Author: Community Contributor

Kimberly Duran Wins 37th Annual California Strawberry Festival Official Poster Contest

OXNARD — Artist Kimberly Duran’s design conveying her message of love and her love of strawberries won the poster design contest for the 37th Annual California Strawberry Festival. Duran’s winning entry was revealed today to a group of dignitaries and…

Jackson Applauds California Companies for Adding Women to their Boards

SACRAMENTO – Citing a report released by the California Secretary of State, State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson’s (D-Santa Barbara) , author of the groundbreaking law that requires gender diversity on California’s corporate boards, applauded the more than 100 corporations that have added…

Gene Haas Foundation Donates $250,000 To Ventura College Foundation To Support Advanced Manufacturing Program

VENTURA — The Gene Haas Foundation has made a $250,000 grant award to the Ventura College Foundation to support the Advanced Manufacturing program at Ventura College. These funds will be used to relocate the current manufacturing lab to the college’s…

Free Carnival Ride Tickets Offered Through Conejo Valley Days’ “Read & Ride”

CONEJO VALLEY — For the sixth year, Conejo Valley Days (CVD) is offering free carnival ride passes to students who take part in its “Read & Ride” literacy program. CVD, in conjunction with carnival operator Kastl Amusements, is encouraging kids…

Diplomacy earns CSUCI students awards at a Model United Nations competition

CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) students have once again distinguished themselves with their diplomacy at the regional Model United Nations (MUN) conference. The 16 CSUCI students who traveled to Portland last month to compete in the Northwest Model United Nations…

Several Pioneer Valley High School student leaders recently attended Oakley Elementary School to promote literacy during their Read Across America event

SANTA MARIA — Several Pioneer Valley High School student leaders recently attended Oakley Elementary School to promote literacy during their Read Across America event. Panthers Bruin Chapman, Ravynn Anielski, Madison Hernandez, and Sinai Sanchez Barajas took time to read books…

TEDxSantaBarbara Teams up with UC Santa Barbara and Announces Interactive Event Series Leading To November Conference

Click here for the entire e-newsletter   Local Adventures and Intimate Salons Lift Up Compelling Research Conversations Around Sea Level Rise SANTA BARBARA  – TEDxSantaBarbara, a locally organized offshoot of the international TED nonprofit, is partnering with UCSB Natural Reserve…

Girls Inc. of Carpinteria Members Awarded $25K from Girls Inc. National Scholars Program

CARPINTERIA — Girls Inc. of Carpinteria members Michelle Alpizar and Laura Flores have been awarded a total of $25,000 in college scholarships through the competitive Girls Inc. National Scholars Program. Alpizar and Flores are among 23 young women around the…

Friendship Center March Newsletter

MARCH 2020 Make a Donation Visit our Website Spring is in the air! Sponsorship Form Auction Donation Form And lucky for us, Friendship Center is the proud and grateful recipient of this year’s SBAOR (Santa Barbara Association of Realtors) Golf…

Ernest Righetti High School’s Future Business Leaders of America Chapter were able to develop the skills necessary to be lauded at the Gold Coast Section Conference in South Pasadena

SANTA MARIA — Seven members from Ernest Righetti High School’s Future Business Leaders of America Chapter were able to develop the skills necessary to be lauded at the Gold Coast Section Conference in South Pasadena last Saturday. FBLA is a…

Bilingual report: County of Ventura providing Coronavirus Information

VENTURA COUNTY — Go to http://www.vcnewschannel.com/coronavirus-information for the latest information from the County of Ventura on the Coronavirus. Recent Posts Feb. 24, 2020 – Statement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on potential use of Naval Base Ventura County…

5th Bi-Annual Sal Castro Memorial Conference (Feb. 28-29) to explore the growing scholarship of the Chicano Movement

By Jim Logan • UCSB SANTA BARBARA — When teacher and activist Sal Castro encouraged students in Los Angeles to protest what they saw as decades of substandard education for Mexican-American youths, he helped kicked off what was then the…

City of Oxnard Awarded $8.5 Million Grant to Expand and Revitalize Campus Park

OXNARD — The City of Oxnard will receive $8.5 million in Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program grant funds for the Campus Park Activation Project, which will transform an additional 26 acres of park space that has been closed…

