Bilingual report — Ventura’s Guide to summer camps, events, classes, and more!

VENTURA — The Parks & Recreation Summer Activity Guide is now available online at www.cityofventura.ca.gov/ActivityGuide. Registration begins Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. and will be available online, over the phone, or in person at City Hall, Room 226, 501 Poli Street. Registration information and policies are on page 6.

The Summer Activity Guide offers a diverse range of youth summer camps and programs for all ages from June through August. Exciting special events await, including the highly anticipated 4th of July Street Fair and the captivating Music Under the Stars concert series. Community members can also explore aquatic activities such as sailing, kayaking, standup paddleboarding, or swim lessons. There are also various arts and cultural options like tours to museums, productions, and local landmarks. 

Official artwork revealed for 39th Annual California Strawberry Festival

OXNARD — Helen Reyes’ winning artwork for the 39th Annual California Strawberry Festival was revealed at an April 1 gathering of dignitaries and festival sponsors at Yolanda’s Mexican Café in Oxnard. The luncheon officially kicks off activities for the 2025 festival celebration taking place May 17 and 18 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

Reyes takes home a $2,000 grand prize and VIP tickets to the festival.

Bilingual report — Apply to Ventura’s council advisory groups through new online portal

“We are thrilled to introduce this new tool as part of our ongoing efforts to enhance transparency and community involvement,” said City Clerk Michael MacDonald. “This is an exciting step forward in helping more residents take an active role in shaping Ventura’s future.”

Bilingual report — City of Santa Paula Reminds Businesses About Sales Rate Update and Deadline for Measure R Oversight Committee

SANTA PAULA — The City of Santa Paula is reminding residents and business owners of several important updates related to Measure R, the local sales tax initiative approved by voters in November 2024. These updates include a change in the City’s sales tax rate, the formation of a community oversight committee, and an invitation for residents to help ensure accountability and transparency in how new revenues are used.

Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) free event and webinar schedule

SCORE VENTURA COUNTY: QUICKBOOKS ONLINE & BEST ACCOUNTING PRACTICES – LIVE Q&A & HANDS-ON TRAINING

April 1 @ 10:00 am

Join Accounting Expert & QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor and EDC Small Business Development Center Advisor Juliana Ramirez of JR Bookkeeping for an interactive, hands-on webinar designed to help you master QuickBooks Online and improve your accounting practices. Each session will explore key bookkeeping and financial management topics, but more importantly, this is your opportunity to ask specific questions and get them answered live! Whether you need help with bank reconciliations, financial reports, invoicing, expense tracking or QuickBooks Online setup, Juliana will provide real-time solutions and live demonstrations to ensure you walk away with clarity and confidence.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Applications open for Ventura’s Special Event Grant Program

VENTURA — The City of Ventura is now accepting applications for its Special Event Grant Program (SEGP), designed to support community events for local residents. To be eligible, applicants must be nonprofit organizations based in the City of Ventura with 501(c)(3) status.

Bilingual report — The latest news from the County of Ventura

Coming Soon! New web addresses for County websites

The County of Ventura has officially begun the migration of county websites to the new .gov domain – venturacounty.gov.?
The transition to the new address complies with CA State Assembly Bill 1637, which was passed in 2024 and requires local governments to have a .gov domain by or before 2029. The transition to the new address will provide enhanced cybersecurity and easily identify the County’s online presence for residents, businesses, and visitors.

April at the Santa Paula Art Museum

15th Anniversary Gala and Fundraiser

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Saturday, April 5, 2025, from 4 PM to 6 PM

$125 per person

Join us Saturday evening for our 15th Anniversary Gala and Fundraiser! We’re celebrating 15 years of the Santa Paula Art Museum, and raising critical funds for our community arts education programs. Enjoy live music by Angelo Divino, a petite art auction, delicious hors d’oeuvres and signature cocktail, and more. We will also present the 2025 Mary Alice Orcutt Henderson Visionary Award to David Schwabauer. Advance ticket purchase is recommended. Cocktail attire is encouraged.

Bilingual report — In Honor of César Chávez Day: Vigil for Migrant Families throughout Central Coast on March 31

CENTRAL COAST — This César Chávez Day, communities across the Central Coast are coming together to
honor his legacy that uplifts the voices of immigrant communities and the broad struggle
of working-class families through peaceful vigils. Join us in reflection, resistance, and
unity. …

Vigil Locations Across the 805:
• Santa Barbara: Santa Barbara City Hall – 735 Anacapa St.
• Lompoc: Ryan Memorial Park – 900 W Ocean Ave.
• Santa Maria: Santa Maria City Hall – 110 E Cook St.
• Oxnard: Oxnard City Hall – 305 W 3rd St.
• Ventura: Ventura City Hall – 501 Poli St.
• Santa Paula: Santa Paula City Hall – 970 Ventura St.

