taft new year

December 30 - 5, 2011 TAFT INDEPENDENT

December 30 - 5, 2011 • Volume 6 Issue 27www.Taftindependent.com“Serving the West Kern County Communities of Taft, South Taft, Ford City, Maricopa, Fellows, McKittrick, Derby Acres, Dustin Acres, and the Cuyama Valley”

[email protected]

508 Center Street 765-6550

The Best Beer Selection on Tap in Taft!Black GoldCafe and Deli

Open Monday-Saturday • 9am-2pm 5pm-8pm

Taftindependent.com

The Place4014 Highway 33

Beautiful Downtown Ventucopa(661)766-2660

$1.50 Domestic Drafts5pm Until Close

Prime Rib, Salad, and Red Potatoes

NO TO GO’s

$12.00 ALL YOU CAN EAT

New Years EveParty!

Champagne Toast 9 p.m.for those who have to get to

bed early

Join Us! New Years Eve

Dinner!Complimentary glass of champagne with dinner

Champagne Toast at 9 pm

In Honor Of Sgt. Christopher Muniz

Road Construction At Sixth Street And Emmons Park Drive

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012!

Oktoberfest 2011

Oil Worker Monument Dedication

New Recreation Center

Farmers Market

Krier Sworn In

Bike Fest TIL Groundbreaking

Chamber Car Show

2 TAFT INDEPENDENT December 30 - 5, 2011

Get Yourself A New Look!!

Personal Style

Happy New Year!!

Fine Jewelry • Gifts 14K Gold • Sterling Silver Black Hills Gold • Jewelry Repair • Watch Batteries

Candies • Candles • And More!

Passion For Nails

Monday to Friday10am-7pm and

Saturday 9am-6pm

Nail Services:Sea Shell • Glitter Acrylic

Metalic Flakes • Rock Star (we also treat ingrown nails)

Men & Seniors & Diabetics Welcome

1014 6th Street • TaftIn the Save A Lot Shopping Center

(661)745-4913 426 Center Street (661)763-5451

426 CENTER STREET • 661.763.5451

acme jewelry co.F i n e J e w e l r y

Fine Jewelry • Candles • Gifts

14K Gold • Sterling Silver

Black Hills Gold • Jewelry Repair

Watch Batteries

Small town, family owned, low overhead.We can save you money on quality jewelry!

Store Hours:Tuesday to Friday 9:30am - 5:00pm

Saturday 10:00am - 2:00pmClosed Sunday and Monday

SAN JOAQUINAutomotive Center

$199.99

Billy MessengerVoted Best

Mechanic for2009 and 2010

Cooling System Flush(includes up to 2 gal coolant, flush kit, conditioner)

A/C Service(includes up to 3oz of Freon, 2oz dye)

Overall Vehicle Inspection(visual inspection of all external components)

(tax, haz waste fee included)

EVERYDAY OIL CHANGES

DIESEL ENGINE $71.99 OR LESS

531 Center Street • 763-1123

Get Your Car Ready

GAS ENGINE $35.99 OR LESS

(up tp 7 qts oil, filter, tax, haz waste fee)

(up to 3.75 gal oil, filter, tax, haz waste fee)

Shop Taft

1277 Kern Street (661)765-6899

Ten Percent Firearms

We Can Haul Away Most Large Items Roll Off & Small Bins Available Call Us Today • (661)765-6752 Recycling is OUR Business

J & D Recycling1277 Kern Street

Personal StyleWomen • Contemporary • Junior • Toddler • Infant • Men

A Hint of Class Name Brand ClothingShoes • Jewelry

Accessories & More

523 Finley Drive • 765-7147 • Mon-Fri 8am-5pm Sat 8am-1pm

Tire & Automotive Service Center

Oil & Filter Special

2995*$Plus Tax

Must Present Coupon at Time of Purchase

$3.50 Oil Disposal FeeExp. Dec. 31, 2011

FREETire Rotation

& Brake CheckPlus

We will checkall fluids

& tire pressure

*Most Cars & Light Trucks

Up to 5 Qts.

Like Us on Facebook

Now authorized dealers Boost Mobile Pre Paid Cards

Pay your bills here for prepaid phones

Geiger Construction & Plumbing

24 Hours/ 7 Days a WeekSe Habla Espanol 661-301-4660

Residential • Commercial

Fast • Friendly • Affordable

Open 24 Hours! 506 Center Street (661) 205-5579

BOOTCAMPStarting Soon!!

Day After New Years Special$99 for 6 Months

Hablamos Espanol661-745-4954610 Center Street

Prepaid Phones, Accessories & Cards

661-765-4377Lic # B-721903

Cement & Asphalt Cutting

421 & 423 Center (661)763-3527

Taft [email protected]

ANNOUNCEMENTS

SERVICESInside The Historic Fort • 623-1783

915 N. 10th Street Suite 34

Come Shop All Your Favorite Brands Here In Taft!

Watch for our weekly specials

Acme Jewelry will be closed on Tuesdays when Ray is in LA.

Please call first 763-5451Thank You

Gift Certificates Available NowMP3 Players and IPOD Speakers

A New Year...A New YOU!

Accessories For Your

IPHONE & IPOD

Store WideSavings!!


Out With The Old, In With The New..................3

Westside Watcher............4

In Honor of Sgt. Christopher Muniz.........5

Westside News.................6

Westside News.................7

Community Voices..........8

Obituary............................9

Classified Ads.................10

Westside News...............11

Inside

The Taft Independent

508 Center StreetP.O. Box 268

Taft, California 93268(661) 765-6550

Fax (661) 765-6556

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.TaftIndependent.com

Locally and Independently owned since 2006

The Taft Independent is a locally owned community newspaper published weekly on Fridays for your enjoyment and reading pleasure. We publish 3,500 issues and distribute to over 225 locations in the city of Taft and the neighboring communities of Cuyama Valley, McKittrick, Maricopa, Fellows and Western Kern County, California.

The Independent is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies are $1 each. The contents of the Taft Independent are copyrighted by the Taft Independent, and may not reproduced without specific written permission from the publisher.

We welcome contributions and suggestions. Our purpose is to present news and issues of importance to our readers.

SUBSCRIPTIONS. Subscription home or businessdelivery of the Taft Independent is available for $6.50 per month or $78.00 per year. To subscribe to please call 765-6550.

LETTERS-TO-THE-EDITOR.Send us your letter to Taft Independent at the above address. Limit it to 300 words and include your name, address, and phone number. Fax: (661) 765-6556. Email your letter to: [email protected].

ADVERTISING.Display Ads: Rates and special discounts are available. Contact our advertising representative at (661) 765-6550, or email to [email protected]: Call 765-6550 or fax us at (661) 765-6556. Phone orders are taken. Visa and Master Card accepted.

Publisher and Editor-in-ChiefMichael J. Long

[email protected]

Managing EditorAdvertising

Jessica Skidgel

Layout & DesignJessica Skidgel

Contributing Writers Jessica Miller, Kent Miller, Wesley Morris,

Nicole Frost

ColumnistsRandy Miller, Wendy Soto, Mimi Collins,

Jane McCabe, Dr. Harold Pease

Subscriptions\DeliveryTim Webb, Patrick Harget

Member California NewspaperPublishers Association

Printed in California

Out With The Old, In With The New

Visit Us Online taftindependent.com


West Side Senior CareResidential Care Facility for the Elderly

Full Time Live-In Care

Now Open3 Openings Available • Women & Men Welcome

115 Adkisson Way - (661) 745-4220State License No. 157202510

2011, An Extraordinary Year, A Year of Calamity, A Year of Outrage!

