Bakersfield Magazine • 30-3 • Sizzlin' Singles/Dream Homes

Annual Dream Homes Issue VOL. 30 NO. 3

Home Connoisseur Feature Section

YOUR CITY. YOUR LIFE. YOUR MAGAZINE.

singles issue

$

3.95

www.BakersfieldMagazine.net

La Rosa Fruit Bar Recipe pg. 120

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If you appreciate your car, you’ll appreciate our work.

Carriage Masters is one of the largest independently owned collision repair facilities in the nation. Situated on approximately 4 acres & encompassing over 40,000 sq. ft. of repair area including a separate alignment and suspension shop. We have 16 offices in our front building and we reserve a number of those for visiting insurance estimators. We also house a large Enterprise Rent-A-Car office. Our employees strive to provide the highest quality collision repair and customer service available, and take pride in our turnaround times. Red Harden, owner/operator of Carriage Masters, boasts of having served our community for 40 years.

Our Mission: To return all vehicles to pre-accident condition while treating each customer as we, personally, would like to be treated.

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El Toro Viejo Rd.

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8 Bakersfield Magazine

Visit us online! carriagemasters.com

Rosedale Hwy.

George M. Wahba, M.D. Harvard-Trained Spine Surgeon Specialized in Cervical, Thoracic, and Lumbar Spine Surgery Spinal Stenosis, Disc Herniations, Sciatica/Leg Pain/Arm Pain, Spinal Deformity/Scoliosis, Spinal Trauma, Spinal Tumors, Revision Surgeries

Dr. Wahba is locally-based in Bakersfield, and he is excited to be providing world-class care to Kern County and surrounding communities.

Complete Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Wahba obtained his undergraduate degree at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and graduated Summa Cum Laude with College Honors. He earned his medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, which is consistently ranked as one of the top medical schools in the country.

Dr. Wahba graduated from UCSF at the top of his class, as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honors

Society. He completed a 5-year residency in Orthopedic Surgery at the University of California, Irvine (UCI).

At that point, Dr. Wahba decided to expand his expertise by completing a prestigious fellowship in Spine Surgery from Harvard Medical School. During that time, he trained at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston, two of the most renowned medical centers in the world.

Mercy Orthopedic, Spine, & Hand Center

Mercy Hospitals of Bakersfield – Southwest Campus 400 Old River Rd. Bakersfield, CA 93311

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Vol. 30 No. 3 • DREAM HOMES 2013

Happy Hour 11am-7pm Daily Hand-crafted Signature Cocktails

35

Departments Editor’s Letter

Priceless Memories..............17 Kern Facts

Our Town at a Glance.......19

125

Citizen Kern

Meet Chuck Barbee...........35 Human Resources

Working Through Conflict..36 Risktakers

Thrill Ride..........................37 Gardening With Mrs. P

What’s Buggin’ You?..........69 Great Getaways

Spirit of the Old West........115 Bottoms Up

Serve it On the Rocks.......119

Quick Bites

Cool & Creamy Treats....120

New Bar Menu with selections ready in just 5, 10, or 20 Minutes!

5

What’s Cookin’

With a Side of Charity.....121

Instant gratification, delicious, satisfying

10

Life is a Cabernet

Cakebread is Perfection...123

At your leisure, fast, & fashionable

20 Innovative, Hand-crafted, Fulfilling

Entertaining the Bakersfield Way

Unleash the Sweetness….125

Bakersfield Marriott

Farmer’s Wife Recipe

Flavors of Kern................130

When only the best will do!

661-565-9319 801 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield, CA bakersfieldmarriott.com 10 Bakersfield Magazine

123

In & Around B•Town

Party Time........................142 Bakersfield’s Sound

Take the Plunge................146

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Celebrating Our 40 th Year!

W

e take this opportunity to thank our thousands of loyal customers for their trust over these decades.

Quality flooring and window products combined with very personal service and top flight installation are the hallmarks of our store.

We will continue to provide excellent value offering products that have proven performance, like Stainmaster carpet, Karndean luxury design flooring, and Armstrong vinyl and wood.

Our carpet and rug offerings come from America’s best manufacturers including Camelot, Royalty, Shaw, Mohawk, Dixie Home, Beaulieu, and Millikan in a variety of price ranges.

Designer Robert Luke (ASID) has assisted our customers for 23 years.

Vol. 30 No. 3 • DREAM HOMES 2013

43 Features Burro Schmidt

Call it Determination.........41 20 Ways to Keep Your Cool

End of Summer Fun...........43 Sizzlin’ Singles

What’ll They Say Next?....49

Always in Style...................59

71

Mortgages you can live with

Meet Your Other Neighbors

Home Connoisseur

Light the Night

Dream Homes

It Starts Right Here............57 What’s Old is New

Which is Right For You?....63 Guide For Home Owners....71

Community Connection...133 A Worthy Walk.................135

Sam Stewart Owner

661-872-1021 5600 Auburn St.

www.abbeycarpet.com 12 Bakersfield Magazine

49

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTIONS

ONE MINUTE BUSINESS BRIEF

Curriculum Vitae......................40 DreamHomes Builders Profiles.........................65

The Dining Guide The Dining Guide...................127

MEDICAL PROFILES Medical Profiles......................132

community partners Community Partners..............133

Shoppers Bazaar......................138

everafters...

Weddings...............................140

October

2013

23rd Annual

Corporate Relocation Issue 14 Bakersfield Magazine

g in ER m B Co CTO 13 O 20

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remembering

Les & Donna Corum founders . visionaries . friends

Vol. 30 No. 3

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Publisher & Executive Editor Mike Corum Assistant Editor Anika Henrikson Garden Editor Lynn Pitts Wine & Food Editor Mike Stepanovich Creative Director Chuck Barnes Graphic Artist Laura Turner Systems/Production Ryan Turner Sales & Marketing Lisa Corum, Brittnee Walters Lisa Villegas Wilson Photography/Editorial Assistant Isabel Alvarez Photography/Parties Tara Ralston, Rob Perez Staff Writer Maryann Kopp Contributing Writers Tracie Grimes David Nigel Lloyd Francis Mayer, Robin Paggi Donna McCrohan Rosenthal Eman Shurbaji, Yana Todorova Accounting/Human Resources Melissa Galvan Distribution/Circulation Brigit Ayers Cover Photo Isabel Alvarez Bakersfield Magazine, Inc. 1601 New Stine Road, Suite 200 Bakersfield, CA 93309 Office (661) 834-4126 Fax (661) 834-5495 marketing@bakersfieldmagazine.net www.bakersfieldmagazine.net Bakersfield Magazine is published bi-monthly by Bakersfield Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. ©Copyright 2013 by Bakersfield Magazine, Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher of Bakersfield Magazine is strictly prohibited.

Bakersfield Magazine, Inc. is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, artwork or photographs, even if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. The opinions expressed in Bakersfield Magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of Bakersfield Magazine management or owner. Bakersfield Magazine, Inc. assumes no responsibility or liability for claims made by advertisers.

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Dream Homes 2013

Secure PayPal Gift Subscriptions BakersfieldMagazine.net

Letter from the Editor

People let me tell you ‘bout my best friend...

Growing up in the ‘60s and ‘70s, one of my most vivid memories is of the TV show The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, although I don't really remember any of the particular episodes per se—I mean, I was like six or seven—but it's that opening sequence and theme song that is always popping in my head and leaving me with a warm feeling inside. Driving down the street— “pop.” On the phone—“pop.” Awaken in the middle of the night—“pop, pop”...

A few years ago it occurred to me that the song reminds me of my dad.

He’s always had my back (like the time he took on a motorcycle gang because they were harassing me or almost got arrested on my behalf over a pizza). He always supported my whims (by being the chief “backer-upper” for my short racing stint driving a dragster or hauling equipment around for my various bands before any of us had a license). He’s always been my biggest fan (by cheering the loudest at almost every show my band played and the way he “bragged” to others of my accomplishments no matter how trivial). He always fostered my creativity (by allowing me to work on real projects for the magazine before I had developed any skills or talent).

He always encouraged me when the chips were down (like reminding me the glass is always half full). He always surprised me (like the time he told me he wrecked my car, only to find out he had hid it at a relative’s house and spent the next two weeks doing custom paint work on it at night for my Christmas gift). He always believed in me (by allowing me to direct the magazine over these past four years, with less and less input). He was always teaching me (either through his own achievements...or his few failings). I could go on and on, but suffice it to say, he never let me down and he loved me...this I know.

For those that do not know, my dad, cofounder and publisher of this magazine, passed away a few weeks ago.

Les was the “creative” part of my parents’ partnership and his mind was always working. There was never a day that went by that he didn't embrace life at full throttle...his passion and enthusiasm were contagious and even outrageous at times, and he’d never give up, even when

Les Corum with one of his many "loves."

he was down and should have been out.

He loved his family beyond compare and this city and the magazine just as much.

He did whatever it took to accomplish his goals, including the ones he should have walked away from. He was generous to a fault, being a fixer by nature, and he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, and did so often, much to people’s chagrin (including mine)...but he told it like it was, as he was never one to sugarcoat.

This being our Sizzlin’ Singles issue, it’s only fitting that it’s dedicated to Les. It was always one of his favorite annual issues because of our association with the Boots and Bachelors Auction, an exciting event that benefits the Bakersfield Homeless Center. Out of all the events he’s ever attended, Boots and Bachelors was always on his “must-do” list, and he made it a point to attend, including last year’s (in true Les fashion he remarked with a laugh, “I can’t believe how crazy those women get!”).

Needless to say, he always had a blast. This year’s singles can be found on page 49.

As part of our Dream Homes section (pg.

57) we’re also very proud to unveil our new Home Connoisseur feature (pg. 71), A Guide to Home Ownership, filled with useful information regardless of whether you’re a current home owner or plan to become one.

We’re all going to miss Les deeply, especially me. Thank goodness I’ll always have that song “pop” in my head from time to time to spark some priceless memories...

Enjoy!

Mike Corum comments@bakersfieldmagazine.net

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Kern Facts

People • Places • Events

She’s the assistant to Kern County Supervisor Zack Scrivner and he’s a retired E.R. doc! This longtime couple always finds a way to stay young.

HIS

& Hers

Be honest—what was the first thing you thought when you met your future spouse for the first time?

Treva: I thought he had a great sense of humor and I like people who make me smile. I was the Medical Records Supervisor and he was a doctor on staff and when I would come back into my office he had drawn “Kilroy Was Here” cartoons on my desk pad.

Jim: I walked into Medical Records and she was bent over filing in the bottom drawer…wow. No, it was her honesty, practicality, and compassion (but beware of her off-the-wall, weird sense of humor).

in step with:

Jim (Doc E) & Treva Elliott while on safari, and the Swahili natives baked me a birthday cake.

Jim: She had a surprise birthday party for me on my 80th and invited many friends from the past that I hadn’t seen in years, including my WWII buddy who came out from Kansas. Also many of my co-workers from the 20-plus years spent working in the E.R. at Memorial.

What is your spouse’s biggest phobia?

Treva: He is very claustrophobic. It dates back to when he was overseas during WWII. Jim: An empty pantry! When she was growing up as a child, there were many missed meals and no way is the pantry going to be any way but loaded.

What is the craziest thing your spouse has ever done for you?

Treva: Well, he took me to South Africa for my 40th birthday and we celebrated it at Mala Mala

What is your spouse most passionate about?

Treva: His hobbies and he has many. They include trains and planes, history and drawing, woodworking and amateur inventing. When he ©istockphoto.com/johan63

What is the funniest thing that happened while you two were dating?

Treva: Maybe when he asked me to lunch and I finally said yes and he drove me to the airport.

We got on his plane and had lunch in Fresno at a restaurant there.

Jim: We went out to dinner to celebrate a friend’s birthday, and our six friends decided we should go get married, so within the hour we all took off for Tahoe and we were married the next day.

Who’s the first one to admit when they’re wrong?

Treva: He is. Obviously, I’m always right. Actually, he is a very wise man and knows how to keep the peace and have a very long married life.

Jim: Me. When the queen is happy, the kingdom is happy.

was younger, the list was even longer. He actually built the airplane himself and designs and builds train layouts, and we traveled and retraced the paths of the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. Oh yeah, he’s passionate!

Jim: Everything has to be in its place, and also very clean immediately.

What’s your favorite thing to do in Bakersfield?

Treva: At this point in our lives, it’s eating out. We enjoy trying out the many restaurants, but there are so many new ones, we can’t seem to get to all of them.

Jim: We like to venture out and eat at new places.

Three times a week, I join my model railroad club buddies and we try different places for lunch.

What is your least favorite thing about your spouse and most favorite thing?

Treva: Too many hobbies and the space it takes and the clutter it makes. When you have so many, some never get finished. My favorite thing is the fact that he supports me in everything I want to try, and loves me unconditionally, warts and all.

Jim: I can’t think of a single thing in that respect.

My favorite thing is that she’s the best thing that ever came into my life.

Jim took me to South Africa for my 40th birthday.

At Mala Mala, while on safari, the Swahili natives baked me a birthday cake! www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 19

Photo by Chris LeDoux

Kern Facts

Dogs • Cats • Rabbits Small Farm Animals • Equine Bovine • Goats • Sheep In-House Lab work • Digital Radiographs Ultrasounds • Orthopedic Surgeries Dr. Thomas Willis is a licensed veterinarian, treating all types of pets and animals. Your pet’s health and well being is very important to us and we will take every step to give your pet the best possible care.

At San Joaquin Veterinary Hospital, We treat your pets like the valued family members they are.

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F

or one weekend out of the year, far from any civilized site, 20 acres of the Mojave Desert is transformed into a post-apocalyptic world (a la Mad Max)! Dubbed The Party At The End Of The World, Wasteland Weekend is the spot to enjoy some utterly unique “Mad Max Mayhem in the So Cal Desert.”

Live music, DJs, games, countless activities, and fire spinners are there to light up the dark nights and entertain the

place in California City from Sept. 26-29) began on a much smaller scale, when a handful of fans of the Mad Max films gathered together to live life as close to the movies as is reasonable. “Wasteland Weekend looks like an outpost in the middle of a vast, desolate desert—a compound filled with Mad Max-style vehicles, improvised dwellings and structures, and survivors wearing pieced-together garb,” Bartozynski continued. “It’s a

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weary survivors. The experience is completely immersive, so everyone who attends must be in their finest end-of-days attire. “It’s a post-apocalyptic party atmosphere that will make you wonder if the real world even still exists. For a few days, anyway,” said founder Karol Bartozynski. “It is a four-day...festival in the desert, just an hour and a half east of Bakersfield. The festival is like a giant theme party, or even a post-apocalyptic Renaissance Faire. It’s an eighteen-and-over event. Camping is encouraged.”

According to Bartozynski, the event (which will take 20 Bakersfield Magazine

place for warriors, scavengers, and all stratas of society.”

However, don’t think that the atmosphere is at all hostile. Check out BarterTown and buy (or barter/trade) necessary items or take in a cool drink at the Atomic Cafe, the community bar. More information—including camping and extremely necessary information regarding food, drinks, and gear to help keep you protected in the harsh environment—can all be found at wastelandweekend.com. It’s bound to be a party fitting for the end of the world!

In & Around B•Town

And the winner is...

YOU! Well, it’s actually these fine people.

But you could be our next big winner. After all, we’re always giving away tickets to great local events and gift cards to both restaurants and awesome Bakersfield shops. You just have to keep your eyes peeled for our frequent contests and maybe sign up for the A-List (that’ll increase your odds).

Visit bakersfieldmagazine.net to see more of our wonderful winners and then start picturing yourself amongst them!

Stuff We Like Leticia Pimentel Bling It On Boutique Alice Huang Miss Charlie’s Boutique

Erika Dewey Lil Rock Starz Boutique Where’s It At Michelle Gagner Russo’s Books

Pat Cervantes Henley’s Photo

Alice Huang Michelle Gagner

Pat Cervantes

Jared Salvo

Leticia Pimentel

DO, MS, FACC

Did You Know?

Cardiac Electrophysiology & Cardiology Fellow American College of Cardiology Board Certified in Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Board Certified in Cardiovascular Diseases Board Certified in Nuclear Cardiology Board Certified in Internal Medicine UCLA, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Trained ©istockphoto.com/matt benoit

Batter up! Just last year, the California Collegiate League got a new local team on its roster: the Bakersfield Sound. This not-for-profit summer baseball team was formed to not only prepare the best college ball players for professional baseball, but to give back to the community through developing mentoring relationships with organizations such as the Police Activities League, League of Dreams, and other local youth baseball organizations.

With games running into August, there’s plenty of reasons to root for the home team. Find out more at bakersfieldsoundbaseball.org.

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www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 21

Kern Facts

WINNING IS GOOD!

A

List extra

W

hen the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s...mmm, pizza. You’ve just discovered everyone’s favorite Kern Fact. Here is where we happily dole out a $100 gift card to a wonderful local restaurant (this time it’s Uricchio’s Trattoria) to the winner of our A-List Contest. Why? Maybe because we’ve lost our marbles. Or maybe it’s just because we value our readers and want to reward them whenever we can. So, if you’re an A-List member, scan through the random list of names below and see if you spot yours. If you do, email us at alist@ bakersfieldmagazine.net and let us know.

A name will be randomly selected for the prize.

Log on to bakersfieldmagazine.net and join today. It’s easy to do…and free!

Carrie Navarro

Nicole Medina

Heidi Carter

Daisy Gutierrez

Frank Domingo

Toni Quinonez

Dan Proffitt

Trisha Duncan

Antje Lauer

Leslie Walters

Martin Aguayo Mike Neimann

*Contest eligibility for A-List members who have not won in the last three months.

Where is this Tah-dah!

Here it is. This issue’s Pop Quiz photo.

Any guesses? Any ideas?

While we love it when you guys figure out where we take these photos, we also secretly love when we stump you—and we’re hoping we’ve stumped you again!

If you think you know where we took this photo, email us

by September 2 at comments@ bakersfieldmagazine.net and let us know. All correct answers received by that time will go into a random drawing. You could be the winner of a $30 gift card to Russo’s Books! Good luck!

22 Bakersfield Magazine

Last issue’s answer: The James Bond mural at Maya Cinemas

People • Places • Events

stuff

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Custom Framing, $125+ Ice House Framing & Gallery 1610 19th St. (661) 325-8008

Photography Portrait Session, $250 Valdophye Photography 1919 Chester Ave. (661) 327-2642

Spinal Decompression and Adjustment, $55 (special Bakersfield Magazine reader rate) Elite Chiropractic 2612 F St. (661) 873-4151

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 23

Residential & Commercial

Kern Facts What does Ronald Reagan’s final acting job before his foray into politics have to do with Death Valley?

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Death Valley Days

Well, quite a bit, actually! That is because he was the host of Death Valley Days—an anthology that went from radio to television and featured factual, albeit incredible, stories of the Old West—right up until he decided to take his act to a grander stage.

He wasn’t the only star who was a part of this great series. As it started on the radio and ran from 1930 to 1945 and then entertained and educated viewers via television between 1952 to 1970, there were many famous folks who contributed to the work. Merle Haggard was known to provide narration on occasion and Stanley Andrews, Dale Robertson, and Robert Taylor hosted the shows that ran the gamut of Old West topics, from gold mining to school teachers with pistols!

Sponsored by the Pacific Coast Borax Company, Death Valley Days has been hailed as one of the most successful Western programs that fit into a 30 minute slot, and all of these rip-roaring adventures took place in these parts. Considering its success, it’s hard not to tip your hat, raise your sarsaparilla, Google old episodes, and let out a hearty, “YEE HAW!”

Photos couertesy of Kern County museum

Visual History

K

ern County Museum is known for its impressive historical photo collection. And as Lori Wear, Christian the Museum’s Curator of Collections explained, many of and Eva the photographs were taken by one man.

Nelson “From 1889 to 1913, Christian Adolf Nelson worked as a professional photographer in Bakersfield,” Wear said.

Nelson was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, on January 4, 1847. “He was raised in the town of Odense, Denmark. After leaving school Nelson became a sailor on merchant ships in the Northern and Baltic seas. In 1866, at the age of nineteen, he migrated to California settling in San Francisco.”

He moved back to Europe for a short time and when he returned to California he brought with him his bride, Eva Juliane Florentine Hoyer. In 1884, Nelson switched careers and took up photography full time.

“The Nelsons arrived in Bakersfield in 1888,” Wear added. “Christian opened a photography studio on 19th Street between H and Eye streets. At the time, Bakersfield counted less than one thousand residents living within the developing city. Nelson documented the changing people and places of Kern County for nearly twenty-five years.” Those photos have been preserved so that future generations can get a little glimpse into our city’s rich past.

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~100 YEARS OF MAJOR MOVIES FROM CALIFORNIA~

his year Ridgecrest in east Kern County celebrates the Golden State’s long relationship with movies with a very special anniversary. Most cinema historians recognize The Squaw Man as the first feature-length film shot in Hollywood. Director Cecil B. DeMille discovered California for the screen when he left the East Coast, the original center of motion picture production, and headed west looking for stunning scenery 100 years ago.

He rented a barn on Vine and Selma streets and his cameras began to roll in December 2013.

The Ridgecrest area, which has appeared in movies such as Planet of the Apes and Jurassic Park, is marking this centennial with the fivepart Leonard B. Stern Classic Silents Series presented by the Historic Society of the Upper Mojave Desert (HSUMD) at the Historic USO Building, 230 West Ridgecrest Boulevard in Ridgecrest.

The HSUMD’s resident movie authority and program coordinator, Nick

By Donna McCrohan Rosenthal

Jean Laborde “Experience, Integrity, Professionalism”

Rogers, selected five representative silent movies that showcase the superstars of their era. The remaining films in the series will run every other Tuesday – August 6 and 20, and September 3 – beginning at 7 p.m.

The series is named in memory of a trailblazing pioneer of another of Hollywood’s phenomenally influential entertainment industries, television. The HSUMD also offers a Disney movie series this summer. For more information on both, call the Historic USO Building (760) 375-8456.

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www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 25

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Kern Facts

expressions

Local

People • Places • Events

By David Nigel Lloyd

Just east of Chester on Truxtun, the Betty Younger Sculpture Garden is one of Bakersfield’s little known art treasures.

M

y favorite piece there, “Moon Window,” is an approximately six foot by six foot dark metal structure through which is cut a large circle and in which hangs a translucent marbled piece of clear plexiglass: the Moon.

My cell phone rang. It was Younger herself, returning my call. “So, are you going to apply for the position?” she asked. The Executive Director of the Arts Council of Kern, Michael Millar, had just resigned amidst much publicized controversy. Betty Younger is understandably concerned. About 30 years ago, she was the ACK’s first Executive Director.

Only five years ago, I was its Assistant ED. Younger, however, knew why I was calling.

“I hate interviews,” she sighed as she invited me to her home for just that purpose. Not surprisingly, Betty and her husband, prominent attorney Milt Younger, live in a distinctly elegant modern house.

“I was a teacher at one time,” she began. Born to one of Bakersfield’s first families, the Hoenshells, she attended and taught at Bakersfield High. She did not discover the tireless arts advocate in herself, however, until the massive education cuts of the Reagan years. “We lost our teachers in art,” she said. “We lost everything.”

In addition to helping found the Arts Council of Kern, she helped the Bakersfield Museum of Art attain its national museum accreditation. Working with her husband, the Arts

Betty Younger Council, the Museum, Vision 2020, and others, Younger became a key player in the steady cleanup and beautification of Downtown Bakersfield and the Arts District. She is not resting.

Much more needs to be done.

“We need to improve the vision of Bakersfield and Kern County as an exciting place to live,” she said.

“Security and lighting are crucial issues. We need to clean up the corners.” She feels Bakersfield’s public transit hub in that area is a critical place to focus attention, as are some of the more neglected buildings, which have potential to become something more for the community.

“If we enrich downtown for tourists and property owners, it attracts families with children.” The future of our arts,

Younger has always insisted, lies in education. To ensure that the Arts Council of Kern had a leading role in restoring arts curriculum to Kern County schools, Younger herself welded an alliance between ACK and Dr. Kelly Blanton, then Kern County’s Superintendent of Schools.

“In a perfect world,” I asked, “what would you like to see in Kern County schools now?” “To see teachers educated in the arts,” she said at last. “To see more creativity and invention. I’d like to see kids get off their damn computers. I want their brains to develop.”

After her term as ED, Younger served the Arts Council as a

perpetual board member. With the loss of, among other things, its education budget in 2009, she has seen the ACK sink from a California Level 4 arts council (there is no level 5) to a council that seems to be barely treading water.

“But there is excitement from people who want to save the Arts Council,” she said carefully. “Things will definitely be improving.” She’s usually right about these things.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 27

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SmurfBerries

ere in Bakersfield, we don’t Smurf around— especially when it comes to our delicious produce. Neither does Gourmet Trading Company, whose blueberry farm in Bakersfield is not only participating in promoting The Smurfs 2 movie by adding some of the most beloved characters onto their packages of blueberries (deemed “Smurfberries”), but is also a part of the company’s sweepstakes!

One lucky winner will nab a trip for four to Hollywood, as well as the chance to scope out the farm.

But this isn’t their first trip to the Smurf village. “This is the second time that our farm, Gourmet Blueberry California, has been involved in the Smurfs promotion,” said Marketing Director Julia Inestroza, noting that they partnered up with Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Animation in 2011 for the first film release. The farm is 125 acres and grows both blueberries and superblues—a highly crunchy, large blueberry that is at least 19mm in diameter.

Partnering with Hollywood hotshots isn’t the only progressive thing the farm is involved in, though. “We are proud to announce that Gourmet Blueberry California has been certified pesticide residue free this season. This is just a stepping stone to more sustainable farm practices,” said Scott Hulsey, vice president of procurement and president of the farm, itself.

The promotion is slated to run all the way into September, though the film was released July 31. “This is one of our most popular promotions,” Inestroza revealed.

“When blueberries become Smurfberries, packaging becomes a collectible as consumers seek out a complete set.” So what are you waiting for? Go out and get your Smurfberries today or enter the contest at gourmettrading.net/smurfs2 and get your Smurf on!

T

photo courtesy of Gourmet Trading Company

H

It’s a 3-Peat!

o the victor go the spoils!

Bakersfield College’s Culinary program has once again bested the competition at this year’s Mammoth Food and Wine Festival and came out on top, claiming first place during the festival’s Grand Tasting event in which the guests’ palates decided the winner. BC’s team prepared a savory dish: Crab Cakes with Red Pepper Sauce and Roasted Corn Salad. The appetizer triumphed over the other culinary school teams, including three Le Cordon Bleu programs from California.

Congrats, BC! For more on BC’s Culinary program, pick up our June 2013 issue, which features a story on chef Suzanne Davis, who’s led her team to victory three years in a row!

Photo Courtesy Mammoth Lakes Foundation/Mammoth Food and Wine Festival

for over 33 years

©Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Animation

Kern Facts

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 29

Kern Facts

racing update:

Checkered Flag Finish

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Did You Know?

The year 1909 was a big one for air “travel” in our county. Not only did the first air flight in a balloon take place, but Professor Ted Richards performed the very first parachute jump.

©istockphoto.com/nicoolay

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t’s not every day that most people can say they’re proud of their racing pigeon.

Here at Bakersfield Magazine, we don’t have that problem! Our impressive speed demon made his mark during this year’s races. His final race spanned an astounding 375 miles, and out of 220 racers, he came in at number eight! “Our feathered friend finished this year as the best bird in our loft,” Tom Shelton, caretaker of MaggieZeen’s loft, reported. Let’s hear it for one of the best pigeons to ever grace the local racing scene! MaggieZeen, you keep on ruffling those feathers— because, simply put, we can’t all flock together.

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ruisin’ down a California highway at top speed was par for the course for America’s favorite “Rebel” James Dean. And as we all know, he met a tragic death just outside the Kern County border on September 30, 1955. But that last fateful day involved a number of stops in Kern, effectively establishing some local spots as the last places James Dean was seen alive almost sixty years ago.

To this day, “Deaners” and fans of Hollywood lore make the trek to the spot where Dean’s Spyder collided with another vehicle (at which a memorial rests) by way of Wheeler Ridge in Kern County. It was at Wheeler Ridge where Dean was pulled over and ticketed at 3:30 p.m. by a California Highway Patrolman, who later admitted that he wasn’t aware of just who he’d stopped until after Dean’s death was announced. The infamous speeding ticket is an ominous foreshadowing of what would be an untimely end for one of Hollywood’s biggest rising stars. Still, Dean continued to put the pedal to the metal that evening and, not wanting to have to slow his sleek speedster down through the streets of Bakersfield, he and his pals instead took Route 166, taking them through Blackwell’s Corner—the last known stop—where they parked at the general store for coffee and made plans to meet up for dinner. Sadly, Dean never arrived in Paso Robles, as was the plan, but his name and his short but impressive film career continue to attract people to this area of the country.

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www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 31

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6:45 a.m. (English) 8:30 a.m. (English) 10:30 a.m. (Family) 12:00 p.m. (High School) 5:00 p.m. (Spanish) 7:00 p.m. (English)

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Saturday: 8:00 a.m. (Honoring Mary)

5:00 p.m. (Vigil-English)

7:30 p.m. (Vietnamese) Sunday:

Number of country clubs in Bakersfield.

“Siding 18” was one of the original names for the town of Brown, established in 1909.

Percent Red Rock Canyon State Recreational Area increased in size in 1977.

Current members of Bakersfield’s Downtown Business Association.

Tons of asphaltum that Jewett & Blodget produced from the Sunset Oil District in 1892.

