w w w . b a k e r s f i e l d v o i c e . c o m

FR

EE

Dec. 27, 2009-Jan. 2, 2010

Future poets!

Santa brings smiles ofwonder & delight! Pg. 2A win for local club Pg. 3BCHS grad signs withOregon Ducks Pg. 6

Teacher finds hope for the New Yearin student poetry, pg. 4

Future poets!

Teacher finds hope for the New Yearin student poetry, pg. 4

BY PATRICIA HENSONCommunity contributor

miles of wonder and delightwere in abundance at theSociety for Disabled Chil-dren’s annual Christmasparty. The more than 200

guests attending the party includedchildren who receive services fromthe Society, their siblings and par-ents, grandparents or guardians,volunteers and staff.

Golden West Casino was themajor sponsor for the evening’sfestivities. The Casino’s own mas-ter chef prepared a truly wonderfulholiday feast. To the delight ofeveryone — turkey, tri-tip and allthe fixings filled their plates.Pumpkin and pecan pie, as well asa decadent chocolate cake, put thefinishing touch on the meal.

The highlight of the evening wasSanta’s arrival. Each child attend-ing the party had the opportunity totake a picture with, and share theirChristmas wish with Santa. Aftervisiting with Santa children wereinvited to select a teddy bear and atoy generously donated through theCondor’s annual Teddy Toss andGolden West Casino’s toy drive.

Every family present received aboard game to take home for hoursof family fun donated by the Bak-ersfield Breakfast Lions, AT&TPioneers, Target and individualdonors. Children attending theparty also received hamburger giftcertificates to McDonald's andJack in the Box.

In addition to the toys, games,certificates and meal, each family

had the opportunity to have theirname drawn to receive live Christ-mas trees, bowling coupons andpizza certificates donated by HomeDepot, Lowes, Alpine ChristmasTrees, Santa’s Forest, Simply Holi-days, Bolles Nursery, WestchesterLanes and Rusty’s Pizza.

The Society for Disabled Chil-dren is a 501 (C) (3) nonprofitorganization. Services include:speech and language therapy, resi-dent camp, and financial assistanceto attend medical appointments,social activities and medical equip-ment/supplies on a case-by-casebasis. Services are supported byindividual donations, fundraisers,grants and rental of the Society’ssocial hall.

2 W W W. B A K E R S F I E L DVO I C E .C O M DEC. 27, 2009-JAN. 2, 2010

EDITORIALOlivia Garcia VViiccee PPrreessiiddeenntt //CCoonntteenntt

ogarcia@bakersfield.com

Teresa Adamo AAssssoocciiaattee EEddiittoorr

tadamo@bakersfield.com

Sandi Molen CCoonnttrriibbuuttiioonnss CCoooorrddiinnaattoorr

smolen@bakersfield.com

ARTGlenn Hammett and Kent Kuehl DDeessiiggnneerrss

ghammett@bakersfield.com

kkuehl@bakersfield.com

ADVERTISINGJaime De Los Santos SSaalleess MMaannaaggeerr

jdelossantos@bakersfield.com 716-8632

OFFICEMarisol Sorto OOffffiiccee AAddmmiinniissttrraattoorr

msorto@bakersfield.com 716-8640

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.

S T A F F

Have a great story to tell? How about a nicephoto of your kids you’d like to share? Or maybeyou have a blog that you think is interesting orinspiring. Well, we’d like to get it into TheBakersfield Voice, our citizen journalismnewspaper distributed to more than 75,000households each week.

It’s easy to do, just go to our Web site:www.bakersfieldvoice.com, create a FREEprofile and begin posting your stories, photosand 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:

Share stories, photos, blogs in

Voice

Run dates: Deadline to The Voice Web site:

Dec. 27-Jan. 2 Must be posted before Dec. 16Jan. 3-9 Must be posted before Dec. 23Jan. 10-16 Must be posted before Dec. 30Jan. 17-22 Must be posted before Jan. 6

If you’d like to advertise: Please contact The Voice

Sales Manager, Jaime De Los Santos, at 716-8632.