By Jane McCabe

By all measures 2011 was probably the most ex-traordinary year in recent times. It was a year of ca-lamity, of natural disasters. On March 11th Japan suffered the biggest earthquake in its history—the subsequent tsunami that engulfed the coast was in places 133 feet high. The tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri, on Sunday, Sunday, May 22nd, nearly destroyed the town. Record snowfalls last winter resulted in floods from North Dakota to Missis-

sippi. Hurricanes ravaged the eastern seacoast last autumn, and the drought in Texas was the worst in decades and provided dry timber for the resulting forest fires… It was a year of outrage, the year in which oppressed people the world over arose and said we won’t take this any more. I think that TIME magazine got it right when they named THE PROTESTER as Person of the Year. The spark that ignited these worldwide protests, the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back, the trumpet blast that brought down the walls of Jericho, happened with an unlikely incident in an unlikely place, in the charmless Tuni-sian town of Sidi Bouzid, 125 miles south of Tunis. On December 17th, 2010, when a cop again started harassing a produce vendor by the name of Mohamed Bouazizi, confiscated his scale and slapped him in the face, Bouazizi had had enough. He drenched himself in paint thinner and lit a match. Such an action, pathetic as it was, more likely might have been met with indif-ference. Tsk, tsk, how sad—now what do I have to buy for tonight’s dinner? That would have been the more likely response. Instead, someone thought to video Bouazizi self immolation and post it to Utube where it was seen throughout Tunisia. Outraged Tunisians marched on the President’s Palace. His act became a catalyst for the Tunisian Revolution and the wider Arab Spring, inciting dem-onstrations and riots throughout Tunisia in protest of social and political issues in the country. The public’s anger and violence intensified following Bouazizi’s death, leading then-President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to step down on January 14th, 2011, after 23 years in power. If protestors are the people of the year, internet applications, like e-mail, Facebook and Twitter, and cell phones equipped with cameras, are technologies of the year. Without them, these worldwide protests could not have taken place. Repressive regimes are finding it now impossible to control the flow of informa-tion among people. The 2011 Egyptian revolution began on Tuesday, 25 January 2011 and is still continuing. The uprising was mainly a campaign of non-violent civil resistance, which featured demonstrations, marches, acts of civil disobedience, and labor strikes. Millions of protesters from a variety of socio-economic and religious backgrounds demanded and got the overthrow of the regime of Egyptian Presi-dent Hosni Mubarak. The Arab Spring, otherwise known as the Arab Awakening, is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world that began following Bouazizi’s death. To date, there have been revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt; the civil war in Libya resulted in the fall of its government and the death of its dictator, Omar Qaffadi on October 20th; civil uprisings in Bahrain, Syria, and Yemen, the latter resulting in the resignation of the Yemeni prime minister; major protests in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, and Oman; and minor protests in Lebanon, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Western Sahara. Occupy Wall Street (OWS) is a protest movement which began September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City’s Wall Street financial district, initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters. The protests are against

2011 Has Wound Down To The End. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Hi Everyone,

Well, 2011 has wound down to the end, finally, with some good things happening and with a few not so good things. How did your year wind up ?? The City of Taft came through the year intact and with a budget that is still evolving but we are not in near the trouble that many cities are going through especially to our neighbor to the south of us. I attribute this good news to the City Council

who has returned to civility, decorum, and professionalism that you expect from your elected representatives. We can agree to disagree. It is your tax dollars that we are spending and we try to spend it as wisely as we can. We have a very good City staff that only needs to remember from time to time that the important thing is to not worry about your job but to do your job as best you know how because it is not the Council that you serve but the citizens that pay your sal-ary. Their expectations are high as they should be. Our expectations as public servants are to find ways to increase revenues and decrease expenses without raising taxes. In this economic climate that is unprecedented in our lifetime, all public servants need to find ways to think outside the box; in doing so, it may save their jobs and the entity that they work for. As we are now seeing, there is no guaranteed lifetime job for anyone, anywhere. Those public employees and representatives that make their entities survive will be the ones that think not of themselves but what is best for all. This past year was a time to celebrate our Veterans. The Kern County Veterans Memorial Foundation asked the City of Taft to donate $10,000 towards helping to complete the Kern Veterans Memorial Park near the railroad station on Trux-tun Avenue that salutes all veterans from all wars from all of Kern County. There are 110 names on the wall from the Westside. The Council and city staff came up with the idea of a fundraiser that would include all of the Westside not just the City of Taft. We held that fundraiser on 10th and Kern Street in May of this past year. What a success it was. About $25,000 was donated from nickels and dimes to thousand dollar donations. We staffed the buckets and the Westside responded. We were able to donate the $10,000 requested and we used about $14,000 to revamp our own Veterans Park memorial by replacing and updating the names on the plaques and adding a new flagpole, landscaping, decking, and seating. City maintenance crews out did themselves by giving this community a lasting tribute to those that gave all in the name of God, Country, Family, and Community. The City has been very active on seeking out grants to help fund some of the infrastructure projects such as Sixth Street resurfacing, the future 10th and San Emidio stop and crossing, the extension of the Rails to Trails, the Waste Water Treatment Plant upgrade and other projects. While the housing development plans have ground to a halt due to the economy, we do have a new industrial park on Gas Company Road developed by Charlie Beard. The park is filling up fast and should be a real hub of activity and jobs. The City’s own industrial park to be developed on Airport Road is in the final stages of the application process for a 2 million dollar grant. All indications look really positive that we’ll be awarded the grant soon. We are still working on relocating the airport so it can be developed as a regional hub with a longer flatter runway. A regional park on BLM land on Gardner Field road could also become a reality if our plans are approved. A new motel is in the works. Taft College is changing the landscape not only of the campus but adding to the whole community. There was a recent dedication and shovel turning ceremo-ny of the new TIL program complex that has attracted state, national, and world

Continued On Page 7 Continued On Page 7

4 TAFT INDEPENDENT December 30 - 5, 2011Editorial

Westside Watcher

Your Guide To The Best Restaurants and Entertainment on the Westside

The Taft

Restaurant and Entertainment Guide

Independent

Taft Petroleum Club

450 Petroleum Club Road - 763-3268 Open Monday- Friday 4:30pm to Close

Ribeye Steak or Chicken Dinner from 6pm - 8pm

Asian ExperienceAsian Food and Pizza

Lunch and DinnerTuesday - Friday

11 am - 2 pm 4 pm - 9 pmSaturday 4 pm - 9 pm

215 Center Street, Taft763- 1815

Sagebrush Annie’sRestaurant and Wine Tasting

Tasting Sat. & Sun. 11:30-5 pmDinner by Reservation

4211 Highway 33, Ventucopa(661) 766-2319

Taft Crude Coffee HouseCoffee House and Deli

Monday – Friday 7 am to 4pm.

Saturday 7 am to 2 pmSundays 7:30 am to 10 am

1010 6th Street, Taft763-5156

Black Gold Cafe & DeliPastas - Sandwiches

Espresso - Beer - WineOpen Monday to Saturday

Lunch served 9am-1pmDinner served 5pm - 8pm

508 Center Street765-6550

Tumbleweed Café and Steakhouse

Steak, Seafood, Wild Game, Full Bar

Monday – Friday 6 am to 2 pmSaturday – Sunday 7 am – 2 pm

Dinner Hours Friday and Saturday 6 pm to 9 pm24870 Highway 33, Derby Acres

768-4655

Paik’s Ranch HouseWhere Everybody Meets

Breakfast, Lunch and DinnerOpen 7 Days

Mon. Tues. Thur. 6 am-8:30 pmSun. Wed. Fri. & Sat. 6 am - 9 pm

765-6915 200 Kern St. Taft

Sagebrush Annie’sRestaurant and Wine Tasting

Tasting Sat. & Sun. 11:30-5 pmDinner by Reservation

4211 Highway 33, Ventucopa(661) 766-2319

Your Restaurant ListedHERE

Call 765-6550

Asian Experience

215 Center Street 763-1815

Asian Food and PizzaLunch and DinnerTuesday - Friday

11 a.m. - 2 p.m. 4 p.m. - 9 p.m.Saturday 4 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Live Music Saturday Nights

Westside Entertainment

Sagebrush Annie’s

Wine TastingDinner by Reservation

Award Winning Wines

766-23194211 Highway 33, Ventucopa

Get Your Events in the Westside Entertainment Guide. Call 765-6550 or fax 765-6556

Your RestaurantListed Here!