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Kern Facts

ho was deemed “a charitable and magnanimous person” and was thusly rewarded with an ounce of gold or the cash equivalent for having a heart of gold? That would be none other than local resident Ronald Bowman, whose commitment to sending calling cards and monthly care packages to military personnel made him the top contender in Gold Toe socks “Heart of Gold” promotion!

Bowen began his mission when he gave his son—a third generation Navy recruit—a phone card to call home with, and shortly thereafter he found a bunch of phone cards that were being thrown away.

“I asked if I could have them, and since no one uses them [the owners of the business] just gave them to me.” He has since provided countless people in the military with phone cards and care packages.

Thrilled to have won the award, Bowen intimated that he spent the money on providing more items for our bravest men and women.

Skilled Hands

Imagine this: a woodshop, in the heart of

downtown, with a hard-working carpenter, kneeling over, pounding, smoothing wood to perfection.

Made in Kern County with Love

T

he shop smells just like pine trees—as the wood is so fresh its smell perfumes the air.

With the advent of a fastpaced lifestyle, it’s no wonder many people are looking at the past for inspiration. And in this case, it’s purchasing custommade caskets.

“Farmers’ markets are getting more popular, and it seems like people are just heading more in that direction,” said Douglas Rea. This old-fashioned thinking is exactly how Rea serves his customers, but not by selling organic, hand-picked fruits and vegetables, but by creating organic, handmade caskets.

“There’s a small niche community that loves wood-style caskets, looking at the products, and to feel them being made,” said Rea. Rea’s shop, 18th Street Carpentry, which he operates with his wife Andrea Rea, is the only one of its kind in Bakersfield, and one of two in the entire state.

“People typically go to a mortician and pick out a casket,” said Rea. So, the vast majority of those selecting caskets for their loved

ones are buying ready-made caskets, and have select styles to choose from.

But Rea’s business gives people options. It rids them of having to go through a middleman who buys caskets at a wholesale price and it gives them a natural, real experience. Loved ones can even pass by the shop and look through windows to see Rea at work, piecing together and sculpting wood with his bare hands.

Hammering away, paying attention to detail, all in honor of the one who passed.

Yet before the laboring takes place, the wood has to be picked out. The Reas procure their wood from Diamond Hardwood, a distributor located in both Bakersfield and Fresno.

Diamond Hardwood buys the wood from a renewable, sustainable yard in Oregon.

Rea hand picks the wood panels for grain and quality.

Knotty Pine, the type usually used, has a slightly larger grain pattern than other woods. It is a yellowish hue and has dark brown knots, a big ring pattern, and smells just like (surprise!)

Pine-Sol. Customers pick their model, and sometimes size, but standard size for adults and children are the norm. And then come the details, like upholstery and color.

Rea cuts the wood to size, sands, washes, and adds detail work to the wood based on request. It’s obviously a hands-on process and one that Rea enjoys.

“We can customize the upholstery, and we provide thirty options for customizing the in-

By Eman Shurbaji

Casket Woodsmith

Douglas Rea side,” said Rea. “For the exterior, you can choose any paint or staining color, and there are thousands to choose from.”

Then a finishing coat is applied to the casket, with customers choosing from a satin, semi-gloss, or gloss finish.

Rea explained that, interestingly, the “vampire casket” is a popular choice, with a black

open since April, demands for these hand-made caskets have come from as far away as Salinas and Clovis. By and large, customers come from Kern County, and with just a two-day turnaround, the casket is delivered directly to the respective mortician. But it keeps the Reas busy day after day.

“It’s a tangible, real experi-

People are looking for that rare, organic experience in most aspects of their life and they can find it right here in Kern County during a time when the personal touches and hand made craftsmanship mean a lot. exterior and a red velvet interior. Another favorite is the “raw wood pine” look with a camouflage interior. Makes sense in our area, though.

For Rea, providing customizable options puts an artistic and personal touch to the endof-life process and it provides a much-needed service to people when they need it most. Only

ence,” said Rea, explaining why he thinks hand made caskets are attracting more attention. People are looking for that rare, organic experience in most aspects of their life and they can find it right here in Kern County during a time when the personal touches and hand made craftsmanship mean a lot.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 33

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This issue is filled with pro-business features on what our city has to offer newcomers, as well as stories that might surprise those who have already planted roots in our community.

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!

CITIZEN KERN

His Heroes: Lee Mendelson (aka the producer for the Peanuts cartoons) was a mentor and someone who Barbee greatly admired for his abilities as a producer.

Not only that, but, thanks to Mendelson, Barbee’s son, Todd, was the third actor that ever played the voice for Charlie Brown. He also filmed specials for CBS, ABC, and NBC while working for Mendelson.

Charles

meet

His favorite part of the industry: Though he has played a number of roles behind the scenes in Hollywood, Barbee’s favorite part is cinematography, something that he was a natural at. “I love how being creative and expressive is a key part in film making, regardless of what it is...You’re hired based on your level of skill, and you’re responsible for the photographic look of the film.” Considering he was the director of photography for the comedy series Night Court, this comes as no surprise!

‘‘

Barbee I love how being creative and expressive is a key part in film making, regardless of what it is.

Career Highlights: After being out of college for only about two years, Barbee won the Peabody Award for the hit children’s series, Hot Dog. And being hired on to do the special effects cinematography for the original Star Trek movie wasn’t so bad, either!

‘‘

How he got started: Surprisingly, Barbee didn’t always have the bright lights of Hollywood in his eyes. “I graduated from Kern Valley High in 1959 and went to BC as an architect engineering major. Within a year, I got a job as a prop man at Channel 17, and that changed my life.” After seeing the cameras and studio, he was hooked. When he found out he could major in film, he did just that at San Francisco State, and “hit the ground running” immediately after graduating.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KGET (17 logo); NBC (Night Court); AnimationMagazine.net (Mendelson); Paramount (Star Trek); Charles Barbee (Wild West)

Name: Charles Barbee Age: 71 Birthplace: Alexandria, VA Occupation: Cinematographer/director

What he’d still like to accomplish: While he has enjoyed a long and successful career, Barbee still has work to do, like finishing his documentary series about our own Kern County which is titled Wild West Country and should be complete in about two to three years.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 35

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Such a conversation might “To be human is to expesound something like this: “I’d rience conflict,” said Robert like to talk to you about our Bolton in his book People meeting yesterday. It seemed Skills. Why do we conflict like you criticized me for not with others? According to checking with you before psychologists Art Bell and making a purchase. Yet, last Brett Hart, there are eight week I thought you said that I common causes of conflicts didn’t need to do that. I need for those of us who work insome clarification so I am docluding: ing what you want me to do.”

Resources. You schedule the Granted, initiating a conconference room for a meetversation like this is extremeing and, upon arrival, discovBy Robin Paggi ly difficult for some people to er that a co-worker is having do. However, as Bakersfield native Patrick his own meeting there.

Work Styles. You like to listen to the radio Lencioni said in his book The Five Dysfuncwhile your office mate needs absolute quiet tions of a Team, people who avoid conflict “actually doom themselves to revisiting isto work.

Perceptions. You and a co-worker have sues again and again without resolution.”

And, if you’re in a supervisory position, different understandings of a situation and you definitely can’t ignore conflict. Said you both know that you’re right.

Goals. One of your supervisors tells you Mike Myatt in his article “5 Keys of Dealthat speed is more important than anything ing with Workplace Conflict,” “Leaders else while another tells you that quality is who don’t deal with conflict will eventually watch their good talent walk out the door in most important.

Pressures. One of your supervisors tells search of a healthier and safer work enviyou that his assignment must be your first ronment.” Because most people do a lousy priority while another tells you the same job of handling their own conflicts, supervithing (similar to conflict goals, except with sors often must do the job for them. Here’s how to do so according to business profesa time crunch).

Roles. You’re given an assignment that sors and textbook authors David Whetten ventures into a co-worker’s “territory” and Kim Cameron: or that you feel should be given to some- • Select the most appropriate setting for the meeting. one else.

Personal Values. You’re given an assignment • Set ground rules (only one person talks at a time, etc.). that you’re not comfortable with ethically.

Changing Policies/Procedures. You’re • Gather information on the participants’ told to do something one way, and then told perceptions of the problem causing the conflict. to do it another way.

• Maintain a neutral position.

All of the above conflicts can be resolved, • Have the participants agree on the or at least addressed, through a little com- problem. munication. However, most people tend to • Help the participants brainstorm possible avoid conversations about these issues like solutions. the plague. Instead of avoidance, Bolton • Ensure the participants make a plan to resolve the conflict. suggests doing the following: • Treat the other person with respect by • Check back about a week later to ensure recognizing that he believes what he is say- the conflict has been resolved.

Conflicts aren’t fun but they don’t need to ing is true, you believe what you’re saying is true, and you each have the right to your be detrimental to our happiness. As conflict resolution author Tom Crum said, “The own interpretation.

• Listen until you “experience” the other quality of our lives depends not on whether side by trying to understand the content of or not we have conflicts, but on how we the message and the meaning it has for that respond to them.” person.

• State your own views, needs, and feel- Robin Paggi is the Training Coordinator at ings in a way that is genuine but not con- Worklogic HR Legal Solutions and can be reached at rpaggi@worklogiclegal.com or (661) 695-5168. frontational.

RISKTAKERS

By Tracie Grimes

‘‘ I sold

everything,

my house, my car– to come up with the money to buy the company.

But I’d always had an entrepreneurial spirit and when the opportunity to buy the company came up...

I decided it was time to take the risk.”

B –Ron Lallo

akersfield-based Gazelle Transportation has had a real ride over the past 20 years as they’ve blended new processes with a focus on safety to become one of the 2012 Fortune 5000’s fastest growing businesses in America.

Established in January of 1993, Gazelle Transportation has a growing fleet and is able to maintain multiple terminals located among most oil and gas producing regions throughout the nation. From the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico and all the way up to the Rocky Mountains, Gazelle has become a leader in the logistics industry by providing transportation needs for leading oil and gas companies.

“It’s our strong commitment to safe, reliable, competitivelypriced services that’s helping us turn in to a real power house in logistics,” says President Ron Lallo, as he proudly reflects on the company’s 113 percent growth rate over the past two years. “We think we have something pretty special here and want to lead the industry by proving that we are a world-class operation when it comes to the delivery of oil and gas.”

It’s been a long haul to get to where they are now, Lallo said as he looks back on the past 20 years. A diesel mechanic by trade, Lallo remembers the day he came up from underneath a truck, traded his coveralls for pants and a button-down shirt, and started spending his days behind a desk.

“I checked out on Friday, took off my coveralls, went to the mall and bought two pairs of Dockers and a button down shirt, and then

came to work on Monday to start in my new role as owner. It was a scary time; I had taken a huge risk by putting literally everything I had—meaning I sold everything, my house, my car—to come up with the money to buy the company. But I’d always had an entrepreneurial spirit and when the opportunity to buy the company came up in 2004, I decided it was time to take the risk.”

Although it was a big financial risk, taking over wasn’t exactly a road Lallo had never traveled. The mechanic-turned-entrepreneur had a chance to get his feet wet as general manager. “I had a good understanding of the ins and outs of how to manage employees and develop strong relationships with clients.”

Though he had to bootstrap his way into buying the company, Lallo’s risk paid off; Gazelle Transportation began its steady growth. It wasn’t long before the company that had only 30 employees grew to the 400 staff members Lallo projects Gazelle will have by the end of the year.

“The way I look at it, running a business is kind of like a marriage,” he smiled. “You have an obligation to make it work. And it can be very stressful at times. I remember one stressful time in particular. Shortly after I took over, our largest customer’s refinery exploded. That was a terrible time.”

Developing a successful, growing business depends on teamwork, Lallo says, adding that one of the biggest lessons he’s learned is to let go and delegate. “Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night all stressed-out because I want to do it all. I’ve learned to realize that what we’re building here requires teamwork. >> www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 37

Risktakers­

We are a process-driven company which means we can’t afford to rely on just one person.”

Hiring talented people who are willing to extend themselves beyond just the knowledge they need to do the job they were hired to do is what is necessary to make Gazelle successful. Gazelle’s talented employees are what fuel the company’s fast-paced growth, Lallo said, attributing the company’s accomplishments to the fact that everybody’s values and determination are in sync and in the right place.

“It’s so easy for people to develop knowledge of the job that’s right in front of them, but what we need is talented people who can think for themselves and work together to make our company the best it can be.”

“Aiming for perfection” is a common catchphrase around the water cooler at Gazelle, with management and employees working together to put their best foot forward.

“We strive for perfection in everything from how our trucks look to what kind of environment we create. A world-class operation should look like one and act like one because that’s what our customers have come to expect,” Lallo added, ticking off a few names from Gazelle’s client list like Shell, Chevron, and Plains All American.

But it’s not just about clean trucks and a great working environment, he stressed.

“Our clients expect the best quality and we deliver by making our commitment to safety paramount. We don’t just talk about it—we practice it. Our drivers are highly trained and experts in the field. You name a logistics safety product and we have it.

What we are handling is very volatile and we see safety as a huge responsibility to the public. Every decision we make is based on safety, and we always ask the question, ‘is this going to protect human life?’ ” Gazelle is at the forefront when it comes to equipping its fleet with the latest in safety technology, and the company is even working on their own in-house, proprietary logistics systems. And, as a former mechanic, Lallo is acutely aware of the importance of keeping the company’s rigs road-worthy and technologically up to date.

“We were the first tanker company to use fully electronic and automated logs. By keeping an electronic log, we cut down on the number one safety hazard in our business: driver fatigue. And since our drivers are traveling over unpredictable terrain in 38 Bakersfield Magazine

unpredictable weather conditions like snow storms, sub-zero weather, and extreme heat (especially through the Rocky Mountain and South Texas areas) we’ve outfitted our rigs with stability enhancement systems.

This is the kind of technology that truly makes us a more disciplined and safetyfocused company.”

Giving drivers the tools they need to deliver their payloads safely and efficiently goes a long way in building solid relationships with Gazelle’s clients. “It’s our goal to be the transportation arm for our clients and

encourage people to go into the field.”

Though Lallo believes the driver shortage will reach a point where it will affect Gazelle, he is confident they’ll be able to ride through it. He’s positioning his company for growth and success by investing in public relations (to draw more people into the industry work force), technology, and their physical plant. Not only has the company purchased terminals in northern Colorado and Caspar, Wyoming, Gazelle recently moved their Bakersfield-based headquarters to a new 20,000 square foot

‘‘Running a business is kind of like a marriage. You have an obligation to make it work. And it can be very stressful at times.’’ —Ron Lallo

our drivers are the backbone of our company. Good business starts with good relationships with customers and employees alike.”

Safety may be the driving force of Gazelle’s business model, but Lallo is also sensitive to the other needs of his employees. “We take care of our employees. We make sure our employees have healthcare, competitive pay, and that drivers are home at night. The company also offers many opportunities for people to grow as the company grows. I’m very proud of the fact that we have a low turn-over rate.”

But there’s one risk that Lallo says is coming down the pike in the not too distant future: a national professional driver shortage. As the economy continues to rebound, the nation will feel the shortage more acutely, he predicts.

“You know, these drivers and mechanics are the people who literally deliver our lives to us. Our food, the items we have in our home, the gas and oil we put in our car—every one of those things spends some time behind a rig.

This is an honorable profession and part of our responsibility as a business in the logistics industry is to educate and

building. “The office space alone is bigger than our old plant,” Lallo chuckled.

“The year 2012 was a successful year,” he stated in a company newsletter. “Our company experienced the fastest growth rate ever. The amazing part is that we managed to accomplish this while maintaining an industry-best safety record. We actually reduced our incident rate per million miles traveled!”

As successful as 2012 was, Lallo foretells of an even brighter future for 2013. “It is going to be more of the same, only bigger, brighter, cleaner, and better!”

Ready to rev up their entire fleet of little (diesel) engines that can, Gazelle has big plans indeed. A major presence in all oil-producing regions in the country, 100 more trucks, and the addition of 250-plus drivers to the staff roster are all on the company’s “wish-list” for 2013. “It will be a year of developing the industry’s finest leaders, dialing in the most effective processes, and learning the discipline of execution. And we can do it. Our team is made up of some of the most talented people in the industry, so I know we can do it.” v

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 39

3 0 - s e c o n d B U S I NESS B R I E F

Dennis Fox

3 0 - s e c o n d B U S I NESS B R I E F

It’s Easier To Build A Boy, Than Mend A Man.

Dennis Fox–Central Coast Real Estate Connection

G

rowing up in Bakersfield, Dennis Fox spent much of his spare time on the Central Coast. He loved it so much that he dreamed of making the Central Coast his home. Ten years ago, he made that dream a reality when he and his family moved to Pismo Beach.

Fox explained, “At first, I split my time between offices in Bakersfield and Pismo, but now I’m concentrating on the coastal market and have left ‘The Valley’ to the local experts. Now my passion is helping others make their dreams of home ownership on the Central Coast a reality.”

After 19 years as a top producer selling real estate in four counties and closing over 1,850 successful sales, Dennis now uses his experience in all facets of the industry to help clients, including short sales and foreclosures.

“I can’t think of a scenario that I haven’t come across,” Fox said. ”So I know what it takes to get a deal to the finish line while getting my clients the best value the market will allow.”

Covering all of SLO County, from Paso Robles to Nipomo and even Santa Maria, is not difficult, Fox explained. “With four offices—Paso Robles, Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo, and Arroyo Grande—I’m able to give clients the attention they deserve, no matter where they are.”

But no matter where he’s stationed, Fox always looks forward to seeing 661 numbers pop up on his cell phone.

Patterson Realty - Lic.#01179875 805-234-2916 dennis@dennisfox.com dennisfox.com 40 Bakersfield Magazine

CURRICULUM VITAE

Stockdale Christian School

R

aising children is the most important task we face as parents. The responsibility in today’s post-modern culture can often be staggering. Today’s kids face pressures and challenges much different than a generation ago.

But like you, we believe in them with all our hearts. And we’re committed to partnering with the Christian home to create a learning environment that develops confident children with the education, character, and vision to meet their world head-on.

Realizing these ideals can be a difficult task for educators.

It is clear from today’s news reports that America has become a barren landscape in which to raise children.

At the same time, in a more subtle fashion, the influence of parents on their own children has been systematically undermined by our society and its many negative influences. Our objective, as Christian educators, is to partner with Christian families to reinforce Christian values and encourage growth in sound convictions that lead to righteous behavior. By partnering with the home and church, Stockdale Christian is doing just that.

Integrating faith, learning, and living, Stockdale Christian is accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

4901 California Avenue Bakersfield, CA 93309 661-327-3927 www.stockdalechristian.com CURRICULUM VITAE

Photo courtesy of Kern County Museum

somecallit

DETERMINATION

By Francis Mayer

He was 69 years old when he finally punched a hole through what he called “Copper Mountain,” and some accounts say he lived in a small cabin beside the tunnel insulated with newspaper clippings and a small burner that probably cooked >>

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tain in the El Paso Range that cuts through the Mojave Desert.

Sources say the mountain got in Schmidt’s way while he was pursuing gold riches that he may or may not have ever found.

And just like the chicken crossed the road to get to the other side, Schmidt dug a hole in the mountain to get to other side, where there stood a Stamping Mill that extracted precious alloys from the 60 tons of ore he excavated during the dig.

The California City Chronicle that ran back in 1965 said he used, “a four pound single jackhammer and whatever size drill he could find. He had no mining experience but learned by trial and error.”

©istockphoto.com/dn

M

an and land in Kern County have taken turns beating on each other for vast sums of money and glory over the last one hundred and fifty years.

And it has produced some world-famous heroes in the fields of agriculture and petroleum, as their accomplishments help feed and fuel the entire nation.

Burro Schmidt didn’t do either of those things, but he may have scored the biggest single victory in the ongoing saga between men and the land in Kern.

According to numerous historical accounts from the day, Schmidt spent 32 years of his life digging a half-mile long tunnel through a solid granite moun-

Accounts vary as to why Schmidt dug a tunnel into the side of a mountain over the course of three decades. He never felt the need to lift the veil that shrouded this mystery, either. www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 41

Photo courtesy of Kern County Museum

Some Call it Determination

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(661) 393-8871 www.ADAKC.org

42 Bakersfield Magazine

Was there really a hidden “Crystal Room” filled with crystals and gold? Schmidt wouldn’t say.

25,000 meals of pancakes and beans.

In 1966, locals told the Bakersfield Californian Schmidt hid a secret tunnel full of crystal clusters and a bucket of gold nuggets he’d socked away for safe keeping.

Still other folks said they’d dined with him in the secret room.

Another story has it that Schmidt found a vein of gold in the mountain, and that’s why he kept at it for so long.

But no one has ever photographed this secret room, nor has it been discovered by local treasure hunters.

But his accomplishment was enough to be memorialized almost 75 years ago in a Ripley’s Believe It Or Not cartoon depicting him as “The Human Mole.”

He was one of seven children, and the only one to survive and live with tuberculosis, and he took to the hardscrabble desert to find out whether he survived by being lucky or good. And he got his answer there.

Burro survived and flourished in the desert by his own will and the occasional help from others. He once laid across the incomplete tunnel for two weeks with a killer flu, until a neighbor nursed him back to health with chicken soup.

A friend said Schmidt died with just

an old age pension, and shoes held together with scrap tin and twine. But he was content with it, and once bragging to a friend, “I haven’t had a new suit of clothes in 40 years.”

The tunnel is still there, drawing visitors who know the story of a man who cut a hole through a mountain.

His home was a museum for a while, but those who dare to make the 10 mile

Ripley’s Believe it or Not! even featured Schmidt in one of its cartoons, dubbing him “The Human Mole.” trek off Highway 15 to the bumpy Lance Chance Road will find only rundown cabins and the tunnel. Visitors say it offers amazing views, and you can even make your way through the tunnel but you’d better bring a flashlight and plenty of water as it gets darker than dark quickly, and help is far away.

Schmidt lived out his days in the desert until he died on January 27, 1954.

While you can’t take riches with you, you sure as heck can leave history behind. And that’s what Burro did.

That tunnel, like Stonehenge, will probably outlast us all. v

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We’re not knockin’ open mic nights, dance clubs, or karaoke bars, but we say it’s high time to find something a little more unique to do on a warm Bakersfield night (or Bakersfield day, for that matter). Sure, this town is full of fun things to do with friends and family, but in our book, the outings listed on the following pages are what will really help you keep your cool as we wind down another Bakersfield summer.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 43

20 Ways to Keep Your Cool a member). Oh, and don’t forget your kid. (bmoa.org)

Star-Studded Party

Don’t get your Gucci pants in a twist, people—we’re not talking about celeb bashes.

But we are talking about an “all-star” gathering to rival any Oscar party. The stellar Kern Astronomical Society (see what we did there?) hosts Star Parties on the second or third Saturday of every month, at which you can gaze through freaky-big telescopes and ogle the stars in the cosmos, just like a paparazzo. (kernastro.org)

Quit Whining, Start Wining

Not a lot of people realize this, but there are vineyards in Tehachapi like Triassic Legacy Vineyards (triassiclegacy.com) and Souza Family Vineyard (souzafamilyvineyard.com) that offer wine tasting as well as host fabulous events on a regular basis. A trip up the mountain this summer is just the ticket for any wine lover.

And you can even take a tour of the grounds to see how local wines are made.

Say Goodbye to Finger Paints

Or just say goodbye to having to clean up the mess.

The Bakersfield Museum of Art is hosting children’s art workshops scheduled for the second Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to 11. Your little Picasso will learn basic color theory, painting, drawing, sculpting, and exploration all while bonding with you.

The next one is Sept. 14, so get that on your calendar and grab $15 ($10 if you’re

Local Sips

Of course, if you’re looking to get off your feet after work and cool your jets with a crisp glass of wine, stop in at Wine Me Up! (winemeupbakersfield.com) or Imbibe Wine and Spirits Merchant (imbibewine.com) for a delicious selection and great company (there’s always someone in there to chat with).

Plus, Steak and Grape offers wine and beer tastings the first Friday of every month for only $20 (steakandgrape.com).

Soufflé Olé

For a good time in the kitchen, grab a friend or a significant other and start sharpening your knives. For cooking. Of course we meant cooking. The Guild House (which opens back up in September), Nature’s Food Market (which specializes in raw vegan instruction, if you dig that kind of thing), and both BC and CSUB offer cooking classes on the reg for locals interested in divorcing their microwaves.

But a unique experience is waiting for you at Sustenance 101, down on Eye Street, which offers lunchtime classes Wednesday through Friday with live music while you chop, sauté, and flambé. (sustenance-studio.com)

Get Your Michelle Kwan On

Okay, so we’re pretty sure you’re not going to be tripleaxeling all over the ice, but this is still a phenomenal way to chill out, even if you’re a little wobbly on skates.

The San Joaquin Community Hospital Ice Center of Bakersfield (phew, is there a nickname for this place?)

44 Bakersfield Magazine

is providing inexpensive, ice-cold fun for all.

So unleash your inner ice warrior and, you know, grab a Coke at the snack bar while you’re at it. (bakersfieldicesports.com)

Free Fallin’

Tom Petty probably wasn’t talking about jumping out of planes…but we are. Let your inner adventurer out to play and go skydiving. Skydive Taft (skydivetaft.com) will send you hurdling toward the ground at 120 mph while you get a spectacular view of our fair city. Granted, you’ll probably be screaming, too, what with your body being blasted by all that air...but at least you’ll forget about the temperature for a bit.

Trivia Tuesdays

There’s trivia night and then there is TRIVIA NIGHT. There are a couple local places to test your knowledge throughout the week, but On the Rocks Bar & Grill is boasting one for the history books. Every Tuesday night, starting at 9 p.m., contestants will be pushed to the max to recall history, pop culture, and totally random facts. And don’t forget that ice cold beer while you play. That’ll really take the heat off. (iloveontherocks.com)

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Theater Chill

You never know what could happen in the darkness of a movie theater, but you can rest assured that you won’t have to contend with the blazin’ sun with all that lovely air conditioning. Maya Cinemas (mayacinemas. com) gleefully celebrates Hot Dog Appreciation Day every Monday (hot dogs are only $1.25) and Tuesday is Family Day, so all seats are $5.50. In the mood for a live show instead of film?

Then head over to a different kind of theater, The Fox (foxtheateronline.com), where August and September will see a long list of big names, like Courtney Love and Kenny Loggins.

Splish-Splash

What better way to keep your cool than by chilling out in the water? Ever thought about whitewater rafting?

Kayaking? There are a number of awesome rafting companies in the Kern River

Valley (kernrivervalley.com) that can help get you blazing safely down the river or you can dive right in for a little more chlorinated fun at McMurtrey Aquatic Center (bakersfieldswim.us) for either family swims, or even lessons for the little ones.

Who’s Your Daddy?

You probably know the answer to that question, but what about his dad?

Or your dad’s-dad’s-dad’sdad? Why not cool down in Beale Memorial Library on August 20. The Kern County Genealogical Society is hosting a free event at 1 p.m. for those interested in discovering ways to dig up dirt when it comes to the ol’ family tree and also to hear about other historians’ discoveries. Not only that, but you can also share anything you know about your ties to Kern County.

Quite fittingly, the event is in the Tejon Room. (kerncountylibary.org)

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A Local Website For THE HISTORY BOOKS ANNUAL GENERATIONS Profiles BAKERSFIELD’S SOUND ARCHIVED HISTORICAL ARTICLES

Bakersfield Magazine is working to preserve the history of Kern County through stories of Kern’s proud and fascinating past!

KernCountyGenerations.com www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 45

20 Ways to Keep Your Cool Take Me to Camelot

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Dost thou enjoy hitting tiny orbs with sticks? Or is thou tickled at the thought of maneuvering a small vehicle?

Perhaps it’s piloting a tiny boat ‘cross a moat? Camelot Park has all the “medieval” fun you can handle with friends and family, day or night (on Friday and Saturdays they are open until midnight). Bonus: it’s been plague free since 1599! (camelotparkbakersfield.com)

Grab Your Dancin’ Shoes

We can’t all be Ginger Rogers or Fred Astaire…but we can sure tap our way to a good time. Or waltz, or salsa, or tango—whatever strikes your fancy. Best of all, Bakersfield has some places, like Studio 9 Dance, that offer inexpensive classes (some are $8 per lesson!) and take place in the evenings after work.

Try ballroom or even West Coast swing! (studio9dance.com)

Journey to the Center of the Earth

This August 16-18, the annual Center of the World Festival is taking place in Pine Mountain Club. Never been?

Grab your favorite artist and make the drive to experience local writers, poets, actors, musicians, dancers, and much more as everyone celebrates balance in nature. It’s a great opportunity to learn something new and soak up all that fresh mountain air at the base of Mt. Pinos. (cowfest.org)

Brews for You

Hailed as the “Party of the Year,” Village Fest is a wonderful culmination of summer (even though all us Bakersfieldians know summer temps don’t truly end until October) full of cool drinks (over 60 breweries/wineries), tasty eats (over 25 restuarants), and amazing live music. This year, it’s on September 7, so make sure you’ve got your ticket and head down to Pioneer Village at the Kern County Museum.

Fresh Flavors

Every Thursday between 4 and 7 p.m. you can chill out and stroll down the old streets near Railroad Park in Tehachapi.

Main Street Tehachapi hosts a wonderful farmers’ market with fresh produce that also includes local, handcrafted products for sale. The park also offers a shady, grassy respite for walkers to enjoy some cool, mountain air. (mainstreettehachapi.org)

©istockphoto.com/idwork

Leggo my Lego!

