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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Nov. 29-Dec. 5, 2009

Friends without borders

Norris students organizetoy drive for needy Pg. 2A Christmas tale Pg. 3YOUR thankful thoughtscontinued Pg. 6

Foreign exchange student findsfriendship at Liberty, pg. 7

Friends without borders

Foreign exchange student findsfriendship at Liberty, pg. 7

2 W W W. B A K E R S F I E L DVO I C E .C O M NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2009

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

Year-round swim team offered for ages 6-18

Greater Global Giftsexpands hours forChristmas shopping

BY LISA PHILLIPSCommunity contributor

he City of Bakersfield is offer-ing a recreational swim teamfor ages 6-18. This year-roundswim team develops swim-ming skills and abilities.

Learn and refine all swimmingstrokes and the techniques needed tobecome a competitive swimmer.Improve your physical fitness whileparticipating in an enjoyable sport.Swim meet participation and fre-quency of practice is optional.

The team meets Monday throughThursday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. atMcMurtrey Aquatic Center, 1325 QSt. Cost is $60 per month.

For more information, call 852-7430 or visit:www.bakersfieldswim.us.

The program is sponsored by theCity of Bakersfield Recreation and

T

BY MARJORIE BELLCommunity Contributor

reater Global Gifts, the fairtrade store at First Congre-gational Church, is open onSundays from 11 a.m. to 1p.m., as well as on Wednes-

days from 3 to 6 p.m. (closed Nov. 25).The store, at 5 Real Road (inside thefront courtyard), features gift items,linens, baskets, soup mixes, and cof-fees benefiting vendors in ThirdWorld countries.

For details, the church office phoneis 327-1609.

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Program to help adult swimmersdevelop skills & improve fitnessBY LISA PHILLIPSCommunity contributor

he City of Bakersfield in now offering a master’s swimteam. This year-round program provides coaching to adultswimmers to develop swimming skills. Learn properstrokes and techniques and improve physical fitness whileparticipating in an enjoyable sport. Swim meet

participation and frequency of practice is optional. There is anannual membership fee of $40 to join United States MasterSwimming, if competition is desired.

Master’s Swim Team meets Monday through Thursday from 5:30to 7 p.m. at McMurtrey Aquatic Center, 1325 Q St. Cost is $60 permonth.

For more information, call 852-7430 or visit: www.bakers-fieldswim.us.

This event is sponsored by the City of Bakersfield Recreation andParks Department.

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CALIFORNIAN FILE

A young swimmer at McMurtrey Aquatic Center pool.

Fourth-grade students organize toy driveBY SIERRA MOORE AND SHAINA LOOKERCommunity contributors

e are Girl Scouts and fourth-grade students at NorrisElementary. After makingsack lunches and deliveringthem to the Bethany Center

this summer, and distributing sacklunches to the homeless on VeteransDay, we decided to have a toy drive tocollect toys to donate to the children atthe Bethany Center. The owners ofRollerama West were really nice andhave decided to allow us to have ourfundraiser at their roller rink. This funevent will be Wednesday, Dec. 9, from6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Every person whobrings a new and unwrapped toy canskate for only $2! This includes skaterental.

This is the time of year to help othersand have the holiday spirit — so we hopeeveryone will come and join us in sup-porting the Bethany Center.

We want all kids to have a toy thisChristmas Season!

For more information, e-mail:moore5909@sbcglobal.net.

Thank you!Sierra and Shaina

W

EDITORIALOlivia Garcia VViiccee PPrreessiiddeenntt //CCoonntteenntt

ogarcia@bakersfield.com

Teresa Adamo AAssssoocciiaattee EEddiittoorr

tadamo@bakersfield.com

Sandi Molen CCoonnttrriibbuuttiioonnss CCoooorrddiinnaattoorr

smolen@bakersfield.com

ARTKent Kuehl DDeessiiggnneerr

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

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Bakersfield, CA 93303

The Bakersfield Voice is published by

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of The Bakersfield Californian.