SBCC womxn coders prevail at UCSB Hackathon

SANTA BARBARA — When you think of a computer hacker, do you picture a teenage loner staring at a computer screen in a basement somewhere, intent on doing harm? You might want to think again. For 10 female SBCC students who…

Museum of Ventura County — ‘Huelga! Photographs from the Frontlines by Jorge Corralejo’ opening March 14

Special Museum Hours for New Exhibits Installation The Museum of Ventura County in Downtown Ventura will be closed to the public February 25—February 28, 2020. The Research Library and Archives will be open regular hours Wednesday through Friday 11AM—5PM. The…

Bilingual commentary: Gathering Dark Clouds

Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes local 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. David Magallanes By David…

Peoples’ Self-Help Housing Announces New Board Members

Peoples’ Self-Help Housing Announces New Board Members Kevin Clerici of Downtown Ventura Partners and Hazel Davalos of CAUSE Kevin Clerici, Executive Director of Downtown Ventura Partners, and Hazel Davalos, Community Organizing Director for CAUSE, have been appointed to the Peoples’…

2020 California Strawberry Festival Seeks Submissions for Berry Blast Off Recipe Contest

OXNARD — Entry applications are now available for the 37th Annual California Strawberry Festival‘s “Berry Blast Off Recipe Contest.” Strawberry-themed recipes that show exceptional creativity and culinary flair will be selected to compete in the contest. Submissions must be original…

2020 Ventura County Mock Trial Semifinalists Announced

Public Invited as Competition Continues VENTURA COUNTY — The eight high school teams that will advance to the semifinals of the 2020 Ventura County Mock Trial were announced Feb. 27 by the Ventura County Office of Education. The semifinalists received the…

Bilingual report: Ventura County receives certificate of achievement in financial reporting

VENTURA — The County of Ventura has been awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for fiscal year…

Santa Rosa Valley Park Gate Fees

CONEJO VALLEY — The Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency (COSCA) has announced an agreement with the County of Ventura Parks Department to cover the costs of day use parking fees at the Santa Rosa Valley Regional Park located at 10241…

Bilingual report: Ventura County Clerk-Recorder, Registrar of Voters Offers Helpful Tips for March 3rd Presidential Primary Election; Poll Workers Still Needed

VENTURA — Due to recent changes in legislation, the Ventura County Elections Division anticipates possible long lines at the polls on Tuesday, March 3, 2020. In an effort to prepare and staff each of the 389 polling places to accommodate…

Ventura College Foundation Endorses Proposition 13 Education Bond Measure on March 3 Ballot

VENTURA — The Ventura College Foundation has endorsed Proposition 13 on the March 3 primary ballot. The statewide $15 billion education bond measure would enable seismic, safety and maintenance building improvements to California public schools including $2 billion earmarked for…

Statement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on potential use of Naval Base Ventura County – Point Mugu for quarantine

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), working closely with the Department of Defense and other federal partners, is taking all reasonable steps to address an evolving public health emergency. As part of that effort,…

Santa Maria High School Gold Coast Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) capture awards at conference

SANTA MARIA — Twenty-one SMHS Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) showed they had what it takes to capture numerous awards during a competition in Pasadena last weekend. The Saints participated in various business and financial, entrepreneurship, and software systems…

Santa Barbara Museum of Art announces upcoming exhibits, events from March through May

1130 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA. Open Tuesday-Sunday 11 am – 5 pm, Free Thursday Evening 5 – 8 pm 805.963.4364 www.sbma.net   Enjoy half-price admission!   Exhibition Openings   Nathlie Provosty, Council, Untitled (16-38), 2016. Watercolor on paper, diptych.…

Bilingual report: Clinicas del Camino Real Inc. hosting Dental Health Fair on Feb. 29 in honor of National Children’s Health Month

VENTURA COUNTY — Clinicas invites the Ventura County Community to join them for a Dental Health Fair taking place Saturday, February 29th from 10am-2pm, at Haycox Elementary School located at 5400 Perkins Rd in the city of Oxnard.  Clinicas will be…

Santa Barbara City College — The Bridge — February 2020

Santa Barbara City College’s Community Newsletter FEBRUARY, 2020 SBCC Film Student Will Hahn Wins Best Director in SBIFF 10-10-10 Competition On the final afternoon of this year’s Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF), a near-sellout crowd assembled at the Arlington…

Oxnard Performing Arts Center has new operator!

