The Bakersfield Voice Nov. 15. 2009

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

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November 15-21, 2009

Goat on!

Annual free turkey feastcelebrates 19 years Pg. 2Altar display & ride Pg. 3Identify at-risk beforeproblem starts Pg. 4

Zoo invites you toFeast for Beasts, pg. 6

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2 W W W. B A K E R S F I E L DVO I C E .C O M NOVEMBER 15-21, 2009

EDITORIALOlivia Garcia VViiccee PPrreessiiddeenntt //CCoonntteenntt

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Teresa Adamo AAssssoocciiaattee [email protected]

Sandi Molen CCoonnttrriibbuuttiioonnss CCoooorrddiinnaattoorr

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ARTTim Heinrichs DDeessiiggnneerr

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ADVERTISINGJaime De Los Santos SSaalleess MMaannaaggeerr

[email protected] 716-8632

OFFICEMarisol Sorto OOffffiiccee AAddmmiinniissttrraattoorr

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The Bakersfield VoiceP.O. Box 2344

Bakersfield, CA 93303

The Bakersfield Voice is published by Mercado Nuevo, an independent subsidiary

of The Bakersfield Californian.

S T A F F

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

Happy 2nd Birthday,Alyssa Magdaleno

BY TIA ANA LOPEZCommunity contributor

Alyssa Magdaleno celebrated her 2nd birthdayon Nov. 4!

Happy birthday, little princess!

E X T R A E X T R A

Day camp offers fun alternativesBY MIKE WILLIAMSCommunity contributor

merican Kids Sports DayCamp, 4401 Ride St., is ablast for kids when thereis no school! Fun activi-ties include: gymnastics,

swimming, (NW only), crafts,baseball (indoor), soccer (indoor),trampoline, dance, Martial Arts,games & more! Best place for yourchild to be when you’re at work orneed time away from the kids!

Reserve your spot today:

Dec. 22-Jan. 2 — Christmas; Jan. 19 — Martin Luther King

Jr.; Feb. 9 — Lincoln’s Birthday; Feb. 16 — Washington’s Birth-

day; April 6 thru 10 — Spring Break; June 1 — Summer Camp begins.If you want the flexibility of

coming on just the days youchoose but still want to save mon-ey, then our FunPass is just theanswer for you! Pre-purchase 20days or more for your family andsave 20 percent off the daily rate.

Then you can just sign up for thedays you want while receiving thediscounted price.

FunPasses are good for one-fullyear and for your whole family.Use them for all our day campsincluding summer, Christmas,Easter, and the other minor holi-days that we have day camps.

Prices are: $35 for full day; $25for half day, and $4 for early dropor late pickup.

For more information, go to:AmericanKidsSports.com.

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FREE Thanksgiving dinner Nov. 18!BY ANNIE HUTCHINGSCommunity contributor

he Romero-Hollingsead-Hutchings family, own-ers of Clay’s Restaurant(formerly IHOP), 530California Ave., is proud

to invite the community to their19th annual Free ThanksgivingDinner, Wednesday, Nov. 18. Din-ner, consisting of ham, mashedpotatoes, vegetables, salad anddessert, will be served from 3 to 7p.m. GET bus will provide a freeshuttle to and from BethanyHomeless Center and the RescueMission. Starbucks will providefree coffee and hot chocolate to allvisitors. Clinica Sierra Vista mayprovide free flu shots at the event.

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Little Miss Snow Flake pageant Dec. 12BY PAM SCHULLCommunity contributor

ittle Miss Snow FlakeChristmas BeautyPageant at the East HillsMall will be Dec. 12 at 9a.m. This is an All Natur-

al Pageant System. We are looking for natural,

wholesome contestants agesbirth to 30 years.

Attire is Christmas dress; nopageant dress. Categories are:Main Title, Photogenic, Best

Smile, and Best Eyes. Price is$60 for all categories — BestDressed, Best Model, and BestPersonality.

For more information, e-mail:[email protected]

CALIFORNIAN FILE PHOTO

Santa Claus visits tables at the then IHOP on California Avenue as volun-teers serve free turkey dinners in 2006. Clay’s now continues the tradition.

BY FRANK DOMINGO PHOTOGRAPHYCommunity contributor

n Sunday, Nov. 1, the Bakers-field Museum of Art welcomedresidents to set up altars for aDia de los Muertos celebrationon the museum grounds. Thiswas in conjunction with the

works of art featuring the Dia de losMuertos on display at the museum.