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NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2009 W W W. B A K E R S F I E L DVO I C E .C O M 3

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Our cover photo this week features foreignexchange student, Luca Grumbach-Wendt.Luca, 18, is from Münster, Germany.Voiceeducation columnist, Peggy Dewane-Pope,is Luca’s host mother. She tells us all aboutthis “special delivery” from across theglobe on Pg. 7. Pictured from left: LucaGrumbach-Wendt, her new friends, JeniCastro and Elizabeth Brooks, and her“Bakersfield” sister, Corinne Pope.

Your photo could be on our next cover.Photos and stories for the Dec. 13 issuemust be posted by Wednesday, Dec. 2.

About the cover

4 Books for the pet lover in your life Voice pet columnist recommends

critter-related must-haves.

5 Graduating veteransAnita and Garrion Orr share a love

of country and education.

8 New art school in town Bakersfield Art Institute is a full

curriculum, fine art school.

Contents

BY ALICIA HAMMONSCommunity contributor

ruitvale Junior High’sAdvanced Drama Class ispleased to announce its secondannual production of CharlesDickens’ “A Christmas Carol,”

Friday, Dec. 4 at 6:30 p.m.Dickens wrote the novel primarily

to address the poverty of England’spoor. At the time, many were trying tomake the bakers close their shops onSundays. This infuriated Dickensbecause many poor families took theirSunday meals to the bakers to beroasted. Closing the shops woulddeprive many of their only hot meal ofthe week. Most funerals at this timewere for children under the age of 10.Those that didn’t survive, grew uppoor, without an education, andforced to continue the cycle of pover-ty. Many of Dickens’ characters werebased on his real-life family mem-bers, including his sister, Fan, andher crippled son. “A Christmas Carol”tells the story of a mean and bittermiser, Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge isnot sensitive to the plight of the poorand doesn’t care about anyone buthimself. In the course of one night, heis visited by his former business part-ner and three other spirits who try tourge Scrooge to become a better man,and to care for others.

In the spirit of this great tale, and to

ensure that no one in our communitygoes hungry this holiday season, weare asking everyone who attends totry to bring one can of soup for oursoup drive. There will be a $1 dis-count to each person who brings in acan of soup the night of the perform-

ance (limit one discount per person). Please come and enjoy this terrific

production — we look froward to see-ing you.

Fruitvale Junior High is located at2114 Calloway Drive.

Have a blessed holiday season!

Y O U R S C H O O L S

Can of soup equals discount for ‘A Christmas Carol’

F

CALIFORNIAN FILE

Fruitvale Junior High’s Advanced Drama Class will perform “A Christmas Carol”Friday, Dec. 4 at 6:30 p.m.

4 W W W. B A K E R S F I E L DVO I C E .C O M NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2009

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..

Jakob Russell

ne of the things I’ve foundover the years is that thereare two kinds of people:readers and non-readers.

Me — I’m a reader. I’ve loved agood book for as long as I’ve beenable to hold one in my hands. Withthe holidays upon us, I thought I’drecommend some wonderful ani-mal-related books for the critterlover in your life.

First off, for the cook in your life,The Cat People just publishedtheir organization’s first cookbook,“Recipes With Cat-I-Tude.” Foronly $10 (tax included) you cangift foodies with new ways to makefood and help one of the few organ-izations in Bakersfield dedicatedto helping cats. Copies can be pur-chased at their shop, PawsitivelyCats, 602 18th St., on Saturdaysfrom 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., or by goingto their Web site at: www.thecat-people.org.

Next on my list is the perennialbest-seller “Black Beauty,” byAnna Sewell. I waited until lastyear to finally read this bookbecause I was under the impres-sion it was a horse book. Don’tmake my mistake. “Black Beauty”is one of the greatest books aboutanimals and their relationshipswith human beings that has everbeen written, and will enchant theyoung animal lover in your life.

I was thrilled when I saw thatone of my childhood favorites isback in print. “The House of Thir-ty Cats,” by Mary Calhoun, is a ter-rific book for the young cat loverin your life. The story of a girl, aneighbor and loads of cats is a

w a r m ,sweet talethat is sureto be treas-ured by catlovers foryears after-ward.

