Garden Pathways, Inc.

The Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce announced the 2007 Beautiful Bakersfield Award winners Saturday.

Chamber President Debbie Moreno said these awards, which have been held annually for more than 20 years to recognize service or outreach in the community in the previous year, give the Chamber and community members a chance to promote positive works.

"We want to recognize and salute the quality of life and the good things people are doing," she said.

"When you recognize people for their good works, it encourages others to do likewise."

One winner was recognized in each of 15 categories, as well as one overall winner, which was picked from all the nominations to win the Chairman's Award.

Since its grand opening in April 2006, the Bright house Amphitheatre at the Park at River Walk has hosted a Beatles cover band, the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra, Keith Sweat, and many other acts. In addition, free wireless Internet accesshas recently been added.

Allen Abe, assistant director for the Bakersfield Recreation and Parks Department, said the site allowed them to take advantage of Bakersfield's natural topography for natural seating.

"If you go to the top of that hill, you can look over the entire city area," he said.

Just under five years ago Bakersfield had virtually no active branch of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Association. Michael Gagner and Stacy Inman changed that.

Gretchen Lightfoot, director of development for the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the ALS Association, said that Gagner -- who has ALS, also know as Lou Gehrig's disease, a neurological disease that can make walking or speech difficult -- had been coming to support meetings in L.A. for four years with Inman, his wife, but the drive became too difficult. So, the couple proposed starting meetings in Bakersfield.

To raise money to support the Bakersfield outreach, Gagner and Inman organized the Walk to D'Feet ALS.

They raised $30,000 in 2004, $112,000 in 2005, and $116,000 in 2006. Now, the Bakersfield walk is second in size only to the L.A walk.

Other nominees: Clinica Sierra Vista; First 5 Kern; Judy Hilburn; Kevin Legg; Cynthia Marshall; Precision Pharmacy

Wendall Kinney's been playing piano for more than 75 years, and his talent continues to be an entertainment bright spot at numerous locations, including Glenwood Gardens, 350 Calloway Drive; the Rasmussen Senior Center, 115 E. Roberts Lane; and First Presbyterian Church, 1705 17th St.

"What Wendall does is play the style of music that really brings back memories," said Judy Ardray, recreation supervisor for senior programs at Rasmussen Senior Center. "It gives (seniors) a chance to remain active and healthy."

The largest park in the Bakersfield Recreation and Parks Department system at 32 acres, the Park at River Walk opened in 2006, providing community members with access to the river, bike paths, and the Bright House Networks Amphitheatre.

Other nominees: American Kids Sports Center; Brundage Development; California Keyboards; Safe 1 Credit Union; San Dimas Pediatrics; Windermere

Arts -- group

Winner: E3 Performing Arts, a division of Garden Pathways Inc.

"E3 Performing Arts, an alternative day care service that has been in operation for more than 10 years, aims to provide students with artistic outlets at their after-school programs and summer and winter day camps.

"With more and more time being spent on academics in school, we see an opportunity," said Karen Goh, executive director for Garden Pathways Inc, the organization that includes E3.

"We believe that each student has a unique purpose and creativity within them."

Goh said E3, which has served more than 250 students last year, wants to provide equal access to the arts with their programs that include vocal and instrumental music, fine art, dance and drama, and homework help.

Other nominees:Americans Concerned About Patriotism (ACAP) Productions -- Keep Old Glory Flying; Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra; Buena Vista Museum of Natural History; Kaiser Permanent, Renfro & Cunningham and The Boys & Girls Club of Kern County

In 2006, the Homeless Center merged with the Alliance Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault to preserve services to domestic violence and sexual assault victims in Kern County, as well as maintaining their 24-hour, 7-days-a-week service to area homeless children and families.

"About 80 percent of homeless women have experience domestic violence," said Diana Campbell-Rice, associate director for the two centers.

Other nominees: Alpha Canine Sanctuary; Girl Scouts -- Joshua Tree Council; Kern Veterans Memorial Foundation Inc.; Korean War Veterans Association -- Chapter #211; Links for Life; M.A.R.E. Therapeutic Riding Center; Mended Hearts -- Chapter #77

In operation for nearly 20 years, the Bakersfield Women's Business Conference provided more than 1,200 women with networking opportunities and counsel at the 2006 Women's Business Conference.

With speakers such as actress Jane Seymour and workshops on topics ranging from personal health to professional tips, the conference aims help women gain resources for success.

Other nominees: Granite Construction; Houston Jewelers; Price Environmental Services; The Ultimate Bridal Event

A vacant, crumbling Buick dealership at the block bounded by 23rd, 24th, L and M streets has become a vibrant, multi-business shopping and service center. At the new Village at Towne Centre, owners Bob Bell and Mark Thomas added restaurants, a pharmacy, a salon and other various services to the spiffed-up location.

"Your mixed use project has brought much needed neighborhood services to a central location," wrote Sue Benham, a Bakersfield City Council member, in a letter.