In addition to the altars on display,local organizers, Joe Rueda and HenryMarquez, organized a Dia de los Muer-tos bike ride. Riders met together atBakersfield Museum of Art where theywere treated to a guest speaker, Dr.Jess Nieto. Dr. Nieto explained the ori-gins of many cultural beliefs and thetrue meaning of the Dia de los Muertosholiday. From there the riders were offto visit Union Cemetery, Green LawnCemetery and finally, Arvin Cemetery.They then capped off the day with din-ner at Los Arcos Mariscos restaurant inPumpkin Center.

Dia de los Muertos, also known as AllSoul’s Day or Day of the Dead, is a holi-day celebrated in Mexico and mostLatin American countries. It is a day tohonor those family and friends whohave passed away. The day is a celebra-tion of their lives, not mourning fortheir death. Observation is on Nov. 1and 2 in connection with the Catholicholiday of All Saints Day on Nov. 1 andAll Souls Day on Nov. 2.

Dia de los Muertos originated withthe Aztecs, the native people of modernday Mexico. The ritual, first observedby their Spanish conquerors in 1519,was thought to be a mocking of death bythe Spanish. Rather it was a 3,000 year-old ritual used to honor the dead. TheAztecs kept skulls as trophies and

believed their loved ones would returnto visit during the ritual.

The Spanish, who wanted to convertthe Aztec people to Catholics, tried toput an end to the ritual. However, theAztec’s continued their practice, so theCatholic Church pushed to move thecelebration from August to Novemberto coincide with the Catholic observa-tion of All Saints Day.

NOVEMBER 15-21, 2009 W W W. B A K E R S F I E L DVO I C E .C O M 3

Voice contributor, Keisha Gaines cap-tured the photo of this Nubian goat duringa visit to CALM’s petting zoo. This curiouscritter followed Gaines around until shefed him a treat. On page 6, you can find outhow you, too, can feed the beasts duringCALM’s annual “Feast for the Beasts.”

Your photo could be on our next cover! Photos and stories for the Nov. 29 issuemust be posted by Wednesday, Nov. 18.

About the cover

Contents

4 Youthful thank-yousSW branch library to help chil-

dren make ‘thankful’ cards Nov. 21.

5 Russo’s mingles music, reading Musicians will perform music,

and read to you and your children.

8 Paw Print CityPlea to find a kinder, more intelli-

gent, way to deal with dog attacks.

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Y O U R V O I C E

Dia de los Muertos celebrationwith altars & a bike ride

O Left: A family al-tar on display atthe Dia de losMuertos cele-bration.

Below: Ridersparticipate inthe Dia de losMuertos bikeride Nov. 1.

A Dia de los Muertos altar honoring the dead at the Bakersfield Museum of Art.

PHOTOS BY FRANK DOMINGO PHOTOGRAPHY


Y O U R S C H O O L S

Target at riskstudents before theyreach that pointBY AMY LUTHERCommunity contributor

fter watching the newsrecently, I learned a disturb-ing fact: Bakersfield has oneof the highest dropout ratesin California. Initially, I felt

downhearted until I started thinkingabout everything being done in educa-tion to bring about change. Educationis in the midst of major changes, and

with time, I believewe just might behearing differentnews.

For example, thisyear my school dis-trict has adopted awhole new way ofworking together— called a Profes-sional LearningCommunity. It hasc o m p l e t e l ychanged the waywe as teachers look

at what and how we teach. Instead ofstaying in our rooms and focusing onour students individually, we are talk-ing and comparing ideas on how ourstudents are learning rather than howwe are teaching. Additionally, time isset aside two days per week to assiststudents who are struggling in theclassroom, and reward and giveenrichment activities to those who aresucceeding. While this program variesfrom school to school, it has beenembraced and implemented on somelevel. The goal is simple — target thestudents who are at risk of droppingout before they reach that point.

The challenges faced in educationare unending, but we are aware of thechallenges and are facing them headon. Ultimately, we can and will make adifference. The future is bright andfilled with possibility; the first turningpoint begins with Professional Learn-ing Communities.

Amy Luther is a teacher at WarrenJunior High in the Panama-BuenaVista Union School District.

