OCEANSIDE NEWS - OCEANSIDE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

member NEWS

Rep. Mike Levin to Present Report from San Onofre Task Force

6/23/2020

San Juan Capistrano, CA – This Wednesday, U.S. Representative Mike Levin (D-CA) will hold a virtual press conference to release a report by his San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) Task Force, a group of local stakeholders and experts he convened in January of 2019 to address the safety challenges at San Onofre. The Task Force, which is led by Rear Admiral Leendert “Len” Hering Sr., USN (Ret.) and former U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Chairman Gregory Jaczko, met on a regular basis for the past year with the goal of driving solutions to move and safely store sensitive waste located at San Onofre.

Genentech Donates $50,000 to North County Cares in Support of Local Families and Restaurants Impacted by COVID-19

5/15/2020

OCEANSIDE, CA – Genentech is helping North County families and restaurants with a generous donation of $50,000 to the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce Foundation in support of North County Cares. This donation amount will serve an estimated 1,650 local families and will benefit 30 - 35 restaurants in Oceanside and Vista.

Family Friendly Pride Festival Rescheduled for June 12, 2021

4/1/2020

Dear Pride by the Beach Supporter,

I am reaching out to you today with a personal note and important updates on our June 13 Pride Festival. On behalf of the North County LGBTQ Center and Pride by the Beach committee we hope that you find yourself well and safe during the recent COVID-19 Pandemic
We assure you that the vital, life saving services of the North County LGBTQ Center are still in operation and will continue long after the restrictions on social gatherings are lifted.

Children’s Paradise Preschool & Infant Centers REMAIN OPEN

3/24/2020

SAN DIEGO, CA (March 22, 2020) — Children’s Paradise Preschool & Infant Centers remain open to care for infants and preschool age children up to five years old and school age children six to twelve in its aftercare setting during the COVID-19 crisis. The schools are currently accepting new children so that families can continue to work. Children’s Paradise has many financial assistance programs to cover child care costs. The Centers have implemented stringent health and safety standard based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) and Community Care Licensing. Even before the COVID-19 crisis, Children’s Paradise Centers received some of the highest scores for cleanliness, quality and programs. Childcare is considered an essential service as it enables our community to continue to run the vital services and operations that will get people through this situation. The centers are also providing families with resource connections to food, supplies, diapers and housing. For more information on child care please visit Children's Paradise website or call one of the centers below.

Oceanside Chamber CEO Graduates from W.A.C.E. Academy

2/11/2020

Oceanside Chamber CEO, Scott Ashton was among the 28 chamber executives to graduate last Friday from Academy, a professional development program presented by the Western Association of Chamber Executives (W.A.C.E.) The graduation took place at W.A.C.E’s Annual Conference in Portland OR, attended by nearly 400 industry professionals.

Chamber Recommendations on March 3rd Ballot Measures

2/3/2020

Yes on Measure K
The Oceanside City Council has placed this Measure on the ballot asking voters to decide whether the City Clerk and City Treasurer should be appointed to office by the City Manager.

Under current law, the City Clerk and City Treasurer are elected by City voters to four-year terms. Chamber CEO, Scott Ashton, was one of the signers in support of the Measure. "These two positions hold a great deal of responsibility and should not come down to a popularity contest. The Treasure and Clerk should be hired by our City Manager after a thorough vetting process to ensure that the most highly qualified candidates are selected. In the case of the City of Oceanside, our Treasurer is responsible for a $350 million investment portfolio. What really stood out to me was a 2010 paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research that concluded that “an appointed rather than elected city treasurer reduces city borrowing costs by 13% to 23%", said Ashton. The Chamber's Director of Membership and Young Professionals, Emerald Lowe signed the Rebuttal to the Argument in Against Measure K. Read the Ballot Arguments.

