Mardi Gras Gala planned this Friday; Lamont recognizes its honorees, leaders

Wendy Armijo caught up with me recently to share news of an upcoming Mardi Gras Gala fundraiser for the Bakersfield Art Association. The nonprofit group, dedicated to the enrichment of local artists, will be celebrating 65 years. It sponsors a variety of activities, including workshops, exhibits and art shows.
The Mardi Gras Gala will be held Friday, Feb. 19, at the Bell Tower Club, 1200 Truxtun Ave.

“The association helps to ensure that our local youth and adults have the opportunity to recognize their artistic potential and that they are given the opportunities and the skills necessary to evolve self expression through art,” Wendy tells me.

Also, a portion of the funds raised by the association is distributed as scholarships to elementary, high school and college art students on an annual basis.
And that’s a good reason to support the association’s Mardi Gras Gala, which will showcase an art show of original artwork and hand-painted masks that will be offered for sale. Other highlights include a silent auction, music by Southside Chicago Seven and Cajun hors d’oeuvres.
Attire is dressy/cocktail or costume. A prize will be offered for the best costume. Masks will be available at the door, or buy one at the gala.   
Tickets are $75 per person and available online at www.mardigrasgala.com or at the Bakersfield Art Association Gallery in the East Hills Mall and at Kathy Schilling Art Studio, 5630 District Blvd., Bakersfield.
Lamont leaders
Joe Serrano, a board member of the Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, recently invited me to attend the Lamont Chamber of Commerce installation and awards dinner. Joe is a director on the Lamont board. I accepted and glad I had the opportunity to hear some great stories behind the honorees that night. Among them was Earl Shelton, who received the Deryl Stine Award, aka the Hell Raiser Award.
I met Earl several years ago when I wrote stories on the Dust Bowl generation, particularly those who, as children, lived at the well-known federal migrant camp, Weedpatch. Earl once took me through the camp, detailing many of his childhood stories. He continues to give tours of the camp, and last Friday, he was honored with an award, named after a well-respected businessman in Lamont.

Other honorees that night included: Lamont resident Raul Rocha, who received the Special Recognition Award, for his anti-graffiti efforts and Sheriff’s Senior Deputy John Money who earned the President’s Award for running a successful SAL (Sheriff’s Activities League) youth program there. Father John Schmoll and Labetta Glenn were honored as the Man and Woman of the Year while two Lamont businesses, Subway and Short Stop Liquor Store, tied for the Cres Stine Award, aka the Most Improved Business recognition.
The 2010 Lamont Chamber of Commerce officers were installed and noted as the following: Miguel Sanchez, president; Cheryl McConaughey, vice president; Eva Rodriguez, secretary; and the ever-polite Frank Sloan, treasurer. Its board of directors are: Louis Simpson, Jose Gonzalez, John Von Flue, Alberta Dougherty, Joe Serrano and Jerome Kresha.

Churches, nonprofits rally to back Census

More than 100 people, particularly those representing local faith organizations and nonprofits, gathered Mt. Zion's Baptist Church in central Bakersfield to rally its members and urged the media to raise awareness about Census 2010 efforts.
The event drew community leaders, such as the Rev. Hiawatha T. Calhoun of Mt. Zion; Devender Singh Bains of the Sikh Community Radio; Andrae Gonzales of Faith in Action, Kern County; and David Villarino of the nonprofit Farmworker Institute for Education and Leadership Development.

"Some people are afraid of the Census," Bains said. "It's fear of the unknown. It's all about education.

"We need to educate at least 100 people and ask these people to educate another 100 people."

Census takers will be out in neighborhoods soon, asking for household information, but not private data, such as Social Security, driver's license or credit card information.
Attendees included Dolores Huerta; Ruscel Reader, Cesar Chavez School principal; and Kristie Coons of the Kern County Library special projects.
Demographic information from the 1990 Census data helped set aside federal funds, with a local match, for new libraries, Coons said.

"We got wonderful resources that we wouldn't have had," Coons said.

Meanwhile, the Census data can also help others connect with their past family history.
Earlena Morris, whose husband is Kern County Black Chamber of Commerce president Ali Morris, told the crowd that she used Census records to help trace information about her great-grandparents.
Morris, who is Choctaw and African American, said she was able to uncover that her great-grandmother was a freed woman.

"The mere fact that Alex Haley was able to go as far back as he did, that's not common," Morris said. "But for our family, the Census count has been invaluable."

New commander
My congrats to Lt. Kevin Zimmermann, who will be promoted to commander with the Kern County Sheriff's Department Friday. His new rank will take effect Saturday, and he will be assigned to the Lerdo Detentions Bureau.

