VENTURA — The Ventura Family YMCA is proud to announce Danielle Brinkman-Vera as Chair of the 2017 Annual Campaign. Brinkman-Vera is Partner in Charge of Tax Services-Oxnard at Farber Hass Hurley LLP. She is an expert in her field and…
Author: Community Contributor
VCCCD Board of Trustees names Bernardo M. Perez, Chair and Arturo Hernández, Vice Chair at December Board meeting
VENTURA COUNTY — The Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees named Bernardo M. Perez and Arturo Hernández Chair and Vice Chair, respectively. The vote was taken during open session at the Board meeting held on Tuesday, December 13, 2016.…
Ventura County Public Works Agency earns top honors at American Society of Civil Engineers awards
VENTURA COUNTY – The Los Angeles Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers has selected Ventura County Public Works Agency’s Happy Valley Bioswale Meiners Oaks Urban Low Impact Development (LID) Retrofit as 2016 Environmental Engineering Project of the Year. The…
Lompoc Family YMCA Welcomes Susan Long as New Branch Manager
LOMPOC — The Lompoc Family YMCA, a branch of the Channel Islands YMCA, is proud to announce the appointment of Susan Long to the position of Branch Manager. Long has been involved with the Y for many years, initially as…
Clinicas to distribute toys throughout Ventura County through Dec. 22
VENTURA COUNTY — It has been a time honored tradition during the holiday season for Clinicas del Camino Real, Inc. to distribute toys to its pediatric patients. The tradition continues this year as Clinicas’ Toy Giveaway will again take place at…
Bilingual commentary: To the Stars, John Glenn
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. By David Magallanes / Guest contributor David Magallanes…
Family-to-Family Program Offers ‘Life-Changing’ Support for Family Members Affected by Mental Illness
SANTA BARBARA — The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Southern Santa Barbara County, which is hosted by and receives support from the Mental Wellness Center, has announced that pre-registration is now open for its Family-to-Family education program for family…
The Duncan Group Welcomes New Board Member Carl Steinberg
SANTA BARBARA – Carl Steinberg has been appointed as a new board member to The Duncan Group (TDG), the affiliate property management nonprofit for Peoples’ Self-Help Housing (PSHH) developed rental properties. Steinberg’s real estate experience and passion for the well-being…
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme Receive $100,000 Grant
OXNARD — The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme (BGCOP) has been awarded a $100,000 grant through the Martin V. and Martha K. Smith Foundation to support BGCOP’s mission to provide a safe haven after school and…
Community Holiday Tree and Wreath Sale to Support Life-Changing Local Youth Programs at Santa Barbara Family YMCA
SANTA BARBARA — The Santa Barbara Family YMCA’s junior high and high school students are selling Christmas trees and wreaths to raise money to support youth and teen programs. The community is welcome to purchase and take home the trees…
SBCC Center for Lifelong Learning Receives Top National Awards for Excellence in Marketing
SANTA BARBARA — Santa Barbara City College Center for Lifelong Learning (the CLL) received the Excellence in Marketing Award from Learning Resources Network (LERN), the world’s largest professional association in continuing education and lifelong learning. LERN announced the CLL as the top winner for…
Community Commemorates 75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor Attacks at Event Hosted by the Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation
SANTA BARBARA — The Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack with a free community ceremony at the Santa Barbara Airport on Dec. 7. About 150 people attended the event to remember the attack…
New Advisor to Help Launch Spanish-Language Program for Small Business Development Center
CENTRAL COAST — The Small Business Development Center of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties (SBDC), which provides free one-on-one consulting to help strengthen the bottom lines of area companies, has recently added a bilingual advisor with experience helping Spanish-language businesses.…
FOOD Share CEO Chosen for Tournament of Roses Parade
VENTURA COUNTY — FOOD Share of Ventura County President and CEO, Bonnie Atmore, has been selected by Dole Packaged Foods to represent the regional food bank and national hunger relief network, Feeding America, in the 128th Tournament of Roses Parade…
Bilingual commentary: The Sound of Freedom
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. By David Magallanes / Guest contributor David Magallanes…
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme Servicing More Youth