Community bands together to put asmile on disabled children’s faces!

Workshop to address Lanterman disabilities act

COURTESY PHOTO

A visit from Santa brings joy and delight to the faces of two children whoparticipated in the Society for Disabled Children annual Christmas party.

COURTESY PHOTO

Guests of the Society for DisabledChildren and their families receiveddinner and gifts during the society’sannual Christmas celebration.

Y O U R V O I C E

E X T R A ! E X T R A !

S

BY CAROL BAKER-WILLEYCommunity contributor

n Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010,Autism Society Chapter-Kern Autism Network willpresent “Lanterman FairHearing,” a workshop for

parents, teachers and anyone work-ing with autistic individuals. Theworkshop will be held at the KernCounty Superintendent of Schoolsoffice, 1300 17th St., Room 1B, from8:30 a.m. until noon.

“Through regional centers andother agencies, the State of Califor-nia provides valuable services topeople with developmental disabili-ties. These services are coordinat-ed by the state Department ofDevelopmental Services andauthorized by the LantermanDevelopmental Disabilities Ser-vices Act (Act). To qualify for state

funding, a regional center or devel-opmental center (also called a serv-ice agency) must ensure that itsdecisions are fair and in the recipi-ent’s best interest. When a recipi-ent is dissatisfied with a center’sdecision, the Act permits the recipi-ent to file a request for a fair hear-ing.” (The Lanterman Act FairHearing Process by the State ofCalifornia Office of AdministrativeHearings (OAH): http://www.docu-ments.dgs.ca.gov/oah/forms/Fair%20Hearing%20Brochure%202003-11-19.pdf).

This workshop will address whatis Lanterman Fair Hearing, definethe Lanterman Act, then reviewthis process. Jeff Popkin, AssociateDirector of Kern Regional Center,will be our presenter.

Join other parents and profes-sionals in learning why this law is

important to families of those withdisabilities. There will be opportu-nities to discuss this topic in orderto empower you with information toassist you in helping your childreach his highest level of self-suffi-ciency. Parent knowledge is para-mount to meeting the needs of yourchildren.

Reservations are on a first come,first served basis. This workshop isfree. Seating is limited to 60 andreservations are required. To regis-ter to attend, contact Ramona Pugetat 588-4235 or email: ker-nautism@gmail.com.

Autism Society Chapter-KernAutism Network provides support,awareness, information and educa-tion to families, professionals andthe public throughout Kern County.For more information, visit ourWeb site at: www.kernautism.org.

O

DEC. 27, 2009-JAN. 2, 2010 W W W. B A K E R S F I E L DVO I C E .C O M 3

Peggy Dewane-Pope, Voice education columnist and aneighth-grade teacher in the Panama-Buena Vista UnionSchool District, took this photo of seven of her students.Standing left to right are: ElaineGuadian, Eryk Avila, VanessaIbarra, Judith Martinez, NiaHightower. Kneeling left to rightare: Mabel Morales and JaredSharp.

Peggy was so inspired by thetalent and insight she discoveredin her students’ poetry, she feltcompelled to share their workwith you, our Voice readers.

Turn to page 4 to read Peggy’scolumn and fined out why she sees hope for the future inthis next generation of young poets.

Your photo could be on our next cover! Photos and stories for the Jan. 10 issue must be postedby Wednesday, Dec. 30 at 5 p.m.

About the cover

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

TO ADVERTISE IN THIS DIRECTORY CALL: 661-716-8632

TO ADVERTISE IN THIS DIRECTORY CALL:

661-716-8632MON - SAT

8 AM - 6 PM

$1000 Off$1000 OffA-1 SMOGA-1 SMOGTEST ONLYTEST ONLY

WITH THIS AD ONLY.

6630 Rosedale Hwy. • Bakersfield • (661) 589-4339FAX: (661) 617-6051 NEXT TO A-1 BATTERY

A-1S

MOG

ROSEDALE HWY.