Call765-6550!

Starting as low as $12 per

week!

Paik’sRanch House Restaurant

“Where Everybody Meets”

Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerOpen 7 Days

Mon, Tues, Thurs - 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wed, Fri. Sat. and Sun. 6 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

765-6915200 Kern Street, Taft, Ca.

Subscribe for home delivery of the Taft Independent today!

Delivered weekly to your home or business only $6.50 per month!

Name_________________________________Address________________________________Start Date____________End Date__________

Please complete and mail with your check to: The Taft Independent, P.O.

Box 268, Taft, CA 93268Please make checks out to Taft Independent

Your RestaurantListed Here!

Call 765-6550!Starting as low as

$12 per week!

NEW YEARS EVE PARTYSaturday December 31st

Special guest DJ Chuy is returning for another great party at the club. Drink specials, Jello shots and some of the best party music in California. Party starts at 7pm and DJ Chuys bust out the music at

8pm. NO COVER CHARGE

INDUSTRY NIGHTWednesday January 4th is Industry night at the club

Sponsored by General Production ServicesNew York steak dinner. Open at 430pm dinner is at 730pm

The club is available for Weddings, Birthdays, and Anniversary’sHall holds up to 200 people and the bar can hold 70.

Engagement

Debra Manuz and George Sullivan

On Christmas Day at 4 p.m. while the sun dipped behind the Temblor Range on the steps of the Taft Oilworker Monument, George Sullivan dropped to his left knee and proposed to Debra Manuz with a ring to be formally engaged, and she happily accepted.

Sergeant Christopher Muniz RIPHonoring A True American Hero

On Wednesday, December 28th, nearly a thousand people turned out for a memorial at the Cuyama Valley High School Gym to honor Sgt. Christopher Muniz, who bravely gave his life in service to the country. Sgt. Muniz died December 11, in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from

an improvised explosive device. California Governor Jerry Brown ordered the flags at the State Capitol be flown at half-staff Thursday in honor of Sgt. Muniz. A statement from the Governors office read, “On behalf of all Californians, Governor Brown and First Lady Anne Gust Brown honor Sgt. Christopher L. Muniz, who bravely gave his life in ser-vice to our state and nation. The Governor and First Lady extend their deepest condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time.” Sgt. Muniz was born in Taft on June 24, 1987. He grew up in the Cuyama Valley where he attended Cuyama Valley High School and played football. A Chris Muniz Memorial Fund has been opened at Chevron Valley Credit Union. Donations can be made in person or mailed to Chevron Valley Credit Union, 1092 W. Kern St., Taft, 93268. Taft K-Mart closing or not? According to an initial list pub-lished by the Sears company which owns the Taft K-Mart, the Taft store is not scheduled to close. But, the companies website said that the first list of 79 of the approximatly 100 to 120 stores that are scheduled to close is only a partial list. No word yet on weather that Taft K-Mart will close, but a second list will soon be published of up to 40 more stores scheduled to close. This list also includes Sears stores that will be closed, but the future of the Taft Sears store is secure since it was recently purchased by businesman Vanesh Nand. The initial list of stores that will close can be seen at: http://searsholdings.com/about/122711_close.pdf. Taft Redevelopment Agency’s future in doubt. According to Taft City Manager Bob Gorson, a California Supreme Court decision that ruled in favor of Governor Brown’s decsion to close down nearly 400 local redevelopment agencies was the worst pos-sible news for Taft. The court ruled Thursady that the state could shut down redevelopment agencies because they were established by the legislature, thus allowing the state to redirect local RDA funding to other state agencies. The court also ruled that a program that would have allowed local RDA’s to stay in business by paying a fee to the state was unconstitutional, killing a program that would have allowed Taft to keep it’s agency by paying an initial $185,000 to the state and a portion of the annual tax revenues generated by the agency. Cities like Taft viewed redeveloment agencies as a way to promote economic development, eliminate blight and attract jobs.

Gorson told the Independent that one possible way to save RDA’s would to have the statewide California Redevelopment Agency Association, which represents local RDA’s, to negotiate with the legislature and find a way to retain them. The CRA said in a statement that the court decision was “a devastating ruling that could forever change the face of California communities and hamper job creation and economic advance-ment.” Jim Kennedy, the CRA’s interim Executive Director said that the “CRA is ready and willing to engage in immediate dialogue with Legislators and the Governor on a meaningful ‘fix’ to this problem. Time is of the essence, and the future of California’s economy is at stake. We hope legislators will do the right thing, for the sake of our future.” Taft has invested over $3 million in several redevelopment projects including the Rails to Trails development. While the local projects have been already approved and are not in danger of elimination, anticipated tax revenue for the City of Taft of up to $30 millions dollars over 20 years afre now in doubt. In the meantime, the City of Taft and Kern County has agreed to resurrect a Joint Powers Authority created in 1998 to promote economic development and cleanup blight on the Westside. Farewell to Taft Police Chief Ken McMinn. This week was Ken McMinn’s last week as chief of the Taft Police Department. McMinn, who is retiring is being replaced by Lt. Ed Whiting who has been appointed interim Police Chief until a permanent chief has been selected. The city is considering retaining McMinn as a consultant to try and secure a contract to reopen the city’s cor-rectional facility.


In Honor of Sergeant Christopher Lee MunizAn American Hero

Sergeant Christopher Lee Muniz June 24, 1987 - December 11, 2011.

3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division

New Cuyama, California December 28, 2011Sgt. Muniz was memorialized on Wednesday, December

28th at Cuyama Valley High School.

I Am Not Goneby Nicholas Evans

If I am the first of us to die,Let grief not blacken long your sky.

Be bold yet modest in your grieving.For just as death is part of life,

The dead live on forever in the living.And all the gathered riches of our journey,

The moments shared, the mysteries explored,The steady layering of intimacy stored,

The things that made us laugh or weep or sing,The joy of sunlit snow or first unfurling of the spring,

The wordless language of look and touch,The knowing,

Each giving and each taking,These are not flowers that fade, Nor trees that fall and crumble,

Nor are they stone,For even stone cannot the wind and rain withstand

And mighty mountain peaks in time reduce to sand.What we were, we are.What we had, we have.

A conjoined past imperishably present.So when you walk the wood where once we walked together

And scan in vain the dappled bank beside you for my shadow,Or pause where we always did upon the hill to graze across the land,

And spotting something, reach by habit for my hand,And finding none, feel sorrow start to steal upon you,

Be still.Close your eyes.

Breathe.Listen for my footfall in your heart.

I am not gone but merely walk within you.


Westside News & Business Briefs

CookhouseOT& Saloon

Specializing in Steak & Seafood

Lunch DinnerTuesday - Friday11a.m. - 2p.m.

Tuesday - Thursday 4p.m. - 9p.m.Friday & Saturday 4p.m. - 10p.m.

CLOSEDSUNDAY/MONDAY

205 N. 10th St.(661)763-1819

OT Cookhouse Daily Specials (For the week of 1-3-12 thru 1-7-12)

Tues.1-3-12LunchTues.1-3-12Dinner

Wed.1-4-12Lunch

Wed.1-4-12Dinner

Thurs.1-5-12Lunch

Thurs.1-5-12Dinner

Fri.1-6-12Dinner

Fri.1-6-12Lunch

Sat.1-7-12Dinner

Tri-Tip Sandwich

Prime Rib$16.95 Small/ $19.95 Large

BBQ Beef Ribs

CLOSED SUNDAY AND MONDAY

$8.95

$14.95

$9.95

$8.95

205 N. 10th Street . (661)763-1819

$16.95/ $19.95

Hot Beef Sandwich

$11.95

Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich

BBQ Combo

Chicken Parmesan Sandwich

$8.95

Chicken Pot Pie

Fiction • Non Fiction • Paperback Hard Covers • SciFi • Biography • Religion

Childrens • Cookbooks and More!

