Author: Community Contributor

April 22 — Santa Paula Art Museum to present ‘The Land of Light,’ Youth-led Event Inspires a Community through Art, Science, and Play

SANTA PAULA — An upcoming event at the Santa Paula Art Museum, Jeanette Cole Art Center invites visitors to experience a new way of seeing art in a fun and lively atmosphere where art, science, and play intersect. “The Land of…

April 23 – Che Malambo to perform at UCSB

SANTA BARBARA — Che Malambo will perform at 7 a.m. Sunday, April 23 at Campbell Hall, UCSB. “A thrilling display… 14 stomping, drumming, roaring men pounded rapid-fire rhythms into the ground with many surfaces of their feet – heels, toes, inside…

Bilingual commentary: The Gravitational Pull to “Go Back Home”

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. David Magallanes By David Magallanes…

Sunrise Rotary Supports Bright Smiles for the Sixth Consecutive Year at Eastside Family Dental Clinic

SANTA BARBARA — The skies cleared on Friday, February 24th for the Free Dental Day at Eastside Family Dental Clinic. The event has been sponsored by Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise since 2012 and has provided hundreds with dental procedures…

2017 California Strawberry Festival seeks unique submissions for annual Berry Blast Off Recipe Contest

OXNARD — Calling all strawberry lovers with a passion for creating culinary masterpieces.  You could win a vacation getaway when you enter the 2017 California Strawberry Festival Berry Blast Off Recipe Contest, presented by the Ventura County Star. All contestants who submit…

Survey Shows Success of Local Caregiver Awareness Campaign

As a result of the Caring Together Lompoc campaign, 50% of community members surveyed are now more aware of caregiving; 40% now identify as a caregiver LOMPOC — This past summer, the Caring Together Lompoc campaign launched with the goal of helping community members self-identify…

April 5 — Rick Najera’s Latino Thought Makers Presents Dolores Huerta at Oxnard College

Nationally Recognized Show to Honor Labor Legend and Civil Rights Activist April 5 at Oxnard College’s Performing Arts Center, plus FREE Admission OXNARD — In collaboration with the Ventura County Community College District and Oxnard College, Rick Najera’s Latino Thought Makers will honor…

State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson bill to clean up beaches by plugging old, leaking oil wells passes out of committee

SACRAMENTO – Just a few weeks after erosion exposed eight abandoned oil wells along Summerland Beach in Santa Barbara County, two of them visibly leaking oil, a bill by State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) to monitor and cap California’s old, abandoned wells has…

SBCC’s Kick Butts Day on March 15 Sheds Light on Tobacco/Related Issues

SANTA BARBARA — Friendship Plaza on Santa Barbara City College’s East Campus will be transformed into a giant ashtray — cigarette butts and all — for “Kick Butts Day,” on Wednesday, March 15, from 10:00-2:00, to increase awareness and understanding of tobacco…

SB Resident Col. Phil Conran Inducted into the Fordham University Military and New York City ROTC Hall of Fame

SANTA BARBARA — Col. Phil Conran (USAF, ret) is one of three new inductees into the Fordham University Military and New York City ROTC Hall of Fame. Inductees are honored based on their contributions through active or reserve components of…

Local Military Historian’s Research Results in Posthumous Legion of Valor Enrollment

Research conducted by Adam Lewis, local historian for the Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation (PCVF), has resulted in the posthumous enrollment of Frank Robert McCrary into the Legion of Valor. Lewis retired this year from his position as a PCVF board…

SBCC Scheinfeld Center Introduces Community to Local Startup Incubators, Accelerators and Workspaces

SANTA BARBARA — The SBCC Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation hosted a panel Feb. 10 at the Fé Bland Forum on the Santa Barbara City College campus to help students and community members learn about local startup incubators, accelerators and…

United Way of Santa Barbara County’s Young Leaders Society Share Joys of Reading with Local Elementary Schools

CENTRAL COAST — United Way of Santa Barbara County’s (UWSBC) Young Leaders Society (YLS) visited Franklin and El Camino Elementary Schools to share a passion for reading and donate books and funds to both campuses as part of the United We…