46 Bakersfield Magazine

Did you know we have a Lego Club? Granted, it’s for kiddos, but adult supervision is required for little ones at Beale Memorial Library, so you can play with Legos under the guise of helping your child “learn” for free. The club meets in the Arkelian Children’s room

the first Thursday of every month starting at 5:30 p.m., and in addition to themed building and fun play time, there’s also a story read aloud (because after a hard day of Legoing, everyone can use a good fairy tale). (kerncountylibrary.org)

Rock Out, Fountain Style

Turn a trip to The Marketplace into an outdoor experience with a concert by the fountain. Every Thursday, The Marketplace hosts live music for guests and music-lovers from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Bring a folding chair and a water bottle and enjoy the show or grab a smoothie and walk around the shops while you overhear some sweet local tunes. (themarketplacebakersfield.com)

Cheer On Our Sluggers

Head over to Sam Lynn Ballpark during any of the games in August or early September and root for the home team while sipping on a cold beverage. Games don’t start until after 7 in the evening, so there’s plenty of time to grab a seat in the stands and watch our boys hit ‘em outta the park. (bakersfieldblaze.com)

Fun in the Freezer Section

If you could, you’d probably eat everything frozen this time of year. That doesn’t really work with stuff like pizza and burgers…but it sure as heck works for La Rosa Fruit Bars. These handmade (daily, mind you) frozen treats are the perfect accompaniment to any meal…

or just for a snack…or just because you want to eat one. There are 26 flavors to choose from—in both fruit bar and ice cream bar form—so you can try a new flavor every day for nearly a month (and check out this issue’s Quick Bites on page 120 for a recipe to make at home)! (larosafruitbars.com)

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 47

48 Bakersfield Magazine

?

!

You really never know what they’ll say next.

If there’s one thing we’ve discovered over the years of featuring Sizzlin’ Singles, it’s that Bakersfield bachelors and bachelorettes are loud and proud, and willing to tell it like it is.

And this year’s crop of successful, charitable singles is no different. Whether it’s how they get ready for a hot date or the best place for a drink, they spilled the beans on single life and answered all our pressing questions…even the weird ones.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 49

Another year, another group of great local singles. Since all these swingin’ bachelors are going to be strutting their stuff on stage at this year’s Boots and Bachelors Auction, a sizzlin’ night in which all the proceeds benefit the Bakersfield Homeless Center, we went searching for some philanthropic ladies to match. Check out what everyone had to say...

Name: Sean Jachim Age: 22 Occupation: PR Manager Signature dish: My aunt’s jambalaya.

Why do you volunteer in the community? God has blessed me my whole life, so I believe I should share those blessings with others.

Favorite local bartender/server in town: Jacky from Firehouse.

What would you pick as your “stage name”? Dimples.

If you won the lottery, how would you spend the money? I would donate a percentage of it, then I would pay off my family’s debts, and finally invest the rest.

Finish this ‘rom-com’ line with your own words. “You had me at…” I’m single.

Favorite thing about Bakersfield: I love the fact that we are two hours away from pretty much anything.

Best spot in town to people watch: The Marketplace.

What are your dating deal breakers?

Smokers, drugs, and liars.

Name: Pam Colt Age: 61 Occupation: RN and Pharmaceutical Educator Favorite local bartender/server in town: Delaney Griffin at Narducci’s and Carli Thies of Stars Theatre.

Do you collect anything? Old Hollywood memorabilia, silent movie stars’ personal belongings.

Finish this ‘rom-com’ line with your own words.

“You had me at…”

Name: Brian Jones Age: 37 Occupation: Innovation Consultant W closet look like? A hat’s your room, only smaller .

Which Simpsons char most like? Duffman acter are you .

What’s the book you’ve recommended mo st?

You’ll Go by Dr. Se Oh, the Places uss.

What were you afr aid of as a kid?

Why do you volunteer in the community?

There is a need, and Bakersfield is my home. It feels good to be involved.

What would you pick as your “stage name”? Tondalaya—this is my REAL stage name!

What’s something about you that few people know? That I am very involved in old Hollywood societies and in film preservation.

Favorite thing about Bakersfield: The hometown feeling. The friendliness.

What were you afraid of as a kid?

Still afraid of? Displeasing my parents.

Dream job: Professional dancer.

What’s your closet look like?

I have six closets. All stuffed.

BACON What’s something about you that few people know?

That I ran away with my dog at age 4 and got picked up by the cops. Needless to say, my parents were not happy.

Name: Kristina Herrera Age: 28 Occupation: Fundraising Coordinator and Job Coach Do you collect anything? Wine corks. You know, for a future Pinterest project.

What is your hidden talent?

I can train dogs! I am like the Dog Whisperer!

What would you pick as your “stage name”? Glitter or Lilah Lee, depending on the stage.

Still afraid of? Pa per cuts. They ar e my kryptonite.

What is your hidde n talent?

Writing song lyrics .

What’s something ab that few people kn out you ow? I smacked a bull on the rear while running with the bulls in Spain .

Best spot in town to people watch: Out the windows of the Padre.

Favorite thing ab out Bakersfield: The warm nights , BBQs, and clothing of summ er.

Dream job: Rock star.

Name: Zak Brown Age: 28 Occupation: Health and Fitness Coach Favorite Bakersfield event: The Basque picnic.

Dream job: Treasure hunter. I would need a lot of money to travel around and do that though, especially since your income is dependent on your ability to find treasure.

Best happy hour in town: Muertos Kitchen and Lounge.

What is your hidden talent?

I can rub my stomach and pat my head at the same time.

Finish this ‘rom-com’ line with your own words. “You had me at…” Travel time!

Favorite thing about Bakersfield: I love my friends and family. It is the people that make the city, not the city that makes the people.

Best spot in town to people watch: Valley Plaza Mall. There are some pretty interesting people that shop there.

What would you pick as your “stage name”? Zak Attack!

Dream job: I aspire to be a rich housewife, but if I had to choose a profession, it would be DJ. What’s something about you that few people know? I have an obsession with Christmas lights. Driving at night during the holidays can be very distracting for me.

What are your dating deal breakers?

Just don’t be a creep.

Favorite thing about Bakersfield: Buck Owens and Basque food. I couldn’t choose just one.

What were you afraid of as a kid?

Still afraid of? Ghosts. And yeah, I’m still freaked out.

Worst advice you’ve ever heard about dating: Cause a scene to see how she reacts. That will show you if she is cool. —Zak Brown 50 Bakersfield Magazine

Name: Skyla Karraker Age: 39 and fabulous Occupation: Realtor and Entrepreneur What would you pick as your “stage name”? Skyla K. I love being me and would never want to be anyone else.

Which Simpsons character are you most like? Marge Simpson because I am a caregiver and I like to be in control…haha.

What’s something about you that few people know? I am obsessed with everything smelling great. I have 10 cherry air fresheners all over my car, including the trunk!

Favorite thing about Bakersfield: It’s a very family-oriented city, so it’s a great place to raise kids.

Name: Chuck Shakta Age: 41 Occupation: Business Owner What are your dating deal breakers? If you are on a date and you answer texts and don’t pay attention to your date.

Which Simpsons character are you most like? Moe. Do you collect anything? Coins and old currency. And apparently shoes.

How do you get ready for a date?

I was born ready.

What were you afraid of as a kid? Still afraid of? I’m from Chicago. We fear nothing.

What would you pick as your “stage name”? Chuck is my stage name.

What is your hidden talent? Playing piano. It’s so hidden I don’t even know about it sometimes.

Why do you volunteer in the community? I have deep roots in the community and enjoy giving back.

What’s your closet look like?

Nordstrom’s men’s department.

Do you collect anything? Shoes, especially high heels…the higher the better. I just think a nice high heel is so sexy and makes your legs look great.

Best happy hour in town: Que Pasa.

I love chips and salsa during happy hour.

Desert Island TV show: Law & Order.

I record all the episodes on my TiVo and watch one every night before I go to bed.

Finish this ‘rom-com’ line with your own words. “You had me at…”

Would you like to go to dinner?

What are your dating deal breakers? Tardiness and someone who is always on their cell phone.

Name: Quin Miller Age: 34 Occupation: District Manager, Employment Services Company In my free time I like to: Crossfit, hang out with my daughter, or just relax.

Favorite Bakersfield event: Anything that includes a pool and a drink.

Desert Island TV show: The Walking Dead. I don’t believe the zombies could make it to the island.

Dream job: Life coach or something working with kids. If that fails, I could

Name: Christina Tomlinson Age: 27 Occupation: Manager, Biscuit Boutique & Doggy Spa If you could invite any three people to dinner, who would they be? I would invite my three grandparents that have passed away so I can spend one more night with them.

Best happy hour in town: It has to be First Friday downtown at Biscuit Boutique & Doggy Spa’s Yappy Hour!

What were you afraid of as a kid?

Still afraid of?

That damn Chucky doll. My sister had one and we had to lock him in the garage. To this day, I still don’t watch scary movies.

always be a hula hoop model.

Best happy hour in town: Good question…I think it just follows me.

What is your hidden talent? I know you want me to tell you about my orchestral armpit talents, or that I can play “Heart and Soul” on the piano with my elbows, or that I can run the 40-yard dash in 3.43 seconds uphill, backward, with sandals on, but I won’t disclose my hidden talents.

Finish this ‘rom-com’ line with your own words. “You had me at…”

We need to talk.

What’s something about you that few people know? My real name is Quintonta.

What is your hidden talent? My hidden talent has to be my common sense.

Signature dish: Cheese pizza with tomatoes and jalapeños.

Why do you volunteer in the community? I volunteer in the community to give back! I give free doggy make overs for the SPCA. Finish this ‘rom-com’ line with your own words.

“You had me at…” Woof.

What’s something about you that few people know?

Something about me that a few people know has to be my nickname that I’ve had since I was a baby.

Best advice you’ve ever heard about dating: Take her to a nice seafood restaurant or she will never call again.—Michael Crowe What’s the book you’ve recommended most?

Facebook!

Haha.

owe Name: Michael Cr 25 e: Ag er Enforcement Offic Occupation: Law d most? The de en mm co re e you’v What’s the book .

Story of Ferdinand st like? aracter are you mo ch s on ps Sim h Whic Chief Wiggum. r, negative Bad sense of humo g deal breakers? tin ly.

Ju in What are your da s Christmas sweater would they be? attitude, wearing le to dinner, who op pe ee thr y an e has a special sh , om M t; ne If you could invite pla niest guy on this fun beautiful woman a , the rry ll, Pe rre ty Fe Will owe her dinner; Ka I d an t ar he my place in angel. with a voice of an hoarder. ing? No, I’m not a yth an ct lle co Do you n talent? Baking. l car.

What is your hidde nt seat of my patro people watch: Fro to n Best spot in tow

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 51

Name: Carlos Marquez Age: 42 Occupation: High School Economics Teacher What is your hidden talent?

I sing karaoke. I do a mean Dean Martin.

What would you pick as your “stage name”? Car-luscious!

Which Simpsons character are you most like? I don’t watch The Simpsons…

I’m Cartman from South Park.

Go-to workout music: Hair bands from the ‘80s. AC/DC, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Poison, Motley Crüe…

Favorite local bartender/server in town: Tammy at The Eagles Lodge and Bubba at the Alley Cat. It’s a tie.

Dream job: A bartender in Hawaii!

Kidding! My dream job is to be a landscape architect, but in Hawaii… so I can bartend at night.

Best spot in town to people watch: Luigi’s on a Friday or Saturday.

It seems the whole town swings through there.

Favorite thing about Bakersfield: Lots of golf courses… I love it!

Which S im characte psons r are yo u most lik e ?

The you

of Marg nger version e, came in before Homer to the p icture.

Best advice you’ve ever heard about dating: Wear the red shoes, always wear the red shoes!

ut abo w? g n i o h met ople kn o as a s I w and at’s ew pe . h i i f W a r that n Haw oarde s. b i you n zi e rn dy

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52 Bakersfield Magazine

—Sabrina Stolting

Name: Ed Searfoss Age: 34 Occupation: Paramedic and Personal Trainer What were you afraid of as a kid?

Still afraid of? Aliens and ghosts…yes, please leave it alone…seriously.

Favorite Bakersfield event: Why, the Boots and Bachelors Auction, of course.

What are your dating deal breakers?

Smoker who doesn’t like kids, and doesn’t lift/train…haha. That last one’s negotiable.

Which Simpsons character are you most like? Groundskeeper Willie. Because, like Willie, when I take my shirt off, I’m shredded.

Name: Sinoha Cruz Age: 26 Occupation: Human Resource Assistant Do you collect anything?

Well I have this one rock I found at the river once, does that count?

Best spot in town to people watch: The outside patio at Mama Roomba.

What is your hidden talent?

I’ve been told I have a way with words.

What’s your closet look like?

Jeans and heals, conservative and feminine, mostly black.

Dream job: I would love to work at Google.

Favorite thing about Bakersfield: The cost of living.

What are your dating deal breakers?

Must be employed, not promiscuous, and be active.

What would you pick as your “stage name”? I’d keep my own name… it’s as unique as it gets.

Do you collect anything? Scars. I seem to get hurt a lot. I swear it has nothing to do with acting first and dealing with the consequences later…haha!

What is your hidden talent? I can do a handstand pushup.

How do you get ready for a date? Shave, shower, dress. Simple process. Oh, and music—gotta have my music.

Favorite local bartender/server in town: Hmm…tough one. Either Roxy from Tahoe Joe’s or Arlo from Vi’s.

Why do you volunteer in the community?

I feel like I give back to the community every day I go to work. There’s no better feeling than comforting and providing care to someone who genuinely needs it.

Name: Suzan DeAntonio Age: 50 Occupation: Program Director for an Adult Nonprofit Favorite Bakersfield event: The Bakersfield Jazz Festival at CSUB. I’m a sucker for a great saxophonist.

Why do you volunteer in the community?

I volunteer because I want to give back to the community. I know that no matter how bad I may have it, someone has it worse than me. And, honestly, it makes me feel good to be able to volunteer.

Which Simpsons character are you most like? I feel I’m most like Ralph Wiggum.

I can be blissfully unaware and clueless at times.

Best happy hour in town: My place… around 5:30 p.m.

Do you collect anything? I collect self help books that I never get around to reading.

Go-to workout music: Rihanna’s Unapologetic. Very upbeat and I am able to get a great workout!

Desert Island TV show: My daughter has me hooked on True Blood. I purchased HBO specifically for the show.

Worst advice you’ve ever heard about dating: Just go for it, she’s beautiful on the outisde at least.

—John Puga

Name: Sabrina Stolting Age: 28 Occupation: Program Director at a Children’s Nonprofit What were you afraid of as a kid? Still afraid of?

And yes—the he Scary movies! ight of my scare tolerance is The Sixth Sense.

Go-to workout mu sic: Boozeclear Blitz … playlist put toge a special ther in my colle ge days that never fails to get me rockin’.

If you could inv ite any three pe ople to dinner, who wo uld Tatum because they be? Channing hello, who would n’t?

Captain America because he is a symbol of Amer ican pride, he is se and he has a sh ield I’d love to try xy, !

And…do the Ba ckstreet Boys count as one? As a band era, I would child of the boy need them to be at that table.

Favorite thing ab out Bakersfield: The people. Bakers field is a big cit y wi a small town at titude (most of th th e time). There’s alw ay to talk to wherev s someone nice er you go.

Dream job: I ha ve always want ed to own a Coyote Ug ly-style bar.

Name: Kelly Ramos Age: Is just a number Occupation: Pharmacy Technician How do you get ready for a date? I can’t really remember— I haven’t dated in a while.

Finish this ‘rom-com’ line with your own words. “You had me at…”

Take a chance.

What were you afraid of as a kid? Still afraid of? To walk alone in the dark… but I’m braver now.

Why do you volunteer in the community?

It was a great experience to plant trees at two parks with my daughters. The hard work feels great.

Do you collect anything? Things with shamrocks on them.

Desert Island TV show: The Walking Dead, even though if it got exciting, I’d want to talk to someone about it.

What’s your closet look like?

Too many shoes! I love them.

What are your dating deal breakers?

Being on your cell phone constantly.

Name: John Puga Age: 43 Occupation: Law Enforcement Officer Favorite Bakersfield event: The Mud Run. What is your hidden talent? Whistling.

What would you pick as your “stage name”? Puga. I like my last name.

You can’t leave home without your: Gum and Chapstick.

What’s something about you that few people know? I’m actually shy at times.

Best spot in town to people watch: The Kern County Fair.

Name: Joe Peters Age: 22 Occupation: Sales Finish this ‘rom-com’ line with your own words. “You had me at…” Let’s go shooting.

What are your dating deal breakers?

Cheating, lying, and taking selfies with their camera phone…haha.

Best happy hour in town: Any place I’m at for an hour.

If you won the lottery, how would you spend the money? 1/3 on charity.

1/3 on a party. 1/3 on a jet pack.

What’s your closet look like? Pretty standard. Full of shirts, shoes, and pants…and one lone neck tie.

Which Simpsons character are you most like? Max Powers! “Because it’s a name you would love to touch, but you mustn’t touch!”

Name: Heather Pennella Age: 33 Occupation: Account Executive What are your dating deal breakers?

Close-mindedness and too much cologne!

If you could invite any three people to dinner, who would they be?

Buck Owens, to thank him; Vin Scully, to hear him tell stories; and my Grammy, because I miss her.

Do you collect anything?

Squished pennies and compliments.

What would you pick as your “stage name”? Feather Vanilla Desert Island TV show: SPORTS! Go Dodgers and Bills!

Which Simpsons character are you most like? Ned Flanders, because I am a good neighbor.

Finish this ‘rom-com’ line with your own words. “You had me at…” Babe, just relax. I’ll mow the lawn for you!

hing about What’s somet ople know? pe w fe at Name: th you orp nd tooth. de t id ee M sw rk a Ki I have ld: 46 out Bakersfie Age: vorite thing ab Fa n: tio ity.

Occupa The commun ur “stage Geographic you pick as yo ld ou w t Wha a.

Information pp & Pe name”? Salt a kid?

Systems u afraid of as yo e er w t Wha s.

ve ol ew ? Wer rsfield event: Still afraid of .

Favorite Bake alk. : Cheesecake sh di e W t ur Ar at Sign First Friday ? nt hidden tale anything?

What is your Do you collect oking. co y . ph ns ra gu og d Ge Maps an . rn Ko : ic mus Go-to workout your -com’ line with m ‘ro is th sh Fini …” at e m d ha ou own words. “Y t.

I made desser Which Simpsons character are you most like? Haha! Homer!

Finish this ‘rom-com’ line with your own words. “You had me at…”

Wanna go golfing?

Why do you volunteer in the community?

Doing my part, helping where help is needed.

Go-to workout music: Police radio.

e spot Favorit ert: s for des

am Ice cre ront nf truck i ouse. h of my

Worst advice you’ve ever heard about dating: If you get caught checking out another woman, turn to your date and say, “Did you see how ugly that girl’s hair is?”

—Kirk Middendorp

dat What a ing dea re you r S l wa nts omeo breake ne rs? to I

’ve “c w my been hange ho self ” p for erfect me…

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ear s. www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 53

Name: Lori Urban Age: 49 Occupation: Online New Account Officer/ Communication Center Officer II Desert Island TV Show: MacGyver, that man can build a plane out of a toothpick.

What are your dating deal breakers?

Unemployed.

Go-to workout music: Van Halen.

What is your hidden talent?

Sound effects.

You can’t leave home without your: Epi-pen.

Favorite Bakersfield event: Boys & Girls Club Golf Tournament.

What would you pick as your “stage name”? Hurricane LORI. Favorite thing about Bakersfield: Great friends!

If you could invite any three people to dinner, who would they be? God, He has done so much for me; Abraham Lincoln, he seemed to be a man of integrity and cared about people in a sincere way; Bradley Cooper, he’s not bad to look at.

hing about What’s somet ? people know you that few

cardboard.

I’m allergic to an —Lori Urb

as part of a I drove a car otorcade. m presidential well —Dean Po

If you won the lottery, how would you spend the money?

First, I would take care of all of my family’s needs.

Then I would give to the elderly and also to education.

Best advice you’ve ever heard about dating: Never ever drop your standards. Period.

—Jamin Moore

54 Bakersfield Magazine

Name: Dean Powell Age: 34 Occupation: Garden Manager and Teacher at Buena Vista Edible Schoolyard Dream job: I’ve found it.

Why do you volunteer in the community? Bakersfield is a great community. It’s where I was raised and have chosen to make my home.

It has given me a lot to be thankful for and I just want to give back and make it a little better.

Favorite local bartender/server in town: Margot at Luigi’s.

What is your hidden talent?

I don’t have any that aren’t on display.

Favorite spot for dessert: Moo Creamery for their bread puddings and Sweet Surrender for cake.

Finish this ‘rom-com’ line with your own words. “You had me at…” Dessert.

If you won the lottery, how would you spend the money? How much are we talkin’?

What would you pick as your “stage name”? What am I performing on stage?

Desert Island TV show: Kind of embarrassed to say but Dallas, the original series. I have all the seasons on DVD and watch them often.

Name: Lynn Taylor Age: 46 Occupation: Early Start Intervention Assistant Do you collect anything? Themed metal lunchboxes.

What’s your closet look like? Organized by color. It looks like a rainbow.

Go-to workout music: You’re kidding, right? “Shake Your Groove Thing” by Peaches & Herb.

How do you get ready for a date?

After an exhausting fashion decision, it’s a nap—no, a mocha—or both.

What would you pick as your “stage name”? Hmm…Luscious?

Name: Tom Murphy Age: 25 Occupation: Anchor and Reporter Local TV News Go-to workout music: Jeezy, Drizzy, Rozay, Weezy, Yeezy, and 2 Chainz.

Favorite Bakersfield event: The late night taco stand that opens up downtown on the weekends.

What are your dating deal breakers?

She roots for the Dallas Cowboys.

What would you pick as your

Name: Laura Arredondo Age: 52 Occupation: Marketing Consultant Favorite thing about Bakersfield: The sunsets.

Best happy hour in town: Camino Real Kitchen and Tequila.

Do you collect anything? Yes I do.

I collect crosses.

Favorite local bartender/server in town: Andres Lopez at Jacilito Grill on Panama Lane.

Why do you volunteer in the community?

I have a passion for it and I believe we all have a responsibility in our community.

How do you get ready for a date? A nice glass of wine and some good music for the soul. You can’t go wrong with that.

What are your dating deal breakers?

Someone that lacks motivation and ambition.

What’s something about you that few people know? How sensitive I can be at times.

If you won the lottery, how would you spend the money? First, I would take care of all of my family’s needs. Then I would give to the elderly and also to education.

Finish this ‘rom-com’ line with your own words. “You had me at…” It’s okay honey, I’ll pump the gas.

Favorite thing about Bakersfield: Its generosity to nonprofit organizations and the U.S. when disaster strikes.

Favorite Bakersfield event: WineCamp for K.E.E.P. Favorite local bartender/server in town: Any barista, at any coffee house.

What were you afraid of as a kid? Still afraid of? Cauliflower and yes, very.

Worst advice you’ve ever heard about dating: “The Three Day Rule.”

—Dean Powell

“stage name”? Magic Murph.

Which Simpsons character are you most like? Young Kent Brockman, obviously. A little bit of Poochie, too.

If you could invite any three people to dinner, who would they be? My dad, my mom, and my brother—they live in New Jersey and I don’t get to see them enough. If we’re talking famous people: Dave Chapelle, Rihanna, and Kate Upton.

What’s your closet look like?

You don’t want to know.

Do you collect anything?

Just useless information.

Name: Christie Howell Age: 41 Occupation: College Professor Best spot in town to people watch: The Park at Riverwalk.

What is your hidden talent? If I told you it wouldn’t be hidden!

What’s your closet look like? Organized by color, with a bunch of stuff stored on the bottom and shoved around the edges. Basically a color tornado.

Why do you volunteer in the community? I think children are very important and I really enjoy it. I think that Girl Scouts is a great organization.

What are your dating deal breakers?

Men who are late all the time.

Every now and again is fine, all the time makes me crazy.

Favorite thing about Bakersfield: The heat!

What were you afraid of as a kid?

Still afraid of? The dark, still afraid sometimes.

Favorite Bakersfield event: There are a lot of fun things to do here.

I don’t have a favorite.

Name:

Steve Hollick Age: 54 Occupation: Teacher rsfield Favorite Bake f. au sl lk Vo event: u yo e ar r te ons charac Which Simps udents would say I am y st M e? lik t os m He brought Punishment. like Corporal er when he needed m down the ham right! ne them things do s are crazy. kout Plus, my wor ith your m-com’ line w ” The Finish this ‘ro e at… m d ha ou “Y own words. m a lot).

(I am at the gy first workout

Name: Cody Shumate Age: 26 Occupation: Engineering Tech You can’t leave home without your: Pants. Unless it’s too hot—then it’s my shorts.

What are your dating deal breakers? If it’s not fun, it just becomes an interview.

Which Simpsons character are you most like? Professor Frink.

If you could invite any three people to dinner, who would they be?

Nikola Tesla, Alton Brown, Princess Leia. Would be good food and very interesting conversation.

What is your hidden talent?

Oversleeping.

Why do you volunteer in the community?

I just always have—it’s fulfilling.

Desert Island TV show: Survivorman, so I can survive on the island.

In my free time I like to: Exercise, read, or watch movies.

Also rock climb and hike.

Name: Anne Draucker Age: 32 Occupation: Petrophysicist and Dance Teacher Favorite Bakersfield event: I’m torn between Relay for Life and Via Arte. I love them both.

Do you collect anything? Rocks! No, seriously, I’m a geologist. I’m actually trying to get rid of stuff now, so I don’t become a hoarder.

Finish this ‘rom-com’ line with your own words. “You had me at…”

Would you like to dance?

What’s something about you that few people know? I’m Batman. Don’t tell.

Favorite thing about Bakersfield: When it’s beautiful, it’s really beautiful. I try to appreciate those things. I also love all the local businesses. Shop local!

What would you pick as your “stage name”? I have a stage name! Talia.

What’s your closet look like?

My closet is a really odd mix of office clothes and dance clothes in glorious disarray!

Do you collect anything?

Experiences.

a kid? u afraid of as What were yo hated hanging ?I Still afraid of ays the bed. I alw it. my arm over ab gr ld ou w ne thought someo ing that. e do I still don’t lik field: about Bakers g in th e rit vo Fa r! he ot ch ea s Everyone know in this town are le Plus, the peop us. nero extremely ge ur “stage you pick as yo y! ld ou What w ad Re essor Ever name”? Prof ? ng hi anyt Do you collect ve too I ha I’ve been told r! ea much underw dden talent? hi ur What is yo magazine! ily This is a fam

Name: Jamin Moore Age: 27 Occupation: Retired Army/MBA student at CSUB Favorite Bakersfield event: When Magic Mike came out. I’m kidding—I would have to say a Condors hockey game.

What is your hidden talent?

That’s a secret—it’s on a need-to-know basis only.

Desert Island TV show: The Price is Right. It’s been running forever, so I would never have to watch reruns.

What were you afraid of as a kid? Still afraid of? I was afraid of face-hugger Aliens and velociraptors as a kid. Now only commitment scares me.

What’s your closet look like? Mostly empty. I don’t have a lot of clothes.

Finish this ‘rom-com’ line with your own words. “You had me at…”

Can I make you dinner?

What’s something about you that few people know?

I’m a science nerd.

What would you pick as your “stage name”? The Screaming Eagle.

I was in the 101st Airborne division— “The Screaming Eagles.”

In my free time I like to: Fish, hunt, hike, camp.

Which Simpsons character are you most like? Santa’s Little Helper (Bart’s dog), as I am extremely loyal.

What ’ abou s somethi t you n that f g peop e w le kn I get ow? em

otion those al Ame sappy sto over rica’s r Got T ies on alent .

Worst advice you’ve ever heard about dating: Women like to pay.

—Steve Hollick

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 55

56 Bakersfield Magazine

It starts right here.

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HOMES

There’s a reason why architects use blueprints during design and construction—there are lots of things to consider and even more things that can go wrong. For that same reason, if you’re looking to buy, build, or renovate your house, you shouldn’t do it without a little guidance.

Well, help is here. We sought out advice from industry experts—including real estate professionals, builders, and home improvement gurus—just for you. Consider this section a blueprint of sorts… one that will help you transform 2-D ideas for your home into a 3-D reality.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 57

58 Bakersfield Magazine

Jeanne Radsick

What’s Old is New

Shoes, pants, haircuts… these things go out of style faster than you can say, well, out of style. Small, impermanent items are easy to replace when the next trend comes along; we don’t bat an eyelash when we grab the newest pair of sneakers or plop down in a hairdresser’s chair. And for some, that’s exactly the way we look at a home.

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e can paint; we can re-roof; we can add on an additional room. Like a person changing out baggy pants for skinny jeans, changing the color of a home won’t change the character of it —the bones—especially houses built before 1950.

For some, these are the only houses to live in.

Why? Because even though the superficial décor of the house can be modified, it’s impossible to take away that charm and timeless quality that emanates from an old house. For others, those characteristics are suddenly sounding more appealing, and the desire to dwell in a pre-World War II home, with solid foundations and sturdy old wood, is very high.

Here in Bakersfield, we drive through the neighborhoods of Oleander, Westchester, and La Cresta/ Alta Vista, and even Olde Stockdale and around the Bakersfield Country Club, and we get an idea of just why older homes never go out of style and why new generations are coming to appreciate what these homes offer.

“All neighborhoods go through four phases: growth, stability, decline, and rebirth,” explained Gary Crabtree, SRA, local home appraiser and owner of Affiliated Appraisers.

It’s when neighborhoods are in the “rebirth” period that things get interesting.

