Letters: The Southwest Voice

Editor’s note

Community service has always been an important part of my life. Whether it requires wearing one of those embarrassing orange vests and picking up trash around town or dressing up for a well-heeled event, if it’s for a good cause, I’m there! I’m also one who never misses a good party.

That’s why I’m excited that The Southwest Voice is a sponsor of this weekend’s Village Fest — one of Bakersfield’s premiere parties that benefits the children of Kern County. I hope you will all consider attending and if you do, make sure you stop by to say hello and get your picture taken at our Luau themed photo booth! Because the event features one of the best beer tastings in all of California, we enlisted a few of our contributors to write “brew” themed articles:

• Beer tasting for style can brew up favorite

• Village Fest 2008: Good times for a good cause

• A six-pack or a keg?

Want to meet those contributors? Flip to page 4 in our print issue, you will see a new feature of The Southwest Voice, “Meet our community contributors.” Each issue, we will introduce you to a few of your Southwest neighbors who have taken the time to share their stories with you. You can contribute by posting online. I hope that, with each issue, we see more and more new faces!

Editor’s note

In my life, some of the best memories I have are with my grandma. When I was young, it was Grandma who was waiting for me to get home from school — she had hot chocolate, cookies, and lots of jokes and funny sayings. She would take my brother and me for walks, spoil us with special dinners, and Grandma would always take time to read stories or play with us.

Now, as a parent, I realize and value the time my grandma took with us and all the memories she helped make, and it makes me cherish the Greatest Generation even more. Grandma had stories of times and places I can never experience, but she was able to bring them to life and make them real (and sometimes funny) to me.

There is inherent greatness in being a senior citizen — you have worked hard, lived long, and should be reaping the rewards of a meaningful, fruitful life. In this issue, I hope you will find interest in the story of fellow senior Audrey Cochran, a passionate nurse, who has made gerontology her calling. You will also learn about a big AARP Senior Awareness Day, and get a bit of legal information about nursing home care.

You are the parents of the Baby Boomers — indeed, our Greatest Generation — and you are revered.

Editor’s note

Last week in our sister publication, The Northwest Voice, we ran an issue devoted almost entirely to dogs & cats, with particular emphasis on the pet overpopulation problem in Kern County and the ongoing crisis in our local shelters. In making that issue, I got an idea to help, and over the course of the day, the modest idea morphed into a company-wide fundraising event to bring awareness to the problem of abandoned pets and raise money and goods for our local shelters.

The event will be on Aug. 16 at a local off-leash dog park in the Northwest, and I ask our animal loving neighbors in the Southwest to join with us to help combat the pet overpopulation problem.

If it works as I hope, we will be holding a similar event in the Southwest at the Kroll Way off-leash dog park in the fall (when it’s cooler!) for the same cause.

At that time, I will be sending an email to all of The Southwest Voice’s Web site users asking for photos of your dogs and cats — and the “winning” photo will be on the cover of our pet issue! To be notified when/how to send the photos, you must be a registered user (that is different from being a subscriber to the magazine). To register, log on to the Web site at www.swvoice.com and click “Register now.”

Editor’s note

A few weeks ago, a former CSUB professor of mine, Victor Lasseter, suggested a story on the Kroll Way dog park that he frequents with his Old English sheepdog, O’Malley. What a great idea!

Upon his urging, I paid a visit to the park and took our 8-year old Labrador retriever, Wyatt Earp. The people were so nice, and it was a pleasure to watch the different breeds, many of which are rescue dogs. I hope you enjoy the story and remember our animal shelters if you are looking for a pet. There are many rescued animals waiting for good homes.

Just as we were finalizing this issue, I received this Letter to the Editor that I had to share with our local firefighters:

On behalf of Butte College, I’d like to thank those in your fire department who responded to the Humboldt Fire in Butte County. They not only saved Butte College from serious and devastating destruction, but they protected our communities we all live in. Without their great efforts, many more people would not have homes to return to, and much of our campus would not be available for providing education to those in our community. We’re very grateful for all of their help … they’re the greatest!

Sincerely,
Diana Van Der Ploeg
Butte College President

Our firefighters make us proud!

Letter to the Editor: Thank you Bakersfield firefighters

On behalf of Butte College I’d like to thank those in your fire department who responded to the Humboldt Fire in Butte County. They not only saved Butte College from serious and devastating destruction, but they protected our communities we all live in. Without their great efforts many more people would not have homes to return to, and much of our campus would not be available for providing education to those in our community. We’re very grateful for all of their help…they’re the greatest!

