Las Madrinas del Rebozo of Ventura County will be presenting their 8th Annual Rebozo Festival at the historic Camarillo Ranch House from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 20 in Camarillo. Las Madrinas, translated to “The Godmothers” are a…
Memo & Friends to perform May 20 at California Strawberry Festival
By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 When the 29th annual edition of the California Strawberry Festival rolls around this coming weekend, the sounds of “Smooth Latin Soul & Raggae” will be heard from the Festival Stage come early Sunday…
El Concilio profile: Margaret Cortese
Editor’s note: Part of a continuing series of stories in May profiling the award-winners of El Concilio Family Service 2012 Latino Leadership awards — “Excellence in Education.” The awards gala will be held on Friday, June 1, 2012 at the Oxnard Performing…
Five Wishes celebration held in Santa Barbara
More than 200 community members took part recently in the Second Annual Community-Wide Gathering and Celebration of the Five Wishes held at the Rockwood Woman’s Club in Santa Barbara. The Alliance for Living and Dying Well, a collaborative of Santa…
Free Oaxacan dance performance set for 6 p.m. May 11
The Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project is co-sponsoring a free evening of Oaxacan dance, music, hot chocolate and bread with the Rio School District and the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, May…
Bilingual report: California ‘Schools Under Stress’
Teacher layoffs, large class sizes and increasing student poverty complicate schools’ mission, study says. By Cesar Arredondo / Amigos805 contributor California’s largest school districts are facing many stress factors that undermine the education of millions of students, according to…
Cost analysis underway for Das Williams’ bill to provide financial support for state’s higher education systems
Nontax revenue for higher education systems being considered SACRAMENTO — The Assembly Appropriations Committee is studying the potential fiscal impact of a legislative proposal introduced by Assemblymember Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara) that would transfer some state-owned properties to a public…
Bilingual commentary: Children, schools and food
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor Children delight us, although at times they may bother or even anger us. But our children are our treasure, and nothing is more important than their upbringing and their health. The success of our efforts is…
LULAC urges public to attend May 10 Rio School District meeting
The League of United Latin American Citizens — District 17 — is urging the public to attend the next Rio School District board meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 10 to show support for three trustees who may face a…
CLU honors alumna for language work
Julie Sykes’ digital games immerse users in Spanish THOUSAND OAKS — The California Lutheran University Alumni Association Board of Directors presented the 2012 Outstanding Young Alumna Award to a University of New Mexico faculty member who uses technology to teach…
Capps announces $3.2 million in grants to Clinicas to expand health services
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) on Monday announced that Ventura-based Clinicas Del Camino Real has been awarded two grants totaling nearly $3.2 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to fund renovation and construction projects…
Commentary: Single-member district elections will better serve Oxnard
By Denis O’Leary / Guest contributor Be it a smiling teacher at the door as a child walks in the classroom, a new school site or solar panels on the playgrounds to generate clean electricity, there are many ways to educate the…
El Concilio profile: Oliva Barajas
Editor’s note: Part of a continuing series of stories in May profiling the award-winners of El Concilio Family Service 2012 Latino Leadership awards — “Excellence in Education.” The awards gala will be held on Friday, June 1, 2012 at the Oxnard…
Amigos805 goes on KPCC’s ‘Patt Morrison’ show on 89.3 FM to discuss Cinco de Mayo
Dr. David Hayes-Bautista and Amigos805’s Frank X. Moraga joined KPCC’S Patt Morrison on 89.3 FM in a discussion Friday on the true history behind Cinco de Mayo and the battle against big American marketing efforts to turn the holiday into ‘Cinco…
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Amigos805 May print edition has hit the streets
The May print edition of Amigos805 has hit the streets in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Click on the image above to see a PDF of the edition.
