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COURTESY OF BAKERSFIELD BOBBY SOX SOFTBALL B akersfield Bobby Sox is a fast pitch softball league for girls ages 3-18. There are no tryouts in Bobby Sox. All girls will get to play regardless of their experi- ence. We stress the five ships: Friendship, Sportsmanship, Leadership, Citizenship and Scholarship. The final sign up date for the 2012 season will be January 21 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.at the Ellis Island Pizza Company on the cor- ner of Stockdale Hwy. and Real Road. All girls ages 3-18 are welcome to register. If your daughter is new to Bobby Sox this season please bring a copy of her birth certificate. You will also need to have her medical information for the registration form. We are looking for female man- agers, chaperones, coaches and a few good umpires. All positions are volunteer with the exception of umpires. The cost of registration is $125 for ages 3-6 and $145 for all other age divisions. All girls will receive a uniform shir , socks, visor, basic picture package and secondary insurance thru Bobby Sox. For more information visit: www.bakersfieldbobbysox.com or call Kathy at: 832-1271. Provided photo Bakersfield Bobby Sox is a fast pitch softball league for girls ages 3-18. The final sign up date is January 21. There are no tryouts in Bobby Sox. All girls will get to play regardless of their experi- ence. 2 The Bakersfield Voice Sunday, January 1, 2012 Share stories, photos, blogs ■ Submitting your stories for The Bakersfield Voice is simple and FREE! Just go to: bakersfieldvoice.com and create a profile. ■ Choose what you’d like to contribute (an article, letter, picture or communmity event listing) and post it yourself. ■ Still need help getting your contributions onto our website? E-mail Sandra Molen at smolen@bakersfield.com ■ Circulation: If you would like to receive our weekly pub- lication or cancel delivery, please e-mail: voicedelivery@bakersfield.com or call 392-5777. Be sure to include your request, contact information and address. YOUR SCHOOLS T he thought, “A Star is Born,” flashed through my head the first time I saw Joe (formerly Barham) Romanini per- form. I didn’t know the seventh grader who stood in front of the Warren Junior High assembly and belted out a song from Phantom of the Opera. His confidence to sing opera in front of 12-and 13-year-olds had to be monstrous. Unfortunately, the young crowd couldn’t handle it. First, there was an awkward giggle and then much of the crowd laughed in unison. As a junior high teacher, my heart ached for the gifted child who was devastated. Fortunately, the damage was short-term. Through his years at Ridgeview High School, Joe captivated audiences in lead roles playing Motel in Fiddler on the Roof, Jesus in Godspell, and Tony in West Side Story, among others, acting, singing and dancing in front of sold-out crowds filled with kids from drama, athletics, and every other group at the Southwest school. Drama teacher Jennifer Resolme says of the 2011 grad: “Joe is an extraordinary student and performer who truly made his mark on the Ridgeview Drama Department.” Resolme says he could always be counted on. “Joe was the Drama Club president two years in a row and was a true leader in the department,” she said. “He constantly labored to help raise funds for the depart- ment and to make the pro- ductions of a professional quality.” Right now, Romanini is in what Dr. Seuss would call “the waiting place.” He just finished designing costumes for RHS's The Beverly Hillbillies and Mulan — which he did all four years while attending the school; he earned a 4.0 at California State University, Bakersfield on his first college report card; and, is signed up for 27 units for the winter quarter (when 16 is a hearty load of units!). “I figure I’ll have no life (outside college course- work) this winter, but I’ll get where I’m going sooner,” Joe says. He plans to transfer to New York University, University of California at Irvine, or University of California at Los Angeles major- ing in musical theatre in another year and a half. The young man knows he has challenges ahead of him in a highly competitive field. He says even though it may seem difficult — or even seemingly impossible — to achieve in the highly competitive performance arts business, it’s something he has to strive for. “Some of my friends, who are also pursuing careers in entertainment, and I often discuss the difficulties which face us, but we know that if we were to go into a more conventional career without trying to share our talents with others, we would be unhappy,” Joe said. So while he performs in local theatre, Joe is adding new experiences and adventures to his resume. Most recently he portrayed Tobias Ragg in Spotlight Theatre’s production of Sweeney Todd. I suspect he will keep that pattern going, and I’ll continue to see him on larger and larger stages. Peggy Dewane-Pope is Joe Romanini’s former eighth-grade English teacher in a Panama-Buena Vista Union School District junior high. K eep the leaves raked and the flower beds clean in your garden — this will help with insect and disease problems in the spring. Don’t put diseased leaves in compost piles. This week’s gardening tip is from Kathy Robinson of Robby’s Nursery. Do YOU have a gardening tip you’d like to share with our readers? Post your gardening tips and photos of your garden on our web site at: www. bakersfieldvoice.com. Rake leaves today – enjoy a healthy garden in spring! PHOTO PROVIDED Bakersfield Bobby Sox is a fastpitch softball league for girls, ages 3-18. The final sign-up date is Jan. 21. There are no tryouts in Bobby Sox. All girls will get to play, regardless of their experience. PHOTO PROVIDED Joe (formerly Barham) Romanini, a 4.0 GPA student at Cal State Bakersfield, plans to transfer to New York University, University of California, Irvine or University of California, Los Angeles to study musical theatre. YOUR WEEKLY GARDENING TIP The