Sincerely,

Diana Van Der Ploeg
Butte College President
3536 Butte Campus Drive
Oroville, CA 95965
(530)895-2937

Editor’s note

Well, the school year is winding down now and kids will soon be home for the summer. When my kids were young, I was so excited for summer vacation to arrive because it meant loose schedules, sleeping in and staying up late!

As my children grow up, though, the summers are shorter and seem quicker to arrive. Now I have a graduating senior, an incoming junior, and my youngest will be a freshman in high school. Where did the time go?

What I’d like is to start over, go back to when they were babies and take extra long looks at them when they are sleeping in their cribs. I’d like to play more games, read more stories, and forget about driver’s licenses and prom dates.

But that can’t happen, so instead I’ll cherish this stage as I have the others, watching with pride (and a few tears) as my children grow into adulthood.

But each stage is bittersweet, particularly high school graduation, where we will say so long to childhood friends making their way to college campuses all over the United States.

To the graduating seniors across the Southwest, I wish you a fond farewell and the blessings of the wonderful new life you are about to explore. Congratulations, Class of 2008!

Editor’s note

If you noticed, The Voice is boasting a new cover style this issue! Former Ridgeview High School athlete turned Major League Baseball standout Phil Dumatrait inspired us to come up with an interesting and eye-catching way to highlight this homegrown SW baseball star (look out, Sports Illustrated!).

From his quaint beginnings on the dusty fields of the Southwest Baseball diamonds to the sparkling lights of big league parks, Phil’s roots remain firmly affixed in Bakersfield. The Voice enjoys an exclusive and intimate look at the life of one of our “own” local boys making a go on the big stage of national sports. Community contributer and longtime friend of Dumatrait’s, Michael Whittaker sat down with Phil and shared some memories with Voice readers.

We hope you enjoy the article about Phil and become inspired to contribute your own stories. If something is important to you, please write about it, or blog about it online at: www.swvoice.com.

We still need great prom photos for the next issue (winner gets dinner!), and, as you begin to make plans for summer vacation, don’t forget to pack an issue of The Southwest Voice! Our summer photo contest will be “Take The Voice on Vacation!” Get creative! A prize will go to the most unique photo.

Keep your mail safe from would-be thieves

ATTENTION: The US Postal Inspection Service is investigating the recent mail theft which occured on Thursday, March 20, 2008 here in the Campus Park Area. I have not heard anything lately in the news about an increase of mail theft happening here in Bakersfield. According to the USPS (Camino Media) the post office is currently updating all mail boxes with new ones which are more difficult to break into but as always, they are not always 100% safe. Mail theft comes under the jurisdiction of U.S Postal Inspectors to investigate and prosecute. I did some research and here are some tips residents should be aware of to minimize exposure to mail theives:

Use the letter slots at your post office to mail letters, or give them to a letter carrier.
Deposit mail in blue collection boxes before the last pick up time that appears on the schedule posted on each box.
Promptly remove mail from your mailbox after delivery, especially if you're expecting checks, credit cards, or other negotiable items. If you won't be home when the items are expected, ask a trusted friend or neighbor to pick up your mail. Don’t leave it in your mailbox overnight.
Don’t send cash in the mail.
Ask your bank for “secure” checks that can’t be altered.
If you will be away from home for more than three days, ask the Post Office to hold your mail until you return. You can initiate a mail hold at the Post Office or online at www.usps.com.

We can ALL help by being watchful and/or starting a Neighborhood Watch Program. For additional information on how to start a community watch program, please visit: www.bakersfieldcity.us/police.com If you see anything suspicious, take down a description, a license plate number or whatever information you can gather and report it to the Post Office immediately, additional attention to the problem will reduce preventable mail theft incidents.

Local soldier sends letter from Iraq

I was born in Huntington Beach and moved to Bakersfield in 1979 when my dad got a job in the oil business. I graduated from West High in 1994. After a year or so running amuck, I decided to join the National Guard as a medic. After a couple years in the National Guard, I decided that I wanted to see more of the world so I went into the Army "full time."

I was first stationed at Ft. Polk Louisiana. People thought I was crazy to go to the "armpit of the Army,” but I was quick to tell them that some of the best bass fishing in the world was down there. I then got stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii on September 10, 2001 with a list of a hundred things I wanted to do. Well, as you know, our country was attacked the next day, so it was all business for the next few months.

