www.bakersfieldvoice.com
January 10-16, 2010
F R E E
Central Coast fun! Pg. 3 Time to prune! Pg. 4 Oral language contestant takes another try! Pg. 5
Once in a blue moon!
“Extra” full moon lights New Year’s Eve sky, pg. 8
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W W W. B A K E R S F I E L D V O I C E . C O M
JANUARY 10-16, 2010
EXTRA!EXTRA!
“Living Well” with MS •Understand and better manage MS symptoms
BY CHRISTINE GRONTKOWSKI Community contributor
•Develop positive emotional and spiritual health practices to use across their lifetime
M
ultiple sclerosis (MS) interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body, and it stops people from moving. But a new local program is now available to help those newly diagnosed with the disease move forward. The program, which begins January 25, is called “Living Well with MS,” and it offers people in Kern County a chance to work with medical, fitness, nutrition, and behavioral health experts to diminish the effects of the disease. The 12-week program combines online and in-person courses to accommodate those who work. The online portion is highly interactive, allowing participants to complete exercises and discussions in their own time frame. In addition, every Monday at 6:30 p.m. participants
•Increase their ability to cope with the diagnosis and unpredictability of MS •Meet others living with MS in a setting of shared support. Anyone, both men and women, who has been diagnosed with MS within the last seven years can participate. will meet at Total Woman Fitness, 9901 Hageman Road, to work with a fitness trainer, a yoga instructor, and a mental health professional. During the 12 weeks, participants will: •Develop a comprehensive personal fitness and nutrition plan
Space is limited and applications must be submitted by January 15 to allow time for set up for the online portion of the class. For information on the program and how to receive an application, call the Kern County office of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society at 321-9512 or go online to: www.livingwellwithMS.com.
S T A F F EDITORIAL Olivia Garcia Vice President /Content ogarcia@bakersfield.com Teresa Adamo Associate Editor tadamo@bakersfield.com Sandi Molen Contributions Coordinator smolen@bakersfield.com
ART Kent Kuehl Designers kkuehl@bakersfield.com
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The Bakersfield Voice P.O. Box 440 Bakersfield, CA 93302 The Bakersfield Voice is published by Mercado Nuevo, an independent subsidiary of The Bakersfield Californian.
Volunteer for Optimal Hospice Care in 2010
Share stories, photos, blogs in
Voice
BY RHONDA FRANKHOUSER Community contributor
M
ake 2010 the year that you make a difference! Optimal Hospice Care will begin hosting New Volunteer orientations on the first Wednesday of each month from 10 a.m. to 2pm. We are searching for compassionate individuals from Bakersfield, Kern Valley, Tehachapi, Taft, Shafter, McFarland, Delano, Arvin, Lamont and all the surrounding communities, who are willing to share a little time and friendship with the patients and families under our care. We are also searching for volunteers who have the following talents/skills/licenses: certified pet therapists, music therapists, professional hairstylists/manicurists, home and yard care, seamstresses, bilingual speakers, marketing specialists, etc. If you have a skill you are willing to share with our families, give us a call. If you would like more information about how you can become a part of our amazing volunteer program, or you would like to reserve a seat for an upcoming Volunteer Orientation, please call Karen at 716-4000 or email her at: kbudnick@optimalcares.com. Bring a friend!
COURTESY PHOTO
Dancers from the Bahiyya Almas dance company perform on stage.
Boost self esteem, improve dancing skills with scholarship! COURTESY OF BAKERSFIELD BELLY DANCERS BAHIYYA ALMAS
I
f you are a teen and are interested in learning how to belly dance, then Bahiyya Almas would love to hear from you!
We are seeking five applicants between the ages of 13 and 19 to come join us for an entire year (from March 2010 to March 2011) of unlimited lessons completely free. What we teach, in addition to the dance: choreography, spacial awareness when dancing solo or with a troupe, stage presence, costuming, isolation, hair and make up for performances, varying styles of dance and education about other cultures in relation to belly dancing. What we hope you take away: a
boost in self esteem, improved hand-eye coordination and balance, a stronger understanding of how to work as part of a team (or troupe), an appreciation for commitment, a fitter body, good memories, great friends and a genuine love for belly dancing! To apply for the scholarship, write a one-to-two page essay about why you would like to be picked as a winner. The essay must be typed and double spaced. Essays may either be handed in physically at the Bahiyya Almas Dance Co. studios or may be emailed to: bahiyya@bakersfieldbellydance.biz The deadline is February 28. For more information, visit: www.bakersfieldbellydance.biz, or contact us at 634-0322.
