SANTA BARBARA — The Mental Wellness Center (MWC) held its first ever Stigma Buster Celebration May 1 in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month and the efforts of its local graduates and partners. About 100 supporters gathered at MWC’s Fellowship…
By David Magallanes • Guest contributor David Magallanes Some 50 years ago, when I was starting to explore the world and found myself living in the barracks of a military radio school in Mississippi, I already had the custom of…
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) will start its first teacher residency program in partnership with the Ventura County Office of Education and the Rio and Oxnard Elementary School Districts, thanks to a pair of grants that complement each other. One…
CAMARILLO — The U.S. Department of Commerce estimates there are about 350,000 cybersecurity jobs currently unfilled nationwide. More than 37,000 of those jobs are in California, and that number climbs every day, according to the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic…
VENTURA COUNTY — Nearly 300 people gathered on campus at Cal Lutheran University Friday, May 10th for United Way of Ventura County’s (UWVC) Women United 3rd Annual Luncheon, featuring acclaimed social psychologist and author Dr. Aida Hurtado. Dr. Aida Hurtado’s…
VENTURA COUNTY — Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County (BBSVC), the youth mentoring organization which facilitates more than 1,500 one-to-one relationships annually, hosted its 46th-annual Golf Classic on April 29 at The Saticoy Club in Somis, CA. Through sponsorships, donations, auctions and more, the tournament raised over…
CAMARILLO — Some CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) student researchers are going to spend their summer bringing Ventura County’s historical archives into the 21st century. A partnership forged between CSUCI and the Museum of Ventura County (MVC) means that three student…
SANTA BARBARA — With hundreds of classes throughout this summer, SBCC School of Extended Learning is a fit for every schedule. Tuition-free and fee-based life enrichment classes offer a bounty of arts, fitness, and mindfulness classes to fill summer ‘staycation’…
Upcoming Workshops Take advantage of VCCDC’s FREE upcoming workshops on topics ranging from Homebuyer Education to Estate Planning! REGISTER – May 18 REGISTER – June 15 Taller en Español – junio 15 HUD-Approved Homebuyer Education Workshops Cost: $25 fee waived…
VENTURA COUNTY — Career technical education (CTE) programs for Ventura County middle and high school students will continue thanks to a major new grant awarded to the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE). In a highly competitive process, VCOE received a…
SANTA BARBARA — Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) announced this week that its founder and CEO, Marsha Bailey, will retire next year after 30 years at the helm. Her successor will be Kathy Odell, an accomplished entrepreneur and business leader in…
VENTURA COUNTY — California Strong, a nonprofit organization created by California professional athletes to provide immediate financial support to victims after disasters, distributed its second round of funding to over 60 families who were impacted by the Woolsey Fire. More…
CAMARILLO — To help officers respond to opioid-related medical emergencies quickly and effectively, CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) police are now carrying naloxone hydrochloride or Narcan to help prevent fatal opioid overdoses. “This is a direct response to the opioid crisis,” explained…
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — State contractors have removed debris generated by the Woolsey and Hill fires from the first 709 properties in Los Angeles and Ventura counties whose owners are participating in the state’s Consolidated Debris Removal Program, officials with the Debris…
SACRAMENTO – Ahead of the fourth anniversary of the Refugio Oil Spill on May 19 when a ruptured pipeline spilled nearly 143,000 gallons of crude oil at Refugio State Beach, State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson’s (D-Santa Barbara) Senate Bill 169 to…
VENTURA COUNTY — The Southeast Ventura County YMCA’s “Find My Genius” youth summer education program recently received a $20,000 grant from the Sherwood Country Club Charitable Foundation (also known as Sherwood Cares). The funds will go towards supporting the five-week…
SANTA BARBARA — United Way of Santa Barbara County (UWSBC) and its partners from throughout the community gathered for the 96th Annual Awards Celebration May 8th at the Santa Barbara Hilton Beachfront Resort. Local volunteers, businesses, schools, and organizations were…
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — People who shop at any of the four North County Farmers Markets (Paso Robles, Templeton, Atascadero and Los Osos) during the month of May using their CalFresh card will get an extra bonus – more money…
SANTA MARIA — A team from the Pioneer Valley High School FFA proved to be the best at judging soils in a finials state competition Saturday, May 4that Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. The Soil and Land Evaluation team placed first…
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — State contractors have finished installing fiber rolls and applying a biodegradable, wood-based mulch to prevent erosion on 310 of the first 690 properties in Los Angeles and Ventura counties affected by the Woolsey and Hill fires and cleared…
SANTA MARIA — The Good Samaritan Shelter now has a new barbecue to feed the needy thanks to an Eagle Scout Project by Righetti freshman and Troop 95 Orcutt Boy Scout Alex Andrade. The dedication and the first barbecue for…
CAMARILLO — There was a time when Biology and Global Studies double major Patricio Ruano, 19, didn’t think he was college material. “Neither one of my parents went to college,” said Ruano, the youngest of four. “My mom went for one…
OXNARD — OneJustice’s Justice Bus Project®, El Concilio Family Services, and Oxnard Adult School are partnering to hold a free legal clinic from noon to4 p.m. Saturday, June 1 at Oxnard Adult School, 1101 W. Second St., Oxnard At the…
SANTA MARIA — The Central Coast Association of School Psychologists (CCASP) has awarded the Meritorious Service Award to Pioneer Valley High School Psychologist Erica Castro for the 2018-19 school year. The recognition highlights Castro’s service to students, teachers, administrators, parents,…
