Author: Community Contributor

Professor Francisco Lomelí, retiring after 40 years at UCSB, honored ‘for his contribution to Hispanic culture in the U.S.’

By Jim Logan • UCSB Over the course of his distinguished career at UC Santa Barbara, Francisco Lomelí has been the focus of innumerable accolades. Now, as he wraps up 40 years on campus, he has been honored once again. HispaUSA, an…

KCLU journalist wins 4th national award

NPR station also received 6 regional reporting honors WASHINGTON, D.C. — KCLU Radio News Director Lance Orozco recently received his fourth national award for excellence in journalism. Orozco picked up the 2017 National Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Sigma Delta…

Foster VC Kids y el Consulado de México en Oxnard para organizar una reunión informativa en español, 30 de junio

CONDADO DE VENTURA – – Foster VC Kids, un programa de Servicios para Niños y Familias del Condado de Ventura, organizará una reunión informativa gratuita en español el sábado 30 de junio de 10 a.m. a 11:30 a.m. en el Consulado…

Focus on local families: Foster VC Kids and the Consulate of Mexico in Oxnard to host a Spanish informational meeting, June 30

Community members are encouraged to attend and learn how to help the nearly 800 local children and teens in foster care. VENTURA COUNTY — Foster VC Kids, a program of Ventura County’s Children and Family Services, will host a free, informational…

Paint Companies to Withdraw Ballot Measure That Absolves Corporations of Accountability

SACRAMENTO — At 5pm, June 28, the California Legislature, led by  Assemblymember Monique Limón, (D-Santa Barbara), secured a major victory for millions of California taxpayers, guaranteeing the withdrawal of a paint company-funded ballot initiative that sought to hold California taxpayers accountable for billions…

Bilingual report: Oxnard to Receive $9.5 Million from the State for Emergency Repairs to Wastewater Treatment Plant

OXNARD – The Governor’s office has approved the State of California budget which includes the allocation of $9.5 million toward the City of Oxnard’s aging Wastewater Treatment Plant. This was a year-long, joint effort across the State Legislature to help the…

Bilingual commentary: Music and Death

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. By David Magallanes •…

The Arts Collective Studio update for June 28

PACIFIC VIEW MALL  |  3001 E. Main Street | Ventura | 2nd Level next to SEARS Come for the art . . . Stay for the shopping! More art fun for the whole family ___________________________________________________________ A fabulous class for creative…

Jackson Advances Statewide Industry-Funded Drug & Sharps Take-Back Program

Safe disposal of unused prescription drugs and medical sharps will reduce misuse and addiction while protecting water supply SACRAMENTO – To address a growing problem of prescription drug abuse, the devastating opioid epidemic, accidental poisonings, and traces of pharmaceuticals found in…

Marjorie Luke Theatre update for June 27

Click here for the entire e-newsletter   Upcoming Events Boxtales Presents: Cupid and Psyche Friday, July 6th 11:00AM Boxtales Theatre Company presents their 2018 Summer Theatre Youth Camp. A three-week journey in the Boxtales method, including training in: Acting, Storytelling, Acro- Yoga,…

Island Packers’ Summer Schedule to Include Special Trips and Summer Whale Watching

VENTURA — With summer upon us, Island Packers is proud to announce the addition of specialty trips on selective dates to their already full schedule of summer excursions. Visitors to Ventura and locals alike can now explore select, seldom-visited destinations. In…

Santa Paula Art Museum update for June 26

Click here for more information   SANTA PAULA ART MUSEUM JEANETTE COLE ART CENTER & COLE CREATIVITY CENTER Creative Journaling with Pen and Ink (Ages 16+) Friday, June 29, 2018, from 7pm to 9pm Cost: $35.00/class Do you doodle? (All…

CSUCI offering two textbook-free majors with plans for more

CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) now has an alternative for some students worried about being able to afford textbooks. CSUCI educators working together have developed two “Z-Majors” which are majors that use quality, free and readily available educational resources as opposed…

Teatro de las Americas update for June 22

Click here for more information on Teatro de las Americas Your monthly news & updates The Oxnard Film Society is a valued companion non-profit. We value their work, so we will be recommending their movies.. / Lo tenemos en alta estima…

Guest commentary: A Shoddy Façade of a Solution: The Recent Executive Order

WASHINGTON, D.C.—  Statement from Sindy Benavides, COO and Acting CEO of the League of United Latin America Citizens (LULAC): “People across the nation and beyond have heard our voices, forcing President Trump to reverse the injustice of his Administration’s own making:…

Applause for Paws: United Way Thomas Fire and Flood Fund Supports Search Dogs Efforts in Mudslides

National Disaster Search Dog Foundation one of 18 Local Organizations to Receive Financial Support from Fund CENTRAL COAST — Among the heroes braving the Montecito mudslides in January were 18 teams from the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (SDF), the…

Bilingual report: Enroll Now for Fall 2018 at the D’Arezzo Community Center, Santa Barbara

SANTA BARBARA — Enroll Now for Fall 2018 at the D’Arezzo Community Center, Santa Barbara. Space is limited. The D’Arezzo Community Center is a weekday Home School Enrichment Activities Program and a Daytime and after School Resource Center. The Center provides…

Bilingual commentary: Images of the American Shopping Mall

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. By David Magallanes •…

Carnegie Art Museum update for June 21

Click here for the entire e-newsletter   Farmers Market Art Booth FREE Summer Art Fun with the Carnegie Art Museum and Downtown Farmers Market. Look for the Art Booth at the Downtown Farmers Market where Isabel Gonzalez, Oxnard College Intern…

CSUCI Nursing program gets $200,000 gift from Grossman Community Foundation

CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands’ award-winning Nursing program is getting a shot in the arm from a $200,000 grant from the Dr. Richard Grossman Community Foundation to support student scholarships. Dr. Grossman, who passed away in 2014, was a burn reconstruction…

