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Community Noticias

Florez announces freeze relief legislation

State Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, has introduced three measures to provide relief to those businesses, farmers and farmworkers adversely affected by the recent freeze, which is estimated to have destroyed $1 billion worth of citrus crops alone.

The bills would seek income and property tax relief for individuals and businesses, jobs for displaced farmworkers and utility payment relief for farmers. 

Florez’s Senate Bill 114 would allow those who suffered financial losses as a result of freeze in the winter of 2006-07 to deduct the losses against their prior year’s income, as they would be allowed to do if the President had declared a disaster, making some eligible for a much-needed tax return.

The measure would also allow for reassessment of property damaged by the freeze with a one-year backfill to local government for the loss of property tax revenue.
“We have an opportunity to act now to aid our agriculture industry at a critical time,” Florez said. “Many farmers and other business owners will need assistance to maintain the capital to move forward after a loss of this scale.”

The companion measures to SB 114 are SB 115 and SCR 6.  Under SB 115, the Employment Development Department would receive federal dollars from the Unemployment Trust Fund to create jobs for those unemployed by the freeze, assisting farmers in their freeze clean-up efforts.

Open Enrollment for Kern High School District

Current eighth-graders who will be incoming freshmen this fall can apply for admission to a high school other than the one based on their residential address.
Parents or guardians of students entering the ninth grade in 2007-08 must apply in person at the Kern High School District Office.

If the parent/guardian is unable to attend, another adult may act as the student’s designee. A proxy application for the designated adult may be picked up at the Kern High School District office .

Admission is granted to the school of choice provided that space is available at the school. Open enrollment applications are processed randomly and there is no guarantee of student placement.

Eighth-grade students who receive open enrollment will be ineligible to play athletics for one year.

Parents or legal guardians are urged to apply at the district office at 5801 Sundale Ave. The applications, as well as the student’s social security number, will need to be brought to the district office on the following date and times:

2 to 8 p.m., Feb. 2.

10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Feb. 3

Complete details about Open Enrollment and information about each school is available at the campus nearest you or at the district office. If you have questions about your attendance area, call 827-3256. If you have other questions about the Open Enrollment process, call 827-3157.

Florez lauds inclusion of food safety funds

State Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, will introduce legislation of an additional $2.1 million to enable the soon-to-be Department of Public Health “to effectively respond to foodborne causes of illnesses.”

 “We’ve been talking since September about the need to assure the public that we are putting some real teeth into regulation and a quick tracking system in the event of outbreaks, so consumers can feel secure moving forward that the produce on store shelves is safe to eat and to feed to their children,” Florez said. “I will be very encouraged when I see these funds being used effectively toward that end, and I look forward to being an active part of the process.”

 Florez announced in September, following the deaths of three people across the country from contaminated California spinach, that he would develop a California Produce Safety Action Plan to introduce in the upcoming legislative session. He then convened a hearing of the Senate Governmental Organization Committee on the issue. 

 Industry representatives have opposed mandatory regulations and the enforcement actions that come with those, according to Florez.

 “The additional funds from Gov. Schwarzenegger say to me that he understands this is a role the state must play on behalf of the people who sent us here, to protect the public health, as well as an industry which the Central Valley depends on,” said Florez.
 
American Cancer Society seeking volunteers

For more than 30 years, the American Cancer Society has marked the beginning of spring with Daffodil Days, a long-standing fundraising program to help raise money to support the fight against cancer and share hope for all people facing the disease.

This year’s Daffodil Days is coming to Kern County on Feb. 1. 

The American Cancer Society is currently looking for volunteers, individuals, organizations and businesses to assist in taking orders, packing and delivering daffodils during February and March.

To volunteer with the Daffodil Days program, contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345, or the local field office at 661-327-7827.

New art exhibition at BC

The Wylie and May Louise Jones Gallery at Bakersfield College will debut art works by Iva Hladis, Marla Fields and Yasunari Nakagomi.
The joint exhibit runs from Feb. 1 through March 1 and will be closed on President’s Day, Feb. 19.
A reception for the artists will be held 6 to 8 p.m., Feb. 1.
Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 1 to 7 p.m.
Admission to the Wylie and May Louis Jones Gallery is free, but guests should anticipate paying for parking.
For information on the exhibit, call 395-4616.

Annual chess tournament for local students
The Sixth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Chess Classic will be held at at Independence Elementary School from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Jan. 27.
It is open to students in grade K-12. Entry fee is $15 and $25 after Jan. 24.
Entry forms can be found on-line at: www.youthchess.com
For more information, call 827-9075.

— Community News items compiled by MÁS staffer Isaac Rocha