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AMYLUTHEREducation columnist

Educator of the month

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Nominated by: C. KingMrs. Robin Province was mydaughter’s second-grade teacher atBuena Vista Elementary School. She isa wonderful and fabulous teacher thatdeserves the Teacher of the Monthaward. She truly is a blessing forBuena Vista to have. The children inher class are always having funlearning something new, even whenshe teaches it in a creative way. She isalways taking the time to listen toeach student’s needs. Mrs. Provincecreates the atmosphere in her class ascomfortable, organized and fun. Thechildren in her class love, care and

respect heras she doesthe same forthem. Overthe summer,my daughtereven gottogether withMrs. Provinceand they hadanextraordinaryfun daytogether. As

a parent, I appreciate all her hard workand dedication she has put intoteaching my daughter. Mrs. Province,you truly are an inspiration to Alyssa.Thank you!

Mr. Rhodes

Sponsored by

Nominated by Guadalupe Hernández

Educator of the Month

I’d like to nominate my twin daughters’ kindergarten teacher Mr. Rhodes who teaches at Discovery Elementary School. At the beginning of the year, I was so skeptical after having learned that they were going to have a male teacher for kindergarten. He has superseded all of my expectations as to what a great kindergarten teacher should be. My girls love Mr. Rhodes. He teaches them lots of cute and silly songs. He builds up their self-esteem. He is just so marvelous with my girls!

To submit your nominee for Educator of the Month, go to: www.northwest voice.com then click on “Post Something!” and contribute a

paragraph about why you appreciate and would like to recognize your nominee. Be sure to include the educator’s name, school, department and picture. The contest is open to

educators in the Southwest area. Entries can also be e-mailed to: [email protected]. Each month the winning entry $50 gift certificate,

compliments of GW School Supply and The Northwest Voice.

Robin Province Library serves uphot tea & 5 hot books!BY MARIA RUTLEDGECommunity contributor

he Southwest Branch Library,8301 Ming Ave., invites you toHot Tea & 5 Hot Books,Wednesday, Nov. 18. Sip teaand enjoy cookies while pre-

viewing five of the month’s hottestbooks.

We will be revealing the titles of thefive books during the event. It will be adrop-in session from 4 to 5 p.m. at theMeeting Room on the second floor ofthe building.

This is a program for our adult read-ers, and we will be featuring bestsellerfiction and nonfiction books. The eventis free.

For more information, call 664-7716.

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A patron pulls a book off of the shelf, while browsing at the Southwest Branch Library.

Children ‘Give Thanks’ withhandmade cards at SW libraryBY MARIA RUTLEDGECommunity contributor

he Southwest Branch Library,8301 Ming Ave., is invitingchildren, ages 5 to 12, to designtheir own “Give Thanks” cardsusing a variety of tools and

decorative items — fancy scissors,stickers, coloring pens, etc.

We will also have idea books availablefor them.

The event will be Saturday, Nov. 21 at11 a.m. All supplies will be providedand will be free. For more informationcall, 664-7716.

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Y O U R S C H O O L S

BCHS band to jam with Dallas BrassBY PHILLIP SCOTTCommunity contributor

he Bakersfield CommunityConcert Association presentsDallas Brass at the RabobankTheater, 1001 Truxtun Ave.,Monday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m.

Since its founding in 1983 byMichael Levine, the Dallas Brass hasbecome one of America’s foremostmusical ensembles. The group hasestablished a unique blend of tradi-tional brass instruments with a fullcomplement of drums and percussion,which creates a performing entity ofextraordinary range and musical chal-lenges.

The Dallas Brass repertoire includesclassical masterpieces, Dixieland,swing, Broadway, Hollywood andpatriotic music.

Band members from BakersfieldChristian High School will join theDallas Brass to perform onstage at the

Rabobank Theater.Each of the members of the Dallas

Brass began their musical involve-ment in elementary school music pro-

grams. They remain dedicated toworking with young musicians, fre-quently going into the public schools topresent clinics and workshops for stu-

dents of all ages.Adult Season Membership is $60 (six

concerts). For information, go to:www.bakersfieldcca.org.

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Kids discover music at Russo’s BooksBY THOMAS G. ROBINSONCommunity contributor

ith the help and supportof the Bakersfield Sym-phony Orchestra and Val-ley Public Television,Russo’s Books brings

musicians to The Marketplace to per-form for you and your children everythird Saturday at 11 a. m.