OXNARD — The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme (BGCOP) on Dec. 7 released the findings of its recent internal audit revealing the number of youth served by the organization increased 13 percent to 10,400 children annually from…
Foster VC Kids, CSA, KVTA Radio Collaborate for “Holidays with Heart” Drive
VENTURA COUNTY — For 25 years, CSA and radio station 1590 AM KVTA Local News Talk, have collaborated to collect toys and raise funds for the more than 1,000 foster children and youth in Ventura County, as well as growing…
NSF-funded program gives academically strong, low-income engineering undergraduates get the boost they need to complete their degrees
By Sonia Fernandez / UCSB If you’re a college undergrad, you know full well your third year is your moment of truth. Gone are the days of tentatively exploring your major; gone is much of the flexibility you had to…
Jan. 25 — Channel Islands Maritime Museum’s ‘Love Letters Home’ now open. To hold reception on Jan. 25
OXNARD — In an era before high-speed travel and instantaneous communication, separation and longing were an ever-present reality for the men, women and children of both maritime and wartime communities. Through the display of original artifacts and correspondence, Channel Islands…
Jan. 5-8 — ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! to present Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano. New York’s Ballet Hispanico to perform (Feb. 6-12), Mariachi Femenil Nuevo Tecalitán (April 27-30)
CENTRAL COAST — From cowboy traditions of Colombia and Venezuela, to the Latin dance scene of New York, and many rich cultural traditions between, ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! announces its twelfth season of free family performances in neighborhood venues…
Jan. 7 — Day of Mindfulness: Renewal for the New Year
VENTURA — A day to quiet the mind and open the heart. A day of healing, with the Venerable Kusala, an American born Buddhist monk, ordained in the Zen tradition of Vietnam. Date, time: January 7, 2017, 10am to 4pm Location of event: Unitarian Universalist…
Jan. 19 — EDC-VC Annual Meeting Focuses on Sustainable Water Solutions
CAMARILLO — As Ventura County enters its sixth year of drought, the 20th annual meeting of the Economic Development Collaborative-Ventura County (EDC-VC) will explore the theme “Drowning in Drought: Sustainable Water Solutions.” Featured will be keynote speakers Susan Mulligan, general manager, Calleguas…
Through Jan. 24 — Art Exhibit ‘Brings Art’ of late John Schlesinger to Hospice of Santa Barbara continues
SANTA BARBARA —Hospice of Santa Barbara is honored to have the artwork of the late John Schlesinger on display at the Leigh Block Gallery — located within Hospice of Santa Barbara, 2050 Alameda Padre Serra, Suite #100, Santa Barbara —…
Through Jan. 29 — De Colores Art Show continues at the Santa Paula Art Museum
SANTA PAULA — The annual De Colores Art Show continues through Jan. 29 the Santa Paula Art Museum. The group exhibition features art by 30 contemporary artists whose vibrant works are inspired by Latino culture. The premiere party will include live music…
Ongoing: ‘Designs from the Deep: The Architecture of the Shell’ at the Channel Islands Maritime Museum
OXNARD – The Channel Islands Maritime Museum will host an opening reception for its new exhibition, Designs from the Deep: The Architecture of the Shell, from 5-7 p.m., Oct. 27. The exhibit features close to a thousand stunning shells from…
Through mid-April — Whale Watching Season continues off the coast of Oxnard
OXNARD – It’s that time of year to catch a glimpse of nature during Whale Watching Season taking place off the coast of Oxnard. The season officially begins the day after Christmas, December 26 and continues through mid-April 2017. Both Island…
Bilingual commentary: ISIS vs. Isis
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. By David Magallanes / Guest contributor David Magallanes…
FOOD Share Hosts SoCal’s Most Festive Holiday Food Drive: The 5th Annual CAN-tree Collection
OXNARD — For three days, Southern California’s premier destination shopping and dining center will be transformed into a stunning display of charity and cheer as FOOD Share’s 5th annual CAN-tree Collection, hosted by The Collection at RiverPark and Cumulus Media,…
United Way of Ventura County provides update on ‘Santa to the Sea’
President’s Message Dear Friends, Today is my 2nd anniversary serving as President & CEO of United Way of Ventura County. It’s hard to believe 24 months have passed so quickly and how the incredible community members here have enriched my…
UCSB Professor Francisco Lomelí is elected to the prestigious North American Academy of the Spanish Language
By Jim Logan / UCSB Francisco Lomelí had no idea he was being considered for membership in a prestigious organization of Spanish language scholars. And then out of the blue word came that he was in. A professor of Spanish and Portuguese and…
Catch the “ELF on the GO” Holiday Bus!
