By Mona AlvaradoFrazier/ Guest contributor Last week’s article discussed the ‘Diabetes Epidemic’ in the Latino community. I hope you remembered the challenge: eat more green vegetables and begin to exercise fifteen to thirty minutes a day. The other day I mentioned…
Category: Opinion
El Concilio urges ‘Get together. Give together’
As we enjoy the last days of summer in Ventura County, it is a time to appreciate all that we have — sunshine, beach time with friends, summer vacations, Yvonne Gutierrez of El Concilio Family Services reported this week in…
Commentary: Forgiving
By Boyd Lemon / Guest contributor Half of the time my father worked nights, so he had more leisure time during the day than most fathers. He spent much of that time with me. We went to baseball games and…
Commentary: Remodeling…What have I done?
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor I look around my home now and see devastation. But this is good. It means my remodel project has finally begun. But as I look around sometimes, I catch myself asking, “What have I done?”…
Commentary: Diabetes in the U.S. Latino community
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier/ Guest contributor Last week I shared a family incident, which many people said they identified with on two levels. One was the “Sandwich Generation,” which I also call the “Quesadilla Generation,” because I often feel like sticky queso pulled…
Latino Links: Media trends
To counter opponents of NBC’s proposed merger with Comcast last year, NBC promoted a number of TV series featuring minorities. But little more than six months after the approval of the merger by the Federal Communications Commission, some of NBCUniversal’s…
Commentary: What they have
This is the second of a two part article started last week about my visit to an African village. By Boyd Lemon / Guest contributor After walking more than a mile from the village center, we arrived at the village…
Commentary: Chaos
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor Earlier this year I started to read a book that is not your average bedside novel. When people at a party ask me, “What books are you reading now?” I no longer tell them that…
Commentary: The Sandwich Generation, Hold the Mayo
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier/ Guest contributor Last night my sister and I lounged on the balcony watching the sunset. We’re on vacation, with our mother and other sister, near San Diego and it’s a lovely warm evening. The mountains turned from green…
Commentary: WHAT THEY HAVE (Part 1)
A Personal Essay By Boyd Lemon / Guest contributor Not long ago I joined a small tour group to visit a village in Malawi, Africa, a small country east of Tanzania. “I will be your tour guide,” Kea said. “The…
Commentary: Searching For Aztlán—Part IV (final part)
By David Magallanes/ Guest contributor When I was young and my parents would take me and my siblings to Mass on Sundays, we would pass through the main doors at the back of the church, entering the vestibule as the ushers…
Commentary: The debt ceiling debate: Was it lunacy?
By Boyd Lemon / Guest contributor Polls show that the vast majority of Americans were appalled this week at the debate over the debt ceiling that seemed to take the country to the edge of economic catastrophe. Did this debacle…
Commentary: Searching For Aztlán—Part III
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor On April 3, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, Martin Luther King gave, in retrospect, an eerily prophetic speech that hinted at his assassination one day later. He also appeared to shred the veil between our perceived…
Commentary: Why read multicultural literature?
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier / Guest contributor Last month a survey found that nearly 80 percent of U.S. adults believe multicultural books are important for children, but one-third say they are hard to find. The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, a non-profit organization…
Commentary: Expectations
By Boyd Lemon / Guest contributor Our minds generally are responsible for determining how “happy” we are in life, assuming we have enough to eat and shelter from the weather, though I have seen homeless people who are happier than…
Commentary: Searching for Aztlán, Part II
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor In my article last week, the first regarding the search for Aztlán, I mentioned that I first heard about this mysterious place during my college years. Since I was an engineering major, and not a…
Commentary: Why write?
