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…
Poet Enedina Castañeda to speak at July 23 conference
Santa Maria educator and poet Enedina Castañeda, author of Del Puño y Mente de Una Mujer… Poemas, will speak at the seminario “El Desafío de Triunfar,” at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 23 at the Holiday Inn, 14299 Firestone Blvd., La Mirada.…
Oxnard Salsa Festival events kick off with annual Salsa Dash on July 23
The Oxnard Salsa Festival will launch its 18th annual season at 8 a.m. Saturday, July 23 with the annual Oxnard Salsa Dash through the streets of downtown Oxnard. The race begins at Heritage Square, 715 So. A St. and concludes…
FOOD Share gears up for bocce festival on July 24 at Limoneira Ranch
The Ventura County Food Truck & Bocce Ball Festival on Sunday, July 24 will feature gourmet food trucks from Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, four live music performances and an exclusive VIP lounge, organizers reported in a media release. Classic…
Ruiz wins at Desert Showdown in Coachella
Andy Ruiz, 17, defeated two opponents at the 2011 Desert Showdown held July 16-17 at the Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella. The recent graduate of Oxnard High, fought his first fight July 15, flooring his opponent early in the first…
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…
Social Justice Fund presenting community bus tour on July 23
Tour focuses on youth creating change The Social Justice Fund for Ventura County (SJF) will take to the road in its third annual community tour on Saturday, July 23. This year’s tour, “On the Road to Change III: Youth at…
Tickets available for Aug. 6 Santa Barbara Mariachi Festival
Tickets are now available for the Santa Barbara Mariachi Festival concert at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6 at the Santa Barbara Bowl. The event features Pedro Fernandez, Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlan and Mariachi Los Toros. Tickets are $48.50, $58.50 and $83.50.…
Latino Links: Demographic trends
Births have overtaken immigration as the main driver of Hispanic population growth in the United States, the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington, D.C. reported recently. In a story on www.msnbc.com, the center found that the Mexican-American population grew by 7.2…
Taller de Lenguas Indígenas 19-21 de julio en la Universidad de Channel Islands
“Me permito informar a la comunidad que en el Taller de Lenguas Indígenas que se realizará en la Universidad de Channel Islands, CA., se inscribieron cerca de 70 personas. “La finalidad del taller es conocer la riqueza de las Lenguas Indígenas de México, apoyar…
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…
Job, health fair scheduled for July 13
A “Job and Health Fair” will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 13 at the Housing Authority of San Buenaventura. Some of the employers include Panda Express, Data Exchange, Marriott Hotel, Pet Smart, Time Warner, Labor…
Mexican Consulate releases July schedule
The Mexican Consulate in Oxnard on Tuesday released its schedule of events for July. Click here to view a pdf of the schedule.
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…
Amada Irma Perez to unveil new book on July 12
Amada Irma Perez will unveil her new book and give a presentation at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 12 at the Pleasant Valley Senior Center, 1605 Burnley St., Camarillo. For more information, call Kathleen Kaiser at 805.524.6970. *** Amada Irma Perez…
Oxnard City Council to consider Spanish-language broadcast at July 12 meeting
The Oxnard City Council will consider a policy to broadcast meetings of the city council with interpretation into Spanish during its next meeting at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, July 12 at the council chambers, 305 W. Third St., Oxnard. “LULAC believes…
Barrera named next opponent for Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios
Marco Antonio Barrera has been named the next opponent for Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios, who retained his WBA World Lightweight Championship with a third-round knockout of opponent Urbano Antillon at the Home Depot Center in Carson on July 9. Rios…
Bilingual report: Mexican Consulate posts video of photographic exhibit
The Mexican Consulate in Oxnard has posted a video on the photographic exhibit on immigration by José Hernández Claire — “Exodo Natcional,” featuring images from Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. *** José Hernández Claire literalmente retrata estas historias…
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…
Das Williams holding ‘State Budget Town Hall Meeting’ on July 8
Assemblymember Das Williams is presenting a State Budget Town Hall Meeting from 4 to to 6 p.m. Friday, July 8 at Oxnard High School, 3400 W. Gonzalez Road, in the Performing Arts Center. Click here for reservations and additional information.
Gran Kermes benefit set for July 10 in Port Hueneme
Club Social Potrero de Gallegos will present the “Gran Kermes” to benefit the remodeling of the church from 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday, July 10 at Casa de Chuy, 665 Pearson Road, Port Hueneme. Event features food, entertainment by DJ…
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…
‘A Better Life’ opening July 8 in Oxnard
A powerful film called A Better Life, with an all-Latino cast and already garnering positive reviews, may not be seen by millions of Latinos unless we take action and get the word out, Miguel Orozco of Nueva Vista Media reported in a…
Rios set to fight on July 9 in Carson
Showtime Championship Boxing will present WBA World Lightweight Champion Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios (27-0-1) of Oxnard versus Urbano Antillon (28-2) at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 9 at the Home Depot Center in Carson. Rios is trained at the Robert Garcia…
Healthy community forum set for July 9
The Central Coast Alliance for a Sustainable Economy, the Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation, Future Leaders of America and other organizations will present “Raising healthy kids and healthy communities: A community action forum,” from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July…
Amigos805.com video calendar for July
Welcome to the Amigos805.com video calendar for July 2011. Please click on image above to get a full-screen version and then click on the icons on the collage to get additional information on events during the coming month. — Mariana…