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ey, pro football fan. Were you wiggin’ out wondering what Sunday tasks were in store for you come September if the owners and players were still at an impasse regarding labor negotia- tions? Guys, did the wife already have her list hangin’ on the ‘fridge for your perusal? Was the remote control silent- ly weeping, knowing the cold shoulder you were grudgingly about to thrust upon it? Was your favorite chair begin- ning overtures to the cat and dog? Was the refrigerator fearing its own lock- out? Were barkeeps across town singing along with the blues coming out of their jukeboxes? Was the Raider fan really going to have to wait until Halloween to show off his costume, er, gear? Well, my friends, forget the fret. Training camps have fired up, trades have been bountiful and all free agents are nearly in place. Anticipation is actually at an all-time high. Could there have been a rhyme behind the reason for the lockout? Whatever the case, baseball may be the national pas- time, but football is the number one sport in America! Generally speaking, from Thursday through Monday night we can put aside the ills of the world and engross our beings with the flight of the pigskin. And on the other days of the week we can talk about what Tom Brady’s completion rate was against the Jets — and surmise about how Aaron Rodgers and the Pack will fare going into frigid Soldier Field to take on the Bears. It’s back, and it’s beautiful. Over on the hard- wood court we have a completely different ballgame. To opine, the stale- mate between the National Basketball Association’s owners group and the players association is going to eventu- ally cause a very wide chasm between the NBA and its fan base. The general public is not rooting for either faction. The two sides are so far apart that a compromise in the near future looks bleak. But who really cares? They are all fat cats. The owners claim that they are losing millions. Yeah, right. If so, they shouldn’t have agreed to pay the high salaries allowed in the last collec- tive bargaining agreement with the players. And you know that the players make bank in that league. Some of the top players are already threatening to go earn big bucks in Europe if an agreement is not reached. Star guard Deron Williams of the New Jersey Nets has already signed up for European play. There, take that stingy owners! And there are murmurs that Kobe Bryant is negotiating with a pro team in China. A guy his age cannot afford to sit out a season. He needs to keep his mojo working. And the country of Chi- na would go absolutely nuts if he were to ball there. And one big reason Joe basketball fan could care less: NFL football baby!! Let’s go local. Must be something in the water over at Centennial High! The Golden Hawks have churned out some amazing athletes over the past several years. Not long ago we discussed base- baller Dustin Robinson signing a pro contract with the Oakland A’s. Quarter- back Cody Kessler is currently fully ensconced down at USC as one of three highly-recruited freshmen signal callers for the Trojans vying for the backup position to incumbent Matt Barkley. Gotta hand it to Kessler as he probably could have gone to most any other Division I school a notch below USC’s level and perhaps started at quarterback as a true freshman. But home is where the heart is — and he went with his heart. Additionally, we’ve got former Centennial grad Brent Morel starting at third base for the par- ent club Chicago White Sox as a rookie. That’s heady stuff! The Sox think so highly of Morel that they traded away a seasoned veteran in Mark Teahen. There was a logjam at third — and somebody had to go. Brent’s stellar defensive play has kept him in the line- up. As of late he has been swinging a hot bat and has raised his batting aver- age to a respectable .258. These ‘Hawks are flyin’ high and they’re representing well. Go Bako. And as Mick Jagger eloquently sang off of a cut from the Stones’ “It’s Only Rock And Roll” album, ‘Till the next time we say good-bye, I’ll be thinking of yo-o-o-ou.’ 2 The Bakersfield Voice Sunday, August 21, 2011 Share stories, photos, blogs www. bakersfieldvoice .com ■ 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 community 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: voicedeliv- ery@bakersfield.com or call 392-5777. Be sure to include your request, contact information and address. YOUR VOICE YOUR SPORTS H The Golden Hawks continue to churn out amazing athletes Summer luau was a ‘jammin’ success YOUR VOICE CALIFORNIAN FILE Cody Kessler, Centennial High School. BY OPAL MORLAND Community contributor hank you Kern County! Our first Summer Luau for fos- ter kids was a great success! Thank you, Bakersfield Voice, Kern Radio, Utah and Hawaii friends. The day was opened with prayer by Bettie Nieto- Chaplain for CKC, a Hawaiian prayer hula by Elena Peters, and a warm welcome by Elena Acosta-Assistant Direc- tor of KCDHS. Then our special guest speaker, foster graduate Olivia Villareal, told a heartwarming story of her time in foster care. She is very special to share her story and the love her fos- ter family gave. We were blessed this day. The weather was beautiful — maybe due to our guest MC Aaron Perlman/Eyewitness News KBAK 29 — and entertainment donated by Roaming Reptiles which kept the kids and adults enthralled for over an hour. Beautiful and talented dancers from Utah and Hawaii show- cased their style of hula. The Mila Family from Utah were unique and danced with heart. Kern County’s own Konas — Michael Eldrige and Jacob Mor- land took first place in the hula competition and Michelle Bicera, with her version of