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier/ Guest contributor Today was one of those days when I just didn’t want to write. It was chilly outside my warm blankets and overcast. My character, Juana Maria, pobrecita, had just received a letter from her mother-in-law, Mrs.…
Commentary: Recovering from divorce or the breakup of a committed relationship
By Boyd Lemon / Guest contributor Breakups and divorces are so common in our culture that it is a topic that cannot be discussed too much, in my opinion. It leaves many deep scars. I am not a psychologist or…
Commentary: Searching for Aztlán
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor This article is the first in a series on the concept of “Aztlán.” It is such a deep concept, and despite the Hispanicization of the original native Mexican word from which it sprang, its essence…
Commentary: Writing memoir and life history
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier / Guest contributor Three years ago, “The Bucket List” came out in movie theaters across the nation. Two terminally ill men drew up a wish list and then hit the road to accomplish those things before they “kicked…
Commentary: The importance of place
By Boyd Lemon / Guest contributor I was born in Alhambra, California, 9 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, and at the age of 63 I hadn’t strayed far across L.A. to the west side. For many years I felt…
Commentary: Dealing with prejudice
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor Prejudice has not been a major problem in my life — at least as far as I know. I’ve brushed against it throughout my lifetime, as we all have in one form or another, whether…
Commentary: So you want to write
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier / Guest contributor There is a saying that “everyone has a story,” and that is true, but few know how to translate stories into books for readers. What motivates a person to write? What are the tips and…
Latino Links: Media Trends
Biculturalism is a key to understanding the advertising, marketing and media consumption habits of Latinos in the United States, according to a recent study by Horowitz Associates. In its annual FOCUS: Latino Report, 18 percent of those Latinos surveyed identified…
Commentary: Eating in the 805 (and the rest of America)
By Boyd Lemon / Guest contributor I recently returned from living in Paris for about a year. Of course, everyone raves about French food, but we have great chefs here in the United States. Is it really true that French…
Commentary: On Becoming An “Old Guy”
By David Magallanes/ Guest contributor The Fourth of July was a glorious summer day in Ventura, as are many summer days in our coastal county region. But the Fourth was particularly joyful for me because I was able to spend the…
Commentary: Hey, let’s blame the President!
By David Magallanes/ Guest contributor This is my first foray into anything remotely political. I know that writing political articles is like touching that third rail: I’m asking to be “fried.” That’s not a typo; I don’t think I’m going to…
Commentary: What’s “The Big Deal?”
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier/ Guest contributor Michele Serros fans, mark your calendars. Lulu y Mucha present a Lucy Rodriguez film based on a short story from Serros’ book “How to Be a Chicana Role Model.” It debuts at the Ventura Film Festival,…
Commentary: Reminiscences and wisdom
By Boyd Lemon / Guest contributor Ever since I read “The Old Man and the Sea” for high school English, I have been an ardent fan of Ernest Hemingway, but I was disappointed when I read “The Moveable Feast” at the…
Commentary: Staying healthy in an unhealthy nation
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor Summer is at last arriving! Here on the coast, the sun manages to finally break through the clouds every day and bestows upon us a tempered warmth that invites us all to head for the…
Commentary: Staycations
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier / Guest contributor School is out, summer is officially here, and the kids want to go on vacation. What do you do when you have limited resources and time? You ‘staycation.’ “What’s that?” the kids said when I…
Commentary: New in downtown Ventura
By Boyd Lemon / Guest contributor I lived in Ventura from 2003 to 2007 and after living in Boston and then Paris for four years, moved back to Ventura three months ago. I wouldn’t give up my adventures in Boston…
Commentary: It’s not easy being a pescetarian
By David Magallanes/ Guest contributor Wikipedia, the online free (but very informative) encyclopedia, defines what I practice: Pescetarianism is the practice of a diet that includes seafood, and excludes other animals. In addition to fish and/or shellfish, a pescetarian diet typically…
Groups present redistricting workshop on June 18
In preparation for the California Redistricting Commission public hearing, a redistricting workshop will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, June 18 at Driffill Elementary School, 910 So. E St., Oxnard. The commission has submitted an initial proposal that…
Commentary: Toes in the sand. Nose in a book
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier /Guest contributor This catchy headline is the title for Border’s summer book list. Now if we could just find the time to read the entire list and have the money to buy all the books. Since that’s…
Commentary: Das Williams says no to Ormond Beach project
Dear Friends, A proposed 1,500-unit housing project adjacent to Ormond Beach in South Oxnard will be before the City Council on Tuesday, June 14. I have strongly opposed this project and continue to do so, joining the Environmental Defense Center (EDC),…
Latino Links: Political Trends
The proposed redistricting for California is a “Worst-Case Scenario” for Latinos in California, according to a news report on June 11 by New American Media. The first batch of political maps by California’s new Citizens Redistricting Commission is having exactly the…
Public hearing set June 15 on Edison’s proposed $3.6 billion rate increase
The community is asked to voice its opposition to a proposed $3.6 billion rate increase by Southern California Edison at a California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) hearing from 2 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 15 at the Oxnard City Hall…
Commentary: The joys and challenges of living in the most beautiful city in the world
By Boyd Lemon / Guest columnist I lived in Paris for most of a year — from June 2010 to April 2011 — a dream I shared with many people for a long time. I found living in Paris full…
Commentary: The Kiss
By David Magallanes/ Guest columnist Walking into my home, you might suddenly get the feeling that you’d entered an art museum. Before you jump to any conclusions, I can’t draw or paint my way out of a paper bag. But my…
Commentary: SouthShore development deserves a yes vote from Oxnard Council
By Maria Elena Cruz / Member LULAC District Board In a few days the Oxnard City Council will make a crucial decision — whether to approve or deny an important new proposed community development in South Oxnard. Your involvement as…
Commentary: Summer reads for teens
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier /Guest contributor Secretary of Education Arne Duncan described summer learning loss as “devastating.” Researchers often refer to this loss as the “summer slide.” Studies show that students’, who read more, read better; they also write better, spell…
Community urged to call in to fight Oxnard redistricting
Oxnard residents are being urged to call the California Redistricting Commission to voice their opposition to a proposal that would split Oxnard into two Assembly District. Half of Oxnard’s residents, as well as Santa Paula and Fillmore, would be split and go…
Guest column: Getaway — The jewell of the Central Coast
By Boyd Lemon / Guest columnist Last week I suggested downtown Ventura as a getaway for my 805 amigos who need to get away for a couple of days, but didn’t want to get on an airplane or drive for…
Guest column: What do men want?