810 Center Street • (661)805-9813

Ben’s Books

Come in and look at our Unadvertised Specials!

The Largest, Cheapest and Only Used Book Store in Taft

BBQ Pork Ribs$14.95 1/2 Rack/$16.95 Full

$14.95/$16.95

$12.95

Police Chief Retires, Hampton Honored, Gorson Apolgizes to CouncilBy Kent Miller

Taft City Council took a cake-and-coffee-time-out during its Tuesday evening meeting to honor local resident Bob Hampton, then sped through a light pre-Christmas agenda. Hampton, the owner of Westside Waste Management, is a businessman and educator who has made numerous contributions to the community. He has led many efforts to clean up the Westside over the years, including providing Dumpsters, company trucks and his employ-ees to help in cleanups in Taft and surrounding areas.Hampton is one of two local men to be honored by Kern Council of Governments with its highest award, the Regional Award of Merit. Retiring Taft Police Chief Ken McMinn is the second local per-son to be honored by KernCOG. The City of Taft will also receive a Regional Award of Merit, in the category of Local Government, “to recognize their bold and assertive approach in preparing a new, comprehensive General Plan,” Ronald E. Brummett, KernCOG executive director, wrote in a letter to City Manager Bob Gorson. Hampton, McMinn and the city will be presented awards at KernCOG’s annual Regional Awards Ceremony, to be held March 1 at the Petroleum Club in Bakersfield. Chief McMinn McMinn is retiring effective Dec. 30 after serving with the Taft Police Department since the late 1980s. He served with the Kern County Sheriff ’s Department and the California Highway Patrol before coming to Taft. McMinn helped in establishing the Community Correctional Facility and creating the soon-to-be completed Police Activities League as he rose through the ranks with the department.Councilmembers praised him for his service to the community but an agenda item to retain McMinn as a retired annuitant for up to six months was pulled. The item will be returned to the council with staff recommenda-tions in January. Since the council won’t meet the first Tuesday of January, the item won’t be decided until the Jan. 17 meeting.The proposal included a maximum of 960 hours to be worked by McMinn between Jan. 1 and June 30, or an average of 40 hours a week for 24 weeks during the 25-week and six-day period.Lt. Ed Whiting, second in command in the department, will serve as interim police chief until an agreement with McMinn and/or a permanent chief is named.

Apology City Manager Gorson apologized to the council for a city staff response to a Kern County Grand Jury concerning Taft. “The council will respond to the Grand Jury report in January,” said Mayor Randy Miller. “The staff was wrong to respond to the report.“”It is not their job (to respond to the report).”

Fire agreement The council reviewed the Kern County Fire services Agreement

No. 1, which would run from June 30, 2012 through June 30, 2017. The city’s initial five-year agreement with Kern County Fire Department started in May 2007. The city had been expending more than $1 million a year for the Taft Fire Department prior to the agreement with the county. The cost for KCFD to provide services in fiscal year 2012-13 will be $390,515. The cost will increase 5.5 percent each fiscal year to $481,844 for 2016-17.

At-will employees The council voted 5-to-0 to change the status of the police chief, finance director, redevelopment manager and city clerk/records administrator. All four positions will be moved from contract department heads to at-will employees when their individual contracts expire. In addition, the redevelopment manager will become the planning and development services director.In addition:* New job specifications are adopted for each of the positions as their contracts expire;* The public works manager becomes director of public works;* The director of human resources becomes director of human resources/assistant city manager;* Salary and benefit packages are adopted for each department head.

Other itemsIn other reports and items:* Four hotel companies have expressed interest in building a facil-ity in Rails to Trails, Gorson said;* Other Rails to Trails interest has been expressed by two sit-down restaurant companies, a fast-food restaurant company, and a devel-oper proposing a 60-unit condominium project, the city manager said; * The city was presented with a plaque by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. for its participation in the Climate Smart Program;* The installation of solar panels at city hall, the municipal waste-water treatment facility, the federal waste-water treatment facility and Taft Police Department is wrapping up, said Craig Jones, city public works director. Power generation is expected to start by Jan. 1, Jones said;* Jan. 7 will be the first day for a three-way stop at Sixth Street and Emmons Park Drive.

Black Gold Celebrates New Years Eve

With Champagne Toast

Join us at Black Gold Cafe and Deli on New Years Eve to ring in the new year. Complimentary champagne with meal. Everyone welcome. Please RSVP to 623-4296. Limited seating available. Open at 5 p.m. at 508 Center Street in Taft. Have a great new year!!

Street construction at Emmons Park Drive (above) and workers (below) prepare new stop sign polls for placement at the intersetion of 6th Street and Emmons Partk Drive. The new 3-way stop signs go into effect on January 7th.


Westside News & Business Briefs

101 B. Street • Taft(661)763-9890

El Jacalito Restaurant

Mexican Food & Seafood

$8.95 Lunch specials served daily from 11am to 3pm and

includes drink11am-3pmincludes drink

Lunch Specials

HAYDENS HOPEThrift Store

God Bless!Together we can help keep our Teens in Taft off the streets.

420 1/2 Center StreetFind us on Facebook

Happy New Year!!

www.taftindependent.com

The Place4014 Highway 33

Beautiful Downtown Ventucopa(661)766-2660

$1.50 Domestic Drafts5pm Until Close

Prime Rib, Salad, and Red Potatoes

NO TO GO’s

$12.00 ALL YOU CAN EAT

New Years EveParty!

Champagne Toast 9 p.m.for those who have to get to

bed early

U.S. Postal Service Offers Stress-Free Ways to Return GiftsOrder Flat Rate Boxes, Print Postage and Schedule Package Pickup on usps.com What to do with the unwanted holiday gifts that have found their way under your tree? The Postal Service has a range of prod-ucts and services that make it quick, easy and hassle-free to send back the boots that don’t fit, the duplicate copy of your favorite author’s latest book, or the sweater you’ll never wear. By combining free Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes and the user-friendly tools on usps.com to print postage and schedule a free package pick-up, it’s more convenient than ever for consumers to manage post-holiday returns. “Returning holiday gifts has never been easier,” said Gary Reblin, vice president Domestic Products. “Before the holidays, Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes and usps.com offered the best shipping solu-tion to deliver packages for the holidays. Now the same products and services offer the easiest, most stress-free solution for returning gifts. By going online to print postage and request a free package pick up, there’s no need to visit the Post Office — everything can be done from your home or office.” Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes take the added hassle out of trying to determine the cost of shipping, with “if it fits, it ships”, low flat-rate prices. Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes are available free at the Post Office, at usps.com or by calling 800-Stamp-24. The Postal Service will deliver them free of charge right to your door. Choose from the Small Flat Rate Box which ships for $5.20, the Medium Flat Rate Box which ships for just $10.95 or the Large Flat Rate Box which ships for the low flat rate of $14.95. One of them should be perfect for returning those unwanted gifts. Customers also save money on Priority Mail up to 15 percent and 5 percent on Express Mail shipping prices when using Click-N-Ship visit click-n-ship to print postage. And when the package is ready for shipping, they can go to usps.com/pickup to schedule free package pickups from the home or office. Unlike other ship-ping companies, there’s never a fee for this service. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Tickets Now Available For Annual State of the County Event Challenges and opportunities facing Kern County will be the fo-cus of the fourteenth annual State of the County event, sponsored by the Kern County Board of Trade. The event, highlighted by the annual State of the County Address, is scheduled for Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at the Bakersfield Marriott Hotel at the Convention Center. The eve-ning’s keynote speaker will be the incoming chairman of the Kern County Board of Supervisors, who is scheduled to be named in early January. “The State of the County event provides our community with the opportunity to hear directly from our leaders,” said Board of Trade Interim Executive Director Dave Hook. “This ongoing interaction between leadership and the public is unique to Kern County, and something we believe is invaluable.” Doors will open at 5 pm for a no-host networking reception. Dinner follows at 6:15 pm with the program – highlighted by the State of the County Address – starting at 7:30 pm.Tickets are priced at $50, with a limited number of 10-seat reserved tables available for $500. Tickets must be purchased in advance, with none sold after January 18. The State of the County event has grown steadily since its inau-gural edition in 1999, routinely drawing in excess of 400 guests. Organizers once again anticipate a capacity crowd for the 2012 edition. To purchase tickets, visit the Board of Trade office (2101 Oak Street in Bakersfield) Monday through Friday between 8 am and 5 pm. Tickets may also be purchased by phone or e-mail using Visa or MasterCard. To purchase tickets via e-mail, send requests to [email protected], entering “Dinner Tickets” on the subject line and including contact information. To purchase tickets by telephone, call the Board of Trade at (661) 868-KERN or (800) 500-KERN.

