Hispanic chamber and Read for Life look to 2010

Celebrating 25 years of success: The first part of the year always brings excitement for the 500-member Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. It marks a time when the chamber recognizes its new leadership tasked with growing membership, helping small business owners and preparing for annual events, including the very successful Latino Food Festival and Menudo Cook-Off.

Now in its 25th year, the Hispanic chamber has plenty of reasons to celebrate when it gathers for its annual Installation Banquet and Business Awards at 6 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 6, at the DoubleTree Hotel. Tickets are $60 per person or $500 per table.

More than 300 people are expected to attend. Kern County Superior Court Judge Robert Tafoya is scheduled to conduct the installation of the new board members, including treasurer Jan Bans, secretary David Alanis, chair-elect Jesse Bonales and past chair Joe Jimenez. Ramona Herrera will lead as the new chairwoman.
The Hispanic chamber has benefited from Latino businesses’ growth locally and non-Latino businesses that cater to Hispanics, she said.

“I’m excited about this year’s board and their commitment to help our membership grow and prosper,” Herrera said. “I’m looking forward to 2010 being a strong year for us.”

A highlight of the night will be the 2009 Hispanic Chamber awards, Herrera said.
The honorees are: Bakersfield attorney David A. Torres, Business Man of the Year, and for full disclosure, I’ve been fortunate to be selected as the Business Woman of the Year. I am sincerely grateful.
Other winners are: La Mina Restaurant, Large Business of the Year; Kern Valley Printing, Small Business of the Year; and Chevron, Corporation of the Year. Risto Rubio of Mission Family Mortuary will receive the Community Service Award.
The Chairperson’s Recognition Award will go to Jay Tamsi, 2010’s vice chairman. I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with Jay on joint projects with MAS Magazine and the Hispanic Chamber, and I’ve always been impressed with his volunteerism, hard work and dedication. Jay is a senior formulations specialist for Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream and is involved in the Hispanic chamber, the Kern County Youth Mariachi Foundation and the Filipino Community of Delano group. Well-deserved award, Jay, well-deserved.
For those wanting information about the installation dinner, please call 633-5495.

Read for Life Gala planning kicks off: Speaking of well-deserving people, the ever-so energetic Donna Hylton, executive director of the Kern Adult Literacy Council, is busy working away at plans for this year’s Read for Life Gala Reception and Auction planned for April 22 at the Bell Tower Club in downtown Bakersfield. Its 2010 Literacy for Life Award recipient is Sandra Serrano, chancellor of the Kern Community College District.

 For those who are not familiar with Donna, she is one amazing lady, very passionate about the council, and will share countless stories of how it has changed many people’s lives. The Read for Life Gala is its main fundraiser of the year and it helps the organization, which relies heavily on volunteers, to continue their mission of educating our community and building strong readers, no matter the age.

I even got wrapped up in her energy and now, you guessed it, I am on the planning committee for the gala event. The committee list is impressive: Kristie Coons, who handles special projects for the Kern County Library; business owner Ann McCright; Tony Russo of Russo’s Books; and local community activist Sheryl Barbich. So expect some neat things to come of this year’s event.

If you are interested in learning more about the council or helping with the gala, please call Donna at 324-3213. She tells me they are currently looking for donated gift certificates or other items that can be auctioned off at the gala. Stay tuned.

Help shape Kern's political landscape, support Census 2010 efforts

Redistricting Forum: Imagine you being asked to determine the political footprint of Kern County and beyond. The opportunity has arrived.

Applications are now being accepted for the new 14-member Citizens Redistricting Commission in charge of redrawing the boundaries of political districts throughout the state. This is huge.

Previously, the task was handled by the state Legislature — a process that led to partisan “safe” seats held for each party.

Huh? Just imagine allowing your 10-year-old to create his three-course meals, chore list and sleep schedule for the weekend. I mean, you’d hope he’d make the right, healthy decision but….

Thanks to passage of Prop. 11, the Voters FIRST Act, in 2008, this responsibility now rests in the hands of a citizens commission — 5 Democrats, 5 Republicans, and 4 independents — and, together, they will redefine the district boundaries for the state Senate, Assembly, and Board of Equalization.

The deadline to apply is looming — Feb. 12 — and right now, there’s a callout for more women and people of color to apply. Most who have applied are older white men and counties, such as Los Angeles and Sacramento, lead in the number of applicants. Can’t blame them for wanting to participate but we need to be represented.

As a result, advocacy groups like the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund are holding community forums across California to spread the word and encourage minorities to apply, Nancy Ramirez, MALDEF’s western regional counsel, tells me.

She noted that commission guidelines call for a group that is representative of the state’s diversity, but the most underrepresented groups in applicant pool are Latinos, blacks, Asians and Pacific Islanders.

And as of mid-January, only one Latino from Kern County has passed the first phase of the application process, Ramirez tells me.

Still thinking about how you can make difference?

MALDEF, in partnership with MAS Magazine, will hold free redistricting forum on Monday, Feb. 1, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the University of California, Merced — Bakersfield Center, 2000 K St., Lakes Room.  Panelists include Thomas A. Saenz, MALDEF president & general counsel, and a representative of the California State Auditor’s office — the agency administering the application process.

Qualified applicants must have voted in at least two of the past three general elections, registered with the same party (or none) for the last five years, and not have donated $2,000 or more to a campaign. Elected officials, lobbyists and legislative staff are ineligible, sorry.

