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“The dog is a gentleman, I hope to go to his heaven and not man’s ”
– Mark Twain

In Partnership with Mercedes Benz of Oxnard

Ventura County! After a long hiatus we are back, and excited for summer. What have we been doing? Thanks for asking. We’ve been busy launching products, raising a baby, and starting a new job. With the official start of Summer less than a month away and the unofficial start of summer this weekend, we made it our goal to relaunch The Neighborly Wave prior to Memorial Day. Summer has always been my favorite season. I love an excuse to get out of the house, flex the 💪, and enjoy all the outdoor activities our beautiful county has to offer. With a 3 day weekend ahead, we have lots of events to share with you all.

This week, The Neighborly Wave will cover:

• Paw Works Rescue

• Local Events

• Sports

• Weather

Paw Works Rescue

I first became aware of Paw Works in 2018, 4 years after its founding in 2014. I was preparing to open a dog friendly restaurant, and there was a philantrophic component missing. I needed a dog rescue group to partner with, and Paw Works was on my short list of rescues to contact . I DM’d Paw Works on Instagram and was surprised by how quickly they responded. After a few back and forth exchanges, a lunch meeting was set with Chad Atkins the founder, and his right hand woman Brittany Vizcarra.

Chad & Brittany were nice enough to swing by my restaurant for lunch. After a quick introduction and exchanging of pleasantries, I got right to yapping. They let me rant about my vision, future plans, and how we could collaborate. Chad had such an infectious personality. I was immediately enamored by his stories, personality, and passion for animals. I knew Paw Works was going to be a great partner for us, and that no further lunch meetings needed to be scheduled.

At the time we formed our partnership the world was pretty “normal”. The thought of a global pandemic certainly wasn’t on my mind, nor theres. Covid changed the landscape of countless industries, as well as our habits and need for community & socialization. The workforce being relegated to work from home, or being out of work completely created new opportunities, and shifted perspectives. “Life is short” “if not now, then when?” These mantras led to a massive uptick in pet adoptions. Paw Works original mission was to make Ventura County a “no kill” area for adoptable pets and the stars aligned to help them fulfill their original mission.

In 2020 & 2021 I had an aging pitbull at home named Bluebell. I would selfishly volunteer to walk dogs for Paw Works, so I could send photos of the ridiculously cute pitbull puppies they had for adoption. My gf was not as weak willed as I was, so we never got our puppy, but I did get to witness the amount of work, stress, and dedication it takes to run a non-profit animal rescue. Being in the restaurant industry, I had a pretty good understanding of jobs that look or sound “sexy” from an outsiders perspective. I was guilty of thinking “I love dogs, I would love to operate a non-profit like this one day” Nope! Wrong. It is truly an unimaginable amount of work, and the “thank you’s” and “congratulations” are few and far between. I have the utmost respect for anyone willing to make the sacrifices that Chad & Brittany made on a daily basis.

In December of 2022 I received a message letting me know Chad had passed away. His death was sudden and unexpected. There wasn’t a succession plan in place as Chad was a healthy 44 years young. Despite the shock, and obvious tragedy, the employees, volunteers, and family carried on. Almost 3 years removed from his passing, it’s still a shock, still doesn’t feel real, but Chad’s original mission, and work ethic carry on through Brittany and the rest of the Paw Works family. Despite several challenges, Paw Works continues to give a second chance to animals across the county. If you would like to get involved fostering, volunteering, or helping with adoptions, please check out the Paw Works website below:

Local Events This Holiday Weekend

Oxnard

Saturday, May 25th. 11am–2pm — “Ride & Rescue” continues at Mercedes Benz of Oxnard 🐾. Come meet adoptable pets from Paw Works, enjoy refreshments, and enter a raffle. Memorial Day weekend car deals are still live 🚗

Saturday–Sunday, May 25–26th. Strawberry Festival returns 🍓 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds (Yes, still in Oxnard!). Enjoy live music, carnival rides, strawberry everything, and more. Tickets online or at the gate. https://castrawberryfestival.org

Saturday, May 25th. 7pm — Banda Machos & Mi Banda El Mexicano live at Oxnard Performing Arts Center. High-energy night of regional Mexican music 🇲🇽🎺

Ventura

Sunday, May 26th. 11am–5pm — Ventura Flea Market @ Ventura County Fairgrounds. Over 300 vendors with vintage, antiques, crafts and more. $5 admission, kids free.

Saturday, May 25th. 1–9pm — Topa Topa’s Memorial Weekend Block Party at the Colt St. location. Live music, food trucks, outdoor games, beer specials 🍻

Sunday, May 26th. 10am–6pm — ArtWalk Ventura is back with over 100 artists displaying work in Downtown Ventura. Family-friendly and FREE 🎨

Camarillo

Friday, May 24th. 5–9pm — Camarillo Old Town Friday Night Cruise. Classic cars, food vendors, and live music in Downtown Camarillo 🚗🎶

Saturday, May 25th. 10am–2pm — Camarillo Farmers Market at Old Town. Local produce, artisan vendors, and fresh flowers 🌻

Friday, May 31st. 6–9pm — Rock City Studios Live Showcase featuring local bands. 2258 Pickwick Dr. Camarillo. All ages welcome 🎸

Thousand Oaks

Saturday, May 25th. 7pm — Summer Concert Series kickoff @ Conejo Community Park featuring classic rock cover band Ignition 🔥🎸

Sunday, May 26th. 10am–3pm — Thousand Oaks Art Festival at The Lakes. Outdoor art booths, kids zone, and food trucks 🖼️🛍️

