Teatro de las Américas presents“Divorciadas, Evangélicas, y Vegetarianas” By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 One has guy problems, which is usual when dating a married man. Another is twice-divorced is a ready to end it all. Another puts her faith…
Category: Cultural
‘Old Spanish Days’ continues through Aug. 5 in Santa Barbara
Strolling mariachis, food of every conceivable variety and arts and crafts booths and music on the main stage — all this can be found at “Old Spanish Days” in Santa Barbara through Aug. 5. Festivities officially began the evening of…
Bilingual report: With schools in crisis, two propositions compete to raise funds
Activists plan to go door to door to spur potential voters to go to the polls, support initiatives By Cesar Arredondo / Amigos805 Just as students go back to classes this month, Maricela Morales is planning to start knocking on Ventura County…
Bilingual report: CSU Channel Islands celebrates 10th anniversary
By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 Students returning to classes this month will find a number of changes awaiting them at California State University, Channel Islands. Instead of the long leisurely drive through farmland from Lewis Road, the students will…
Bilingual report: Bariatric weight-loss center seeks to reach out to Latino community
From Amigos805 staff reports Being overweight can have a devastating impact on a person’s lifestyle. Diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep apnea and a number of other ailments can be traced back to the amount and kind of food…
Bilingual commentary: Time to stuff the bus, fill backpacks
By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 Like most children, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of the decision by my mother to take me by the hand and walk from our home on Cedar Street in Oxnard, down the long block…
Bilingual commentary: Keeping calm … But how?
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor During my time in London last month, I came across one of those useful phrases to which one can go whenever necessary — a phrase that has the power to make our life enormously easier and…
Bilingual commentary: Five ways to prepare for the new school year
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier / Guest contributor It’s true that summer can be just as busy as the school year. Often it’s too short for kids and too long for parents. It is a brief stop between the end of school, day camp,…
Bilingual travel story: Off the Beaten Path – Discovering Tubac
By Stacey Wittig / Vagabonding Chica – Travel Writer Tubac, Arizona was established by the King of Spain as a presidio in 1752, thirty years before the Santa Barbara Royal Presidio. Tubac, the first European settlement in Arizona, is known for outfitting…
Arts program set for July 31 at Café on A in Oxnard
The public is invited to a meet and greet program featuring William Strickland, founder and director of the Manchester Craftsman’s Guild and the Bidwell Training Center, from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 31 at Café on A, 438 So. A…
Clinicas del Camino Real to celebrate National Health Center Week
VENTURA COUNTY — Clinicas del Camino Real Inc. will host events in honor of National Health Center Week (NHCW), the Ventura-based organization reported in a media release. Clinicas invites the Ventura Community to join them for a health fair from…
Bilingual letter to the editor: The importance of the Latino vote
Our community understands the need for jobs. We need a representative from Ventura County that understands our economic challenges. Farms contribute over $2 billion dollars to our local economy sustaining over 31,000 jobs in our community. Under this current administration Latinos…
Guest column: Business leverage and the networking nomad
By Shawn McCarthy / Guest Contributor Leverage is the essence of why leading sales professionals and small business owners invest their valuable time in business networking activities. J. Paul Getty once said, “I’d rather have one percent of the effort of…
Bilingual report: Community organizations call for Friday, Saturday protests to demand support for CA Trust Act from Das Williams
Open letter addressed issued to Das Williams following support for notorious DHS-ICE “Secure Communities” program OXNARD — Oxnard-based Todo Poder al Pueblo Collective has called for a protest to be held in front of Assemblyman Das Williams’ office at the…
Das Williams responds to controversy over California Trust Act: AB 1081
SACRAMENTO — When the Assemblymember last had the first version of AB1081 bill before him for a vote, which was May 2011, there were a number of questions concerning the legislation that could not be answered. Due to that fact, Assemblymember Williams abstained, the…
