January is a time for newness. People are using or wearing the new stuff they got for Christmas. Sometimes we make resolutions for a new look for ourselves or our homes.

In that “new” spirit, The Southwest Voice has been given a makeover as well. We are so excited to bring you this improved version of the publication that you have welcomed into your homes. It has grown from a newspaper print product to a magazine-style publication.

It has also changed from being carrier delivered to your home — whether you wanted it or not — to a subscription-based publication.

From here on out, if you would like to receive The Voice, you must complete the subscription form inside and return it to us via U.S. mail for our records.

If you a returning reader, let me say thank you for supporting us and sharing your world with ours.

For those of you in The Oaks neighborhoods, The Voice now holds something special for you as well. We partnered with the Terri Collins team to bring you the Folks in the Oaks newsletter right here in the pages of The Southwest Voice. I hope you enjoy this new addition to the publication.

Feel free to explore our publication and consider this your invitation to submit stories, photos and video by visiting: www.swvoice.com

Teens and parents, we are looking for those great winter formal photos. Visit: www.swvoice.com to submit yours.

Some of my best memories growing up include times when I did community service. I’ve always had a heart to help people and find ways to brighten their day or make their life a little easier.

One of my fondest memories of community service is when I went to Mexico as a junior in high school to help fix up Colina De Luz, an orphanage near Rosarito Beach with my church. I think in those kinds of situations I often take away more from helping people than the people who are helped — whether it is a simple smile or warm hug of gratitude.

There are many ways you can help out the community, whether it is contributing to the Stockdale Cares program discussed in our cover story through donations, or finding some other avenue with which to put forth your time and energy. I hope you will take a cue from these students and give back.

I am really excited because The Voices have some big changes on the horizon!

If you are familiar with our other publications, you know that they look great in their smaller format with nice glossy pages all in color. Ever since we did that first with Bakotopia and then with MÁS, I have been hoping that we could do the same with The Voices. I would casually drop little hints to my managers and dream about how beautiful an all-color Voice could look.

Imagine if you will, a community scrapbook that reflects the people, events and stories of your neighborhood —  that is what I want The Southwest Voice to be.
Well Voice readers, I am finally getting my wish! In January we are upgrading to that format.

In the process we are combing through our regular content and looking at the various sections of the paper to see how they can be improved. We really want to serve the community of Southwest Bakersfield in the best way we can.

So, if you are involved with an organization or group and think there is something missing from these pages let me know about it. Or if you think a particular section should have more content let me know too. We encourage suggestions as we make this transition.

As part of the change to this new format, we will also be switching our method of delivery.  As of Jan. 9, 2008 we will deliver The Southwest Voice by mail only to households who have requested a copy by subscribing.

There is no cost to subscribe, and the request can be made quickly by either filling out our online form at: www.swvoice.com/subscribe or by completing the subscription form stuck to the front of this edition.

To ensure you do not miss a single copy of The Southwest Voice, you will need to subscribe by Dec. 5, 2007.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or suggestions for us.

Thank you,

Lisa Wuertz
Voice Editor
716-8639
lwuertz@bakersfield.com

Yesterday, my husband and some friends headed over to the coast to hang out in Carpinteria for the day. On our way there we saw the beginning of two of the many wildfires that are now burning in Southern California. There always seems to be a fire just starting when we head down there.

Then when we headed back we couldn't believe how much worse the fires had gotten. As we drew closer and closer to Ventura, the sky darkened with thick brown smoke. Those little start-up fires had been fed into huge blazes now by the Santa Ana winds and plenty of dry brush.

A huge cloud of brown ash was creeping out over the ocean. When we got on the 126, it just seemed to get darker and darker. We kept joking how it was the end of the world or something. My husband said in all his years growing up in Santa Paula — which faces wild fires practically every year — he never saw so much smoke and ash as we did yesterday. It was like the world turned sepia tones for an hour or so.

I took some photos as we drove with my husband's camera phone of all the smoke and darkened skies.

Of course the one drawing the most attention is in Malibu where all the celebrities and rich people live. We saw the smoke from the Malibu fire, but we also saw three other huge blazes. So you know it would be nice if there was some information about those fires too.

 

















This is where we saw the beginning of the fire on the way there. By the time we returned it had spread over the hill and was putting up tons of smoke. If you ignore the big plumes behind this mountain and pretend they are blue skies, that is how the fire looked on our way to Carp, just a little bit of smoke, but thanks to the wind in a few hours this thing was huge!




This was taken Oct. 22 as the winds were shifting and beginning to blow the smoke over Bakersfield:

I learned something new today: how to do a picot bind off which makes cute little points across the edge of the bind off. I really like this whole knitting in the round sweater in one piece thing. It is really quick and easy. I also tried the sweater on this morning and the rib gives it a lot of give if necessary or draws it in too. So that means it would fit the person it was originally intended for. So I might give it to her afterall. Just when I was knitting it before it seemed so drawn in and small, like it couldn't fit anyone but a toothpick. Now I know that it could fit most people I think.

It's also very flattering. So maybe I'll keep it for myself. We'll see.

