It cannot be said for sure whether visions of sugar plums were actually dancing in their heads, but visitors attending the Opening Reception of Clock Tower Holidays at the Kern County Museum on Nov. 20 had the theme, "Visions of Sugar Plums," on their minds. More than sugar plums, this was a "sweet tooth’s" delight. There were sweets hanging, intertwined and balanced on holiday trees, the sweetest wreaths you would ever want to see and tables lined with edible cakes, cookies, gingerbread trifles and on and on and on. This, the sixth year the museum has presented its annual celebration of the holidays, is possibly its sweetest. Each year local artists and designers are given the challenge of uniquely decorating holiday trees and wreaths to match the museum’s theme for the season. Last year it was "Movie Magic" featuring cinematic scenes, props and so forth giving the museum’s Main Gallery a Hollywood feel. This year they have woven favorite treats, sweets, festivals, parties and even history into their creations to capture the essence of the theme Visions of Sugar Plums. While the creations await the loving approval of future visitors, the melding of visions and taste buds could only be realized at the reception. Attendees spent $25 each to get an eyeful and a mouthful of sweets. The reception featured long tables of gourmet desserts and entrées prepared by some of the county’s finest restaurants, bakeries and confectioneries. Just before the doors opened to visitors at 5 p.m., Christina Burubeltz from the Country Rose Tea Room was adding a dusting of sugar snow to the gingerbread trifles. More

Students and parents in Delano as well as the Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS) are anxiously watching new construction that is taking place on Cecil Avenue near Randolph. When completed, it will be an imaginative, three building educational complex known as North Kern Community School. According to Student Services Administrator Ken Taylor, it may be open to begin enrolling students as early as March of next year. Taylor said it is a much needed facility which will provide education for students who have been expelled from their traditional schools, are on probation or because of their behavior are at risk of falling into one of those categories. He estimates 40 percent of the students in KCSOS Court and Community Schools programs come from outside the greater Bakersfield area and that the new facility will be the first effort to offer more comprehensive educational services to that population in the outlying areas. The complex will consist of an administrative building with a general purpose classroom and others for special education, technology, independent study and space for partnering agencies such as the Kern County Probation Department. More

It would be hard growing up in new surroundings with people referring to you as "Odocoileus hemionus." Oh sure, you could bring it down a notch - simplifying your name to "Mule Deer." But even then, since there are two of you, how would you know which one they were talking about when the name was mentioned? Such is the current fate of the two newest residents at the California Living Museum (CALM) in Bakersfield. They had their coming out party on the Oct. 25 "Boo-at-the-Zoo" pre-Halloween event at CALM. Ironically, very little, short of a blatant attempt to scare them, seems to frighten these six month-old fawns. They are facing a brave new world, nameless, but apparently not clueless. And they will not be nameless much longer. A "Help Us Name CALM's New Male Mule Deer Fawns" drive is underway. Got some names in mind? All you have to do is go to CALM's Web site, http://www.calmzoo.org. On the right hand side of the page click for an entry blank right below the words, "Help us name CALM's new Mule Deer Fawns." Fill in the names on the form and with a one dollar entry fee, mail it to: Name the Mule Deer Fawns — CALM, 10500 Alfred Harrell Hwy, Bakersfield, CA 93306. Or on an upcoming visit to CALM, drop off the entry form and your dollar at the front desk. Deadline for entries is Dec. 31. Grand prize winners will receive a CALM Family Membership and a plush toy fawn. Winners will be announced Jan. 7. More

Germany gets credit for turning beer into a month long "fest," as in Octoberfest. However, when it comes to chili, Mobility Opportunities Via Education (MOVE) International and Bakersfield Association for Retarded Citizens (BARC) introduced a new "fest," a "Soup-toberfest" on Oct. 30 at the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office in Bakersfield. Forget for the moment that chili was served and not soup. Clam chowder, along with chili, was on the original menu when the word Soup-toberfest was coined by event planners in September. Since they both are served in a bowl and chili kind of has the same consistency of thick soup, just consider it an exercise in semantics. What Soup-toberfest offered was something new for downtown workers and residents looking to satisfy their lunch-time appetites and help severely disabled children and adults at the same time. More than 150 people decided to do just that, spending $12 to feast on a bowl of Sequoia Sandwich Company chili in collectible, ceramic bowls, hand-painted by BARC clients. The proceeds benefited BARC and MOVE, both of which are making it possible for children and adults with severe disabilities to gain independent movement. Since it was a first-time event, there was a small glitch, some of the chili had not been pre-heated when it came time for serving. But the friendly, generous patrons seemed little deterred or disappointed by the extra wait. Comments afterwards indicated it was more about the hand-painted bowls and helping those being helped by MOVE and BARC than it was about the warmth of the chili. More

Neither rain or threat of rain could keep a small army of young children from their appointed rounds at the Kern County Museum on both Oct. 30 and 31. Those were the nights for the museum’s 25th annual Safe Halloween. Spending $8 a ticket gave each child (with a parent or guardian) the chance to trick-or-treat off the streets and in the safety of the museum grounds. A project of the nonprofit Kern County Museum Foundation, Safe Halloween bills itself as Kern County’s premier trick-or-treat experience. Surrounded by all the rustic, pioneer structures that have served families settling Kern County in the past, the antique setting makes it sort of like “Trick-or-Treat Meets Back to the Future." Among the fun for children were over 30 local service club and business operated trick-or-treat stations, a carnival, costume contest, food and beverages. Approximately 4,400 children and parents took part each night as their brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles have over the past 24 years. Sponsors included Kern Family Health Care, Diane S. Lake Family, KERO TV23 and Azteca America Kern County 42 and Groove 99.3 FM. More