My lastpick is giv-en with awee bit oftrepidation.“ T h eU n d e r -neath,” byK a t h i

Appelt, is a strikingly original sto-ry of a dog, three cats, some bayoumagic and one of the baddest badguys to ever be found in a chil-dren’s book.

This is not a book for very smallchildren, as it is a fairly dark tale,complete with scenes of animalabuse and death. But it is, nonethe-less, a haunting, lyrical story thatwill resonate with the reader longafter they have stopped turningthe pages. The few illustrations in

the book further serve to entice thereader, as does the parallel fantasystory involving a trapped snakeand shape-shifting people. Unlikeanything else I’ve seen in recentyears passing as animal stories forchildren, “The Underneath” is abook that will resonate with thereader long after the last page isturned.

Have a book about animals thatyou’d like to share? I’d love to hearabout it.

Have a pet-related question orcomment? E-mail Vicky at:Vicky@pawprintcity.com or go to:www.pawprintcitytimes.com.

Books for the pet lover in your life

VICKYTHRASHERPet columnist

O

Y O U R P E T S

Mark your calendar for pizza night & fundraiser!BY USER NAME: THIRSTY FRIENDS OF KROLL DOGPARKCommunity contributor

he Thirsty Friends of KrollDog Park need your helpwith its “Doggie DrinkingFountain” fundraiser. Andall that we ask is that you

“Eat for a Great Cause!”Simply plan on ordering a delicious

meal from our friends at Plumberry’sRestaurant, 13011 Stockdale Hwy.,between 4 and 9 p.m., Tuesday, Dec.1. Present a copy of our special flyer(http://www.bakersfieldvoice.com/content/pizza-night-pet-fundraiser todownload a coupon) and 20 percent ofall designated meal orders will begraciously donated by Plumberry’s toour terrific cause. It really is thatsimple! And, you may partake of thisevent via dine-in, carry-out, and evendelivery (if available in your area.) Itjust doesn’t get any easier, or moredelicious than this!

So please mark your calendars, andtell all your friends, colleagues, fami-ly, neighbors, and co-workers that wehope to see you all for good times andgreat food. What a great way to kickoff a happy holiday season of giving!

Thank you for supportingwww.ThirstyKrollDogs.com and, ofcourse, our wonderful friends atPlumberry’s.

T

CALIFORNIAN FILE

It’s playtime for Molly as Marv Larsonthrows the ball in a game of fetch. Larson istrying to raise $6,000 to install a waterfountain for dogs at the park on Kroll Wayso when dogs like Molly get thirsty, theycan have a place to get a cool drink of wa-ter.

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

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.

NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2009 W W W. B A K E R S F I E L DVO I C E .C O M 5

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Y O U R S C H O O L S

COURTESY OF CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD

hen Garrion Orr was dis-charged from active dutyafter five years of servicein the Army, including aone-year deployment to

Iraq, he was ready to get a job. He hadgood skills and experiences, but quick-ly realized that wasn’t going to beenough.

“In the job market, you need bothskills and an education,” Garrion said.“My wife talked me into going to col-lege and it really expanded my careeroptions.”

Anita Orr, who met her husband onIndependence Day at Fort Lewis inWashington state, is also an Army vet-eran. She served three years in Korea.Together, the Orrs researched possibleuniversities and selected CaliforniaState University, Bakersfield.

“We had never visited the areabefore, and actually didn’t even knowthat Bakersfield existed,” Anita said.“We have family in Lancaster and wewanted to be close to them, but didn’twant to live in Los Angeles. We took aleap of faith, and we don’t regret a sin-gle moment.”

Now, after two years, the Orrs areready for their next big step as theycross the stage and turn their tasselsduring commencement ceremonies onMonday, Nov. 30 at 1 p.m. in the CSUBIcardo Center. Garrion will walk awaywith his bachelor’s degree in criminaljustice and Anita has earned her bache-

lor’s in sociology.The Orrs both credit a long list of pro-

fessors who have contributed to theireducation.