Oxnard Salsa Festival Announces Participants For Its “Dancing With Our Community Stars Contest and Charity Fundraiser”

OXNARD — Five community leaders will take the stage and dance for charity during the “2018 Dancing With Our Community Stars Dance Contest and Charity Fundraiser,” Sunday, July 29 at 1 p.m. during the 25th Annual Oxnard Salsa Festival in…

Assemblymember Irwin names Mike McManus 2018 Veteran of the Year

SACRAMENTO – As the County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO), Mike McManus has been responsible for managing the Ventura County’s Veteran Service Office and its staff, where they connect more than 40,000 veterans and 10,000 active duty military personnel with their federal…

Registration is Now Underway for Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley 2018 Sports Camp

AGOURA HILLS — Registration is now underway for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley’s Sports Camp. The Boys & Girls Clubs offer a choice of three camps. Street Hockey takes place from June 25-29 at the Anderson Club…

Oxnard Salsa Festival update for June 20

Click here for the entire e-newsletter   Put your salsa recipe to the test!  Show off your homemade salsa, if it’s worth a dip, then prove it by entering the Oxnard Salsa Challenge of 2018 – Amateur Division recipe competition…

Museum of Ventura County update for June 20

Click here for more information   Major funding for these programs is made possible by the City of San Buenaventura and the County of Ventura. Lunch + Music = MUNCH Grab lunch and head over to the Museum, every Thursday between 11:30…

Fire Prevention Funding Prioritized in State Budget Approved by the Legislature

SACRAMENTO — The California Legislature has approved a balanced budget for the fiscal year 2018-19, Assemblymember Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) reported on June 19. The budget prioritizes funding for fire recovery and prevention, makes significant investments in K-12 schools, provides emergency aid…

Damon Bell selected as interim president for Ventura College

CAMARILLO — Ventura County Community College District Chancellor Greg Gillespie is pleased to announce that Dr. Damon Bell has been selected as interim president for Ventura College, effective July 23, 2018. Bell has 25 years of experience that includes Washington and…

Karen Chackel, Steve Golis named co-chairs for 23rd Annual 2019 Santa Barbara Go Red For Women Luncheon

SANTA BARBARA — Karen Chackel, County Manager of First American Title, and Steve Golis, Partner and Co-Founder of Radius Commercial Real Estate, will co-chair the Santa Barbara 2019 Go Red for Women Luncheon. The Go Red for Women event will begin with a…

Oxnard School District Assistant Superintendent of Ed Services set to retire

OXNARD — After 42 years of dedicated service in education, Ms. Robin Freeman, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services at the Oxnard School District, will retire on June 29, 2018. Ms. Freeman has served as the Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services and…

Bilingual report: Oxnard to Receive Award for its Leadership in Implementing Winter Warming Shelters

OXNARD — The City of Oxnard with receive an Award of Merit in Housing and Community Development by the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) for its leadership in organizing and implementing winter warming shelters from 2015 to…

CSUCI ranks among the Top 10 colleges for surfers

CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) has 26 majors, 26 minors, a top-notch faculty, small class sizes…and great waves. CSUCI was just ranked 6th among the Top 10 Colleges for Surfers across the nation by College Magazine, a national college guide and quarterly…

Oxnard Housing Authority Resident Services Program to Receive NADC Arts and Accessibility Grant

National Arts and Disability Center at University of California Los Angeles to award the Oxnard Housing Authority Resident Services Department at La Colonia Village funds from the Arts and Accessibility Grant to expand community based art programming. OXNARD — The…

SBCC Report to the Community 2017-2018

Santa Barbara City College is pleased to present the 2017-2018 Report to the Community, an informative and beautifully illustrated account of the college’s events, activities and accomplishments during this past academic year. Everyone in the community is invited to flip…

Marjorie Luke Theatre update for June 18

Click here for the entire e-newsletter   Upcoming Events The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra Thursday, June 21st 7:00PM This spectacular group, lead by Nick Hilscher, is the most popular and sought after big band in the world today.  With…

Santa Barbara City College update for June 18

Santa Barbara City College’s Community Newsletter SBCC Named #1 Community College Santa Barbara City College has been named Number One of the Top 50 Best Value Community Colleges for 2018. Value Colleges, an organization that provides prospective students with a…

Graduating senior Noe Galvan proves that hard work, compassion and genuine ambition are the keys to success

By Suzanna Ackroyd • UCSB Noe Galvan knows what it means to forge his own path. Born in the United States, the UC Santa Barbara senior moved to Mexico with his parents when he was only three months old. Now…

Housing Authority Secures $21.3 Million for the Development of Affordable Housing for Veterans and Seniors

SANTA BARBARA — Two affordable housing projects being developed by the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara have been allocated $21.3 million in tax credit financing to create 107 affordable rental units for veterans and seniors. The Housing…

Jackson Applauds Passage of State Budget with Historic Investments in Wildfire Prevention and Recovery, Schools

SACRAMENTO — State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), released the following statement June 14 about the passage of the California State Budget, which includes significant funds for wildfire prevention and recovery as well as the highest level of school funding in state history,…

Assemblymember Irwin secures $9.5 million in California budget for Oxnard wastewater treatment plant

SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) announced she has secured funding in the California budget to make emergency repairs to the City of Oxnard’s wastewater treatment plant. A recent assessment from the city’s Capital Improvement Projects state that 40%…

June is World Elder Abuse Awareness Month

By the Ventura County News Channel VENTURA — At their June 12 meeting, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors recognized the month of June as World Elder Abuse Awareness Month. Elder abuse is on the rise in Ventura County, increasing by…