Reader: I was just reading the
fantastic coverage you have on
local high school sports today,
March 14th. And, wow, the Garces
boys tennis team scrambled for an
SEYL win the 13th. And I saw the
other day that David Carr signed a
deal to sit on the bench for the New
York Giants.
When is the paper going to have
some justice and fair (and important)
reporting. Your paper still has
not written anything about Shafter
High junior Anna Jelmini. She is a
discus thrower at Shafter (and if
your sports editor does not know
this then you have some problems)
who, by the way, leads not only the
state in the event but the entire
nation with a top mark of over 172
feet.
Someone in the area is the top in
the nation for discus and you don’t
have an article on the young lady? I
bet if she was attending BHS you
would write something up real
quick and comment on how BHS
has a history of great throwers. But
the young girl is just from Shafter
so it does not matter to you.
— Matt Velasquez

Jenner: Anna Jelmini certainly
is newsworthy. Sports Editor Tony
Lacava talked to her coach a week
ago and sportswriter Zach Ewing
knows all about her marks.
And a feature on her is planned,
as well as a piece on Foothill High
student Dayshan Ragans, who is
one of the top male throwers in the
country.
Your suggestion that we’re
biased against her because she
attends Shafter High is out of line.

Reader: I’m a little concerned
about one of the photos the media is
running of the uncle accused of
murdering his niece in California
City. The one in question is the
alleged murderer wearing sunglasses,
a do-rag and holding a big
gun. I think it’s prejudicial and he’ll
later snivel that he wants a change
of venue because we all have seen
him looking like, well, a murderer.
Forensic evidence clinched the
arrest and he may be guilty as heck,
but he hasn’t been tried yet and this
photo conceivably could taint
future jury members. If I were you,
I’d select a different photo of him
for the paper as his case goes
through the judicial process.
Thank you for considering.
— Sandy Nozick

Jenner: Editors felt it was noteworthy
that someone would pose
for that photo. I can’t imagine he
could succeed in obtaining a
change of venue based on the publication
of that photo, nor do I believe
it threatens his right to a fair trial.

Reader: I wanted to thank The
Californian for your responsible
journalism regarding the
spay/neuter issue. The pictures in
the paper that you had were
absolutely necessary so the children
of the next generation can see
where their parents who are objecting
to this have gone wrong in the
past. Perhaps they can rectify it for
future generations and how they
feel about the animals and the spaying
and the neutering. Thank you
again.
— Candy Bunes

Reader: The story in Monday’s
Californian headlined “Locals Carrying
Hefty Debts” seems to be an
opinion with facts added. That
being the case, I have a different
opinion on this story. In order to
run for any office in today’s times, it
takes a lot of money to run for
office.
We need young and old to come
forward and want to take an interest
in their communities. That
means we need to have good, qualified
consultants to guide the campaign
and they need money.
The paper is raising the question
of money being owed to Mark Abernathy,
the Consultant for Councilman
Ken Weir, Assemblywoman
Jean Fuller and Councilwoman
Jacquie Sullivan. Questions can
always be asked as was one that I
heard over and over again when
Stan Ellis was running. That was
“why was he investing so much of
his own money in the political position
of Assemblyman.” I have met
Stan Ellis and he is a very nice person
but the question was there and I
think it hurt his campaign.
I think that if you check out the
job these three clients of Mark
Abernathy are doing as thoroughly
as you have their debts, you would
find that there is nothing that shows
any favoritism to Mark Abernathy.
You would find that they are hardworking
individuals that care about
their community.
Our votes and support of Councilman
Ken Weir, Assemblywoman
Jean Fuller and Councilwoman
Jacquie Sullivan have been a good
investment for all of those who supported
them.
— Irene Edmonds

Jenner: The story made it clear
that no laws have been broken by
these officeholders nor by Abernathy.
It’s our job to examine political
fundraising and to tell readers
when candidates are in someone’s
debt.
We didn’t come up with this
question ourselves. For years readers
have asked why candidates are
able to amass major debts and
seemingly never pay them back.
Government team editor Christine
Bedell adds: “When I recently
posted our latest campaign finance
contribution information on the
politics blog, a couple of bloggers
specifically asked me to whom the
candidates owed their debts. So I
decided we needed to finally do a
story.”
Our story was fair, balanced and
newsworthy.

Reader: Amazing picture on
Page B1 March 14, or should I say
(hopefully) eye-opener! Please run
this picture again. Kudos to photographer
Felix Adamo — how insightful!
I wonder how many people truly
stopped to comprehend the meaning
of this picture. We rarely stop to
see how we are all on the same destination
(eventually), but we take
different avenues sometimes by
choice and sometimes not. Let us
all be aware and not pass judgment,
but instead a helping hand.
— Calette Gafner

Jenner: Thanks for your comments.
It was a great photo. Here it
is again.

