By David Magallanes / Guest contributor I am an immigrant. This world in which I find myself seems so strange sometimes. It’s nothing like the land from which I hail, where I grew up, and where I used to feel so…
Ros, Reagan join Lamia Financial Group LLC in Thousand Oaks
THOUSAND OAKS — Lamia Financial Group LLC, a full-service financial planning and wealth management company in Thousand Oaks, has expanded its financial planning advisory staff with the addition of Juan C. Ros, CFP®, and Jill Reagan, CPA, the company reported this…
Cabrillo’s ASPIRA Program to hold fundraiser on Aug. 14 in Oxnard
A fundraiser to support Cabrillo Economic Development Corp.’s ASPIRA Program will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14 at Sugarbeets Restaurant and Bar, 455 So. A St., Oxnard. Ticket sales benefit CEDC’s ASPIRA Program, which encourages local youth to develop personal finance…
Commentary: Oxnard College deserves equal representation
By Frank P. Barajas / Guest contributor For my study of the Chicano Movement in Ventura County, I learned that before Oxnard College’s opening in 1975, Vietnam veterans and newly minted high school graduates from the Oxnard Plain rode buses…
More than 800 Santa Barbara fiesta attendees trained in hands-only CPR
SANTA BARBARA — As fiesta crowds recently celebrated Santa Barbara’s rich culture and heritage, dance performances and food during “Old Spanish Days,” more than 800 took the time to stop by the Hands Helping Hearts booth to learn Hands-Only CPR. A total…
Andrea Vargas-Mendoza is the featured artist during August at Gallery 28 in Oxnard
Andrea Vargas-Mendoza is the featured artist during August at Gallery 28, 1901 So. Victoria Ave., Suite 109, beside Channel Islands Harbor. This show titled, “Along the Water,” features her most recent California landscape paintings done a la “plein air” which means done in…
New book by CLU’s José Marichal explores ‘Facebook Democracy’
THOUSAND OAKS — A California LutheranUniversity professor is the author of a new book that examines the impact of Facebook on democracy. London-based Ashgate Press is scheduled to release “Facebook Democracy: The Architecture of Disclosure and the Threat to Public…
Big Brothers Big Sisters receives $20,000 Monsanto Fund grant
CAMARILLO – Studies have shown youth in Big Brothers Big Sisters programs show improvements in academic, behavioral and socio-emotional outcomes. 83 percent of children involved in the program agree that having a Big Brother or Big Sister mentor instilled in…
Free, low cost Tdap vaccine clinics offered through Aug. 28
Ventura County Health Care Agency Las Islas Mobile Medical Clinic and the Ventura County Public Health Immunization Program have partnered to offer low cost or no cost Tdap vaccine for students entering 7th through 12th grade this year. Clinics will…
Concert on Aug. 10 in Hollywood to celebrate contributions of Fermin Herrera, others
NORTHRIGE — Hundreds of people are expected to gather at Los Angeles’ Ford Theatres on Aug. 10 to celebrate the contributions of Mexican-American and Chicano performing artists to California’s richly diverse culture. Among those being singled out for his tireless…
Free dental services for in-need community members set for Aug. 11
Main Street Dental Group is partnering with Smile Generation to provide a “We Serve Day” free day of dentistry for in-need community members from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11 at 4360-C E. Main St., Ventura, the Mexican…
Bilingual commentary: A powerful weapon in our hands
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor If we were to commit the idiocy of handing a gun to a child, we shouldn’t be surprised if said child, in all innocence, were to hurt (or something worse, which we don’t even want…
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County receives $80,000
Gifts from Martin V. & Martha K. Smith Foundation, Meadowlark Service League, and the United Women’s Leadership Council support the foster youth mentoring program CAMARILLO – The Martin V. & Martha K. Smith Foundation, Meadowlark Service League, and the United Women’s Leadership…
Future Leaders of America holding Youth Leadership Conference
VENTURA — High school students from Ventura and Santa Barbara County will be attending Future Leaders of America’s week long annual “Youth Leadership Conferenc starting Monday, Aug. 6 at the University of California Santa Barbara, the organization reported in a media…
Girl power comes to Oxnard College with Teatro’s play starting Aug. 3
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…
‘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…
EDC-VC announces new micro-loan program
CAMARILLO – The Economic Development Collaborative-Ventura County is leading the launch in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties of Kiva Zip, a Kiva.org pilot program that enables small businesses to access peer-funded micro-loans of up to $5,000. The program is built on Kiva’s mission…
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…