Afterall it has been all over this blog which means that the intended wearer could have already been exposed to it. Which sort of ruins the purpose of a gift. Still I haven't said who it is for, so there could still be some surprise there. Hmmm.... I'll keep ruminating over this one.


But anyway I finished the sweater. Yay!

This was by far my most favorite thing I have knit in my entire time knitting. It was so incredibly easy and fast without being boring and it turned out so deliciously soft and wonderful.

Here are the specs:

Pattern: Snow White by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: GGH Bel Air in #03 Berry
Needles: Size 8 circs and DPNs all bamboo
Started: Oct. 8, 2007
Finished: Oct. 17, 2007

Can you believe I finished this thing in just 9 days? That is unheard of in sweater knitting. That is how fast and easy this project was. And I had to rip a good portion of it out.

In other news, my husband Stephen has a show.

He's playing with our friend Brady this Saturday. Here are the details for those of you that would like to show up:

Fusion
18th & O in Bakersfield
Saturday, Oct. 20
Show starts at 7 p.m.

Featuring:
Justin Anspach
Brady Cabe (formerly of Saveface/Trebec)
Daylight Rising

See you there!

— Originally published on knitting-newspaper.blogspot.com

I recently participated in the Lace’n it Up for Links for Life walk through downtown Bakersfield on my lunch hour.

Several other ladies from our company also were out there sporting pink shirts and ribbons.

Even though I don’t personally know anyone who has had to face this disease, I know chances of that happening are great considering that hundreds of thousands of men and women are diagnosed every year. It is also an important women’s issue because women are 100 times more likely to face the disease than men.

All of the research suggests that if you catch it early chances of survival are greater. I must admit that I am one to put off my own health from time to time, such as suffering through an infection or cold when I know I should get into the doctor and get checked out. This is something that we as women should not put off.

Eating better, being vigilant with monthly and yearly exams and staying fit are all ways we can make sure we are around to share many years of laughter and love with our friends and families.

Over the past two weeks I have met several courageous women that have faced this disease under both normal and not-so-normal circumstances. You can read about two of them in this edition. You will also find tips and facts about breast cancer and other local events that support the cause.

So my fellow Southwest women, put on your pink and never stop fighting!

Lisa Wuertz
Voice Editor
716-8639

Hello faithful Southwest readers. Some of you already know me as I have been editor of The Northwest Voice for the past year. Recently I was asked to take on the editor role for both Voice newspapers and I will now be your main contact for issues related to Voice products.

Don’t worry though, long time Voice editor, Lauren Helper is still around. Lauren has been promoted to assistant managing editor here at our parent company Mercado Nuevo. I hope you will join me in wishing her well in her new endeavors. She will still be helping out with The Voices from time to time and even writing a cover story or two, but her main focus will be with our sister publication, MÁS.
I look forward to working with all of you to create the best community newspaper possible for the Southwest community. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

My roots in this town are actually right there in the heart of the Southwest. When my family first moved to Bakersfield I attended McKee Elementary School, then Olivier Junior High School and finally Ridgeview High School — all great Southwest schools that gave me the foundation for where I am at today. Both my dad and my husband’s parents still live in that part of town along with countless other friends and family. My husband and I are also very involved at a church in Southwest Bakersfield, Calvary Chapel Westbrook.

So, I know this is a community ripe with creativity and things to say about the area around them. With The Southwest Voice you have the opportunity to share your thoughts, ideas, poems, stories, photography and more with everyone. I hope you will sign onto our Web site www.swvoice.com and interact with the people in our community. There’s always plenty for you to do there and it gives you a chance to interact more with the stories and photos that fill up the pages of this publication.

In this edition of The Southwest Voice we got some great photos of the fair from our contributors. I love the fair. I make a point of attending every year even though it makes my allergies flare up. It’s the one time of year that I can eat some of my favorite foods, like funnel cake, corn dogs, spicy Polish sausage, kettle corn and those sticky cinnamon rolls. As a kid, I was in 4-H so the fair was a big part of our family’s fall traditions. I waited anxiously to see how my rabbits had done or if the sewing project I entered would be honored. All the while my mom kept the Benadryl handy so that I could get through the day without wheezing and feeling miserable. I loved the chance to skip out on school and hanging out with my friends and our animals all day long.

Speaking of those barnyard animals, Lauren wrote the cover story in this edition about an equine hospital in Southwest Bakersfield. It takes you through a day in the life of local veterinarian Dr. Arlena Pipkin who typically sees around 20 horse patients a day!

October is a busy month in our community. In our upcoming editions look for information about Halloween and Harvest festival events. If you know of one of these events happening in our community, feel free to submit it to me.

It is also a month of observance for many conditions and diseases. Some are highlighted in this edition and others will be highlighted in upcoming editions. Our next edition will feature breast cancer awareness tips and information about National Disability and Employment Awareness Month. There will be ways for you to get involved with both causes as well.

October is when the weather around here becomes very pleasant. It just makes me want to eat pumpkin cookies and drink warm chai tea snuggled in my favorite sweater. I hope you are enjoying this month as much as I am.

Happy Autumn!

Lisa Wuertz
Voice Editor
716-8639
lwuertz@bakersfield.com