Other nominees: Assistance League of Bakersfield; Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Main Lobby; Deerot Realty

The Foundation at the School District of Greenfield provided homework help and activities to more than 2,000 children in 2006.

Carmen Handy,outreach specialist for the organization, said the program aims to provide students with homework help and extra-curricular activities.

Handy said the district has seen innumerable benefits since starting the program eight years ago, including a reduction in truancy and juvenile crime and increased test scores.

Other nominees: Bakersfield Museum of Art; Pat DeMond; Syed Khizer; Jim Riccomini; Stonecreek Junior High School

Working with local developers Castle and Cooke, and Tejon Ranch, and environmental consultant WZI, Central California Power replaced 75 high-emissions diesel engines with new fuel-efficient, lower-emission engines in 2006.

The project, which began about three years ago, benefits all involved, said Rod Headley, California Central Power owner and president. His company gets business, developers offset harmful emissions created by new projects, customers get new engines that save them money and all people living in the valley benefit from the cleaner air that results.

Other nominees:Bakersfield Bluffs & Open Space Committee -- Michelle Beck and Craig Smith; Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary Bike Bakersfield;Keep Bakersfield Beautiful; Kern River Corridor Endowment; Supervisor Mike Maggard --The Bakersfield Planning Department

Working with the nonprofit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, local photographer Stephanie Deveau provides her artistic services free to families who have lost an infant or child.

"It helps them get through the healing process, and this way they have the pictures to cherish," she said. "They can share them with their friends and family and not feel like they're missing something."

Other nominees: John Bagala; C.B. Dickinson III; Charles Hudgins; Debbie Ormonde; Dave Taylor

The Bakersfield Condors gave more than $470,000 in goods, services and monetary donations, made more than 200 appearances in the community and donated 10,000 tickets as incentives for local schoolchildren in the 2006-07 season, among many other charitable outreaches.

"It's all about fan support," said Jill Watts, spokeswoman for the Condors. "Its a return for all the support that our fans provide us. We want a thriving community here."

Other nominees: American Petroleum Institute -- Black Gold Productions; Auto Shopper America; Bakersfield Blaze Booster Club; Bakersfield Blitz; Kern Autism Network; Kern County Department of Human Services -- Holiday Cottage; Kern County Young Lawyers; Kern Security Systems

Winner: Northwest Bakersfield Baseball and Kern County Parks & Recreation Department

Working on a lease from the Kern County Parks and Recreation Department, the Northwest Bakersfield Baseball league renovated 12 baseball fields in Metro Park.

"They have done everything from replacing the lighting to upgrading the electrical, to replacing backstops and dugouts and planting new trees. It's the best (the fields) have ever looked," said Bob Lerude, director for the department.

Other nominees:Bakersfield Association for Retarded Citizens (BARC) -- San Joaquin Bank; Bright House Networks -- City of Bakersfield Recreation and Parks Department; Keep Bakersfield Beautiful -- Caltrans -- Hopson-Anspach Mortuary -- Frito Lay; Kern County Museum Foundation; Leadership Bakersfield 2006 Team Three; Workforce Investment Board -- Employers Training Resource

The nine-year chairman of the Children's Welfare Committee of Kern Kiwanis, Finch has been involved in organized many local charity events. She helped organize a Christmas party for Salvation Army kids, she spearheaded a project to help a local family purchase a van and she has been a team captain for the Leukemia & Lymphoma society's local "Light the Night" walk for nearly 10 years, among many other activities.

"I just feel like if everybody does a little bit to help others, you can get a lot done," she said. "It multiplies."

Other nominees: Sylvia Cariker; Glenwood Gardens; Victor Mungary; Young at Heart

Winner: Bakersfield Students for the Kern Veterans Memorial -- Thomas Benham -- Blake Keathley

Led by Benham and Keathley, local high school students used fundraisers and mailings to aid the construction of the Kern Veterans Memorial.

Fred A. Drew, a retired serviceman and member of the executive committee for the Kern Veterans Memorial Foundation, wrote in a letter that he greatly appreciated the boys' efforts.

"(They) are worthy of the applause and accolades that should come to them by what they have done for this community," he said.

Other nominees: Centennial High School -- Virtual Enterprise Team; Fruitvale Junior High School -- History Day Team; Mercy and Memorial Hospitals -- Youth Center Volunteers; Stockdale High School -- Stockdale Cares

After seeing a story in The Californian about a family in need, Mariah Miranda decided she didn't really need her Christmas gifts. She thought Jesus and Maria Guadalupe Duran and their six children needed them more.

So Miranda returned all her Christmas presents and used the about $100 to buy gifts for the Durans, purchasing diapers, socks, toy animals and dinosaurs and a Barbie doll.

Other nominees: Brittany Allen; Jenny Dell'Acqua; Alberto Garcia; Jennifer Hyatt; Jacob Parks; Cassie Reeves

Service to city recognized Chamber of Commerce honors positive works

Service to city recognized
Chamber of Commerce honors positive works