Arroyo’s role as a Census Ambassador includes “keeping communications open between the bureau and the city,” to verify addresses and list any potential new homes to be developed, she said.A banner touting census participation is being readied for Main Street, she added, as well as a flyer listing the locations for Census Questionnaire Centers that will be opened in Santa Paula. The flyer will also be sent home with area school children, Arroyo noted.The preliminary letter - including a postage paid return envelope - sent out by the Census Bureau listing language preferences for the actual questionnaire does not have to be returned if the household is English speaking.
Census 2000 preliminary mailing to SP has extra digit
March 15, 2000
Santa Paula News
Census 2000 got off to strong - albeit somewhat odd - start when preliminary letters were sent off telling of the upcoming census effort and allowing people to chose which language they would like their forms to be in.
Confusion reigned with letters sent out adding an extra digit, specifically a number 1 preceding all street addresses.According to Anna Arroyo, a Santa Paula assistant planner who is a Census Ambassador between the city and the Census Bureau, the glitch was a computer error that appears to be widespread. But the Post Office was able to “get them to the proper addresses,” she noted. “When the actual census forms go out the correct addresses will be placed on them.”Five out of six residents of the United States will be mailed the mini-questionnaire, according to the Census Bureau, which will only take a few minutes to fill out. The long form is much more detailed and could take up to 45 minutes to complete.Long or short form, it is vital that people return the census questionnaire; in addition, those who do complete the forms and return them by the deadline will avoid a home visit from a census taker.The census effort - conducted every decade - is particularly aggressive in 2000, with much state and federal money at stake determined on a per capita return basis; many taxes refunded to counties, cities and schools are based on the number of residents counted and could mean as much as $200 per person counted.