Rock-a-Hula, came in second. All teams placed in the top four categories. Our judges Mary Halberg — Foster, Adopt, Kinship Training Program Manager BC, Jay Thompson — Small Business Advi- sor CSUB, and Elena Peters — Special Hawaiian Dancer helped make this event extra special. Many thank yous from the community went out to Maui Pho for the delicious catered food — and everyone enjoyed the beautiful decorations. Ideal Connex provided the sound and kept the day running smoothly. We had over 20 wonderful ven- dors with lovely items to purchase and many guests. Approximately 260 attended our luau. A special thank you to the Kern County Network for Children for sponsoring this event and to the Caregivers of Kern County for their support. Lastly, but not least, the Jammin Island Hula committee wishes to thank Eyewitness News-KBAK 29 and Tracy Peoples for having faith in us. We hope next year we will receive major sponsorship to help make this event even better for foster, adopt, kinship families. Truly, Kern County is most loving and generous to these needy kids. Bless you all for making this day special for them. PHOTOS PROVIDED Hula dance com- petitors await the judges’ decisions at the Summer Luau to support lo- cal foster children. BY BARBARA WARE Community contributor he 43rd annual Festival of Roses will be held in Wasco the weekend after Labor Day, September 10. This year’s theme is Sun, Fun & Roses celebrat- ing the sunny fun-filled days of sum- mer and the colorful beauty of the surrounding rose fields. This exciting event offers a variety of activ- ities and attractions for the entire family. The Festival attracts hundreds of visitors each year from neighboring communities and towns throughout the state. Head downtown on Saturday morning before 10 a.m. to stake your claim of sidewalk to watch the Rose Festival Parade as it trav- els down 7th Street. Then head over to Bark- er Park on the corner of Poplar and Poso Dr. to the craft fair, indoor art show and rose dis- play. Come hungry and treat yourself to mouth-watering tri-tip sandwiches prepared by the Elks Club. In addition, a variety of rose bushes, har- vested directly from local fields, will be for sale at premium prices. Guided tours of the rose fields in comfortable buses, is also a pop- ular attraction. Also featured is a Rose Queen pageant, tennis tournament, and Evening of Wine and Roses. To reach the festival, head west from 99 on Highway 46 to Poplar and then head south- bound to the fun. It’s amazing the amount of events this historic town offers. Most events are free. For questions on times, places, prices, and additional events call 758-2616 or visit our website at: www.ci.wasco.ca.us. BY ANDREW PEAKE Community contributor he National Alzheimer’s Project Act, signed into law in January, mandates the federal government develop a national plan to fight Alzheimer’s dis- ease. As part of the law, Congression- al leaders are tasked with seeking the input of the citizens in their districts to identify what that national plan should include. The Alzheimer’s Association will host a Town Hall Meeting from 2 to 3:30 p.m., Aug. 23, at Glenwood Garden’s Senior Center, 350 Calloway Dr., to gather feedback from the people of Bakersfield on the issues the gov- ernment should address in its final National Alzheimer’s Plan. This Town Hall “listening session” is an opportunity to speak up about the everyday challenges and hardships of Alzheimer’s the national strategy must address. “For years, those impacted by Alzheimer’s disease stayed silent,” said Rhonda Spiegel, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Associ- ation, California Central Coast Chapter. “This is an opportunity for our community to come together and break that silence. I am incredi- bly grateful that our elected leaders are tak- ing this opportunity to listen and learn about Alzheimer’s.” The Alzheimer’s Association asks those wanting to attend to RSVP at Alz.org/NAPA or to Andrew Peake at [email protected] This event is free to the public, but space is limited. Anyone who would like to attend to listen to the thoughts and opinions of others is wel- come to do so. There will also be feedback forms available at the Town Hall for those who don’t speak publically at the meeting but who still want their voice heard. In January, President Obama signed the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) into law. Upon its signing, Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Ser- vices, pledged to create an "aggressive and coordinated national strategy" to confront the rapidly escalating Alzheimer’s crisis. Already the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, the number of Alzheimer’s patients is expected to triple in the next 20 years, threatening to bankrupt families, busi- nesses and the national healthcare system. You can learn more about NAPA by going to: www.alz.org/napa. About the Alzheimer’s Association: The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research. The mission of the Alzheimer’s Association is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advance- ment of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the pro- motion of brain health. To learn more about the work of the Alzheimer’s Association, or to locate resources locally, visit alz.org . Celebrate the sweet smell of summer roses in Wasco MICHAEL ELLIOTT Sports columnist T T T Konas Michael El- drige and Jacob Morland received the first place prize for their dance presentation. Nathaniel-Keiki Kane giving his alo- ha to the judges. PHOTOS PROVIDED Miss Wasco 2010 Haley Mehlberg enjoys a day in the sun. Town hall meeting set to discuss national plan to fight Alzheimer’s disease