Crabtree explained that these older neighborhoods are, “timeless and rarely are subject to wide variations in price experienced by other neighborhoods caused by economic conditions and normal valuation cycles.”

“These areas have always had a magic pull for certain buyers because of their character and what some call, ‘quaintness,’ ” explained Jeanne Radsick, Realtor and owner of Century 21 Hometown Realty. “In the case of the Alta Vista/La Cresta area, one of the special features is the winding streets where every home is

HOMES

different from the neighboring home,” she continued.

“There are also odd-shaped lots that will have slopes, or you will see homes that have the garage coming in at street level, with the rest of the home built above because of the hills. These types of neighborhoods are unique. And there is a sense of walk-ability, not necessarily due to the proximity of local shops, but a more casual, neighborly atmosphere that makes going for a stroll down the street feel comfortable.”

That opinion is seconded by Leslie Walters, Realtor and owner of Walters & Associates Realty. “I find that older homes in La Cresta, Westchester, and Olde Stockdale, that are well maintained and cared for, are always in high demand,” Walters said. “People are captivated by the quality of the construction of the homes, the maturity of landscaping, and the ‘true’ neighborhood feeling.”

But there’s a catch…not everyone can have a dream home in one of these neighborhoods.

“Bakersfield is a relatively ‘new’ city, having been settled in the late 1890s, and therefore has few older neighborhoods,” Crabtree elaborated.

“The reason these neighborhoods hold their value so well is that there is a limited supply available.”

Still, everyone knows that houses are what make up neighborhoods.

According to Radsick, the Oleander area is dense with homes that were built starting in the 1920s and through the 1940s. Westchester developed a little later with most of the homes built from the later 1940s through the 1950s. And the La Cresta/Alta Vista area spans the most time, with some house being constructed in the ‘20s and others being built as late as the mid ‘50s.

“Most of the homes built in La Cresta/Alta Vista were fairly small, much like the homes in the north part of Westchester, and tend to get larger as you ‘travel up the hill,’ ” Radsick added. >> www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 59

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Old is New “In Westchester, as you went south from 24th Street the homes get a little larger, but there is also the section closer to Beech where the long, low ‘California Ranch’ style is mixed in with the smaller bungalow style. Some of these were actually built in the early 1960s.”

The Oleander area is known for the bungalow style or the “Craftsman” homes that started to appear in the early 1900s and were built throughout the ‘20s, ‘30s, and ‘40s.

“These homes were less expansive [than others at the time] and often were built for the railway workers so that they could be nearer to the rail yards,” Radsick said. “These were seen as the ‘affordable housing’ of their time. What’s interesting to me is the Craftsman style homes dominate in the Oleander area, but we do not see them typically north of 24th Street, nor are they as prominent in the La Cresta/Alta Vista area.”

With Bakersfield Country Club and Olde Stockdale, the seclusion and proximity to golf courses adds a lot of appeal to buyers.

For example, Olde StockGary Crabtree dale features large, “estate” sized lots and, as Crabtree explained, “homes ranging in size from 2,000 to 7,600 square feet that range in age from almost new to 84 years and have sold for as high as $1,550,000. Again, it is not uncommon to see older homes purchased, extensively remodeled, and enlarged to accommodate todays’ modern living standards. A home on Fairway Drive was purchased for $275,000, remodeled and expanded and resold less than a year later for $660,000.”

And Walters surmised that the average home price in the Bakersfield Country Club area is between $450,000 and $500,000.

Radsick said that these neighborhoods will have different appeal from street to street. Certain blocks have different homes at different values, and therefore different buyers, which adds to the variety and uniqueness of the areas. So is it a matter of price that has these old homes continuing to find new families decade after decade?

“The La Cresta/Alta Vista area has had homes from $73,000 for a small, two-bedroom, one-bath up to $320,000 for a larger home that had four bedrooms and three baths. The average here is about $147,000, but the design, style, and size of the house vary wildly. The same can be said for Oleander, with an average home cost of $127,000. Westchester is similar in home sizes to La Cresta/Alta Vista, but the prices range from a low of $90,000, all the way up to $680,000.

Thankfully, the average home cost in that area is around $220,000.

So, when you look at it, it’s not typically the cost that has families seeking out these older homes in more relaxed neighborhoods.

The above mentioned prices are fairly on par with most other neighborhoods in town.

“I have found that most buyers for these neighborhoods have already been exposed to the styles and characteristics of older homes in either previous purchases or maybe where they grew up,” Radsick explained with a laugh.

“In the case of Westchester, its ‘close in’ and convenient location

is a major attraction,” Crabtree said. “Many of today’s occupants are second and third generation occupants who grew up in the neighborhood and now have returned to raise their own families. It also has the most Realtors per capita than any other neighborhood in Bakersfield…a clue to its desirability.”

“And buyers who have moved here from older neighborhoods in southern California are very comfortable with the quirks that come from older homes and seem more forgiving of some of those issues,” Radsick added.

And those would be? “Buyers who have grown up with newer, tract-style homes, are less comfortable with older plumbing and electrical wiring…or sometimes it’s the creaky floorboards or the raised foundations.”

“Purchasing an older home in these neighborhoods does not come without some risk,” Crabtree disclosed. “I highly recommend the buyer obtain a complete home inspection before making an offer.”

Leslie Walters Still, that doesn’t mean there haven’t been a number of conversions over the years by the same people who thought they’d always live in a brand new home.

“This is a city with an interesting distinction of areas. People in the northwest will tend to re-purchase in the northwest, people in the southwest, similarly, will buy and continue to live in an area where they feel comfortable. However, the great leveler is

“There are certainly more challenges to living in older homes, but the social rewards seem to outweigh the potential inconveniences.”

—Jeanne Radsick that most people would ‘consider’ being in the Westchester area,” Radsick added with another laugh. She went on to say that a number of clients will tell her they’ll only want a home in a certain area, unless, of course, there is a lovely old home in La Cresta or Oleander available.

“There are certainly more challenges to living in older homes, but the social rewards seem to outweigh the potential inconveniences,” Radsick added. “The homes in these areas, with their quaint, builtin hutches, fireplace hearths that are hand carved, molding around doors that was truly carved, funky closets that were not designed to be walk-in because that was not a concept of necessity but had built-in shoe racks and drawers below the closet and storage doors above…these are homes with character.”

These are things that Crabtree, Radsick, and Walters have discovered hold appeal to a certain growing segment of buyers. “The charm of older homes is indisputable,” Radsick said. And that’s why even though people who’ve always lived in a certain area are willing to make exceptions if a home in one of these neighborhoods opens up. They’ll jump at the chance to start a new chapter of their life in an old home.

DREAM HOMES www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 61

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62 Bakersfield Magazine

Rudy Tafoya helps another client through the home mortgage process.

hances are, if you are seeking out a home, then you will also need to actively explore the different mortgage options that are available. We were able to speak to experts in different aspects of the industry and discover how a person can better understand the ins and outs, the paper work, and details that come with taking out a mortgage.

Todd Windes, the owner and loan officer for Local Lending Home Loans, is no stranger to mortgages and helping people figure out which of the 15- and 30-year options work best for them. What it all boils down to is, essentially, what option fits your financial situation and comfort level best.

Regardless, it is always wise to weigh the pros and cons of both before making a choice. “There are advantages and disadvantages for both fifteen and thirty year mortgages,” Windes began. But it’s fairly logical when you actually think about it. “With a fifteen year mortgage, you have lower interest rates yearly, and paying a loan off fifteen years earlier than the alternative [the 30-year option] will save an enormous amount of interest fees. Also, you could potentially buy two houses within thirty years, rather than just the one.” And the reason for that low interest rate? You’re paying it off faster than you would with a 30-year loan.

However, the monthly payments for a 30-year mortgage will be smaller than the 15-year option, but you’ll pay more interest over time. “The thirty year mortgage seems to be the popular option for the first time home buyer, typically because it helps to ease the shock of having to go from the cost of renting to the cost of a home loan,” Windes added.

Windes did mention that there truly are a num-

There are few events in life that are quite as vital as purchasing the home of your dreams.

It is so much more than just an investment of money and time: it is the foundation for which to build your future upon, the place where you will raise your family, and a place on earth that you can truly call your own.

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Mortgages You Can Live With

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ber of options available, and you may qualify for them, depending on which company you decide to go through and your financial situation, so be sure to keep an open mind and to inquire about any and every choice that’s out there.

Once you have decided which mortgage fits your situation best, there comes the next vital step: applying for the loan. Rudy Tafoya, senior vice president of lending and credit for Kern Schools Federal Credit Union, was able to provide some valuable insight on the entire process. “First off, there are different ways for people to apply: online, go into a branch, contact a telephone center, or talk to a real estate specialist. When a member comes in to inquire about a mortgage loan, we will interview them to try to determine what stage they’re at. Are they looking to get pre-approved to see how much they qualify for? Have they found a home they want and want to make a bid and get an approval letter? Once we have some of that established, then we start to talk to them about the different mortgages that are available to them.”

Tafoya also stated that, while some longer-term loans may seem attractive initially, we are currently in a “low rate environment,” and that means that people who are interested in those loans may actually qualify for a comparable rate on one with a shorter-term. “We try to determine what their needs are, and once we know what they’re looking for, we can then process the application and write the loans out according to Fannie May guidelines.”

Understandably, there are a few things that you should be prepared for before you start the process.

To begin, Tafoya encourages people to consider >> www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 63

Mortgages You Can Live With taking a home buying workshop to help avoid confusion down the road. Also, home hunters should be familiar with the particular area that they’re looking to purchase in and to look at homes that are similar to the ones they’re seeking out. They should be sure that the cost is something that will fit their budget. They should also obtain a copy of their credit report to see what is on it and what can and should be corrected; look at their debt to income ratio and monthly gross pay; and to get a listing of all of their monthly obligations, such as auto loans, credit cards, and anything else that may show up on a credit report.

There is one little detail left that truly should be considered, and that is mortgage insurance. To shed a little light on what the benefits are of having private mortgage insurance, Karen Crago, a senior account manager for Radian Private Mortgage Insurance, said, “Private mortgage insurance [PMI] gives the borrower the ability to purchase the home quickly because they can put less money down.

They can...truly take advantage of market conditions. This means they can make a

64 Bakersfield Magazine

down payment of anywhere between three to nineteen percent, which is superior to the typical twenty percent. PMI is a little more granular in pricing than government lending, as the cost is lower and it is credit score-driven.”

But it isn’t all just about the mortgage insurance, itself: you can also benefit by way of the taxes that must be paid on it when considering PMI options. “On government loans, you only have one struc-

“Private mortgage insurance [PMI] gives the borrower the ability to purchase the home quickly because they can put less money down.”

—Karen Crago ture, for the most part. With conventional mortgage insurance, you have options: you can pay it monthly, so you will pay for as long as the insurance is required. Or you can opt for single premiums, where you pay for the entire cost upfront. You can also choose to do a split premium.

Karen Crago

Todd Windes

Basically, the lender and borrower will discuss all of the options and then choose which works best with the borrower.”

Crago does caution that the borrower be certain to collaborate with a loan officer and ask what their options are, depending on the type of loan they take out.

Clearly, there is a lot of information to take into deep consideration when looking to buy a home, and the better prepared you are in advance, the smoother the overall process will be. While there may be a lot to it, there are options and professionals at the ready to help you realize that wonderful dream of owning your very own home. That feeling of accomplishment that you will get when it is all said and done will be more than DREAM HOMES worth the effort.

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Castle & Cooke Changing lives for the better is something Castle & Cooke knows a little about; they’ve been doing it for over 25 years.

Castle & Cooke homes are renowned for their quality construction, inspired architecture, superior amenities, energy efficiency, and comfortable floor plans.

When Castle & Cooke introduced master planned communities to Bakersfield in 1985 everything changed. With amenities like gated privacy, beautiful parks, resortstyle recreational facilities and manicured greenbelts, living in a Castle & Cooke community became more than just buying a home; it became a lifestyle. Today, Castle & Cooke’s “Green-Wise™” philosophy of home building integrates home, community and life; once again setting the standard for quality homes and lifestyleoriented communities.

Topping the list of outstanding Castle & Cooke communities is The Villas at Seven Oaks, an exclusive gated community of 29 homes nestled on the first fairway of Seven Oaks Country Club golf course.

Classic Spanish architecture captures the romance of early California with arched windows, Mexican tile, wrought iron accents, low maintenance stucco exteriors and warm earth-tone colors. Starting in the mid $400’s a home in The Villas at

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Seven Oaks offers a country club lifestyle reflecting your unique personality, taste and style.

For aficionados of custom or semicustom homes Brighton Estates is one of Castle & Cooke’s original and most desirable residential addresses. Here buyers can choose a quality Castle & Cooke home or a unique creation from some of the area’s finest custom home builders. The cornerstone of the entire Brighton family of master planned communities, Brighton Estates’ gated entry is just steps from the River Walk complex of parks, shops and restaurants. Homes in Brighton Estates begin in the mid $300’s.

In a quiet corner of Castle & Cooke’s flagship Seven Oaks Master Plan, the community of Windermere is an 80-acre haven where the emphasis is on your family’s comfort and happiness. Surrounding a grand central park this private, gated community is filled with landscaped green spaces and tree lined streets reminiscent

of a time when front porch swings, lemonade stands and friendly neighbors were hallmarks of the American way of life. Castle & Cooke homes in Windermere start in the mid $300’s.

Home buyers who prefer to enjoy an active lifestyle rather than yard work will find University Park the perfect blend of convenience, recreation and low maintenance homes. With easy access to The Marketplace, CSUB and The Shops at River Walk, University Park is in the center of everything. But with its stunning homes, park-like setting, meandering landscaped walkways and resort-style swimming pool, many residents are quite content to enjoy the quiet, gated privacy that University Park provides. Homes in University Park start in the low $200’s.

For families seeking a child-friendly environment Village Green is one of Castle & Cooke’s newest gated communities.

A grassy central park is filled with picnic tables, a playground, a lushly landscaped beach-entry pool and a children’s water spray park. Streets are designed to control traffic flow, making them safer not only for children but for all residents, and the homes are pure Castle & Cooke, featuring comfortable floor plans, classic architecture and prices starting in the mid $200’s.

And finally, Brighton Parks is Bakersfield’s premier gated active adult community where residents enjoy “Life in Full Bloom.” With a multitude of parks, beautiful low-maintenance homes, a central clubhouse filled with game rooms, a magnificent pool and spa, exercise equipment and organized resident activities, life in Brighton Parks starts in the low $200’s.

With everything these communities have to offer, it’s no wonder Castle & Cooke has come to represent what is best about life in Bakersfield. To learn more about Castle & Cooke homes and communities call 664-6039 or visit www.CastleCookeHomes.com.

10000 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield | 661-664-6039 www.CastleCookeHomes.com www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 65

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Standard Pacific Homes With 2 New Neighborhoods Now In Bakersfield, Standard Pacific Homes Brings To Our Local Market A Blend of Artistry and Advancement In Home Design

Ideal for family living, Standard Pacific Homes at Windwood offers up to 2,600 square feet of living space, 3 to 5 bedrooms plus den, 2 to 3 baths and plentiful storage.

The Artistry Of Home® Since 1965.

For nearly 50 years, Standard Pacific Homes has brought a blend of artistry and advancement to home design. Our architects continuously explore new ways to craft high-quality homes that address the changing lifestyles of homeowners and can be enjoyed and cherished today and for years to come.

The way we live today has changed and at Standard Pacific Homes we design homes that reflect that. Our team of award-winning architects has created an all-new array of home designs, which are less formal, with a sense of beauty, quality and spaciousness. Our home designs feature the distinctive architectural details and timeless craftsmanship we’ve always been known for and embody the casual luxury of today’s lifestyle.

Elements you are likely to see in our homes include spacious designs that flow from room to room, indoor to outdoor connectivity that fills the home with light and brings the

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66 Bakersfield Magazine

outdoors in, flexible spaces that can be customized to your individual needs and multifunctional living spaces that adapt to ev-

Our team of award-winning architects has created an all-new array of home designs, which are less formal, with a sense of beauty, quality and spaciousness.

eryday living as well as formal entertaining.

Exceptional Customer Experience.

At Standard Pacific Homes, quality is the standard we deliver on every day. Just ask our customers. There’s nothing that means as much to us as the praise of a satisfied homeowner, so we are pleased to have earned a reputation as one of the nation’s leading homebuilders for quality, customer service and beautiful home designs.

Your home is the most important purchase you’ll ever make and we are committed to making it a great experience before and after you move in. Because you’re not just buying a house, you’re choosing a

partner you can count on to stand behind your new home for years to come. That approach to our business has earned us a reputation for exceptional customer service. e-Standard (sm) Philosophy.

With each home and neighborhood that we build, Standard Pacific Homes pays thoughtful attention to energy efficiency.

This is our e-Standard (sm) philosophy and many of our homes include energy-conscious solutions such as modern heating and cooling systems, Low-E dual glazed windows, water-saving plumbing fixtures, automatic set-back digital thermostats and ENERGY STAR ® appliances.

In our 50-year history, our homebuyers have enjoyed quality construction, innovative architecture and forward-thinking design in communities specifically selected for their lifestyle advantages. We invite you to visit our new home neighborhoods today.

For more information about our two brand new home neighborhoods in Bakersfield, visit standardpacifichomes.com.

15360 Barranca Pkwy., Irvine | 949-789-1600 www.standardpacifichomes.com

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Lennar Homes Multi-generational­ Lennar moves home plans into the future to help families live together

This (5) five bedroom Epiphany is one of Lennar’s Next Gen, the Home within a Home, floor plans designed for the next generation or multi-generational living.

Is your mother living with you? Is Junior moving back in after falling victim to the job market? Will Grandma save herself (and you) some money by taking over that extra room? Or do you just have frequent visitors? To cope with a changing economy and the changing way America lives, Lennar Homes takes the “mother-in-law” concept a step further with their revolutionary Next GenSM, the Home within a Home, floor plans—for “next generation” or “multigenerational living.”

The exciting home designs—two are offered now and a third will be unveiled in August—are offered in Bakersfield and have been welcomed enthusiastically. The first plan introduced is called the Versatillion, now offered in a number of Lennar communities throughout Bakersfield, right alongside all of their other popular “Everything’s Included” floor plans. The Versatillion plan features four bedrooms and three baths— including the private suite—in 2,257 square feet.

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“As time passes, lifestyles can change, and the Next Gen floor plans make design history by offering not just a separate bed-

Families feel right at home in any and all of the Lennar designs, whether it is a first home, or you are moving up, or even down-sizing. room and bath, they also include a separate bedroom, bath, living area and kitchenette, all with its own entry door,” says Susan Wilke, Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

“Our Versatillion plan generated so much great feedback, we introduced a second, larger plan called the Epiphany earlier this year,” adds Wilke. “Both the Epiphany and the Versatillion are modeled at our Summerlyn community at Allen & Reina roads.”

Many Valley families have taken advantage of this new concept in living space and are learning that you can live together but not on top of each other. And the Epiphany,

with up to five bedrooms and over 3,000 square feet of living space and a three car garage, brings more room for those seeking additional space.

The third multigenerational floor plan that will be introduced this August at the Tradewinds Estates community is called the Camelot. And it, too, will showcase ways for families to live together and save money, yet still have their own space. Look for details about this home coming soon.

President Mike Miller says, “As a family’s needs change, these multigenerational designs are built to accommodate those needs.”

“Families feel right at home in any and all of the Lennar designs, whether it is a first home, or you are moving up, or even down-sizing. We have homes for almost any budget, and Lennar has a new program that offers homebuyers access to a ‘credit repair advocate,’ ” Wilke continues.

All Lennar homes come with top-of-theline “Everything’s Included” features such as stainless steel appliances, granite slab kitchen countertops, and upgraded European-style cabinetry throughout the home.

In addition, buyers will also enjoy several hi-tech, energy-efficient features already included in the homes such as tankless water heaters, radiant barrier roof sheathing, Energy Star® rated dishwasher, and a customer favorite Nexia® Home Automation System which includes programmable and keyless entry, remote access, and much more.

“Rates are historically low, and if you take advantage of our financing through Universal American Mortgage of California, your monthly payment can be super-affordable,” Miller says.

Visit the Lennar community nearest you this weekend to discover the advantages of a Lennar home, low financing, and get info on Next Gen living. For more information about Lennar’s Next Gen, “The Home within a Home” concept, call (661) 836-8601 or visit LENNAR.com.

Summerlyn – Reina & Allen Road | 661-836-8601 www.lennar.com www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 67

68 Bakersfield Magazine

GARDENING WITH MRS. P What would late summer in Bakersfield be without Mrs. P’s Annual Q&A column? This is when your most pressing garden questions are answered; your fevered brows cooled; and winning Lotto numbers provided.

By Lynn Pitts

For the record, I'm kidding about the Lotto numbers; they'll be provided in my next column. wife is into natural stuff and doesn’t want me Q My spraying too many chemicals around. What can I use

to zap wasps, yellow jackets, and mosquitoes when we entertain outside?

Ah, yes, Mrs. P well remembers those wonderful old DDT bombs set off in everyone’s backyards in the summer.

Wow, those were the days; our motto was “No bug like a dead bug.” Ok, enough of nostalgia. Let’s make Mama happy, Big Guy. Here are some greenie ways of deterring unwanted guests at your next barbeque. I have two ideas for conking yellow jackets and wasps.

1. Skewer a big old fish head and hang over a bucket of soapy water. Place away from where you’ll be sitting. In no time those buzzing critters will gorge on the fish head and fall dead into the water. This was told to me by a fishing guide some years ago while I was going down the Rogue River in Oregon.

2. Buy a trap that uses a natural lure, contains no poisons, and will not trap honey bees. One brand I’ve used is Oak Stump (found

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at www.springstar.net). You just add fruit juice (not citrus) and a few drops of dish soap.

In either case, don’t place traps near active nests as the insects will not stop at the trap on their way to their nest. Mosquitoes love standing water. It’s where they breed. Get rid of it. Keep bird baths clean with fresh water daily in hot weather, otherwise twice a week. Toss rosemary or sage branches onto your hot barbeque coals. Mosquitoes don’t like the strong scent of herbs. Mix up a homemade repellant. If you grow catnip, crush two cups of catnip leaves and place in a quart jar. Cover with two to three cups rice vinegar (unseasoned, naturally). Seal jar and store for two weeks.

Shake the jar every day or so. Strain into a clean spray bottle and refrigerate (up to six months). Use as needed by spraying on exposed skin and around outdoor eating areas. They say mosquitoes are particularly annoyed by garlic and lemon-scented herbs.

Strictly between us girls, Mrs. P has always felt a few spritzes of Jean Nate After Bath Splash Mist (citrus scented) is far better than smelling like garlic at one’s outdoor events.

©istockphoto.com/2manydogs(wasp), greenpimp(gnome)

always yearned for an English garden but the style Q I’ve of my house and landscaping is more Buck Owens

Crystal Palace than London’s Crystal Palace (built by Queen Victoria’s Prince Albert). Is there any hope for me?

Oh, sure. Haven’t you heard of the magic of mini gardens? You can create something you can’t do—or don’t want to—in your backyard. An English style garden is highmaintenance. But a mini garden takes less time and money than real ones. Nurseries and craft stores can supply you with everything you’ll need in exactly the right size, including wrought iron tables and chairs, glass cloches, terra cotta pots, fences, and >>

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arbors. Select a container with drainage holes, preferably a wide, shallow pot or wooden box. Fill with a good quality potting soil, never topsoil from your yard.

Select miniature or dwarf plants that will give you that English look you’re after.

After planting, install your “hardscape,” such as paths made of sand, tiny pebbles, and mosaic tiles. Decorate with accessories and that’s it. Dwarf English boxwood makes excellent trees, Baby’s tears spread as fillers, miniature Juniper stands in for conifers, and most of the rock garden plants can be trimmed to size. You can save a bunch of money by repurposing a basket lined with plastic as a container. Interesting stones and shells from the beach; twigs and old dollhouse furniture. Rummage around in your jewelry box. In other words, make it anything you wish. I’ve also been experimenting with my own miniscape and while a work still in progress, it’s been a delightful gardening experience. I can putter around on my patio table; complete the weeding, pruning, and watering without leaving my chair. A good way to garden on a hot summer day!

Photo by Charlie Boy

Cordyline australis

recommend some easy Q Please care plants to grow in an area

next to my swimming pool. We have pollen allergies, pets, and kids, so I’m guessing Sagos?

Sago Palms used to be the no-brainer “Go To” pool buddies. These plants are not actually palms, but cycas, evergreen primitive, cone-bearing relatives of coni-

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70 Bakersfield Magazine

fers. They’re tough, long-living, and widely used around swimming pools. However, they have a nasty habit of poisoning pets and humans. All parts of the plants, especially the leaves and seeds contain carcinogens and neurotoxins. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has identified Sago Palms as one of the most toxic plants that both cats and dogs may encounter. Who else would tell you these things? A far better choice would be Cordyline. Known more commonly as Draceana australis or Cordyline indivisa, these woody plants with swordlike leaves are related to Yuccas and Agaves. Hardy down to 15 degrees, they can take full sun and moderate water. Colorful varieties include the bronzy red Altropurpurea; Pink Stripe, bronze with pink margins; Red Star, with purplish red leaves; and Sundance, green and pink striped.

What’s your opinion of those graft-

Q ed tomatoes we keep hearing about?

Mrs. P will admit to being late to the party on this latest tomato craze. Available to the home grower for the past couple of years, grafted tomatoes are two plants in one. The top of one plant (the scion) is melded with the rootstalk of another. We're all familiar with hybrid roses, which are also grafted. This is the same idea. Vegetable grafting has been known a long time in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. What’s so great about marrying the top of one plant with the rootstalk of another? Essentially, the breeder gets to choose the best qualities from two plants.

These are not—repeat not—GMOs (genetically modified organisms). This is not a gimmick, either. Grafted tomatoes have proved more effective at taking up water and nutrients. They're tougher. Tougher tomatoes are better at withstanding disease, pests, and temperature fluctuations. Grafting produces more food with fewer chemicals on less acreage. Soon to be available, I understand, are grafted eggplants, peppers, cucumbers, squashes, and melons.

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Photo by mercedesfromtheeighties

Gardening with Mrs. P

Heirloom Tomatoes

I bought three grafted tomato plants last spring. Grafting lends itself to having success growing heirloom tomatoes, which can be prone to diseases and lower production. The plants I bought online were less expensive than those found in the Big Box stores. I chose Brandywine Red, Cherokee Purple, and Principe Borghese. I had grown, from seed, these tomato varieties in past years and wanted to compare the grafted to the non-grafted. Well, they turned out fantastically better than I had hoped.

Planting them was definitely different. The graft line needed to be above the soil level.

Because grafts are the Hercules of veggies, they needed both staking and caging to support all that vigor. My trio of Fabio’s certainly gave and gave and gave. I canned 24 quarts and made lots of tomato sauce for the freezer. There was no difference in taste

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. from the same varieties not grafted. An extra, yet important, advantage to growing these grafted love-apples is that you can use the same soil to grow grafted tomatoes again year after year. Normally, one must rotate plantings from one bed to another to avoid diseased soil. Would I plant grafts again? Absolutely, with no reservation. v Lynn Pitts, better known as Mrs. P., is a native Californian, master gardener in four counties including Kern, a garden writer, and professional botanical artist. She has been featured on The Art of Gardening, on PBS, and has conducted flower workshops throughout California for botanical gardens and arboretums.

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Home Ownership Guide to

2013 Whether you’ve owned your home for years or you’re ready to hand over a down payment on your first, one thing is certain— there’s a lot to consider when you’ve got four walls and a roof to your name. Sure, some things you can learn by doing, but when it comes to repairing, remodeling, or even decorating, it’s best to seek professional advice. So, we talked to local industry experts on a wide array of subjects relating to home ownership, everything from the perks of unfinished furniture to the convenience of tankless water heaters, so that you’re more informed on the options available to you. You’re already a Home Owner, now it’s time to be a Home Connoisseur.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 71

What You Should Know... presented by ALL AMERICAN CARPET, Inc.

Carpet 72 Bakersfield Magazine

It is no secret that choosing carpet for your home is a huge decision. It can directly affect the overall feel of your living space, and will definitely affect the look. Naturally, there are a lot of things to consider, but did you know that your choice of carpet can also have an impact on the environment? It may sound strange, but the carpeting industry has actually found some pretty unique ways to “go green”—and we aren’t talking color schemes.

Tom Roberts and Mike Passaglia, co-owners of All American Carpet, have decades of experience in the flooring industry and shared a very interesting tidbit about how carpet manufacturers have changed their game in recent years to bring something more to their buyers. “A lot of products are being made out of recyclable items,” Roberts said.

“Old carpet used to go to landfills, but now, [the companies that manufacture carpet] are taking it back and making new carpet out of it. There’s even polyester that is made of yarn comprised of ground up soda pop bottles.”

The benefits that come with using this type of material are numerous. For countless years, nylon was the popular fabric of choice when it came to carpeting. However, nylon is petroleumbased, and as the cost of petroleum increased, so did the cost of the carpet, and drastically. To keep up with the changing times—and to save customers money—carpet producers started to explore their options so that they might expand their lines. New yarn systems were thusly developed, which contain everything from plastics to mohair.

There has also been a vast improvement concerning the quality of these materials, as well.

“Polyester carpet for years had a reputation of matting, packing, and shedding really badly,” Passaglia detailed. “But about eight or nine years ago, a continuous filament polyester carpet was

Photos courtesy of Mohawk®

2013

developed, and that eliminated these problems, altogether.”

