Oxnard, California

Oxnard is the largest city in Ventura County, California in terms of population. It is located in the heart of the fertile Oxnard Plain, and is one of the world's most important agricultural centers, with its distinction as the strawberry and lima bean capital. Founded in 1903, it is home to more than 200,000 citizens.

The city is home to two large U.S. Navy bases (Port Hueneme and Point Mugu). The Port of Hueneme is the busiest commercial port between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Oxnard is also a major transit hub in Southern California, with Amtrak, Union Pacific, Metrolink, Greyhound, Intercalifornias and many others stopping in Oxnard. Oxnard also has a regional airport called Oxnard Airport (OXR), but its only destination is Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). There are ongoing discussions regarding future plans to build a major airport in the region.

The city boasts of its weather, its beaches, its economy (home to several major companies), its ambience, its sense of community and the numerous opportunities it offers.

History

Before the arrival of Europeans, the area that is now Oxnard was inhabited by Chumash Indians. The first European to encounter the area was Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who claimed it for Spain in 1542. During the mission period, it was serviced by the Mission San Buenaventura, established in 1782.

Ranching began to take hold among Californio settlers, who lost their regional influence when California became a U.S. state in 1850. At about the same time, the area was settled by American famers, who cultivated barley and lima beans.

Henry Oxnard, who operated a successful sugar beet factory with his three brothers (Ben, James, and Robert) in Chino, California, was enticed to build a two-million dollar factory shortly after the 1897 beet campaign, a new town soon emerged. Given the growth of the town of Oxnard in the spring of 1898. A railroad station was built to service the plant, which attracted a population of opportunity-hungry Chinese, Japanese, and Mexican laborers and enough commerce to merit the designation of a town. Oxnard intended to name to settlement after the Greek word for "sugar", but, frustrated by bureaucracy, ultimately named it after himself.

Oxnard was incorporated as a California city on June 30,1903, and the public library was opened in 1907. Prior to, and during, World War II, the naval bases of Point Mugu and Port Hueneme were established in the area to take advantage of the only major navigable port on California's coast between the Port of San Diego and San Francisco Bay, and these encouraged the development of the defense-based aerospace and communications industries.

During the boom years of Southern California, a phenomenon known as "white flight" was commonplace, and Oxnard was no exception. With the rise of the local defense industry and other high tech and financial industries, the more educated, predominantly Caucasian and Asian-American "white-collar" working class moved from the older city core to the newer, more suburban neighborhoods either to the north, south, or west.

Subsequently, the less educated, predominantly Hispanic and African American "blue-collar" working class populated the more affordable areas in the city center, paticularly the La Colonia Barrio just east of Downtown Oxnard. The poverty and neglect in these neighborhoods gave rise to gangs such as the infamous "Colonia Chiques," and violence continues to this day over turf disputes between rival gangs.

In June 2004 the Oxnard Police Department and the Ventura County Sheriff imposed a gang injunction in over a 6.6 square-mile area of the city, in order to restrict gang activity. Some political activists lobbied against the injunction arguing that it amounted to racial discrimination, its provisions against the wearing of Dallas Cowboys attire was tantamount to "fashion policing", a violation of free expression, its provision against public assembly was unconstitutional, and that it was generally too broad to be effective.

However, some residents of Oxnard and Ventura County who had long been upset over criminal gang activity in their nieghborhoods supported the gang injunction. The injunction proved to be an effective tool against Oxnard's biggest and most dangerous gangs, and it was upheld in the Ventura County Superior Court, and was made permanent law in 2005.

Geography

Oxnard is located at (34.191292, -119.182497).According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 94.8 km² (36.6 mi²). 65.6 km² (25.3 mi²) of it is land and 29.2 km² (11.3 mi²) of it (30.83%) is water.

Oxnard is located in the center of the Oxnard Plain, an area rich in fertile crop soil as well as native plant species. With its beaches, dunes, wetlands, creeks and the Santa Clara River, the area contains a number of important biological communities. Native plant communities include: coastal sage scrub, California Annual Grassland, and Coastal Dune Scrub speices; however, most native plants have been eliminated from within the city limits to make way for agriculture and urban and industrial development. Also native to the region is the endangered Ventura Marsh Milkvetch, and the last self-sustaining population is in Oxnard in the center of a recently approved high-end housing development [edited by D. Magney 19 June 2006]. [1]

Geology

Like the rest of California, Oxnard is subject to earthquakes due to its location near the San Andreas Fault.

