OXNARD — Teatro de las Américas will present final two performances of “Your Friends Would Never Harm You” at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4 and 5 at the Oxnard College Black Box Theatre, 4000 S. Rose Ave., Oxnard…
Bilingual commentary: The Crashing Wave of Paper
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor Being disorganized carries a hefty price tag. We burn up valuable time looking for things. We miss appointments, miss paying bills, miss opportunities and don’t fulfill our dreams because we don’t even know what those dreams are—we…
Teatro de las Americas, MusicaLatitudes, and Oxnard College to present a Christmas concert on Dec. 6
OXNARD — Teatro de las Américas y MusicaLatitudes invite the community to participate in a free Christmas choir program that will be featured in Songs and Odes of Christmas at 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6 at Teatro de las Américas at Oxnard…
El Concilio seeks support during ‘Giving Tuesday’ on Dec. 1

Dear Friend,
We are coming to the end of the year and over the last year we have enjoyed support of many of you.
We have served over 17,000 client contacts in the areas of Citizenship, Immigration, Youth Leadership and Development and Direct Client Assistance.
This is a request to join our end of the year campaign by making a donation to El Concilio Family Services.
All donations are most gratefully received regardless of the amount.
Oxnard College kicks off holiday season with Latino Thought Makers ‘Ha Ha Holidays Live Comedy,’ music show and benefit on Dec. 2
Special Guests DJs Rico & Mambo, comedians Momo Rodriguez and Jill-Michele Meleán and singers Karina Nuvo and Vanessa Verduga join host Rick Najera at Oxnard College Performing Arts Center OXNARD — The Oxnard College Institute for Latino Performing Arts will…
Bilingual commentary: Gratitude
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor Because of the expectations of our culture, we might feel that we never quite achieve “success,” or “contentment.” After all, whenever we do attain a degree of success or fulfillment, there’s always the next goal, the new…
Guest commentary: Forgotten Memories — Wasted Years
Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805. By Rodolfo F. Acuña / Guest contributor By…
A new book co-authored by a UCSB researcher details how the Maya have farmed sustainably and survived for millennia
By Jim Logan / UCSB History has not been kind to the Maya, an indigenous people of Mesoamerica. They’re usually portrayed as the hapless victims of European colonialism who collapsed and disappeared as a result of overpopulation and environmental degradation. A…
UCSB’s Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science is named an outstanding regional role model
By Julie Cohen / UCSB The UC Santa Barbara chapter of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) has received the 2015 Outstanding Regional Network Role Model Award. This award marks the fourth in as many years bestowed…
Bilingual commentary: Obesity…And We Wonder Why?
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor There was an interesting juxtaposition of articles in this past week’s Ventura County Star. One of them* was entitled “Americans becoming more obese,” as in, what else is new? In the same section of the newspaper, there…
Museum of Ventura County to present sneak preview of ‘Bordertown’ on Nov. 20
VENTURA — The Museum of Ventura County will present a sneak preview of “Bordertown,” a new Seth MacFarlane comedy to debut on Fox in January 2016, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20 at 100 E. Main St., Ventura.…
CLU Professor Edlyn Peña joins national autism panel
THOUSAND OAKS — A California Lutheran University faculty member has been appointed to a reconfigured federal autism panel that will convene next week after a long hiatus. Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell named Edlyn Peña, an assistant…
Bilingual commentary: Avoiding What We Don’t Understand
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor This past week, I decided to confront something that I had studiously avoided all my life because I just didn’t understand it. Abstract art. I had grown up surrounded by the classical art created by my Mexican…
Emmy Award-winning journalists join Oxnard College’s Latino Thought Makers for ‘Politics in America’ talk on Nov. 12
OXNARD — Oxnard College Institute for Latino Performing Arts will present a special evening of political discussion and debate on Thursday, Nov. 12 with award-winning journalists Myrka Dellanos, Ruben Navarrette Jr. and Julio Varela as part of its continuing Latino Thought Makers Live…
