‘An Evening of Magical Memories — 23rd Annual Fundraiser’ will be presented on Oct. 10 at Las Posas County Club. The event is a fundraiser for the Brain Injury Center of Ventura County.
SANTA BARBARA — Cottage Medical Group (CMG) has expanded access to comprehensive urologic care with the addition of Cottage Urology Clinic, located at 5333 Hollister Avenue, Suite 275, in Goleta.
Cottage Urology Clinic provides evaluation and treatment for conditions affecting the urinary tract, male reproductive system, and female urologic and pelvic health, including kidney stones, urinary incontinence, enlarged prostate, erectile dysfunction and pelvic organ prolapse. The clinic also provides screening and treatment for prostate, bladder, kidney and other urologic cancers.
VENTURA — The Ventura County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a measure from Supervisors Jeff Gorell and Matt LaVere to pursue state legislation establishing a conditional safe harbor for public agencies following the lawful transfer of potentially dangerous or vicious dogs to qualified nonprofit rescue organizations.
The action allows Ventura County to pursue sponsorship of legislation during the 2027 state legislative session or actively support a substantially equivalent measure introduced by another sponsor.
The work by UC Santa Barbara’s Danyi Zhang and Tamas Vami demonstrates a novel method for searching for particles. The results will inform theories and future searches.
Read more about their findings
SANTA BARBARA — The Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA) has something for everyone over the next twelve months — from prints and pastel by American artist Mary Cassatt and her European contemporaries, and dramatic Pictorialist photography, to the joyful art installation and mid-career survey of FriendsWithYou and the cool and surreal paintings and drawings of the American dream by artist and actor Martin Mull.
The U.S. Small Business Administration announced low-interest federal disaster loans are now available to small businesses and private nonprofit organizations in California to offset economic losses caused by the 2026 Plains Oil Spill occurring May 22 – 28. The SBA issued a disaster declaration in response to a request received from California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Director Caroline Thomas Jacobs on behalf of Governor Gavin Newsom on Sept. 17.
The disaster declaration covers the California counties of Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Ventura.
SANTA BARBARA — Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital (GVCH) has received a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for hospital environment cleanliness, the highest rating available for this patient experience measure.
GVCH was among 381 hospitals nationwide receiving the five-star cleanliness rating and one of 19 hospitals in California included on the list.
The rating is based on patient responses to the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, which measures patients’ experiences with different aspects of their hospital care. The results included in the latest CMS data reflect surveys completed between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025.
The scholarship application deadline for the Paramedic and Career Education programs is November 23. Students will be notified of their scholarship status by mid-December. The application deadline for all other scholarships is January 22, 2027. Students will be notified of their scholarship submission results by mid-April 2027. Scholarship award distributions will begin August 1.
Students currently enrolled at Ventura College in the 2026-2027 academic year and who have completed or are on track to complete at least six units in the semester are eligible to apply. Units earned in previous semesters at Ventura College count towards the unit requirement.
EN ESPAÑOL: PRODUCTIVIDAD, ADMINISTRACIÓN Y HERRAMIENTAS DE GOOGLE CON INTELIGENCIA ARTIFICIAL
21 de septiembre a las 6:00 pm
Las tareas administrativas suelen consumir tiempo valioso que podría dedicarse al crecimiento del negocio. Este taller explora cómo la Inteligencia Artificial y las herramientas de Google pueden mejorar la productividad mediante la gestión de correos electrónicos, creación de documentos, resúmenes de reuniones, organización de tareas y administración de información. Los participantes aprenderán formas prácticas de reducir trabajo repetitivo y mejorar la eficiencia. Precio: GRATIS.
HAGA CLIC PARA REGISTRARSE
Three local artists have been selected to receive funding from the California Arts Council’s Individual Artists Fellowship in recognition of their artistic practice, professional accomplishments, and community contributions. VCAC collaborated with five regional partners, led by Arts Council Santa Cruz County, to connect Central Coast artists with this opportunity as part of California’s ongoing investment in its creative workforce. Read more
Two school general-obligation bonds will appear on local November 3rd ballots. Rio Elementary Measure B and Santa Paula Unified Measure C asks K–12 taxpayers to take on decades of new property-tax debt for projects that look a lot like the last ask.
Santa Paula Measure C — $48.6 million. Voters already said NO.
