April Business Calendar

THURSDAY, APRIL 16

Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce mixer, 5:30 p.m. Call 327-4421 for details.
Beginning QuickBooks, 6 to 8 p.m., Businesses Assistance Center of Kern Community College District, 2100 Chester Ave. $20. Register at 336-5010.

FRIDAY, APRIL 17

New Stimulus Package: Knowing How it Effects HR, 8 to 9:30 a.m., P.A.S. Associates Training Center, 1401 19th St., Suite 110. Free for EMP clients; $35 for others. Registration required. 631-2165.

Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Spring Social & Casino Night, 7 to 11 p.m., Golden West Casino, 1001 S. Union Ave., $25. Call 979-8295 or 319-3759.

TUESDAY, APRIL 21

“How to Probate a Small Estate: The In’s and Out’s” with Diane Dodds, Esq., 12:15 to 1:15 p.m., Kern County Law Library, 1415 Truxtun Ave., third floor. 868-5320.

Early Bird Training on leading positive change, 7 to 8 a.m., KDG Human Resource Solutions training room, third floor, 4550 California Ave. $15. Pre-registration required. Call Brandi Evans at 328-5291 or e-mail bevans@kdghrsolutions.com.

WEDNESDAY, April 22

Fair Housing Program lunch, presented by Institute of Real Estate Management and Income Property Association of Kern County. Debra Carlton, vice president of public affairs for the California Apartment Association and Tricia Richter, Fair Housing coordinator, will speak. Noon, Petroleum Club, 5060 California Ave., 12th floor. $20 per person. Door prizes. R.S.V.P. by April 20 to jnagel@alcornaire.com.

State-Mandated AB1825 Sexual Harassment Training, 9 to 11 a.m., KDG HR Solutions, 4550 California Ave., third floor. $50. Contact Brandi Evans at bevans@kdghrsolutions.com or 328-5291.

PathPoint Job Club, monthly meeting, 3:30 p.m., PathPoint, 4701 Stockdale Highway. Free. hire-us.net or 617-6170.

THURSDAY, APRIL 23

20th annual Options Unlimited Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference, with keynote speaker Vicki Lawrence, opening speaker Colette Carlson and closing speaker Kelly Swanson, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Rabobank Convention Center, 1001 Truxtun Ave. $90. optionsunlimitedbakersfield.org or call 636-4395.

Intermediate QuickBooks, 6 to 8 p.m., Businesses Assistance Center of Kern Community College District, 2100 Chester Ave. $20. Register at 336-5010.

TUESDAY, APRIL 28

Early Bird Training on motivating others, 7 to 8 a.m., KDG Human Resource Solutions training room, third floor, 4550 California Ave. $15. Pre-registration required. Call 328-5291 or e-mail bevans@kdghrsolutions.com.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29

State-Mandated Sexual Harassment Training Sessions, for all supervisors who work for companies with 50 or more individuals operating on the work premises, 8 to 10 a.m., P.A.S. Associates Training Center, 1401 19th St., Suite 110. $85. Reservations required. 631-2165.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6

Hidden Costs and New Benefits: Employee Benefits During a Recession, with speaker Jeanine DeBacker, meeting of Kern County’s Society for Human Resource Management, 11:30 a.m., Petroleum Club, 5060 California Ave., 12th floor. Register at www.kcshrm.org or contact Karen Wilson at kwilson@kernha.org or 631-8500, ext. 2302.

'Carousel' of Arts Events To Dazzle Community Through 2010

Ann O'Neill, one of the stars of "Carousel," which opens Friday at the Spotlight Theatre, is a relative newcomer to local theater but she doesn't lack for experience.

Before coming to Bakersfield four years ago, she performed with Story Book Theater, a professional company in Augusta, Ga., and also appeared in community theater productions there.

To date, O'Neill's only appearance in a local production was about two years ago when she had a part in First Assembly of God's well-received Christmas production, "The Gospel According to Scrooge."

Now, however, she's on maternity leave from her teaching position at Stockdale Christian School, and despite being the mother of three, has more time to devote to acting.

"It's been a pleasure getting back on stage," she said. "The cast is so supportive and Hal Friedman is so creative -- he's added a lot and it's not a typical 'Carousel' but we're using the same dialogue and all that beautiful Rodgers and Hammerstein music."

Two of the best-known songs from "Carousel" are "If I Loved You," and "You'll Never Walk Alone." The story is set in a 19th century New England fishing village. In an ironic sense, it is a tragedy that ends with a message of hope.

Joe Cannon plays opposite O'Neill as her husband, a carnival barker named Billy. Marvin Ramey did the choreography. Recorded instrumental music backs up the singers. "Carousel" continues with weekend performances through May 9.

'Glassworks' exhibit

I stopped by the Younger Gallery last week and was fascinated with the freshness and creativity of the 27 pieces chosen for the "Glassworks" exhibit. It's a juried show, sponsored by the Arts Council of Kern, and each entry had to be made with glass, said Nicole Garvin, gallery associate.

