Author:pablo
October 5, 2015
Oildorado Creeps Around the Corner
By Michael Clites
The city of Taft hosts its long awaited Oildorado, and this year’s every five year celebration is shaping up to be a good one.
Oilstock (a part of Oildorado) will feature such acts as Foghat, Taylor Hicks, Junior Brown, Truxton Mile, Monroy, Bridge and Skynnyn Lynnyrd. People will have a variety of musical styles to enjoy.
Not only will there be incredible musical performances but many activities to keep people busy throughout the days. Events like the Whiskerino Contest which is a contest that determines who has the best facial hair in Taft, or the Kiwanis Kolor Run which is a 5k color run taking place at 8 am on October 10th, and of course the annual costume contest.
Another event that always seems to turn everyone’s head is the Grand Parade. The parade route will begin near 6th and Ash Streets and continue south on 6th Street, covering plenty of ground for the crowd to witness the epic parade.
Taft’s Oildorado bash is indeed looking to celebrate as the community pays its dues to the hardy men and women who migrated to this dusty southwestern corner of the San Joaquin Valley.
With plenty of food, entertainment, and festivities to go around, it is surely guaranteed to live up to the long awaited five-year hype amongst the citizens of Taft. So be sure to clear your schedule on October 8th through the 18th in order to be a part of this unique gathering.
October 4, 2015
T-Shirt Sales for Breast Cancer Awareness
Breast Cancer Awareness Week is being held this year October 19-23 by the ASB.
On Wednesday, October 21 the volleyball team will have their annual breast cancer awareness game. They would like everyone to wear a breast cancer awareness t-shirt, which they began selling today. Pre-orders are due by noon on October 9. We will have a few for sale at the game if you miss your chance.
All proceeds will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation and our own Soroptimist Club’s Critical Care Program.
Please see the attached flyer for more information on the t-shirts.
Thank you for your support
Jennifer Edmaiston
Athletic Secretary/Eligibility
Taft College
29 Cougar Court
Taft CA 93268
661-763-7829
jedmaiston@taftcollege.edu
October 4, 2015
Chevron and Community Partners Fundraiser
Hello Taft College Friends and Family,
Below and attached are information about the Chevron Donors Choose program.
This is an amazing program that provides k-12 Teachers opportunity to apply for grants for classroom education innovation. As we get our gas, think about Chevron and filling up to help support this amazing program! Send this email to your educational friends in the k-12 world that Chevron has up to $300,000 to help support a classroom project!!!
Thanks so much,
Sheri Horn-Bunk
Taft College Foundation
Community Partners,
Throughout October, we have a unique opportunity to help secure up to $300,000, to support public education in schools in Kern County. Fuel Your School is an innovative collaboration between Chevron and DonorsChoose.org to help fund eligible classroom projects, submitted by teachers who don’t have the necessary resources for their students.
| DonorsChoose.org: Support a classroom. Build a future.
DonorsChoose.org connects teachers in high-need communities with donors who want to help. |
What you can do
- Fill your tank. From Oct. 1 through Oct. 31, 2015, simply fuel up with 8 or more gallons at a participating Chevron or Texaco station and Chevron will donate $1, up to $300,000, to help support eligible public education projects in Kern County.
- Spread the word about the Fuel Your School program. Tell everyone you know – friends, relatives, even the cashier at the grocery store – about fueling up in October, and be sure to visit www.FuelYourSchool.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.Effective education, including science, technology, engineering and math, can help foster bright young talent for the future workforce and healthy economic growth of our local communities, and our country. Through this program, we can help teachers and students in Kern County get the supplies they need for their classrooms. Please take advantage of this great opportunity and help us spread the word about the Fuel Your School program. Visit www.FuelYourSchool.com to learn more.
September 30, 2015
Return of the Kings
Fight for the puck.
By Alberto Muro
On September 21st 2015, The Los Angeles Kings made their 5th visit to Bakersfield, and for their pre-season game opener, they played against The Arizona Coyotes. The Kings Head Coach Daryl Sutter last visited Bakersfield in 2003 when he was still coaching the San Jose Sharks, and due to complications with melting ice officials had to reduce the game down to two periods.
Prior to the pre-season game, the L.A. Kings represented the away team and wore their away jerseys while the Arizona Coyotes wore their home jerseys at The Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield. Those attending the game at Rabobank were given the opportunity to read up on the Bakersfield Condors and their new affiliation with the American Hockey League (AHL). The Bakersfield Condors signed a deal in January 2015 when their owners the Edmonton Oilers and 6 other NHL teams announced that their AHL affiliates would move to the West Coast.