Measure C would issue $48.6 million at about $27.98 per $100,000 of assessed value to rebuild a gymnasium, build community swimming-pool facilities, and modernize vocational and performing-arts space. It needs 55 percent.
The County of Ventura’s Planning Division is presenting the following item to the Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at 8:30 am (Item #51, on the Regular Agenda).
CARPINTERIA — Girls Inc. of Carpinteria is thrilled to unveil plans to bring their proven model for intentional, girl-centered programming back to Ventura County. We are pleased to welcome a new Director of Partnerships and Expansion to our administrative team to aid with the growth initiative and building partnerships throughout the region.
The expansion back into Ventura County marks a momentous leap towards Girls Inc. of Carpinteria’s three-year goal to significantly expand its reach and double its impact along the central coast. Their holistic, researched-informed programming will bring mentorship, leadership development, college and career readiness, and STEM-based curriculum to Ventura County, with programs serving girls and young women ages 4-24.
Get ready for the November 3, 2026 General Election. Register now for the first time, pre-register if you are 16 or 17, check that your registration is up to date. Go to vote.venturacounty.gov today!
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 Gleb Tsipursky, PhD, Ventura…
I want to personally thank you for your incredible support of our third annual Taste of History Gala. It was truly a magical evening, and its success would not have been possible without all of you.
Whether you supported Taste of History as an event sponsor, through an in-kind or live auction donation, by purchasing tickets, raising a paddle, or simply joining us for the evening—thank you. Your generosity brought us incredibly close to our fundraising goal and, most importantly, directly supports the Museum of Ventura County and the work we do to preserve and share the history, art, and culture of our community.
To our wonderful sponsors, an additional thank you for your partnership and generosity. And stay tuned—a little treat is in store!
Sept. 18 & 19 7:00 P.M.
Sept. 20 2:00 P.M.
Last Weekend for Our One Acts, Featuring Brand New Directors!
Teatro de las Américas celebrates the final weekend of our One Acts Festival, showcasing three original pieces directed by emerging artists from our community. Each work offers a fresh, bold, and deeply human perspective, highlighting the talent growing within our Teatro.
Every day, people enjoy the lands that Ventura Land Trust has worked so hard to protect—hiking the trails, exploring with their families, watching wildlife, or simply taking a few quiet moments outside.
When you give monthly to Ventura Land Trust, you become part of the community that makes this work possible, all year long. Your steady support helps us care for the places we’ve already protected, restore native habitat, maintain trails, and seize new opportunities to protect Ventura County’s wild and beautiful places.
SANTA BARBARA — The Music Academy of the West and Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association (DSBIA) invite the community for a ceremonial groundbreaking marking an exciting new chapter for arts education and performance in downtown Santa Barbara. The event will take place on Thursday, October 15, at 5:00 PM at 901 State Street, the future home of the Music Academy’s Music Education Center, The Muse.
At the Community Environmental Council (CEC), we believe effective climate action is best informed by the people and communities we serve and protect. Your perspective can help us better understand what matters most to our community and ensure CEC’s work continues to meet the needs of Central Coast residents.
Ventura County Public Health and Ventura County Animal Services (VCAS) are reminding residents to avoid contact with bats and other wildlife amid an increase in rabies-positive bats in Ventura County.
As of September 16, 2026, 27 bats in Ventura County have tested positive for rabies, with a little less than 4 months still remaining in the year.
We cannot wait to see so many of you so soon at our 20th Raising Justice Community Celebration & Fundraiser! (4 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17)
If you’re on your way or chipped in from afar, if you’re one of the many generous Sponsors, or volunteered your time to put this event together, we’re so grateful for each and all of you!
If you’re planning on joining us in person — wonderful! — please know there’s no need to bring a ticket, just bring yourself!
Food and drinks are ready — and we’ve got an inspiring line up of speakers on a historic moment in our environmental justice campaign:
On September 15, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to approve amendments to the Land Use and Development Code (LUDC) and Coastal Zoning Ordinance (CZO) that prohibit new onshore oil and gas wells countywide. This marks a major milestone for public health, environmental protection, and climate action in Santa Barbara and affirms that local governments can lead when federal protections fall short.
WESTLAKE VILLAGE — Registration closes Oct. 18 for families wanting to participate in the Southeast Ventura County YMCA’s Adventure Guides/Y-Trailblazers programs in the Simi and Conejo valleys for the 2026-27 school year.