Cathy Murillo, Sherry Villanueva, Alicia Flores and Dr. Cynthia Herrera among those to be honored by State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson as ‘Women of the Year’ in Santa Barbara and Ventura

SANTA BARBARA – OXNARD – To commemorate Women’s History Month, State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) will honor eight women from Santa Barbara and Ventura counties as the 19th Senate District’s 2017 ‘Women of the Year’ in separate ceremonies in each county. The…

Bilingual commentary: Boomers in La La Land

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. David Magallanes By David Magallanes…

Assemblymember Irwin Honors Ventura County Superior Court Judge Michele Castillo as 2017 Woman of the Year

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 Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) recognized the Honorable Michele Castillo as the…

Assemblymember Irwin Introduces Workforce Development Legislation

SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D – Thousand Oaks) has introduced two bills to modernize community colleges and prepare students for the 21st century economy. Assemblymember Irwin, chair of the Select Committee on Cybersecurity, introduced AB 405 which would create…

Ventura County Board of Supervisors Presents Laguna Farms With Health Champion Award

Local Farming Company Recognized for Workplace Wellness  OXNARD — Laguna Farms, berry grower in Ventura County and affiliate of Reiter Affiliated Companies, will receive the ‘Health Champion’ award on March 7, 2017 at the Board of Supervisors meeting for their commitment…

Ventura County Go Red For Women Luncheon Raises Awareness About Women and Cardiovascular Disease

“Life is Why” Sponsor Dignity Health Central Coast Helps Raise $236,000 to Fight Heart Disease & Stroke  WESTLAKE VILLAGE — The American Heart Association (AHA) hosted its annual Ventura County Go Red For Women Luncheon on Friday, February 24, 2017, at the…

Limón To Honor Ojai Woman as 37th Assembly District Woman of the Year

SACRAMENTO — Assemblymember Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) will honor Julie Tumamait-Stenslie, an active Ojai resident and the tribal leader of the Barbareño-Ventureño Band of Mission Indians, as the 37th Assembly District 2017 Woman of the Year today. “It is a privilege and an…

Nomi Wagner wins 34th annual California Strawberry Festival Official Poster Contest

OXNARD — Using a unique medium that combines traditional watercolor painting with fine art digital technology, artist Nomi Wagner of Oxnard won the California Strawberry Festival 34th Annual Poster Contest. Nomi’s winning entry was revealed today to dignitaries and Festival sponsors gathered…

Whale Watch Season is Now Underway with Island Packers

Enjoy watching the gentle giants of the sea and dolphins too! VENTURA-OXNARD — Winter whale watching off the beautiful Central Coast of California runs from December to mid April. An Island Packers whale watch is a perfect way to gather with…

Santa Barbara Go Red For Women Luncheon Raises Awareness About Women and Cardiovascular Disease

SANTA BARBARA — The American Heart Association (AHA) hosted its annual Santa Barbara Go Red For Women Luncheon on Friday, February 24, 2017 at the Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort with the goal of raising awareness about the risk of cardiovascular…

Limón to Chair Newly Created Assembly Select Committee on the Nonprofit Sector

SACRAMENTO — Assemblymember Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) was appointed by Speaker Anthony Rendon to Chair a Select Committee on the Nonprofit Sector. According to California Association on Nonprofits, a statewide policy alliance of more than 10,000 nonprofits, the nonprofit sector is…

Bilingual commentary: Impermanence

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. David Magallanes By David Magallanes…

Case study on a Newbury Park social business earns national award for CSUCI instructor and graduate student

CAMARILLO — A CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Business Lecturer and a Business graduate student are winners of the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) 2017 Conference Outstanding Teaching Case Award, held in Philadelphia last month. Instructor Maria Ballesteros-Sola, who teaches…

Ventura Brand Development Firm Adds Social Media, Public Relations expert

VENTURA — Consortium Media + Public Relations (CM+PR), a firm specializing in integrating marketing, branding, media relations, multimedia and social media, has added nationally known social media strategist and writer Emily Savage to its team. Savage is a journalist, social…

