Editor’s note: Part of a continuing series of stories profiling the award-winners of El Concilio Family Service 2014 Latino Leadership Awards. The awards gala will be held on Saturday, May 31 at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center. Click here to register or to become a sponsor or call 805-486-9777 for more information. Amigos805 staff reports Frank P. Barajas, a professor at California State University Channel Islands, was born and raised in Oxnard and is a graduate of Oxnard High School and Moorpark College. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history from CSU Fresno and his doctorate degree from Claremont Graduate University. His father was...
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“Woman: Verses in Flight “ Summary Recital Words host: Dr. Dagoberto Ramos “In the academic setting of the University of Southern California, USC Campus , on March 30, 2014 , the International Women’s Day program, entitled I celebrate ” Verses in Flight ,” was masterfully presented by Santa Maria educator and Mexican poet. Poems were presented in Spanish, English and Nahuatl. Items came from the sandy beaches of Guadalupe, colorful wildflower vines, and even eucalyptus leaves collected from the road, which were distributed to the attentive audience that gathered there, coming from Arizona and elsewhere . This tardeada transported...
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CAMARILLO — The ninth annual Noche de Fiesta, presented by El Club de Español, will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 16 in Malibu Hall 100. Come celebrate the diversity of the Hispanic cultures as we feature the Caribbean rhythms of Invasión Latina, a popular Los Angeles-based ensamble of Latin American musicians, organizers reported in a media release. Also sample our Latin American food selections before the concert. This event, which has been brought to you by Instructionally Related Activities (IRA) and El Club de Español, is free and open to the campus and local community....
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Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805. By David Magallanes / Guest contributor This past week, my favorite newspaper, the Ventura County Star, published a list of the life spans for several cities in the county.  According to this report, people who live in the 91361 zip code, which is the Thousand Oaks/Westlake area, have an average life span considerably longer than in zip code 93041, which is Port Hueneme, which happens to...
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OXNARD — Two university professors, a college and career counselor, an attorney, a coordinator of a college-readiness program, a gifted high school student, a successful high school and a police sergeant will be recognized when El Concilio Family Services presents its 25th annual Latino Leadership Awards at a gala on Saturday, May 31 at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center. “The Honorees, each in their own unique way have gone beyond and contributed in a great way to make life better for Latinos and for citizens in the county,” said Yvonne Gutierrez, executive director of the Oxnard-based organization. “El Concilio...
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SANTA PAULA — Ventura College Santa Paula will present the ‘Panel Discussion: Transforming Adversities to Resounding Victories!’ from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 10 at 957 Faulkner Road, Santa Paula. Featured panelists include: Councilwoman for the City of Oxnard, Carmen Ramirez, Esq. Health Educator, Katalina Navarro Motivational Speaker for the SGI Victory over Violence campaign, Dominique Fuster Moderated by Suz Montgomery, senior advocate, educator, community activist and media host of the cable show, Schmooze with Suz. The event is sponsored by: Associated Students of Ventura College (ASVC) Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) CantuTax Professional Tax Services, Santa Paula Clinicas del Camino Real...
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  Beautification event to be co-hosted by Ventura County Supervisor Zaragoza, SoCal Gas  VENTURA – Friends of Channel Coast State Parks, the nonprofit cooperating association that serves the Channel Coast district of the California State Parks, will be joining with Ventura County Supervisor John Zaragoza and SoCal Gas to host a volunteer event in honor of Earth Day at McGrath State Beach on Saturday, April 12, Zaragoza reported in a media release. McGrath State Beach, which narrowly escaped closure in 2011 due to a failing sewer line, has continued to be plagued by problems, suffering nearly continuous flooding since the...
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By Marcos Vargas / Executive director of the Central Coast Alliance for a Sustainable Economy Friends, Here’s an exciting opportunity to open your heart for the hardworking youth who give so much outside of school to lead organizing campaigns for quality education, immigrants’ rights and a healthy environment. By giving right now to CAUSE’s Summer Youth Program you can double your impact! You may know of our Summer Youth Fellowship, a paid leadership development program for local high school and community college students committed to changing their communities. Youth fellows learn community organizing and advocacy skills while planning community...
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Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805. By David Magallanes / Guest contributor We have to recognize that our economic world is very different now. When I used to apply for jobs, there was no such thing as uploading résumés into some abstract digital “cloud” via the Internet. There was no Internet. Now people who seek work and do this are no more certain of their application actually arriving anywhere or into anyone’s...
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Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805. By Mona AlvaradoFrazier/ Guest contributor Criminal Justice professionals from Ventura County gathered together on March  29, 2014 to present career seminars for the students of Future Leaders of America. Mayor Pro Tem Carmen Ramirez welcomed the 60 high school and community college students. The Honorable Gilbert Romero, Judge of the Superior Court, made the keynote address. Presenters included representatives from the District Attorney and Public...
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Ventura-based GOCARE Inc. seeks to expand its efforts to business education in Nicaragua By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 Nicaragua is the poorest country in Central America and the second poorest in the Western Hemisphere. Much of the nation’s infrastructure was destroyed during a revolution in the late 1970s and a civil war during the 1980s. As a result, about 50 percent of Nicaraguans currently live below the poverty line, with 80 percent living on less than $2 per day, according to the U.N. Development Programme. Despite the challenges, education is highly valued in the nation, with many believing it...
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By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 You just never know when that moment of inspiration arrives — when you are set on a career path that will guide the rest of your life. My moment of inspiration came after I finished my four-year hitch with the U.S. Navy and started classes at Ventura College. It was while attending the college’s “Media in Minorities” conference that I became inspired to pursue a career in journalism. After listening to the late Frank del Olmo and the late George Ramos of the Los Angeles Times, and local Latino photojournalist Jess Gutierrez, I...
