The Driving Clean Assistance Program (DCAP) helps income-eligible Californians save big on an EV lease or purchase, EV charging, and other clean transportation benefits.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 — 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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
VENTURA COUTY — The award winners of the 70th annual Ventura County Science Fair were announced at a ceremony this evening at the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) in Camarillo. Awards were presented in a variety of scientific categories,…
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 — 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.
LOMPOC — Spring has is in the air in Lompoc, California, and with it comes welcoming warmer weather and a wide array of activities sure to satisfy the outdoor adventurers, wine lovers, history buffs and thrill seekers. From Insta-worthy flower fields to scenic hiking trails and breathtaking vinewyards, travelers discover that Lompoc is the place to explore.
SCORE: FUND YOUR BUSINESS WITH SPONSORS, EVEN IF YOU’RE JUST STARTING OUT
March 26 @ 10:00 am
Would you like to do what you love and have someone else foot the bill? Have you ever thought about corporate sponsors for your business, show, book, charity, speaking or events? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this webinar is for you! America’s most successful companies partner with sponsors. Why not you? Linda Hollander can help you. She is the author of the #1 best-selling book, Corporate Sponsorship in 3 Easy Steps and the CEO of Sponsor Concierge. Linda has consulted with many entrepreneurs to help them profit from the awesome power of corporate sponsors and has 20 years of experience in business. Her corporate sponsors have included Microsoft, Wells Fargo, Epson, Citibank, Fed Ex, Health Net, Southwest Airlines, Bank of America, Staples, American Airlines, Walmart and IBM.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
SIMI VALLEY — Over 300 teens and their parents picked out free prom attire at the Prom Closet at the Simi Valley Family YMCA on March 23. Hosted by the Southeast Ventura County YMCA and Soroptimist International of Simi Valley, the Prom Closet was filled with donated gently used and new formal wear for use by high schoolers at their prom.
Families expressed their gratitude for the event. “The cost of prom has become so expensive. One mom said that she could only budget $60 for a prom dress,” says Dani Hutchison, the Southeast Ventura County YMCA chief development officer. “Her daughter selected a brand new $415 designer dress at the Prom Closet that she absolutely loved. Everyone who came found something special.”
VENTURA — The Ventura Fire Department is proud to announce the launch of a new fleet of cardiac monitor defibrillators, marking a significant advancement in emergency medical care for the community.
The department has acquired 20 new LIFEPAK 35 devices, ensuring every fire unit is equipped with a monitor and replacing older models that have served the department for the past 15 years. To support the purchase, City leaders approved an investment of $1.28 million from the General Fund in July 2024. The department began field testing the new units in January 2025 to ensure a smooth transition before full deployment.
PORT HUENEME — Building on the success of its inaugural year, the City of Port Hueneme and the Port of Hueneme once again teamed up to host their second annual 5k race over the weekend.
Organizers introduced a fresh look for the event, now called the Sea Splash Color Dash. The update brings exciting new features including a 1k kids’ run and expanded offerings to the free health and wellness fair.
Jess Lopez, Port Hueneme Mayor Pro Tem, stressed how this new tradition, which attracted more than 750 participants, helps encourage residents to prioritize their health. “I’m inspired to see so many people come together to enjoy the sun and get in some exercise,” he said. “Spending time outdoors, moving our bodies, and being by the beach boosts both our physical and our mental health. It’s a win on every level.”
SANTA PAULA — One of Santa Paula’s most cherished traditions, Cruise Night, is officially set to return for the 2025 season, bringing classic cars, great food, and community spirit to the heart of downtown. The Santa Paula City Council recently approved a sponsorship to help cover a portion of event costs, ensuring the continuation of this signature event.
Hosted by the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce, Cruise Night will take place on the first Friday of each month from April through October along Main Street between 8th and 10th Streets. This event, which attracts thousands of visitors from across Southern California, has been a staple of the community since 1998 and continues to provide a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere for residents and visitors alike.