Bilingual report: Colleges fight to survive time of change
State budget cuts, capped enrollment make community college today a challenge Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of stories on the state of affairs in the California community college system. This story addresses the problems facing Latino students. Next…
Bilingual Commentary: Cinco de Mayo. Not Cinco de Drinko
By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 A cultural battle is being waged on the streets of America and those fighting it must at times feel like the Mexican patriots on May 5, 1862 — shivering during a cold morning in…
Bilingual commentary: The month of April
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor For several reasons, I love the month of April. Besides the fact that it’s the month of my birthday, here in Ventura County we can’t deny that April is the month of the finest…
Bilingual commentary: The Eighth Annual Rebozo Festival
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier / Guest contributor The garden party to rival all garden parties is right around the rosebush. The Eighth Annual Rebozo Festival will take place on Sunday, May 20, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Camarillo. If you…
Bilingual report: Update / Actualizaciones
A review of stories from our last edition HERRERA WINS LATINO ISSUES FORUM VOTE, STRICKLAND LEADS FUNDRAISING: Jess Herrera came away with the Latino Issues Forum’s vote, but non-forum attendee State Sen. Tony Strickland is winning the campaign financing race…
Bilingual report: Briefs/Breves
COLLEGE ACCREDITATION VISIT: The Ventura County Community College District was visited by a site team from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges on April 16. The team was looking at the district’s…
Bilingual report: Fiesta de Mayo events continue to grow
Amigos805 staff report Give us a day and we will take a month. Give us a month and we will take a couple of months. That seems to be the trend with the Latino community as it tries to fit…
Deadline approaches to RSVP for May 4 ‘Youth Empowerment Summit’ at Oxnard College
The registration deadline is Tuesday, May 1 for the annual “Youth Empowerment Summit,” which will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, May 4 at Oxnard College, 4000 So. Rose Ave., Oxnard, the Young Leaders Society reported…
Cinco de Mayo symposium set for May 4 at UCSB
The Symposium “Cinco de Mayo: Twenty-First Century Perspectives,” will be presented from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, May 4 at the University of California, Santa Babara in Mosher House — Alumni Hall. Presented by 150 De Mayo Puebla Defensa…
‘Social Justice Center Stage’ will be held May 6 in Thousand Oaks
“Social Justice Center Stage,” the Social Justice Fund for Ventura County’s third annual community fundraiser/celebration, will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 6 at Larry Janns’ Four Friends Gallery, 1408 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks. The program includes…
Cuban combo Tiempo Libre headlines Ventura Music Festival’s outdoor jazz concert on May 6
Group’s signature high-voltage fusion sound was developed while listening to forbidden American music growing up in Havana VENTURA — Three-time Grammy-nominated Cuban jazz combo Tiempo Libre will headline Ventura Music Festival’s annual Sunday afternoon outdoor jazz concert on May 6…
Free dental clinic in Santa Barbara draws large crowd on April 28
Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics hosted a free dental clinic on Saturday, April 28 where attendees were offered free dental services, which included cleanings, fillings, and extractions, the medical provided reported in media release. Due to the overwhelming need for affordable…
Official gives successful marks to McGrath State Beach Park clean up
More than 100 volunteers participated April 21 in an event to clean up and beautify McGrath State Beach Park, the office of Ventura County Fifth District Supervisor John Zaragoza reported recently in a media release. Projects completed included painting the…
Montalvo Elemenary School student wins Strawberry Festival’s youth art contest
VENTURA — Eight-year-old Alys Campos, a second grade student at Montalvo Elementary School in Ventura, has been declared the winner of the 2012 California Strawberry Festival Youth Art Design Contest, sponsored by Valu Plus Food Warehouse, Festival Chairwoman Daisy Tatum…
Carmen Ramirez to hold campaign kick-off event on April 26 in Oxnard
Oxnard City Councilmember Carmen Ramirez will officially begin her campaign for mayor of Oxnard with a press conference at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, April 26 in front of the Oxnard Public Library, 251 So. A St., Oxnard. “I believe I can continue…
Conference for Social Justice in Education to be held April 28 at CSU Channel Islands
The School of Education at CSU Channel Islands will present the 4thAnnual Conference for Social Justice in Education on Saturday, April 28 at the university. The daylong conference, free and open to the public, is to showcase the social justice…
‘Open Eyes Art Project’ to hold first wall installation on April 29 in Oxnard
Downtown Center for the Arts and the Oxnard Downtown Management District to celebrate first in planned series of public wall art installations during 4th Annual Wine & Art Walk OXNARD — A digitally produced mural of an original art work will…
University students launch iCLU radio
THOUSAND OAKS — California Lutheran University’s new student-run radio station is live. At a time when other universities are closing student stations for financial reasons, Internet station iCLU has begun streaming from a studio located in the year-old center housing…
Carmen Ramirez enters Oxnard’s mayoral race
Oxnard City Councilmember Carmen Ramirez has declared her candidacy for mayor of the city of Oxnard. She made her official announcement on the David Cruz show on KOXR AM-910 on Monday, April 23. “I have decided I want to throw my hat in…
Earth Day beautification event set for April 21 at McGrath State Beach
Ventura County Supervisor John Zaragoza, Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), Friends of Channel Coast State Parks, Oxnard City Corps, and California State Parks officials have announce a beautification and maintenance event from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 21…
Thank you for supporting our May print edition of Amigos805
Dear reader, Thank you very much for supporting our efforts to make Amigos805 your key source of news for and about the vibrant Latino community in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties. Your reaction to our first…
Commentary: The morning run
