By Mona AlvaradoFrazier /Guest contributor On Sunday’s I take a little longer reading the Arts and Culture section of the newspaper because of the variety of museums, theaters, and cultural events in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Ventura Counties. I’m…
Author: Amigos805.com
Frank X. Moraga is publisher / editor of Amigos805, providing information for and about the vibrant Latino community in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties — "Bringing cultures together by sharing information."
Oxnard youth receives California Workforce Association’s scholarship
OXNARD — The California Workforce Association awarded Magdalena Carriedo, a member of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme (BGCOP), with the Dwight Brydie Scholarship at its 13th Annual Youth Conference, Jan. 18, in Long Beach,…
SBCC Foundation holds ‘VIP Kick-Off Party,’ campaign on March 14
A student rally will also take place directly before the VIP night SANTA BARBARA — The Foundation for Santa Barbara City College will host a VIP kick-off party and call night as the official start of the college’s Campaign for…
Youth benefit with dental services during ‘Dental Day’
Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics’ Dental Resident Dr. Cherry Ma, right, examines Abigail Perez’s teeth at the Direct Relief International (DRI) Dental Day, which was held March 10 at Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics’ Dental Clinic, the organization reported Monday in a…
Donations being accepted for ‘Prom Dress Project’
The Young Leaders Society has officially launched the annual Prom Dress Project, a prom dress recycling program for underprivileged students. The deadline to drop off prom dresses is March 30, reported Nancy Rodriguez of the Young Leaders Society, a program…
Commentary: The Sunbelt strategy
By Frank P. Barajas / Guest contributor What do California State University Professor Rodolfo F. Acuña, Henry David Thoreau, and Abraham Lincoln have in common? Before I tell you, you need to know that the narratives of Acuña (a founder of Chicano…
Commentary: The Dementia scare
By David Magallanes /Guest contributor My morning earlier this week, like most mornings, was peaceful. I had read my newspaper and once again felt that I was aware of local, state, national and world news. I had settled into some…
Mexican Consulate releases calendar of events for March
The Mexican Consulate in Oxnard on Wednesday released its calendar of events for March. Click here for a PDF version of the calendar. Visit www.consulmexoxnard.com
History of Cinco de Mayo subject of UCSB lecture on March 8
UCLA’S David Hayes-Bautista discusses significance of American holiday As the 150th anniversary of the first Cinco de Mayo approaches, David Hayes-Bautista, professor of medicine and director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at the School…
Commentary: National Women’s History Month
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier /Guest contributor Since 1911 in Europe, March 8 is the day to celebrate International Women’s Day. In 1978 in California, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women began a “Women’s…
Art Beat springs forward on March 10 with a cultural re-awakening in Downtown Oxnard
Event mixes provocative and engaging programs in closely connected venues. OXNARD — On March 10th, just a few hours before the clocks up an hour for daylight savings, Downtown Oxnard gets an early jump on a new season of cultural…
FOOD Share to hold meetings March 10, 31 for potential volunteers
FOOD Share — Ventura County’s Food Bank, will hold a meeting for potential volunteers at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 10 and 10 a.m. Saturday, March 31 at 4156 Southbank Road, Oxnard. FOOD Share has many opportunities to help and support…
Small Business Development Center adds advisors
Trio join roster of about 30 business experts available free to companies CAMARILLO — Three business advisors with expertise in developing cash flow, productivity, accounting and taxation have joined the Small Business Development Center of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties,…
Bilingual report: Teatro still seeking art entries for ‘The Prodigious Shoemaker’s Wife’
Teatro de las Américas is providing a new e-mail address for those who have submitted art entries for “The Prodigious Shoemaker’s Wife / La zapatera prodigiosa,” the organization reported this week in a media release. We did not receive any entries…
Ventura County AIDS Partnership will wind down operations in 2012
No new grants will be awarded during the fall of 2013 The Ventura County AIDS Partnership announced this week that it is winding down its operation during 2012, with no new grants to be awarded during the fall of 2013.…
CLU students rally against Cal Grant cuts in Sacramento
Students from throughout state to descend on Capitol THOUSAND OAKS — Five California Lutheran University students will travel to Sacramento on March 7 to protest a proposed cut to Cal Grant awards for students at independent nonprofit colleges, the university…
Mexican Consul Flores appears on program in support of Children’s Resource Network
Brad Pomerance, of Headline News — Charter Local Edition, interviews Lisa Ray, president and chief executive officer with the Children’s Resource Network of the Central Coast in Pismo Beach and Mexican Consulate General of Central California Rogelio Flores. Children’s Resource Network…