And if the word "glass" makes you think it's all about bud vases and goblets, you'll be mistaken. The exhibit includes such works as Gilbert Gonzales' "Tres Madres e un Tia," an intriguing 9-foot-long wall hanging made of hand-blown glass and metal, as well as a Nyoka Jameson's 3-foot-high "The Kiss," a sculpture done with chunks of broken glass on wood.

First place went to Chris VanGoethem of Los Osos, for his "Lady Mandala II," an intricate, multifaceted circular object that is 22 inches in diameter and made of flame-worked glass on a steel base. It consists of about 21 tiny female forms whose outstretched arms and legs are linked by thread-thin glass.

Other artists whose work was chosen for the exhibit are Mike Barker, Michael Wheat, Julianna Bernier Dooley, Gina Herrera, Karl Klingenspor, Michelle Kurtis, Michele Mitcavish, Brian Stanton and Don Trainor.

The gallery is located within the Bank of America building at Truxtun and Chester avenues. Free parking is available on the top floor of the bank's parking structure on 17th Street.

Bakersfield Community Concert Association

Tickets are on sale now for the Community Concert Association's 2009-10 season. And as in the past, you get a generous return for your investment. The membership fee of $60 -- with generous discounts for students -- covers all eight concerts. And new or returning members get a bonus free matinee show this season, "Barbra & Frank: The Concert that Never Was," at 4 p.m. April 26.

The new season begins in the fall on Sept. 30 and ends on April 25, 2010. The schedule is designed to appeal to a variety of musical tastes ranging from jazz to rock, classical to swing, as well as a rock musical. The association's board also has selected -- for the first time -- a program for the Christmas season, with a 65-member choral group, the Gary Bonner Singers, on Dec. 6. For more information, call 589-2478 or 663-9006.

Call for artists

Bakersfield Art Association invites artists and fine arts craftsmen to enter work in its "FACES" exhibit and competition. Ribbons and/or monetary awards will be offered. Artwork must be submitted by April 25. The show runs from April 26 through May 31 at the Gallery of Art in the East Hills Mall.

A prospectus that gives eligibility, entry fees, size requirements, and other details can be picked up at the gallery, which is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays through Sundays. For more information, call 872-2806.

Comings & Goings in Kern Business

KERN BUSINESS STAFF

Kayzie's Collection, a women and children's boutique that until recently sold toys, clothes and baby products at The Marketplace, has reinvented itself as an online retailer of dolls and figurines. Kay Wilson, co-owner of the store with daughter-in-law Carol Wines, will now sell exclusively at Kayzies.com. The e-retailer features Lee Middleton Newborn Nursery Adoption Babies, which "nursing staff" deliver to the buyer's home, party or other special event via a custom PT Cruiser. The Web site also will sell Wee Forest Folk collectible figurines.

Curl Up and Dye!, a salon and boutique, opened at 1416 18th St. Owned by Claudette and Janae Hulsey, Curl Up and Dye! signed a two-year lease and has five workers, including three independent stylists renting booth space. The 900-square-foot business sells salon products, "edgy, funky" baby products, jewelry and accessories.

Jimano's Pizzeria, a Chicago-style pizza place, opened at 9510 Hageman Road. The Bakersfield franchise is the Gurnee, Ill., company's 13th restaurant. "When you bring it out, people are like, 'Ooooo, what's that?'" said James Reed, who owns the local franchise with partners Dave Rodriguez and John Contreras.

Firehouse, a local independent restaurant with a firefighter theme, opened at 7701 White Lane. Russ Johnson's menu is full of whimsical nods to firefighters, such as the turkey meltdown, blackened Atlantic salmon, drunken captain (porkchops marinated in bourbon), the 8-ounce BFD filet and the 12-ounce KCFD strip steak. The eatery includes 15 flat-screen televisions, 18 pool tables, a golf simulator and shuffle board.

Imbibe Wine & Spirits Merchant, a store and wine bar at 4140 Truxtun Ave. near Empire Drive, opened in March. It includes a room stocked with higher-end wines, hundreds of bottles priced around $15, a cruvinet that dispenses 1.5 ounce samples priced between $1 and $2.75 and 3,000 square feet of temperature-controlled storage in individual lockers. The business is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday. It's closed Sundays. Call 633-9463 or go to imbibewine.com.

The General Mills frozen dough factory on McDivitt Drive is expected be sold soon to an Itasca, Ill., company that has indicated it will retain everyone now working at the plant. The factory is among four frozen dough plants -- all of them serving the retail and food service industry -- scheduled to be sold to Pennant Foods by May 31, a spokeswoman for Minneapolis-based General Mills said.

Circuit City closed its sole Bakersfield location on California Avenue in early March. Sixty-four jobs were lost, according to state filings. A goodbye sign adorned the outside wall: "Thank U Bakersfield."

The Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A restaurant opened to crowds in early March at 5260 Stockdale Highway at California Avenue. Devoted fans formed lines up to 24 hours before the eatery's opening, hoping to win one free combo meal a week for a year. The chain is known for chicken; the classic chicken combo costs $5.69.

Patelco Credit Union plans to close its Bakersfield branch April 30, according to a sign posted outside its California Avenue location. The credit union, with assets exceeding $4 billion, reported losing more than $40 million last year. Patelco's Bakersfield branch shares space with another large credit union, The Golden 1, which plans to stay in Bakersfield and later expand.