Por La Vida y La Dignidad (For Life & Dignity): A peaceful march to end deportations and win a living wage for farmworkers to be held March 30 in Santa Maria

SANTA MARIA — For the past year, Alianza Campesina has been advocating for fair and dignified wages for farmworkers, many of whom struggle to survive on low pay while also facing the dangers of pesticide exposure and the harsh effects of climate change, and natural disasters. Now, farmworkers and the broader immigrant community face an even greater threat — the fear of family separation and the ongoing uncertainty caused by increased immigration presence in our communities.

This César Chávez Day, Alianza Campesina is demanding an end to deportations and ICE presence in our communities while urging the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors to pass a living wage for farmworkers. We invite community members, advocates, and allies to join us in a peaceful march as we demand justice, dignity, and safety for all.

Guest commentary — CC Was One of Us, Fought for Us and Spoke on behalf of Us. (Oxnard Library presentation on March 29)

CSU Professor Dr. Frank P. Barajas will present “Cesar Chavez’s Life and Legacy in Oxnard” from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 29 at the Oxnard Public Library, 251 So. A., St. Oxnard. Learn about the life of famed worker’s rights advocate Cesar Chavez and his connections to the Oxnard Community.

Bilingual commentary — Rafting Ants: Lessons for Survival

The past few weeks have alarmed many of us who contemplate the future of our country. Yes, we’ve always had disagreements among ourselves. We’ve discussed issues and argued with each other. But over the past few years, our discord has devolved into a mean-spirited battle between liberals and conservatives, governments and disadvantaged groups, globalists and nationalists, the religious and the secularists, oligarchs and common citizens.

Don’t Delay – El Concilio accepting nominations for the 35th Latino Leadership Awards

OXNARD — El Concilio Family Services will celebrate the 35th El Concilio Latino Leadership Awards at the “50 Years of Strengthening America: Bridging Communities, Building Dreams Gala Celebration.  The event is slated for September 25th, 2025.  More information to follow. Stay tuned for details.

El Concilio Family Services, founded in 1975, is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide direct assistance and educational programs to the underserved Latino Community.  The Latino Leadership Awards were established in 1990.
They were established by El Concilio to recognize Ventura County individuals, organizations or businesses that have made outstanding contribution above and beyond their realm for the betterment of Ventura County’s Latino Community.

Santa Paula celebrates community, culture & education with new mural at Glen City Elementary

SANTA PAULA — The Isabella Project, in partnership with Glen City Elementary School, has unveiled a new mural by locally renowned artist Checkos Martinez.

Located at Glen City Elementary — a STEAM school in Santa Paula — the mural depicts a beautiful lemon tree (as citrus represents the region’s agricultural heritage), and monarch butterflies, which symbolize transformation, growth, hope, and freedom. More than art, this mural serves as a public reminder of the importance of education in the Santa Clara community. It reflects the deep cultural significance of murals in Hispanic and Latinx American traditions.

Abril Estrada leads the audience in a dance celebrating early childhood education at the Isabella Project mural unveiling event.

Bilingual report — Building Healthier Communities, Together: CenCal Health’s 2025 Annual Report

SANTA BARBARA — CenCal Health, the Medi-Cal health plan for Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, presented its 2025 Community Report at a regular bimonthly meeting of its Board of Directors, held this month in San Luis Obispo.

Join Us for the April 1 County of Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors meeting. Topics Include: Cachuma Lake RV Hookup Sites Fees; Parking Restrictions for Oversized Vehicles; Potential Expansion of Northern Branch Jail

he next regular meeting of the
County Board of Supervisors is scheduled for 
9 a.m. Tuesday, April 1, 2025
County Administration Building
Board Hearing Room, Fourth Floor
105 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara
The public may participate virtually, or in person at the County Board Hearing Room in Santa Barbara or Santa Maria. 

Spring Forward With Over 200 Classes for Your Life or Career, Starting Soon at SBCC School of Extended Learning

SANTA BARBARA — Spring is the perfect time to nurture your potential, acquire new skills, and advance in your career and life with SBCC School of Extended Learning. The next wave of essential workshops and engaging classes will start soon, with new offerings launching every week between March 31 and May 24. There are still spots open in over 200 free and fee-based classes designed to advance careers, hone life skills, and inspire creativity and camaraderie.