Saturday, May 31st. 8pm — Five for Fighting live at Bank of America Performing Arts Center 🎹🎤 https://bapacthousandoaks.com

Moorpark

Saturday, May 25th. 5–9pm — Food Truck Friday @ Moorpark Civic Center. Live music, games, and a lineup of gourmet food trucks 🚚🎶

Sunday, May 26th. 9am–1pm — Moorpark Farmers Market in Downtown. Local produce, baked goods, and artisan crafts 🍓🧀

Saturday, May 31st. 10am–4pm — “Train Days” at Underwood Family Farms. Mini train rides, animal viewing, and strawberry picking 🚂🍓

Santa Barbara

Saturday–Sunday, May 25–26th. 11am–6pm — I Madonnari Street Painting Festival at the Santa Barbara Mission. Stunning chalk art covers the plaza. Free & iconic 🎨

Saturday, May 25th. 6pm — Sunset Rooftop Yoga & Wine Tasting @ Kimpton Canary Hotel. Must register in advance 🧘‍♀️🍷

Sunday, June 1st. 9am–4pm — Santa Barbara Arts & Crafts Show along Cabrillo Blvd. Local artists by the beach. Free entry ☀️

Simi Valley

Saturday, May 25th. 10am–4pm — Reagan Library hosts “Veterans Memorial Day Celebration.” Military displays, live music, and family-friendly events 🇺🇸

Sunday, May 26th. 11am–5pm — Simi Valley Street Fair @ Tapo Canyon. Local vendors, food booths, bounce houses and live entertainment 🎪

Saturday, May 31st. 7pm — Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center presents “The Sound of Music” (Opening Weekend). Live theater! 🎭

Sports

🏅 Ventura County Varsity Weekly

High School & Junior College Sports Recap + Preview
Week of May 22 – June 2, 2025

⚾ Baseball: Final Four Showdowns

• Oxnard High is headed to the CIF-SS Division 4 Semifinals after a clutch 3-1 win over La Serna. The Yellowjackets face Long Beach Wilson this Friday, May 24th. A win sends them to the championship.

• Moorpark High continues its deep run in Division 3. They battle Rancho Mirage in the semifinals Saturday, May 25th. Expect fireworks.

• St. Bonaventure wrapped up its season after falling in the quarterfinals — still an impressive 20-win campaign.

🥎 Softball: Camarillo Eyes the Crown

• Camarillo High softball is headed to the CIF Division 2 Championship game! With star pitcher Aiva Arquette on fire, the Scorpions face Torrance Saturday, May 25th @ 6pm at Deanna Manning Stadium.

• Rio Mesa High finished its playoff run in the quarterfinals. A strong season with promising underclassman talent returning.

🏃‍♀️ Track & Field: State-Bound Athletes

Local athletes are heading to the CIF State Championships (Clovis, May 24–25):

• Malia Goldstein (Ventura High) – Girls 100m

• Jalen Carter (Thousand Oaks) – Boys 800m

• Sophia Luna (Oxnard High) – Pole Vault

Full results and live updates via CIFState.org

🏈 Spring Football Reports

• Oxnard, Pacifica, and Simi Valley are hosting spring scrimmages through Memorial Day weekend and into next week. Early signs show exciting offensive weapons emerging at Oxnard and rising defensive leaders at Pacifica.

🎓 Junior College Highlights — Ventura College

• VC Baseball capped their season 29-15, falling in the Super Regionals. Standout: Isaiah Gonzales, .392 BA with 6 HR.

• Women’s Beach Volleyball: Finished 3rd in the CCCAA State Championship — a record high for the program.

• VC Football’s Spring Scrimmage is set for Friday, May 31st @ 6pm at the VC Sportsplex. Free entry, open to fans.

📩 Want to feature an athlete, coach, or game next week? DM @OxnardUSA or email [email protected]

Professional Sports

The Division leading Los Angeles Dodgers go on a week long East Coast road trip against the New York Mets & then The Washington Guardians. They return home May 30th for a rematch of last years World Series against the Yankees. Ticket prices start at $80 per ticket 😬

Dodger favorite Clayton Kershaw finally returned to the mound after a 9 month hiatus. Kershaw lasted 4 innings in his season debut. The Dodger faithful would like to see Kershaw get back to his Cy Young form, as 3 of their starting pitchers are on Injured Reserve. What was supposed to be one of the most dominant starting rotations in MLB, is now the most injured. Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Roki Sasaki are all out for

High School Tour with Mayor of Oxnard and Young Quicks Makes 2nd Stop

The mayor of Oxnard, Luis Mc Arthur, and Oxnard rapper, Young Quicks, made their 2nd stop at Hueneme High School along their local high school tour after stopping at Oxnard High School last week. The goal of the tour is to speak to the students about community and to let them know they are a supported within their own.

The duo are anchored by local community leaders like boxer Hugo Centeno, the owners of popular restaurant Gordo’s Hot Chicken, and DJ’s from radio stations Q95.9 and Radio Lazer, 102.9. The events takes place during lunch as they pass out a bunch of goodies and to the kids anchored by giving a laptop to a special student chosen by one of the school’s teachers.

The next stop is May 29 at the new Del Sol High School.

Weather

Temperatures have been warming up across the county. We experienced a minor heat wave this week, and expect another one to begin next Friday. Inland parts of the counties will see temperatures in the 80’s while the coast will remain in the 70’s

Oxnard

Ventura

Camarillo

Thousand Oaks

Santa Paula

Simi Valley

Thank you for reading The Neighborly Wave. If you have any additional topics you’d like us to cover, please let us know. Feel free to share this email with a friend. Enjoy the holiday weekend. We’ll see you next week.