By David Magallanes / Guest columnist In 2000, Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt starred in the romantic comedy “What Women Want.” As the movie progresses toward its happy ending, Mel’s character, Nick Marshall, brings his Martian orbit closer to that of…
Review: Summer reads for children
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier / Guest contributor Studies show that children who read four or more books over the summer fare better on reading-comprehension tests in the fall than their peers who read one or no books. Here are some Américas…
Guest column: A perfect weekend in downtown Ventura
By Boyd Lemon / Guest columnist Sometimes after weeks or months of the weekly grind, you just need to get away from your everyday life — to recharge. If you live in the 805 outside downtown Ventura, the perfect weekend getaway…
Guest column: Unconditional support
By David Magallanes / Guest columnist If we stay tuned to the cosmos in which we’re immersed, we will occasionally punch through the veil that separates us from the essence of all that is real, in the truest sense of the…
BPA in baby products bill passes key Assembly vote
Assemblymember Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara) provided a key floor vote and co-authorship for proposed legislation that would restrict the use of Bispenol-A (BPA) in certain baby products, Williams reported Tuesday in a media release. “I am pleased to co-author this…
Review: ‘Folsom Lockdown’ – Book of Poetry
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier / Guest contributor A few days ago, I had the pleasure of hearing Melinda Palacios read several of her poems. She was a guest poet at the Carnegie Museum’s 2011 Arcade Poetry Series in Oxnard. I’m a…
Guest column: A path to non-retirement
My father retired, suffered from lack of purpose and, depressed, died four years later. He had even started drinking in his final days, though I had never known him to touch a drop of alcohol. He had to retire (company…
Guest column: Just asking for it
By David Magallanes / Guest columnist “Why me?” we must have said to ourselves at one point or another in our lives. Or maybe we always say that to ourselves. Think of the person in the parking lot driving the truck…
Guest column: Life on The Avenue
By Boyd Lemon / Guest columnist I agonized over what to write about in my first column for Amigos 805. There are so many serious issues facing us: Osama Bin Laden, the economy, immigration, health care. There’s no end. The…
Guest column: I’ll take that…
By David Magallanes / Guest columnist Would you like death or taxes with that? That’s how it feels sometimes as I write out quarterly checks for estimated taxes to the state and federal tax collection agencies. After going through this tasteless…
Guest column: My Dreams, My Advisors
By David Magallanes / Guest columnist In the past, I’ve made some pretty big life decisions based on my dreams. I consider my dreams to be my “advisors” who know me far beyond anything I can imagine. They know my inner…
Guest column: If I were a woman …
By David Magallanes / Guest columnist I’ve often wondered what life is like for women. It can’t be easy — not that it’s easy for men, either. But I don’t believe we men can ever fathom the universe in which women…
Author/columnist Lopez to speak April 25 in Thousand Oaks
Distinguished Speakers Series presents Steve Lopez, 8 p.m., Fred Kavli Theatre, Thousand Oaks Civic Arts, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks. The award-winning journalist and author of “The Soloist” joined the staff of the Los Angeles Times in May 2001 after…
Guest column: Are we clinging to our jobs?
