By David Magallanes / Guest contributor David Magallanes This past Sunday, along with other aficionados who filled the First United Methodist Church in Ventura, I attended a concert of the Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra (“CHICO”). The classical music was as…
Boys & Girls Club staff member and former BGCOP Youth of the Year receives University of Phoenix Full-Tuition Scholarship
VENTURA COUNTY — Thanks to a full-tuition scholarship, Boys & Girls Clubs of Oxnard and Port Hueneme staff member Taylor Penny is going back to school to get a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. “This…
New Board Members Bring Higher Education Experience to EDC-VC
VENTURA COUNTY — Dr. Greg Gillespie, chancellor, Ventura County Community College District and Ysabel Trinidad, vice president for finance and administration at California State University Channel Islands are the newest Economic Development Collaborative–Ventura County board members. “Greg and Ysabel each…
Students Celebrate Signing of Community College Placement Legislation
Bill changes the way that Community Colleges will place students in remedial courses SACRAMENTO – Today, Governor Jerry Brown announced the signing of AB 705, which changes the way that community college students are placed in remedial courses at all 114…
NOAA grant to CSUCI enables Oxnard School District students to explore the Santa Barbara Channel
CAMARILLO — Fostering a sense of connection and respect for the magnificent ocean, foliage and wildlife in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties is the objective behind a grant awarded to CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).…
Governor signs landmark environmental and water quality protection legislation by Limón for oil and gas production
SACRAMENTO – Governor Brown has signed Assembly Bills 1328 and 1197, authored by Assemblymember Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) to make the oil and gas production more responsive to the needs and goals of the state. AB 1328 gives California water agencies…
Annual Fundraising Event at America’s Teaching Zoo Supports Growth and Development for World Renowned Program
MOORPARK — The Moorpark College Foundation and the Exotic Animal Training Management (EATM) program at Moorpark College hosted the sixth annual Rendezvous at the Zoo fundraising event on Thursday, Oct. 12. The college hosted more than 200 guests including dignitaries, Chancellor…
UCSB student success center fulfills its promise to serve and support underrepresented undergraduates
By Nora Drake • UCSB For students who are the first in their families to pursue higher education, the unfamiliar rituals and routines of daily college life can seem downright foreign. Research shows that dropout rates are higher among these first-generation students,…
Dole Packaged Foods, FOOD Share Inc. launch ‘Ray of Sunshine’ food drive
CAMARILLO — Dole Packaged Foods and FOOD Share Inc. launched their “Ray of Sunshine” kick-off event on Oct. 6 at Tierra Linda Elementary School in Camarillo. The event announce Dole’s extended partnership with FOOD Share Inc. and the Ray of Sunshine food drive,…
Bilingual commentary: Is Trump Firing at His Own Foot?
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor David Magallanes There is a lot of talk and apprehension in the air these days regarding access to guns and ammunition. But would someone please take away the one weapon used by our own…
Ferguson Case Orr Paterson Attorney to Receive Ventura County Bar Association’s Public Service Award
VENTURA COUNTY — Ferguson Case Orr Paterson LLP (FCOP) attorney Joseph L. Strohman, Jr. has been named by the Ventura County Bar Association (VCBA) as this year’s recipient of the Ben E. Nordman Public Service Award. The honor is in…
Museum of Ventura County update for Oct. 12
Major funding for these programs is made possible in part by the City of San Buenaventura and the County of Ventura. Theater as Activism: Panel Discussion on the Chicano Teatro Movement Professional director and leading authority on contemporary Chicana/o and U.S. Latina/o…
PR Pros Offer Scholarships for Area Students
CENTRAL COAST — The California Gold Coast chapter of the Public Relations Society of America is offering two scholarships to recognize outstanding individual college students who are committed to studying communication or public relations in the Tri-Counties area. The group…
United Way’s 21st Annual Red Feather Ball Most Successful in Event’s History
SANTA BARBARA — Thanks to generous donors and supporters, United Way of Santa Barbara County‘s (UWSBC) 21st Annual Red Feather Ball raised nearly $300,000, the most in event history. The funds will benefit the nonprofit’s award-winning Fun in the Sun…
Governor Signs Jackson Bill to Provide Job-Protected Leave for New Parents
SACRAMENTO – In a signing ceremony today focusing on legislation that affects women, children and families and attended by members of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill by State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) that will allow…
Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care partners with Easy Lift Transportation
SANTA BARBARA — Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care is proud to partner with another local non-profit organization, Easy Lift Transportation. Like VNHC, Easy Lift Transportation provides a wide variety of specialized services to the southern Santa Barbara community, including transportation for…
United Way of Ventura County update for Oct. 10
Click here for the entire e-newsletter President’s Message Dear Friends, It’s hard to believe that in less than 100 days, we’ll welcome in the New Year. From the heartache of global natural disasters to the recent…
On Indigenous Peoples’ Day Governor Signs Limón Bill to Create Native American Studies Curriculum
SACRAMENTO — Governor Brown has signed Assembly Bill 738, authored by Assemblymember Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara). AB 738 provides for the development of a model curriculum in Native American studies for schools to integrate into lesson plans in grades 9 through…
Governor Signs Jackson Bill to Clean Up Beaches, Plug Old, Leaking Oil Wells
SACRAMENTO — Governor Brown has just signed a bill authored by State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) to monitor and cap California’s old, abandoned and leaking oil wells. Senate Bill 44, the Coastal Oil Well Clean Up and Remediation Act, will…
Grant to Help Boys & Girls Club Maintain Buildings – VCCF Board approves $25,000 to Oxnard, Port Hueneme Club to fund capacity-building work
VENTURA COUNTY — The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme has received a $25,000 grant from the Ventura County Community Foundation. The VCCF’s board of directors recently approved giving BGCOP the funds to help the Club’s…
Local Environmental Technology Subject of CNN’s Great Big Story
Ventura-based Paso Pacifico invents decoy sea turtle eggs with GPS to track poachers VENTURA — Baby sea turtles have plenty of natural predators to deal with on their way to adulthood. Add in the threat of poachers, who destroy more than 90…
Local Collaborative Aims to Bolster Third Grade Reading Proficiency
SANTA BARBARA — United Way of Santa Barbara County (UWSBC) and its partners have proudly introduced a new local collaboration focused on improving third grade reading proficiency, the No. 1 predictor of future school success. Part of a national collaboration,…
René Corado El Lustrador update for Oct. 9
Click here for the entire e-newsletter Celebrating theDay of the Child • Celebrando el Dia del Niño Thanks to your donations we were able we celebrated the Day of the Child in Guatemala for the children of the trash dump of…
Assemblymember Limón Launches “There Oughta Be a Law” Contest
SACRAMENTO — Assemblymember Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) has launched the “There Oughta Be a Law” contest, an open call to constituents for ideas for legislation. “Some of best ideas of our state have come from students, veterans, and just regular folks…
Carnegie Art Museum update for Oct. 6
Click here for the entire e-newsletter Thank you to our generous donors during September… Including each of the attendees for the 3rd annual HOME is where the heART is at the home of Mona and Tom Neuhaus. Click here to view…
Bilingual commentary: Highway 101 Congestion Conundrum
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor David Magallanes Many of us have been around long enough to remember when Highway 101 in Ventura County had a mere two lanes in each direction. It was painstakingly widened to three lanes, but…
Bill to Extend Solar Thermal Program Signed by Governor Brown
Law Will Incentivize Solar Energy to Reduce Natural Gas Use SACRAMENTO — Governor Brown signed AB 797 (Irwin) into law yesterday afternoon. The bill previously passed the Assembly by a bipartisan vote of 45-19 and the Senate with a bipartisan 30-10…
Marjorie Luke Theatre update for Oct. 5
Click here for the entire e-newsletter October Upcoming Events ‘It’s Only Rock and Roll’ Alpha Resource Center Annual Fundraiser Saturday, October 7th, 2pm Alpha Resource Center presents this rock opera full of Alpha antics and tomfoolery style! It’s summertime…
Graduate Division series beginning Oct. 10 aims to promote campus conversations around diversity
By Andrea Estrada • UCSB Diversity matters. It plays a key role in all university endeavors, and a series of multilevel programming organized by the Graduate Division is designed to emphasize just that. “The goal of the Diversity Matters programming is to…
Ventura College Foundation Launches Veterans Promise Program
VENTURA — In an effort to improve the college-going rate among veterans and active duty military in Ventura County, the Ventura College Foundation is helping Ventura College students who are U.S. veteran and U.S. active duty military offset the cost…