Another advantage to these new choices in flooring is that they are colorfast, meaning that the color is built into the yarn as opposed to being dyed. This is especially advantageous because harsher chemicals can be used to get out any stains in addition to the fibers being inherently stain resistant. They’re also easier to clean, due in part to this feature, so spending hours upon hours—and sometimes days—trying to rid your beautiful floor of numerous unfortunate accidents may very well be a thing of the past.

While the options are better than ever, the pair did give one pivotal piece of advice: know what you’re looking for before going to a flooring establishment, because between the tiles, wood, carpet, and countless other options—some which may very well be completely new to you—it may feel overwhelming. “There is typically a vast selection to consider, so you should know the look you’re going for, the amount you’re looking to pay, the materials you like, and the footage you’re looking to cover,” Passaglia recommended. “It will make the overall process worlds easier for everyone involved.”

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www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 73

What You Should Know... presented by Rock Bottom Pools

74 Bakersfield Magazine

PHOTO BY VIC BRINCAT

Around these parts, one of the most sought-after home amenities is a swimming pool.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why, either.

When the mercury in the thermometer starts rising, the only thing many of us can think of is finding some respite near water. For some, the solution is to install a pool. For others, those with smaller backyards, a small water feature could be just the ticket.

We know what you’re thinking—these types of things take too long to install, they are a pain to manage once installed, and they are too expensive.

But we’re here to tell you that you do have options if you’re looking to incorporate a little H2O into your landscape.

“Many people think the process is lengthy,” said Chuck Holmes, president of Rock Bottom Pools, Inc., a company he co-owns with his wife, Suzanne. “But a project can be completed in as little as four to six weeks, and sometimes sooner, depending on the design and size.”

And then there’s the expense. But Holmes confirmed that custom designs don’t have to be so costly that you have to take out a loan. There are affordable options out there for every household.

“In the past, we’ve built a lot of pools with rock features incorporated into them, but the trends seem to be changing somewhat from the free form rock pools to more contemporary pools,” Holmes said in response to the types of pools popular in Bakersfield right now. Additionally, there are new trends in tiles to consider when deciding to install a pool for your family. So there are many options out there and it’s very important to take your time and choose something you like—because once it’s in, there’s no going back.

“In my opinion, the most important thing a homeowner should do when considering installPHOTO BY BING RAMOS

Pools

2013

ing a pool is to deal with a licensed, reputable company,” Holmes added. That’s because if the work performed in your yard is handled by an unlicensed company or contractor, you could be on the hook for any problems with the installation or the product.

Also, keep in mind that in Bakersfield, pools must be installed five feet from the property line, so make sure you take that into consideration when measuring your yard and determining where you want your pool. “Still, people would be amazed where you can fit a pool,” Holmes added.

So what about that pesky maintenance problem? “Most systems require minimum maintenance,” Holmes explained. “The only thing that is crucial to manage is the water chemistry.” And he says Bakersfield has a number of great pool maintenance companies to help with that.

The benefits of having a swimming pool in the backyard are plentiful. “There is nothing better than plunging into a cool pool when it’s hot outside. And it’s also a great reason to stay home and enjoy friends and family,” Holmes said. So whether you want a full-size pool or just a small one for a quick dip in the summer, it’s a dream that’s easily realized.

Rock Bottom Pools and Landscape Company

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Rock Bottom is a company based on integrity and that “no job is worth doing unless it is done right.” Every project meets or exceeds the highest quality to the industry.

We have been building one-of-a-kind, award winning projects since 1988. We look forward to helping you make your dreams come true.

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661-859-1700 • 2724 Landco Drive www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 75 RockBottomPools.com

What You Should Know... presented by WOODLAND FURNITURE

Furniture 76 Bakersfield Magazine

Look around your home and you’ll see plenty of renovation options. Maybe you redo the floors or texture and repaint the walls. But as long as you still decorate with the same tired furniture, the room won’t be as dynamic as you want it. Thankfully, there are some great local options.

Everyone loves wood furniture—that’s a nobrainer. But some people forget that they are not limited to the stock at big box retailers. When reviewing options for new furniture, think unfinished.

“What makes unfinished furniture unique is the personalization you can do,” explained Celina Chang, owner of Woodland Furniture here in Bakersfield. “Not only can you make it whatever color you want to match any other piece in your home, but in many cases, you can also have it made in custom sizes, to exactly fit the space in your home.”

As Chang elaborated, this is especially important if you need a multipurpose wall system or if you have an architectural obstruction (like an angled wall or support beam) in your way.

Obviously, the main feature of unfinished furniture is that your choices are unlimited, not only with color, but with wood type, too. “Unfinished furniture is usually a better quality to start with because it is made of real wood of the highest grade,” Chang said. “There are several manufacturers of unfinished furniture in the United States and they offer products made of a number of different types of wood, like oak, alder, pine, and maple.”

So once you’ve got your wood, you just need to pick out your finish. Everything from different stains, paints, glazes, and even the ability to add a distressed style to give the piece an antique look, is available.

Another added benefit is the cost. Doing the finishing of your wood furniture yourself not only

Photos courtesy of Woodcraft Industries

2013

means your product will be one-of-a-kind and exactly what you want, but you’ll save money, as unfinished wood costs less than finished pieces because you’re not paying for someone else’s labor.

But Chang was quick to mention one important part of decorating with wood furniture— the layout.

“When you start designing a room, you want to start with a focal point, or a statement piece, that really means something to you.

Then you work around that focal point,” she added. “In the living room, this is most commonly the sofa and in the bedroom the focal point is the bed. Once you’ve established that focal point, you slowly add signature pieces that complement the décor or pattern of your bedding or sofa.”

Unfinished furniture is a great option when redecorating because you can match your new furniture to your desired colors instead of having to settle for something close to what you wanted.

Finally, Chang encourages everyone to only use pieces they absolutely love rather than have unnecessary clutter. After all, you don’t want to cover up your new end table to the point that no one can see your efforts and your unique piece of furniture!

Quality...

Specializing in unfinished natural solid wood furniture as well as fully finished furnishings

Sets us apart At Woodland, our goal is to offer quality furniture to our customer at the best

price possible with superior customer service. We are committed to providing customer satisfaction with honesty and integrity to become your local family furniture store both now and for future generations.

Whether you’re looking for a complete bedroom set, or a unique accent piece, Woodland has it all. We specialize in quality solid wood unfinished furniture, including custom designed wall systems. We have a large selection of in-stock dining sets, desks, book cases, TV stands, bedroom furniture, occasional tables and kids furniture. We also have the hard-tofind items, like corner cabinets and kitchen islands.

If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, we have a complete line of stains, paints and finishing supplies and will help you to have your custom creation.

Now Offering Custom Order Upholstery! your Furniture – your way!

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7921 Rosedale Hwy. • 661-834-4288www.bakersfieldmagazine.net • WoodlandFurnitureBakersfield.com / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 77

What You Should Know... presented by BAKERSFIELD ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS ®

78 Bakersfield Magazine

©istockphoto.com/Marje

You have arrived: you are at the point in your life where you have the means and capability to buy your very own little corner of the world! That’s right—you are now ready to venture into the world of real estate. You have established a price range, you have scoured the internet and local neighborhoods for properties, and you have even driven yourself out to a few listings that you’re drawn to to sneak some peeks in. But, when it gets down to it, you know that you can’t base such a huge decision on just internet searches and enthusiasm. So, the next logical question is: where do you start?

Naturally, the fastest way to become savvy, yourself, is to get connected with someone who is an expert in the industry. When it comes to real estate, your closest ally should be your real estate agent.

That’s a given. However, what may be lesser-known is that there is quite the difference between an agent and a REALTOR®, and there are good reasons for that.

David Knoeb, president of the Bakersfield Association of REALTORS®, explained just what it is that sets an agent apart from a REALTOR®. “A real estate agent is a REALTOR® when he or she becomes a member of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR)—The Voice for Real Estate— the world’s largest professional association,” Knoeb began. “The term ‘REALTOR®’ is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and abides by its strict Code of Ethics.”

This Code of Ethics is something that they take very seriously, and it ensures that they are completely up front and honest with their clients.

For instance, if a house or property they’re representing has anything negative in its history—like water damage—a REALTOR® is required to disclose that information. (You can even find out these cru©istockphoto.com/SEAN

Local REALTORS

®

2013

cial details about a property by visiting the Multiple Listing Service, or MLS, on the internet. This database carries all that you may need to know about local property listings as posted by NAR representatives.)

Fortunately, agents aren’t the only folks involved in the industry that are considered to be REALTORS®. The title actually spans many facets. Knoeb confirmed, “Founded in 1908, NAR has grown from its original nucleus of one hundred and twenty members to more than one million today. NAR is composed of REALTORS® who are involved in residential and commercial real estate as well as brokers, salespeople, property managers, appraisers, counselors, and others who are engaged in all aspects of the real estate industry.” This is an especially important tidbit, as you can be assured that you have options available to you explained by professionals who have nothing but your best interest in mind.

When it comes to the how and the why of having members of the NAR on your side when looking to purchase real estate, Knoeb said it best, “From their voluntary adherence to a Code of Ethics to their incomparable knowledge of real estate processes, REALTORS® are the experts of residential and commercial property transactions.”

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 79

What You Should Know... presented by Adrijon Handforged Ironwork

80 Bakersfield Magazine

©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/meailleluc

Ask any knight in shining armor to hack his way through a thorny bush for love and, mostly likely, he’ll rescue the damsel in distress with ease. Ask him to break through a wroughtiron fence and he might end up sheathing his sword to fight for someone else’s honor. That’s because wrought-iron is no slouch when it comes to barricading a fair maiden—or a ’50-style split level. The truth is, wrought iron gates, fences, doors, and stairway railings are still a popular form of decoration and security.

But you don’t have to take our word for it.

“Wrought iron never goes out of style,” explained Maritza Cipriano of Adrijon Handforged Ironwork.

“It was originally used in the 1600s and literally means ‘worked iron.’ ” But hundreds of years later, it’s still in use for not only tools and protective barriers, but for decorations and design work, too.

“Hand forged iron works will likely be in use for centuries to come due to its classic good looks and the fact that iron doesn’t require a lot of maintenance,” Cipriano added. “And another big reason is that wrought iron, with its clean appearance, fits in with just about any home décor.”

If you’re looking to incorporate some wroughtiron work into your home or out in your landscape, there are a few things to remember. One, and this is the most important one, if you want a truly customized piece of iron, it’s not going to be ready the next day. After all, we’re talking about something hand-crafted.

“A true blacksmith makes his curved pieces and decorations by hand,” Cipriano said. “It is very time consuming but the quality of the finished product shows that time, craftsmanship, and passion have been put into each project. Blacksmithing is an old world trade that is becoming lost with shortcuts and mass produced, imported decorative parts. But true hand-forged wrought iron ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/archyman

Wrought Iron

2013

works are incredibly unique and far more personal than the prefabricated products available in home décor stores today. And because of that, and depending on the size of the project, some time is needed.”

Another thing to realize is that a handforged work made of wrought iron isn’t something you can find in a discount bin—but you’ll be paying for craftsmanship. For example, Cesar Cipriano, the owner and blacksmith of Adrijon, spends hours painstakingly working on designs, using his hands and a number of hand tools including anvils, tongs, mallets, chisels, forges, and hammers.

The most amazing aspect of hand-forged wrought-iron products is that the design is absolutely one-of-a-kind. “You are only limited by your imagination,” Cipriano said. Usually a designer will study the style of the house or business to gather information on the preference and wants of the client. The idea is to have the wrought-iron meld seamlessly with the established architecture of the house.

No matter the design, though, rest assured that there’s always a way to make a wroughtiron door, gate, or fabulous balcony railing a reality, and not just a fairy tale fantasy, for your home.

VIST OUR SHOWROOM! Locally Owned & Operated

Custom Wrought Iron Work

Hand-Forged Masterpieces

CESAR CIPRIANO

—Wrought Iron Master

S

ince the age of 13, when he enrolled in a metal sculpture class by mistake, Cesar Cipriano discovered he had found his passion in life. As his love for and skill in sculpting grew, he began researching and learning more about his chosen profession.

z Elegant Gates z Home & Garden z Doors/Fences z Landscape Art z Furniture z Stairways/Balconies

He cultivated his expertise from art museums and professional mentors.

Cesar’s ironwork has been exhibited in many galleries. He continues to create exquisite pieces for the discriminating homeowner. As an artist, he embraces quality and adds passion and love to each creation.

He is thankful for the people he serves and who have become a true blessing in his life.

2231 N Street ~ (661) 327-0077 www.Adrijon. comwww.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 81

What You Should Know... presented by Prince Financial Corp.

82 Bakersfield Magazine

©istockphotos.com/KentWeakley

Have you ever given any thought to a reverse mortgage? For certain homeowners, specifically those over the age of 62 with sufficient equity in their home, a reverse mortgage is a smart choice over a typical loan.

“Instead of making a mortgage payment to a lender, the lender pays the homeowner for the equity built up in the home,” explained Barbara Prince, owner of Prince Financial Corp. “But without ever having to leave, sell, or refinance the home.” It’s tax-free money and doesn’t have to be paid back unless you move from the property, at which time the borrower, or heirs, would pay back the loan.

So, just how does it work? According to Prince, “a rough estimate of the amount of equity that the lender will give the borrower is approximately sixty percent of the current value of the property.” And that percentage goes up depending on the age of the homeowner. “The remaining equity stays in the property. The property is estimated to continue appreciating each year, therefore increasing in equity while the borrower’s principal balance is also increasing, unlike a forward mortgage where it is decreasing as payments are made.”

It’s not completely unlike a home equity loan, which is another option for homeowners. “A home equity loan is also a type of forward loan in which you make payments on the loan granted, and if there is an existing loan on the property, you then make two payments,” Prince specified.

Still, there are some misconceptions about reverse mortgages, which Prince happily cleared up.

For one thing, it is entirely up to the borrower how they receive the money. “It can be taken out in one lump sum or it can be set up like an equity line to use only as you need it. And some people choose to take part cash and part monthly payments.” ©istockphotos.com/kroach

Reverse Mortgage

2013

Another misconception is that the equity will run out and the borrower will be forced to move out of their home. “This is just not true,” Prince explained. “If the borrower elected to take an equity line form of payment and the lump sum placed in that equity line runs out, there just is no more money to advance, but you never need to move or pay back the loan.”

Finally, many people misunderstand the “burden” of any repayment passing on to heirs. Prince elaborated, “At such time as the Note is due, the borrower and/or their heirs have twelve months to refinance the property and/or sell the property.

If the property is refinanced, the entire balance on the loan must be paid back. If the property is sold, even if the value of the property has dropped to well below what is owed, the borrower/heirs are not responsible for any funds over and above the sales price.” And if the property is sold at more than the amount owed at time of sale the remaining equity all goes to the borrower or heirs.

A reverse mortgage can be a difficult concept to understand, so it’s important to discuss the ins and outs with a financial consultant. And then you can determine if it’s the right option for you and your household.

PF rince C i nancial

or p

Barbara Prince Owner/Broker

Lic. #01156614

Bakersfield Purchase Loans | VA Loans | FHA Loans | Bakersfield Refinance Bakersfield Reverse Mortgage | Bakersfield Home Loan California Small Commercial Loans | Kern River Valley Purchase Loans Kern River Valley Refinances | Kern River Valley Home Loans

P

rince Financial is a family-owned business formed in 1994 but the principal officers, David and Barbara Prince, have over 35 years experience in all aspects of the Real Estate business. We love the Mortgage Finance business and it has been our entire working careers.

We love the interaction with people in assisting them in probably their largest financial investment. We have our office in Bakersfield, CA, but we have several referral clients from all over California.

There are several reasons to use a Mortgage Broker such as Prince Financial, but possibly the best one is the availability of several options, not just one, as it would be with a major lender.

Each lender has their own guidelines, which your particular scenario may not fit, but it will with another lender. A mortgage broker has access to several lenders and that is a benefit to you and we invite you to compare the closing costs with Prince Financial vs any other mortgage broker and/or direct lender.

You will find us less costly and rates equal to or better.

If you are looking to refinance, purchase, or do a reverse mortgage on any property located in the state of California, we can help. First time homebuyer programs are all available to you, some 100% financing programs and we have several lending sources available to you to make sure your home purchase becomes a realtiy.

Corporate NMLS #196065 Broker/Loan Officer NMLS #310156

Prince Financial Corp • 661-326-7300

1712 19th Street Suite 102 • Bakersfield, CA 93301 www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 83 Fax: 661-215-5717 • Email: princefinancial@sbcglobal.net

What You Should Know... presented by SUN SOLAR

84 Bakersfield Magazine

©istockphoto.com/Elenathewise

If there is one thing that Bakersfield and our surrounding areas have in common, it is that we are never short on sunshine. One incredible advantage that we have—one that can also prove to be one of the greatest investments that you can make in your home—is that with all of that sunshine, comes a whole lot of solar energy.

Chances are, you’ve heard about solar panels and some of the advantages of going green in this fashion. Although the entire process and clarity in terms of just how you reap benefits from using solar energy can be a bit overwhelming at first glance. That is where Jeff Periera—founder and president for Sun Solar Energy Solutions, Inc.— comes in.

When investing in a home project, not many people are thinking about how it will end up paying them back in the long run. “If you’re looking to invest, the worst return on a solar investment is ten percent,” Periera began. “I like to say that the return is as sure as the sun coming up because it is saving you money every single day, and could lower your power bills to one to two hundred dollars a year.” Considering that there are plenty of places that are so large that they require two air conditioners to keep cool, the savings can be staggering.

There is a lot for the curious shopper to learn. First off, it should be known that you will not be completely disconnected from PG&E when using solar. This can put any “rainy day” worries you may have to rest, because even if the sun fails to shine, you will always be able to use energy as you do today. Your comfort and lifestyle need never be compromised. You will, however, be set up with a specialty meter that knows when you are storing up energy or using it. That is one huge distinction between using solar panels versus regular forms of energy: while using traditional energy means you ©istockphoto.com/VELORA

Solar Power

2013

are expending energy, going solar equates to actually gaining energy.

Periera detailed, “In the morning, when the sun comes up, the solar panels start up, and your meter is literally turning backward because it’ll get more energy than you need at that time. The meter, then, is deducting the amount of billable amounts used. It is actually adding credits to your energy bill. Solar energy ‘goes to sleep’ during the night without the sun, so the meter then goes in other direction and charges you what is used.” Speaking of energy bills, you will receive a statement every month, but will only have to pay once a year. Sometimes, depending on usage, PG&E may end up owing you!

Another detail to consider is the type of panels you’re going to have installed (a process which takes about 45 to 60 days, total). Periera recommends using SunPower items, as they’ve been proven to last longer and provide more power. Regardless, whether you are planning on purchasing the panels, outright, or are interested in financing, there are options available to you in your solar journey, and they will all end up saving you money while helping to partially take you off the grid. Money saved, environment spared— what’s not to love?

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661-379-7000 www.SunSolarPros.com Recognized in the top 100 solar contractors, U.S. —Solar Power World - 2012 www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 85

What You Should Know... presented by SUPERIOR ROOFING

86 Bakersfield Magazine

Photo courtesy of GAF

When it comes to home improvement, most of us happily plug away at projects even if we’re a little unsure of what we’re doing. That’s the joy of being a do-it-yourselfer, right? Fake it ‘til you make it. But there is one area of home improvement that everyone agrees should be left to professionals. Roofing!

“There are many folks out there that are willing to try their hand at roofing,” explained Sergio Olmos, owner of Superior Roofing. “But roofing is not only very labor intensive, it’s dangerous for someone unskilled in the process.” Not to mention, Olmos added, if you install your roof improperly according to the manufacturer’s instructions, your warranty will be void—and that’s bad news because a good roof costs a pretty penny.

So say you’re ready to replace your roof. Maybe it’s been on the house for too long (Olmos said most roofs start to fail between 20 and 30 years), or you might be moving and want to add some value to your home to increase its market appeal. Those are both great reasons for looking into putting a new roof on your house.

Olmos recommends driving around your current neighborhood to find a roofing option that fits your preferences and also keeps in the style of the neighborhood. Popular types in Bakersfield are concrete tiles and composition shingles. Something to consider, of course, is that for every type of roofing there are also different grades of materials for each. Some are thicker and weigh less.

But you need to choose wisely, because once it’s on, it’s on!

Just as important as the type of roof you want is the roofing contractor you hire. It’s very important to double check that the contractor you hire has a valid license (you can do research at www.cslb.ca.gov). “They may say they have one, but it could be expired or suspended, so make sure you

Photo courtesy of EAGLE ROOFING PRODUCTS

Roofing

2013

check,” Olmos explained. If you hire an unlicensed contractor, the work won’t be guaranteed and you’ll be liable for any problems.

“Every contractor can install the same materials as the next one,” Olmos said with a laugh, “but it’s how they install them that is the biggest difference.”

And before hiring anyone to do the job, you also want to request a workers comp and a general liability insurance certificate. This will ensure the proper insurance is in effect in case an accident should occur on your property.

Once your beautiful roof is installed, you want to make sure you maintain it.

“The most common problem homeowners make is that they don’t properly maintain the roof,” Olmos added. “Upkeep is very important but it’s also fairly simple for a roof. Basically, you need to keep it clean from debris and reseal all your pipes and penetrations on the roof. I recommend doing this on a yearly basis.” If there are a lot of trees around the house, the roof may need to be cleaned off more often than that. “Doing the maintenance, while it can seem like a big chore, will prevent future leaks and ensure the longevity of the roof.”

And isn’t that all we really want in a roof?

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661-322-8300 www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 87

What You Should Know... presented by Specialty Trim & Awning, INC.

88 Bakersfield Magazine

©istockphoto.com/mrlonleywalker

Here in Bakersfield, we’re constantly looking for ways to keep our houses cool, but also keep our energy bills down. It’s something of a contradiction, so we’ve just gotten used to running the AC all day and paying the price later. And that’s the way it has to be, right? Wrong. You don’t have to compromise your comfort in order to save money. Not if you’re smart enough to venture into the world of awnings!

You might be wondering just how much of a difference an awning can make. Thankfully, Jerry Margrave, owner and Master Fabric Crafter of Specialty Trim & Awning, was able to elaborate on the main benefits of installing awnings on your house, one of which being a reduction in heat gain, which is the increase in temperature in a home that is the result from sun exposure.

“For starters, awnings will lower interior temperatures up to fifteen degrees,” Margrave explained. “In studies done by the American Society of Heating and Air Conditioning Engineers, during the period of the day when the sun shines directly on southern facing windows, a fabric awning reduces heat gain by fifty-five to sixty-five percent.” And for western exposure, the reduction in heat gain is even more so! “It can be upwards of seventy-seven percent!” Margrave added.

So while the heat reduction is certainly benefit number one, there are other ways awnings can protect your home and your budget. “Awnings not only dramatically impact the amount of heat that comes into your home, but they also reduce the amount of direct sunlight that gets into your home, which fades carpet and furniture over time.” Then there’s the fact that custom awnings can enhance the look and personality of your home by adding pops of color, dimension, and style.

That’s right—custom! No longer are people confined to factory produced awnings in bland PHOTO courtesy sunbrella®

Awnings

2013

colors and styles. “Custom designs run the gamut… everything from stationary awnings to motorized, retractable awnings and drop shades in a variety of graphics,” Margrave said.

When deciding on the right awnings for your home, Margrave added that using Sunbrella fabrics, which are high-quality, is a smart choice, as is making sure the extrusions are industry-rated specialized aluminum, to ensure they never rust.

But, again, one of the most critical aspects of purchasing awnings for your home is finding a professional. That way you can make sure those awnings are installed properly.

After that, the color and style of fabric and design is up to you. “Field measurements need to be taken before the awnings can be constructed, but a typical timeline from design to installation is three to eight weeks, depending on the time of year and the availability of materials.

“We say the biggest challenge for any home owner is the color selection, because there are so many options out there that it can be tricky,” Margrave explained.

Tricky to pick a fabric that really matches your home, sure, but the benefits of actually installing awnings are very easy to understand.

The Best Awning & Canopies in TOWN LOCALLY OWNED SINCE 1947 Contractors Lic. 378549

An awning over a patio provides an extended living area that is cool and relaxing

Specialty Trim & Awning, Inc. offers an array of services and products manufactured locally in our fully-equipped, state-of-the-art 10,000 sq. ft. facility. We utilize top of the line fabrics from around the world. Specialties include: • Stationary Awnings • Retractable Awnings • Roller Curtains • Shade Screens • Boat Covers • Truck Tarps • Industrial Covers • Agricultural Shade • Commercial & Residential We also provide contract sewing for many Fortune 500 companies.

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www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 89

What You Should Know... presented by BIG BUILDERS CONSTRUCTION

90 Bakersfield Magazine

©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/dnberty

Is there anything quite as wonderful as a cool house on a hot summer day? Maybe, but we haven’t found it yet! Keeping that in mind, maintaining your home’s cooling system is a must if you want to actually enjoy all that your air conditioner can provide.

In order to keep your air conditioning unit up to par, it is beneficial to know what it is that you’re dealing with. Jose Aguilar, owner of Big Builder Construction, is highly familiar with how cooling systems work, and was able to share the ins and outs with us.

“With a home air conditioning unit, you have a compressor that works with an evaporator coil.

The compressor cycles the refrigerant around two coils: the evaporator and condenser coils, which both work and look like a radiator, and are similar in the way that air goes through them. The evaporator coil makes the cool air that is pushed into your home by the blower fan.”

According to Aguilar, it is vital that you keep the evaporator coil protected with your filter, because it does get dirty, which can equate to the air having difficulty traveling through the coil. This could greatly impact the efficiency. “Imagine having an evaporator coil that is fifty percent clogged,” Aguilar added. “That means that you are wasting twice the power to cool your area.” And be sure that you have the correct amount of refrigerant in the cycle, because that will ensure that your evaporator coil will get as cold as possible without freezing it...the alternative (too little) is that the unit can also lose efficiency.

“Also, keeping your condenser coil clean will prolong the life of your compressor and the condenser fan motor,” Aguilar continued, detailing more important elements. “Your compressor is one of the most expensive parts of the system.” In order to keep everything functioning optimally and ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/Spiderstock

Air Conditioning

2013

running smoothly, Aguilar stated that it is important to have the system checked twice a year by a professional: once for the cooling and another time for the heating.

What if your air conditioner isn’t running as efficiently as it could? If the unit is more than ten years old, it might be time to replace it! “There are some systems that are more economical if you use them over a longer period of time,” he detailed.

“There is something called a SEER Rating, the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. If you have a home and the current system is ten to fifteen years old, you may have a system that ranges from 6.0 SEER to 10.00 SEER. Of course, at the time it was installed, 10.00 SEER was considered high efficiency.

Now, regulation and building codes do not allow any system that is under 13 SEER in Bakersfield.” When it comes to air conditioning units, higher energy efficiency means more money saved and more cool air for you, so replacing your unit with a new, higher efficiency model is worth considering.

Staying cool isn’t just some quirky term when it comes to Bakersfield summers: it is a necessity!

Take a look at your air conditioning unit and do what you need to to make sure your family is refreshed this and every summer.

AIR CONDITIONING Air Conditioning • Heating Units Call Today for Fast Service!

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www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 91

What You Should Know... presented by HARDWOOD FLOOR COMPANY

92 Bakersfield Magazine

©Istockphotos.com/cstewart

A hardwood floor is a beautiful thing. But many folks don’t know that there are many different design options available to them when it comes to hardwood flooring. From having the ability to achieve many different colors out of the same wood species or choosing different wood species with different grain patterns, there are a number of choices out there if you’re looking to have a hardwood floor installed. “Options include many different colors and styles such as distressed hand scraped, smooth contemporary, wide boards, skinny boards, and even still the old traditional solid wood floors,” says Russ VanConant, owner of Hardwood Floor Co. in Bakersfield.

Wood floor finishes have also come a long way from the days when we had to strip them down and rewax them. “Polyurethane is now the coating of choice, giving [wood] a much more durable surface to walk on. And, if maintained properly, a wood floor requires only a top coat of polyurethane every seven to ten years,” explains VanConant.

In 2000, flooring manufacturers developed a way to suspend a layer of aluminum oxide crystals in the layer of polyurethane. They baked it on in the factory, giving the polyurethane even better wear properties.

We’ve all heard how you can’t put wood in the kitchen because of the water. Well, the folks at Hardwood Floor Co. tell us, “That’s not necessarily true. If you spill some water and you wipe it up right away, you’re not going to have an issue. If you have a water line break, you’re going to have a problem with more than just your floors—though most of that can be avoided with a little preventative maintenance. Water damage claims are never pleasant and usually very costly.

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Hardwood Floors

2013

ous to damage and woods are not any different.

It’s going to dent and scratch.” VanConant recommends investing in “a high quality product. It’s less likely to scratch and, as long as it’s been cleaned properly with the right products, another recoat of polyurethane can be applied.

“When it comes to cleaning and caring for your floor it’s important to pay attention to the care instructions from the manufacturer,” advises VanConant. It’s important to stay away from waxes and polishes. “Those magic polishes may make it look good for a couple weeks but they often do not wear well over time.” Application of these products will also make it difficult for a professional to apply a coat of polyurethane in the future.

Remember, as with anything else, the better you care for your hardwood floor, the longer it’s going to last. In addition, VanConant warns that, “Allowing dirt and grit to build up on hardwood flooring is like putting sand paper on the bottom of your shoes.” A floor that is well cared for will look good for many years to come. A great source of additional technical information or questions concerning wood flooring the National Wood Flooring Association at (nwfa.org).