Tickets still available for MICOP’S Aug. 3 ‘Night in Oaxaca’ fundraiser
Tickets are still available for “Night in Oaxaca,” said Donna Foster, operations manager for the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project in Oxnard. “If you haven’t bought tickets and you’d still like to, we still have some tickets left so please contact us if you’d…
English-learners focus of $1.2 million grant to develop health, biology program for preschoolers
SANTA BARBARA — Studies show that many low-income Latino children begin kindergarten at a significant educational disadvantage as compared to their mainstream American classmates. With a $1.2 million Science Education Partnership Award from the National Institutes of Health, researchers at…
Bilingual report: Oxnard Police Department promoting bicycle safety awareness
OXNARD — There has been an increase in the number of bicycle collisions in the city of Oxnard in recent months, the Oxnard Police Department reported this week in a media release. Between January and June in 2011 there were…
July 24 is the deadline for information, advertisement submissions for August print edition
The deadline for submission news and calendar event media releases and advertisements for the August print edition of Amigos805 is 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 25. Amigos805 is also offering a summer business card-size advertisement special for the month of August…
Teatro de las Américas to celebrate 20th anniversary on July 23
Teatro de las Américas will celebrate its 20th anniversary at 6 p.m. Monday, July 23 at SugarBeets Restaurant and Grill, 455 So. A St., Oxnard. Call 805-231-0127 or send an email to mcortese83@gmail.com
Día Nacional “DREAMer” en el Consulado de México en Oxnard
Te invitamos el 23 de julio Hora: 8:00am – 1:00pm Dirección: 3151 W. 5th St. Suite E-100 Contacto: Martha Teissier (805) 984-8738 Ext. 103, 105 y 107 Juan Matus 805-984-8738, ext. 113 La red de organizaciones “United We Dream” (UWD),…
Consulado de México en Oxnard: Foros gratuitos 2012
Bilingual commentary: “The Tube” of London … In Oxnard?
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor Imagine if here in Oxnard we had a transportation system that allowed us to travel below ground as if we were gophers, from the southern part of the city to the most northern regions such…
Bilingual commentary: State Assemblyman Das Williams draws fire for opposing CA Trust Act, supporting S-Comm
Community organizations call for July 28 protest at?Assemblyman’s offices in Oxnard and Santa Barbara OXNARD — Assemblyman Das Williams (D-35th District) is walking a tightrope among his constituents in this sensitive election year after provoking outrage among migrant justice advocates…
Summer business card-size advertisement special
Amigos805 will be offering a summer business card-size advertisement special for the month of August for all our social media users. For a discount price of $50, your business card will appear in August on our website, e-newsletter and in…
Commentary: Homeless at 9, artist at 15
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier / Guest contributor 1 in 45 kids is homeless in the U.S. What can you do for 1? This is Inocente… “In San Diego, a young teenage girl’s eyes stare into a compact mirror. She paints a dramatic black…
Bilingual commentary: Why so quiet?
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor Last week, I introduced the topic of my recent trip to London, England. The following is not necessarily fact, but rather what I managed to make out during that recent visit. These are my perceptions…
El Concilio holding benefit night July 9 in Oxnard
El Concilio Family Services will hold a benefit night from 5 to 9 p.m. Monday, July 9 at T.G.I. Friday’s, 2181 No. Rose Ave., Oxnard. Click on the above image, print it out and present it at the restaurant and…
Bilingual report: Staying local remains an attractive vacation option
Trips to wine region, state and national parks, historical sites are some of the local options By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 While a trip to Spain or climbing a pyramid at Chichén Itzá may sound like an enticing summer vacation, a…
Bilingual report: Local activists respond to ruling on Arizona’s law
Groups announce plans to challenge remaining portion of law on other constitutional grounds By Cesar Arredondo / Amigos805 The recent Supreme Court ruling on Arizona’s controversial immigration law has been received with mixed feelings by some Latino leaders in Ventura County.…
Bilingual report: Oxnard Salsa Festival prepares a hot event
50,000 people expected to attend 19th annual event featuring music, dancing, cooking demonstrations From Amigos805 staff reports A 5k run, a variety of bands, a dance competition benefiting local nonprofit organizations and, of course, plenty of spicy food and drink…
