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…
Category: News
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…
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…
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…
Danielle Brinkman-Vera to Chair Ventura Family YMCA 2017 Annual Campaign
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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. 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…
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…
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…
Gold Coast Transit District, Announces Partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on the “If You See Something Say Something™” Campaign
VENTURA COUNTY — Gold Coast Transit District, Ventura County’s largest public transit provider announced their partnership with the public awareness campaign of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), “If You See Something, Say Something™.” “If You See Something, Say Something™” posters…
Consulado de México en Oxnard: Mensaje de la Canciller Claudia Ruiz Massieu a la comunidad mexicana
Statement: Women’s Caucus Leaders on threat to abortion rights and women’s healthcare under Trump presidency
SACRAMENTO – State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), chair of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, and Assemblymember Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), vice-chair, released the following statement today on behalf of the Democratic members of the Women’s Caucus in response to President-elect Trump’s policies and recent…
New book by UCSB scholar examines the impact of globalization on an indigenous group in Mexico
By Amy Bentley / UCSB Many miles away from the popular Mexican seaside resort towns of Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas lie the poor, rural villages of Mexico’s Mixtec people, also known as “the People of the Land of…
Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard announces new CAM studio guest artist: Antonio Arredondo Juarez
OXNARD — The Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard has announced its new CAM studio guest artist: Antonio Arredondo Juarez. Antonio Arredondo Juarez was born in Villa Guerrero, Jalisco, Mexico. A graduate of California State University, Channel Islands, he received a Bachelor’s degree…
Hearts Therapeutic Celebrates Inspiring Stories at Annual Pegasus Luncheon
SANTA BARBARA — Hearts Therapeutic Equestrian Center hosted its 8th Annual Pegasus Luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 13, attracting more than 300 people to the Coral Casino’s La Pacifica Ballroom at the Four Seasons Biltmore Resort in Santa Barbara. The invitation-only…
Santa Paula Art Museum reveals plans for Future Art Education Center
SANTA PAULA — The Santa Paula Art Museum recently announced some very big news. The Museum will be expanding its footprint to include an existing building adjacent to the current museum site. Once renovated, the new building will provide much needed space…
EDC-VC announces board expansion
CAMARILLO — The Economic Development Collaborative-Ventura County announces the addition of Amy Fonzo and Ron Galaviz to its board of directors. Fonzo, manager of external relations at California Resources Corporation, brings a unique blend of leadership, strategic planning and professional experience to…
Channel Islands YMCA Association Welcomes Morgan P. Jones to the Board of Directors
CENTRAL COAST — The Channel Islands YMCA is proud to announce the election of Morgan P. Jones to the Channel Islands YMCA Association Board. Jones has been a community member since 1993, and business owner in Santa Barbara since 2000.…
Wells Fargo Donates $35,000 to PSHH in Support of Affordable Housing
CENTRAL COAST — Wells Fargo has presented a $35,000 grant to Peoples’ Self-Help Housing (PSHH), in support of its mission to provide low-income families and individuals with affordable housing, and programs leading to self-sufficiency. Wells Fargo actively supports the revitalization and growth of the economy through community donations to nonprofits, schools and…
Peoples’ Self-Help Housing Thanks its Partners with Central Coast Events
CENTRAL COAST — Peoples’ Self-Help Housing hosted two cocktail events, “Thanking Our Partners,” for its major community supporters in October. The events were held at Ventana Grill in Pismo Beach and Blush in Santa Barbara – Oct. 7 and 21, respectively –…
California Strawberry Festival announces new rules for official poster contest
Contest, with $2,000 grand prize, expanded to include variety of mediums OXNARD — Art and strawberries can be a fruitful enterprise. Enter the 34th Annual California Strawberry Festival Official Poster Contest where the winner will receive $2,000 and four VIP tickets to the…