social and economic inequality, high unemployment, greed, as well as corruption, and the undue influence of corporations—par-ticularly from the financial services sector—on government. The protesters’ slogan We are the 99% refers to the growing income and wealth inequality in the U.S. between the wealthiest 1% and the rest of the population. The protests in New York City have sparked similar Occupy protests and movements around the world.Of needs be there are things which I have neglected to mention in this editorial, like the assassination of Osama Bin Laden. On May 2, Barack Obama announced to the world that the al-Qaeda leader was dead—he had been shot by a group of Navy Seals who had entered his compound in Pakistan. Events on a lighter note occurred, like performances by Lady Gaga, televised voice and dance competitions, and much more, but the protests still take center stage and probably have set the stage for more to come in 2012.

attention for its innovation and exceptional work with persons with developmental disabilities. It is a program that is putting Taft on many people’s radar. While TC has always been a hidden jewel in our community, it is now shining brightly for all to see, admire, and for all of us to be proud. The Taft Chamber of Commerce has new staff members, new ideas and innovations, and a much closer working relationship with the City and the County. The Farmers Market has been a huge success; the car and motorcycle shows, the October Fest, golf tournament, and fishing derby were all successful endeavors this past year. Not only does it strengthen the chamber coffers it brings in many people to enhance our economy. The Honolulu Hills Raceway is bringing in more events each year and that is good for Taft. Skydive Taft and the Carrizo Plains are two other attractions that bring a lot of people to the Westside. And who wouldn’t want to travel down the Petroleum Highway to see the tallest, biggest, baddest bronze monument work of art this side of the Mississippi ?? The City of Taft is going green and we have proven that by work-ing with an investment group to install solar panels at City Hall, the CCF, and the Waste Water Treatment plant. It should save the City 2 million dollars over the next twenty years in electricity costs. The one negative issue this year is that your State Department of Corrections has seen fit to close the least costly option to house state inmates by shuttering our CCF this past November. Unfortunately, the City had to lay off over 60 employees while we are scrambling to find a county willing to house inmates here, or we look at privatizing or other options to this closed facility. It was one of those rare revenue generators the City had that didn’t re-quire tax dollar support. I hope that we’ll have good news to report the first quarter of this year. It has been fun, a pleasure, and a privilege to serve as your Mayor this past year. You won’t see me on anymore commercials or billboards for the Air Pollution District anymore as my term is over. Hopefully, they can find a prettier face to replace me. Have a wonderful, healthy, safe New Year everyone.

Randy MillerYour Humble but Proud Mayor

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly Continued From Page 3

2011, An Extraordinary Year, Continued From Page 3


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In the United States One Largely Chooses His Level of Poverty

By Dr. Harold Pease

College enrollment is now in progress and a new semester or quarter begins in January somewhere near you. Dare I say to a generation whose work ethic has greatly diminished, what I was told prior to my many years of college? If you get a college degree you likely will have a higher level of income and more favorable working conditions. Certainly there are notable exceptions like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, who have no degrees, and those who major in medieval art, or some such discipline were there exists no real employment demand. But by in large in this country, barring an accident or unusual health concern, if you are poor by the age of forty you chose to be so. Your choices, made between ages twenty and thirty, largely place you where you will be the rest of

your life. The road to security and prosperity is education and is available to everyone willing to work. I tell my students that they may not be able to run out of the ghetto, even walk, but all can crawl. There was no silver spoon in my mouth, being second oldest of 14 children, this option applied to me as well. Few were poorer than we. All night factory work and all day classes meant sleeping when you could. This was so for many years.Others may find work and satisfaction outside formal education, but most will struggle in its absence. I have yet to meet a re-entry student; one who dropped out then returned years later, who did not wish they had stayed in school. The choice seems to be clear for most young people, work your butt off in school for at least four years in expectation of an easier life, or without school for forty without such. Many, all with excuses, do not choose the education highway, dropping out of high school or college and thus choose poverty. They allow themselves to accept a lower place in society. Some pick up the visual signs of poverty such as degrad-ing language, coarseness in their behaviors, and the appearance of one who is poor. Sometimes homes are not painted and lawns uncut, back yards dirt and weeds. In time they are easily recognizable as poor. Many come to believe that they are owed the basics, even some of the privileges of life. These become wards of the state and accepting of the philosophy that “it’s not my fault” and politicians have no problem confiscating the rewards of those who do labor to give to them. Food stamps, subsidized school lunches, housing, and healthcare and hundreds of other charity programs, instead of incentiviz-ing this class to believe in themselves and work to be self reliant, seemingly teach, even enable, dependence. Unscrupulous politicians learn quickly that these can be managed by subsidized gift- giving from those who do produce, which ensures that they remain in office. The “freebie class” becomes their base. Last year 47.5% of the adult population paid no federal income tax. Those who paid for all the programs of the poor were the other 52.5%. As a class, the poor want more, lose their sense of gratitude for those who are forced to subsidize them, and grow ever larger without education. The tax paying class diminishes as confiscatory taxes rob them of the benefits of their labor. They become the working poor. In time they too may be, without additional education, enticed to work less and join the poor class. So back to the choices we make which select our future dependence or independence. Those choices remain available. Some few reenter the education highway. Now with a companion and children they sacrifice evenings to elevate them-selves. Perhaps it takes twice or thrice the time but there is an end to poverty if one chooses wisely. Stay in school my young friends and return my older friends. You will never be sorry that you made this choice. Your choices today will place you where you will be ten years from now. This law applies to all. You do not have to rob, or have the government rob for you, the fruits of others. You do not have to be the fodder for politicians who wish to give you the benefits of those who produce so that they can remain in power and addict you to the philosophy that it is owed you. Dr. Harold Pease is an expert on the United States Constitution. He has dedicated his career to studying the writings of the Founding Fathers and applying that knowledge to current events. He has taught history and political science from this perspective for over 25 years at Taft College. To read more of his weekly articles, please visit www.LibertyUnderFire.org.




Please complete and mail with your check to: The Taft Independent, P.O. Box 268, Taft, CA

93268Please make checks out

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TAFT UNITEDMETHODIST CHURCH

630 North St. 765-5557

“Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors”

Pastor Cindy BrettschneiderSunday Morning Worship 10:00 AM

Adult Bible Study and Sunday School 11 AM

Adult Bible Study Monday 6:00 PMWednesday Night Service 6:00 PM

Praise Team meets on Thursday at 6:00 PM

Trinity Southern Baptist Church 400 Finley Drive

We invite you to join us each week as we worship

Sunday Bible Study 9:45 amSunday Morning Worship 11:00 amSunday Evening Worship 6:00 pm

Wednesday Prayer & Bible Study 6:00 pm

New Hope Temple“Connecting Lives”

308 Harrison Street765-4572

Sunday Morning WorshipService 10 a.m.

Sunday Evening WorshipService 6 p.m

Bible Classes All AgesWednesday 7 p.m.

NEW LIFE COMMUNITY CHURCH

Gateway Temple CommunityChristian

Fellowship631 North Street

Sunday School 9:30 a.m.Morning Worship 10:30 a.m.

St. Andrew’sEpiscopal

ChurchSunday Service - 10 a.m.