I returned to Bakersfield in February, 2004, where I got a job working for the city. But a voice inside me was telling me to do more every time I read the paper or watched the news. There was a war going on in Iraq, and I felt it was still my obligation to be a part of it. After all, I had eight years of experience and training as a combat medic.

On October 11, 2006, I rejoined the National Guard. I cannot say that my girlfriend (now wife) was thrilled about it, but she eventually gave me her blessing. It did not take long for them to ship me out. On the May 23, I proposed to my wife while on leave between Texas and Camp Roberts California. After three months, I came home again on leave and married my wife in a small ceremony with our parents.

As you can figure, being in Iraq has been quite a challenge. The blasts and bullets have calmed down a lot here and seemed to have been replaced somehow with homesickness. I'm happy to report that I will be home around mid-April. My wife and I can hardly wait to be married "full time.”

I have had my ups and downs but I would not change a thing. I have a great city to come home to, a great wife, great friends and family, and all the fish I could ever catch are just a few minutes away.

Reader shares patriotic poetry

February is the birthdays of two of America’s great presidents: George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. So I have written this poem:

America is Beautiful
America has everything!
It’s beautiful and grand
From borderlands to coastal seas,
From plain to desert sand.

America has little towns,
Great mountains towering high,
Metropolis and countryside
Beneath a heavenly sky.

America’s United States
Has citizens all free.
From Maine to California
A land of liberty.

Letter to the Editor

The Friends of the Kern County Library thank you so much for helping make our October book sale such a success. Articles in The Voice gave the sale good exposure.

The funds we raise support special requests from the Kern County Library system and donations to the fun of book purchases.

Last summer we were able to fund well-attended children and adult reading programs and to donate $10,000 to the library book fund.

Thank you again for your help.

Sincerely,
Jo Fulcher

Help fight e-mail spam!

I don't know if you are anything like me, but I hate spam emails!

It also doesn't seem to matter how good of a spam blocker you have. Fact is some of those annoying spam emails sometimes still show up in your inbox no matter what. I used to just delete them and go about my day, but they are still an annoying nuisance and it got me to thinking about what I could do to fight back.

I did a little research and found out the Federal Trade Commission has an e-mail address where you can forward them your spam e-mails. The e-mail address is: spam@uce.gov. I found out from the FTC Web site that it receives about 300,000 samples of deceptive spam forwarded by computer users each day and stores it in a database. The FTC and its law enforcement partners use the database to generate cases against people who use spam to spread false or misleading information about their products or services. The FTC’s spam database has served as the basis for FTC cases involving pyramid schemes, money-making chain letters, credit card scams, credit repair scams, bogus weight-loss plans, fraudulent business opportunities, and other scams that were promoted via e-mail.

They say that whenever you complain about spam, it's important to include the full e-mail header, but only forward spam that you think is fraudulent or deceptive. I also checked out the United States Department of Justice Web site about Internet fraud and spam. Their Web site lists specific types of spam e-mails and lists Web sites where you can go to report the spam.

Some examples on their website include:
• Medical products and devices - to report e-mail that involves possibly fraudulent claims about medical devices or products please e-mail the Food and Drug Administration at webcomplaints@ora.fda.gov
• Financial investments - forward investment-related spam e-mails to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at enforcement@sec.gov

There is a lot of good information on their Web site, you should go check it out. Another great Web site that explains Internet fraud and gives tips on how to avoid becoming a victim is www.onguardonline.gov/spam.html. The Web site explains that they "provide practical tips from the federal government and the technology industry to help you be on guard against Internet fraud, secure your computer, and protect your personal information."

I get spam e-mail all the time. So now whenever I get spam I just forward it on and delete it and feel like I am actually helping do my part in putting these scam artists out of business!

Letter to the Editor

I enjoy The Southwest Voice, thank you.

Regarding breast cancer, 27 years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was a kind of cancer I had never heard of! It was Pagets disease. I was in shock, as no females on my mother’s side have breast cancer. I did not smoke or drink and was thin.

Symptoms included lumps before my periods that went away after my periods. But I started to get a flat lesion on the side of my nipples. It would go away, then reappear on the other side of my nipple. After about three months of this, my nipple became raw like hamburger. It did not hurt or itch. A biopsy revealed Pagets cancer.

After losing my left breast in 1980, I lost the right breast in 1981.

