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Question of the week: News stories to watch for in 2005
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Posted by lward Sat Jan 1, 2005 21:14:00 PST
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0 responses 0 comments A number of news events happened in the Northwest in 2004 that weren't fully resolved. What should I be on the lookout for in 2005?

Alert in Brimhall Estates

Northwest pastor on KHSD board
In the November elections, RiverLakes Youth Pastor Chad Vegas won a seat on the Kern High School District board with 26 percent of the vote. The election of the self-described right-wing Republican has some fearing his openly religious views will influence the board, while others are pleased and look forward to seeing how the new board will proceed.

Apartment project controversies
Many Northwest residents protested multi-housing projects proposed in both the city and county, including projects at Rosedale Highway and Jewetta Road and at Rosedale Highway and Jenkins. Look for the Bakersfield City Council and County Board of Supervisors to make final decisions on some of the projects early in 2005, and keep an eye on agendas for future proposed changes to the General Plan.

Northwest residents also fought to keep small homes away from multi-acre ranches, as in the case of the proposed single-family homes on Snow Road. Keep an eye out as this and similar proposals move forward in local government for consideration.

Aftermath of fireworks death
Robert Haenelt, 40, and his son Anthony Haenelt, 18, were sentenced Dec. 29 to 60 days in jail, 200 hours of community service and three years' probation on one count of involuntary manslaughter for their part in putting together and setting off an illegal firework that killed Raymond Reilly III, 45, on July 4. Aaron Formella, 20, was sentenced in November to 60 days in jail, three years' probation and 200 hours of community service on one count of involuntary manslaughter. Formella will start his jail term Jan. 7 and the Haenelts will begin on Jan. 26.

Matthew Brown, who said he did not light the fatal explosive but lit a similar device that night, pleaded no contest to misdemeanor possession of an illegal firework in August and was sentenced to three years' probation and 300 hours of community service. Reilly's family is suing Robert Haenelt, Anthony Haenelt, Formella and Brown for their participation in the events that led to Reilly's death. That action is pending.


The high school boundary changes
Frontier High School, set to open in August 2006 on the corner of Allen and Kratzmeyer roads, will alleviate some of the overcrowding in the Kern High School District but also cause the lines to be redrawn to decide who will attend Centennial, Liberty, North and Stockdale high schools. Proposed plans will be presented to the Kern High School District Board of Trustees in January. The board will make a final decision by February. For more information call 827-3171 or go to www.khsd.k12.ca.us and click the boundaries icon.

2005 Dream Home
The 2005 St. Jude Dream Home in the Olive Park community will be raffled in the summer with proceeds going to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. Local donations are spent on children in California who need the hospital's services. Builders Shannon and Brandon Roberson of Phoenix Custom Homes are relying on the help of contractors, business people and community members to donate time, labor, materials and money to the project.

New bridge at Allen Road
The late summer of 2005 should see the beginning construction of a bridge where Allen Road meets the Kern River. It will carry Allen Road south over the river to connect with Ming Avenue, opening up another route between Southwest and Northwest Bakersfield.

New Norris Elementary campus
In fall 2005 Norris Elementary, which has been located at the corner of Calloway Drive and Norris Road for more than 120 years, will move to a new location on the southeast corner of Old Farm Road and Mezzadro Avenue. The old campus will be turned over to Norris Middle School, which currently shares the site with the elementary school and district office.

Academic preschool
Rosedale Union School District, along with Greenfield in the southeast Bakersfield, kicked off the Ready to Start program with a four-week session held in the summer of 2004. Administrators are considering offering a full-year preschool in the fall of 2005. Bakersfield, are in the early stages of launching a new preschool program. The community-funded program is one of the first attempts by Kern schools to offer a primarily academic preschool and could pave the way for universal preschool.

CPK and Elephant Bar
Los Angeles-based California Pizza Kitchen Inc. and safari-themed Elephant Bar Restaurant are building restaurants on the northwest corner of Stockdale Highway and Calloway Drive. The restaurants are set to be part of The Crossings at River Walk, a 47-acre, high-end shopping center being developed by Castle & Cooke. The restaurants are scheduled to open in early 2005.

New Fruitvale gym
Fruitvale Junior High's new gym is expected to open between late 2005 and early 2006. The $2 million-plus facility will be 10,000 square feet in size and seat between 750 to 800 people. The school is currently using the Greenacres Community Center gym.

 

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