Letters: The Southwest Voice

Editor's Note

Every winter, with Christmas just around the corner, I start craving my favorite auntie’s sugar cookies. With a faint hint of anise, there’s something about her cookies that will make me drive almost two hours in traffic, just to sit at the kids table and help decorate — and eat — batch after batch!

Do you have a favorite holiday cookie? If so, share the recipe with The Southwest Voice and we’ll enter you into a drawing for a family pass to the Kern County Museum’s Cookies at the Clocktower. Just post the recipe as an article at: www.swvoice.com by Monday, Dec. 8!

Also, thanks to everyone who contributed stories, calendar items and photos for our Southwest “Youth” issue. From our cover story featuring the Bakersfield Youth Symphony Orchestra to eighth-grader Anita Lay’s contributed article on a recent Chinese fashion show, you will read examples of incredibly talented Southwest youth.

There are two more issues of The Southwest Voice left for the year, so keep the stories coming!

Editor’s note

Creativity abounds in Bakersfield! In the past couple months as the editor of The Southwest Voice, I have met amazing people doing amazing things. People walking unique paths of life to better themselves or their community.

Nanette Bonilla is one of those people. I met Nanette while training for the Volkslauf. In August, Nanette shared with our readers her excitement and fears in preparing for what is known as “The Ultimate Challenge.”

In this issue she recounts her unique experience crossing the finish line a healthier, more accomplished woman. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it! Get inspired to get fit by reading her article.

Speaking of unique, if you’re looking for one-of-a-kind gifts for this holiday season that will not only wow the recipient, but will go easy on your wallet, check out our cover story featuring local artisans who are selling their handmade goods to a worldwide market via the Web.

Also, read how Stonecreek Junior High students are finding creative ways to raise money for The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Maybe you can help!

Editor’s note

I am feeling especially patriotic as election season has come to an end and I had a chance to participate in an election that is sure to go down in history books. I also felt immense patriotism and gratitude at The Southwest Voice — sponsored U.S. Army Field Band concert Oct.25 at the Harvey Theater.

As the band played their “Armed Forces Medley,” I watched former servicemen and women from the crowd, now in their later years of life, stand at attention with p ride as if they were right back in their platoons. Seeing loyalty still beat strong in their hearts made me grateful for all they had done to protect the liberties, such as voting, that I enjoy today.

The event was a huge success and I’d like to thank everyone who attended. Of course, along with Brian Ernst, I’d also like to thank the band for their moving performance.

This election season also made me aware of the power of our youth. The way so many youth made their voices heard at the polls made me wonder: What else do our youth have to say?

With that, I would like to invite the youth of Southwest Bakersfield to submit articles for the Nov. 26 issue of The Southwest Voice. Know a young person with something to write about? Encourage them to e-mail article submissions and photos to me at: Nerlendson@swvoice.com.

LOCAL DOG PULLS OFF " BIG WIN "

Eddy Aldridge and Deerwoods Sheila, pull off winning first place Saturday & Sunday Nov 8th & 9th,, 2008

Winning High In Trial both days, with scores of 137 & 139.5 out of a score of 150..

at the AHBA, Parcours "A La Francaise, French Ranch Large Flock trial.. "Advanced Level" Competting againest dogs From Nevada, Ca, Washington, & Oregon...

In Wilton Ca..

I would like to thank Laurie Batson for Sheila,

my dad for going to all the trials with me to make sure I get up every morning,

and trainer Karen Wessinger of Leona Valley, for all her help,...

But most of all I would like to thank Sheila for pushing my limits, even though she can a hard to handle dog, she always gets the job done...

For more info on French Trials here in Ca,, please check out this web site...

http://www.herdingontheweb.com/french-ca.htm

Hope to see you at PetCo on Rosedale every first Saturday of the month for the Kern County Shelter dog adoption day...

Eddy

Support for No On Prop 8!

So as my friends and family know, I don’t live in conservative Bakersfield anymore, and with the election now here people are spirited and showing their stance on what they “believe” in. Proposition 8 seems to be the most displayed, most ‘no’ here in Long Beach, but this weekend my trip outraged me. I drive down highway 99 and see billboards of “yes on 8,” and probably observed over a hundred people (including young children) rallying, posting signs, etc. . .

Of course, I’m not really one to hold back, so I grabbed my friends and some signs and went to the Stockdale/California intersection (where every corner was filled with people “yes on 8”) and the four of us stood right with them proud to hold our ”no on 8” signs despite the negativity we faced. The four of us turned into six in no time, then ten, and before we realized it we had over 40 people, spread out on the corners getting support from people passing by and watching the ‘yes’ supporters walk away.

Why vote yes on 8? Personally, even taking my sexuality out of it, I could not vote yes on something so discriminatory. Does that make me ‘too liberal?’ Or what about faithless? Or without family? Without love? God? Future? Happiness? No!

What benefit do you gain from voting yes? A lady and her husband rallying to “protect children’s innocence” has her children standing right with her screaming, shouting, exposing them directly to the “problem.” She and her husband are in front of their kids asking our group “so how are you going to get pregnant?” “Who’s the man and who’s the woman?” “You’re going to hell, you have no God.” “You can’t have family if you’re a fag.” “What are you, a boy or a girl?!” In all of this, one of our supporters defending themselves from these ignorant people said “shit” in a statement she made. These same people then threaten to call the cops, “there are children around, watch what you say, we will have the cops here in two seconds to get you people out of here.” So . . . “protect children’s innocence” by teaching them it is okay to discriminate and be prejudiced, but never let them hear a profanity? These clearly cannot be educated, loving people.

Some of these remarks are absurd:

I have no God? Well, I have gone to church, a few churches actually, and they all knew that I am gay. I was never informed that I am going to hell. God loves everybody, and all sins are equal. My desires, feelings, thoughts, (all of which are uncontrollable) do not make me a sinner, but behaving on these emotions can make me a sinner. So I can pray, trust in God, ask for forgiveness and have an eternal life in heaven just like everyone else.

Gay people have no family. I’m gay, and I have a family. I have cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, etc. So for those that do not, why? Do you think I would personally choose to not have family? Definitely not. Family leaves us out of their own pride and ignorance. Which also brings up being gay is my ‘choice.’ I would never just wake up and choose to like a boy. For the straight couples, did you just wake up and choose to like your partner? Of course not, you had butterflies, you were nervous and shy, and for reasons you can’t explain fell in love. The same thing happens with me, only I’m a guy, and it happens with other guys!

Another guy, who was probably close to my age, thought that the choice to marry someone of the same sex and receive the same benefits he would by marrying a woman was just as wrong as him robbing a bank. I can only assume that he had no real logical reason to hold his sign proud, so that was the only statement he could come up with and have his 10 year old little brother repeat.

To wrap it up, Monday night was honestly a blast. Knowing that the four of us were able to bring in the enthusiasm and support of others was empowering, and I can’t wait to see the election results. California cannot not allow prop 8 to prosper long, and it will only be a matter of time before we will see same sex couples with the same benefits federally as a man and woman’s marriage. And thanks to all the people that helped out Monday night, you guys were amazing and made it a memorable moment!!!

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.