Gold Coast Health Plan names new CEO
Managed Care executive selected to lead Ventura County plan OXNARD — Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP) on Monday announced the hiring of Michael P. Engelhard as chief executive officer. A health care executive with more than 20 years of experience, Engelhard…
Business, Cultural, Education, En español, Entertainment, Events, Health, News, Opinion, Politics, Sports
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…
United Way kicks off ‘Stuff the Bus’ campaign on July 23
The United Way of Ventura County kicked off its third annual “Stuff the Bus” campaign to send children in need back to school with a smile on Monday, July 23, the organization reported in a media release. The United Way…
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),…
Zaragoza announces groundbreaking ceremony for Wright Road paving in El Rio
A groundbreaking ceremony for the paving of Wright Road in the unincorporated area of El Rio will be held at 9:30 a.m. Monday, July 23, according to a media release by Fifth District Supervisor John Zaragoza. The ceremony will be…
Consulado de México en Oxnard: Foros gratuitos 2012
SCORE Café de Negocios for Spanish speakers set for July 18
Dear Friends & Colleagues: I would like to share with you the attached flyers for our First SCORE Cafe de Negocios event this coming Wednesday at 8 a.m. at Casapueblo Restaurant in Downtown Oxnard. We hope to make SCORE Cafe…
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…
VCCF buys Camarillo building to house foundation headquarters
Building will be center to serve nonprofit leaders, provide meeting space to the community CAMARILLO — The Ventura County Community Foundation late last week bought a Camarillo office building to house the foundation’s headquarters, expand its Center for Nonprofit Leadership…
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…
CEDC celebrates opening of Oxnard apartment communities on July 14, 18
Communities will serve new families of farmworkers and individuals with chronic mental illness. OXNARD – The Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) will host a grand opening event at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 14, and Wednesday, July 18 for its two adjoining affordable…
Business, Cultural, Education, En español, Entertainment, Events, Health, News, Opinion, Politics, Sports
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…
Hernandez issues response to VCCCD accreditation issues and perceptions
By Arturo Hernandez / Board Trustee, VCCCD This statement is in response to the recent public accusations against me in the April 16th, 2012 Report from the Accreditation Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, released by the commission on July 2, 2012.…
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…
News notes: Pajamas presented in Santa Barbara, heavy lift crane shipped from the Port of Hueneme
Pajamas for patients presented at Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics SANTA BARBARA — Patients of Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics (SBNC) received a special surprise on July 10 when they visited any of the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics. About 350 pajamas for…
VCCF awards $1.2 million at annual scholarship reception
CAMARILLO — The Ventura County Community Foundation awarded more than $1.2 million in scholarships to local students at the recent 2012 Scholarship Awards Reception, attended by more than 400 students, their families and donors who made the awards possible. The…
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…
Bilingual commentary: Call for candidates!
By Denis O’Leary / Guest contributor We have all heard about the Presidential election of November 2012. We also survived the June primary elections to decide the candidates who will face off for county, state and federal positions. Yet, local…
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: Efforts in high gear to avoid outages this summer
Residents and businesses can help prevent unwanted power disruptions, says private utility By Cesar Arredondo / New America Media/Amigos805 With its only nuclear plant shut down for now, Southern California Edison is asking for help from its costumers to keep energy flowing…
News notes: Fisherman’s Wharf lease expiring, Youth Empowerment Program holds ceremony
Five-Year pre-development lease at Channel Islands Harbor expires OXNARD —The Ventura County Board of Supervisors has chosen to allow the current lease at Fisherman’s Wharf, the corner of Victoria and Channel Islands, to expire on July 31, which is the…
Ventura County Animal Services: Protect Your Pets — or adopt one — this 4th of July
VENTURA COUNTY — The 4th of July week is the busiest time of year at Ventura County Animal Services, the agency reported this week in a media release. Fireworks scare dogs and they often run away from home and end…
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.…