May 3 — Season Finale of Latino Thought Makers to Honor Remarkable Women at Oxnard College

Interview Series to Feature Pilar Marrero (La Opinion), Patty Rodriguez (On Air with Ryan Seacrest) and Aidyl Gonzalez-Serricchio, Ph.D. (The Buckley School) OXNARD — In collaboration with Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) and Oxnard College, Rick Najera’s Latino Thought Makers will…

April 22 — Carnegie Art Museum to hold member’s tour of Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach

Museum of Latin American Art   The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA)’s comprehensive retrospective exhibition of work by legendary Los Angeles artist Frank Romero, encompasses over 50 years of the artist’s career, including History of the Chicano Movimiento from the Carnegie…

April 19 — ‘An Evening with Isabel Allende’

SANTA BARBARA — “An Evening with Isabel Allende” will be presented from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 19 at The Granada Theatre, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. “Allende’s books feel like ornate fairy tales, velvety and otherworldly and sly,…

April 26 — Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara to present Artist Talk with Tanya Aguiñiga

SANTA BARBARA — The Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara will present “Artist Talk with Tanya Aguiñiga” at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 26 at the Physical Science Building Room 101, Santa Barbara City College Aguiñiga, a prominent social practice artist from Tijuana, Mexico, will discuss…

YCE, Inc. rolls out the “green carpet” to over 300 guests for “Dream Big” movie premiere on Feb. 26

VENTURA — Ventura-based YCE, Inc. a woman-owned engineering and surveying firm, hosted the local premiere of Dream Big – Engineering Our World at the Collection’s Century Riverpark 16 theater on Feb. 26. Over 300 enthusiastic guests were greeted by YCE, Inc. owner Marta…

April 13 — Poet Laureate Richard Blanco to speak at Ventura College

VENTURA — Diversity in Culture Festival Featured Presentation: Poet Laureate Richard Blanco, Thursday, April 13 at 1pm in the Ventura College Applied Science Center, Room 150. Seating is limited, free admission, please reserve your tickets on EventBrite. Richard Blanco, the fifth Inaugural poet of…

Ventura Family YMCA Youth & Government Delegates Return from Training & Elections Conference in Fresno

VENTURA — The Channel Islands YMCA Youth & Government delegation joined more than 3,500 youth from across the state in Fresno for their second Training & Elections conference held Jan. 14-16 at the Fresno Convention Center. Twenty-four teens with the…

Bilingual report: Ventura County’s Indigenous Language Radio Station Launches on FM

OXNARD — The Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) is thrilled to announce that our indigenous language radio station, Radio Indigena, can now be reached on your FM dial. After three years of careful preparation, training, and initial internet broadcasting, Radio Indigena…

May 5 — Reservations being accepted for 28th annual El Concilio Family Services’ Latino Leadership Awards

OXNARD — Reservations are being accepted for 28th annual El Concilio Family Services’ Latino Leadership Awards from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, May 5 at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center, 800 Hobson Way, Oxnard. The 2017 Honorees are: Cesar Morales,Ed.D. Javier…

April 15 — Chicana/o Studies Summit of Ventura County to be held at Oxnard College

OXNARD — Connecting the Community to the University with Self Determination SATURDAY APRIL 15th 9 am-5 pm OXNARD COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS BUILDING Lunch Provided! Keynote Speaker at 11:15 am: Dr. Irene Vasquez, Chicana/o Studies, University of New Mexico Cultural Pachanga Reception at…

Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation Welcomes Joseph S. Hardin. Jr. as New Board Member

CENTRAL COAST — Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation (PCVF) welcomes Joseph S. Hardin, Jr. to the Board of Directors. Hardin brings many years of leadership experience in the military, corporate America and nonprofit organizations. Hardin graduated from the United States Military Academy…

Lompoc Family YMCA Kicks Off 2017 Annual Campaign

LOMPOC – The Lompoc Family YMCA on Feb. 15 kicked off its Annual Campaign, which brings together staff, board members and volunteers to raise funds to provide scholarships that will enable the Y to “Build a Better Lompoc.” The Lompoc Family…