“We invite the community to embrace the spirit of springtime—the season of growth and renewal – by trying something new or rekindling a lifelong dream,” said Carola Smith, Assistant Superintendent / Vice President, School of Extended Learning. “We’re here to help you cultivate the future you envision.”

Ventura County Community Foundation welcomes new vice president and director of Strategic Initiatives

CAMARILLO — The Ventura County Community Foundation is delighted to announce its two newest team members, Vice President Gary Byrne and Director of Strategic Initiatives Roshin Mathew.

Before joining VCCF, Byrne served as president and CEO of the Community Foundation for San Benito County. As one of CFSB’s first staff members, he helped develop the foundation to reach the grantmaking capacity of over $100 million. He has dedicated the last 30 years to nonprofit development and management, in addition to working and volunteering in education, social services and the nonprofit sector.

Music Academy of the West names Nicholas Walls as Chief Advancement Officer

Beginning on March 31, Walls will lead the Academy’s advancement efforts to support its mission of training the next generation of great musicians and engaging the community through innovative musical experiences.

“We are thrilled to welcome Nicholas to our leadership team,” said Shauna Quill, President & CEO of the Music Academy. “His deep expertise in philanthropy, donor engagement, and strategic fundraising will be invaluable in advancing the Academy’s vision for the future and ensuring the success of our programs and initiatives.”

Ventura Land Trust announces name for new preserve

Last year, VLT embarked upon a community conversation to engage residents in the search for a name for an area that has held many names throughout history. It was once simply called “the hills” by the Chumash people living in the village known as Shisholop. With the arrival of the Spanish and subsequent colonization of the region, the hillsides were part of the Rancho Ex Mission San Buenaventura land grant. More recently, the hillsides were referred to as Mariano Rancho.

First-in-the-World Online Pesticide Notification System launched, impacting farm working communities in Ventura County and elsewhere in California

Irene Gomez, an Oxnard resident and member of the Coalition Advocating for Pesticide Safety – Ventura County or CAPS 805, raised a remaining concern: “When my community in Nyeland Acres had the pilot notification project, our biggest issue was that you couldn’t find out exactly where the pesticides would be applied – which farm? That’s still a problem with Spray Days. You can only know pesticides are being applied within a square mile, but not whether it’s coming from behind your house, across the street, or even a mile away.”

Bilingual report — Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) — Fuel Your Business Growth with Ventura’s Low-Interest Loans!

Grow, update and revitalize your business through the City of Ventura Business Assistance Loan Fund. In partnership with the Economic Development Collaborative, the City of
Ventura funds three separate loan options for businesses. This fund is designed to create jobs, support the growth of Ventura’s small business community and revitalize the city’s
older commercial districts.

REACH in Santa Barbara welcomes largest cohort to date

SANTA BARBARA —  REACH, a leading organization dedicated to empowering first-generation, low- to mid-income students in Santa Barbara County, proudly announces its largest cohort to date. With 60 Fellows, their Cohort 2025 (Class of 2026) reflects REACH’s commitment to transforming lives through academic preparation, outdoor experiences, and personal development.

CLU announces upcoming events including Junior Achievement Company Program on March 26, Government Insights on March 27

You can’t start early enough. The Cal Lutheran School of Management cooperates with Westlake High School on many levels. On Wednesday, March 26 (9:30 am to 12:30 pm) at our own Hub101 we will host the 2025 Student Business Competition by the Junior Achievement Company Program.

Bilingual report — Ventura Fire Department announces release of new Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map for public input

The draft Fire Hazard Severity Zone map for Ventura provides an updated assessment of local fire hazards and will help guide local fire prevention efforts, inform building regulations, and support emergency response planning. The map updates previous version approved in 2011 to reflect current fire risk conditions and new data. Hazard areas are rated moderate, high, and very high depending on the factors that contribute to fire behavior, like historical fire patterns, vegetation growth, weather, and terrain, among others. 

Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics Encourages Community to be Screened for Colon Cancer

SANTA BARBARA — March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, which aims to highlight a deadly but preventable cancer responsible for more than 50,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. According to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, over 154,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with colon and rectal cancer in 2025, making it the fourth most common cancer in the U.S. Though the disease is highly treatable when diagnosed at an early stage, it is the second most deadly cancer in the U.S., which is why, every March, healthcare providers including Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics, work to educate people on how to detect and treat it.