One active fault line that transverses through Oxnard is the Oak Ridge Fault, which straddles the Santa Clara River Valley westward from the Santa Susana Mountains, crosses the Oxnard Plain through Oxnard, and extends into the Santa Barbara Channel.

The fault has proven to be a significant contributor to seismic activity in the Oxnard region and beyond. The Northridge Earthquake, a devastating magnitude 6.7 tremblor that occurred on January 17, 1994, is believed to have occurred in the Santa Clarita extension of the Oak Ridge Fault. Landslides and ridge-top shattering resulting from the Northridge Earthquake were observed above Moorpark, a city just east of Oxnard. [2]

Economy

The economy of Oxnard is driven by international trade, agriculture, manufacturing, defense, and tourism. Oxnard is one of the key manufacturing centers in the Greater Los Angeles Area, which is the largest manufacturing center in the United States. The Port of Hueneme is the busiest commercial port between Los Angeles and San Francisco, and is vital to trade with the Pacific Rim economies. Other key industries include finance, transportation and the high tech industry.

Some of the major companies headquartered in Oxnard are Haas Automation, Vivitar, Seminis, Raypak, Drum Workshop, and Boss Audio. Proctor and Gamble and Sysco maintain their West Coast operations in Oxnard.

The Dallas Cowboys conduct their preseason training camp in Oxnard.

Neighborhoods

Map showing Oxnard Neighborhoods

Customized street sign in Oxnard. Such designs are for nearly every street sign in the city.

*Bartolo Square North
*Bartolo Square South
*Blackstock North
*Blackstock South
*Bryce Canyon North
*Bryce Canyon South
*Cabrillo
*Cal Giesler
*Carriage Square
*Channel Islands
*College Estates
*College Park
*Cypress
*Diamond Bar
*East Village
*El Eio
*El Rio West
*Five Points Northeast
*Fremont North
*Fremont South
*Golf Course
*Hill Street
*Hobson Park East
*Hobson Park West
*Hollywood Beach
*Hollywood-by-the-Sea
*Kamala Park
*La Colonia
*Lemonwood/Eastmont
*Mar Vista
*Marina West
*Nyeland Acres
*Orchard Park
*Ormond Beach
*Oxnard Dunes
*Oxnard Pacific
*Oxnard Shores
*Pleasant Valley Estates
*Pleasant Valley Village
*Rio Lindo
*River Ridge
*River Park (Formerly Town Center)
*Rose Park
*Sea View
*Sea View Estates
*Sierra Linda
*Silver Strand Beach
*South Bank
*Southwinds
*Strickland
*Teal Club
*Terrace Estates
*Via Marina
*Villa Capri
*West Village
*Wilson
*Windsor North

Beaches

The City of Oxnard is home to over 20 miles of scenic, relatively uncrowded coastline. The beaches in Oxnard and adjacent unincorporated communities are large and the sand is exceptionally soft. The sand dunes in Oxnard, which were once much more extensive, have been used to recreate Middle-Eastern desert dunes in many movies, the first being The Sheik with Rudolph Valentino. There are very few rocks or driftwood piles at most beaches, but Oxnard is known to have dangerous rip-currents at certain beaches. Oxnard is home to world-class surf, although its best surf is inaccessible to the general public because it breaks at the beach inside the Navy base at Point Mugu. Only those with access to the base can surf its fast-moving (and at times up to 15 foot) break. Silver Strand has excellent surf, but territorial locals tend to make outsiders feel unwelcome. This has been true since at least the late 1960s.

Beaches in or adjacent to Oxnard include: Mugu Rock State Beach, Ormond Beach, Hueneme Beach, Silver Strand, Hollywood Beach, Hollywood-By-the-Sea, Mandalay Beach, Oxnard State Beach, Oxnard Shores, 5th Street Beach, McGrath State Beach and Rivermouth Beach.

Port

Port Hueneme is the only deep water port between the Port of Long Beach and the Port of San Francisco, and the only military deep water port between San Diego Bay and Puget Sound. It is operated jointly by the United States Navy and the Oxnard Harbor District.The port is a shipping and receiving point for a wide variety of goods destined for the Los Angeles Basin, and beyond including automobiles, pineapples, and bananas. Agricultural products such as onions, strawberries, and flowers are shipped.

The United States Navy maintains a facility at Port Hueneme, in support of the naval air station at Point Mugu to the south, with which it comprises Naval Base Ventura County. Port Hueneme is the West Coast home of the Construction Battalion, the famous "Seabees," as well as a link in the coastal radar system.