Rev. Linda Huggard703 5th Street - Taft

(661) 765-2378

Peace Lutheran Church- LCMSTaft- A caring community under Christ

We welcome you to worship with us at peace lutheran church, 26 Emmons Park Drive (across from the College). Worship service begins at 10:00 a.m.

Communion will be offered 1st and 3rd Sundays

Sunday School for all ages at 9:00 a.m.

The Pregnancy crisis center is now open and available for support and assistance. For information, call 763-4791

If you have a prayer request please call (661)765-2488. Leave a message if the pastor or secretary is not available

Angel Food Program Tues. 9am - 12pm Thurs. 3pm - 6pm

Sunday Services 10amUTURN Youth Service

Sunday 6pm1000 6th St.

Weekly Classes Mon - ThursPlease call 765-7472 for info

For a ride to church call 765-7472 before 9am on Sunday

Pastors Shannon N. and Shannon L. Kelley www.nlctaft.org or [email protected]

Sunday Morning Worship 9:45Sunday Evening Worship 5:00

Monday Evening Mens Prayer 7:00Wednesday Evening Worship 6:30

For a ride: Call Dorine Horn 487-2416Pastors Charle (Tommy) and

Mary A. McWhorter

604 Main Street • P.O. Box 578Maricopa, CA 93252 • (661)769-9599

YOUR CHURCH AD HERE!

CALL TODAY!

765-6550

Obituary




Please complete and mail with your check to: The Taft Independent, P.O. Box 268, Taft, CA

93268Please make checks out

to Taft Independent

Subscription Form

The Only Mortuary On The West Side Where All Arrangements And

Funerals Are Personally Directed ByLicensed Funeral Directors

501 Lucard St., Taft • 765-4111FD756 FDR50 FDR595 FDR618

WANTED: BULKY WASTE PICKUPFord CityTuesday

South Taft & Taft Heights Friday

City of TaftWednesday

• REFRIGERATORS • MATTRESSES • WATER HEATERS • STOVES • WASHERS & DRYERS • SOFAS

All green waste must be bagged. Tree Limbs cut in 6’ length, and bundled.

ITEMS NOT ACCEPTEDConstruction/Demolition Waste/Used Oil/

Hazardous Waste/Tires

If Missed… Call Office at 763-

5135

Westside Waste Management Co., Inc.

Taft CrudeCoffee House

Ice Blended Mocha

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Available in Most Flavors

Open 7 Days - 763-51561010 6th Street • Taft

VIOLET LOTT ROUNDTREE

Funeral services for Violet (Lott) Roundtree will be held in New Hope Temple on Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 1:00 P.M. Rev. Joey Pittman will officiate and burial will be in West Side District Cemetery. Mrs. Roundtree was born in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma on April 14, 1920 and went home to be with her Lord and Savior on December 27, 2011. Violet and her husband, Leonard and their children, Doris, Sherry and Glenn moved to Taft in 1950. Working in her yard, going out to eat, baking for the holi-days and antiquing provided much enjoyment for her. She also enjoyed the time she spent with her grandchildren. Mrs. Roundtree owned and oper-ated her secondhand store for about 25 years. She was preceded in death by her first husband of 57 years, Leonard G. Lott; her son, Glenn Edward Lott; her second husband, Woodrow Roundtree; her parents, James R. and Mary J. Swarb; her two sisters and three brothers. Mrs. Roundtree is survived by her daughters and their husbands, Doris and Gene Decker and Sherry and Ronnie Smith all of Taft; her sister, Elsie Hogan of Taft; her niece, and her husband, Jackie and Lloyd Karnes of Taft; her grandchildren, Cindy Abrams of Taft, Terri Masterson of Folsom, David Snyder of Bakersfield, Shelly Marrit of Bakersfield, Rhonda and Lee Henning of Taft, Nini and John Hatzopoulos of Levos, Greece; her great-grandchildren, Kayla, Courtney and Kelsie Masterson, Valarie Bergeron, Chad and Deanna Mincher, David, Michael and Kasie Snyder, Elizabeth Crum, Miranda Plaugher, Ty Marrit, Julie and LeAnn Shinn, Jonathan and Katlynn McDonald, Mac Henning, Nasiska, Nico and Dessy Hatzopoulos; her great-great-grandchildren, Hailey, Brayden and Madison Bergeron and Kellie Masterson; her many nephews and nieces in Oklahoma, California, Nevada and Colorado. She is also survived by her special friends, Gordon and Patti Gomez, Curtis Gomez and Eileen Westendoff and baby Adria of Bakersfield. Friends are invited to pay their respects on Monday from 3:00 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. at the Erickson & Brown Funeral Home. To convey condolences or sign an online register, please visit www.EricksonAndBrown.com

Visit Us Onlinetaftindependent.com


6497. We will pick up!

For SaleFOR SALE

Pickers Buy & Sell 428 Center Street

Hours 1-5pm Tues-Fri

AUTOMOBILES

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MANAGEMENTTaft Property Management

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BUSINESSFOR SALE

FOR SALE

Established local Taft business. Taft Crude Coffee House and Deli. Excellent location, near Taft College. In business for 6 years. $20,000 OBO. Room to expand product offerings. Good family business. Call 661-623-4296.

HOMES FOR SALEReal Estate eBroker Inc.

325 Kern StreetKarri ChristensenLIC# 01522411 &

#01333971661-332-6597

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2bd Apt. $550 mo. (805) 415-5293.

MCKITTRICK. 3/2 Apt. Newly furn.$650 mo. Taft Property Mgt. 661 745-4892. Brokers Licence 01417057

Imperial Gardens 424 Woodrow Street 2bd $625 mo. 1bd $550 mo. Stove fridge, dishwasher, pool, private car port. 661-623-3699 or 661-765-4299.

Creekside Apartments. 1 BD and 2 BD. Pool, AC & Appl. 661.765-7674. 420 Finley Dr.

2bd/1ba $750 mo + dep. Recently remodeled. Fenced front and back yards. 661-589-2720.

PUBLIC NOTICEMichael Long, PublisherThe Taft Independent508 Center StreetTaft, CA 93268

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIACOUNTY OF KERN

IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION OF MICHAEL LONG TO HAVE THE STANDING OF THE TAFT INDEPENDENT AS A NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL CIRCULATION ASCERTAINED AND ESTABLISHED.

CASE NO: S-1500-CV-274771

NOTICE OF INTENTION TO APPLY FOR ORDER DECLARING STATUS OF NEWSPAPER AS ONE OF GENERAL CIRCULATION (GOV. CODE 6021)

Notice is hereby given that, on January 18, 2012, at 8:30am, or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, in Department 14 of this court, located at 1415 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, California, petitioner intends to apply for an order declaring the newspaper known as The Taft Independent to be a newspaper of general circulation for Taft, California.

DATED: SEPTEMBER 23-2011

Petitioner Michael Long, PublisherThe Taft Independent508 Center StreetTaft, CA 93268

Real Estate Sales & Purchase

Commercial:330 California (old post office) Maricopa616 Poso,(restaurant & dry good w/ beer & wine license)MaricopaResidential417 Tyler $60K 3bed/ 2 bath415 Buchanan St $35,500 cash only

Can’t make payments call me!!

Wondering how buying a house works? Set an appointment with Karri to watch a FREE video on the process.

Call 661-332-6597 for a current list or drop by the office.

MOBILE HOMES

HOMES FOR RENT

West ValleyReal Estate

(661) 763-1500.Lic # 01525550

FOR RENT205 W Ash C 2/1.5 $600601 4th 2/1 $650435 B St 2/1 $700302 Calvin 1/1 $850528 D St 2/1 $850602 Elkhorn 3/1.75 $850404 Fillmore 3/1.75 $1,000

FOR SALEWhy rent when you can buy for almost half the cost?!Complete list of homes for Sale and Rent avail-able!

523 Naylor St. 3 bd/2ba $1,050 mo + dep.408 Jackson St. 3bd/1ba $880 mo + dep.1bd 1 ba. house. 707 Fillmore 3 bd/1ba $780 mo. + dep. (661)343-0507.