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 93

What You Should Know... presented by BENJAMIN FRANKLIN PLUMBING

94 Bakersfield Magazine

©istockphoto.com/naumoid

Water heaters definitely fall into the category of home appliances that get overlooked. You only notice it when it’s not working properly, right?

But when it comes to heating the water in your home, you may not be aware that there are options that will save you time, money, and worry. Tankless water heaters have been an option for well over a decade, but a lot of homes still rely on tank water heaters.

As Michael Jones, owner of Bakersfield’s Benjamin Franklin Plumbing branch, explained, tankless water heaters have a leg up over the more traditional type of water heater. The differences between the two types of water heaters are drastic, and tankless water heaters are hands down the superior choice. “With a regular water heater,” began Jones, “you are paying for water being heated up, whether you use it or not. This is because it houses water twenty-four hours a day.”

Which can definitely take a toll on your gas bill, largely without providing a compensatory benefit. This type of setup can be even worse if you aren’t at home a lot, because the tank will continue to use gas to heat up the water until the hot water is used. So the tank will warm up the water over and over until it is needed, which, you guessed it, increases your energy costs.

And with a tankless water heater, Jones said, there is also the advantage of simplified maintenance, which is always a plus. “When you have to flush your tank water heater, you have to run about fifty gallons of water on the ground. With a tankless water heater, you only have to flush one gallon of water. There’s also a lot less corrosion and scale to deal with, considering that they don’t store water. Lime scale doesn’t have the chance to build up.”

And the placement of a tankless water heater actually isn’t an issue at all, considering that instead of having to find room for a 50-galllon tank, you’re installing your new water heater on a wall. When you actually think about it, the size of the traditional tank water heater correlates with the amount of space and there©istockphoto.com/fstop123

Water Heaters

2013

fore water that needs to be heated, so when you go tankless, the spacial concerns evaporate. Yet another benefit for this style of water heater. The design of traditional water heaters also leaves something to be desired, as the heat in a tank water heater travels upward and is passed out through the bulky heat-out pipe. A tankless one has an entirely different look, which is less cumbersome and more discreet in your home.

So, say you do decide to go this route, and trade your tank water heater for something smaller, more efficient, and with a longer shelf life (yes, they last almost twice as long as their tank counterparts). First, talk to a professional and learn about the types of water heaters available to you. Then, practice some restraint when it comes to home-installation. Considering the importance of a water heater, the cost of one, and the question of installation, you might just want to leave this one to the experts. “Make sure you find a licensed plumber who has experience with tankless water heaters,” Jones cautioned. “You need to be sure you get the type that performs to your expectations and works for your space.”

While there are plenty of things to consider when revamping your home, there are certain renovations that are more important than others. A tankless water heater is certainly one of them.

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661-588-6444 Benjamin Franklin Plumbing - Bakersfield 3129 Allen Road, Suite B • Bakersfield, CA 93314 www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 95

What You Should Know... presented bY DREAMMAKER KITCHEN & BATH

96 Bakersfield Magazine

©istockphoto.com/bgpix

Anymore, it seems kitchens are the gathering places for friends and families. During any party or event, people seem to find themselves gravitating towards the kitchen. So, move over, fire place, the kitchen has become the heart of the home. Now imagine how much more enjoyable cooking and entertaining would be if your loved ones were gathered around you in your very own customized kitchen, where you had say in every detail and nuance.

The best part about imagining yourself in the kitchen of your dreams—one that even Gordon Ramsey couldn’t complain about—is that it can become a reality with a remodel! Even if you are pressed for time or ideas, there are professional decorators who specialize in making ordinary kitchens into the stuff of legends. Patty Gray, coowner of DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen, is very familiar with this aspect of kitchen remodel, and had a wealth of information for the prospective MasterChef out there.

“If you’re working with a professional decorator,” Gray began, “it is their job to guide your ideas along with theirs, meld them, so that together you create a nice blend and find the right solution for any need.”

Naturally, there are quite a few things to consider before choosing your kitchen guru. “Trust is a huge deal,” Gray said. You really should have a lot of faith in the person you are paying to make your culinary dreams come true. “Finding the person you can rely on is everything. First off, are they state licensed? You can find this out by running a search on cslb.com. You should also be sure that they—as well as their trade partners—are insured, specialize in kitchen design, have a comprehensive list of referrals, and that you are able to see their work.” Because, let’s face it, you’re going to be paying for this dream kitchen, so you ©istockphoto.com/beisea

Kitchen Remodel

2013

want to make sure you get your money’s worth.

But that brings up another point of Gray’s. You’ll want to know whether or not the folks you’re dealing with own a turnkey design build company, or whether the price will go up when the job is finished. Some contractors will have an initial quote that will keep getting higher and higher without the customer knowing.

“Be sure that if they have a firm contract, that a change-order would be necessary for the price of the project to change. This way, there are no surprises.”

Once you have all of this necessary information figured out, then it is time to let your imagination soar! Appliances, countertops, cabinets—the options are limitless. Just remember that if you are remodeling for yourself in a home you plan to stay in for a while, then do what pleases you, but if you are remodeling to sell your home, go with more traditional options. As far as aesthetics go, Gray offered some fun insights, like the fact that stainless steel appliances “brighten up the kitchen like bling on women, and go with any color or style.”

Regardless, be sure that you find the right people to make your master kitchen a reality, and don’t let anyone throw any water on your flambé!

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 97

What You Should Know... presented by PRORESTORATION SERVICES, INC.

98 Bakersfield Magazine

©istockphotos.com/Devonyu

Imagine coming home from a nice dinner out with your family, and instead of spending a few hours relaxing before bed, you’ve arrived to discover your hot water heater has cracked, and gallons of water have been pooling all over your wood floor. Not a very pleasant thought. But it happens. And so do leaks in supply lines heading to the bathroom or kitchen. Only with those types of leaks, you usually don’t know there’s a leak until considerable damage has been done to your floor or wall.

Water damage is never good. “Especially after forty-eight hours,” added Jack Bispo, owner of ProRestoration Services, Inc. “After that period of time, mold starts to grow.” And, as Bispo explained, once there’s mold, it’s no longer just a simple operation in which the water is removed and the floor is dried—it becomes more challenging.

“There are three categories of water damage. Category one is just the presence of fresh water. Category two is when bacteria are present. Category three is raw sewage, usually present because of a backup. When we first respond to a call from a homeowner, we’ll assess what we’re dealing with.”

First pictures are taken of the damaged area.

Bispo explained that the use of an infrared camera is necessary to detect where the water is behind walls or under floors, as is a moisture meter to understand the content of the moisture. If mold is detected, “we have to change our approach,” Bispo said. “At that point, it’s about containment because mold can become airborne.”

Since the most common causes of water leaks and damage is from water heaters and pipes, Bispo recommends homeowners flush their water heater once a year which will help prevent rust from forming, which causes leaks and cracks.

And he also suggests making sure the joints along ©istockphotos.com/rncotton

Restoration

2013

supply lines leading to the bathroom and sink are fitted properly. “Typically you’ll see joints that haven’t been sealed properly and, over time, the water pressure causes them to crack.” Checking these supply lines regularly can also help make sure you’re not the one covering the costs of any repair. “Homeowner’s insurance typically covers most damages, unless it was determined the cause was home owner negligence,” Bispo added. “And with certain types of water damage, the cost can be great.” And the amount of time needed to restore the home can take longer, too. “Usually, restoration timelines are determined by the material we’re drying and repairing,” he said. “Carpet and dry wall dry fairly quickly, whereas hardwood and plaster take more time, but it could be five days just for drying.”

After that, any restorations that take place are done to building code, which can also take time if supporting walls were damaged and flooring needs to be ripped up.

The lesson of the story is to pay attention to your water heater and your pipes so you don’t wake up one morning to discover you’ve had moldy water sitting in your walls for months, damaging your home.

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www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 99

What You Should Know... presented by Urner’s Appliance center

100 Bakersfield Magazine

©istockphotos.com/Sisoje

Whoever said “the future is now” must have had some insight as to what our modern day appliances would be capable of, because some of the features of these home-enhancing products can do stuff that would surprise even Doc Brown!

One thing is for certain: these aren’t your mama’s appliances!

“For the longest time, a washer was a washer,” said David Perkins, marketing director for Urner’s, Inc. “But with appliances these days, there’s a new trend: you get different styles and looks, and there are appliances that have a lot of built-in technology.” While science hasn’t quite yet perfected the Jetson’s-esque robot maid that we are all anxiously waiting for, we have the next best thing available to us in the form of these products.

Indeed, some appliances have Bluetooth and wifi capabilities, making it so that they can communicate with each other or you can communicate to them.

There are even apps that have been developed that are made specifically to control your appliances.

Perkins continued, “Some can even self-diagnose their problems, should they have any, and will send a message out to its respective service center. It’s just what the expectation is now.” It may seem a little incredible, but it is the total truth. There are washer and dryer sets that will communicate with each other—or ‘talk,’ as Perkins stated—so that the dryer will know just how much laundry it will need to dry based on the load that is in the washer.

The washer will signal the information to the dryer, and it will prepare accordingly.

Washers aren’t the only additions to the home that will make you feel like you’ve taken a trip into another place in time. Kitchens have definitely stepped up their game, and so have the folks who design them. Perkins detailed that many places have “pro-style” appliances for your kitchen, which will “make you feel like the food star in ©istockphotos.com/asbe

Appliances

2013

your own kitchen.” Prepare to put on your best Martha Stewart face as you delight in items that look and work like they just came out of a gourmet chef’s kitchen!

From heavy duty stainless steel products to new and improved wall ovens, there is no way you won’t dazzle guests at your next dinner party. “There are ovens with convection cooking and warming drawers so that you can cook a roast overnight, and some ovens even come with steaming abilities. Microwaves also have varying degrees now, so that you can defrost or warm food slowly,” Perkins continued. “It has all been changed to really enhance the overall experience. Appliances of the future are absolutely amazing and have features built-in with apps and real functionality.”

According to Perkins, home appliances are changing as rapidly as televisions are, and that means countless exciting and thrilling options for anyone in the market for replacing or adding on devices in the home. So while we might not be completely automated yet, or have gadgets that solve every single chore we have to do around the house, we do have amazing new appliances that employ the latest technology to make our lives a little easier.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 101

What You Should Know... presented by NEW IMAGE ENTERPRISES, INC.

102 Bakersfield Magazine

©Istockphotos.com/aamrand

When it comes to your home and your energy bill, there are some things that are a given.

Air conditioning, heating, and a number of large appliances can—and typically will—affect your rate.

But what about those commonly overlooked parts of the home that can have a dramatic effect on the comfort and affordability of your home? What we’re getting at is whether or not you have taken a long, hard look at—not out of—your windows lately.

What some homeowners may be unaware of is that having old windows may be doing more of a disservice to them than just looking a little dated.

As Natalie Land, who handles sales and marketing for the Home Improvement Department at New Image Enterprises, Inc., stated, “Windows are some of the most important parts of your home. If your windows are ten years old or older, and if you are running an air conditioning at any time of the year, you might as well just go and open a window while you’re at it, because that’s the level of protection you’re getting from them.”

According to Land, there are many homes in our area that have old and outdated windows.

So what’s the difference between the old and the new? It is pretty staggering, actually. Older windows are usually single-paned, don’t always close right due to years of painting and general wear or are warped from weather, and have practically no shield against UV rays, which will assuredly heat up your home, and fast! New windows are not only more energy efficient because they are dual paned, but they are also made to block out those torturous UV rays. In addition, because it has that extra pane, they serve as much better noise control for the owners and are much harder to break into, so even your home’s safety may be enhanced with updated windows.

It may seem like a daunting task, but considering all of the potential benefits of window ©Istockphotos.com/Thisabled

Windows

2013

replacement, it is very much necessary. Also, if the idea of having to totally rip out parts of your home to get new windows installed has you feeling a little green in the face, then you may want to take a closer look at your actual options! One way to replace those old, inefficient windows is to go the retrofit route. “Retrofit windows are designed to replace your existing old aluminum, wood, or casement windows. To avoid ripping out stucco or gutting it completely, the window is put into the existing mainframe. It is ground down to almost nothing but nothing gets ripped out, so it causes no damage to the interior or exterior of the home when replacing a window,” Land explained.

Lastly, if you’re thinking that this process will take forever, then you will be pleasantly surprised to know that it usually only takes one day for the average home to be replaced, and it’s rare for a replacement job to go over two days.

Adding up all of the positive points in replacing old windows, we have: better energy efficiency, more protection from UV rays and thieves, alike, the assortment of options available in terms of replacement, and fast instillation time. The better question isn’t “Why?” but “What are you waiting for?”

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www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 103 License #802756

What You Should Know... presented by DOORMASTER SALES

104 Bakersfield Magazine

Photo courtesy of LENNAR

The do-it-yourself ethos is alive and well in Bakersfield, and there are plenty of projects the homeowner can confidently undertake. But one of the most dangerous home repairs may surprise you, and that’s why experts say you should leave garage door repairs to the pros.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says an average of 20,000 Americans are injured every year, with a slight increase in recent years as the economy improves and more homeowners make upgrades to their aging homes. Many older homes in Bakersfield feature original garage doors made of solid wood, instead of lighter modern materials like aluminum or composite, and they require heavy duty springs and levers to assist in opening.

Jeanette dePencier of DoorMaster Sales said Bakersfield isn’t immune to those injuries.

“We don’t even sell springs across the counter to individuals, only to licensed contractors. People can get injured easily. You need a special turning bar to work the springs, or it’ll be highly dangerous,” dePencier said. The good news is the garage door industry has made major leaps in technology and style recently.

Kenneth Foster runs the DoorMaster Sales shop and has watched the industry morph over his 40 years in the business. “We sell Lift Master openers because it is the most trouble-free unit on the market. The Lift Master screw drive unit motor has a pulley on front, and a belt that goes up and turns the auger. I’ve only replaced one of those belts in the last thirty years,” Foster said.

Even if your door doesn’t need to be fully replaced, it’s important to check it for certain warning signs. “Springs on roll up doors weaken up over time so they need to be adjusted occasionally. The hinges and springs on top should be serviced once a year,” dePencier explained. She said that if you do a “quick close” on your garage door after openPhoto courtesy of LENNAR

Garage Doors

2013

ing it just a few feet, and it immediately drops to the ground, it’s probably time to have the springs replaced, or call a technician for safety’s sake, and have him or her troubleshoot it.

“If you don’t have visible damage, but the door is just stiff going up or down, you probably don’t need to replace it. There’s maintenance to garage doors, but most folks don’t do it. We recommend service at least once a year, and the door could last up to forty years with proper care,” Monique Morosa, DoorMaster Sales’ financial officer, said.

But proper operation isn’t the only reason to replace a door. “The trend now is to get a door that looks different,” Morosa said, relaying that there are “great metal doors with a wood finish that don’t require the upkeep of the real thing... carriage-house style roll-up doors that have hardware that give it a barn door look. We’ve even done an all-glass garage door.”

Whether updating the look of your home, or just making your garage door operate as it was intended, the industry consensus is to use a licensed contractor. It’ll not only save you money in the long run, but it could also prevent injuries, as well as save the paint on your car from the Bakersfield sun!

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1901 South Chester Avenue www.doormasterkern.com www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 105

What You Should Know... presented by PAYLESS MINI STORAGE

Storage 106 Bakersfield Magazine

There comes a point for most homeowners when you simply run out of room—storage room, that is. Maybe you’re still holding on to your grown children’s boxes. Perhaps you’ve recently decided to move to a smaller house so there’s less to clean.

Either way, you’ve discovered that there’s just not enough space in this house for you and all that stuff.

One of you has to go…and it won’t be you. But you can’t just throw these boxes to the curb. They contain reminders of life events and the important people you’ve encountered. You could put them in the garage, but the garage has that classic car you’re restoring taking up all the room. What then?

No, rethink that garage sale…you don’t have to get rid of anything nor do you have to sacrifice any space. Just rent some!

If you haven’t looked into self-storage, it’s time to assess just how beneficial it can be to have a reputable company safely store not only boxes of mementos, but old vehicles and even, for the intrepid traveler, large RVs. Obviously, RVs are a challenge to store. But many people simply think the easiest thing to do is make room on their property and cover it with a large tarp. And that is an option...but only if you like the hassle…and if you have the room. It’s a much safer option to have your RV stored professionally.

“An enclosed RV storage area will help protect your RV from the harsh weather,” explained John Thomsen, owner of Payless Mini Storage. “Heat and wind can cause damage to the paint and the finish, so parking your RV at a facility with covered storage area can save you having to spend thousands of dollars for painting and resurfacing.”

Plus, how cumbersome is it to have a 75-foot RV parked on your lawn or driveway?

But before you go renting from any old storage facility, Thomsen recommends making sure they are equipped with all the safeguards.

©Istockphotos.com/Oralleff

2013

“Computerized gate access, twenty-four hour camera surveillance, and resident managers that live on site,” he said, listing the most important qualities any storage facility should have.

After all, you can’t trust just anyone to guard your property.

Now, you might be wondering just what this type of service will run you on a monthly basis. Believe it or not, self-storage rentals are not going to break your bank. Naturally, the price is based on the size of the storage area you’ll need, Thomsen elaborated, whether it’s boxes or a car or a huge RV, but you’re typically looking at less than $100 a month.

Self-storage is a win-win, when you think about it. You clear up some space in your home without having to get rid of things you’re not ready to part with. Still, self-storage is not just for people wanting to make some room in the ol’ house. It’s a great option for those leaving on military duty, a perfect solution for businesses wanting to de-clutter an office, and eases up some stress for those needing to relocate quickly, but who are unable to bring all their possessions with them at that time.

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www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 107

What You Should Know... presented by Urner’s Z’s Please Sleep center

108 Bakersfield Magazine

©istockphotos.com/ostill

Unless you’ve been in hibernation, you know the profound importance a good night’s sleep will have on your life. If you find that you are counting sheep until you’ve accounted for the whole flock or wake up with mystery aches and pains, then your mattress may very well be to blame. If you’ve flipped it more times than you care to remember and have owned it for more than five to seven years, then you’re due for a new one.

Fewer people know this better than David Perkins, marketing director for Urner’s Inc. (the company which also owns two Z’s Please Sleep Centers in town). “When you think about it,” Perkins began, “life begins with a good night’s sleep. You really can’t say enough about the importance of the whole dream of getting a good night’s sleep. It is what we all strive for.”

Indeed, it truly is the best way to end any day. Yet, at the same time, it is often something that people take for granted. A lack of good sleep has been known to lead to a number of health issues, and one crucial element that could very well rob a person of a wonderful, restful slumber is none other than the mattress. So, all you really need is the perfect mattress to help lead you to dreamland! Simple, right? Not quite! “Mattress shopping can be confusing and overwhelming and sometimes scary,” Perkins continued. This is largely due to the sheer amount of options that are available. This bed has adjustable firmness while this one gives you the power to elevate your upper or lower body with a remote control, and that one does both! Buying a mattress is now so much more than just lying on different models and seeing which one seems to suit you best. But that is when your own unique preference and insight— coupled with a good salesperson who knows their product—can make all the difference. ©istockphotos.com/Elenathewise

Mattress

2013

Perkins went on to detail what, exactly, a mattress guru (or Mattressologist, as they are referred to at Urner’s) should know and consider as you shop for your next perfect set. For example, something to be aware of is what position you typically sleep in, as it does make a difference whether you sleep on your side or on your stomach for the most part. This is something that should be considered by the person you are purchasing from, as well. Any history of sleep disorders, like sleep apnea, needs to also factor in. Then there are the myriad of styles and brands which are available to you—another key area where a professional salesperson can give some crucial advice.

What else is there to consider? How about good, old-fashioned comfort? This is definitely key, Perkins said. “The most important thing is that you want support and you want comfort.

Sometimes you may hurt when resting in certain positions, and if you’re hurting during the night, you just won’t sleep well. Support is important because you don’t want to be lying on a mattress with no lumbar support, for example.”

In essence, if it’s high time you started looking for a new mattress, picking out the best one possible is a decision definitely worth sleeping on.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 109

What You Should Know... presented by ProRestoration Services, Inc.

110 Bakersfield Magazine

©istockphotos.com/SklepSpozywczy

There are those who see the bathroom as a necessary but entirely uninspiring room. It’s there for function, not form. But we’re here to tell you that it’s time you joined the many people who have transformed their bathroom into an oasis for relaxation and rejuvenation. After all, we spend a lot of time in them.

“A majority of people are looking to update as well as customize,” explained Jack Bispo, owner of ProRestoration Services, Inc., a company which focuses on restoration and also remodeling. There’s nothing worse than an outdated bathroom.

And thankfully, with the level of design and customization available to folks today, the sky is the limit as far as building the bathroom you want as opposed to being stuck with one that would have suited your grandparents. It’s not just about replacing a toilet or installing a new, larger bathtub.

“Cabinets, flooring, tile…everything can be modified to fit your tastes.”

Once you have your ideas in mind, it’s time to call in a professional. “It’s a great part of the process to talk with the home owner and find out what they want and see how we can make it happen. There is very much a melding of ideas when we consult,” Bispo explained. Because some things aren’t just feasible, or as Bispo stated, sometimes what the home owner wants won’t work with the existing plumbing or wiring and so alternatives are suggested.

Now, you might be thinking you can do some updates yourself, but it’s highly advised that you seek out a licensed contractor for the remodel.

One big reason is that a contractor can obtain the permits needed to perform construction, while someone wanting to go it on their own will have to apply themselves, which can be a major chore.

And keep in mind, all you weekend warriors, ©istockphotos.com/terex

Bathroom Remodel

2013

that “permits are needed for any structural changes to the home, including adjustments made to load bearing walls.”

So if you’re wanting to create a bigger bathroom by knocking out a closet in another room and extending the wall, you better believe you’ll need some professional guidance. Plus, bathroom plumbing, especially in older houses, can be a tricky thing to work around. Horror stories abound from do-it-yourselfers who tried to install a fancy spa tub only to realize that the water fittings were in the wrong spot.

The great news about remodeling in today’s market is that in addition to style and color options, there are plenty of green options.

Bispo explained a number of home owners are looking into energy-efficient lighting options, even for the bathroom.

And most additions and remodels can be done quickly and efficiently, as well, meaning you won’t be waiting months to soak in your new tub.

“You really can see how much people enjoy the process; see the new room come into shape, just the way they wanted it,” Bispo said. So, what are you waiting for? Life’s too short to spend time in a bathroom you don’t love.

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What You Should Know... presented by AGAPE MORTGAGE

112 Bakersfield Magazine

©istockphotos.com/Goodluz

Mortgage: that one word can strike confusion into the hearts of many home hunters, especially when considering how the industry has changed recently. But it doesn’t have to be that way if you do your homework and rely on professionals in the industry to be your guide. There are a couple of important things to remember before you venture—or delve further—into the world of home ownership.

Mike George, owner, co-branch manager, and mortgage consultant with Agape Mortgage, stated, “The most important thing for people who are interested in purchasing a home with a mortgage or refinancing a home is that they use a mortgage professional, so they can rest assured that the mortgage has been properly prepared. They should also connect with a professional REALTOR® if they’re purchasing. Some people go out to look at homes and find what they want only to be told that they can’t qualify.”

When you are on the lookout for a mortgage professional, be sure that they are trained in a number of areas. One of the most important being the credit process, because your credit score will play a role in the type of interest rate you qualify for. That being said, if there were any way for you to improve your existing score— and if it is necessary—a true professional will be able to make the process much easier for you.

Still, something not many first-time home buyers understand is the sheer amount of paperwork that will have to be done. But relax, because if you’re working with a professional, they will be able to assist you in this. George described a document that Agape Mortgage gives their clients that they call a “storming letter,” which details everything that will be needed and is expected of anyone who is looking to take out a mortgage. “It can be a very tedious process,” George said of applying and ©istockphotos.com/nsilcock

Mortgage Purchasing

2013

qualifying for a mortgage. “We want to prepare people for the worst of what they may go through while hoping for the best. You will need a lot of documentation, but once you’re pre-approved, it is all worth it.” That’s because pre-approved is what you’re aiming for...not just pre-qualified.

There is a big difference between the two, and being pre-approved is what will get you closer to that dream home.

But, remember: it’s important not to feel too daunted by the work that has to go into the process, because it is still very much a buyer’s market right now. The values of the homes for sale today far outweighs the costs. As George explained, there are a lot of outstanding loan programs available with very little down, such as VA financing for those with a military background or FHA financing with 3.5 percent down. Just remember that “some attributes [when qualifying for a loan] are a good work history, a good credit history, typically with three lines of credit for two years, and the ability to show that you have some money saved.”

So, fear not! With the right amount of preparation, coupled with a professional team to help assist you along the way, you’ll soon be unlocking the front door to your dream home.

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www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 113

114 Bakersfield Magazine

Photo courtesy of Donna McCrohan rosenthal

G RE A T

t

G ET A W A YS

Randsburg

By Donna McCrohan Rosenthal

Photo courtesy of greg bock

wo names, one overriding theme.

The names: Dr. Rose Victoria Lamont Burcham and Dr. Thomas A. Drummond.

The overriding theme: The spirit of the Old West never died here.

Between Highways 395 and 14 some hour and a half east of Bakersfield and nestled in the high desert’s treeless brown and gray Rand Mountains—so designated after gold country in South Africa’s Transvaal—the living ghost town of Randsburg looks much as it has for over a century, with dramatically fewer inhabitants than in its bonanza days, yet many of the same structures.

Credit gold mining and Dr. Rose Victoria Lamont Burcham for its spectacular entry into the world spotlight. Dr. Burcham and her husband Charles A. Burcham lived in San Bernardino in the late 19th century. She practiced medicine. He ached to find gold.

She grubstaked him for two years.

He headed north. Just before those two years expired, he and partners John Singleton and Fred Mooers unearthed a rich deposit in the Rand Mining District. They filed claims but had no skill with management.

Dr. Burcham stepped in, running the enterprise in exchange for a share of the Yellow Aster Mining & Milling Company.

Dr. Burcham relocated, living initially in a tent and then in the first home built by the Yellow Aster Company. She espoused a practical philosophy about wifely duties, radically ahead of her era. “When women come to realize that home-making does not mean dusting or seeking for one speck of dirt,” she told a reporter, “they will perceive that home-making and business life are not necessarily opposed to one to the other.” But, she added, a woman in business “must be content to enjoy her home as a man does, and trust the actual attention to details to a housekeeper.”

Over the next four decades, the mine earned more than $16 million, an amazing sum in those days. In 1904, the Los Angeles Stamp Batteryat Times recognized Dr. Burcham as the Rand Desert one of the “Men of Achievement” Museum in southwest mining. She had, in fact, established herself as the first female mining entrepreneur of the Old West and the only successful female mining operator in the entire United States. Soon the Yellow Aster ranked as

>

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 115

the largest gold producer in southern California with the best and most modern equipment in the state.

The Rand District had other profitable mines as well, and a thriving community grew up around the prosperous output, with a Wells Fargo stop, railroad, assay office, post office, general store, saloon, theater, bakeries, blacksmiths, barber shops, a hairdresser, hoteliers, a “Floozy House – Overnight Accommodations” and its staff of women of relaxed virtue. Their names: Mexican Nell, Big Ella, and French Marguerite, among others.

Tragedy struck at intervals: cave-ins, broken and pulverized bones from mining accidents, a succession of fires, and a raging smallpox epidemic.

Now skip ahead to that second name: Dr. Thomas A. Drummond. This physician drove into the Rand Mining District in 1933, a young med school graduate with a degree from the University of Southern California. He left Los Angeles and, much like Charlie Burcham before him, headed north seeking his future. When his car ran out of gas near Red Mountain, he decided to stay. He took up residence for about a decade although, as a private pilot, he increasingly found himself flying to Inyokern to provide care there and sleep on sofas to await the births of babies. When the Red Mountain hospital burned down in 1944, he moved to Ridgecrest at the very beginning of another sort of gold rush boom town scenario—the Navy’s arrival in the form of the Naval Ordnance Test Station, which in due course blossomed into the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake.

Drummond constructed a modest medical facility in Ridgecrest in 1945. It became Ridgecrest Hospital, which he later sold to Ridgecrest for the token sum of one dollar.

Randsburg Today

Photo courtesy of greg bock

Not much mining goes on in Randsburg anymore, but the now small hamlet remains a bastion of free spirits who express themselves through antique shops, folk art, galleries, and kicky puns (Charlie’s Ore House: “The Best Little Ore House in Randsburg”). Visitors include motorcycle clubs, dirt bikers, other outdoor recreation enthusiasts, and tourists. The old jail greets you by the side of the road as you approach from Hwy. 395. If you find the door open, go in and say “howdy” to the life-sized bad-guy and ladies-of-the-evening mannequins behind the bars.

Yellow aster mine

116 Bakersfield Magazine

On Butte Street in the heart of Randsburg, the General Store serves old-fashioned sarsaparilla, sodas, and phosphates such as the Green River Lime Soda Phosphate (“1897 miner’s favorite”) along with sandwiches, burgers, and “bar-b-que,” and its soda fountain, purchased in Boston, dates back to 1904. A few doors away sit the local bar—the Joint—and the marvelously well-stocked Rand Desert Museum (760-374-2400 and 760-374-2359), and across the street, the White House Saloon.

In Butte Street Mercantile and open on weekends, Cheryl McDonald Creative Gallery offers classes and displays watercolors, drawings, and photography of California mixed with Photo courtesy of Donna McCrohan rosenthal

Great Getaways

Charlie’s “ore House”

antique items on consignment. Other shops and galleries either open Friday-Sunday or Saturday-Sunday, with paragraphs posted to explain hours that essentially amount to, “If we’re here, we’re open.” Free spirits.

