Author: Community Contributor

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County (BBSVC) recognizes Steven M. Greenwood for Community Honor

VENTURA COUNTY — Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County (BBSVC) is proud to recognize Mr. Steven M. Greenwood for his many ongoing contributions to the agency, which have ranged from the generosity of annual giving, to his prior service…

Bilingual report: City of Oxnard Information Technology College Internships Now Open

OXNARD — The City of Oxnard is inviting students to enroll in an Information Technology (IT) internship program offered through the Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD). View video here. The City of Oxnard Internship Program, now in its second…

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

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

CSUCI staff member wins national award for Undocumented Student Ally Training program

CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) staff member Martha Zavala Perez has received national recognition for her leadership role in the creation of a formal Undocumented Student Ally Training Program. Zavala Perez, who is the Coordinator of Underrepresented Student Initiatives, was awarded…

Limón And Jackson Legislation Opens Critical Access to Mental Health Services at Vista Del Mar Following Thomas Fire Damage

SACRAMENTO — Assembly Bill 417, authored by Assemblymember Monique Limón (D – Santa Barbara) and co-authored by State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), was signed by Governor Brown today. “Vista Del Mar is a critically important provider of BOTH inpatient and outpatient mental health…

2018 California Strawberry Festival Seeks Submission for Berry Blast Off Recipe Contest

OXNARD — The 35th Annual California Strawberry Festival is seeking those with a love of strawberries and an artistic culinary flair to enter its “Berry Blast Off Recipe Contest.” Submissions must be original, non-baked, sweet or savory-tasting strawberry dishes. Entries…

California Strawberry Festival’s 35th Anniversary Celebration Offers Special Discounts to Groups of 20 or More

OXNARD — Plan a group outing to the California Strawberry Festival’s 35th Anniversary Celebration, May 19 and 20, and enjoy special ticket discounts. The annual event at Strawberry Meadows of College Park in Oxnard celebrates all things strawberry. Now through…

Foster VC Kids: urgent need for homes for children and teens, especially in the cities of Oxnard and Ventura

VENTURA COUNTY — Foster VC Kids, a program of Ventura County’s Children and Family Services, has launched a new initiative – What does home mean to you? – to raise awareness and educate the public about the increased and immediate…

25th Annual Oxnard Salsa Festival Seeks Vendors

OXNARD — Vendor applications are now being accepted for the 25th Annual Oxnard Salsa Festival, July 28-29, at Plaza Park, Fifth and “B” Streets in downtown Oxnard. The festival celebrates everything salsa…the food, music and dance. An estimated 40,000 people…

Carnegie Art Museum update for March 23

Click here for the entire e-newsletter     CURRENT EXHIBITION through – May 27, 2018 Black & White & In Between: Contemporary Art from the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation This exhibition features works by artists who have explored the formal,…

Bilingual commentary: The Humble Cactus

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 •…

Ventura County School Status for Friday, March 23

VENTURA COUNTY — The following Ventura County public schools and districts have announced they will reopen for normal operation on Friday, March 23: Santa Paula Unified School District Ventura High School, DATA Middle School and Loma Vista Elementary School Ojai Unified School District Briggs…

Ventura County School Closures for Thursday, March 22

VENTURA COUNTY — Due to the potential for debris flows, road closures, flooding and other storm-related issues, the following Ventura County public schools and districts will be closed on Wednesday, March 22 as a precautionary measure: Santa Paula Unified School…

BBSVC Golf Classic welcomes back Select Workforce Specialists as Title Sponsor

VENTURA COUNTY — Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County (BBSVC) is excited to welcome Select Workforce Specialists (formerly Select Staffing) as the returning Title Sponsor for its annual Golf Classic – the organization’s top-performing event, which will be held Monday, May 7, 2018,…

Variety of Events Scheduled for The Wall That Heals Exhibit March 29 through April 1 in San Luis Obispo

SAN LUIS OBISPO —  The all-new, larger The Wall That Heals exhibit will have a new activity each day while it visits San Luis Obispo March 29 through April 1. The County’s Veterans Services Office released the event schedule today.…