Gold Coast Health Plan to recognize Diabetes Awareness Month with resource fair on Nov. 7 in Oxnard
OXNARD — Gold Coast Health Plan will recognize Diabetes Awareness Month in November with a “Diabetes Awareness Resource Fair” from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7 at the Oxnard Public Library, 1251 S. A St., Oxnard. The program will feature…
2015 Día de los Muertos Celebracion to be held Nov. 7 in Camarillo
CAMARILLO — One of the final Day of the Dead events will occur this weekend when the 2015 Día de los Muertos Celebration will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7 at Conejo Mountain Funeral Home, Memorial Park and…
November cover story: Area agencies prepare to wage war on hunger
Holiday season is typical time for organizations to raise awareness of those in need in the region From Amigos805 staff reports Given the rebounding economy and the stereotypical image of a laid-back Golden State, the statistics seem stark. One in…
Local news briefs
SANTA BARBARA — Award-winning author Reyna Grande will be presented with UCSB’s 12th annual Luis Leal Literature Award during a ceremony at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, in the McCune Conference Room, 6020 Humanities and Social Sciences Building at UCSB.…
Commentary: Paying homage to sacrifices of veterans of all eras
By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 It was a cool, foggy evening when our bus finally arrived at the U.S. Naval Recruit Training Center in San Diego. We had just witnessed a bunch of Marine recruits being dropped off at…
Bilingual commentary: “After 17”
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor Country-Western music is well-known for its ability to powerfully express the heartaches, the grudges, the pleasures and the joys that we experience in our lives. It often sings of our delights, tragedies and transitions — including those…
Business: WEV to present free Spanish self-employment sessions
Orientations will be held Nov. 4 in Oxnard, Nov. 11 in Fillmore and Nov. 12 in Ventura From Amigos805 staff reports Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV). will hold free, one-hour informational sessions facilitated by Spanish Program Coordinator Leticia Sandoval in Ventura…
Local business information
> The EDC-VC and EDD will present a “Federal / State Basic Payroll Tax Seminar” from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3 at the Ventura EDD Tax Office, 4820 McGrath St., Suite 200, Ventura. Participants will receive information…
Health: Open Enrollment for Covered California begins Nov. 15
Period is one time of year when most Californians who need insurance cannot be denied by a health plan. Deadline is Feb. 15 By the Ventura County Health Care Agency VENTURA COUNTY — Open Enrollment starts Nov. 15 and continues…
Local health information
> Clinicas del Camino Real Inc. will provide information on Covered California and free health screenings at selected locations throughout the month of November in Ventura County. Click here to find times, dates and locations. > The Ventura County…
More Día de los Muertos events coming this weekend, beyond
SBCC Center for Lifelong Learning presented Día de los Muertos celebration
SANTA BARBARA — The Santa Barbara Community College SBCC Center for Lifelong Learning (the CLL) hosted its free family-friendly Día de los Muertos celebration on Oct. 24 at the Schott Campus to commemorate the dead through a 4000-year-old Mesoamerican tradition. Children of all ages…
Bilingual commentary: Success built upon failure
By David Magallanes/ Guest contributor There are times when we seem to be floundering in a sea of failure. Our dreams and goals don’t seem to be taking shape as we had planned, and that sturdy boat in which we had…
Guest commentary: The lonely book review
Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805. By Rodolfo F. Acuña / Guest contributor Not…
Channel Islands High School graduate and assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff to President Bill Clinton, Maria Echaveste to speak at CSU Channel Island on Oct. 27
CAMARILLO — “From La Colonia to the Clinton Administration, and to Cal: Learning and Leadership — A Conversation with Maria Echaveste” will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27 CSU Channel Island. The public is welcome to attend. Growing up…
CI Science Carnival unleashes the curious kid in all of us on Oct. 24
CAMARILLO — Slime, banana pianos and the ever-popular screaming Gummi bears will be among more than 80 exploding, oozing, glowing and just plain fascinating hands-on science activities at CSU Channel Islands(CI)’s Seventh Annual Science Carnival, the university reported in a media…