Each autumn, Randsburg’s annual adventure in time travel draws crowds on the third Saturday of September. Old West Days feature The Old West Mounted Lawmen’s Association who turn out in force, dressed like Wyatt and the Brothers Earp and stage shoot-outs in an atmosphere of historic sights, donkeys, horses, exhibitors, vendors, live music, food, and fun.

In the winter on the second Sunday in December, Christmas Open House in Randsburg celebrates yuletide with open shops, refreshments, and holiday lights.

If strolling through or driving around Randsburg imparts an eerie sense of déjà vu, keep calm. You may have seen the surroundings in movies, from Hidalgo and Cowboys & Aliens to Chopper Chicks in Zombie Town. By all means, bring a camera for memorable photo opportunities—unique exteriors, sweeping vistas, and with luck, coyotes, roadrunners, and hawks.

Then let your mind’s eye fill in the blanks—Mexican Nell, Big Ella, and French Marguerite refreshing their client lists, Dr. Tom down by Red Mountain tending his patients, and Dr. Rose of the Yellow Aster reaping a fortune.

They’re gone, just like the flourishing mining trade.

Nonetheless, something about Randsburg insists the Old West never died here. Thank the free spirits for that. v Ed. Note: If you're looking to grab food, gas, or hitch your horse for the night, there are a number of small towns around Randsburg that fit the bill. California City and Mojave are close, but the best bet is Ridgecrest, just about 17 miles away.

food

Switch on the burner, grease up the skillet, or spark up the coals, it’s time to get eating. It’s not hard to eat a meal fit for a king—we’ve done the research for you. Whether you’re searching for juicy new recipes to thrill dinner guests with or looking for a new, exciting place to dine out with family, our Food Section has all the spice and flavor you’ll need.

©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/MARTINH70

©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/SHYMAN

We’ve got reviews, recipes, entertaining tips, and more! This is the place to explore local eateries that have good food and good service, find out which ones cater to your budget and your taste buds, and get culinary inspiration to bring back to your own kitchen. Sumptuous, mouth-watering meals await you whatever your mood— grab your apron and peruse these pages for your favorite recipe.

Bon Appétit.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 117

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118 Bakersfield Magazine

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bottoms up!

in the groove

Year Established: 2012

on the rocks Address: 1517 18th St. Quick Facts Happy Hour: Tue-Sat 11am-7pm

In Bakersfield, we have our choices as far as great restaurants go, but how many places can you hit up that not only serve amazing food and drinks, but can also say that they are a strong supporter of local music, the downtown arts scene, and have the track record to prove it?

At On the Rocks Bar & Grill, this is not just a philosophy: supporting the local community is a way of life!

Friday or Saturday, we have a DJ and our floor is packed with people of all ages dancing and having a blast,” Williams included.

Stepping through the doors automatically takes you into a

Make your way up to their marble topped, blue-lit bar and order

vibrant atmosphere with modern blue and polished steel accents.

some of the most thrilling drinks in all of downtown. If you’re look-

There is a large stage, pool table, plenty of space, and an elevated

ing for something sweet, tropical, and easy on the tongue, then

VIP area with leather couches that can be rented out—with or

consider an original drink crafted by Williams, herself. Kline de-

without bottle service—for weekend shows. Almost any day

scribed it as being “a vacation in a cup,” and it’s no wonder why. n

that you go to this happenin’ spot, you will catch live music. April Williams, bar manager, and Adrienne Kline, lead bartender, assured us that you won’t be disappointed in your experience there.

“We have open mic on Wednesdays, local music on Thursdays [both with no cover], and favorite local bands every Friday and Saturday,” Kline said. “And if we don’t have a band playing on

• 3oz. Malibu Rum • 1 oz. Cham

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press Wet the rim of a pint glass and Line a small plate with sugar. r in Pou . Fill glass to the top with ice. into the sugar to coat the rim Pour the glass with pineapple juice.

Malibu Rum and fill the rest of or. to change the drink to a rosy col Chambord on top—just enough ! rry and an orange slice. Chill out Garnish with a maraschino che

drink: vacation in a cup www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 119

QUICK BITES WITH LOCAL FLAVOR

make mine cool & creamy We can’t tell you how thrilled we were when Norma Diaz agreed to help us with this issue’s Quick Bites!

Diaz is the current owner and operator of La Rosa Fruit Bars &

Say hello to amazing Coconut Almond Ice Cream! It’s a sweet

Ice Cream, Inc., and since we figured that a frozen treat was the

combination of fresh coconut flavor and yummy almonds. Better

perfect thing to bring to you this time of year, we looked to Diaz

yet, because Diaz created the recipe using coconut milk instead

and La Rosa to bring that idea to life. Well, Diaz did not disappoint.

of cream, it’s a healthier option than typical ice cream. We can’t

While there are currently over 25 flavors to choose from at La Rosa,

wait for you to try it at home! n

we asked if she’d be willing to make something unique, just for our wonderful readers.

Coconut Almond Ice Cream 1/2 cup fresh coconut flesh 1/4 cup diced almonds 1 15-oz. can light coconut milk 3 tbsp. agave syrup Sea salt (just a dash) 1/2 tsp. vanilla (Optional) Love (this is a requirement for Diaz)

©istockphoto.com/sasimoto

120 Bakersfield Magazine

‘‘Vanilla always makes everything better.’’

Please note that it’s important to have a food processor (a Magic Bullet or Ninja will also do) and also an ice cream maker before you start making this at home.

The first thing to do is to put the coconut flesh in the food processor and get it ground up nicely. Then, add the salt, coconut milk, almonds, and agave. Now, here’s another tip: Diaz also says you can use a little less agave and add a packet of Stevia (if you’re trying to watch your sugar intake). Mix all these ingredients again until smooth. Diaz really does suggest adding the optional vanilla. In her words,

“Vanilla always makes everything better.”

She also said for the coconut lover, adding just a touch of all natural coconut extract gives the ice cream an added bit of flavor.

Once your mixture is ready, pour it all into an ice cream maker container and freeze per the instructions. That’s all it takes! But, remember, serve it as you would a La Rosa Ice Cream bar and remove the ice cream from the freezer about five or ten minutes before you want to eat to let it get soft and creamy. Then, enjoy a cool, refreshing treat with friends and family.

Cuisine: dreams are made here

WHAT’S COOKIN’

LOVE at first bite

By Mike Stepanovich

Carol was excited. She was having lunch with me at the Guild House, the all-volunteer restaurant at 1905 18th St., the corner of F and 18th streets. It wasn’t just the excellent cuisine that she was anticipating.

Carol had been a Guild House volunteer herself years before.

The Guild House is a fundraising entity that supports the Henrietta Weill Memorial Child Guidance Clinic, which is a private nonprofit, outpatient mental health center for children and families. Founded in 1946, the clinic provides individual, family, and group counseling services for children, adolescents, and families in Kern County.

Supporting Guild House and the Child Guidance Clinic was important to Carol because she was a special education teacher, and worked with disadvantaged children her entire career. She loved the camaraderie that infused the Guild House volunteers. She loved the elegance of the century-old house that is home to Guild House.

And what’s not to love? Lunch at the Guild House is a dining experience unlike any other in Bakersfield. And it’s more than just a lunch spot…but wait, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Let’s stick to lunch for a bit.

The daily prix fixe lunch is $14.95 per person (plus tax and tip), which gets you a three-course luncheon or an entrée salad plus dessert.

The three-course lunch includes a freshly made soup of the day, entrée with either sidesalad or fresh vegetables in season, and dessert.

To find out what the daily menu is, sim-

ply go to the Guild House’s website at www. bakersfieldguildhouse.com, click on “gourmet lunches,” and then click on “monthly lunch menu.” Each day is different, though the Guild House apparently has a deal going with the chicken salesman because 50 to 60 percent of its entrées involve chicken.

On the monthly menu, the weekly entrée salad is listed on the first line of each week.

For example, the week I dined at Guild House, the weekly entrée salad was California chicken salad. Other salads offered that month were chef’s salad, Valley chicken salad, shrimp Louis, and Albertina’s chicken salad.

Reading the monthly menu is a culinary adventure. Each day offers something new, something fresh, something to savor. The week I dined at Guild House, diners could enjoy the following: Caribbean corn chowder, Calypso chicken, and tropical cheesecake on Monday; Tuesday brought Zuppa de Malta, Chicken Marsala, and zabaglione with fruit. Wednesday was cream of pimento soup, macadamia-encrusted chicken with mango salsa, and Butterfinger pie.

Thursday offered zesty tomato soup, curried chicken crepes, and lemon glazed cheesecake.

Friday’s offering was cream of zucchini soup, pork Tehachapi, and apricot cheesecake. >>

Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potato Tamales

Cuisine: unique & sumptuous www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 121

Cuisine: unique & sumptuous None of those strike your fancy? Try another week, where you might find pork tenderloin with sweet potato tamales, Potage Champignon (mushroom soup), Chicken Dijonnaise, and chocolate bread pudding. Or a trio of appetizers (chipotle deviled eggs, stuffed BBQ jalapeños, shrimp ceviche), pork with apricot chutney, and apricot torte. Or tomato Romanoff soup, beef Stroganoff, and banana bread pudding with rum sauce.

You’d think that with essentially 20 days a month of lunches you’d find duplication, but duplicate days are few and far between.

The weekly salads also offer great diversity. On any given week you might have a Cape Cod salad, Bombay chicken salad, bountiful Bakersfield salad, grilled salmon salad, tangle of greens salad, Tucson salad—the list goes on.

And all this in one of the most enchanting settings in Bakersfield. Guild House is in a historic home built in 1909 for prominent geologist Charles Barlow and his family. According to the Guild House’s website, the two-story home “still has the original woodwork and mahogany mantelpiece as well as the beveled windows and glass made especially for the house by

In 1975, the couple sold the house to the Henrietta Weill Memorial Child Guidance Clinic for use as the allvolunteer restaurant that exists today.

Perhaps the most astonishing thing about the Guild House is the all-volunteer staff. The restaurant is open for lunch five days a week from September till June, and week in and week out teams of women serve as receptionists, servers, dishwashers, and cooks. Those delicious gourmet lunches? All prepared by volunteer cooks!

One other thing: Guild House is also available for private parties and events. You can book the Guild House for evening dessert for groups of 16 or more Monday through Thursday. Weekend parties or dinners can also

Talk about a tasty treat! Try their Chipotle Deviled Eggs, Stuffed BBQ Jalapeños, and Shrimp Ceviche in a Cup.

In addition to cheesecake and pies, the Chocolate Bread Pudding is another fabulous Guild House creation.

Gump’s of San Francisco. The downstairs dining room has a signed Tiffany carnival glass chandelier and wall sconces. The large basement serves as the Guild’s office as well as storage space. The extensive use of hardwood throughout the upper and lower levels gives the interior of the home the warmth and character so often found in the stately homes of that time.”

Founded in 1958, the Henrietta Weill Memorial Child Guidance Clinic opened a tearoom in 1963 as part of its fundraising activities at 829 Chester Ave. In 1966, according to the Guild House website, Jerry and Millie Sudarsky purchased the Barlow house with the understanding that the Guild would use it as a tearoom.

be booked for groups of 25 or more. A Guild House volunteer will help you with the details.

And occasionally, the Guild House will be open for dinner on, for example, a night when the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra is playing.

On my recent visits to Guild House, the skill of the volunteers was on full display. My first visit began with a bowl of cream of pimento soup. First of all, how often in any commercial restaurant do you even find cream of pimento soup? And yet here was a beautifully presented delicate soup with delectable aromas and subtle flavors that any restaurant would have been proud to serve.

That was followed by macadamia nut encrusted

122 Bakersfield Magazine

Guild House “Tangle of Greens Salad” chicken breast with mango salsa. It takes some effort to encrust and cook a chicken breast so that it comes out just right, time after time. It takes some effort to produce a mango salsa that has the flavors to augment the chicken and nut crust. And yet the faceless cooks at Guild House did it splendidly. It was simply delicious!

Butterfinger pie was the dessert that day, and of course that has long been a Bakersfield favorite. Many places serve it—crushed Butterfinger candy bars blended into vanilla ice cream—but I have not had a better one than the one served that day at Guild House.

It was the perfect end to a wonderful meal.

My lunch with Carol found us starting our meal with zesty tomato soup. This was a beautiful color, sweet from the tomatoes, full of flavor, and with just a touch of spice.

The curried chicken crepes were as delicate as they were attractive. The curry sauce was very lightly spiced, not heavy at all. If you’re one of those people who avoid curry because you don’t care for heavily spiced foods, you’ll have no worries here.

The lemon-glazed cheesecake for dessert was —as with the Butterfinger pie—a perfect ending.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the California chicken salad. This entrée salad had a great selection of mixed greens, tomatoes, chicken, and avocados. It was evident that the same care that went into preparing the daily entrée had gone into preparing the salad as well.

That same day a fashion show brought added glamour as local models showed off the latest fashions from local dress shops.

The Guild House dining experience is unique: it’s exquisitely prepared food in a historic, beautiful old home, and it helps support an organization that helps children. What could possibly be better?

For reservations, please call (661) 325-5478. n

LIFE IS A CABERNET

it’s no surprise

By Mike Stepanovich

It began 40 years ago as a retirement project. Today, Jack and Dolores Cakebread’s little venture has become a Napa Valley icon. Make that an American wine icon: in 2011 Cakebread Cellars was the No. 1 restaurant wine in America.

Not bad for a guy who first came to Napa Valley when he was commissioned by Robert Mondavi to take pictures for a book.

The couple who had an auto-repair business in Oakland liked what they saw in the Napa Valley, and bought a 22-acre ranch with the intention of retiring on it. But then, of course, they planted grapes with the idea to sell them to Mondavi.

And then in 1973 they bought grapes from Trefethen, who was only a grower then, and made wine. Cakebread Cellars was born.

There’s also a sense of consistency. “It’s a sense of place,” said Dennis, the winery’s senior vice president for sales and marketing. “Part of the reason for our success is two big factors: “One, we have the same vineyards year after year. Nowadays, if you’re starting up, that’s not easy to do. If you’re buying fruit [from growers] you’re jumping around a bit. We own eleven hundred acres gross, with five hundred and sixty acres of it planted to vineyards.”

I hadn’t been writing my wine column long when I first met Jack and Dolores

The key, he said, has been to acquire the vineyards slowly, evaluating each

Cakebread back in 1987. They were genuine: their handshake firm, their smiles

parcel to make sure it fits the winery’s profile. With each parcel, he said, “when

warm, their laughter rich and full-bodied, the kind of laughter you expect from folks

you look at it you want to ask, if this was the only vineyard we owned would

who have learned to extract Mother Nature’s best from the soil. Pretentiousness is

we be excited? We want to own exceptional parcels. And we want long con-

neither in their vocabulary nor their way of life.

tracts on parcels that we don’t own.”

From the beginning, their focus was food and wine. “It was probably one of the

“In 1973 we made one hundred and fifty-seven cases of wine with grapes we

first wineries to have a food and wine program,” winery spokesman Greg Imbach

got from Trefethen. We still get grapes from Trefethen today. It takes five years to

said during a recent visit to the winery.

learn how a vineyard wants to be grown; longevity helps.

And even though the winery expanded in 1996, an expansion that put Cake-

“The other part is Julianne Laks, our winemaker, who has been with us for

bread Cellars on a national scale, that same quality exudes throughout the opera-

twenty-seven years, first in the lab, then as assistant winemaker, and now as

tion. Jack and Dolores’ sons, Dennis and Bruce, have seen to that.

winemaker. Our cellar master Brian Lee has been here twenty-six years; >>

PHOTOS COURTESY OF cakebread cellars

Cakebread Cellars

wine: Mother Nature’s best www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 123

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gazine.net

124 Bakersfield Magazine

wine: Mother Nature’s best Toby Halkovich is our viticulturist, but he’s only been here ten years. So the staff, that’s a big part of it.

“Bruce [Cakebread, president and chief operating officer] and I don’t feel like we’ve been doing it for very long—it feels like five years. It’s still pretty fun.”

Interestingly, in a valley renowned for its red wines, Cakebread is a white-wine house. “Chardonnay is still our flagship,” Dennis said. “We started with chardonnay and built our early success with it. It’s still the big dog. People ask, what’s your biggest seller? Well, chardonnay.”

Imbach said 75 percent of Cakebread’s production is white wine, with chardonnay comprising 50 percent of the total, and sauvignon blanc 25 percent. The other 25 percent is comprised of different red wines. “Chardonnay is the pillar of Cakebread Cellars,” he said. “It’s what fuels Cakebread.”

The winery’s sauvignon blanc is also a top seller. It’s 80 percent tank fermented and 20 percent barrel fermented, he said.

It should come as no surprise that the chardonnay is Jack’s favorite wine, and sauvignon blanc is one of Dolores’ favorites.

Her other favorite is zinfandel. Initially, zin made an intermittent appearance in the Cakebread portfolio, but eventually Cakebread became a three-wine winery: chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, and cabernet sauvignon.

Bruce and Dennis wanted to expand their winery’s offerings. “My brother and I began agitating to make another wine.” Dennis said. “Dad said, ‘We gotta focus.’ We said we don’t want to make three wines all our lives.

“In a family business you don’t really talk about stuff. So after a couple years we said we have to sit down and talk about this. Our plan was to each bring a bottle of wine of what we wanted to add to the line.”

So the four of them sat down for lunch one day, and at the conclusion of the lunch, each stated their preference.

Jack wanted to maintain the status quo; Dolores, Dennis and Bruce’s choices of varietals to add were zinfandel, syrah and pinot noir. Desiring to maintain quality, they agreed to make only small batches of them.

“Each one of the wines had its own sponsor, so we stuck with all of them,” Dennis said. “It’s an illustration of persistence or stubbornness.”

They found a good vineyard for zinfandel in Lake County. But their pinot noir may have the most potential of the three newcomers.

Dennis,Jack,Dolores, and Bruce Cakebread

“As we started working on the pinot, of course we looked in Carneros, which was easy enough to do. But with the Carneros fruit, we couldn’t make it consistently how we wanted. It took us five to seven years to figure that out. Pinot noir was new for us so there were some lessons to learn on how to make it. We couldn’t decide whether it was us or the vineyard. Some years were good some years were not.

So we decided it was the vineyard.

“We started looking in Sonoma County, the Russian River, the Sonoma Coast, and wound up in Anderson Valley.

We said, that’s intriguing. We decided to build from scratch.”

They bought an abandoned apple orchard. “It was a good site, with southwest exposure. It was cool there, and the slope was right. We planted to seven different clones. This past summer we bought another pinot noir vineyard a half mile down the road. That’s how we ended up in Anderson Valley. We’re ecstatic about what we’ve got cooking up there.”

While the winery may have expanded from its original three wines in the past 40 years, its character and consistency are the reasons it’s been around for four decades.

“We’re proud that we’ve had nice longevity,” Dennis said. “We enjoy being able to stay fresh and have new wines coming out.

“The most fun part is that a lot of people have been with us a long time. And certainly our customers. We have this picture board that we put up going way back, so we have fun with people looking at the pictures and saying ooh, I remember this or I remember that. Everyone has a story they like to share about when they discovered us.” n Mike Stepanovich is an award-winning journalist who has been writing his Life is a Cabernet wine column since 1985, and reviewing restaurants for Bakersfield Magazine since 1997. Stepanovich has taught wine and food pairing classes for many years, and teaches a wine appreciation and history class for Bakersfield College. He began judging wines in 1987, and now judges at major international wine competitions throughout the United States. A home winemaker, Stepanovich resides in Bakersfield.

Entertaining the Bakersfield Way Grilled Peaches over Mixed Greens with Prosciutto

unleash the sweetness

By Yana Todorova

With the weather at its warmest, we look for any reason to eat light. This time of year calls for simple, easy dishes like grilled meat, veggie-based side dishes, and cool desserts.

Tonight, don’t turn on the stove. Light the coals, and cook up every course of this special meal on the outdoor grill. This way the house will not get hot and you and your friends and family will enjoy a sumptuous, delicious meal in the wonderfulness of air conditioning!

To create an intriguing first course, take advantage of our farmers’ markets. Grilled Peaches over Mixed Greens with Prosciutto is a great showcase for seasonal fruit at its peak. Caramelizing the fruit on the grill intensifies its flavor. But use your creativity when it comes to summer salads. Any stone fruit (peach, nectarine, plum, or apricot) will become sweeter when grilled.

Combined with mixed greens (try peppery arugula or bitter lettuces), they make an elegant starter to a grilled meal. The salty bite of the prosciutto really complements the sweetness of the juicy peaches. Since we grow different fresh herbs in our backyard, I added plenty of them as well.

The fresh herbs here really shine and make this appetizer outstanding!

Skirt steaks are great for grilling. They are inexpensive and require only few minutes on a high-heat grill. To make my Skirt Steak Tacos with Heirloom Tomato-Avocado Salsa, use the best ingredients you can. In this recipe, heirloom tomatoes are combined with creamy avocado, clean herbs, and fresh lemon juice for an ideal summer salsa to soft steak tacos.

The fresh salsa tastes fantastic on top of the corn tortillas and grilled meat, so make sure to choose colorful heirloom tomatoes and ripe avocados for it. The same garden fresh salsa can also be used to jazz-up different kinds of meat and poultry. Don’t forget to use every part of the lemon. Available year-round, lemons are best in summer! Since I didn’t want to waste the citrus zest, it became one of the key ingredients in the marinade for the beef. It gives it a subtle citric flavor and aromatic essence. When garlic is slowly roasted, it gets the consistency of butter and becomes easy to spread on top of the steak. The result is always unique and flavorful. >>

Grilled Peaches over Mixed Greens with Prosciutto 2 tbsp. homemade balsamic vinaigrette • 4 oz. gourmet mixed greens Fresh herbs (mint, basil, and/or parsley) • 2 oz. prosciutto, thinly sliced 2 ripe yellow peaches, pitted and each cut into 8 wedges Canola oil for brushing Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Brush peach slices with canola oil on both sides. Place fruit on grill and cook about 1 minute on each side or until grill marks appear.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the baby lettuces with the herbs and the vinaigrette. Toss well, but gently. Place a quarter of the gourmet greens mixture at the center of each salad plate.

Divide warm peaches evenly among salads and sprinkle each serving with half an ounce prosciutto. Enjoy with a nice summer cocktail! Serves 4.

Skirt Steak Tacos with Heirloom Tomato-Avocado Salsa

Cuisine: keep the heat outside

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 125

Atul Aggarwal MD Cardiology Clinic

“If you don’t Open your heart with love, We will do it for you” We as a staff strive to provide state-of-the-art, cardiovascular care with humility, dignity & compassion Our clinic is located in Southwest Bakersfield, in the Riverwalk Medical Plaza

9330 Stockdale Highway, Suite 600 Bakersfield, CA 93311

Tel: 661-664-0100 • Fax: 661-664-0111

CUISINE: keep the heat outside Skirt Steak Tacos with Heirloom Tomato-Avocado Salsa 1 (12-oz.) skirt steak • 8 corn tortillas, warmed Ingredients for the marinade: ½ tsp. salt and pepper • 1 small rosemary sprig • 2-3 tsp. olive oil 4 slow-roasted garlic cloves • Zest of 1 lemon Ingredients for the Heirloom Tomato-Avocado Salsa: 1 large heirloom tomato, diced • 1 ripe Californian avocado, peeled and diced 4 tsp. olive oil • 4 tsp. lemon juice • ¼ tsp. salt and pepper or more to taste Finely chopped mint, parsley, basil, or cilantro In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the marinade and form a paste. Spread it over both sides of the skirt steak. Place the meat in a glass container and marinate in refrigerator for two hours or overnight. Bring to room temperature one hour before cooking. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Grill the steak 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove, place on a cutting board, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let it rest for five minutes before slicing. (In this way, the flavorful juices will redistribute and will not run out of the meat). Meanwhile heat the tortillas. Mix together all the ingredients for the salsa in a medium bowl (if making ahead of time, add the avocado just before serving to prevent it from browning).

Arrange two tortillas on each dinner plate. Divide the sliced beef evenly among plates. Top each with a quarter of the salsa. Serves 4.

www.aggarwalclinic.com Homemade Strawberry-Honey Gelato

Summer squash, drizzled with a no-cook sauce, is the perfect side dish. The red wine vinaigrette is a classic salad dressing, but here it plays the role of a no-cook sauce. Drizzle it on top of the warm vegetables, so they can absorb some of it. Try grilling a mixture of zucchini and yellow squash for more color sensation. And this savory recipe can be found online!

My husband loves gelato (Italian ice-cream). Years ago, on a trip to Europe, he used to stop at every gelato stand and eat two gelatos per day. So, we decided to buy an ice cream maker and I started to experiment with new recipes. In my recipe for homemade Strawberry-Honey Gelato, I use reduced-fat milk instead of the more traditional heavy cream. Two summertime favorites (fresh strawberries and gelato) are combined for a refreshing indulgence.

My hope is that some of my recipes will help you create great summer meals on the grill and will add to your family’s happiness and relaxation at home. But no matter what you cook, prepare it with fresh seasonal ingredients and lots of love! n these recipes and others can be found on our website! www.bakersfieldmagazine.net/home-a-garden 126 Bakersfield Magazine

Chalet Basque

The number one low price leader Basque restaurant in Bakersfield! Lunch starter $7.50. Dinner starter $12. Full bar with $4 well drinks, $3.50 beers, and weekend drinks. Three banquet rooms that accommodate 10-170 people, $8.95 starter. Perfect for wedding parties, anniversaries, and retirement dinners. If you’re looking for a spacious banquet room with delectable options, they will match any competitor’s price. Open all day from 11am-9:30pm. 200 Oak Street. (661) 327-2915

Bob’s Big Boy

What started out with the purchase of a small hamburger stand in 1936 by Bob Wian has turned into a regular legend—one that has found a home in Bakersfield! Bob’s Big Boy has been serving up some of the most delicious breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for over 75 years, and their menu continues to delight customers of all ages.

Try some of their classic favorites, like Bob’s world famous Big Boy Double Deck Cheeseburger, salads, chili size, chili spaghetti, famous hand-dipped ice cream shakes, fresh strawberry pie, and hot fudge ice cream cake! Come out any day of the week and experience what a true legend tastes like. Open Mon-Fri from 7am9:30pm and Sat-Sun 7:30am-10pm. 3939 Ming Ave. (661) 833-0780

2

Locations!

Luigi’s Restaurant & Italian Delicatessen

Enjoy an old world Italian delicatessen since 1910 with over 200 wines to complement your lunch. From sandwiches to Pasta Bolognese, you’re sure to find flavorful choices to make everyone happy! Don’t forget to shop the gourmet delicatessen for unique gift ideas, wine and authentic foods. Restaurant Hours: Tue-Sat 11am-2:30pm, Deli Hours: Tue-Sat 8am-4pm. 725 East 19th Street. shopluigis.com (661) 322-0926

Valentien Restaurant and Wine Bar

French Cuisine Fused With California Freshness Seafood, Poultry, Beef, Exotic Game, Vegetarian. A welcoming environment in the tradition of a neighborhood bistro. Extensive Wine List and Craft Beer Selection. Coffee Program Featuring Siphon Brewers and Sustainable Sourced Beans. We believe in preparing food from scratch with the freshest ingredients available. We source locally and organically as often as possible. Enjoy the bounty of Kern County’s Agriculture! A daily “Afternoon Epicure” $25 prix fixe menu from 4:30pm-5:30pm. Dinner reservations Mon-Sat, 4:30pm-8:30pm. Lunch reservations Friday ONLY 11:30am-2:00pm. All major credit cards are accepted. Reservations recommended but not required. 3310 Truxtun Ave., Ste. 160, 93301 www.valentienrestaurant.com (661) 864-0397

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 127

The Dining Guide

El Portal Mexican Restaurant

We invite you to enjoy both of our Mexican Grill and Cantinas, El Portal Ming and El Portal West. We offer a great selection of appetizers, soups & salads, seafood, and our specialties are chicken, steak, and shrimp fajitas. Happy Hour for Ming Ave. Mon-Fri 4-7pm (bar only) and at West location 3-7pm (bar only), lunch specials every day, 11am-2pm. Fabulous Sunday Brunch, 10am3pm, reservations accepted. Two locations to serve you. El Portal Mexican Restaurant located at 6641 Ming Ave. (661) 834-2629, and El Portal West, located at 1100 Calloway Dr. (661) 829-2737

Uricchio’s Trattoria

The Dining Guide

Now Offering Curb-side To-go Service and free validated parking for lunch guests! Nestled in the heart of Downtown in the historical Haberfelde Building.

Steaks, chops, seafood, and classic Italian dishes, complemented by an extensive wine list, have made Uricchio’s a mainstay for over a decade. Uricchio’s San Francisco style setting is family owned and operated, and the perfect spot for a business lunch, or a romantic dining experience. After your meal save room for the fabulous desserts from LaMousse of Beverly Hills. Hours: Lunch Tue-Fri 11am-2pm, Dinner Tue-Thu 5-9pm, Friday & Saturday 5-10pm. Reservations recommended.

Visit us on Facebook! www.uricchios-trattoria.com. 1400 17th St. Downtown.

(661) 326-8870

La Colonia Mexican Restaurant

When you’re craving some of the most delicious Mexican food in town, look no further than La Colonia. Serving up authentic breakfasts, lunches, and dinners to locals for years, there’s truly something satisfying on the menu for everyone, regardless of your preference. Come out and try some of the Burritos de La Colonia, delicious combination plates, or mariscos dishes and see why they have guests who dine there every single week. Pick up a gift card for a wonderful, unique present for the people you know who enjoy the best things in life! Available for dine-in and carry out. Open Mon-Thu 10:30am-8pm, Fri 10:30am-9pm, Sat 9am-9pm, and Sun 8:30am-2pm.

