Category: Local

State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson to speak at Women’s March in Los Angeles on Jan. 21

LOS ANGELES — State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) will join the Women’s March in Los Angeles tomorrow and speak at a rally held at Los Angeles City Hall. Jackson, the author of California’s landmark equal pay law and joint…

Nominations deadline is Jan. 11 for El Concilio Family Services’ 28th annual Latino Leadership Awards

OXNARD — The nomination deadline is 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11 for El Concilio Family Services’ 28th annual Latino Leadership Awards. We are asking for award nominations of individuals or businesses that have made an outstanding contribution in enhancing the educational…

Jan. 28 — Ventura Hillsides Conservancy invites volunteers to plant trees at Big Rock Nature Preserve

VENTURA — The Ventura Hillsides Conservancy (VHC) will host a community tree planting party at the Big Rock Nature Preserve near Foster Park. VHC invites volunteers of all ages to join them from 9 a.m. – 12 noon Saturday, Jan. 28 along…

Jan. 25 — Creating a Successful Branding Campaign is Topic at January PRSA Gold Coast Chapter Meeting

OXNARD — The approach to building an effective branding strategy has changed significantly over the past decade. John Silva, president and creative director at Ventura-based Dupris Group, will share his insights on creating a successful brand experience for today’s audience…

Jan. 26 — Ventura Hillsides Conservancy to host free community lecture entitled “The Comeback of the California Condor”

VENTURA — On Thurs., Jan 26. at 7 p.m., the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy (VHC) will host a free community lecture entitled “The Comeback of the California Condor” at the Poinsettia Pavilion in Ventura. Experts from Friends of the California Condor Wild and Free will discuss…

Jan. 26 — Spoken Word Performances by Undocumented and UndocuQueer Poets at UCSB

SANTA BARBARA — A UCSB Reads & Immigration Awareness Week event, 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26 at the UCSB Multicultural Center Lounge. Part of the UCSB READS 2017 program. Co-sponsored with Undocumented Student Services, Resource Center for Gender &…

CSUCI Assistant Professor wins national award for dissertation on representing undocumented immigrants

CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CI) Assistant Professor of Political Science Matthew Mendez, Ph.D., has earned national recognition for his dissertation on when and how well state lawmakers represent the interests of undocumented immigrants. “Invisible Constituents: The Representation of Undocumented Immigrants” earned…

Bilingual commentary: Is Hanukkah the “Jewish Christmas”?

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…

Limón Appointed to Leadership Position in State Assembly

SACRAMENTO –  Assemblymember Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) was appointed Assistant Majority Whip of the California State Assembly by Speaker Anthony Rendon. “I am honored and humbled by the confidence and trust Speaker Rendon has placed in me to be an effective…

State Sen. Jackson’s Legislation To Become Law on January 1

SACRAMENTO – Among the numerous bills authored by Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) this year, the following will take effect on January 1, 2017: Senate Bill 1435, School Curriculum: Healthy Relationships: Continuing her commitment to addressing youth violence, preventing sexual assault and encouraging…

Bilingual report: VCCDC Partners with City of Ventura for the Sale of 12 Affordable Condos for Low-Income Families

Orientations to be held in January 2017 Ventura County – Ventura County Community Development Corporation (VCCDC), the City of Ventura, and Watts Communities at Nortbank, LLC have partnered for the resale of 12 affordable condominiums for low-income households. The 12 affordable…

State Sen. Jackson Introduces Legislation to Ensure More Californians Taking Family Leave Do Not Lose Their Jobs

SACRAMENTO – As momentum continues to grow nationwide for stronger family leave policies, Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) has just introduced two bills to ensure that more Californians can take leave to care for a newborn or a seriously ill family member…

8 Ways to Make Resolutions Stick in 2017: Santa Barbara Family YMCA offers tips to make lasting change

SANTA BARBARA — Making resolutions is a tradition for millions of Americans. However, while choosing a resolution is easy, sticking to it can be impossible. A 2014 YMCA survey found that less than a quarter of respondents kept their resolutions.…

Local Youth Giving Back: Channel Islands YMCA Youth and Government Delegates Hold Clean Up Day

SANTA BARBARA — Delegates from the Channel Islands YMCA Youth and Government team recently gave back to the community by helping clean up the baseball fields at Mackenzie Park in Santa Barbara. Students from the Stuart C. Gildred (Santa Ynez),…

SBCC Scheinfeld Center Receives Funding from Spirit of Entrepreneurship Foundation for Student Awards and Scholarships

SANTA BARBARA — SBCC Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation is pleased to announce it has received $15,000 in funding for students participating in the 2017 New Venture Challenge business plan and pitch competition. Two checks were provided to the…

Launch a Business Idea in a Single Semester Through SBCC Scheinfeld Center Rapid Launch Program, Now Enrolling

SANTA BARBARA — The Santa Barbara City College Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation is now accepting spring enrollments for its Rapid Launch Intensive program that helps students launch a business idea in a single semester. The program is open…

Spirit of Giving Food Drive Raises Over 12,000 Pounds

VENTURA COUNTY — From November 28th to December 14th, Dole Packaged Foods and FOOD Share of Ventura County collaborated on their first inaugural Spirit of Giving school food drive to empower local students to give back to those less fortunate…

Getting to Know EDC-VC’s Alondra Gaytan, SBDC Program Specialist

CAMARILLO — As a program specialist for EDC-VC’s Small Business Development Center since 2014, Alondra Gaytan helps assess small business owners and innovators seeking professional/technical assistance and connects them with the appropriate resources, including SBDC’s business advisors who provide free one-on-one…

Oxnard RDA’s Successor Agency: A Christmas Story

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 As…

Jesus Nava selected as Oxnard’s new assistant city manager

OXNARD — City Manager Greg Nyhoff announced that he selected Jesus Nava as Oxnard’s new assistant city manager. Nava began his duties effective Dec. 19. He replaces Maria Hurtado and will oversee the Finance, Human Resources and Information Technology departments. He will…

Bilingual commentary: Is There Hope for the Rust Belt?

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 /…

CenCal Health Pilot Project to Help Eligible Seniors Receive At-Home Assistance

CENTRAL COAST — To ensure that vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities continue to receive at-home medical services, CenCal Health is launching a pilot project with DASH (Doctors Assisting Seniors at Home) to serve its members. DASH is a program…

CSU Channel Islands senior’s award-winning research compares success of immigrant Latinos to U.S.-born Latinos

CAMARILLO — Educating immigrants will strengthen a labor force in the long run by providing them with better skills and higher incomes. Further, Latino immigrants who arrived as children seem to fare even better with an education than children born in…

Holiday Shoppers Find Last Minute Deals At Centerpoint Mall During Final Week Before Christmas

Holiday shoppers are taking it down to the wire for Christmas gifts this season and Centerpoint Mall retailers have plenty of specials to offer at the more than 49 retail, specialty, entertainment and dining outlets ranging from apparel and electronics…

Peoples’ Self-Help Housing Breaks Ground on Farm Worker Housing in Santa Maria

SANTA MARIA – Peoples’ Self-Help Housing (PSHH) broke ground on Los Adobes de Maria III in Santa Maria, the nonprofit’s first Platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified affordable housing development ever. PSHH was joined by local dignitaries and…

Ventura County Public Works Agency appoints Glenn Shephard as new Director of Watershed Protection District

VENTURA COUNTY — The Ventura County Public Works Agency (VCPWA) has named Glenn Shephard as the Director of its Watershed Protection District (WPD). Sheppard’s first day will be December 19. Shephard comes to Ventura County after a successful 27-year Civil Engineering career…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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. 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…