VCPWA’S Watershed Protection District working through March 25 with CSUCI students to study local beach contamination

Water samples from Kiddie and Hobie beaches are being collected and sent for analysis by students from CSUCI VENTURA COUNTY — In 2007 Regional Water Board adopted Total Maximum Daily Load requirements to address elevated bacteria levels at Kiddie and Hobie…

The Collective Studio update for March 21

XXX PACIFIC VIEW MALL – 3301 E Main Street – Ventura 2nd Floor next to SEARS    SIGN UP TODAY! Sign up today to reserve a spot for your young artists You can use your credit card One class     4…

Juan Soria School receives ‘Seal of Excellence’

OXNARD — Juan Lagunas Soria School in the Oxnard was only one of two schools in California to receive the 2018 Seal of Excellence Award from the California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE). This award honors exemplary bilingual education programs throughout…

Family event in Santa Maria

SANTA MARIA — Last Saturday, United Way and members of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce were invited to join Xfinity in the opening of one of their stores in Santa Maria at the Enos Ranch development. United Way had a…

Grossman Foundation donates $220,000 for CSUCI Veterans Affairs Program, service and therapy dogs

CAMARILLO — Ever since he returned from Iraq, everyday occurrences such as a car changing lanes or an unattended bag can trigger U.S. Army veteran Daniel Cook’s post-traumatic stress response. But when he’s with his dog, a Heeler mix named…

Museum of Ventura County update for March 20

Major funding for these programs is made possible by the City of San Buenaventura and the County of Ventura. Museum Partners with Ventura County Credit Union  Ventura County Credit Unionand the Museum of Ventura County have partnered to display historical pieces at the Moorpark,…

Officials Introduce Completed Grace Village Affordable Housing for Seniors

SANTA BARBARA — The former site of the iconic Grace Lutheran Church re-opened on March 12 as the completed Grace Village Apartments, bringing 58 critically-needed affordable housing units for low-income seniors. Local officials and stakeholders gathered to celebrate the completion…

Carnegie Art Museum update for March 16

Click here for the entire e-newsletter   through – May 27, 2018 Black & White & In Between: Contemporary Art from the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation This exhibition features works by artists who have explored the formal, conceptual, technical, and…

Santa Barbara City College update for March 16

Santa Barbara City College’s Community Newsletter Culinary School Hailed as a “Recipe for Success” by 805 Living Magazine SBCC’s School of Culinary Arts was honored to be featured in the March 2018 issue of 805 LivingMagazine. The article includes an interview with Associate…

Disaster Loan Outreach Centers to Close March 16

CENTRAL COAST — The SBA will close its Disaster Loan Outreach Centers in Santa Barbara and Ventura on Friday, March 16, 2018. Businesses and residents can meet with SBA representatives on the days and times as indicated below. No appointment is…

Community Leaders Launch Conservation Blueprint for Santa Barbara County

SANTA BARBARA — On Wednesday, March 14, community leaders throughout the county unveiled the Santa Barbara County Conservation Blueprint (Blueprint). The Blueprint report and the companion online Atlas mapping tool are the result of nearly two years of design, research,…

Bilingual report: Ormond Beach Power Plant to Close

OXNARD – NRG Energy has announced it will close its Ormond Beach Generating Station in October of this year. With this announcement, the Ormond Beach Generating Station now joins the closure of Mandalay Beach Generating Station, which was announced in October,…

Ventura County’s new website talks back to you

VENTURA COUNTY — The County of Ventura has relaunched its website and this version speaks. Actually, it’s Amazon’s “Alexa” who does all the talking, but the website has the ability to answer questions spoken to it through the Amazon Alexa…

State Sen. Jackson’s Bill to Teach Students How to Spot Fake News Passes Key Committee

SACRAMENTO – State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) legislation to ensure students in California’s public schools learn how to read media sources critically, and act ethically, responsibly, and safely online passed the Senate Education Committee today. The vote was 4-2. Senate…