Organized through the Simi Valley Family YMCA and the Yarrow Family YMCA branches, YMCA Adventure Guides/Y-Trailblazers programs are for parents and their children, ages 5–11. The program runs through June 2027.
LOMPOC — Fall looks good on Lompoc.
Cooler days, vineyard views, pumpkins, seasonal treats, and just the right amount of spooky make this an especially fun time to visit.
Whether you’re planning a weekend in wine country, a family getaway, or simply looking for a reason to hit the road, Lompoc has plenty of ways to make the most of the season.
“Even before Alex became Oxnard’s Fire Chief, he was bringing innovation to the department, especially for increased awareness around cancer-causing conditions and prevention, and mental health and suicide prevention care for public safety personnel,” said Nguyen. “As Oxnard’s Chief, one of his highlights is advocating for the creation of Oxnard’s EMS Corps program, which will serve our community for generations to come.”
Albin brings over three decades of fire service experience to the role, including 28 years with the Oxnard Fire Department. He joined the department as a firefighter in 1998 and rose through the ranks, promoting from Firefighter to Fire Engineer in 2002, Fire Captain in 2011 and Battalion Chief in 2025, when he was selected to establish and lead the department’s newly created Support Services Division, which manages fleet, facilities, technology, logistics, purchasing, and peer support.
VENTURA — The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging’s (VCAAA) Advisory Council has an opening for a veterans’ representative. The Advisory Council is a volunteer-based body of advocates who share a mission to create and sustain programs that positively impact the lives of older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers in Ventura County.
Applications for the veterans’ representative must be received by November 1.
Let’s Go Back to School!
After a career in the medical field, Ventura watercolorist Gail Faulkner (1947-2023) enrolled in art school in her 30s, proving it’s never too late to go back to school—or try something new.
Scroll down to learn about our new exhibition honoring Gail, get to know Museum Educator Janice Allen, check out our fall-themed art classes, and more.
“We are beyond thrilled about the generous donation from Cheryl Goldberg and I also wanted to honor the work of Kathy O’Connor, who is the impetus for the new building,” shared Superintendent/President Dr. Erika Endrijonas. “Scheduled for completion in late spring of 2028, the new building provides state-of-the-art classrooms, event spaces, a new home for the SBCC Life Fitness Center, offices, and more in half the footprint of the existing building.”
The Economic Development Collaborative encourages you to sign up for our no-cost events and webinars. Space is limited. Register today!
Plan ahead! Our full EDC and partner event schedule is updated at the start of each month.
The Kenneth Robert Lincoln Indigenous Environmental Projects Fund will make grants of up to $1,000 available to students enrolled in the Environmental Leadership Incubator.
Bhushan joined Trusted Legal in 2025 as a senior attorney, bringing more than a decade of experience advising businesses, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and private clients. Since then, she has quickly become an integral part of the firm and its work with clients navigating business formation and governance, transitions, real estate transactions, and other complex legal matters.
SANTA ROSA VALLEY — Private jet travelers vacationing for the holidays may face a more expensive season as elevated oil prices add additional cost pressure to an already high-demand period.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), global oil inventories have declined this year by approximately 400 million barrels, with this trend continuing through the end of 2026.
LOMPOC — Everyone knows California is wine country. But have you heard about Lompoc?
This laid-back Central Coast wine destination is the perfect place to sip small-production wines, meet the makers, and explore a wine scene that feels refreshingly unhurried.Add beautiful vineyard views, cool coastal temps, and plenty of chances to discover a new favorite, and you’ve got the makings of a seriously good wine weekend.
Get ready to see Mary Cassatt in a new light. Cassatt & Friends opens this Sunday at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, bringing together the work of the pioneering American Impressionist and the artists who shaped her world. Celebrated for her intimate, luminous depictions of women and children, Cassatt was also a daring innovator in pastel, drawing, and printmaking. Featuring a remarkable counterproof from SBMA’s collection alongside works by Berthe Morisot, Édouard Manet, Paul Cézanne, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, the exhibition captures the energy, experimentation, and creative exchange of a transformative moment in art history.