Bilingual commentary: Remembering a family’s history
By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 Sometimes a fleeting comment can lead to a whole world of discovery. Such was the case for Sylvia Munoz Schnopp, who was visiting her father one day in 2003. “It started out by just…
Bilingual update: News briefs
A variety of 4th of July activities are scheduled for the 805 region. The 37th annual 4th of July Street Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 4 in downtown Ventura. Free. The 4th of…
MICOP seeks volunteers for June 30 community meeting
Volunteers are needed to set up and staff the children’s crafts area and provide clean up assistance when the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project present its next monthly community meeting from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 30 at Harrington Elementary…
Vazquez joins board of Housing Opportunities Made Easier
Brianna Vazquez has joined the board of Housing Opportunities Made Easier (HOME), the Ventura-based organization reported Thursday in a media release. Vazquez is a recent transplant from Seattle, Washington to the Ventura County area and joined Hamner, Jewell & Associates…
Guelaguetza 2012 Oaxacan celebration to be held June 24 in Oxnard
Guelaguetza 2012 will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 24 at Oxnard Plaza Park at C and Fifth Streets. Sponsored by the government of the state of Oaxaca in Mexico, the Mexican Consulate in Oxnard, the…
Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, June 22 to submit events, reserve advertising space for July Amigos805 print edition
The deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, June 22 to submit July calendar events, information and reserve advertising space for the July newspaper print edition of Amigos805. A total of 10,000 copies are distributed throughout Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.…
Bilingual report: Gold Coast Health Plan launches redesigned website
Managed care plan launches new site OXNARD — Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP) has launched its redesigned website featuring a dynamic new look and feel, the organization reported Tuesday in a media release. The new GCHP website provides online visitors…
Cancer Support Community to reach out to children, Latinos from June 21-23
WESTLAKE VILLAGE — The Cancer Support Community-Valley/Ventura/Santa Barbara, formerly The Wellness Community will host a first-ever Cancer Support Summit, June 21-22 at the Cancer Support Community-Valley/Ventura/Santa Barbara’s Westlake Village offices, the organization reported in a media release. Licensed therapists and professional staff will…
Bilingual commentary: A Trip To London
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor I just returned from a trip to London, England. My biggest dilemma in this moment is … where do I begin to relate my experiences? For purposes of resolving this dilemma, I’ve decided to share…
Bilingual commentary: Amnesty from taking a parent’s hand
By Denis O’Leary / Guest contributor Nov. 6, 1986, the icon of conservative thinking, President Ronald Reagan enacted the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA). Amnesty! Twenty-six years later, President Reagan’s name has been bantered in the Republican presidential campaign as a standard to compare all other…
Naturally Wild Artisan Soap & Bath to honor ‘Phil the Barber’ Marquez at June 15, 16 grand opening
Naturally Wild Artisan Soap & Bath will hold a grand opening celebration at June 15 and 16 at 12 W. Main St. in Ventura in the historically registered Feraud Building where Phil the Barber” cut the hair of generations of Venturans…
Bilingual report: Teatro/MúsicaLatitudes to present Lara’s ‘Now and Forever’
Teatro de las Américas and MusicaLatitudes will present “Agustín Lara y nada más/ Agustin Lara, Now and Forever” by Miguel Heredia June 16 at the Oxnard College Performing Arts Building, 4000 So. Rose Ave., Oxnard. The play tells of an insecure, depressed,…
¡Aventuras con Verduras! play to be held June 16 in Oxnard
¡Aventuras con Verduras!, a play on healthy eating choices, will be presented by Taller Arte del Nuevo Amanecer and Ventura County Public Health at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 16 at Colonia Park, Memorial Veteran’s Gymnasium, 197 No. Marquita St., Oxnard.…
Commentary: A father’s blessings
By Armando Vazquez / Guest contributor It began at the turn of 1900s. That’s when my parents were born in the foreboding village of Ahualulco, Jalisco. My jefitos were children of miserable poverty, suffocating Catholic resignation, a caste system that…
Orozco, North, Rondeau guide KCLU to four awards