“Classes were very hard, but fun,”said Garrion, who ultimately wants tobe a parole officer. “All my instructorswere great. And, I really appreciatethat the university brought in instruc-tors like Bakersfield Police Chief Rec-tor and Judge Oberholzer who had lawenforcement experiences that madeclasses very real.”

The demands of full class schedulesweren’t enough for this dynamic pair.Garrion works part-time,volunteers forCareers Services Center and playscommunity softball. Anita works part-time and volunteers at least weekly forthe homeless shelter. Together, theyhave founded the university’s first Stu-dent Veterans Organization andencourage other veterans to takeadvantage of a higher education. And,between it all, balance a happy mar-riage.

“Some days it is really rough,” admitsAnita, who plans to enter the CSUBmaster’s of social work program in thefall and one day open her own counsel-ing practice. “At one point I didn’t thinkI’d make it, and my parents remindedme of what I learned in basic training.It’s up to me to succeed and keep tryinguntil every task is complete. There’s nodoubt my military background hashelped me stay on track. God. Determi-nation. Motivation. Drive. And, I’mlucky to have a husband who is sup-portive. We help each other.”

Staying focused on the long-term, theOrrs hope to remain in Bakersfield andeventually start a family. But, theyknow the economy and job availabilitywill be a factor in making that possible.

“It was an adjustment, but Bakers-field is a good fit for us,” said Anita.“It’s a caring community and I wasalways taught to care for others, to givewith your heart. Garrion and I bothbelieve that if you give, good things willcome back to you. It’s a ripple effectover time and truly the way we live ourlives.”

W

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD

Anita and Garrion Orr as they prepare to graduate from CSUB.

Veterans share love of serving country as they prepare to graduate from CSUB

California State University, Bakersfield will

celebrate its Fifth Fall Commencement on

Monday, Nov. 30 at 1 p.m. in the Icardo

Center where 563 students will culminate

their educational experience and receive

their master’s or bachelor’s degrees.

Doors will open for guests at 11:45 a.m.

and the processional for all graduates will

begin at 12:50 p.m.

TO ATTEND

6 W W W. B A K E R S F I E L DVO I C E .C O M NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2009

Y O U R C O N T E S T

Former foster child thankful to those who foster childrenBY OPAL MORLANDCommunity contributor

am thankful everyday for God’s gift of life. Notjust mine, but my children, family, friends andcommunity. I am a former foster child and I hadwonderful foster parents. They didn’t comeeasy. Our social worker helped place three

Native American children with a loving foster family.This is very hard to do because there are not a lot ofhomes available especially for three young children.Even greater is the fact this foster family helpedreunite us with our biological mom. They loved andcared for us for about three years, so you know it wasvery difficult for them to let us go. I am thankful fortheir love and understanding that the best place for achild is with their biological family, if at all possible.

I know how difficult it is to let your children gobecause I was also a foster parent for 14 years. Wehear about the sad things that happen as a foster par-ent but I am thankful everyday we have families thatare willing to open their homes and hearts to the mostvulnerable in our community. Thank you very much.

Finally, I am thankful for a husband who supportsme and my goals to help other foster children. I mustalso thank my children. These now young men havetaken in and loved every child as their own sibling.They shared their mom and dad, rooms, toys, etc.,with other children, and most times finances weredifficult. They never complained because we hadsomething much more ... the love of a child, and oftentimes, the thanks of the biological families we helped.I am thankful because we have been rewarded withtwo beautiful, adopted, children.

I am thankful for God’s gift of life ... my own, myfamily’s, friends’, my community’s, and the heart and

love of others for our special children in foster care. Thank you.

I

PHOTO COURTESY OF OPAL MORLAND

Opal Morland is a former foster child and was a fosterparent herself for 14 years.

Thankful formom’s support

A thankfulpoem

BY ALEX TORRESCommunity contributor

hat am I thankful for? Well I’m thankfulfor many things but what I am mostthankful for is my mom. I know that I canalways count on her for everything andthat she will always be there.