CLU graduate students to be consultants for area businesses
SBDC’s Ray Bowman teaches new MBA class CAMARILLO — Twelve California Lutheran University MBA students are blending academics with real-world experience as they explore the field of small business consulting by providing services to three local businesses, the Economic Development…
Zaragoza holds breakfast fundraiser in Oxnard
A group of more than 500 enthusiastic and dedicated supporters crowded into the Casa Lopez Restaurant in downtown Oxnard to celebrate and raise funds to re-elect John Zaragoza to the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, the Zaragoza campaign announced in…
Two Oxnard teens honored as BGCOP’s Youths of the Year
OXNARD — Singled out among several outstanding local youth, Genesis Mena and Taylor Penny, both from Oxnard, were recently named “2012 Youth of the Year” by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme, the organization reported Friday…
Xavier Montes exhibit artist reception set for March 2 in Santa Paula
The Ventura College Santa Paula Site will hold a Meet the Artist Reception for an exhibit featuring the works of artist Xavier Montes from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, March 2 at 957 Faulkner Road, Suite 106 in Santa Paula.…
MusicaLatitudes / Teatro de las Américas to present ‘Agustin Lara …’ March 3, 4
MusicaLatitudes and Teatro de las Américas, two Ventura County arts organizations dedicated to popularizing Latin American art and culture, will present “Agustin Lara, Now and Forever…” at 7:30 p.m. March 3 at the Oxnard College Performing Arts Auditorium, 4000 So.…
LULAC’s March 3 meeting to feature candidate for Congress
The League of United Latin American Citizens — District 17, will hold its monthly meeting featuring a presentation by Assemblymember Julio Brownley, candidate for Congress, at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 3 at Clinicas del Camino Real, 200 So. Wells Road,…
Commentary: The mystical river of time
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor On a recent afternoon I happened to be in Solvang. I was the typical tourist, looking into all the store windows I passed, classifying the items I saw as useless (to me, anyway), interesting,…
Premier issue of Amigos805 print edition coming in April
The premier issue of Amigos805, a 10,000-copy bilingual print edition, is coming to the region in April to better serve the community in the California Central Coast region. The publication is then scheduled to go weekly starting in May, the…
Early homestead family presentation set for March 1 at Museum of Ventura County
From Malibu to the Ventura County line, the Santa Monica Mountains bring to mind beautiful hiking trails and amazing coastal view homes. But in 1917, when homesteaders Lauretta and John Spurgeon Houston arrived in what is still a remote corner…
California Strawberry Festival unveils 2012 poster
Art features an element never before included on posters OXNARD — The third time proved to be a charm to Charis Werner of Thousand Oaks who won the 2012 Official Poster Contest for the 29th Annual California Strawberry Festival. Werner was…
Williams introduces bills promoting energy efficiency
SACRAMENTO — Assemblymember Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara) recently introduced three bills aimed to help promote green energy technology, facilitate guidelines for efficiency upgrades and optimize investments in distributed generation, his office reported in a media release. AB 2339 will require…
SBCC’s Luria Library receives $10,500 in scholarships
SANTA BARBARA — The Foundation for Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) is pleased to announce that the Friends of the Luria Library has presented SBCC’s Eli Luria Library with 21 scholarships, each valued at approximately $500. A total of $10,500-…
Latino Links: Political trends
While Time Magazine’s latest cover story has received positive reviews for its assertion that Latinos will “Pick the next President,” not everyone is agreeing with the writer who said during a recent news program that Latino vote for the upcoming…
UCSB to hold outreach programs at high schools in Ventura, Santa Barbara Counties starting Feb. 28
UCSB Early Academic Outreach presents Higher Education Week SANTA BARBARA — The Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP) at UC Santa Barbara is sponsoring its spring Higher Education Week, a four-day, two-county event beginning Feb. 28, the university reported in a…
Just Communities to honor outstanding community members on Feb. 26 in Santa Barbara
Amy Van Meter Courageous Conversation Award to be presented to Esther Flores, Andrew Sanchez and the Dos Pueblos High School PTSA Committee on Equity and Excellence at 10th anniversary celebration SANTA BARBARA — Just Communities will celebrate its 10th anniversary…
United Way to hold ‘Girls’ Night Out’ fundraiser on Feb. 27 in Oxnard
Meathead Movers joins United Way of Ventura County for a pampered evening benefiting the organization’s United Women’s Leadership Council CAMARILLO — For one night only, employees of Meathead Movers will replace their uniforms with tuxedoes and moving boxes with martinis to assist the…
Commentary: Speech, appearance, language and notation