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara), along with many of her colleagues, demanded that the House of Representatives vote on a comprehensive immigration reform bill by signing a discharge petition on H.R. 15, the bipartisan Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act. A nearly identical bill passed the Senate in June with extensive bipartisan support, Capps reported March 26 in a media release. A discharge petition is a procedural exercise that, if it receives 218 votes, can force a vote on the House floor even when it is opposed by the House majority leadership. H.R. 15...
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Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805. By David Magallanes / Guest contributor Over the past few days, there has been much anticipation and excitement, particularly in the Hispanic community, regarding the newly-released movie, César Chávez. The March 27, 2014 edition of the Ventura County Star quoted Marc Grossman, spokesman for the César Chávez Foundation: “When Chavez worked in the fields, he would come home after a long day and tell...
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By Metro Editorial Services (MS) Balancing work and family life is a major challenge for many professionals. Many established professionals find it stressful to juggle the demands of successful careers with the obligations they have to their families and regaining that balance once it has been lost only adds to that stress. Part of the difficulty of balancing work and family life is that the challenge is ongoing. The threat of losing your work-life balance is never too far away, but there are steps men and women can take to regain that balance once it’s been lost. • Start...
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> Allan Hancock College to present its second annual “54-hour Startup Weekend Santa Maria” on April 4-6. “Bring your business idea, and we’ll help make it happen,” said Anne Cremarosa, director, Small Business Entrepreneurship Center, and one of the organizers of the event which gives participants just 54 hours to pitch their idea, form teams and work together to fine tune their business model before presenting to a panel of judges. Along the way, attendees learn new skills, network and benefit from the experience of mentors and business coaches. Space is limited  Regular registration price is $99 but those...
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By Metro Editorial Services (MS) Regular dental checkups are essential to maintaining oral health. In addition to preventing tooth decay and removing tartar that contributes to gum disease, dental checkups can alert patients to other potential health problems. For example, symptoms of periodontal disease may be indicative of the presence of diseases that stems from outside of the mouth, including diabetes. Diabetes, a condition of uncontrolled blood sugar or insulin production, can affect many areas of the body, including the mouth. Diabetics face a high risk of oral health problems because of fluctuating levels of blood sugar, which impairs...
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> “Baby Steps — A Comprehensive Prenatal Progam” will be presented by the Ventura County Health Care Agency at 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 8 at Ventura County Medical Center, 3291 Loma Vista Road, Ventura in the large auditorium. Spanish-, English- and Mixteco-language tours will be available.  An English-language tour will be held at 5:30 p.m., followed by a tour in Spanish at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 15 at Santa Paula Hospital, 825 No. Tenth St., Santa Paula, at the main entrance. Visit http://goldcoasthealthplan.netreturns.biz/calendar/CalendarItemDetail.aspx?Id=faf3581a-1f53-4d5e-84b7-8f7e036ddbc6#.UziWdhb7XjB for more information > Gold Coast Health Plan will present “Reuniones de Orientación a Miembro” from...
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Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805. By Frank P. Barajas / Guest contributor In anticipation of the premiere of the movie Cesar Chavez, and immediately thereafter, commentary circulated critical of the film’s central narrative on the leader for which it is titled. Critics pointed out the minimization of the role of people such as Dolores Huerta (the National Farm Workers Union’s founding vice-president), Helen (Cesar’s wife), Larry Itliong (the labor leader of...
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Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805. By Armando Vazquez / Guest contributor I walked, and march in the CSUN/Mecha student security detail that we hastily organized when it was announce that Cesar Chavez would be coming to San Fernando to support the community and the student in their local grape boycott of Safeway back in 1969(?). The exact date escapes me. I can confess to you that I was not...
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SANTA BARBARA —  Poder and the Coalition of Sustainable Communities will hold a series of free documentary screenings and forums in Spanish to address the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement expansion of detention centers in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 1 at the Franklin Center, 1136 E. Montecito St., Santa Barbara. Call 805-729-5776, 805-570-5929 or send an email to podersb805@gmail.com for more information.
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SANTA BARBARA — The Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara will present Julia Barbosa Landois at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 3 at 653 Paseo Nuevo, Upper Arts Terrace, Santa Barbara. Visit http://www.mcasantabarbara.org/node/187 for more information.
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By State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson / District 19 SACRAMENTO – “This weekend, across California and the nation, we will remember the extraordinary life and contributions of César Chávez. As president of the United Farm Workers, Chávez shone a national spotlight on the plight of farm workers, working to promote fair wages, decent working conditions, and empowering individuals to have their voices heard and live with dignity and respect. The fight for the values that César Chávez stood for continues today, as we work to keep our farm workers safe from pesticides, to ensure that everyone has access to quality, affordable healthcare,...
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OXNARD – The community premier of the film “Cesar Chavez” will be held at 7:45 p.m. Friday, March 28 at the Plaza Cinemas 14 in Oxnard, organizers reported in a media release. An educational premier will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 29 at the cinemas. As part of the event, the Jess Gutierrez photography exhibit: “A photographic tribute to the memory of César E. Chávez,” will be on display March 28 through 30 in the lobby of the Plaza Cinemas 14. The annual César Chávez “March for Immigration Reform, Workers Rights, Equality and Social Justice” will assemble starting...
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Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805. By David Magallanes / Guest contributor At the time of writing of this article, the world is perplexed and at the same time fascinated by the disturbing loss of the Malaysian jet with nearly 300 people on board. With the supposedly advanced technology associated with modern jet flight, we would think that literally losing a plane would be improbable if not impossible. Every time I walked...
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