VENTURA — The County’s Planning Division will host a series of open houses where the public will have the opportunity to learn about the Preliminary Public Review Draft 2040 General Plan. The General Plan is a long-range planning document that…
OXNARD — Out of 1,076 entries from kids in kindergarten through sixth grade throughout Ventura County, the creative strawberry design by 10-year-old Alan Sanchez from McKinna Elementary School in Oxnard was selected as the grand prizewinner of the 36th Annual…
VENTURA COUNTY —The Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) is pleased to announce that Jan-Erik Sand of Isbell Middle School in the Santa Paula Unified School District (SPUSD) is the 2019 Ventura County Teacher of the Year. Sand and his…
VENTURA COUNTY — Ventura County businesses and educators who are leading the way in advancing career-related education were honored today in Camarillo at the 2019 Pathfinder Awards. The awards were presented by VC Innovates, a program of the Ventura County…
SANTA MARIA — Santa Maria and Pioneer Valley High School business students recently attended “Defining Her Power,’’ a conference geared towards empowering and supporting women interested in pursuing businesses. The event, which was hosted by the Cal Poly Women in Business…
SANTA BARBARA — Local student entrepreneurs dazzled both the judges and the packed SBCC Fé Bland Forum audience at the 9th Annual Scheinfeld New Venture Challenge business plan and pitch competition on Friday, April 26. Students from Santa Barbara City…
By David Magallanes • Guest contributor David Magallanes We Americans inhabit the “Land of the Free,” the “Land of Liberty” and the “Shining City on the Hill.” We live under halcyon skies and grow our food—and that of much of the…
Governor’s revised budget addresses challenges facing working families, wildfire prevention SACRAMENTO – State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, issued the following statement on Governor Gavin Newsom’s May Revise, his revised budget proposal based on the latest revenue estimates, today: “I applaud Governor…
WESTLAKE VILLAGE — The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley (BGCCGV) recently benefitted from the Sam Querrey Classic hosted by the North Ranch Country Club in Thousand Oaks. The event included live ball sessions with Sam Querrey, ranked 65…
VENTURA COUNTY — Teachers from throughout Ventura County are being honored with $10,000 in grants for developing innovative lessons for their students. At a ceremony May 8 in Oxnard, the Ventura County Office of Education presented 14 IMPACT II grants to 23…
OXNARD — Two finalists were selected during the semi-finals round of the 36th Annual California Strawberry Festival‘s “Berry Blast Off” Recipe Contest.” The finalists will now compete for top honors during the festival taking place at Strawberry Meadows of College…
Travel Industry Thrives in Oxnard/Ventura County and Across California OXNARD — Oxnard and Ventura County continued to thrive from visitor spending in 2018. According to Dean Runyan Associates, visitor spending in Ventura County reached $1,801.9 million and supported 17,360 jobs, a…
SANTA MARIA — Two Santa Maria High School FFA judging teams won state championships Saturday and will now represent the local area at the national level. Both the Milk Quality & Dairy Products and Poultry Judging teams dominated the state during…
OXNARD — The City’s Cultural Arts Commission is announcing the rollout of the 2019-2020 Arts in Public Places (AIPP) Cultural Arts Grant Process with the release of the annual request for proposals (RFP) in the summer of 2019. The previous release…
CAMARILLO — May is National Bicycle Safety Month and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office encourages drivers and bicyclists to share the road safely not just for the month of May, but every month of the year. “It is not just cars…
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — State contractors have cleared eligible debris from more than 72 percent of the properties affected by the Woolsey and Hill fires that are currently participating in the state’s Consolidated Debris Removal Program, officials with the Debris Removal Operations…
SANTA BARBARA — Summer may be the time to relax and enjoy the beach and backyard barbeques, but it’s also the perfect time to take advantage of tuition-free career-building courses through SBCC’s School of Extended Learning Career Skills Institute. The Career…
OXNARD — With the California Strawberry Festival about to take center stage on May 18-19, the summer season is also right around the corner and Oxnard is ready to welcome visitors with its many special events taking place throughout the city.…
Your monthly news & updates I plan to send an occasional newsletter to keep you updated on what Teatro is doing. Margaret Cortese www.teatrodelasamericas.org 319 W. 6th St. Oxnard Future home of Teatro de las Américas We are busy looking…
SANTA MARIA — The Santa Maria High School Future Business Leaders of America Chapter was recently recognized for their participation and contributions to the March of Dimes and Government Awareness Projects during the California FBLA State Leadership Conference at the Sacramento…
SANTA BARBARA — Every year, over 1,000 high school students register for classes at SBCC during the summer and take classes to meet high school and college requirements under SBCC’s Dual Enrollment Program. Registration is now open for two summer sessions:…
VENTURA COUNTY — The fourth annual Take 5 and Read to Kids campaign, a partnership between the Ventura County Star and First 5 Ventura County to raise awareness about the importance of early childhood literacy is coming to Ventura County…
SANTA BARBARA — United Way of Santa Barbara County (UWSBC) has announced the nominees for their 96th Annual Awards Celebration, taking place May 8th at the Santa Barbara Hilton Beachfront Resort. Local volunteers, businesses, schools, and organizations will be recognized…
SANTA BARBARA — Tom Kress’s career as an artist and building designer has taken him around the world, working on architectural design projects including the Santa Barbara Airport, the Transamerica Building, and even the White House. On Tuesday, April 30th,…
By David Magallanes • Guest contributor David Magallanes Some of us describe ourselves as “creatures of habit.” Habits can be beneficial, or they can devastate us over time. A reading or exercise habit will not have the same outcome as…
Join us at the Museum of Ventura County this Friday, May 3, 2019 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and be among the first to view the new exhibit, “Women Beyond Borders.” This extraordinary exhibition displays boxes created by women…