By David Magallanes /Guest contributor What do we perceive when someone on the street approaches us and tells us, “Hey, you got some change? ‘Cause I ain’t got no money and even though I gone to the agency, they won’t…
Commentary: When we were Catholic — Lent
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier / Guest contributor My mother is Roman Catholic. She baptized and raised us as such. We attended Catholic schools from first to twelfth grade. Everything you can imagine in the 1960’s-70’s era of Catholicism, in a Latino…
Southern California Gas Co. awards $20,000 grant to Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme
BGCOP will use money for its College Bound program OXNARD —The Southern California Gas Co. presented a $20,000 grant to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme recently as part of a 2011 Education Initiative, the…
UCSB’s International Mother Language Day Conference continues on Feb. 24
SANTA BARBARA — Sixty years ago, a group of students from the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh (then known as East Pakistan) were killed as they participated in the Bengali Language Movement protests. The student activists were seeking to have Bengali…
Rio Mesa High School Folklorico Club to hold fundraiser on Feb. 24 to support family
The Rio Mesa High School Folklorico Club will present a fundraising dance show to support the Magana family at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24 at the high school’s gymnasium, 545 Central Ave., Oxnard. A fellow Spartan was recently diagnosed with…
Museum of Ventura County to hold reception on Feb. 24 for Latino exhibits
The opening reception for the exhibits “Music before Columbus: The Collection of Luis Perez” and “Hilos de la Vida/Threads of Life: The Weavers of Teotitlán del Valle” will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24 at the…
Volunteers needed for MICOP meetings on Feb. 25 in Oxnard
The Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project will present its next monthly community meeting on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Harrington Elementary School, 2501 Gisler St. and at Rio Real Elementary School, 1140 Kenny St., both in Oxnard. “Both locations can use your…
LULAC to hold District 17 meeting on Feb. 25
The League of United Latin American Citizens — District 17 — will hold its next membership meeting from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 25 at Clinicas Del Camino Real, 200 So. Wells Road, Ventura. Click here for directions: (Google…
Arts For Action to hold auction, show on Feb. 25 in Oxnard
Arts for Action will present “Oxnard, Te Amo,” with an auction from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Oxnard Public Library, 251 So. A St., Oxnard. A meet-and-greet event with the artists will be held at 6…
“The Comeback” boxing event set for Feb. 25 in Santa Paula
El Dorado Entertainment will present “The Comeback” boxing event with doors opening at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Santa Paula Golf Course, 16700 South Mountain Road, Santa Paula. The event includes “Sweet” Jose Aguiniga (31-0), “Dangerous” David Rodela…
Latino Links: Economic trends
As the nation continues to recover from effects of the great recession, Latinos are expected to account for nearly three-quarters of the nation’s labor force from 2010 to 2020, according to a recent media release by the Pew Research Center…
Bilingual report: Teatro de Américas to hold art contest for next play
Teatro de las Américas is presenting the play “La zapatera prodigiosa / The Shoemaker’s Prodigious Wife,” in April and May. “We invite artists to submit artwork that will serve as the art or graphic for posters and program of the…
UCSB to host Chicano Movement conference on Feb. 17-18
Event will examine impact of movement and how it relates to today SANTA BARBARA — “Chicano Power!,” a two-day conference at UC Santa Barbara to examine the Chicano movement of the 1960’s and ’70s, a major formative period in Chicano history, will begin…
Spanish Harlem Orchestra to perform for Ventura Music Festival’s annual Latin Jazz Concert on Feb. 18
Spanish Harlem Orchestra, the 2011 Grammy-winning Latin jazz ensemble, will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18 at Ventura High School Auditorium, 2 N. Catalina St., Ventura. Directed and founded by pianist, arranger and producer Oscar Hernández, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, now in its…
Commentary: When a combat veteran dies
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor We read about them in the news all too often: the combat veteran who dies eating lunch or drinking coffee when an errant vehicle rams through the wall of the building. Or when he’s…
Commentary: What’s a Red Dress have to do with heart disease?
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier / Guest contributor For the past week, you’ve seen red hearts, candy, flowers and Valentine cards everywhere. Well now that Valentine’s Day has passed, it’s still appropriate to talk about the color red and hearts. February is also…
Election 2012: Endorsements, fundraisers in the news
Amigos805.com staff report The election season continues to heat up with a number of candidates reporting endorsements and upcoming fundraisers in the 805 region. Several candidates announced this week that they had received endorsements from the California Democratic Party last weekend…