Ride Gold Coast Transit District’s Decorated Holiday Bus this December OXNARD — Gold Coast Transit District (GCTD) is excited to announce that a specially decorated holiday bus will be traveling the streets of Oxnard, Ventura, Port Hueneme and Ojai this…
Ventura Family YMCA Inspires the Community at Annual Prayer Breakfast
CENTRAL COAST — More than 100 guests attended the Ventura Family YMCA’s annual Prayer Breakfast held Nov. 16. It was an uplifting morning of prayer and encouragement with music led by Pastor Troy Jones of The River Community Church. Breakfast…
New Clinical Leadership at CenCal Health
SANTA BARBARA — Dr. Takashi Wada, Director of the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, is joining CenCal Health as Deputy Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Wada will join Dr. Darryl Leong, from Care First Health Plan in Los Angeles, who will…
And the Winner is… Local Youth: Ventura Family YMCA Flag Football Team Builds Teamwork and Confidence in Final Tournament
CENTRAL COAST — Four flag football teams from the Montecito, Santa Barbara, Stuart C. Gildred (Santa Ynez) and Ventura branches of the Channel Islands YMCA competed in their Bowl Games on Nov. 12 at the Carpinteria High School football field.…
Ventura Family YMCA Youth & Government Delegates Host Bill Hearing Night to Prepare for State Conference
CENTRAL COAST — The Ventura Family YMCA Youth & Government team introduced and debated three mock bills on Nov. 28 at the California Court of Appeals. The bill hearing night is part of their preparation for the 69th Model Legislature…
SolRio Organization for Climate Change Mitigation Inc. Proposes Plan for Solar-Powered Desalination at SONGS
SAN CLEMENTE – SolRio Organization for Climate Change Mitigation Inc. has proposed a large-scale solar-powered desalination project at the decommissioned San Onofre Nuclear Generation Station. SunRiver has the potential to produce 1.1 billion gallons of potable water daily by utilizing water…
Aera Energy celebrates Giving Tuesday with a check to the United Way of Ventura County
VENTURA — Local oil company Aera Energy LLC is celebrating the spirit of the season in a big way! In alignment with the global day of giving, the company celebrated their employee contributions and made a donation to the United Way…
EDC-VC Joins California Trade Delegation Trip to China
CAMARILLO – As part of the ongoing effort to increase trade and investment, particularly in California’s renewable energy and clean tech sectors, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and the California Energy Commission recently led a delegation…
PSHH Resident Receives National Recognition for Community Leadership
PSHH resident Elvia Salazar is a winner of the NeighborWorks America 2016 Dorothy Richardson Award for Resident Leadership. SANTA BARBARA – People’s Self Help Housing is proud to announce that one of its residents, Elvia Salazar, has been selected as one…
Guest commentary: An Immigrant’s Birthday Reflection
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. By Armando Vazquez / Guest contributor I…