Just a few months ago, Oxnard appeared to be poised for recovery.

The largest city in the Tri-Counties had embarked on an ambitious rebranding effort, including a proposed name change to Oxnard Shores.

Gills Onions, a major employer, was being heralded for harnessing an innovative fuel cell technology to reprocess onion waste.

Hopes for a housing revival and a comeback in manufacturing were in the air, along with the $80 million reconstruction of the Rice Avenue interchange along Highway 101.

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