Bilingual commentary: Why We Must Feed the Cow

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 •…

Jackson Introduces Comprehensive Legislation to Fight Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

SACRAMENTO — On the heels of the #wesaidenough and #metoo movements, State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) has introduced wide-ranging legislation to close loopholes in law that discourage or prevent victims from speaking out, allow employers to avoid sexual harassment and…

CSUCI student to serve as delegate to United Nations Commission on the Status of Women

CAMARILLO — Communication major Kelsey Genesi is moving one step closer to her dream job this week. With help from Political Science Lecturer Tim Allison, Genesi, a junior, was appointed as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) delegate to the 62nd Session of…

Jackson on National School Walkout

SACRAMENTO – State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) released the following statement in advance of the thousands of students and educators expected to participate in the National School Walkout today in California and across the country to protest the federal and Congressional inaction…

Assemblymember Irwin Honors Jill Lederer as 2018 Woman of the Year

The Greater Conejo Valley Chamber President/CEO was honored at the State Capitol. SACRAMENTO – The California Legislative Women’s Caucus once again sponsored the annual “Woman of the Year” celebration, at the State Capitol, as part of Women’s History Month. Today, Assemblymember…

Public Relations Society Awards Scholarships to Two Local College Students

CENTRAL COAST — The California Gold Coast chapter of the Public Relations Society of America recently awarded its annual scholarships to Betty Hang and Emily Graybill, two students attending four-year colleges in the chapter’s geographic territory of Ventura, Santa Barbara…

Friendship Center Fees Fully Covered for Qualified Veterans by Department of Veterans Affairs

MONTECITO — Veterans have sacrificed so much for our country that it is with great pleasure and humility that Friendship Center announces that its services and programs are recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs and that qualified veterans can…

Local PODS and Old School 104.7 to Give One Lucky Winner 60 Days of Free Storage with “Everyone Needs a PODS Container” contest

CENTRAL COAST — Need storage? Have an upcoming renovation? Local PODS moving and storage and Old School 104.7 want to find out why you need a PODS container. Listeners can enter the contest by submitting their reasons why they need…

Santa Paula Art Museum update for March 10

Click here for the entire e-newsletter   “Canzona Cobalta” by Lois Freeman-Fox, digital painting, Collection of the artist © Lois Freeman-Fox. Gallery Talk: Creative Time Travel with Lois Freeman-Fox Saturday, March 10, 2018, 2pm to 3pm Fillmore artist Lois Freeman-Fox…

Camarillo Hospice announces grief support in Spanish

CAMARILLO — Camarillo Hospice, a Program of Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association, is now offering individual, couple, and family counseling in Spanish for those grieving the death of a loved one and beginning in April, Camarillo Hospice will offer two Spanish…

Bilingual commentary: When the Heavens Open for Us

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 •…

Boy Scouts of Ventura Install Hand Built Owl Boxes with Hopes to Save Local Wildlife

VENTURA COUNTY — As part of an integrated pest management program, the Boy Scouts of Ventura adventured into the field, armed with handcrafted owl boxes. They were joined by VCPWA Watershed Protection District Director, Karl Novak and Linda Parks, Supervisor…

Ventura-based Environmental Organization Garners International Media Attention and Awards

VENTURA — Local nonprofit organization Paso Pacifico is quickly making a name as a global leader in wildlife conservation. Paso Pacifico works with local communities, landowners, and partner organizations to restore and protect the habitats that form building blocks for…

Carnegie Art Museum update for March 8

Click here for the entire e-newsletter   CAM MEMBERS SPECIAL OFFER Pinchas Zukerman Returns to Perform and Conduct the New West Symphony Sunday March 11th | 3:00pm | Oxnard Performing Arts Center In partnership with New West Symphony, we would like to…

CSUCI’s Communication & Marketing takes top regional and national awards

CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands’ (CSUCI) Communication & Marketing office has taken home gold and silver from both a regional and national organization. The national Collegiate Advertising Awards presented CSUCI with two first place gold awards and two second place silver awards.…