1809 Potomac Ave. (661) 323-3855

Lorene’s Ranch House Coffee Shop

Where Everything’s Homemade! If you’re in the mood for an early morning breakfast, lunch, or a casual evening dinner, stop by Lorene’s for a hearty meal you won’t forget. Our extensive menu includes traditional breakfast skillets, country fresh eggs and omelettes, and a large selection of pancakes and waffles. For lunch or dinner try our South-of-the-Border section or one of our charbroiled burgers. We also serve great steaks and numerous seafood entrées. Stop by today for family-friendly dining. Hours: 6am-9pm daily, Visa, MC, AE, DC, accepted. Two locations to serve you: 1531 23rd & Eye St. (661) 322-6887 and 6401 Ming Ave. (661) 831-9250

The Village Sports Bar & Grill

Come see what’s becoming Bakersfield’s most popular locally owned and operated sports bar and grill! This is one dining experience you won’t soon forget, featuring: management with over 24 years of experience, full bar, spacious dining area, outdoor patio, catering, food made fresh (everything is made from scratch; nothing is brought in frozen), pool table area, and nine screens to watch sports on. Thank you, Bakersfield, for your continued support and for helping us grow into what we’ve become today! Karaoke on Thursdays 8pm-1am. Opens at 11am daily.

Kitchen closes at 10pm Sun-Wed, and at 11pm Thu-Sat. 4837 Panama Ln. (661) 282-8990

Frugatti’s Italian Wood-Fired Oven

Real Italian by Real Italians! Whether dining in or al fresco on our patio, come in and enjoy our new menu that’s bursting with flavor for lunch, dinner or just dessert. You’ll love our steaks. We use only the highest quality Certified Angus Brand® Beef. You’ll also love our chicken, seafood and pizzas cooked in our imported Italian wood-burning oven. We also offer a wide selection of pasta dishes and other Italian favorites. For dessert try our homemade New York cheesecakes or Tiramisu. Come experience our friendly atmosphere. Hours: Mon-Thu 11am-9:30pm, Friday 11am-10pm, Saturday 11:30am-10pm, Sunday 11:30am-9pm. All major credit cards accepted. 600 Coffee Rd., corner of Truxtun and Coffee. frugattis.com (661) 836-2000

128 Bakersfield Magazine

Saigon Restaurant

We invite you to try the best place in town for fresh and traditional Vietnamese cuisine! Since 1998, we have served the absolute healthiest dining options to the people of Bakersfield. From unique appetizers, soups, salads, and vermicelli dishes to Boba drinks and Vietnamese beer, we have everything you crave for a true culinary experience. Our pho, noodle soups, vegetarian dishes, and a la carte items featuring seafood, pork, beef, and chicken will satisfy your craving for traditional Vietnamese food. Lunch Specials from 11am-3pm. Individual Dinner Specials after 4pm. Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-9pm. Closed Sunday. 3113 Chester Ln. www.saigonbakersfield.com (661) 327-8810

Wine Me Up! Wine Bar & Tapas Lounge

Wine Me Up!, in the heart of the northwest, is your new alternative for gatherings with friends or business. Our intimate lounge and patio is the perfect place to enjoy over 30 wines by the glass, craft beers, and savory tapas selections. We also offer live music on Friday nights, daily mixers from 5-7pm for beer and wine, and a knowledgeable staff to assist you with the perfect bottle to enjoy at home. Hours: Mon-Fri, 2pm to Close. Sat, 3:30pm to Close. 3900 Coffee Rd #2, Bakersfield, CA 93308. (661) 588-8556

Brookside Riverlakes Market & Deli

We welcome you to come enjoy our signature salads, sandwiches, and burgers at your local Brookside Market & Deli. Stop by and try our homemade Fish & Chips with our savory clam chowder every Friday. We also BBQ our own Tri-Tip sandwiches daily! Brookside carries a wide variety of fine wines & market products you may need, including Smith’s Bakery goodies to satisfy your sweet tooth! In addition to our Brookside breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus, we also offer a catering menu that will help you celebrate any occasion with ease. Deli hours: Mon-Sat 5am-8pm, Sun 6:30am-4pm. 4700 Coffee Rd. Store: (661) 588-1338, Deli: (661) 588-2329

Gimmee Some Sugar

Gimmee Some Sugar Cakes was created with a motto that food should be experienced, not just tasted. We proudly stand by the ground rule that all of our products are made with only the best ingredients, like real Madagascar Vanilla Beans, whole sweet cream butter, and fine Callebaut European Chocolate. Our team was built with the love for art, food, and people! With our unique passion, we create the most beautiful wedding and 3D cakes, gourmet sweet tables, and tasty cupcakes in the Central Valley. There is nothing we cannot make and want to continue to be Bakersfield’s local source for the up and coming cake and cupcake trends.

Hours: Tues-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat 10am-12pm (pick up orders only). Closed Sun-Mon. 2100 19th Street Ste D. www.gimmeesomesugar.com (661) 321-9922

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 129

The Dining Guide

Belvedere Room in the Padre Hotel

The Chefs at the Belvedere Room offer a distinctive experience that marries oldworld style with modern tastes. From ranch raised beef to seafood delicacies, each dish is thoughtfully prepared for your culinary delight. Explore our innovative wine list or allow us to find you the perfect pairing. Call or visit the website for reservations. Open for dinner nightly. 1702 18th Street. www.thepadrehotel.com (661) 427-4900

Camino Real Kitchen & Tequila

In a town full of Mexican restaurants, take a break and try food that’s Mexican inspired with California love. Try our new breakfast, lunch, & dinner menu. Menudo available daily at 8am while supplies lasts! Check us out at Instagram@caminoed and Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CAMINOED. Download thecaminoapp from the app store. Open Daily 8am-Midnight. Happy Days @ The Bar, Everyday 11am-7pm. Lunch Buffet, M-F 11am-2pm. Sunday Brunch, 9am-2pm. 4501 Stine Road. caminoed.com (661) 852-0493

Café Med

Café Med has been a Bakersfield tradition for over 20 years. Their diverse menu includes Mediterranean and American cuisine, as well as an extensive wine list, now on iPads! Monthly Wine Tastings are held the last Friday of the month from 5:30-8pm. The $25 cover includes featured wines and sumptuous appetizers. Enjoy live music on both Friday and Saturday evening. Café Med is open 11am to close 7 days a week. Reservations accepted. Visa, MC, AE, DC. Located at 4809 Stockdale Hwy., in the Stockdale Fashion Plaza. Like us on Facebook, or go to Cafemedrestaurant.com (661) 834-4433

The Dining Guide

Farmer’s Wife Recipe

Asia Market - Teriyaki Bowl

Asia Market & Teriyaki Bowl carries a wide selection of all Asian foods, including Chinese and Japanese favorites! The best part about our store is that after you have chosen your favorite item, you can either take it home and prepare a meal for yourself, or you can come into our restaurant and have us prepare a delicious meal for you using your selection! We have a full-service store and restaurant, so you can come in for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Join us today for excellent food provided by a friendly staff in a great atmosphere! Hours: 9am-9pm daily. 7701 White Lane. (661) 837-0982

Sinaloa Mexican Restaurant

Serving traditional Mexican cuisine to Bakersfield residents since 1948. Perfectly situated downtown, just west of Mill Creek Park. Open Tue-Thu 11:15am-8pm, Fri-Sat 11:15am-9pm, and Sunday 11:15am-8pm. Closed on Mondays. Sinaloa is located at 910 20th Street. (661) 327-5231

130 Bakersfield Magazine

sandy TORIGIANI and her husband, Mike, are no strangers to the soil or the kitchen. This Kern County-loving couple not only owns Torigiani Farms in Buttonwillow, but they also owned a restaurant named The Buttonwillow Lumberyard for some years. Expressing her passion for cooking, Sandy revealed, “I was fortunate enough to participate in and be selected as one of the winners of the Eye Cook Contest in Bakersfield.” Her husband was also named Agriculturist of the Year in 2007.

When this couple isn’t collecting locally esteemed honors, they’re growing tomatoes on their farm, and have been doing so for the past four years. Thanks to the beautiful harvest, our latest featured recipe is a marinara sauce so delicious and versatile that you just might want to put a little on everything!

d cut into quarters 40 tomatoes, washed an d fine 3 heads of garlic, choppe amelized 2 onions, chopped and car 1/2 cup chopped thy me 1/2 cup chopped basil • in with some of garlic mi xed 1/2 cup chopped parsley, • Sa lt and pepper Pinch of red pepper fla kes te onions in olive oil along In an eight quart pan, sau until the onions are light with the herbs and spices es in Meanwhile, place tomato yellow and sweet to taste. d. s until all have been puree a food processor in batche r me sim d an s to the onion Add tomatoes and garlic ur po d an ol ut two hours. Co sauce uncovered for abo s). s (makes about eight quart in clean, sealing glass jar

P R O F I L E S

March Consulting Kathryn Clowes, Owner (661) 747-4514 • www.mymarchconsulting.com • mymarchconsulting@gmail.com When Kathryn Clowes founded March Consulting, an educational consulting company, she wanted to do more than spend her days telling people about the collegiate options available to them; she wanted to provide students with the tools and information they need to advocate for themselves, discover a career that they love, and formulate a plan to achieve those goals.

It’s an avenue that’s very familiar for Clowes, who, after graduating from Highland High a year early and beginning classes at Bakersfield College, was still completely unsure of what she wanted to do with her future.

“When I was in junior high, I used to spend hours planning out different career routes dreaming about the different majors that would lead me down different paths and what college could help me get there,” Clowes explained. “From the beginning, I had an unconventional start to college and had to learn the rules as I went along.”

And after a lot of hard work, some major switching, and a little personal discovery, Clowes finally found her passion and graduated from Santa Clara University. But she realized that her journey through higher education was not entirely unique—many students deal with these hurdles.

So she went to work.

“I devoured as much information as I could get my hands on.

I talked to professionals in all walks of life. That’s when I noticed that my generation and the generation following no longer had the resources that our parents had. We had no idea how to choose a career or what to do with our college years. College was an endpoint for us, not a beginning. We arrive with our diplomas not understanding why that’s not enough. College is a tool and we’re no longer trained on how to use it to our advantage.”

After completing a Masters of Business Administration from Mount St. Mary’s College and getting post-graduate certification from UC Irvine, Clowes joined the Independent Educational Consultants Association. Still, Clowes was tenacious about her new goal of mentoring entering college students. “I started researching school after school, gleaning updated information and talking with admissions officers and career centers. The more I learned, the more I was convinced that I could make a difference.” And that’s what led to Clowes and her friend forming March Consulting in 2010; though

in 2012, after her friend moved out of state, Clowes regrouped and opened back up independently.

“It started with a passion—to help other students not spend ten years of their lives wandering in jobs where they were miserable. It started with helping each student I worked with get the right start from the beginning. I can’t imagine what I could have achieved if I would have had the same guidance in high school—or even in college.”

To d a y, M a r c h C o n s u l t i n g provides a comprehensive college planning package that gives students individualized one-on-one attention to guide them through the entire college admissions process. Services are open to anyone, from college freshman, transfer students, and even graduate students.

“We meet with students and discuss their goals, learning styles, personality, values, and ideas for future careers,” Clowes explained. “Then we develop a list of colleges that fit their criteria, determine an SAT/ACT study plan, assist with applications, deadlines, and essay ideas, and offer advice on applying for financial aid and scholarships.” Additionally, Clowes offers career workshops for high school and college students that will help them determine what to major in and how to network and utilize their skills to succeed in their future. And this fall, March Consulting is not only offering two college admissions boot camps to help students discover the steps they need to take if they are looking to attend college, but they’ll host SAT and ACT test prep courses taught by certified instructors.

March Consulting uses a curriculum with high school clients to keep them on track and employs an innovative program that can give parents a clear idea of the actual costs of each college that they are considering. “My involvement with the IECA gives me access to multitudes of information to help determine the right path for each student including information on out-of-state schools, private liberal arts colleges, and yes, even the Ivys.

“The relief that my clients have on their faces when they see a list of colleges that fit their dreams and goals, or that they’ve discovered what they want to do after college, or that I can help them break down any dream with a clear, step-by-step plan is more rewarding than almost anything. It’s what I love about going to work every day.” www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 131

MEDICAL PROFILES

Victor G. Ettinger, MD, MBA, FACE, FACP Kern Faculty Medical Group

Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Most insurance accepted

New patients accepted with referral

• Board Certified in Internal Medicine • Board Certified in Endocrinology and Metabolism • Practices with multi-specialty group at KFMG Professional Societies: • Fellow, American College of Endocrinology • Fellow, American College of Physicians • American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists • American Diabetes Association • The Endocrine Society

At Central Valley Physical Therapy our mission is simple: to provide the best care to our community. We are an award winning private practice physical therapy clinic. We boast doctoral educated & specialty certified practitioners.

We love what we do. We love helping people.

We love providing Movement for Life ®.

2201 Mt. Vernon Ave., 2nd Floor, Bakersfield CA 93306

8200 Stockdale Highway # B1, Bakersfield, CA 93311

(661) 872-7000

Central Valley Physical Therapy

(661) 827-8959

Wall’s Hearing Aid Center

The Original...Hearing Aid Center of Bakersfield Serving the Community Since 1946

Voted “Best Dermatologist” by Los Angeles Magazine Voted A.V.’s “Best Dermatologist” Skin Cancer specialist Laser Specialist • MOHS–Micrographic surgery • Laser hair removal • Tattoo removal • Pre-cancerous growths • Coolsculpt–Laser • Mole checks & removals • Acne/Acne Scarring/Rosacea fat removal • Ultra skin rejuvenation and tightening

(661) 322-2700

5600 California Ave., Suite 101 • Bakersfield, CA 93309

The Womens Care Center Armi Lynn Walker, M.D. Cary Shakespeare, M.D.

Kenneth V. Wall

“It’s Never too early to hear better” • It’s not only the quality of your hearing. We provide hearing products to improve your quality of life.

• Beyond the best products on the market, our staff gives you the personal attention, support and care you deserve.

Don’t go another day wondering if you could be hearing better.

(661) 368-9859

4800 Easton Drive, Suite #108, Bakersfield, CA 93309 www.whaci.com

Advanced Spinal Health, LLC Specializing in Instrument Adjustive Techniques Gregory Heyart, D.C. Nicholas Braaten, D.C. Steven Salyers, D.C.

• • • •

• • •

Obstetrics, Gynecology & Infertility Pregnancy Testing Personalized Prenatal Care and Delivery Complete Gynecological Care, Contraception, Menopausal Issues Minimally Invasive Surgery Urinary Incontinence Testing Comfortable, Relaxing Atmosphere

(661) 633-BABY (2229)

2021 22nd St., Bakersfield, CA 93301 132 Bakersfield Magazine

Serving Bakersfield and the surrounding communities. Our chiropractors and the rest of the friendly team at Advanced Spinal Health, LLC, are dedicated to chiropractic solutions to target your unique needs, whether you are suffering from back pain, neck pain, headaches, or even just plain old muscular tightness and tension. Even if you just want to improve your overall health, our chiropractors can help you achieve your wellness goals!

(661) 327-2622

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Neighbors

NONPROFIT

SPOTLIGHT

By Eman Shurbaji

Did you know that 20 percent of the Kern County population has some kind of developmental disability? That’s one out of every five people!

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raffles, and a talent show making this private event for clients, staff, friends, and family a fun evening out for all involved.

Most importantly, it shines a light on a portion of the community that deserves some recognition and prepares everyone for the coming months of fundraising and program development. One goal that Meet Your Neighbors has is to provide inclusive activities for everyone in our community.

Lisa Jo Epkins, fundraising chair for MYN, knows all too well what it means to

‘‘Our goal is to remind people that we’re all really people, and everyone needs to be included.’’

—Guinevere Park-Hall Dethlefson

make sure everyone is aware of just how many struggles those with developmental disabilities face on a daily basis.

“Clients are all receiving SSI, and they have limited money to spend. They have to buy their groceries and hygiene products with their small income, so that leaves very little money to spend on oth-

er things,” she explained. Like enjoying one’s community—a crucial part of not just surviving but thriving.

So, MYN tries to do at least one activity a month, that is both enjoyable and a special treat. Past events have included Globetrotters games, karaoke nights, and Broadway in Bakersfield.

As money is naturally needed to attend many outlets for entertainment, MYN is constantly hosting events to garner community awareness and support.

MYN is also involved in giving back to the community. They are active participants in Project Linus, wherein blankets are made for children who have been through drastic situations. They also participate in the Mayor Clean Up days.

The goal of MYN projects are simple— to create a symbiotic relationship with the community—one that involves friendships and understanding. As a community awareness campaign, it needs the community to be involved so that funding can be secured, and events and activities are scheduled.

Nevertheless, the smiles of participants, and the inclusion of dozens of organizations for those with all types of conditions, ensures that MYN will continue to play an important role in our town. And it lends proof that the efforts of volunteers like Dethlefson and Epkins are not in vain as they help introduce the larger community to some very special neighbors.

For more information, visit myn.org. n

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community partners

Michael Henstra, Guinevere Park-Hall Dethlefson, and Lisa Jo Epkins

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Despite that large presence in our neighborhoods and community, many people don’t regularly come into contact with individuals with special needs, nor do they know how to interact with them.

One organization, Meet Your Neighbors (MYN), is working to change this reality.

“Our goal is to remind people that we’re all really people, and everyone needs to be included,” said Guinevere Park-Hall Dethlefson, member of MYN and chair of the marketing committee for the organization.

MYN started in 2009, building off the local Buddy Walk, and expanding the Walk’s efforts to focus a wider net on all disabilities in the community. There was the realization that although there are agencies and programs for individuals with special needs, they were inclusive to their respective peers, caregivers, and agencies, and not immersed in the community as a whole.

MYN is a community awareness campaign that includes a variety of activities, events, and seminars coordinated by a number of local organizations like Kern Regional Center, Rotary Clubs of Bakersfield, H.E.A.R.T.S. Connection, and other Supported Living Services providers.

So, the founding of MYN helped people like Dethlefson, who had experience teaching theater, become engrossed in not only volunteering, but being a part of the process that set aside stereotypes about a significant population in our community.

MYN normally has a kick-off festival with vendors and activities at Central Park at Mill Creek. This year, they are focusing fall efforts on hosting the annual Kern Regional Center Picnic on September 13 in Yokuts Park. There will be entertainment,

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On a Mission

patients in Kern County $40, 718 in financial assistance and partnered with Kern County oncology professionals to provide four educational programs for 200 patients and community members in 2012 on topics including Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, healthy living, and cancer prevention.

“LLS is the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer and funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services.”

To this day, research and patient services are the key components of LLS chapters all over the U.S. >> photos courtesy Sweet Nectar Society/Brittany Wilbur

with leukemia and other blood cancers.

“The organization, after changing its name to The Leukemia Society, was renamed The Leukemia Society of America in the 1960s to communicate a broad, national reach,” Truhett explained. And the organization eventually adopted the moniker we know today.

“The mission is still the same,” Truhett said. “To cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and myeloma; and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.”

Last year the LLS Central California Chapter gave $194,528.64 in financial assistance to 370 people. It awarded 73

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Robert Roesler de Villiers was diagnosed with leukemia in the early ‘40s, a time when there was very little known about the disease, let alone options for curing it. So when he succumbed to his illness in 1944 at the age of 16, his parents were distraught and frustrated over the lack of effective treatments available for patients with blood cancers. So even though leukemia was thought of as an incurable, hopeless disease at the time, the deVilliers sought to change that. “Five years after his death, in 1949, the couple started a fundraising and education organization in their son’s name. At the time, it was headquartered in a small Wall Street office and the Foundation had only a few volunteers and a very small budget,” Truhett said of the LLS’s origins. “Obviously, the task was daunting. At the time, most leukemia patients, especially children, died within three months of being diagnosed.”

More medical advances took place in the field of blood cancers in the next decade, the big breakthrough being the first generation of chemotherapy drugs.

But leukemia remained stubborn against most chemotherapies. Truhett added that a report put out by the Foundation (before its name became the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) in 1955 stated that leukemia was 100 percent fatal. “The annual report went on to say that this is almost a unique situation among the many diseases to which man is susceptible,” she said.

With passion from the de Villiers and more support coming from the community, the Foundation grew steadily over the years, its mission to help find ways to treat people

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community partners

“The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society was born out of a family’s grief over the death of their son,” explained Debbie Truhett, the executive director for the Society’s Central California chapter.

photos courtesy Sweet Nectar Society/Brittany Wilbur

“We want to advance the treatment of blood cancers by funding academic research and cancer therapy programs, but also keep patients connected to the latest therapy options and clinical trials, as well as developing agendas for patients and their families to support their needs,” Truhett elaborated.

That can include financial support, as the LLS strives to ensure that patients have insurance coverage for treatments and can help coordinate their cancer care.

A third mission of the LLS involves public policy regarding blood cancers and medical treatments.

And this kind of research and support is absolutely necessary. There are over 1,000 new cases of blood cancers diagnosed in this area each year.

Until a cure is found, however, LLS will continue hosting fundraising events in Kern County. In addition to Team in Training, a program that pairs athletes looking to train and compete in marathons and fundraising, there is the Pennies for Patients program—a campaign that’s had tremendous success in our community.

“We had fifty schools participating in our Pennies for Patients Program from Kern County and the top three fundraising schools in the Central California area are all from Bakersfield.

In fact, Old River Elementary School was ranked fourteenth in the nation for the top fundraising schools,” Truhett said.

The largest event hosted in Bakersfield is Light the Night,

an evening walk/run to not only raise funds for the LLS but also to honor those who’ve been lost to these diseases. There are usually over 500 participants at Light the Night Bakersfield, and this year’s event, which takes place on November 2 at The Park at

“ The mission is still the same.

To cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and myeloma; and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.” —Debby Truhett

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River Walk, will prove no exception.

“In addition to the walk, itself, there will be a remembrance ceremony acknowledging those who have lost the battle,” Truhett added. “And a mission tent where patients can come and learn about the many services offered

by LLS and pick up valuable materials. We’ll have a Kids Zone, live music, prizes, and more!”

All funds from Light the Night further the activities of the LLS. “Over seventy-eight percent of the funds go directly to our mission,” Truhett explained. “That includes money for research; patient services like financial aid, co-insurance, and co-pay; support groups for patients; and advocacy. Our goal is to provide better and faster access to treatment for patients. And in the Central California office, all those funds help us care for the patients from the nine counties we serve.”

There is so much work yet to be done in the field of blood cancers,

including leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, and others. It’s imperative that people understand just how devastating these diseases can be for people, especially children. Because while there are treatments that can help patients go into remission, there is still further research needed to find a cure.

It’s out there.

If you’re interested in helping fundraise for Light the Night, you can visit lightthenight.org/cca for information on registering yourself or a team. You can also call (559) 435-1482. However, if you’d simply like more information on the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Central California Chapter, visit lls.org/cca to discover more about this nonprofit organization. n www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2013 137

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BAKERSFIELD MAGAZINE

Party

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Dana & John Szewezyk

Rachele Carolus & Rachel Berryhill

John & Marti Robinson

Voices of Inspiration

Hoffmann Hospice’s 19th Annual Voices of Inspiration dinner and auction was a fun-filled evening featuring the stars of A&E’s hit show, Duck Dynasty.

The honored guests posed for pictures in the VIP area and later spoke about how they managed to balance business, family, and faith. All proceeds of this sold-out event went to support the Hospice’s services to terminally ill patients.

Joe & Elizabeth Harrison, Nicole & Mike Sprague

Kelly Geis & Lisa Robertson

Leslie Puryear & Kemberly Mattley

Kevin & Veronica Henry

Karen & Warren Plaskett

Valerie Black & Kimberly Ward-Graham

Bobbie Miller & Kim Bunch

Dennis Johnston

Peter Bouma

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Annette Bridgman & Dennis Slater

Under the Tuscan Sun

Lucy Silicz & Marcy Gill

Luigi’s Restaurant & Delicatessen wowed local wine and food lovers with this party: Wine Tasting Under the Tuscan Sun. A lovely summer event featuring wines straight from Tuscany (with over 60 wines to choose from) and countless gourmet appetizers to sample brought some of the Old Country here to Bakersfield. Later on, live music was enjoyed on the patio.

Donna Tracy, Kathe Sickles, & Jeanne Malm

Marcy Billdt & Linda Wilis

142 Bakersfield Magazine

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Michael Murphy, Deidra Demos, & James Estrada

Athena Collup

Davina Murphy

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Chris & Andrea Negron

Pam & Jerry Barhill

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Driven to Dine

Locals came out in droves to the Padre’s Belvedere Room for the chance to test drive the new 2013 Lincoln MKZ. Not only that, but as part of this unique event hosted by Lincoln, after guests finished their test drive, they were treated to a delicious three-course dinner prepared especially for them by the Padre’s Chef Brad Wise.

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This was the place to be if you were in the mood for an all-around great night. Hosted by the Downtown Business Association and local businesses, this event gave locals a chance to experience all that our downtown has to offer—especially the food! Once folks were stuffed with sweet desserts and tempting dishes, they danced the night away to live music from local bands!

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State of the City

The Chamber of Commerce hosted this exciting luncheon at Bakersfield Marriott. Local leaders, neighbors, and concerned business owners gathered for an update on how our beloved city is developing. A delicious and healthy lunch was served while guest speakers briefed those in attendance on the great progress we have made and addressed some pressing issues.

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BBQ at the Mission

Matthew Tabbytosavit & Ally Bryan

Nothing says summer fun like a delicious BBQ, and The Mission at Kern County brought some tantalizing dishes to those looking to support a wonderful local cause. With live music playing in the background, patrons dined on top sirloin steak and reveled in the fact that they were helping to keep vital programs through the Mission going strong in Bakersfield.

Mekale Elliott, Kathy Chretien, & Debbie Elbadawy

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Antonio, Adan, Lori, & Mercedes Rizo

Jay Henderson, Gale Savage, Terry Britz, Monique & Darin Brown

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Sara & Farhan Ahmad

Narjis Kazmi & Shewly Habib

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Ramadan

The Bakersfield Firefighters Hall was the venue for this spiritual celebration marking the end of Ramadan. Known as Eid al-Fitr, the event commemorated the completion of a month-long fasting for those in our local Muslim community. Those who attended enjoyed enlightening conversations, enacted long-held rituals during the ceremony, and savored traditional fare.

Sanjeeda (Julie) Samad, Begum Helena Samad, & Dr. Lubna

Rabaya Anjum, Zamina Sial, Robina Sial, & Safeena Fatima

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Sandra Jimenez, Randy McKeegan, & Connie Walls

Westside Parkway Opening

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Locals eagerly gathered on a beautiful summer morning to witness the anticipated opening of the Westside Parkway. The Thomas Roads Improvement Program has been working on the $240 million project for nearly four years (and it was three decades in the planning) but it’s finally here. After the ribbon cutting, drivers got the chance to drive through Bakersfield’s newest freeway.

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bakersfield’s sound

union avenue

plunge pool & Concession area

N

We Need More Old Photos!

Have an old photo with back story from Bakersfield’s past?

We want your suggestions for future Bakersfield’s Sounds.

Submit any ideas to editorial@ bakersfieldmagazine.net. If we use your submission, we’ll give you a $50 gift card to a fabulous local restaurant.

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odern-day Bakersfield has spray parks and the multi-acre McMurtry Aquatic Complex for cooling off and beating the summer heat. But according to local historian Gilbert Gia, back in the day, local citizens had a massive 100 by 300 foot pool called the Union Avenue Plunge.

The Plunge was the brainchild of a locomotive engineer turned alfalfa farmer named John E. Roberts. Roberts originally set out to build a water reservoir for his crops in the early 1900s, but after planners decided the “new” highway from Los Angeles to Bakersfield would meet at Union Avenue, he heard opportunity knocking. So he decided to make his reservoir have a dual function; it would serve to catch water pumped out of a 145-foot deep well to water the alfalfa, but that water would be simultaneously replaced by well water, meaning that the water would be fresh enough to swim in.

Roberts quickly turned the staid old reservoir into a happening venue by adding electric lighting (at that time, a novelty), springboards, a diving tower, some slides, and a wide concrete deck for swimmers. Weather archives indicate the average high for Bakersfield in May of 1916 was a balmy 97 degrees, and that may have been just the motivation Roberts needed to throw the doors open on the 14th of that month.

An article about the grand opening in the Bakersfield Californian the next day said that 1,000 residents visited the Plunge between high noon and 11 p.m. when Roberts finally called it a day. More than half of those visitors donned their old-timey swimsuits and tested the nearly two million gallons of fresh water. Some stayed in the shallow four-foot end, while more adventurous swimmers and divers ventured into the 12-foot depths.

The Plunge would survive several biblical-like plagues during its long history, the first of which came in 1922 when a fire burned down the structures and injured Roberts as he tried to run back into his office to retrieve money. The pool, however, was fine and weathered this first great challenge without taking a scar.

It continued to thrive through the polio scare of the ‘30s, the war conservation efforts of the ‘40s, the suburbanization of the ‘50s, and stumbled into the ‘70s a shadow of its former self, when it was finally turned into Bakersfield’s second-ever skate park.

The Pon family then owned the land, and would open another private pool and dancehall down the road at Belle Terrace and 99, but it would never approach the popularity of Bakersfield’s original Plunge on Union Avenue.

the story of bakersfield is all around us, you just have to look — and listen.

146 Bakersfield Magazine

Photos courtesy of kern county museum

c. 1925

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