundraising and presenting partner of the Bank of America Performing Arts Center at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, proudly announces the addition of two new board members: Karen Davis and Keith Wintermute.

Karen Davis, a resident of the Conejo Valley for over 40 years, brings a wealth of experience as a retired finance executive. Her career includes significant roles at the Ventura County Healthcare Agency and California Lutheran University. Deeply committed to giving back to the community where her children grew up, Karen is enthusiastic about attracting young adults to TOArts events, including stand-up comics and popular 90s artists like Nick Carter, Ginuwine and Montell Jordan. 

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Cultural, Education, Family, Local, News, Women, Youth

Girls Inc. of Carpinteria Welcomes Four Distinguished Leaders to its Board of Directors

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CARPINTERIA — As Girls Inc. of Carpinteria moves into a new fiscal year, they proudly announce the appointment of four esteemed professionals to its Board of Directors: Eleanor Gartner, Alan Griffin, Kirsten Jenkins, and Amber Kaplan. Each brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to empowering young girls in the community.

“We are thrilled to welcome Eleanor, Alan, Kirsten, and Amber to our board,” said Jamie Collins, Executive Director of Girls Inc. of Carpinteria. “Their diverse backgrounds and strong dedication to our community will be invaluable as we continue our mission to inspire the next generation of leaders to be strong, smart, and bold.”

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Business, En español, Government, Local, Locales, News, Noticias

Bilingual report — Maruja Clensay Named Assistant Community Development Director for the City of Ventura

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VENTURA — Following an extensive recruitment process, Maruja Clensay has been appointed as the new Assistant Community Development Director, effective August 12, 2024. Ms. Clensay brings extensive experience from both the public and private sectors. 

Maruja Clensay served as Chief of Staff for County of Ventura’s District 1 Supervisor Matt LaVere. In this role, she advised Supervisor LaVere on land use planning, zoning, public works, and entitlement procedures. She also oversaw office operations, personnel, budget, and constituent concerns and served as the Executive Officer for the Ojai Valley Municipal Advisory Council.

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Business, Elections, Local, News, Youth

Santa Barbara City College welcomes Diana Zapata as new Director of Human Resources

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SANTA BARBARA — Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) is excited to announce the appointment of Diana Zapata as the new Director of Human Resources. With a distinguished career in strategic human resources management and as a former student and faculty member at SBCC, Zapata brings a wealth of expertise and experience back to the campuses, further enhancing the college’s commitment to fostering a positive and inclusive workplace environment..

“It’s great to be back at SBCC,” shared Zapata. “I look forward to working with the SBCC team, to partner with them and build a better culture of belonging across all campuses.”

Zapata’s professional journey spans over two decades, with significant leadership roles in both nonprofit and for-profit sectors. She has demonstrated exceptional skills in recruitment, talent acquisition and retention, labor relations, staff development, conflict resolution and organizational development. Her multidisciplinary approach and proven track record in supporting institutional growth make her an invaluable addition to the SBCC community.

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Business, Government, Local, News

Port of Hueneme — Two Ventura County Ports Drive Innovative Solution to Improve Trade

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PORT HUENEME — Following the exciting announcement of a $16 million sub-award from the California State Transportation Agency’s Port and Freight Infrastructure Program (PFIP) grant, the Ventura Port District and the Port of Hueneme are set to commence the next phase of the Commercial Fish Landing Modernization Project.

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Business, En español, Government, Local, Locales, News, Noticias

Bilingual report — Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) — Reimbursement for Employee Training Still Available!

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Thanks to a recent contract the Economic Development Collaborative won from the Employment Training Panel, your company can now be reimbursed for training. Employers in manufacturing, biotechnology, agriculture, nursing and healthcare, construction, high technology services, multimedia and entertainment, goods movement and transportation logistics can access this funding.

Qualifications

To benefit from this program, employers must actively pay into the California Unemployment Fund on behalf of employees. Employees must:

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Cultural, Educación, Education, En español, Local, Locales, News, Noticias, Youth

Teatro de las Américas — Theatrical exercises end of course presentation | Prácticas Teatrales, presentación de fin de cursos

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Come to the end-of-course presentation of the THEATRICAL PRACTICES of the Teatro de las Américas as part of our First Jueves activities

Throughout the month of July, THEATRICAL PRACTICES coordinated by Juan Pablo Yah Yah were carried out in which the participants, some with, others without theater experience, performed exercises and dynamics to fine-tune their theater techniques.

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Business, Health, Local, News

Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital First on Central Coast to Implant TriClipTM System, Device to Repair Leaky Tricuspid Heart Valve

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SANTA BARBARA — August 1, 2024— The structural heart team at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital (SBCH) now offers the TriClipTM transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) system, a minimally invasive therapy for treating patients with a leaky heart valve, known as tricuspid regurgitation or “TR.” SBCH is the first hospital on the Central Coast to provide this innovative therapy.

“We are proud to make this treatment option available to our patients who suffer from a leaky tricuspid valve,” said Michael Shenoda, MD, interventional cardiologist. “Previously, patients living with TR faced the prospect of invasive open-heart surgery. With this new option, we provide a less invasive alternative, marking a significant advancement in cardiac care.”

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Business, Food, Government, Health, Local, News

Farm Bureau of Ventura County announces Queensland Fruit Fly Quarantine Lifted!!