COFF

EERD

.

FRUI

TVAL

EAV

E.

99HW

Y.

HOT-N-READY LARGE PIZZA

$699+ tax

A large 14” pepperoni or just cheese pizza, hotout of the oven and ready when you are! No

need to call ahead! No need to wait! No limit!

Limited Time Offer.Valid Only AtParticipatingLocations.

6 Local football players rush to the topTwo local athletes show they have what it takes to

stand out in the football field.

7 Cheering for the best year yet!Pet columnist, Vicky Thrasher, shares her

New Year’s wish list for pets.

8 Going door-to-door for a good causeGirl Scouts “scout” the northwest during scavenger

hunt to benefit the Ronald McDonald House.

Contents

BY MAGGIE CUSHINECommunity contributor

ongratulations go to HortElementary on theirBoys & Girls Club FlagFootball League 2009championship season!

Hort, lead by Head Coach FrankAguayo and assistants, LarryCobb and Cody Cobb, did theimpossible by defeating the only

two undefeated teams as they bat-tled through the play-offs. Hortdefeated College Heights, 24-16,in the championship game onDecember 12.

The Boys & Girls Club’s mis-sion is to “Inspire and enableyoung people, especially thosewho need us the most, to realizetheir full potential as productive,responsible and caring citizens.”The Club’s goal is to offer recre-

ational, vocational, educational,outreach and supportive servicesto the young people attending ourprograms. The Boys & Girls Clubsof Kern County offer after-schoolprograms at 32 sites in Bakers-field, Lamont and Frazier Park.For more information please con-tact the Boys & Girls Clubs ofKern County at 325-3730 orwww.bgclubsofkerncounty.org.

C

Hort Elementary football team wins title!

Players (from left to right)first row: Joel, Daniel,Kenneth, Andres, Jazmin,and Caesar.

Second row: Romero,Tyler, Kyle, Eduardo, De,Amond, and Carlos.

Third row: Head CoachFrank Aguayo, AssistantCoach Larry Cobb, and As-sistant Coach Cody Cobb.

Not listed: Nathaniel,Robert, Cole, Gabriel,Emilio, and Marco.

Y O U R C E L E B R A T I O N S !

4 W W W. B A K E R S F I E L DVO I C E .C O M DEC. 27, 2009-JAN. 2, 2010

Thinking About a New Career?

Career Training in:

Cosmetology *

Massage Therapy

Call Today! 1-866-606-4726

• Financial aid for those who qualify • Day and evening classes • Job placement assistance for graduates

All services conducted by students under instructor supervision. Branch Campus of Milan Institute in San Antionio, TX. *Pending final national accreditation approval.

STUDENT MASSAGE SPA OPEN TO PUBLIC Call for an Appointment & Specials

www.milaninstitute.edu 2822 F Street, Ste H Bakersfield

am constantly amazed at the depth of emotion inmy eighth-grade students, and there is nothinglike poetry to pull it out. To think Jared couldwrite such a touching poem about a horror thatoccurred when he was a tot boggles my mind. I’m

touched by the joy Elaine finds in music and am sothankful she has the opportunity to experience it atschool every day in band; while Vanessa finds exhil-aration in running in our physical education classes.

It is so obvious thatMabel has loved deeply andsuffered such tremendousloss — I don’t see that whenshe burrows into her workwith a cheerful look on herface. Judith already knowswhat it is to lose touch,while Eryk knows the sen-sation of a free spirit.

The next generation isfilled with insightful, hope-ful, sensitive people — Ifeel so fortunate to be a partof their lives. They have somany adventures ahead ofthem, yet I sometimes losetouch with how many joys, tragedies, and challengesthey have faced already. I’m looking forward toanother year of revelations.

To think that this is just a small sampling of themany poems that cross my desk. I’m rich.

Peggy Dewane-Pope is an eighth-grade teacher inthe Panama-Buena Vista Union School District.

Educator celebrates New Year with student poetry!