During the match the Kings and Coyotes displayed resilience as both teams battled for puck possession in which cleaning crews had to clear the ice of obstructions caused by the players’ skates. Penalties did occur throughout the game whether it was another players stick going above their opponents head or unnecessary tripping as tempers began to flare.
Each period lasted about 20 minutes, and there was a fifteen minute intermission which allowed the patrons of the game to make their way to the concession stands or use the facilities.
There were also activities during intermission, similar to the activities during the Bakersfield Condors games, such as the chuck-a-puck in which fans pay one dollar for a foam puck with numbers written on them, and during intermission, the fans threw the pucks onto ice. As the chuck-a-puck contest concluded, the ice crews collect the pucks with a snow shovel and place them into a can; once the winning number is called out, they receive a gift that ranges from game tickets to a signed jersey to money gift cards. Overall, the proceeds of the chuck-a-puck contest go to local charities in Bakersfield, and it was great to see people that are fans of both NHL teams participate in a local event.
During intermission, one can usually expect for tempers to have settled down, but that’s not always the case when at the 10:43 remaining in the 2nd period when Coyotes defenseman Dakota Mermis and Kings right wing Justin Auger engaged in a quarrel at the Arizona defense line which resulted in a 2 minute penalty for both players. As the crowd roared with excitement, everyone calmed down, but soon there was an eruption of joy as the Kings scored two more goals prior to the end of the 2nd period. Los Angeles now had a 4-0 lead over Arizona, and Kings fans in the audience couldn’t be more delighted knowing that their team has shown improvement since missing the play-offs last season.
Once the 3rd period started, the Kings were short one player, due to a penalty that carried on over from the 2nd period, but seconds into the period, the Kings offense did not hesitate to rush into the Arizona net and take a 5-0 lead over the Coyotes. Despite their efforts to destabilize the Kings defense, Arizona finally got their moment by the luck of deflection off a Kings skate now making the game 5-1. At 12:04 in the 3rd period, a penalty against Arizona was called, making it 4 Coyotes’ players against 5 Kings, but the Kings power play offense sought little action in the matter and allowed Arizona to kill the power play making it 5 on 5 again.
Overall, the game ended with the Los Angeles Kings beginning their pre-season with a 5-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes, and it was also announced that the NHL would demonstrate the new overtime regulation where if games ended in ties they would start a 5 minute period where it would be 3 on 3. As overtime started, the Los Angeles Kings were able to conduct puck passes that lead to another score against the Arizona Coyotes at the 4:21 mark, thus concluding an evening of hockey in Bakersfield. In the end, hockey fans came out for a night of fun and did not leave disappointed as fans were thankful to the NHL’s decision to host a pre-season game in Bakersfield.
For now, the people of Bakersfield are waiting for the 9th and 10th of October for the Condors season opener when they make their debut into the AHL.
Condors AHL
September 29, 2015
2015 Latino Farmer Conference
The first ever Latino Farmer Conference in California will be hosted at the Radisson Conference Center on November 3 in cooperation between the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The conference will bring together Spanish speaking farmers from around California to share their experiences, network with other farmers, and attend workshops about marketing, production practices, farm finances and programs, and other topics relevant to Spanish speaking farmers.
Where: Radisson Conference Center
1055 Van Ness Avenue
Fresno, CA. 93721
When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ~ November 3, 2015
For further conference information, registration, and view the agenda, please visit: http://www.latinofarmerconference.ncat.org/index.php
September 29, 2015
TC Botany Class Gets an Insightful Field Trip
by Michael Clites
On Tuesday September 22, the Taft College botany class had taken a field trip to the Paramount Farms’ pistachio and almond farm. Over the hour that the class was there, the field regulator member Paul had discussed issues on the California drought and how it affects their harvest, as well as ways to slow down the damage if not stopping it.
Paramount’s pistachio crop has been growing since 1972 and there are sixty-three thousand acres of them. But these crops need one essential thing to live and that is water. Unfortunately, the state of California is in a crisis in which it lacks water. The California drought of 2015 is by far the worst drought to hit the state in all its time and the farmers are getting hit by it the hardest.
While taking a tour of the crop, Paul explained that the lack of water was slowing production and quality of their harvest. With the rate of the pistachio production decreasing, Paramount Farms is forced to find ways to get around the harsh times. One way is the new technique of getting water to the crop. Instead of using your average sprinkler head to water the pistachio crop, they installed rubber water lining along the whole crop that produce less water at a time in order to decrease precipitation in the crop that negatively effects the growth and development of the crop. As opposed to the sprinkler system that was generating too much water and precipitation to the crop.
Although California is in a terrible drought. Paramount Farms and farms across the state are finding new ways every day to get around these harsh times and produce enough product to keep consumers happy.
TC botany students watch and learn about the harvest process.