Reader: This is regarding Tuesday’s
article “Feast of feathers:
Boating trip on Isabella Lake offers
close-up photos of variety of birds.”
First, thanks for mentioning Lake
Isabella in Bakersfield’s nearby
Kern River Valley. Nice photos.
But sadly the article’s author didn’t
go the extra mouse clicks or make a
few phone calls to talk to some of
Kern River Valley’s many bird
experts.
The article would have been far
better had he done a little research.
All he’d have had to do is visit
www.KRVR.org to gain access to
the Kern River Valley’s natural
resources.
Why were no local bird experts
asked? Experts like Wofford
Heights’ John Schmitt, Weldon’s
Alison Sheehey or renowned birder
Bob Barnes? Well, Bob is probably
still giving a birder tour in Costa
Rica. But there is simply NO
EXCUSE for the oversight and
snub to the Kern River Valley residents.
Facts quoted from U.S. Forest
Service’s Wendy Rannals are simply
wrong about the bald eagle,
whose numbers have dropped precipitously
from a high of 20
observed during the 2001 Christmas
Bird Count. This year, according
to Wofford Heights bird expert
John Schmitt, there were seven
individuals seen over the course of
the year and never in high numbers.
There was only one seen by
all of the teams of expert birders
who participated in the Kern Valley
Christmas Bird Count.
I am glad the article mentioned
the “South Fork Wildlife area” but
dismayed that it failed to mention
the Kern River Preserve run by
Audubon California or California
Fish and Game’s Canebrake
Reserve. Maybe The Californian
can make amends by giving
advance notice and good coverage
of the 14th Annual Kern River
Nature Festival put on by Audubon
California’s Kern River Preserve
April 30th through May 6th in Weldon,
Kernville and Wofford
Heights http://kern.audubon.org
/KRVSNF.htm.
Sincerely,
— Richard Cayia Rowe

Jenner: I’m sure Casey Christie,
whose words and photos in this
newspaper have celebrated the natural
beauty of the Kern River Valley
for more than 25 years, will be
interested to hear he has snubbed
the Kern River Valley.

Reader: Enough already with the
Famous Dave’s frenzy — we get it.
This chain restaurant opened a
month ago and it still seems like I
can’t open this paper or log onto the
Web site one day without seeing an
article or review on it (in fact,
Thursday’s Californian had a 2
page spread on Famous Dave’s in
the Eye Street section).
I know that there are more important,
interesting and worthwhile
things happening around us in Bakersfield
that should be covered.
Maybe The Californian should focus
on quality rather than quantity —
stop covering stale, old news stories
and fill your paper with smart, quality
journalism that the people in Bakersfield
should be reading.
Sincerely,
— Abby Tomlinson

Jenner: New restaurants are a
big deal in this town, and I don’t
have a problem with a story on the
restaurant’s opening and a review.
We also used this restaurant’s
arrival as an opportunity to explore
the phenomenon of this community’s
reaction to new chain restaurants.
That said, I also feel I’ve read
enough about this place for awhile.
I take great issue with your suggestion
that The Californian isn’t
filled with smart, quality journalism,
however.

Reader: I want to thank The Californian
for paying tribute to our
fallen heroes with Wednesday’s
page dedicated to local casualties in
Iraq and Afghanistan.
It was moving and appropriate.
They represent the brave service
people from our area and deserve
our thanks. The pictures will be a
keepsake.
— Marie Buergey

Reader: I scanned the local section
this week for mention of the
37th annual Math Field Day at
CSUB held on March 8 because our
school had done so well at the competition.
(Yay, Ridgeview!)
This event, which draws high
schools from as far away as Clovis
and Visalia, allows students to compete
in events that display their
math skills.
Most of our local high schools
sent teams. I guess this is one of the
many academic competitions that
The Californian doesn't have room
to cover.
In case anyone would like to view
the results, the awards list is on the
Math Field Day Web site at
www.csub.edu/~dgove/mfd.htm.
Thanks,
— Sandy Minner

Jenner: It’s true we simply can’t
cover every academic competition,
just as we can’t cover every prep
sports event.
We would like to share the
results through our Web site and,
when possible, in print.
We encourage school districts to
submit results to us by posting
results, stories and photos to bakersfield.
com/yourwords.

Reader: I must question the
validity of the story in Wednesday’s
Local section, “Prayers for Peace.”
You done been hoodwinked.
Nora Weber is the local left-wing
rabble rouser for Move-on.org, the
group that hates President George
Bush!
Let’s get the facts straight!
How about being “fair and balanced?”
If I cannot trust you on this one,
how can I trust you on other articles?
— Donald F. Kurtz

Jenner: I spoke with the Rev.
Tim Vivian, a leader of Remain
Episcopal and professor of religious
studies at Cal State. Vivian
says he planned the vigil and had
announced it to his congregation.
He later listed the event on
moveon.org’s Web site.
Vivian announced at the start of
the event that it was non-partisan
and not the forum for political
statements.
Prayers were offered for our
troops, our political leaders, the
people of Afghanistan and Iraq and
so on.
The vigil was held on the fifth
anniversary of the Iraq war, and
was attended by 63 people.
This event seems newsworthy to
me, and I have no problems with
our coverage.