Thomas G. Robinson, of Russo’sBooks, says, “I have a long-standingrelationship with this organizationand the program for kids, where chil-dren get to listen to the musicians upclose and personally. These profes-

sional, classically-trained musicianstalk to the children about the musicthey perform, and the instrument theyplay, and have the option to read a sto-ry to the kids as well.”

Robinson noted that this program isvery popular with parents of childrenfrom toddlers to teens, and gives thema hands-on experience that they mayhave never had before. Best of all …it’s FREE!

Although Kids Discover Music wasonce at Barnes & Noble, Russo’sBooks was thrilled to be given theopportunity to provide the venue forthis monthly event. Nancy Marvin,manager of the Symphony Office, with

The Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra,says: “We wanted to go with a storethat has local ties to the communityand is able to promote the symphonyas well. We couldn’t find that relation-ship with the corporate stores sincemany of them are not allowed to placeposters and flyers in their stores. Thiswill be a wonderful relationship with agreat store that has been very activeand supportive in the community.”

On Saturday, Nov. 21, at 11 a.m., afew of the musicians from the sym-phony and several children dressed infull costume will perform a preview of“The Nutcracker,” their annual pro-duction for the holidays. Russo’s will

be giving away two family four packsto two matinee performances of thisshow.

Kids Discover Music will be fea-tured on the third Saturday of everymonth at Russo’s Books (except forDecember) with their next perform-ance on Jan. 16, 2010 featuring TomMeyer on strings. Future performanc-es in the following months will featureDonna Fraser, Karen Blockley andAmanda Posey.

Russo’s Books at The Marketplace islocated at 9000 Ming Ave.

Call 665-4686 or visit our Web siteat: www.russosbooks.com for moreinformation.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.DALLASBRASS.COM


Y O U R V O I C E

Delighted to get the shot!BY KEISHA GAINESCommunity contributor

am an amateur photographerand a member of the Kern Pho-tography Association (KPA). Iwent to CALM for two reasons: Ihadn’t been there since I was

young, and I wanted to take some shotsof the animals with my new camera. Itwasn’t a special occasion, just a spur ofthe moment idea. I invited my motheralong for some mother daughter bond-ing time. She actually has a very goodphotographic eye and I tell her sheshould take up the hobby, too.

When we arrived, an employee at thefront counter urged us to go to the Chil-dren’s Park and warned us that “one ofthem would be waiting for us at thegate.” I didn’t know it at the time, but hewas referring to one of the Museum’snewest members, a young Nubian goatthat I was told is equivalent, develop-

I

Post-Thanksgiving feast treats beastsCOURTESY OF: WWW.CALMZOO.ORG

fter you have feasted, come tothe zoo and contribute to Feastfor the Beasts at CaliforniaLiving Museum, Friday, Nov.27 from 9 to 3 p.m.

Your food donations will beaccepted as your admission “fee.”

Animal food accepted per person:

•3 lbs. pecans, walnuts, almondsand/or unshelled peanuts (unsalted &unflavored)

•5 lbs. frozen mixed vegetables •2 lb. jar of peanut butter, jam or

hone •2 lbs. dried fruit (raisins, apricots,

banana chips, etc.) •5 lbs. yams or sweet potatoes

(uncooked);

•5 lb. bag of IAMS dog food (green orblue bag)

•5 lb. bag of wild birdseed •3 boxes Ziploc® freezer bags (quart

or gallon size) •2- 12-oz. boxes of Honey-Graham-

Oh’s, Cheerios or Frosted Mini Wheats •3- 12-oz. cans of salmon •$20 gift card from any pet, grocery,

hardware or office supply store will

admit two adults and two children. For information, call 872-2256 or vis-

it: calmzoo.org.CALM is located at 10500 Alfred Har-

rell Hwy., (between Hart Park andLake Ming).

Regular admission is: adult, $7; sen-ior,$5; Students with ID & children 3-17years, $4; children under 3 & CALMmembers are FREE.

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A bald eagle at CALM.

A Nubian goat greets visitors as they enter CALM’s Children’s Park.

Your donation of various food items, including: frozen mixed vegetables, peanut butter and dried fruit will help feed the beasts. A curious turkey hopes for a snack.

Photos by:

Keisha Gaines

Please see CALM / 7


Y O U R V O I C E

A San Joaquin kit fox naps in the sun.