Harbors

Oxnard is home to one harbor: Channel Islands Harbor, with Ventura Harbor located in adjacent San Buenaventura. Channel Islands Harbor is located on the south shore of Oxnard and is nicknamed the "Gateway to the Channel Islands" because of the high number of operations that sail to the islands out of the harbor. Both harbors are vital fishing industry harbors and the fish caught off the Oxnard coast is served in restaurants around the world. The Port of Hueneme, a deep-water sea port, is located immediately adjacent to the City of Oxnard, but in the City of Port Hueneme. About half of Port Hueneme is owned and operated by the Navy.

Agriculture

According to the Camarillo General Plan PDF: "The areas studied showed a high percentage of Group I soils, primarily located on the relatively flat Oxnard Plain. The Oxnard Plain, because of these high-quality agricultural soils, coupled with a favorable climate, is considered one of the most fertile areas in the world."

Oxnard has been known as the capital for several different crops over the years, including: sugar beets, lima beans, Stock (the cut flower), and strawberries. In the years of Oxnard's booming growth during the 70's and 80's, many farms and ranches were annexed for development, and many new development plans threatened much of the plain's farmland. In 1995, a grassroots effort known as SOAR (Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources) was initiated by farmers, ranchers and citizens of Ventura County in an effort to save the vast agricultural asset of the Oxnard Plain.

The Oxnard Plain is well-known for its strawberries. "Ventura County is California's largest strawberry producer, supplying about one-third of the State' annual strawberry volume." USDA strawberry PFD. (The state of California supplies over 85 percent of U.S. strawberries, with the U.S. supplying for a quarter of total world production of stawberries.) Oxnard is one of several cities (including Watsonville, California) that claim the title of "Strawberry Capital of the World".

Each year Oxnard boasts a giant strawberry festival during the summer at Oxnard College, featuring vendors as well as culinary delights centered around the fruit such as strawberry nachos, strawberry pizza, strawberry funnel cake, strawberry sundaes, and strawberry champagne.

Climate

The city is situated in a Mediterranean, or dry subtropical climate zone, experiencing mild winters that are warmer than average, and mild summers that are cooler than average. Onshore breezes keep the communities of Oxnard cooler in summer and warmer in winter than those further inland. The average mean temperature is 60 degrees. Average minimum temperature is 52.4 degrees and the average maximum temperature is 70 degrees. In the winter, rain is a possibility. Generally the weather is cool and dry in all seasons, with 354 days of sunshine a year.

Famous people from Oxnard

Political/Cultural

*Cesar Chavez: Farm worker, political activist and union leader, lived in the La Colonia Barrio of Oxnard during his childhood. Several streets and schools in the Oxnard area and surrounding areas bear his name.

Athletes

In alphabetical order by last name:
*Lorenzo Booker: Running back for the Florida State University Seminoles football team. He was born and raised in Oxnard, and graduated from St. Bonaventure High School in 2004. His senior year of high school he was voted as the Gatorade National High School Football Player of The Year, the highest honor given to a prep athlete.
*Keary Colbert: Wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League was born and raised in Oxnard and graduated from Hueneme High School in 2000. He attended the University of Southern California where he was a star receiver and a key contributor to 2 NCAA football national championships.
*Jacob Cruz: of the Cincinnati Reds graduated from Channel Islands High School.
*Tim Curran: Professional surfer; consistently ranked among the top 10 surfers in the WCT (World Championship Tour), won the Japan Open in 1999, one of surfing's biggest events. He was born in the San Fernando Valley, raised in Temecula and moved to Oxnard during high school where he resides today in the Silver Strand Beach neighborhood.
*Ken McMullen, former Major League Baseball third-baseman with the Los Angeles Dodgers was born in Oxnard.
*Victor Ortiz: A young professional boxer, originally from Garden City, Kansas, the 18-year-old Ortiz currently has ten wins and 6 knock-outs since turning pro in 2004. He trains at La Colonia Youth Boxing Club and graduated in June of 2005 from Pacifica High School. In 2004, Ortiz was the subject of a short documentary film called "VICTORY", that describes his rise from an unstable childhood to a successful pro boxer. The film can be seen here.
*Corey Pavin: Professional golfer; very successful career includes winning the 1995 U.S. Open. Pavin was born in Oxnard and attended UCLA until going pro in 1982.
*Terry Pendleton 1991 MVP of Major League Baseball graduated from Channel Islands High School.
*Blaine Saipaia of the St Louis Rams graduated from Channel Islands High School.
*Steve Trachsel of the New York Mets was born in Oxnard.
*Fernando Vargas: 2-time light-middleweight boxing Champion. Vargas was born in Oxnard's La Colonia Barrio, graduated from Channel Islands High School and trained at La Colonia Youth Boxing Club on 1st Street. His mother currently resides on Anchorage Street in South Oxnard.
*Dmitri Young of the Detroit Tigers graduated from Rio Mesa High School.
*Delmon Young of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, was the 1st pick overall in the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft.