Tragic day rememberedTWINS BY JARED SHARP

Near the street of Wall,In a very crowded city,Two sisters stood tall,Inside them, people were busy.At the top of the worldWere the two towers.To the North Tower, a plane was hurled;People cried for hours.A tower! A tower was hit by a plane!The two sisters stood, one of them wounded,On the top of the tower was a huge stain,And all were astounded.“Up there!” said one,Out windows people were jumping!And when we thought the damage was done,Another plane was quickly coming.People were crying, debris was falling,Then came a loud sound:The South Tower was falling,No one inside was safe or found.People ran and cried,They wondered where to go.So many people died,Their ashes chased people to and fro.Then the dust settled,Ashes covered the streets.Then the North Tower crumbled,And all was complete.A pile of dustLay where the two towers once stood.With terrorists, their lust,They killed all that they could.Some three thousandWere killed in that way.Remember the three thousand,And remember the day.

C R E A T I V E C O R N E R

I

PEGGYDEWANE-POPEEducation columnist

DEC. 27, 2009-JAN. 2, 2010 W W W. B A K E R S F I E L DVO I C E .C O M 5

C R E A T I V E C O R N E R

FRIENDSHIP BY JUDITH MARTINEZ

There once were two best friends,They did everything together,They thought their friendship would never end,That they would be best friends forever.But people change in some ways,They soon grew further apart,They stopped talking through the passing days.Soon no more friendship remained in their hearts.These two friends who were two peas in a pod,Through all their hardship,They would still ask God,“What happened to our friendship?”

Two ‘peas in a pod’ separated by changeGRANDMOTHER BY MABEL MORALES

Her time is comingBut she will not run.She can hear an angel humming,An escape there was none.Everyone wanted to help herBut all she said was no.It was her time she was sure,She was ready to go.At last there was the door,Shining so very bright.The ground and sky she saw no moreAs she stepped into the light.

MUSIC BY ELAINE GUADIAN

In the morning it is cold,I soon walk into the music door.When I step inside, I hear a noise so bold.This is the music that I came for.I take a seat to join in,The large group was a great sight.Our music lesson will finally begin.The music sounded warm and light.The bell soon rings,So the lesson is done.My head is filled with beautiful things.I hope the next day will be as fun!

Winning mile puts smile on runner’s face!I LOVE IT! I RUN IT! BY VANESSA IBARRA

It is Monday afternoon.I feel confident for the mile.Others say it is too soon,I feel like going across the Nile.I hear the sound to start,My feet move without a doubt.Everyone shoots like a dart,But after a while some give out.A smile goes upon my faceAs I pass the tired ones.It is almost the end of my race,I am done; I feel like I won!

Freedom found in skateboardingSKATEBOARDINGBY ERYK AVILA

Nothing else compares to it,The feeling that it gives me.Maybe the reason I don’t want to quit,Is because when I’m skating I feel that I’m free.I just can’t explain how it feels,It just somehow clears my mind.I could be rolling down the street on my urethanewheels,Or doing a fifty-fifty grind,I’ve got wounds from the painOf falling onto the rough street.But in the end one thing remains in my brain,Skateboarding makes me complete.

Love shines brightFINALLY OPENBY NIA HIGHTOWER

The sun is shining,The birds are singing,My heart is not whining,And bells are ringing.For the woman who had himHas set him freeAnd I am not so grimBut full of glee.I’ll run to him in quite a cinch,“I love you!” is what I’ll shout.But then again, I’m in quite a pinch,Because 30 other girls want to ask him out.