2010 Census: When California Highway Patrol Capt. Brian Smith of Bakersfield submits his department’s staffing budget to the state, he always makes sure he attaches Census data. He knows he will have to compete with the needs of other law enforcement agencies across the state so having the latest population data can justify the local CHP patrol staffing level needs.

“In Kern County, we want what is ours,” Smith said recently at the opening of the Bakersfield Census office.  

Over the next few months, Census 2010 questionnaires will be sent to your homes, asking for private but critical, information. Census takers will follow-up on homes that did not return a questionnaire. Most of us will be diligent about returning those forms, but one of the biggest challenges for census takers will be reaching poor families distrustful of unfamiliar faces, undocumented immigrants, migrant workers, and the elderly.

Kern County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Shelly Castaneda encouraged census takers to carry their identification cards at all times and be gentle and patient with elderly residents, who have been preyed upon by scam artists.

“I have worked patrol in several areas of Kern County, and I have seen with my own eyes the plight of the underserved,” Castaneda said.

Every person, documented or not, must be counted in Kern. Federal dollars are at stake. Every year, the federal government allocates more than $400 billion to states and communities based, in part, on the census data, said Reyna Olaguez, Bakersfield Census office partnership specialist. The new data will be used to figure out locations for schools, hospitals, housing developments… the list goes on.

And just as significant, the 2010 census data is used to outline the congressional, state and local legislative boundaries for our communities.

Do what you can to support this effort.

New president: My congrats to H. A. Sala who will be installed as the new 2010 president of the Kern County Bar Association. The installation will take place 6 p.m. Thursday at the Bakersfield Country Club. Sala is a well-respected attorney and one of the most humble, genuine persons I know. Best of luck, Beto.

A family of Young Marines

At 16 years old, Elizabeth Schull is already in command.

She is a Young Marine and carries the rank of sergeant major, which puts her in charge of the Bakersfield unit — about 80 youth strong. They look to her for weekly training, educational activities, and community service commitments.

That’s a tall order for the approximate 5’5”, sweet-voiced teen who, by the way, is also Young Miss Kern County.

“I love to help, I love to give, and I love to be that role model for them,” said the Stockdale High 3.5 GPA junior. “The Young Marines changed me. I would not be the person that I am today.”

Not too bad for a teen who once hated the idea of joining the program when she was eight years old.

Just go through boot camp, her parents suggested, and if you still want to leave, then the choice is yours.

She never left.

Today, she is up for Young Marine of the Year for the division, which represents nine western states.

The Bakersfield Young Marines is a nonprofit group that relies on volunteers to help teach youngsters the values of honor, courage, and commitment.

They are introduced to leadership, character-building skills and expected to live health, drug-free lifestyles, said Pamela Schull, adjutant of the Bakersfield Young Marines and Elizabeth’s mother. Pamela Schull who works with foster youth in group homes began as a volunteer 10 years ago and saw firsthand how the program influenced youth in the positive way.

“We have kids of all socioeconomic levels — kids raised by grandparents, in foster care, from normal households,” Pamela Schull said. “But together, they’re not a certain class. Together, they’re one. This is their family.”

This family comes in the form of boys and girls, anywhere between the ages of 8 to 18. It’s the U.S. Marine Corps’ official youth program, but you don’t have to be military destined to join.

They must go through boot camp for a couple of weeks and are known as “recruits” before graduating and promoting through ranks over time.

Some Young Marines travel as far as Frazier Park, Maricopa and Delano to be a part of the program.

A huge part of the program’s focus is community service. Last year, they logged in more than 20,000 hours, supporting events such as the Great American Cleanup, Red Ribbon Week, Toys for Tots, and Veterans Appreciation Week.

And while the program appears to making a difference, it is need of help this holiday seasons.

Topping the list is more adult volunteers, said Young Marine First Sergeant Haylee Martin.

“We’re always looking for staff members,” said the West High junior and a six-year Young Marine. “It’s kinda hard with five members.”

Current staff members come from a variety of backgrounds, mainly military and law enforcement.

Martin said it’d be nice to have guest speakers in leadership or career roles to discuss their profession.

“All of us motivate each other,” she said. “We’re like a family.”

Young Marine Corporal James Terrazas it would be nice if someone could donate a computer to the program because right now, they only have one and it’s probably the “slowest computer ever.” As a result, staff volunteers conduct a lot of the classwork using their personal computers from home and running copies from home.

Other needs include a projector for class instruction. Additional computers for the Young Marines would also be nice. 

Terrazas joined the program, following his footsteps of his brother, Joe, who is now USMC lance corporal stationed at Camp Pendleton.

“If I didn’t have the Young Marines teaching me integrity, then I’d probably doing stupid stuff,” said the 14-year-old Ridgeview High student who grew up on the “south side” of town. “I really want to thank the staff for helping me.”

There’s value in supporting a program like this, said Young Marine Staff Sergeant Adrian Cabral who join the Marine Corps after graduating from East High. It’s a long-term investment that can change the direction of any youth.

Cabral who grew up on the “east side” said he remembers being that troubled kid in need of direction when his family signed him up at age 10. Respect for no one — that was his motto.

“I used to be a bad kid before I joined the Young Marines,” said Cabral, now 16  and one of the politest teenage boys I have ever met. He credits the staff and fellow Young Marines.

“It changed the way I see things in life. I learned about leadership, integrity, how to say no to friends. You become a better person.”