VENTURA — We hope we’ll see you in just one week at our big community celebration and fundraiser, Raising Justice! And this year, we have a historic victory to celebrate — This year’s celebration feels especially meaningful — not only because we’re marking 25 years of organizing for justice across Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, but — because we’re celebrating a historic victory that you helped make possible:
Coast Veterans Memorial Museum invites our community to remember, reflect and help preserve the stories of a day that changed America.
Our new special exhibit, “On 9/11, I remember…”, is now open, presenting the events of September 11 and the lasting impact they had on our nation, our military and generations of veterans and their families.
THOUSAND OAKS — This year marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. To honor the lives lost and the courage of those who responded, the Ventura County Fire Department invites the community to join firefighters in remembrance ceremonies across the county.
Commemorations will take place at every VCFD fire station in the county, along with VCFD Headquarters in Thousand Oaks, and our Fire Communications Center in Camarillo.
Last Sunday I had the pleasure of attending a concert of the Ojai Pops Orchestra at the outdoor Libbey Bowl in downtown Ojai. Admission to these concerts is free, but donations are requested. Money that is contributed is used to offer music scholarships, lessons, instruments, and education to children in our community.
CAMARILLO — Cal State Channel Islands’ (CSUCI) Department of Art and Art History will open the new academic year with “Double Landing,” a solo exhibition featuring the work of acclaimed artist Rafael Perea de la Cabada.
Opened on Sept. 14, at the campus’ Napa Hall Art Gallery, “Double Landing” brings together dozens of original works that showcase Perea’s distinctive creative approach and the wide range of media he employs in his practice. The exhibition presents a diverse collection shaped by experimentation, keen observation and the interplay of construction and continual revision.
Over 1,000 people from across the country traveled to Oxnard to attend the La Defensa Del Pueblo summit at the Performing Arts Center (OPAC). Cars, trucks, charter buses, and food trucks crowded the site’s parking lot. Latecomers parked in the surrounding streets.
CENTRAL COAST – As students make their way back to school, People’s Self-Help Housing (PSHH) has opened a new Learning Center at Buellton Garden Apartments to support academic success. Located at 10 McMurray Road in Buellton, the Learning Center is ready to welcome twenty K-8 students this month.
With this addition of its ninth onsite Learning Center, PSHH’s education program serves nearly 300 students per year at its properties throughout the Central Coast.
VENTURA — Ocean water quality results for samples collected this week indicate ocean water quality at the following Ventura County beach sampling location failed to meet State standards for bacteria:
Promenade Park Beach – Figueroa St.
Warning signs are currently posted and contact with ocean water should be avoided for a minimum of 50 yards on either side of each posted sign. Warning signs will remain posted until ocean water quality meets State standards. Any items that may have come in contact with ocean water should be avoided. If contact occurs, wash thoroughly with soap and water.
Join us Tuesday, Sept. 15, to urge the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors to approve proposed amendments to the Land Use and Development Code (LUDC) and Coastal Zoning Ordinance (CZO) that would prohibit new onshore oil and gas wells. These long-awaited protections would safeguard community health, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and prevent future expansion of oil extraction while creating a responsible pathway for winding down existing operations in Santa Barbara County.
“Volunteering at Farm Day enables students to see that there is so much more to agriculture than the harvesting portion,” says Tyler A. Dickinson, an agriculture teacher at Pioneer Valley High School in Santa Maria. Dickinson coordinates the Farm Day volunteers. “They learn firsthand how farms operate. It broadens their perspective. They see career opportunities within the ag industry and the importance of the work that literally feeds the world.”
VENTURA — Mayor Dr. Jeannette Sánchez-Palacios has released the following statement in response to antisemitic vandalism targeting Temple Beth Torah and Juanamaria Park, including swastikas and other hateful imagery:
Dear Community Members of Ventura,
I am deeply disturbed by the antisemitic vandalism targeting Temple Beth Torah, Higher Vision Church, and Juanamaria Park, including the spray-painting of swastikas and other hateful imagery.
“When we opened the facility, our goal was simple: to create an amazing, reliable place where people could play pickleball, make friends and feel part of a community,” said owner Ted Guggenheim. “Over the past few months, we’ve listened closely to our players, our staff, and the people who walk through our doors every day. In response, we are moving away from a membership model and lowering the pricing by offering a player Pass system. This allows us to focus on the occasional customer as much as our regulars.”
SANTA PAULA — With temperatures expected to reach 90 degrees or higher for several consecutive days this week, the City of Santa Paula will open a cooling center at the Santa Paula Community Center to provide residents with a place to find relief from the heat.