Time to say goodbye to loved one

Music fills head with beautiful things

Educator of the month

■ IIff yyoouu hhaavvee aa tteeaacchheerr yyoouu tthhiinnkk iiss ggrreeaatt,, nnoommiinnaattee tthheemm ffoorr EEdduuccaa--

ttoorr ooff tthhee MMoonntthh bbyy ggooiinngg ttoo:: wwwwww..bbaakkeerrssffiieellddvvooiiccee..ccoomm aanndd ppoossttiinngg

aann aarrttiiccllee aanndd pphhoottoo.. NNoommiinnaattiioonnss sshhoouulldd tteellll uuss iinn 5500 wwoorrddss oorr lleessss

wwhhyy yyoouurr tteeaacchheerr iiss tthhee bbeesstt aanndd MMUUSSTT iinncclluuddee hhiiss//hheerr ffiirrsstt aanndd llaasstt

nnaammee,, aanndd sscchhooooll wwhheerree tthheeyy tteeaacchh —— aanndd rreemmeemmbbeerr,, yyoouurr nnoommiinnaa--

ttiioonn MMUUSSTT aallssoo iinncclluuddee aa pphhoottoo iinn jjppeegg ffoorrmmaatt.. WWiinnnneerrss wwiillll bbee ffeeaa--

ttuurreedd iinn tthhee pprriinntt eeddiittiioonn ooff TThhee BBaakkeerrssffiieelldd VVooiiccee ffoorr tthhee mmoonntthh aanndd

wwiillll rreecceeiivvee aa $$5500 ggiifftt ccaarrdd ffoorr sscchhooooll ssuupppplliieess,, ccoommpplliimmeennttss ooff GGWW

SScchhooooll SSuuppppllyy aanndd TTBBVV..

Nominated by: Anden Spicer

I would like to nominate my teacher,

Mrs. Kopp, for educator of the month.

She teaches first grade at Rosedale

North Elementary School. She is a very

nice teacher. Sometimes, when we are

good, she lets us have an extra-long

recess. We learn lots of new things in

really fun ways — like when we play

vocabulary games. Mrs. Kopp is always

patient and kind and I love coming to

my class every day.

Sponsored by

Mrs. Jeannette Kopp

6 W W W. B A K E R S F I E L DVO I C E .C O M DEC. 27, 2009-JAN. 2, 2010

BY KRISTIAN R. DYER Community contributor

portsLink and Football Universityare proud to announce that Antho-ny Mariscal, an eighth-grader fromBakersfield, has been selected toplay in the 2010 Second annual

“Football University Youth All-AmericanBowl,” taking place in San Antonio, Texas,on Sunday, Jan. 10, and will be broadcastlive on the web. The “Football UniversityYouth All-American Bowl” honors the topseventh- and eighth- graders in the nation,bringing them together to play in an all-star format on a national stage. The “Foot-ball University Youth All-American Bowl”is modeled after the U.S. Army All-Ameri-can Bowl and will be held in the same cityduring the same week. Both games areproduced by SportsLink.

The Youth All-American Bowl Weekwill showcase the top 44 seventh-gradersand the top 44 eighth-graders. Additional-ly, the week will consist of practices, askills competition, and break-out sessionswith Hall of Famers, current and formerNFL stars and celebrities, such as leg-endary high school football coach HermanBoone and others. The Youth All-Ameri-cans will have VIP access to the U.S. ArmyAll-American Bowl and will also be hon-ored during the game on Saturday, Janu-ary 9, 2010.

Several thousand youth all-stars were

nominated for this elite honor. Athleteshad to fill out a nomination form and sub-mit a highlight tape. The selection team —which consisted of scouts and youthcoaches from around the country — nar-rowed down the field and interviewed allfinalists.

Once selected, players can be profiledin SI for Kids as All-Americans, as well asfeatured in other media outlets both localand national. Other national sponsors ofthe Junior All-American Bowl are RussellAthletics, Schutt Sports, Athletic Repub-lic, World Sporting Goods and SI for Kids.

SportsLink, which started in 2000, is asports-marketing and management com-pany that produces and oversees manysporting events and properties, includingthe U.S. Army All-American Bowl, Foot-ball University and the Football Universi-ty Youth All-American Bowl. The U.S.Army All-American Bowl is the nation’spremier high school football game, featur-ing the best 90 players in a classic East vs.West match-up. Reggie Bush, AdrianPeterson and Tim Tebow all made theirnational debuts as U.S. Army All-Ameri-cans.