I waited one year and was trained as a “Reach to Recovery” volunteer.

I am 75 and as far as breast cancer, no problems. For more information you may call me at 664-4900 or go to your computer.

— June Arnold

Letter to Editor: Greening and cleaning in Southwest Bakersfield

Recently, in my second grade classroom, I had an occasion to view actions that reflected a practice common in the larger community. It was nearly the end of the school day and it was time to pick up scraps of paper and debris from under and around desks. This is what I saw: several children had taken the cardboard lids from their large flat crayon boxes and were fanning them about under their desks to blow their trash into someone else’s space. At that point more lids came out and it was a dusty mess as trash blew about from one space to another. I was astonished and admonished them to pick up their own trash and stop trying to blow it elsewhere. I felt sad for the kids who had picked up their trash and were now picking up that of their classmates.

After school when I had a few moments to reflect, I realized that they were only doing what they had seen adults do on a regular basis: blow debris from their yards and walkways into the street or even worse, into someone else’s yard. What has happened to those wide rakes and sweepers? It doesn’t take that long to dispose of the offending trash, leaves, etc. in our trash cans. It’s more permanent and cleaner.

Here in the Southwest I see many of us working folk out on Saturday mornings for a run or a power walk, only to get dust blown into our faces. We all know that our air does not need added particulate matter, especially with the possibility of Valley Fever and the high percentage of our community with asthma and allergies. Oh, come on Southwest Bakersfield, let’s be an example to the rest of our town and to our youth. Let’s take care of our own trash and not blow it about.

Yearning for a cleaner and greener community,

— Louise Cooper

Proposed project in wrong location

I was amused by the editorial/fairy tale in The Bakersfield Californian Opinion section on July 24 titled “Park can be a good neighbor.” Where should I start?
After asking the mandatory 10 questions every prospective homeowner should have asked, including, “What’s that big, empty lot across the street going to become?” we were told “a park” by developer representatives. They also stated that they had seen a layout of soccer fields but no one knew what for sure was planned.
Any reasonable person expects to be notified of a public hearing when a plan is proposed. Unless the old “shell game” applies! That is, heck with the neighborhood, just do it because we can! Then we’re scolded by an editorial that we have no one to blame but ourselves? For what, not being clairvoyant? We aren’t lied to by the developers, they had no clue baseball diamonds were proposed to be built! Now we are told only that: “The plan has been modified slightly. Now it will be youth baseball fields.”
Another interesting comment was, “The Bakersfield Planning Commission approved the Brighton Parks tentative map in January of 2004, noting in the accompanying staff report that the 40 acres across the street were designated as a recreational park.”
Whose due diligence is it to pick up an obscure planning commission staff report to determine that this “big, empty lot across the street” is to be an 11-diamond baseball park, complete with 70-foot tall lights, concession stands, stadium seating, restrooms, a single point of access, and only 144 parking stalls, etc.?
Another brilliant opinion: “Perhaps the people who eventually bought homes in Brighton Parks thought the open space across the street would remain an alfalfa field into perpetuity, even as the city continues to grow everywhere else around them.”
It sounds to me that this quote is nothing more than someone interjecting a personal opinion. No one I’ve talked to has ever expected, envisioned or considered this property to remain an alfalfa field. We expected a park.
A step in the right direction? If you believe the editorial you would think so.
The writer tells us, “The city is having trouble keeping up with the recreational needs of this growing community,” etc.
Probably true, but would you allow an outdoor shooting range 150 feet from the nearest home in your neighborhood, or, for that matter, 11 baseball diamonds? If so, let’s put those needed recreational parks across from your house.
“Come on, Brighton Parks. This sports park was on the books years ago. The city shouldn’t have to move an entire park because you failed to do your due diligence.”
Oh dear editor, how condescending. As previously stated, our due diligence was done properly. As opposed to the city’s due diligence, in relying on a few newspaper articles to properly inform the general public and the residents of the Brighton Parks community of their intentions. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure the city did what they were “required” to do. If you doubt that just ask the city’s development service or planning director.
The real issue here is that this proposed project is clearly in the wrong location and incompatible with the surrounding residential area. Period!
Quote: “We’re looking forward to the first pitch of the baseball season.”
As a Brighton Parks resident I’m looking forward to the same thing, hopefully it will be at Taft Highway and Ashe Road next to the city of Bakersfield sewer farm or perhaps in your neighborhood.