TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

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1. 

   JOSE GASPAR: New council member has heavy burden to bear

   By Jose Gaspar

   Sunday, Jun 16 2013 03:49 PM

   The special election held earlier this month produced some most interesting observations. First, the Bakersfield City Council has some new blood with the election of Willie Rivera as the people's representative of Ward 1.

   It was a crowded field with six candidates all giving it their best shot at getting elected. Rivera hails from San German, Puerto Rico. It's a small town, centuries old, with a population of around 35,000. Since Puerto Rico is a U.S. commonwealth territory -- some would say colony -- the island's inhabitants are automatic U.S. citizens. That's where Rivera was raised the first 10 years of his life before his family moved to Bakersfield. Talk about culture shock.

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2. 

   JOSE GASPAR: Boy's wish is to give others like him a fighting chance

   I had never heard of adrenoleukodystrophy until I saw the movie "Lorenzo's Oil." Commonly referred to as ALD, it is a rare genetic brain disorder that strikes one in 20,000 people, mostly young boys and men. Sadly, the most devastating...

3. JOSE GASPAR: How dare they advertise in Spanish?

   The viewer named Paul was irate. How can it be, he wanted to know, that McDonald's would place a billboard entirely in Spanish advertising its nutritious meals? In his neighborhood? While "McDonald's and nutritious" may be an oxymoron, the...
4. 

   JOSE GASPAR: Harvey Hall marches on immigration reform

   It takes political courage in this town to have a mayor publicly state that he supports comprehensive immigration reform to address the country's challenge of what to do with 11 million or so undocumented immigrants. That's what...

5. JOSE GASPAR: Beating the odds at Arvin High

   After so much negative publicity involving several local schools, it was refreshing to hear good news coming out of Arvin High School. In case you missed it, Arvin was extended a special invitation to participate in the national We the...

6. JOSE GASPAR: Millions brace themselves for immigration reform

   South High School graduate Maria Perez is one of the hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants to be granted temporary permission to remain in the country and get a work permit and a driver's license. The 19-year-old applied for and...

7. JOSE GASPAR: Activism pays off for Ward 1 residents

   Kudos to determined residents in the city of Bakersfield's Ward 1 who displayed and practiced civic engagement in their community. This is a good example of what can happen when the community organizes and follows through to the end. In...

9. JOSE GASPAR: Locals shooting down idea to arm teachers

   BY JOSE GASPAR Contributing columnist "Not in my wildest nightmares did I expect to hear anything as ridiculous as this!" said veteran teacher Pam Baugher. She was referring to the "solution" offered by numerous politicians across the...

10. JOSE GASPAR: Election produces interesting results for Kern

    The dust appears to have settled and the numbers are in from November's election. Locally this election produced some most interesting results for Kern County. I'd like to examine a few of these and take a look at what the future may bring...

11. My quest for pozole and other good food

    The cooler weather is here, and I welcome it. It means leaves will turn colors and brighten up the neighborhood. It will no longer be too hot to ride a bicycle in the middle of the afternoon or take a walk. No more shorts and sandals,...

12. JOSE GASPAR: Rios' story resonates with Hispanic community

    The local Republican Party is in damage control mode after it was publicly revealed that one of its own candidates, Pedro Rios, said he came to the United States as an undocumented immigrant. An uncle paid a smuggler to bring the then...

13. JOSE GASPAR: Writing, art competition aims to highlight farm worker legacy

    Seventy-three years can make a world of difference in a place that once burned and banned the classic novel "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck. The book was banned from libraries and schools. It depicts the plight of the Okies to...

14. Families grapple with multiple tragedies

    When tragedy strikes and a family loses a loved one, it is not uncommon to discover a scenario in which the same family is still dealing with the recent loss of yet another family member. Such is the case recently that has left two local...