Football University is an invitation-onlycamp for elite-level youth and prep play-ers focusing on teaching technical skills ina small-group setting under the profes-sional tutelage of former NFL players andcoaches.

Local standout picked for ‘Football UniversityYouth All-American Bowl’

BY RAY AND KELLY CLANTONCommunity contributors

akersfield Christian High‘08 product, Ryan Clanton,6’5,” 305 pounds, signedwith the Oregon Ducks atCity College of San Fran-

cisco were he was finishing an AAdegree. Clanton, an O line guard, isa junior college first-team All-American and co-captain of theCoast Conference Champion CCSFRams, who went 10-1 this year.Clanton, a true sophomore, startsclasses and conditioning at U of OJan. 4. Clanton will receive his AAdegree at CCSF just one-in-a-halfyears after graduating from BCHS.

We are proud of Ryan as heovercame a lot to get to this point.Ryan missed NCAA D1 qualifica-tion by one unit of elective (not oneclass, one unit) out of high school asthe NCAA did not count the Con-

temporary Philosophical Issues orContemporary Social Issues classeshe took at BCHS as electivesbecause they were Bible classes.Fresno State was looking at him atthe time, but because he did notqualify, he could not play there outof high school. He found out hecould qualify at the D1 level if hegot his AA degree. He enrolled inCity College of San Francisco alongwith his best friend, JamestatePeterson, also of BCHS who is fromthe bay area originally and has fam-ily there. Our family really wantedRyan to go to BC but Jamestate con-vinced us that CCSF had an excel-lent football program and a lot ofplayers go on to D1 from there.

Ryan started as an O line guardthere as a true freshman last year,became a Jr. College first-team All-American this year as well as co-captain of his team. He took up to21 units a quarter while practicing

football ;up to five hours a day. Hetook his last final tomorrow and willreceive his AA degree in LiberalArts and Science later this month —a two year degree in one-in-a-halfyears. He has maintained approxi-mately a B average but we don’tknow his final average until gradesare out.

He signed his National Letter ofIntent to play with the OregonDucks on Dec. 16. Our family willwatch the Ducks play Ohio at homeon TV rather than at the Rose Bowlas Ryan wants to spend his last dayhome with friends and family. Weleave the next day for Oregon,where he starts school and condi-tioning on Monday, January 4.

We couldn’t be prouder of ourson, and just had to tell you a littleabout him.

BCHS graduate signs with Oregon Ducks!

Y O U R S P O R T S

COURTESY PHOTO

Ryan Clanton, a 2008 graduate of Bakersfield Christian High,signed with the Oregon Ducks to play football starting Jan.4. Pictured with him is Coach George Rush of City College ofSan Francisco where Ryan attended.

B

S

Anthony Mariscal, an eighth-grader from Bakersfield, hasbeen selected to play in the“Football University YouthAll-American Bowl”

COURTESY PHOTO

DEC. 27, 2009-JAN. 2, 2010 W W W. B A K E R S F I E L DVO I C E .C O M 7

Neurofeedback TRAIN YOUR BRAIN

Get in the ZONE!

Kim Smith* offers a non-invasive therapy that enhances function of the central nervous system thereby improving mental performance, emotional

control, and physiological stability. *BS and EEG Othmer Institute Trained

CALL (661) 588-7038 visit www.kerntyb.com • email kim@kerntyb.com

3400 Calloway Dr. Bldg 100, Ste 3, Bakersfield, CA 93312

“Chris Kaman, the center for the Los Angeles Clippers…discovered Neurofeedback and soon improved his scoring and rebounding by more than 50 percent.” Blane Greteman, Science Magazine

Neurofeedback allows the athlete or corporate executive to gain the edge needed for peak performance.