Actors

*Walter Brennan died in Oxnard.
*The actor Lee Van Cleef died in Oxnard.
*The actor Jeffrey Combs was born in Oxnard.
*Brandon Cruz, child actor lived in Oxnard. He also fronts the punk band Dr. Know

Authors

*Carol A. Bidwell: Author of the 2002 book, "Oxnard, an Illustrated History of a Coastal Town (Hardcover)" ISBN 1886483590.
*Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez: creators of the Love and Rockets alternative comics series. The fictional city, Hoppers, or Huerta, in the comics is based on Oxnard.
*Gary L. McIntosh: Respected pastor and author with the Church Growth Institute. He is the author of the Practical Manual book series for pastors and church administrators.
*Michelle M. Serros: author of the 1998 short story and poetry collection "Chicana Falsa : And Other Stories of Death, Identity, & Oxnard" ISBN 1573226858 and the 2000 book "How To Be A Chicana Role Model" ISBN 1573228249

Entertainers

*Albert Ibarra: Co-founder of Mostyless Entertainment.
*Archie Sandoval co-founder of Mostyless Entertainment.
*DJ Babu: Filipino-American disc jockey for the Beat Junkies and Dilated Peoples.
*Elidet Reyes: Media critic and [3] contributing writer. Official website
*Madlib: California-based hip hop producer, rapper, and DJ. Noted for his work and collaborations in the indie hip-hop scene.

Music

*Many bands in the punk "Nardcore" music scene are from Oxnard, California, including Dr. Know, Aggression, Stalag 13, Scared Straight, Ill Repute, False Confession, Rat Pack, Retaliate, The Rotters, RKL, AFU, No Motiv, In Control, Missing 23rd, Heavy Artillery, Keep Fighting and Habeas Corpus.
*Jumpy Boy Records: Founded in 1998 by Albert Ibarra and Archie Sandoval.

Trivia

*The one episode Battletoads animated television program was set in Oxnard.
*The character Oxnard Montalvo in the Nickelodeon animated series The Angry Beavers is an homage to both Oxnard and Montalvo, a section of nearby Ventura.
*When former pro wrestler Jesse Ventura (real name James Janos), who took his stage name from a road atlas of California, became the governor of Minnesota, famous Minnesotan humorist Garrison Keillor wrote a satirical "mock biography" of Ventura, called Me, by Jimmy (Big Boy) Valente, using the name "Oxnard" as the surname of Ventura's doppelganger.
*Oxnard was once mentioned on the show Rocket Power.
*For many years, the Chamber of Commerce used the motto "Oxnard, more than just a pretty name" in their advertising.
*Johnny Carson used the interesting sound of the name "Oxnard" as a butt of many The Late Show jokes for years.
*Oxnard is the title setting of the Firesign Theatre's comic film The Yolks of Oxnard

Demographics

A May 1, 2005 California Department of Finance estimate shows the city's population at just over 200,000, with the Oxnard-Ventura Metropolitan Area at nearly half a million people. As of the census of 2000, there were 170,358 people, 43,576 households, and 34,947 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,598.8/km² (6,729.7/mi²). There were 45,166 housing units at an average density of 689.0/km² (1,784.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 42.08% White, 3.78% African American, 1.26% Native American, 7.39% Asian, 0.41% Pacific Islander, 40.36% from other races, and 4.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 66.22% of the population.

There were 43,576 households out of which 46.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.8% were non-families. 14.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.85 and the average family size was 4.16.

In the city the population was spread out with 31.8% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 104.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $48,603, and the median income for a family was $49,150. Males had a median income of $30,643 versus $25,381 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,288. About 11.4% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

External links

*City of Oxnard website
*Oxnard Library District
*Henry T. Oxnard Historical District
*Oxnard Dept of Tourism