Have a great story to tell? How about a nice photo of your kids you’d like to share? Or maybe you have a blog that you think is interesting or inspiring. Well, we’d like to get it into The Bakersfield Voice, our citizen journalism newspaper distributed to more than 75,000 households each week. It’s easy to do, just go to our Web site: www.bakersfieldvoice.com, create a FREE profile and begin posting your stories, photos and blogs today. If you are not sure about grammar or punctuation, don’t worry. We’ll help you by editing it before putting it in the newspaper. So, how do you get it into print? Well, the best thing to do is post early and often. The Bakersfield Voice prints on Thursdays and is distributed on Sundays to some Bakersfield households, along with scores of racks at local businesses. The best way to get something into print is to post a couple of weeks before you’d like for it to get into print. And although we can’t guarantee that your stories or photos will get into The Voice, you can increase your odds by getting your postings done by the following deadlines: Run dates:
Deadline to The Voice Web site:
Jan. 24-30
Must be posted before Jan. 13
If you’d like to advertise: Please contact The Voice Sales Manager, Jaime De Los Santos, at 716-8632.
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W W W. B A K E R S F I E L D V O I C E . C O M
JANUARY 10-16, 2010
FROMTHEGALLERIES
Sun, sand & fun!
Contents
V
5 6 7
Second time around!
Grant Johnson’s hard work & experience has earned him a spot at the Kern language festival.
oice contributor, Kimberley Wright, took these photos on a recent trip to the Central Coast and posted them in the Voice’s online photo gallery. To see more photos by our contributors, or share YOUR own, go to: www.bakersfieldvoice.com and click on photos!
Bakersfield winter time blues
When the winter gloom sets in, Barbara Butler packs up the family and heads over the hill!
Extend warm arms, heart to aging cats
Senior cats need understanding, fast action at the first signs of illness & a comfy cushion to nap on!
More photos on page 8.
Austin, Craig and Christopher Wright at Oceano Sand Dunes.
About the cover Did you happen to see the “Blue Moon” that lit up the sky on New Year’s Eve? Voice reader and photographer, Frank Domingo captured this “extra” full moon on his camera and posted this amazing sight on bakersfieldvoice.com — just in case you missed it. On page 8, Frank tells us the story behind this “13th” full moon that appeared just in time to ring in the new year.
Wyatt Tomazin and his favorite wagon at Pismo Beach.
Campers at Oceano Dunes Campground at sunset.
Your photo could be on our next cover! Photos and stories for the Jan. 24 issue must be posted by Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 5 p.m.
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JANUARY 10-16, 2010
YOURGARDEN
To prune or not to prune? “P
rune in Winter!” It’s not quite that simple. By following this general instruction, you can get in some trouble — not to mention a lot of work all at once. Here are some tips as to what to prune now and what to wait on. I’ll try and make it more simple, and give some tips on how to learn what you’re doing. First of all, winter pruning is safe and needed on dormant fruit trees (leafless), and hardy trees and shrubs. Don’t prune frost tender plants or early spring bloomers in winter. At Robby’s, we just had our rose pruning Gardening columnist seminar and are about to have our Fruit Tree Care and Pruning Seminar (not citrus). These are timed for now because it is time to prune these plants. Flowers on these varieties form on new wood and will bloom more with winter pruning.
KATHY ROBINSON
PHOTO: EHOW.COM
Learn how to prune new trees, as well as older, established trees, at Robby’s tree pruning and care class on Jan. 16.