2 bd 1ba, indoor laundry, fenced frt/back yards $600 mo + $600 dep. Maricopa 805-325-0256

Huge 3bd 2ba, perimeter fence, lots of storage & fruit trees. $900 mo + $900 dep. Maricopa 805-325-0256

APART. FOR RENT

Studio Apt. $550. mo. Dep. $400. all util. includ. Avail. 1-1-12 623-4792.

ClassifiedsClassified Ads are $3.00 per issue for up to three lines, $5 per issue for up to 5 lines, and $7 per issue for up to 10 lines. Yard Sale ads are free. Phone, fax, mail or drop off your ad to the Taft Independent.

Boxed\outlined\bolded classified ads start at $12.00 for 8 lines, $16 for 12 lines, $20 for 15 lines, $25 for 20 lines.

Photo Ads. Car, truck or house for sale ads are $5 per week, or $10 with a photo. Email us (or bring to our office) a photo of your home, car, truck or motorcycle and we’ll do the rest.

Classified ads deadline is now Wednesdays at 2 p.m.

Phone: 765-6550

Fax: 765-6556

Email: [email protected]

Payment can be made by cash, check, or credit card. Taft Independent 210 6th St., Taft, CA 93268.

ClassifiedsClassified Ads are $2.00 per line. Phone, fax, mail or drop off your ad to the Taft Independent.

Ad your photograph for $5. Ad your company logo for $5. Boxed ads are $3 additional. E-mail us (or bring to our office) a photo of your home, car, truck or motorcycle and we’ll do the rest.

Yard Sale ads are $2 for 3 lines, additional lines $2 each.

Classified ad deadline is Wednesday at 12 p.m. (noon)

Phone: 765-6550

Fax: 765-6556

E-mail: [email protected]

Payment can be made by cash, check, or credit card. Taft Independent 508 Center St., Taft, CA 93268

Business ServicesRite Away Carpet CleaningCarpet & Upholstery Cleaning\General CleaningOwner OperatedVisa\Master Card 765-4191

YARD SALESAdvertise your yard sale ad. 3 lines for $2, additional lines after that $2 each. Fax your ad to 765-6556 or call and leave message at 765-6550 by 12 p.m. Wednesday.

Moving Sale. 715 Buena Vista. Fri. Sat. Sun. Until gone. Everything goes. Furn. Tools, Hunting, fishing, etc. Come by anytime.

Heritage Park Book Sale Wednesday, January 4th

12 noon - 6pm 201 8th St.

In Rec Room Books from $.25 to $1.

ANNOUNCEMENTSGrief Support Group, offered as a community service by Optimal Hospice Care. Meetings held Thursdays 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. At Chevron Valley Credit Union, Community Room, 1092 W. Kern St., Taft. Enter by outside entrance – Albertson’s Shopping Center. Free and open to the public. Info call 716-4000.

Alzheimer’s Disease Association Of Kern County is offering Respite Care here in Taft. Call-Cathy Perkins at 760-379-0848 for RESPITE CARE info. Respite Care is available every Thursday At the First Baptist Church located at 220 North St. from 9:00am—3:00pm.

For problems with Alcohol, Alcoholics Anonymous. 765-4016 or 763-3856.

Are you a widow? Do you wonder what on earth am I here for? Widows meet twice a month on Tuesday 10 a.m. at the Buena

Preserving for the Future

Real Estate eBroker Inc.325 Kern Street

Karri ChristensenLIC# 01522411 & #01333971

661-332-6597www.BuyTaft.com

Real Estate Sales & Purchase

Ken ShugartsAir Conditioning & Heating

Vista Mobile Home Club House. If interested, call June Selby 763-4845.

BusinessServices

COMPUTER SERVICES

Taft PC Services

Computer RepairGraphic ArtsWeb Design

Virus Removal661-623-5188

YARD SERVICES

CLEANING SERVICES

Office cleaning, years of experience. Call Kathi 661-703-8186

EmploymentHELP WANTED

INSTRUCTION

Learn English/Spanish the easy way, WITH A PRIVATE TUTOR. Reasonable rates, Call Luz at 800-8681.

WantedWANTED

Work Wanted. Need light to med. housework done? Am ready to and willing and able. Call 765-6610. Ask for Kathy Walters.

Junk Cars! Cash Paid (661) 805-0552

Old Appliances, In ANY Condition. Car Batteries & Motorparts. Cash Paid $1 - $20 Call David 661-293-0359 or 661-765-

Community

30 Plus Years in ConstructionLicense No. 927634

We Do All Phases of ConstructionKitchen and Bathroom Specialists

Ken Shugarts (661) 343-0507

Plumbing • Septic • RooterFraming • Electrical • Concrete

Place Your Ad for $2 Per Line! Call Today

(661)765-6550

_________________

Michael Long, PublisherThat Taft Independent508 Center StreetTaft, CA 93268

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STET OF CALIFORNIACOUNTY OF KERN

IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION OF MICHAEL LONG TO HAVE THE STANDING OF THE TAFT INDEPENDENT AS A NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL CIRCULATION ASCERTAINED AND ESTABLISHED.

CASE NO: S-1500-CV-274771

PETITION TO ASCERTAIN AND ESTABLISH STANDING AS NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL CIRCULATION (GOV. CODE 6008, 6020)

Petitioner, Michael Long, alleges: 1. Petitioner is the publisher of the newspaper known as The Taft Independent, hereafter referred to as “the newspaper.” 2. The newspaper is a newspaper of general circulation published for the dissemination of local news and intelligence of a general character in Taft, California. The business address of the newspaper is 508 Center Street, Taft, California. 3. The newspaper has a bona fide subscription list of paying subscribers, numbering 536, and a substantial distribution to paying subscribers, numbering 346, within the City of Taft, California. 4. For more than three years preceding the filing of this petition, the newspaper has been established under the name of The Taft Independent, and has been so established and published, that is, issued and sold or distributed regularly every Friday in Taft, Californai. 5. During each year of the three-year period preceding the filing of this petition, the newspaper has maintained a minimum coverage of local news and intelligence of a general character of not less than twenty-five percent of its total inches; it has had only one principal office of publication, located in Taft, California.

WHEREFORE, petitioner prays for judgment ascertaining and establishing the Taft Independent as a newspaper of general circulation, as defined in Section 6008 of the Government Code, for the City of Taft, County of Kern, California.

Dated this September 23,

2011

Petitioner

Michael Long, PublisherThe Taft Independent508 Center StreetTaft, CA 93268

I, Michael Long, am the petitioner in the above-entitled proceeding. I have read the foregoing petition and know the contents thereof. The same is true of my own knowledge, except as to those matters which are therein alleged on information and belief, and as to those matters, I believe it to be true.

I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct.September 23, 2011, Taft, California.

SignedMichael Long

For Rent 426 Shattuck2 bed 1 bath.

Cozy Cottage $550. Paul Joyce

805-218-1686 Joyce Properties

661-765-6300

The Cell Fone StoreMóviles y Accesorios y

alimentos y más510 Finley Drive661-765-2500

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Phone 340-8609

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Westside News & Business BriefsState Health Director Recommends Top Health New Year’s ResolutionsSix Simple Changes can Save Lives, Reduce Health Care Costs As the busy holiday season comes to a close, most Californians take a timeout to draft their New Year’s resolutions. California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Director and State Public Health Officer, Dr. Ron Chapman, urges Californians to put health at the top of their list. “New Year’s resolutions can be overly ambitious, despite your best intentions,” said Chapman. “But I’m recommending six simple steps that will make for a healthier 2012, and just might save your life.” 1. Ditch the butts (and save major bucks!)

“Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do to improve your health, and your pocketbook. A $5 pack-a-day habit costs a smoker nearly $2,000 a year. As a family doctor, I have taken care of people who have suffered the horrible health effects of smoking which harms nearly every organ in the body. Not only that, but secondhand smoke is deadly to those around you, especially children who can develop asthma from being exposed to cigarette smoke. You can get free help to quit by calling 1-800-NO BUTTS or visiting NoButts.org. This service is also available to people who would like a friend or loved one to quit smoking.” 2. Know your numbers

“This includes your blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and healthy weight. Being overweight, having high blood pressure or cholesterol can cause heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. When you get these numbers to a normal range, you lower your risk for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, diabetes, blindness, nerve damage, and other health problems. If you are overweight, by losing five-to-seven percent of your weight (10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound person), you can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes, and reduce the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis by as much as 50 percent.” 3. Eat like a champion

“In addition to making half your plate fruits and vegetables, vow to incorporate more whole grains and to reduce sodium by eating fewer processed foods and drinking fewer sugary drinks like sodas, sports drinks, energy drinks, sweetened teas and coffees. Get involved with your children’s school wellness committee to create healthier school environments, support healthier foods and quality physical education for all young people.” 4. Get physical!

“Moderate physical activity, even in 10-minute increments three times a day, helps keep muscles, bones and joints healthy, improve your heart health, helps reduce stress and makes you feel more positive. Be active with your kids – physical activity is good for their health and brain function!” 5. Respect your health

“Prevention really is the best medicine. Getting vaccinated – for both adults and children – is the most effective way of stopping whooping cough, flu and other dangerous diseases. It’s not too late to get a flu vaccination, since flu activity can continue as late as May.

· It is crucial that everyone 50 and older be screened for colon cancer – this is a form of cancer that can be prevented, if it’s caught before it becomes cancerous.· Women, get screened for cervical cancer starting at age 21. Starting at age 50 be sure to get screened for breast cancer – younger if you have a family history of breast cancer.· Protect your skin from skin cancer at all times of the year by reducing sun exposure and using sunscreen.” 6. Be prepared, California

“We live in a large, populated state that has a very diverse climate and geography, which is why it is critical to make sure that you and your family are prepared for a disaster before it strikes. You can ensure the safety of your family by developing supply kits and disaster plans, knowing how you will communicate with each other during a crisis, and talking with your children about crisis events.

By doing these simple steps, you will be helping yourself physically, mentally and financially. For ex-ample, diabetes costs in California exceed $24 billion each year. The direct health care costs associated with smoking in our state is estimated to be $9.6 billion or $365 per Californian.”

“My personal resolution is to incorporate the CDC’s Physical Activity for Everyone’s guidelines into my routine,” added Chapman. “This includes 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week and muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days a week that work on all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms). You can follow my activity each week on Twitter and Facebook.”

War Horse—movie reviewBy Jane McCabe

I thought when I saw it that War Horse had the stagey pres-ence of a children’s story. When I researched it I found that first it was a children’s fiction novel by Michael Morpurgo, published in Great Britain in 1982. At the outbreak of World War I, young Albert’s beloved horse Joey is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France. His rider Captain Nicholls is killed while riding him. The horse is soon caught up in the war; death, disease and fate take him on an ex-traordinary odyssey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in No Man’s Land. Albert cannot forget Joey. Still not old enough to enlist in the British Army, he embarks on a dangerous mission to find his horse and bring him home to Devon. After meeting a World War I veteran who drank in his local pub at Iddesleigh and who had been in the Devon Yeomanry working with horses, Morpurgo began to think of telling the story of the universal suffering of the Great War through a horse’s viewpoint, but he was unsure that he could do it. He also met another villager, Captain Budgett, who had been in the Cavalry in the Great War, and a third villager who remembered the army coming to the village to buy horses. Morpurgo thanks the three men in the dedication of the book, naming them as Albert Weeks, Wilfred Ellis and Captain Budgett.With his wife, Morpurgo had founded Farms for City Children, a charity where inner city children live and work on rural farms for a week. Interviewed on Saturday Live on BBC Radio 4 by Fi Glover in December 2010, Morpurgo recounted the event that convinced him he could write the book: “One of the kids who came to the farm from Birmingham, a boy called Billy, years and years and years ago now, the teachers warned me that he had a stammer ... and told me not to ask him direct questions because it would terrify him if he had to be made to speak because he doesn’t speak. They said ‘He’s been two years in school and he hasn’t said a word, so please don’t confront him or he’ll run back to Birmingham’, which is a long way from Devon and they didn’t want that.“So I did as I was told and I stood back and I watched him, and I could see that he related wonderfully to the animals, totally silently, never spoke to the other kids at all, and then I came in the last evening, which I always used to do, to read them a story. It was a dark November evening and I came into the yard behind this big Victorian house where they all live, and there he was, Billy, standing in his slip-pers by the stable door and the lantern above his head, talking. Talking, talking, talking, to the horse. And the horse, Hebe, had her head out of, just over the top of the stable, and she was listening, that’s what I noticed, that the ears were going, and she knew - I knew she knew - that she had to stay there whilst this went on, because this kid wanted to talk, and the horse wanted to listen, and I knew this was a two way thing, and I wasn’t being sentimental, and I stood there and I listened, then I went and got the teachers, and brought them up through the vegetable garden, and we stood there in the shad-ows, and we listened to Billy talking, and they were completely amazed how this child who couldn’t get a word out, the words were simply flowing. All the fear had gone, and there was something about the intimacy of this relationship, the trust was building up between boy and horse, that I found enor-mously moving, and I thought, Well yes, you could write a story about the First World War through the eyes of a horse, let the horse tell the story, and let the story of the war come through the soldiers: British soldiers first of all, then German soldiers, then a French family with whom the horse spends winters, and that maybe you’ll then get a universal idea of the suffering of the First World War. So in a way I just took a gamble and went for it, and then wrote like a horse for about six months.”In another article, Morpurgo stated that Billy was not the child’s real name. Morpurgo later recalled, “As I listened to this boy telling the horse everything he’d done on the farm that day, I suddenly had the idea that of course the horse didn’t understand every word, but that she knew it was important for her to stand there and be there for this child.” The third inspiration for the book, after meeting the veterans and seeing Billy with Hebe the horse, was an old oil painting that Morpurgo’s wife Clare had been left: “It was a very frightening and alarm-ing painting, not the sort you’d want to hang on a wall. It showed horses during the First World War charging into barbed wire fences. It haunted me.” The painting was by F. W. Reed and was dated 1917, and showed a British cavalry charge on German lines, with horses entangled in barbed wire. Mor-purgo wrote a fictionalized version of this painting in his ‘Author’s Note’ at the start of the book. In his version, the painting shows a red bay with a white cross on his forehead, and the painting bears the legend: “Joey. Painted by Captain James Nicholls, autumn 1914.” The book was made into a play adapted by Nick Stafford. The play, also called War Horse, was staged at the Olivier Theatre, National Theatre in London. The production opened on October 17th, 2007, and was met with critical acclaim — its use of life-size puppets of horses from the Handspring Puppet Company won an Olivier Award, Evening Standard Theatre Award and London Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for design. In February 2010 it was revealed that the play would transfer to Broadway in New York City. In May 2010 it was announced Steven Spielberg would direct the movie adaptation with Richard Curtis and Lee Hall writing the screenplay. Jeremy Irvine was cast in the lead role. The official release date is 25 December 2011. A radio adaption of the book was broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on Saturday, November 8th, 2008. It featured Timothy Spall starring as the voice of Joey, Brenda Blethyn as Mother and Bob Hoskins as Sergeant Thunder. The radio play was rebroadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra on November 11th, 2011 as part of a special Remembrance sequence.My sister, her husband, and I saw the movie the day after Christmas. The above information wipes out my criticism of the movie—that it made use of traditional movie making devices and was thus a bit trite. The best thing in the movie echoes the story of Billy talking to Hebe—in the movie the horse Joey just seems to understand what the humans who talk to him are saying. He seems human too. He is a courageous and valiant horse, who substitutes for his friend, the black horse, in hauling heavy artillery uphill. It helps to know the history of how something got made to understand the thing itself.


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