future is bright for local singer, theatre star YOUR SPORTS YOUR SCHOOLS Bobby Sox signing players until Jan. 21 COURTESY OF SAN JOAQUIN COMMUNITY HOSPITAL S an Joaquin Community Hospital will be offering free childhood immunizations for children against vaccine preventable diseases at the following sites for the month of January: • Walgreens – Wednesday, January 4 40 Chester Ave. (parking lot) 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. • Wal-Mart Supercenter – Thursday, January 5 6625 Colony St. (parking lot) 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. • Sports Authority – Monday, January 9 4821 Ming Ave. (parking lot) 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. • Wal-Mart – Tuesday, January 10 8400 Rosedale Hwy. (parking lot) 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. • Kern County Dept. of Human Services – Wednesday, January 11 100 E. California Ave., (parking lot) 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. • Canyon Hills Church at The Summit – Thursday, January 12 7100 Auburn St. (parking lot) 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. • Vallarta Super Market – Monday, January 16 2705 So. H St. (parking lot) 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. • Greenfield Family Resource Center – Tuesday, January 17 5400 Monitor St. (parking lot) 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. • San Joaquin Community Hospital – Wednesday, January 18 2801 Chester Ave. (parking lot) 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. • Vallarta Super Market – Wednesday, January 25 5951 Niles St. (parking lot), 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. • N O R Sears Park - Monday, January 30 444 Norris Road (parking lot) 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. All immunizations are FREE of charge to chil- dren. No appointment necessary, but immuniza- tion cards are required. We may stop registra- tion 30 minutes before closing time. We also offer the Hemoglobin test FREE of charge and require a WIC, school or doctor referral. Please be aware, children under five years of age and their siblings will be given priority due to First 5 Kern funding. For more information call 869-6740. SJCH to offer free childhood immunizations COURTESY OF CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD A fter an extensive national search that generated a diverse, competitive pool of fourteen candidates, CSU Bakersfield recently announced that Dr. Thomas Wallace has been named the uni- versity’s new Vice President for Student Affairs. Wallace will replace Dr. John Hultsman who has served as Interim Vice President for Student Affairs since 2009. Wallace’s appointment will begin on February 15, 2012. A diverse search committee of faculty, staff, students, and administrators selected four final- ists to bring to campus for day- long interviews. The committee recommended two finalists. “When I met with the search committee to get their recommen- dation, it was clear that Dr. Wallace was their top choice. I agreed. He will bring a wealth of experience in student affairs and university leadership, and he will be a major contributor to the cam- pus and community,” said President Horace Mitchell. “I am extremely pleased to have some- one with his talents and experi- ence joining our leadership team.” In his new role, Wallace will serve as a member of the President’s Cabinet and will be responsible for campus programs, services, and activities that sup- port the university’s educational mission by promoting student development, enhancing the quali- ty of the student experience, and campus life. Specifically, Wallace will over- see a variety of units on campus including Athletics, the Center for Community Engagement and Career Education, Children’s Center, Housing and Residential Life, Services for Students with Disabilities, Student Health Center, Student Rights and Responsibilities, Student Recreation Center, Student Involvement and Leadership, Student Union, Associated Students, Inc., Campus Dining, and the Runner Bookstore. “I was very impressed by the university’s commitment to stu- dent development, its insistence on high-quality instruction and the desire to strengthen its pres- ence as a student-centered cam- pus,” Wallace said of his interest in the position. “This is a tremen- dous opportunity and I look for- ward to becoming an integral part of the overall strategic mission of CSUB.” Wallace is a career educator, amassing 32 years of experience. Prior to becoming a professor of educational leadership and a stu- dent affairs administrator at the University of Mississippi where he served from 1990 to 2010, Wallace was a K-12 teacher and principal. Wallace comes to CSUB from the University of Nebraska- Omaha where he has served as associate vice chancellor for stu- dent affairs, the campus' chief stu- dent affairs position, since June 2010. In this role, he oversees 14 departments and 210 employees responsible for enhancing the learning environment through stu- dent services, educational support programs, and experiences gained through co-curricular programs and activities. Wallace earned a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, a Master of Arts in Education Administration and a Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration/Educational Leadership, all from the University of Mississippi. He is married and has two daughters and one son (ages 13, 18 and 19). He enjoys jogging, tennis, basket- ball, board games, reading, and traveling. “We are very pleased and fortu- nate to have recruited such a wor- thy candidate,” said Mike Neal, search committee chair and CSUB’s vice president for busi- ness & administrative services. “Dr. Wallace will add a new and exciting dynamic to the division and to the campus. We look for- ward to welcoming his family and him to Bakersfield.” CSUB appoints new vice president for Student Affairs PEGGY DEWANE- POPE Education columnist PHOTO PROVIDED Dr. Thomas Wallace YOUR HEALTH