Remember though, only dormant fruit trees right now. Each of these varieties have particulars in pruning to insure
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the best fruit production. Come by and pick up a copy of the easy to read: “How to Prune Fruit Trees.” I love this book because you can read about your peach tree, then prune it. Turn to apricots, read the particulars, then prune it, and so on. Very simple and an easy way to refresh what you learn in our seminar. With these two instruction aids, you will be able to make those cuts with confidence and end up with optimum fruit production. To further explain the “don’ts” in winter pruning — don’t prune early spring bloomers until after they bloom. Flowers on these plants form at the end of the summer and pruning now can eliminate the bloom. Plants like azaleas, lilacs, camellias, dogwoods, forsythia, spirea, carolina jasmine, hardenbergia and bulbs will bloom much better if pruned after they bloom. Another don’t — don’t prune “frost tender” plants until all danger of frost is over. Plants like citrus, bougainvillaea, hibiscus, some ferns and palms are among the list of plants not to prune in the winter. You can help protect these plants by spraying with Wilt Proof and/or covering with frost cloth, but no pruning. Other plants you DO prune now, while cleaning up your winter garden, are: (prune to shape) hydrangea, crape myrtle, large-shade trees, and hardy shrubs/perennials. These plants you prune back enough to be a good height after some spring growth pushes. In other words, prune them to a smaller size than you want them to end up. Prune these varieties back hard — nearly to the ground: lantana, daylilies, bearded iris and dormant grasses. These are varieties that will flush new growth very quickly in the spring. I know this can get confusing, so don’t hesitate to come in and look around. Many times you can get good clues as
PHOTO: SMALLKITCHENGARDEN.NET
UPCOMING EVENTS FOR ROBBY’S: Fruit Tree Care and Pruning— Jan. 16 at 1 p.m. Instruction given on new trees as well as older, established trees. This seminar can run a couple of hours so dress warm, and bring a notebook. Lots of detailed info!
to winter maintenance by seeing what your local nurseries do for winter pruning. Basically, yes you can winter prune — but not everything and not with all the same technique. Educate yourself and you’ll have a better producing garden. More fruits and flowers — what fun!
JANUARY 10-16, 2010
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W W W. B A K E R S F I E L D V O I C E . C O M
YOURSCHOOLS
CSUB to host California Writers Student hones skills, takes another try at language festival Series author Alex Espinoza
E
xcellence just does not come easily or quickly! We educators see it proven again and again. It reminds me of Thomas Edison’s words, “I’m a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it. In education, this becomes so obvious when c h i l d r e n achieve. Hundreds of students are preparing for the Kern County Oral Language Festival where they select a piece of published litera- Education columnist ture, memorize it, and perform it with feeling at the class, school, district, area, and finally, county levels. Like academics, sports, and music, public speaking needs to be practiced and honed. For Grant Johnson, competing is a laborious process.
PEGGY DEWANE-POPE
Last year, the Casa Loma Elementary student spent months finding the perfect piece, memorizing all five plus minutes of it, working in gestures, and finally performing it for what seemed a zillion times. After a performance when he spoke too quickly, he lost out on the competition at the Bakersfield City School District level. Grant’s mom, Alisa says, “Grant watched the other competitors and I think he finally understood what it took to be a winner.” It’s a new year and Grant is ready for this year’s competition. Although he couldn’t have imagined it last year, he spent much more time this year working on his piece titled, “I Wonder If Herbie’s Home Yet” by Mildred Kantrowitz. I’m hoping that as Grant moves on to compete at the County level, he does a great job. Either way, he will be ready for “We the People” forensics, or Virtual Enterprise in high school. Peggy Dewane-Pope is a teacher in the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District.
BY DAWN KELLEY-SWIFT Community contributor
A
lex Espinoza — a successful up-and-coming novelist — will be reading in the California Writers Series on the CSUB campus on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m., in the Dezember Room of the Walter Stiern Library. Espinoza was born in Tijuana, Mexico, the youngest of 11 children. At the age of two, he migrated to southern California with his family and grew up in La Puente, a suburb of Los Angeles. He earned his B.A. from the University of California at Riverside with honors, and received an MFA from UC Irvine in 2004, where he was the editor of the university’s literary magazine. He now teaches fiction at Fresno State. In 2007, Espinoza published his first novel, “Still Water Saints,” which was named a “Discover Great New Writ-
ers” selection at Barnes and Noble Booksellers. Sandra Cisneros, author of “The House on Mango Street,” wrote of “Still Water Saints” — “As perfect as the beads of a rosary,” and Lisa See praised the novel as “Fresh, magical, beautiful, evocative.” The reading is free and open to the public. It will be followed by a discussion with the author and a book sale and signing sponsored by Russo’s Books. The California Writers Series, begun in 2006, is sponsored by the Walter Stiern Library, Associated Students, Inc., the CSUB Department of Modern Languages, the CSUB English Department and Sigma Tau Delta, the English Honors Society. Previous readers include: Kay Ryan, Wanda Coleman, Joe Wenderoth, Susana Chavez-Silverman, Pam Houston, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Brian Turner, Aimee Phan, and Frank Bidart.