My mom has played an important role in my lifeand she gets me through every day. She pushes meto work my hardest, and to never give up. When I amdown and I feel like giving up, she is right therebeside me, carrying me through. She has alwayssupported me in everything I do, and when I lookinto the stands, it’s always her face that I see cheer-ing her lungs out.

Though we don’t always see eye to eye, I love hervery much, and I don’t know where I would be with-out her. I’m thankful everyday that she is in my life,and that we get along because not all mothers anddaughters are as close as we are.

I love you, mom.

W

Nothing without family,friendsBY USER NAME: MURPHY1951 Community contributor

ruthfully, I’d be happier if we could alljust go back 50, 60 years ago. Thingsseemed simpler, and people were more atease.

Seeing that we are all stuck in this timezone, I’d have to say I’m thankful that all mygrandchildren are healthy, and that they all havea good chance in life.

I’m also thankful that my present wife and hertwo teenage daughters — who are in good healthand are having a chance at college to prepare agood life for themselves.

As for myself, I don’t need anything fancymyself. I’m just happy with what I have and themany of friends I have. Without friends, you arenothing.

T

BY EVELYN ANDERSONCommunity contributor

et Us Give ThanksFor all the gifts received in

life Upon our earthly walk:

A place to dwell, our daily bread, Dear ones and happy talk, Let us give thanks today.

For all the beauty in the worldFrom dawn to glowing dawn;

The flower blooms, the birds inflight,

For us to gaze upon, Let us give thanks today.

For life, the greatest gift of allWithin earth’s boundary:

The hopes and dreams, abidingfaith,

And this the land of the free. Let us give thanks, today.

L

Thankful thoughts

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEX TORRES

This is my mom, Kim Torres, and I am most thankful forher.

s promised, here are the remaining entries of our “What are you thankfulfor?” contest. We hope you enjoy these heartwarming “thank yous” as muchas we do. A

NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2009 W W W. B A K E R S F I E L DVO I C E .C O M 7

PHOTO COURTESY OF PEGGY DEWANE-POPE

Luca Grumbach-Wendt with her host mother, Voice education columnist, Peggy De-wane-Pope. Luca is able to communicate weekly with her family via Skype.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PEGGY DEWANE-POPE

Foreign exchange student Luca Grumbach-Wendt, who is from Münster, Germany, cel-ebrated her 18th birthday in Bakersfield with her host family.

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: C. King

Mrs. Robin Province was my

daughter’s second-grade teacher at

Buena Vista Elementary School. She is

a wonderful and fabulous teacher that

deserves the Teacher of the Month

award. She truly is a blessing for

Buena Vista to have. The children in

her class are always having fun

learning something new, even when

she teaches it in a creative way. She is

always taking the time to listen to

each student’s needs. Mrs. Province

creates the atmosphere in her class as

comfortable, organized and fun. The

children in her class love, care and

respect her

as she does

the same for

them. Over

the summer,

my daughter

even got

together with

Mrs. Province

and they had

an

extraordinary

fun day

together. As

a parent, I appreciate all her hard work

and dedication she has put into

teaching my daughter. Mrs. Province,

you truly are an inspiration to Alyssa.

Thank you!

Sponsored by

Robin Province

ew parents in our early 50s?Well, it’s not as crazy as itsounds! This school year, LucaGrumbach-Wendt joined ourfamily following a delivery that

took her nearly halfway across theworld.

Luca, a bright, happy, 18-year-old isin her senior year at Liberty HighSchool. She hails from Münster, Ger-many, where her younger brothers, Ivoand Finn, keep her up to date weeklythrough Skype. Luca calls her mom anddad, and then they connect via theInternet with cameras on both sides ofthe world — and their computers. Lastweek, Finn played the piano for Luca,and her family sent their love electron-ically.

Luca is very involved at Libertywhere she helps drama teacher, PerryWare, as assistant director, managingtasks for LHS like the Foothill Shake-speare Festival. The troupe is gearingup for their next production, “YouCan’t Take It With You.” Luca is busybossing people around!