No on Measure A
The Oceanside Chamber is recommending a vote of No on Measure A. Measure A requires 1.6 million voters to vote whenever someone wants to add as few as six homes to the County General Plan. This measure is opposed by a broad coalition of San Diegans that includes the Democratic and Republican parties of San Diego County, firefighters and public safety leaders, business organizations, as well as community, taxpayer and rural advocates. Read more.

Yes on Measure B
Voting YES on B provides San Diego County residents with a better choice for the development of private property in North County that will be developed one way or the other. Up to 2 million square feet of commercial space and 99 estate-style homes are allowed under the current County General Plan. Instead of the general plan designation, voting YES on B would approve 2,135 homes, 60 percent of which will be affordably-priced for working families.

This project was unanimously approved by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors after being thoroughly studied and refined through an open, public process. Read more.

Vote YES on B - March 3, 2020

1/29/2020

The Oceanside Chamber of Commerce is proud to endorse YES on B – the Better Choice Measure – which will appear on countywide ballots in the March 3, 2020 election. Mail-in ballots will be arriving in mailboxes soon if they have not already!

2020 COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT ANNOUNCED

1/21/2020

Ms. Alma Sisco-Smith was named the 2020 recipient of the City of Oceanside Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award at the annual commemoration celebration hosted by the North San Diego County Branch of the NAACP and the City of Oceanside.

Lawsuit Filed Amidst Major Concerns with Oceanside Referendum

1/17/2020

Lawsuit Cites Violations of California Elections Code and California Political Reform Act

Oceanside, CA – Citing egregious violations of California Elections Code and the California Political Reform Act, a lawsuit was filed this week against the referendum proponents, the City of Oceanside’s City Clerk and San Diego County Registrar of Voters. Filed on behalf of a concerned Oceanside voter with the support of the targeted housing project, North River Farms, the lawsuit alleges the signature gatherers engaged in fraud, forgery and misrepresentation in the signature gathering process, withheld important information from the petition signers, and illegally conducted political fundraising for the petition.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside Receives $1,000 Grant from Union Bank for STREAMing Ahead Program

12/16/2019

Oceanside, CA (DECEMBER, 2019) – Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside (BGCO) received $1,000 from The Union Bank Foundation to grow and expand the STREAMing Ahead Program.

New Alerts from Supervisor Desmond

10/28/2019

On Tuesday, Supervisors Jim Desmond and Kristin Gaspar hosted a veterans forum, with the focus being on military spouses and their families. Over 100 people attended the event at the North Inland Live Well Center in Escondido.

October Weekend Rail Closure

10/14/2019

Oceanside, CA – In order to facilitate infrastructure improvements along the coastal rail corridor, there will be no COASTER or Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service in San Diego County on the weekends of October 19-20 or 26-27, 2019.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside Honors Supporters at 5th Annual Board Installation Breakfast

9/6/2019

Oceanside, CA (SEPTEMBER, 2019) – On Thursday, September 5th, Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside (BGCO) held their 5th Annual Board Installation Breakfast to recognize and honor individuals, organizations and corporate partners for their commitment and dedication to the Club over the past year and to induct the 2019-2020 Board of Directors. With over 50 community members in the audience, City of Oceanside Mayor, Peter Weiss, pinned the incoming Board of Directors, and Ruchi Warrier, Director of Organization Development from Boys & Girls Clubs of America, read the official Board Oath of Office.

Region-Wide Transit Fare Changes Go into Effect Sept. 1

8/28/2019

San Diego – Beginning Sunday, Sept. 1, a new fare structure for the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and the North County Transit District (NCTD) will go into effect.

Governor to Consider Sen. Bates’ Bill to Screen All Sexually Violent Predators Before Release

8/23/2019

SACRAMENTO – Governor Newsom will soon decide the fate of Senate Bill 141 by Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) that would improve the safety of California’s communities by requiring all inmates convicted of a sexually violent offense to be administered a comprehensive risk assessment before their parole hearing. The State Senate approved the bill today while the State Assembly approved it with minor amendments on August 12th.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside Receives Grant from McCarthy Family Foundation for STREAMing Ahead program

8/20/2019

Oceanside, CA (August 2019) –Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside (BGCO) received $15,000 in grant funding from McCarthy Family Foundation to enhance their STREAMing (Science, Technology, Research, Engineering, Arts and Math) Ahead program.