Educator of the month Mrs. Linda Kuest Nominated by: Drew Spicer
I would like to nominate Mrs. Kuest from Rosedale North Elementary School for educator of the month. She is my third-grade teacher and she’s wonderful. She makes class a lot of fun. Sometimes she acts silly while teaching us something new. She brought hot cocoa for us one day because we were reading a story about it. Mrs. Kuest also lets us play multiplication games. Last but not least, she has the best cursive I’ve ever seen. Sponsored by
COURTESY PHOTO
Casa Loma Elementary student, Grant Johnson, has been busy memorizing his oral language piece that he will perform at the Kern County Oral Language Festival on February 20.
■ If you have a teacher you think is great, nominate them for Educator of the Month by going to: www.bakersfieldvoice.com and posting an article and photo. Nominations should tell us in 50 words or less why your teacher is the best and MUST include his/her first and last name, and school where they teach — and remember, your nomination MUST also include a photo in jpeg format. Winners will be featured in the print edition of The Bakersfield Voice for the month and will receive a $50 gift card for school supplies, compliments of GW School Supply and TBV.
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YOURVOICE
ALL PHOTOS BY BARBARA BUTLER — FIRECREEK PHOTOGRAPHY
All interior and exterior photos are of the William S. Hart house in Newhall, Calif.
A ‘run’ to this historic home is a nice break from the winter blues! BY BARBARA BUTLER Community contributor
A
s we all know, gray, foggy days are just part of life in Bakersfield during the winter. When we’ve had enough of the cold, sunless days, we like to do a “Run-a-Way Day. Sometimes we “RUN” up the hill for Tehachapi sunshine, other times we “RUN” over the hill to the sunny Santa Clarita Valley. William S. Hart Park (www.hartmuseum.org) in Newhall is one of our favorite places to visit on a “Run-A-Way Day.” Admission is free, which makes it a favorite for the family budget too. The property consists of 265 acres sitting smack dab in the middle of Newhall. The park offers a chance to visit the original Horseshoe Ranch House, feed the animals in the barnyard area, hike the nature trails or tour the museum filled with one-of-a-kind Western art and Native American artifacts. Roaming the ranch, is a herd of American Bison that came to the ranch in 1962 as a gift from the Walt Disney Studios. On top of the hill, Mr. Hart built a beautiful Spanish colonial revival mansion with 360 degree views of the valley. Tours are offered on the hour and give visitors a peek into the life of a Silent Western Movie Star in the 1920s. My grandkids got a big kick out of seeing the old-fashioned stove in the kitchen and were amazed as we explained that an icebox was just that — a box with ice in it. No water in the door or ice maker back then! My husband and I enjoy the home itself. From the beautiful carved-wood beams, Mexican tile and California Oak floors, to the wonderful Western movie memorabilia Mr. Hart collected. This home is filled with priceless Western furniture and art, yet still manages to maintain a warm, homey feel. With a little dusting and cable, I could move right in! Unlike so many of the other State of California park homes, photography is allowed
inside, but you MAY NOT use flash. The park also offers picnic and barbeque areas shaded by old-growth trees original to the ranch. You can finish off your day by visiting the Santa Clarita Historical Society which is located at the other end of the park (www.scvhs.org/history.htm). So the next time you are suffering from the “B-Town Gray Day Blues,” grab your family, your camera and create your own “Run-a-Way Day. Barbara Butler is the president of Kern Photography Association. If you love taking pictures and would like to meet others who share your interest, then we are the place for you! Please visit our Web site at: www.kernphotographyassociation.org.
JANUARY 10-16, 2010
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W W W. B A K E R S F I E L D V O I C E . C O M
JANUARY 10-16, 2010
YOURPETS
Beloved cats live their twilight years nestled in warm blankets — and even warmer arms!