A Pygmy goat at CALM. A falcon at CALM.

CALM zooexcursionmentally, to a teenager.The area also had a fewother domestic animalsincluding a Pygmy goat,sheep, and a mischievousturkey.

The Nubian goat wasone of my favorites toshoot because of how live-ly and tenacious it was.The other animalsseemed almost annoyedand conceded to thedemands of this younggoat’s overpowering per-sonality. The Children’sPark has dispenserswhere you can purchaseand feed the animals theirsnacks for the day. Thefact that the Nubian goatfollowed me around anddidn’t care what otheranimal was in its waygave me the opportunityto set up the shot. Havingjust fed him a treat, helooked to me for anothermorsel, and consequent-ly, right into my cameralens.

I was delighted to getthe shot!

Continued from 6

Athlete of the month

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Jakob Russell, #45, of the GEYFFreedom Freshmen football team,always goes the extra yard for histeam. This year Jakob could be seenrunning the football down the field,kicking off for his team, and blockingfor his teammates as they ran for theend zone. Jakob has been an inspira-tion and spirit-lifter for his team aswell. He’s the guy that you’d hear atthe end of practice and before thegames, getting his team psyched upand ready to play. Jakob is a leadertoday, and I am sure we will see himdoing the same for many years.

Jakob Russell

According toCALM’s Website, the rac-coon gets itsLatin speciesname, lotor, —which means“washer”—for its habit offrequentlywashing itfood beforeeating it.


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Y O U R P E T S

Dog attacks need better path to resolutiont never fails — a person isattacked by a dog (bonus pointsif it’s a breed that resembles a pitbull) and the chants begin to bancertain breeds or enact immedi-

ate euthanasia for all dogs who bite. Asfar as I’m concerned, neither option is aviable choice to address the issue.

Let’s start with breed bans. I’ll stateright up front that I’m a fan of the pitbull as a breed, and as a fan, I feel theyare easily the most maligned breed onthe planet. My adoration of them, how-ever, is not why I feel a breed ban does-n’t work. Breed bans don’t workbecause they are knee-jerk answers tocomplex problems. Yes, someone wasattacked and injured, and yes, the dogresponsible was a pit bull. But that is

one incidentout of whatmay be thou-sands of pittiesliving in KernCounty.

Banning abreed, particu-larly a breedas loosely-defined as pitbulls, throwsall short-haired, stockydogs into onepile. Who getsto judge which

dog is a pit bull and which one is anAmerican bulldog? If you think you canjudge, test yourself at: http://www.pit-bullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html.

Once all of the judging is done, whathave we really accomplished? Well,we’ve moved the breed underground,where the undesirables who enjoytraining dogs to do nefarious things willcontinue to do so with even less scruti-ny. We’ve created an increased demandfor the breed through its “prohibited”status, thus making more money for thebackyard breeders still willing to takethe risk. And we’ve made life for thedogs living under the radar even worse,as we’ve increased the likelihood thatthey will not receive proper veterinarycare because of the owner’s fear of thedog being confiscated.

Once we get all of the pit bulls and thepit bull mixes taken care of, whichbreed is next on the list? Rottweilers?Akitas? Doberman Pinchers? In Aus-tralia, the Maltese was recently addedto their dangerous dog list, along withthe Labrador Retriever. The best way tomake sure your dog doesn’t make thelist, is to keep the list from being startedin the first place.

I’m equally against the “zero toler-ance” approach, where an attack equalseuthanasia for the dog. Much like withbreed bans, you have to decide who isgoing to do the deciding about whatconstitutes an “attack.” Is it one bite?

Several bites at once? Zero tolerance —by its very definition means no excep-tions — not even in the case of a dogdefending their home, or their family oreven themselves. How does a law likethat make sense?

My solution is simple: create a panel,preferably comprised of people whoregularly interact with dogs. My idealgroup would include someone fromAnimal Control, a trainer/behaviorist

and a veterinarian, who can meet andevaluate dog attacks on a case-by-casebasis, where decisions can be madewith a cool head and be balancedbetween what is best for the public, andfor the dog.

No knee-jerking necessary. Have a pet-related question or com-

ment? E-mail Vicky at:[email protected] or go to:

www.pawprintcitytimes.com

I

VICKYTHRASHERPet columnist


American Pit Bull Terriers.

Documents

The Bakersfield Voice Nov. 15. 2009