Let’s make 2010 the best year for pets!ith the new year rushing upto greet us like a litter oflab puppies, I’d like toshare my wishes for thepets of Kern as we head

into 2010.First and foremost, I wish everyone

would get their pets licensed. Licensingyour pets helps to address so many of theissues people have with Animal Controlthat it’s difficult for me to see why peopledon’t embrace taking this action. Thefunds generated through licensing allowfor programs like low-cost spay andneuter vouchers, additional staff torespond to nuisance animal calls,upgrades to the shelter to make the ani-mals more comfortable and an increasein the number of people who are reunitedwith their lost pets. Cat owners, you’renot exempt on this one either. AnimalControl also offers a cat identification tagfor only $5 per year. Let’s make 2010 theyear people get serious about licensingtheir pets.

Next on my wish list is increased activ-ity on behalf of pets in Kern County. Ifyou’ve ever been frustrated about thecurrent pet ownership rules, wonderedhow you could do more to supportspay/neuter programs, been curiousabout what shelter volunteers do or wantto know more about the factors that our

county Animal Control department dealswith on a regular basis, it’s time for youto attend the Animal Control Commissionmeetings. The meetings are held on thethird Wednesday of the month at theKern County Public Services Building,

2700 M St. at 6p.m. Concernedpet owners maydevelop a wholenew perspectiveon the issues inplay surround-ing pets in KernCounty and howvital a role resi-dents have increating change.

Now, thereare those whomake an activeeffort to avoidanything to do

with Animal Control simply because theidea of being a part of a group where somany animals are euthanized is too emo-tionally traumatic for them, and I cancertainly respect that viewpoint. For youfolks, my wish is that you will step up tothe plate and do more for those localorganizations who do not euthanizehealthy, adoptable animals.

The Cat People, Alpha Canine, Kern

Humane Society, and the BakersfieldSPCA are all local organizations who canuse all the support they can get, especial-ly during these difficult economic timeswhen the number of surrendered petsincreases while the number of donationsdecreases. The Bakersfield Pet FoodPantry is another recent addition to thelist, as a nonprofit organization that col-lects pet food to distribute to the needyand to disabled or homebound seniors.

Any of these organizations will happilyaccept financial donations or member-ship requests, but you can also help bybecoming a foster parent to a pet in needor by donating office supplies, cleaningsupplies, blankets or food to thesegroups. On another level, you canencourage the company you work for tobecome a corporate sponsor of one ormore of these groups, knowing that morehomes have pets than ever before and petowners love doing business with busi-nesses who value pets and the human-petconnection.

So, there you have it. Let’s see if wecan make 2010 the best year yet for petsin Kern County.

Have a pet-related question or com-ment? E-mail Vicky at:

Vicky@pawprintcity.com or go to:www.pawprintcitytimes.com

VICKYTHRASHERPet columnist

Y O U R P E T S

W

Athlete of the month

■ DDoo yyoouu hhaavvee aa ssoonn,, ddaauugghhtteerr,, ggrraannddkkiidd oorr bbuuddddyy wwhhoo iiss yyoouurr ppiicckk

ffoorr MMVVPP?? NNoommiinnaattee tthheemm ffoorr SSttaarr AAtthhlleettee ooff tthhee MMoonntthh bbyy ggooiinngg ttoo::

wwwwww..bbaakkeerrssffiieellddvvooiiccee..ccoomm aanndd ppoossttiinngg aann aarrttiiccllee aanndd pphhoottoo.. NNoommii--

nnaattiioonnss sshhoouulldd tteellll uuss iinn 5500 wwoorrddss oorr lleessss wwhhaatt mmaakkeess tthhiiss yyoouutthh aa

ssttaarr aatthhlleettee —— aanndd rreemmeemmbbeerr,, yyoouurr nnoommiinnaattiioonn MMUUSSTT iinncclluuddee aa pphhoo--

ttoo iinn jjppeegg ffoorrmmaatt.. WWiinnnneerrss wwiillll bbee ffeeaattuurreedd iinn tthhee pprriinntt eeddiittiioonn ooff TThhee

BBaakkeerrssffiieelldd VVooiiccee ffoorr tthhee mmoonntthh aanndd wwiillll rreecceeiivvee aa $$5500 ggiifftt ccaarrdd,,

ccoommpplliimmeennttss ooff SSppoorrttss AAuutthhoorriittyy aanndd TTBBVV..