Kick off of the Miles of Smiles Program at OUSD

8/19/2019

The Frontwave Credit Union O’side Turkey Trot and the Move Your Feet Before You Eat® Foundation are proud to announce the kick off of their Miles of Smiles program at the OUSD. 8 Schools are participating this year. Students who participate in the Miles of Smiles program receive Certificates of Recognition for the Miles they run and a pair of custom Miles of Smiles shoelaces for every 50 Miles they run in a year.

North River Farms Invests in Traffic Improvements

8/5/2019

This important issue has been top of mind for everyone through the planning process for North River Farms. Our goal is to improve infrastructure in the area to not only support our community but to improve yours.

The Dog Pawk at North River Farms

7/30/2019

Looking for a new place to take your pup and run off that extra energy? North River Farms will have a Dog Pawk located within the community! The fun, paw-shaped park will be for all dogs to enjoy and have separate areas for small and larger dogs. Even better, certain areas will feature obstacles for your dog to run to give them a little challenge.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside Awarded California Arts Council “Youth Arts Action” Grant

7/23/2019

Oceanside, CA (JULY, 2019) Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside (BGCO) was awarded $5,877 from the California Arts Council as part of its Youth Arts Action program.

Dad’s Club is a fatherhood community program in San Diego teaching healthy relationships

7/22/2019

Have you heard of Dads' Club at the Vista Community Clinic? This program helps fathers and father figures 16 years of age and older who are interested in learning about developing healthy relationships with their children, partners, and others; positive parenting; and resources and services in their community. Program supervisor Angel Flores, along with two graduates, got the opportunity to speak with KUSI about the positive impact the program has.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside Awarded 2019 Sports 4 Life Grant from The Women’s Sports Foundation and espnW

7/22/2019

Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside (BGCO) received a $5,000 Sports 4 Life grant from the Women’s Sports Foundation to start an all girls’ volleyball program. The Sports 4 Life initiative, cofounded by the Women’s Sports Foundation and espnW, supports programs that help girls in four foundational areas - leadership, self-esteem, confidence and perseverance – with the expectation that growth in these areas will also support girls’ physical and emotional health and academic success.

CITY OF OCEANSIDE WATER UTILITIES TO RECEIVE $1.5 MILLION IN GRANT FUNDING

7/2/2019

The City of Oceanside is pleased to announce that it will receive $1.5 Million in funding from the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grant, subject to Federal appropriations. The funding will be used to construct Phase 1 of a new Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) network, including retrofitting 21,689 existing meters and integrating the AMI system with the existing customer interface platform. Once the project is complete, 49% of the City’s meters will be connected to the AMI network. The AMI system will provide real-time information to customers about leaks, breaks, and other unusual consumption patterns.

City of Oceanside unveils Innovative fOOD RECOVERY AND PRESERVATION KITCHEN TO REDUCE WASTE AND FEED THE COMMUNITY

6/24/2019

On June 22, the City of Oceanside opened the doors to its Green Oceanside Kitchen—a state-of-the-art food recovery and preservation facility at the El Corazon Senior Center, providing innovative solutions to food waste, hunger and environmental and culinary education in North San Diego County.

OCEANSIDE WATERSMART LANDSCAPE CONTEST WINNERS 2019

6/24/2019

Landscape of Janet and Conrad Beck, homeowners on Laguna Street

Janet and Conrad Beck are the City of Oceanside’s 2019 winners of the WaterSmart Landscape Contest, an annual competition recognizing exceptional water-wise landscapes in San Diego County based on overall attractiveness, design, appropriate plant selection, and water efficient irrigation.