Midtown Ventura homes a plethora of small businesses, including Timbre Books. With a welcoming environment, Timbre homes shelves upon shelves of books in any genre, small gifts and their own merchandise. Their employee recommendation section includes books from various authors and genres, displaying their diverse and extensive products.

As one of the oldest standing bookstores in Ventura, Calico Cat Bookshop is a defining feature of downtown. As a very local-centric store, Calico Cat holds postcards from around the area, vintage California posters and books by local authors.

Smitten is one of the newest bookstores in Ventura, and has had a welcoming introduction to the area. The store mainly houses the romance genre, ranging from beach read romance to dark romance. Despite their emphasis on this ever growing genre, they continue to expand their other sections such as classics, children’s and poetry.

Abendnego Book Shoppe is another one of Ventura’s oldest bookstores. Similar to Calico Cat Bookshop, the store holds thousands of books, with hidden gems in every corner.

Looking for a novel to cozy up with? Or maybe a quick beach read for the summer? Before looking towards a corporation or online site, check out these local independent bookstores of Ventura, Calif.

On March 7, 2025 excitement erupted at Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) as students faced off in an intense four way match of table tennis at the Renaissance Rally. This rally is designed to reward students with their academic achievement so far in the school year. Enzo Rivera ’27 slashes the ball to his opponent hoping for a miss to give him an advantage to victory.

Foothill Tech’s Associated Student Body (ASB) provided students with different variety of donuts from Krispy Kreme. Jack Merrit ’25 surprises his peers with strawberry sprinkled donuts. The rally packed with games, music, and food highlighted moments of fun among the community of Foothill Tech.

In the back of the campus of Foothill Tech is a photo booth van that allowed students to showcase their smiles and excitement during this event. A big line had piled up right away wanting to capture photos and memories that will be with these students throughout their journey in high schoo.

On the sunny afternoon of March 7, 2025, students took turns competing to see who could sink the first basket on the inflatable basketball court during Foothill Technology High School’s (Foothill Tech) final Renaissance Rally. With a Spirit Week helping students get in-theme for the Rally, the events and festivities are designed to reward students with their academic achievement so far in the school year. This energetic match up drew a crowd of people cheering for both individuals and became a standout moment for Foothill Tech’s organized event.

Students are required to have their passes visible for on-campus monitors. This is to ensure that the out of class time is being used responsibly. These passes create an uproar of controversy throughout the whole school. Students express feelings of anger and annoyance, whereas many teachers feel the opposite.

New out of class passes have been introduced to students of Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech). This new system enforces how students spend time out side of the classroom during class time. The two different types of passes are the restroom pass and the office pass. Each pass has a time limit and requires teacher signature to allow a student to use the pass.

On March 4, 2025, Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) boys’ baseball faced off against San Marino High School (San Marino). Robert Juker ’26 (number 16) grips his bat in hopes of scoring for his team and getting ahead.

Shane White ’26 (number 10) had a RBI hit, scoring for the team. As he walks back, he is surrounded with loud cheering and congratulated by all his teammates. Ultimately, this play assisted his team to get ahead in this match.

Cain Ebrahim ’28 (number 3), the starting pitcher who scored two RBI hits and the highlight of the match gears up to throw a pitch.

Containing a long history of immigration, California has become known as a popular state for immigrants of all ethnicities and cultures due to its widespread protections and programs available for their benefit. Ventura itself has a diverse background with its population, with many finding success in their journeys with the opportunities presented within the city. Despite the complex system in place for immigrants seeking to enter the United States, many persevere in search of a better life or greater opportunities they may not have had before in their home country. Immigrants also contribute to the culture of the state and city in a variety of ways, overall benefiting everyone involved.

As one-time funds that supported Ventura Unified School District’s budget deplete, the district announced the imminent implementation of budget cuts. Staff and faculty alike remain unsure as to what the future holds.

On Sunday, March 2, 2025, thousands assembled at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Calif. to witness the 97th presentation of the Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, to the best movie actors, directors, producers, writers and technicians of the preceding year. Millions more tuned in on their televisions to snatch a glimpse of Hollywood’s legendary glamour, in addition to the flashy red carpet looks of hundreds of celebrities. Broadly considered the most prestigious honors in the film industry, the Oscars are bestowed annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to recognize outstanding achievements in cinema.

On March 1, 2025, Foothill Technology Highschool (Foothill Tech) faced off versus Saint Monica Preparatory (St. Monica) in their first home game of the season. Shane White grips (number 10) his bat and digs into the left batters box in hopes of getting on base and extending their lead. After a strong game, the Dragons swept the competition 4-0.