Luca is with our family for theremainder of the school year including

a California Christmas which she can-not imagine without snow. She’s notcrazy about some American food butloves cruising through our well-stocked grocery stores and is especiallyfond of Target. Liberty doesn’t have a

much morespirited soul atevery homefootball game,nor do Luca’sfriends, includ-ing her new“ s i s t e r ”Corinne, have amore caringsupporter. Wefeel so fortunatethat Luca is par-ticipating in herf o r e i g nexchange pro-gram and is ournew daughter!

We know she will always be in ourlives, and she and her family willalways be welcome in our home, I sus-pect we will be welcome in her’s aswell.

PEGGYDEWANE-POPEEducation columnist

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Y O U R S C H O O L S

Stork delivers daughterfrom across the globe!

BY PHILLIP SCOTTCommunity contributor

n Sunday afternoon, Dec. 6, at4 p.m., the Gary BonnerSingers will fill the RabobankTheater, 1001 Truxtun Ave.,with “Christmas Tidings” at

the Bakersfield Community ConcertAssociation Christmas Concert. Adultseason memberships are $60 (five con-certs).

Created in 1995, this ensemble, underthe tutelage and direction of ConductorGary Bonner, has demonstrated its vir-

tuosity in concerts all over the South-ern California. Its Christmas concertsinclude favorites like: “The First Noel,”“Winter Wonderland,” “Do You HearWhat I Hear,” “It Came Upon a Mid-night Clear,” “Oh Holy Night” andmany more unforgettable carols.

They sang at the White House inDecember of 2006 and again in Decem-ber of 2008.

The East Bakersfield High SchoolChamber Singers, under the directionof Jenepher Lapp, will provide pre-con-cert music.

The 2009 Gary Bonner Singers con-cert promises to truly open the Christ-mas season in Bakersfield.

For information call, 205-8522.

8 W W W. B A K E R S F I E L DVO I C E .C O M NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2009

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$25 OFFANY SERVICE OVER $125

661-327-2907 OR 587-4767

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New Art School coming to BakersfieldBY USER NAME: BAICommunity contributor

akersfield Art Institute is a fullcurriculum, fine art, school forjunior and senior high schoolstudents who wish to apply toart college after high school.

Interested students, parents and artteachers, as well as art organizationleaders in Bakersfield, should contactGregory D. Mansi at bakersfieldartin-stitute@gmail.com.

Gregory D. Mansi, director of ValleyArt Institute in Los Angeles, an art col-lege preparatory school, has recentlymoved to Bakersfield and is preparingto open Bakersfield’s first art schooldevoted to junior and senior highschool students who wish to apply to artcollege. Mr. Mansi has been teachingand advising young artists through theprocess of building a portfolio for artschool admission for twelve years.

Mr. Mansi has worked with art col-leges throughout the country for morethan a decade and has developed a rep-utation of understanding the specificformula and level of craftsmanshipnecessary for successful applicants.Because of my love of the arts, I feel

obligated to my community to supportMr. Mansi’s effort to bring his talentsand knowledge to our own young Bak-ersfield aspiring artists.

Mr. Mansi is developing a curriculumfor Bakersfield Art Institute closelymatching most foundation year art col-leges. His philosophy is simple and ulti-mately very practical: “be as good asyou can at the craft and prepare your-self for the rigors of art school, espe-cially that first year.” It is a formula

and philosophy that has been very suc-cessful in the past and will be at Bak-ersfield Art Institute.

In Bakersfield, the need for an artschool focusing on our most talentedyoung people has never been greater.According to Mr. Mansi, “ … increasingbudget cuts for art programs through-out the Bakersfield and Kern Countyschool districts are crippling those stu-dents who want to apply to art colleges

and university art departments afterhigh school.” Moreover, “with art col-leges and art departments impacted,fewer applicants are being accepted,budget cuts in art programs at the highschool level has been devastating tothose who need to prepare the neces-sary portfolio for admission to art-col-lege.”

For more information go to:www.bakersfieldartinstitute.com.

Y O U R S C H O O L S

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OEBHS chamber singers will open for Gary Bonner Singers Dec. 6 at Rabobank