Gabriella “Gaby” GarciaNominated by: Beth Garcia

Gabriella “Gaby” Garcia helped her soccer

team place 4th in the AYSO U10 Girls

Tournament on Nov 15. She had a great sea-

son playing on the TURF SMURFS. During

the 1st quarter of the 2nd game, she broke

her right big toe and continued to play the

game and even went on to play in three

more games. She had a great heart and now

she can rest her toe and let it heal.This is

what makes her my little TURF SMURF

Champion. Gaby not only plays soccer but

also plays volleyball and cheerleading. She

also does ERE and Girl Scouts, and still finds time to stay on the

Principal’s List and never missed a day of school for the last four years.

Darby, Vicky’s beloved pooch!

8 W W W. B A K E R S F I E L DVO I C E .C O M DEC. 27, 2009-JAN. 2, 2010

BAKERSFIELDREMODEL

All Repairs& Rentals

Complicated Jobs OK!

YOU DESIGN IT, WE BUILD IT!

661-343-5070www.Bakersfieldremodel.com

Msg: 835-0623

MASSAGESCHOOL

GUARANTEEDFINANCING

BAKERSFIELDSPA INSTITUTE(661) 832-9999

www.BakersfieldSpaInstitute.com

“We Sweep Away The Competition”

• Home • Office • CommercialFREE ESTIMATES

Lic. Bonded, Insured

661) 748-5973

Weekly, Bi-Weekly & MonthlyMove Ins & Outs, 1 Time Cleaning

We also offer Environment & Child Safe Products $25 OFFANY SERVICE CALL

661-213-4141 OR661-978-6893

ElectricalSecurity Cameras

Electric Gates

Y O U R V O I C E

Girl Scouts ‘scavenge’ northwestneighborhood for good cause!BY CLAIRE LAHORGUECommunity contributor

n Thursday, Nov. 12, 16 Girl ScoutTroops — 147 girls — from the Coun-tryside Service Unit of Girl Scouts ofCentral California South gathered fortheir annual scavenger hunt. This

year the girls, leaders and parents canvassedthe neighborhood surrounding Bimat School“scavenging” items for the Bakersfield RonaldMcDonald House. The girl scouts would like toextend a special thank you to the homeownersaround Bimat Elementary. Without their gen-erosity, this project would not have been assuccessful.

Each team was given a list of items providedby the Ronald McDonald House and two blocksof homes to visit. They hit the pavement at 6:45with a mission and directions to return to theschool no later than 7:30 with their goodies. Asteams returned items ranging from tuna tocanned peaches, from Band-Aids to laundrysoap and from cereal to granola bars were sort-ed and counted. The end results were amazing!The girls collected over 1500 items for theRonald McDonald House.

The Countryside Service Unit encompassesthree school districts – Fruitvale, Rosedale,and Norris – and serves girls age 5 to 18 yearsold. This group of Girl Scouts has adopted theRonald McDonald House as their service proj-ect for the year. This is their first endeavor toshow their support to such a worthwhile serv-ice provided by the Ronald McDonald House.

If you would like to join the girls in theirsupport of the Ronald McDonald House, callScarlett Sabin, House Director, at 327-4647ext. 4290.

Happy New Year to the Bimat area home-owners, Ronald McDonald House, and GirlScouts!

Left: Girl Scouts collected more than 1,500items during their annual scavenger huntthrough a northwest neighborhood. Items,such as canned foods and toiletries, were donated to the Ronald McDonald House.Lower left: Troops 437, 2043, and 537 participated in the Girl Scouts CountrysideService Unit of Girl Scouts of Central California South’s annual scavenger hunt.Below: Girl Scouts deliver items collected inan annual scavenger hunt to the Ronald McDonald House.COURTESY PHOTOS

O