The cooling center will be located in the front lobby of the Santa Paula Community Center, 530 W. Main St., Santa Paula, and will be open this Wednesday, September 9 through Thursday, September 10, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Residents using the cooling center will have access to:
Ventura County students are invited to showcase their artistic talents by designing logos for the 2027 Academic Decathlon, Batalla de los Libros, Battle of the Books, Mock Trial, Science Fair, and Civic Action Project.
The winning designs will be featured on event lapel pins, awards, and competition materials. Students can compete for the opportunity to leave their mark on these prestigious events and win a plaque at the competition awards ceremonies. The deadline to submit entries is Friday, October 16, and details on how to enter are available at this link.
Global economic analyst Rana Foroohar, two-time Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu, OB-GYN Mary Claire Haver and MacArthur Fellow Danielle Allen will address topical issues including the economy and national security, academic freedom, women’s health and how we define success
MCASB presents two solo exhibitions: Alexis Childress: Migration, Memory, Movement and Tristan Esmino: sa gawi ng araw as part of the ongoing MCASB Satellite Gallery program at the Riviera Beach House in the heart of Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone neighborhood. Childress is a recent MFA graduate from UCSB, and Esmino is an MFA candidate at USC. Linked by the artists’ use of textiles and themes of landscape and ancestry, the two exhibitions will be installed throughout the gallery, in conversation.
VENTURA — With the Medicare Open Enrollment period soon to begin, the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) – part of the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging, a division of the Human Services Agency – will again be providing countywide resources and help.
Medicare Open Enrollment begins on October 15 and runs through December 7. HICAP counselors, who are registered by the California Department of Aging, provide free, unbiased Medicare counseling to the public.
Soil scientist Iris Holzer will help lead the team updating greenhouse gas accounting guidelines for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
MOORPARK — Moorpark College’s student-athletes turned a championship-heavy year and conference-best academics into the Western State Conference’s (WSC) 2025–26 Commissioner’s Cup title.
The prestigious recognition, previously known as the Conference Supremacy Award, recognizes colleges for their athletic excellence in WSC competition in the conference’s 20 sponsored sports coupled with academic achievement as a department. Moorpark Raiders teamed up to take home the win by earning five WSC titles in the 2025-26 academic year and posting the best overall GPA of 3.37 among its student-athletes.
SANTA BARBARA — The Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table (SBART) is pleased to announce that Santa Barbara native Gabe Grandcolas has been named president of its board of directors, taking on a leadership role with an organization that has supported and celebrated local student-athletes for nearly 60 years.
Grandcolas brings deep roots in the Santa Barbara community to the role. He graduated from Santa Barbara High School, where he was a high school baseball pitcher, before heading to the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, where he graduated cum laude. As the Sales Director with the Knight Real Estate Group, Grandcolas built his reputation on careful listening, creative problem-solving and giving clients a clear understanding of their options, whether they are selling a family property or looking to call the greater Santa Barbara area home.
SANTA BARBARA — Noah Luken, the 2026-27 Associated Students of UCSB’s Executive Vice President of Local Affairs, has been appointed to serve on the Isla Vista Community Services District (CSD or IVCSD) board of directors. Luken will fill the remaining term of Director Edward Pilotte, a recent graduate of UC Santa Barbara.
“I applied for the IVCSD Board of Directors to bridge the institutional gap between the two most influential public-facing entities in Isla Vista — Associated Students and the Community Services District,” said Luken, a fourth-year economics and philosophy double major at UCSB. “This will allow for greater collaboration and coordinated efforts when addressing issues faced by students and Isla Vista residents.”
Over seven weeks, you’ll explore the science and solutions behind the climate crisis facing our region, hear from local experts and climate leaders, and connect with others who want to make a difference. You’ll have chances to put what you learn into practice through hands-on field experiences and a stewardship project centered on an issue you care about. You don’t have to do it alone — we’ll be there to guide you!
“On behalf of the Oxnard community, we thank Chief Benites for his steadfast leadership of the department over the past six years and his decades of service dedicated to keeping Oxnard safe,” said Nguyen. “We’re fortunate to have strong leadership within our Police Department, and I am confident that Rocky Marquez will continue the department’s commitment to excellence and service to our community as our next Police Chief.”