T
his winter, as the cold temperatures finally settled in like a thin blanket of fog on a moonlit night, I finally had to accept that which my spouse and I had joked about for the past couple of years — our cats are, indeed, getting old. Yes, I’m sure someone far more poetic than I may have written that more delicately, but when I look at three of the loves of my life, I see the changes that mark their advancing years and, frankly, it’s a bit less delicate than I’d like. Bo Kitty, once a hunter of rabbits who trolled the riverbank in his old home in Northern California, is now, at 13, more content to sit in the lounge chair in the backyard soaking up the sun as the doves pick through the ground beneath the liquid amber. He can still get some great leaps, should the mood possess him, but is more often inclined to stare at us while issuing a plaintive “meow,” hoping one of us will lift him up to the counter where the food bowl is located. The cat once least likely to initiate cuddling, now actively seeks the warmth of a lap to snuggle into. Musette is beginning to show some signs of stiffness in one leg when she
rises after a long rest, particularly on cold days. And she snores. Really snores. As in — “Geez, what’s that weird sound?” — before you realize that she’s sleeping in the cat tree six feet away from you. Weebles, too, is wandering towards senior-hood, most noted by the increasing length of her naps and where she chooses to take them. Once content to sleep on a chair, she’s now more likely to be found cuddled within the folds of a fuzzy blanket, using Pet columnist the warmth and cushioning it provides to add to her body heat. No longer the wild child tearing through the hallways, Weebs is now the leisurely wanderer, hoping to meet up with you in a room that has a pillow ready to receive her aging bones. As they’ve matured, they sleep a bit
VICKY THRASHER
more deeply, ask for a little more loving attention and look for the softer, easier path when planning their days. We find that our interaction with them changes, too. We speak a bit more softly when we address them, nestle their fur a bit more gently and are more likely to give them the chair they claimed while we were eating dinner, choosing another for ourselves. We look at the three of them more inquisitively these days, wondering if we are meeting needs they cannot fully express, and when one of them seems ill, it takes on a decidedly more urgent tone, knowing at this stage of the game how small things can become big things more quickly than we like to admit. We appreciate them more, knowing as we bear witness to their advancing years, that our time with them is not infinite. That even the very best of cat lives does not last forever and although we may still have years to go, the years left ahead are not nearly so great in number as the ones already passed. Armed with that knowledge, we cherish our time with them, regardless of the length of the road that lies ahead. Our once wild, curious kittens are
COURTESY PHOTO
Weebles, Vicky Thrasher’s senior kitty, finds a comfy cushion to nap on.
now gentle, loving, old souls, weaving their purrs among our heartstrings. We wouldn’t have it any other way. Have a pet-related question or comment? E-mail Vicky at: Vicky@pawprintcity.com or go to: www.pawprintcitytimes.com.
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■ Do you have a son, daughter, grandkid or buddy who is your pick for MVP? Nominate them for Star Athlete of the Month by going to: www.bakersfieldvoice.com and posting an article and photo. Nominations should tell us in 50 words or less what makes this youth a star athlete — and remember, your nomination MUST include a photo in jpeg format. Winners will be featured in the print edition of The Bakersfield Voice for the month and will receive a $50 gift card, compliments of Sports Authority and TBV.
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W W W. B A K E R S F I E L D V O I C E . C O M
JANUARY 10-16, 2010
YOURVOICE Continued from page 3 PHOTOS BY KIMBERLEY WRIGHT
Top: A starfish rests in a tide pool in Montana De Oro, Los Osos. (Near Morro Bay). Bottom: Tide pool in Montana De Oro, Los Osos. (Near Morro Bay).
‘Blue Moon’ over Bakersfield! BY FRANK DOMINGO Community contributor
2
009 ended with the special treat of a “Blue Moon.” A blue moon is an extra — 13th — full moon in a calendar year. Normally, there are only 12 full moons that occur approximately monthly. However, the solar calendar contains an extra 11 days when compared to the lunar year. Since these extra days accumulate, every two or three years, there is an extra moon. In December 2009, the first full moon
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appeared Dec. 2 — on Dec. 31, North America was treated to a second, full moon. The photo here was taken at approximately 6 p.m. in my backyard in the Lower La Cresta neighborhood in Bakersfield. I was outside, and saw the moon in a perfect location just above the roof of my neighbor’s home. I grabbed my camera and decided to share it with the readers of The Bakersfield Voice. Frank Domingo is the owner of Frank Domingo Photography in Bakersfield.
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