By David Magallanes / Guest columnist In a recent Beetle Bailey cartoon1 in my local newspaper, General Halftrack walks into headquarters and sees his two female secretaries in full party mode. He asks, “Champagne? Party hats? Decorations? What day is this?!”…
Guest column: World War II fathers
By David Magallanes / Guest columnist A few weeks ago I was meeting with two of my literary friends. One of the writers was telling us about the contentious relationship she had had with her father, who had since died, but…
Commentary: Americans’ investment sentiment revealed
Americans believe technology and gold will be top-performing investments in 2011 As Americans move past the economic downturn and begin considering plans for investing in the coming year, many believe that technology stocks and gold will set the pace for…
Movie review: To love or hate “The Adjustment Bureau”
By Mariana Llamas-Cendon / Amigos805.com I recently read the opinions of critics about “The Adjustment Bureau” and I found them a bit unbalanced and in fact, quite uncertain. “The Adjustment Bureau” stars Matt Damon and Emily Blunt and is based…
Guest column: Keys and souls
By David Magallanes / guest columnist Some of my best ideas occur to me as I run. I’ve been an avid runner since my teen years. As long as I can keep enough focus on running while I’m thinking to…
Guest column: Just who do we think we are?
By David Magallanes / Guest columnist I’m fascinated by the whole topic of personal uniqueness. We’re all somewhat aware of it. Certainly, everyone in our home or in our office or in our classroom is different. In fact, very different,…
Guest column: Roses for a daughter
On the day before Valentine’s Day last month, I took roses to my married daughter. I buy her flowers every Valentine’s Day because I want to show her that I honor her, and that I will always love her, more…
Guest column: Cosmic laws
By David Magallanes / Guest columnist I’ll admit, I was not a normal adolescent. As a teenager growing up in a Los Angeles suburb, I would spend hours underneath the night sky. Or at least as “night” as it would get…
Guest column: Why did he paint?
By David Magallanes / Guest columnist I was at home one day this past week, immersed in tasks (I tend to dive—headfirst—right into them) that I was knocking off my to-do list when my cousin Phil called. Phil and I grew…
Guest column: Poverty and language
By David Magallanes / Guest Columnist I’ve lived around both English and Spanish all my life. I can’t help but feel that the Spanish language is much more conscious of poverty than is English. I believe that poverty is wired…
Lois Capps: House budget bad for California’s security
Cuts to port and border security endanger safety and hurt economy The seven month spending bill passed by the House last month would weaken California’s security by reducing funding for critical security grant programs, Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, stated…
Guest column: The Mexican Experience of an American
By David Magallanes / Guest columnist Tonight I attended a rosary for the father of some friends that I have known for many years. These friends make up a large American family of Mexican origins with an honorable reputation in the…
Guest column: The craft of wishing
By David Magallanes / Guest columnist I’ve always enjoyed walking through a bookstore, perusing the books on the shelves, just as I used to do as a child when my father would take me with him to the Los Angeles…
Latino Links: Digital Media Trends
By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805.com The power of Latinos on the Internet is being debated in couple of reports released recently. Latinos are less likely than whites to access the Internet, have a home broadband connection or own a…
Guest column: Putting out fires, or lighting up our world?
By David Magallanes / Guest columnist In his book, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” Stephen Covey challenges his readers to consider using his “Time Management Matrix,” which consists of four quadrants. We can occupy our time performing tasks…
Commentary: The ebb and flow of immigration to the U.S.
By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805.com The number of undocumented immigrants coming the U.S. remained virtually unchanged in 2010 (11.2 million) over the prior year, according to new estimates by the Pew Hispanic Center. While the report focused on the…
Guest Column: Our thoughts, our money, our life
By David Magallanes / Guest columnist According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, lifestyle is defined as “A way of life or style of living that reflects the attitudes and values of a person or group.” A…
Commentary: Community advocate shared her strong spirit on a number of causes
Memorial service set for Feb. 5 for Avie Guerra By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 It was with much sadness that we learned this week of the passing of Marie Avelina Guerra. “Avie,” as we all knew her, was a strong…
Commentary: Community deserves freedom to choose medical providers
In a very short time, thousands of residents in the County of Ventura will be enrolled in a new Medi-Cal managed care program called the Gold Coast Health Plan. Many patients will be assigned to a doctor not necessarily of…
Commentary: Looking forward to a more prosperous year
Giving thanks for gift of friends, family By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 As we come to the end of 2010, we look back on a very challenging year for all of us. Many business owners and 805 residents kept…
Commentary: Getting a Mexican passport, the painful and complicated way
By Mariana Llamas-Cendon / Amigos805 Thinking about going to Mexico for the Holidays? If you are a Mexican citizen, whether by naturalization or birth, I recommend you first check to see when your Mexican passport expires. Otherwise, based on my…
Commentary: Time for Latino voters to get motivated
By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 Mid-term elections are usually pretty dull affairs compared to national presidential campaigns. Most voters tend to believe that it’s politics as usual, their vote will really not make a difference and they would rather…