Zimmermann grew up in Arvin and has been with the department for nearly 20 years. He's worked varied assignments, including SWAT, internal affairs, the Wasco substation and jail. In the past, he's served as a recruit training officer for the sheriff's academy, field training officer for new deputies, a detective in Tehachapi and personnel sergeant. Currently, he is managing the eastern and northeastern county sections of the substation division.
He and his wife, Sofie, are proud parents to eight daughters and one son, and are my youngest son's godparents. He is also a grandparent of three and an active member of St. Francis Church in Bakersfield.
We're very proud of you, Kevin.

Taft College College grows and County Bar Association prepares for new year

Taft College Foundation: Taft Cougars, there’s a new face in town, and she is looking out for you. Her name is Sheri Horn-Bunk, and she is director of the Taft College Foundation, which has been around for a couple of years but up until recently didn’t have someone dedicated to its mission of fundraising full time.

Not anymore and for good reason.

Probably more than ever, college foundations play such a vital role in generating additional dollars from private donors to support the college’s current operations, scholarships and student aid, and special programs and projects.

Taft College may be a bit of a drive from Bakersfield, but these days, Sheri tells me that it is witnessing an increase
in enrollment. Part of that growth is the result of students who are either taking online courses or driving in from nearby communities, such as southwest Bakersfield.

“Education is education, no matter where you get it from,” Sheri, a Fresno City College and Cal State Bakersfield grad, told me Friday. “It leads to better jobs and more opportunities.”

For that, she is driven to raise money and her eye is on the Bernard Osher Scholarship Endowment, a matching program that would result in new scholarship money for Taft students. As part of the endowment, Taft College must raise $110,000 by June 2011. If she is successful, the Bernard Osher Scholarships would establish about 15 awards in the amount of $1,000. The biggest deal is that it would establish Bernard Osher Scholarships at Taft College in perpetuity through the endowment.
This scholarship is designed for second-year students.

“A thousand dollars can go a long way to help a community college student finish their second year,” Sheri said.

To get the ball rolling, Sheri is busy planning for the first Femme Fatales’ of Philanthropy Tea to be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4 at Taft College.
The featured speaker will be Melanie Lundquist, a South Bay philanthropist whose main concentrations are education and health care.

Aside from that, she is searching for successful Taft alumni — she found one, Dante Scarnecchia, a New England Patriots assistant head coach for the offensive line — that can help grow the foundation and college in new ways. Best wishes, Sheri. Your determination and contagious energy will go far.
For more information about the foundation, call Sheri at 763-7936 or e-mail: shornbunk@taft.org

Bar Association 2010: I had the opportunity to attend the Kern County Bar Association installation dinner Thursday. Held at the Bakersfield Country Club, the place was so packed that you practically had to squeeze by each other. I heard that this one was one of their largest turnouts. There was plenty of good company to go around, that’s for sure. My husband, Julio, and I joined the table occupied by our good friend, attorney Larry Fields. It was a good choice as I had the pleasure to catch up with one of the county’s most respected legal eagles, Bernie Barmann, who retired last year. Bernie was the county’s chief attorney for more than two decades. These days, he tells me he stays busy, doing pro bono work for local nonprofits, including Houchin Blood Bank, and participating in Valley Public Radio. Barmann was also a former president of the bar association.

Kern County Superior Court Judge John Brownlee introduced this year’s president, H.A. “Beto” Sala, who was accompanied by his wife, Sylvia, and two sons. Sala joins other 2010 officers: David Dixon, vice president; Chad Louie, treasurer, Lisa Holder, secretary; and Paul Welchans, immediate past president. I also ran into other familiar faces, including Kern County Superior Court Judge Steven Katz; Kern County Supervisor Michael Rubio; Dr. Rebecca Rivera; Kern County Deputy District Attorney Wendy Avila; and attorney Emilio Huerta, accompanied by his nationally well-known mother, Dolores Huerta.

The night was even more special when they recognized two people, Susan M. Gill, who was recently appointed to a Kern County judgeship by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the late Stan Simrin. Speakers, including Beto and Paul, told Gill that her father would be so proud of her accomplishments. Susan is the daughter of S.B. “Barney” Gill. He was a much admired attorney and stand-up gentleman who died in 1990. Susan followed in her dad’s footsteps with her love for law. She worked with him as an associate and partner from 1983 to 1989. Stan was another good attorney. He once kept me on a case as a juror despite my media connection. But what a well-respected, sharp attorney he was.