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor Every day we read or hear that we as Americans must be doing more exercise if we are to ward off some pretty serious issues, such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and an entire litany…
Commentary: When stress eats holes in your brain
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier / Guest contributor It sounds like something out of science fiction, but this is no Sci-Fi novel where Zombies eat brains. A recently released Yale University study, says that stress causes the brain to shrink. Houston neuroscientist and author…
Oxnard College to present Ballet Folklórico Mestizo performance April 20-21
Oxnard College to present the 31st anniversary performance of the Ballet Folklorico Mestizo — a cultural fusion of indigenous and European influences in dance and music, organizers reported in a media release. The program features traditional dances from six regions…
Flamenco Arts Festival to present ‘Concierto Para Los Niños’ on April 21
The Flamenco Arts Festival will present its annual “Concierto Para Los Niños” at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 21 at the Marjorie Luke Theatre, 721 E. Cota St., Santa Barbara. Shirin Rajaee, anchor/reporter at KEYT, will serve as master of ceremonies in…
Children’s Day/Dia de los Niños set for April 21 in Oxnard
Children’s Day, Dia de los Niños, with the Mixteco/ Indigena Community Organizing Project!, will be held from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 21 at Harrington Elementary School, 2501 Gisler St., Oxnard, the organization reported recently in a media release. MICOP…
Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet to perform April 20-22 in Santa Barbara region
¡Viva Arte de Santa Barbara! will present Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company with free performances at 7 p.m. Friday, April 20 at Isla Vista School, 6875 El Colegio Road, Goleta; at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 21 at Guadalupe City Hall,…
Free folklorico dance workshop set for April 22 in Santa Barbara
A free “Folklorico Dance Workshop with Grandeza Mexicana” will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, April 22 at Casa de La Raza, 601 E. Montecito St., Santa Barbara. The workshop is presented by Casa de La Raza and ¡Viva…
New video produced of Prom Dress Project distribution
Nancy Michelle Rodriguez reports that more than 500 prom dresses, a new record, were collected and presented to young women during a fitting held recently at Pacifica High School in Oxnard. “I’d like to thank those of you who donated…
Easy way to get email updates from Amigos805
Now there is an easier way to sign up for the Amigos805 enewsletter if you are seeking regular email updates on issues and events for and about the vibrant Latino community in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties. Just…
So. Cal Gas Co. presents $20,000 to Boys & Girls Club
The Southern California Gas Co. presented a $20,000 grant to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme on April 12 as part of a 2011 Education Initiative, the organization reported in a media release. The presentation,…
SBCC’s foster youth students program receives grant from Vons Foundation
SANTA BARBARA — The Vons Foundation has presented a grant of $2,500 in its continued support to benefit the Santa Barbara City College’s foster youth students, the Foundation for Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) reported this week in a media…
Arts in Public Places RFP workshop set for April 14 in Oxnard
The Black and Brown Youth Arts and Cultural Alliance will hold a Request for Proposal workshop for Arts in Public Places (AIPP) projects in Oxnard at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 14 at the Acuna Gallery @ Café on A, 438…
Commentary: The elephant in the room — Chronic unemployment
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor No one wants to look at it. After all, maybe it will just go away. We avoid even mentioning it, lest we give it power, lest it be true. If we do discuss it,…
Four Oxnard teens enhance leadership skills at National Keystone Conference
OXNARD — Four members of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme (BGCOP) were among the more than 1,500 teens who recently attended the National Keystone Club Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, the organization reported in…
Bell Arts Factory celebrates First Friday with art exhibit, reception
Works of artists Andrea Vargas, Jon Nelson, Pricisila Cisneros and Ryan Carr were showcased when the Bell Arts Factory presented “Ventura’s New ARTist City” on April 6 in Ventura. On exhibit will be some of ventura’s best young artists Their…
College district accreditation commission visit set for April 16
The Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) will be visited by site team members representing the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (Commission) on Monday, April 16, the college district reported in…
Santa Paula celebrates first ‘Cruise Night’ of the season
From the muscle cars of the ’60s and ’70s, to vintage Model A Fords — Santa Paula celebrated in style when it held its first “Cruise Night” of the season on Friday, April 6 throughout downtown Main Street. From 10th…
Community celebrates Easter
A number of churches and organizations celebrated the Easter holiday this past weekend in the 805 region. Besides activities at the churches, community members also took to the street to highlight the religious holiday. A small group of individuals demonstrated…
Contributor Magallanes has column highlighted in New American Media
Amigos805 guest contributor David Magallanes had his column highlighted in New American Media on April 9. The column, Is U.S. education unraveling?, was originally published in Amigos805 on March 29. Under the headline “A Sense of ‘Despair’ Hangs Over Community College Campus,”…
Bilingual report: Teatro holding sushi fundraiser on April 9 in Oxnard
Teatro de las Américas will be present its next sushi fundraiser at 7 p.m. Monday, April 9 at Genmai Sushi, 3623 W. Fifth St., Oxnard. “Meet the cast of “Zapatera; meet friends of Teatro; enjoy good food and have a…
CSU Channel Islands celebrates ‘Noche de Fiesta’
Brazilian music, regional Latino food and dancers created a colorful atmosphere in Malibu Hall at California State University, Channel Islands, when students presented the seventh annual “Noche de Fiesta” on Wednesday, April 4. The diversity of the Latin American cultures…
Commentary: Media panel persecution (I mean, candidates panel presentation)
By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 It was certainly an educational meeting for us all at the Latino Issues Forum, held Thursday, April 5 in a hotel ballroom in Oxnard. The forum, featuring questions put to candidates for the 26th…