Canyon at Oxnard to present first event: Tierra & Malo (April 10) OXNARD — The Oxnard City Council on Feb. 18 approved a five-year operating agreement with Sterling Venue Ventures (SVV) for the Oxnard Performing Arts Center’s 1,604-seat auditorium. A second…

Bilingual commentary: True Believers

Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes local 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. David Magallanes By David…

Pioneer Valley High School Family, Career and Community Leaders of America earn 11 medals

SANTA MARIA — The PVHS Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) student organization recently earned 11 medals including first place in six different categories and 2nd place in two categories at the Region 7 Competition in San Luis…

February News from Peoples’ Self-Help Housing

Newsletter | February 2020 Employee of the Year, Gabriela Ruiz, Property Manager at Villas on Higuera, pictured with U.S. Congressman 24th District Salud Carbajal President’s Award Winner, Lauren Nichols Project Manager, pictured with President & CEO John Fowler Greetings! After…

CSUCI alumna and former mentor’s sand crab research raise more red flags on microplastics

CAMARILLO — Research conducted by CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) 2016 graduate Dorothy Horn and her mentor, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science & Resource Management (ESRM) Clare Steele, Ph.D. showed microplastics in sand crabs on the California coast. The next phase of…

Housing Authority Of The City Of Santa Barbara Opens Johnson Court, The First Housing Development in Santa Barbara for Homeless Veterans

SANTA BARBARA — The Housing Authority Of The City Of Santa Barbara (HACSB) on Feb. 14 came together with the community to celebrate the grand opening of Johnson Court – the first housing development in Santa Barbara County specifically for…

Bilingual report: Strong Leadership Delivers over $9 Million in Cost Savings

Ventura County Public Works Agency Director Jeff Pratt awarded CEO’s coveted “Champion for Change” VENTURA COUNTY – The Ventura County Public Works Agency (VCPWA) was recently recognized at the Ventura County Management Council’s annual award luncheon for outstanding leadership and success in…

Ports Day Grabs Attention of Top State Leadership

The California Association of Port Authorities (CAPA) hosted its 3rd Annual California Ports Day on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 in Sacramento, CA. The two day event centered around Governor Newsom’s State of the State Address with briefings from several top leadership…

Community Environmental Council Welcomes New Members to Board of Directors, Partnership Council and President’s Council

Click here for the entire e-newsletter   Local leaders bring expertise to support CEC’s work in renewable energy, climate justice, and sustainable communities. February 19, 2020, SANTA BARBARA, CA—The Community Environmental Council (CEC) is pleased to announce new members to…

Ventura College Honors Benefactor Miriam Schwab Posthumously With 12-Foot Bronze Sculpture On Campus

VENTURA — A 12-foot high bronze sculpture honoring long-time Ventura College supporter Miriam Schwab was unveiled in front of Ventura College’s Performing Arts Center on January 25. The sculpture was created by Ventura artist Michael O’Kelly. It features a music…

2020 Oxnard Salsa Festival Dates Announced; Accepting Applications for Community Stage

OXNARD — Dates for the 27th Annual Oxnard Salsa Festival are July 25 and 26, 2020. Attracting visitors from throughout southern California, the festival is a celebration of everything salsa – the food, music and dance. It takes place at…

Jackson, Social Justice Advocates, and Business Owners Call for an End to the Pink Tax

SB 873 outlaws gender-based pricing for products SACRAMENTO — State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson’s (D-Santa Barbara) on Feb.18 was joined by Congresswoman Jackie Speier, business owners, and social justice advocates to call for an end to the “pink tax” in which many women’s…

Pioneer Valley High School Trailblazer Hiking & Environmental Club learn how to keep pristine wilderness areas protected

SANTA MARIA — Pioneer Valley High School Trailblazer Hiking and Environmental Club learned how important it is to keep pristine wilderness areas protected. The Panthers recently hit the trails at the Arroyo Hondo Preserve in Gaviota on a docent-led hike with…