NPR station honored for newswriting, bullying special THOUSAND OAKS — National Public Radio station KCLU is the winner of three awards from the Associated Press Television and Radio Association and one from the California Teachers Association for its news coverage.??…
Bilingual report: Protest to cuts in state childcare budget set for June 9 in Oxnard
The Latin America Child Care Provider Association, a nonprofit group of bilingual childcare providers, will provide information on cuts to the state’s childcare budget at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 9 at Del Sol Park at the corner of Camino del…
Crowne Plaza’s Martinez receives top honor at Casa Pacifica Angels Wine & Food Festival
CAMARILLO — “Melt in your mouth” short ribs created by Luis Martinez, executive chef at the Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach, wowed the judges over the past weekend and took top honors at the 2012 Casa Pacifica Angels Wine and Food…
Linda Garcia joins VCCF as programs and grants vice president
Brings 20 years of community-engagement experience to the foundation CAMARILLO — Linda Garcia has joined the staff of the Ventura County Community Foundation as vice president for Programs and Grants, the organization reported on Thursday. With more than 20 years of experience…
El Concilio profile: Gilbert A. Romero
Editor’s note: Part of a continuing series of stories profiling the award-winners of El Concilio Family Service 2012 Latino Leadership awards — “Excellence in Education.” The awards gala was held on June 1, 2012 at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center. Click here or call…
Commentary: The Cristero War and an Oxnard family connection
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier / Guest contributor As a Latina and an American of Mexican descent, I often anticipate the release of films that highlight the history of Mexico or the Latino experience in the United States. That was the case with…
Bilingual report: Promotores, community health worker free disaster training in Spanish on June 7
A free disaster preparedness training workshop provided in Spanish for promotores and community health workers will be held on Wednesday, June 6, with a repeat session on Thursday, June 7 at Clinicas del Camino Real Inc., 200 So. Wells Road,…
Bilingual commentary: Catholics and Hatred
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor A news item published several days ago tells about two threatening letters sent to a Catholic church in Santa Cruz, California. A few weeks ago, someone had scribbled anti-Catholic graffiti on the walls of…
Bilingual report: Sponsors needed by June 15 for Young Writers Camp
Writer and educator Amada Irma Perez reports that the South Coast Writing Project is seeking individuals and organizations willing to help sponsor young people to take part in the 2012 Young Writers Camp from Monday through Friday, July 9-20. The…
June edition of Amigos805 has hit the streets
The June print edition of Amigos805 is now available. Click on image above for a pdf of the edition. Click here for a list of locations where you can pick up a copy of the 10,000-copy edition. Thank you readers…
Bilingual report: Fighting police checkpoints while pressing for a dream
Activists use the latest technologies to help undocumented immigrant motorists and hope 2013 could bring ‘license for all’ By Cesar Arredondo / Amigos805 Francisco Romero doesn’t like police checkpoints. He believes that towing companies and municipalities unfairly profit from undocumented…
Bilingual report: Colleges seek to change focus of their mission
National community college group urges equal emphasis on success as well as access, promoting funding that supports achievement, not just enrollment growth. Amigos805 staff report Lack of funding for community colleges is not just a problem affecting California. This challenge…
Veronica Valadez exhibit continues through June 8 in Ventura
The exhibit “Yo Soy Maíz, Solo Art Exhibition by Verónica Xochitl Valadez” will continue through June 8 at the Bell Arts Factory, 432 No. Ventura Ave., downtown Ventura. The exhibit is based on the artwork that complements her written master’s…
Bilingual Commentary: College and debt
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor It is becoming more and more difficult to sell to our young people the idea that going to college will allow them to better their lives, be a success, or, in general terms, to achieve something…
Oxnard Salsa Festival participants of ‘Dancing with Our Community Stars’ event
Pedro Chavez of Big Brothers, Big Sisters Ventura County, Yvonne Gutierrez of El Concilio Family Services in Oxnard and Martin Hernandez of Interface Children & Family Services are among of group of community members who will be participating in the…