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Note from the CEO,

I am thrilled to report the completion of the Queensland Fruit Fly Eradication Program. I also want to acknowledge the CDFA Fruit Fly team for their on-the-ground efforts, our Ag Commissioner Korinne Bell for her quick and thoughtful implementation of the requirements, the citizens of Thousand Oaks for their compliance, and the farmers in the potential expansion area who went through enormous effort to protect commercial agriculture from the risk of expansion.

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Business, Cultural, Health, Local, News, Youth

AHA! in Santa Barbara is thrilled to welcome three new members to its Board of Directors

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SANTA BARBARA — Healthy Attitudes, Emotional Harmony and Lifelong Achievement (AHA), which equips teenagers, educators, and parents with social and emotional intelligence to dismantle apathy, prevent despair, and interrupt hate-based behavior, has announced three new members to its board of directors: 

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Business, Cultural, Entertainment, Events, Local, News, Youth

Ventura County Fair opens tonight — July 31

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July 31 – August 11
Open 12pm to 12am daily

Gates open at 11am on Tuesday, August 6 only.

Upcoming entertainment includes:

• Aug. 4 — Los Tucanes De Tijuana is a Mexican Norteño & Corrido band from Mexico. Establishing themselves as one of the country’s most popular Norteño groups with hits like La Chona, El Centenario, El Tuanazo and La Ley 57.
• Aug. 5 — Gabriel Iglesias (Fluffy) is an American stand-up comedian and actor, having produced several comedy specials for television, including I’m Not Fat… I’m Fluffy and Hot and Fluffy.

MORE!!!

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Family, Health, Local, News, Youth

The Arc of Ventura County Celebrates Its 70th Anniversary

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“As The Arc of Ventura County celebrates its 70th anniversary, we reflect on how our programs and services have evolved over the years as we empower our program participants with the tools, skills, and accessibility they need to thrive,” says Mary Platt, The Arc president. “The dedication and support from the community has been invaluable, and we look forward to continuing this journey together.”

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Education, Health, Local, News

District 216 — TONIGHT: Tatiana Aya Tupinambá’s “The Spiritual Practice of Ayahuasca” Screening + Interview, plus more upcoming events

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Topic: “The Spiritual Practice of Ayahuasca + Plant Diets to Address Trauma”

When: Wednesday, July 31st, 2024 from 5pm to 9pm (Speaker at 6:30pm)

Where: LoDo Studios, 216 E. Gutierrez Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(Please only park across the street on the Office Max side of the lot.)

Members are Free to attend The District House evenings, and are prioritized when we reach capacity.

Guests Welcome to purchase $50 tickets to The District House evenings.

Note: We will be filming the speaker for the District216 Change Your Lens Series. Refreshments provided.

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Business, Cultural, Local, News, Youth

Splash Into Summer at Lompoc’s Top Water Play Spots

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LOMPOC — No matter your family’s water-based interests, Lompoc and the surrounding Santa Ynez Valley region have an abundance of refreshing, kid-friendly options to explore this summer. From classic municipal pools and water parks to natural swimming holes and beach escapes, Lompoc’s top water spots are sure to keep everyone cool, entertained, and make lasting memories. From municipal pools and water parks to natural swimming holes, this guide highlights Lompoc’s Top Water Play Spots to splash, slide, and soak!

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Cultural, Education, Entertainment, Family, Finance, Local, News, Youth

Music Academy of the West 2024 Duo Competition Winners Announced

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Congrats to Shengyu Meng, Yoshino Toi, and all of our fellow finalists on their amazing performances!

Thank you to our adjudicators, Gabriel Campos Zamora, Jeremy Geffen, and Rita Sloan.

Shengyu and Yoshino will each receive the Grand Prize of a $5,000 cash award and digital assets for career promotion.

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Business, Cultural, Education, Finance, Government, Local, News

Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) free event and webinar schedule

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SBA: INTRO TO CYBERSECURITY

August 5 @ 10:00 am

Empower your small business with a deep dive into cybersecurity basics at SBA’s upcoming Introduction to Cybersecurity event. Discover practical strategies to protect your business online. Join SBA for insights tailored to small businesses, ensuring your digital assets are secure. Do not miss out on the chance to boost your digital security knowledge. SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. For reasonable accommodation requests, please email LADO@SBA.GOV at least 7 days in advance.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

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Education, Family, Local, News, Youth

Almost 700 YMCA ‘Find My Genius’ Scholars Take Part In A ‘Dolphin Dash’ To Highlight New Safety Around Water Skills

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WESTLAKE VILLAGE — Almost 700 young scholars who are enrolled in the YMCA’s “Find My Genius” summer program from Moorpark, Simi Valley and Conejo Valley completed a five-session “Safety Around Water” (SAW) program that provides water safety and basic swimming skills to children ages 5 to 13 with little or no water experience.

To show off the scholars’ new-found water safety skills, the YMCA held “Dolphin Dash” events–two at the Simi Valley Family YMCA and two at the Yarrow Family YMCA where the scholars swam across the YMCA pool with the help of swim instructors. “Many parents were in attendance who saw their kids swim for the very first time,” says Brigitte Bonafont, YMCA senior aquatics director.

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Business, Health, Local, News

New Cottage Neurosciences Clinic Opens in Santa Barbara

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SANTA BARBARA — Cottage Health announces the opening of Cottage Neurosciences Clinic in Santa Barbara. The new clinic provides access to comprehensive neurosurgical consultation tailored to meet the needs of patients across the region.

Under the leadership of a dedicated team of neurosurgeons, the Cottage Neurosciences Clinic is committed to delivering excellent care from diagnosis to exploring treatment options and ongoing management of a wide range of conditions affecting the brain, spine and nervous system.

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