Family Art Event For Park Reopening

Mark the May 30 square on your calendar with "A-R-T" in big, bold letters and start getting ready for the splashy reopening celebration of downtown's Central Park at Mill Creek.

"Being the first family event of the re-opening of Central Park after close to two years, we'll have something for everyone" including arts, family games, food and wandering entertainment, said City of Bakersfield Recreation and Parks Department director Dianne Hoover.

"We really want people to come out and check out the new park. It's beautiful. It's going to be a first-class park," she said. The all-day activities in the park, which is near 21st and R streets, will begin around 10 a.m., she said.

"Paint Me a Picture" is the name of a special activity planned for that day by the Arts Council of Kern. It will feature guest artists who will paint Americana-themed original works on site in front of the public, according to Arts Council of Kern spokeswoman Sue Deininger.

Later, those same works of art will be sold at a fundraising event at the nearby Bell Tower Club on Truxtun Avenue to benefit the Kern Veterans Memorial, she said.

The Central Park celebration will be free and open to the public, Deininger said. It will follow the official ribbon cutting that will take place the day before and feature an appearance by the mayor and other dignitaries, Hoover said.

Admission to the 3 to 6 p.m. fundraiser at the Bell Tower Club is $65 for the general public and $50 for Arts Council Members, Deininger said. Tickets are available at the Bell Tower Club, 1200 Truxtun Ave., Suite 100, or through the Arts Council of Kern. Call or visit the Arts Council at 324-9000 or kernarts.org.

Printcasting Makes You A Magazine Publisher

Last year, The Bakersfield Californian was honored with a grant from the Knight News Challenge to build Printcasting, a new idea for local news that allows anyone to quickly and easily create professional-looking printable magazines. Now Printcasting is up and running in "beta" test mode, and we're hoping you'll take a few minutes to try it out and let us know what you think.

Just go to www.printcasting.com and click on Create Your Magazine to get started. From there, you just choose a topic for your magazine, pick and design and select from available articles (we've seeded Printcasting with Californian content, with more to come from community bloggers and groups).

Then, just wait for a minute or so and Printcasting will create a magazine for you. If you have your own content with an RSS feed, register your content first and then you can create a magazine using your content.

Printcasting has been reviewed in Businessweek and a number of other magazines and has activity on Twitter and Facebook. You can also join the Printcasting community at printcasting.ning.com and get the inside scoop on our development and features as they are announced.

If you have any questions or want more information, contact Tom Webster at tom@printcasting.com, on Twitter at twitter.com/tomwebster or on the phone at 661-348-3378.

New Members of the Downtown Business Association

KUKA's
Take time to visit with Ruth and
Julius Darrington owners of Kuka’s
at their new location 1609 19th
across from the Spotlight Theatre.
Kuka’s operated for over three
years at a location north of 178 and
recently moved to the heart of our
city in June to their new location
on 19th Street. Albert Herrera has
been the feature artist and has sold
many paintings at this new location.
“It has been a perfect partnership”
says Mrs. Darrington who had sold
another painting of Mr. Herrera that
morning. This has been the best
move and good choice” exclaims
Ruth “we are so exciting to be a
part of the Historic Arts District
Downtown. We are open late on
First Friday’s Downtown and looking
forward to the Up on the Roof
Party. ■

CHELSEA PLACE
Thank you to Joyce and Dan
Ree, owners of Chelsea Place for
coordinating the First Friday Night
drawings. The drawings have
turned into fundraisers for nonprofits.
The last drawing benefited the
Ronald McDonald House. Joyce
and Dan outreached to businesses
other than just their neighbors on
19th Street. This was a lot of work
and they are asking for help. If you
would like to coordinate a drawing
on First Friday for your neighbors
call Joyce or Dan at 323-3854 they
will be happy to work with you. ■

ROCKET'S COFFEE
Introducing the newest coffee
shop downtown with coffee and energy
drinks that gives a boost to the
day and nighttime downtown customers.
Open Monday through Wednesday
8 a.m. till 5 p.m., Thurs. & Fri. 8
a.m. till 2 a.m. & Sat. 9 p.m.-2 a.m.
Cold Sandwiches have been added
to the menu, which also includes
rocket dogs. Local artists hang their
art on the walls and CD’s from local
artists are for sale. Patio seating is
now available with entertainment at
night.
Kruz Productions, media production
services is located next door. For
more info call Frank at 340-7532. ■

Cathy's Corner

This summer we lost some
businesses downtown due to the
economy, but we have seen a commitment
of new businesses moving
and or relocating to downtown
Bakersfield.
The business I am so sorry to
see leave downtown is Russo’s
Books. Mike Russo served as
Chairman of the DBA in 2000 to
2001, in which Mike wanted to see
downtown flourish. But with this
economy his family was forced
to close their downtown store.
Russo’s will be missed!
We have seen new art galleries
open, new restaurants and a
health food market/café, two businesses
moved from south/west to
downtown and several businesses
moved around the corner to better
locations. A recording studio open
and the Padre Hotel secured their
financing. ■