Sandra Cisneros

One Book, One Bakersfield, One Kern is pleased to announce our Fall 2012 read will be “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros. The book jacket says it all: “Acclaimed by critics, beloved by readers of all ages, taught everywhere from grade schools to universities across the country … ‘The House on Mango Street’ is the remarkable story of Esperanza Cordero. Told in a series of vignettes — sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous — it is the story of a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago, inventing for herself who and what she will become …”

Lead partners, The Kern County Library and California State University, Bakersfield, are currently seeking local organizations and schools that would like to participate in the read as community partners by creating specific programming for your communities. The read coincides with National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 16-Oct. 15), and we would love to include any and all events related to this annual event. To learn more about how to get involved, contact Kristie Coons at kristiekc@bak.rr.com or 661-203-2528. Partners so far include the Bakersfield Museum of Art and Russo’s Books.

Mark your calendars! Sandra Cisneros will give a free, public talk about her literary works and inspirations at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8, at the CSUB Icardo Center.

Wes Moore speaks to a crowd of 1,700 - including two overflow rooms - at California State University, Bakersfield on Nov. 8, 2011.

Wes Moore signed books for about three hours after his talk at CSUB on Nov. 8, 2011.

With the thunderous cheers and applause that reverberated through the CSUB Student Recreation Center Gym on Nov. 8, one would have thought a rock star was taking the stage. But in this case, it was author Wes Moore, the man behind the 2011 CSUB Runner Reader book and the One Book, One Bakersfield, One Kern common read, “The Other Wes Moore.”

The gym hit capacity with 1,300 seats; about 400 more audience members watched a live feed from two other locations on campus. And Wes Moore stayed until 11:30 p.m. – four and a half hours after his introduction – signing copies of his book for CSUB students and community members who turned out to hear him speak and meet him in person.

It was an amazing event culminating the fall read of “The Other Wes Moore,” which has touched so much of our community and sparked conversations about what we can do to help our youth succeed – to take the path chosen by the author and not fall victim to the path chosen by the other Wes Moore. The author’s speech was as much an intimate look into his inspiration to write the book as it was a call to action for the audience to do something to make the world a better place. For, as he said, “doing nothing is a choice.”

Below are some more notable quotes from his talk. To view a photo gallery from the event, visit CSUB’s Facebook page.

On the title of the book: “No one knows who one Wes Moore is, so why would we want to read about another one? The most important thing about the title is the ‘other.’ Because society is full of others.”

On the idea of the book: “The book is not meant to be a biography or an autobiography but a larger social commentary. It is meant to take readers on a journey. It’s about how decisions we think are small sometimes have big consequences, and how, by understanding another person’s life, you can understand your own.”

On why he wrote the book: “The more I heard about (Wes Moore’s) story and learned about the tragedy, the more I realized how much Wes Moore and I had in common. There were questions I wanted to ask and I knew Wes was the only one who could answer them. … A friend suggested I write the book. I didn’t want to, but I asked Wes about it and he said, I’ve wasted every opportunity I’ve had in my life and I’m going to die in prison. If your book will help you change communities, then do it. … My broader intent was, ‘How can we avoid more tragedies from happening?”

On reader response: “One lady came up to me at a book signing and said, ‘I didn’t like your book. You didn’t give the answer.’ Well that’s because there is no one answer.”

Interesting fact from the night: Of all the questions submitted by CSUB students for the Q&A session with Wes Moore following his talk, the one question asked the most was, “Will you run for president?”

Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall reads a proclamation in honor of Wes Moore, aka "The Colonel," Bakersfield High School's longtime band director. Hal Silverman, left, served as emcee for the ceremony on Nov. 4. Karen Goh and Mary Moore are on the right.

Mary Moore and two of her family members post with Mayor Harvey Hall, Hal Silverman and supervisor Karen Goh after the half-time tribute to Moore's late husband Wes Moore on Nov. 4 at Bakersfield High School.

After a lightening storm caused the cancellation of a Bakersfield High School home football game in September, a planned tribute for the school’s former long-time band director Wes Moore was rescheduled for Nov. 4. This time, the only thing flashing were smiles by all involved in the half-time ceremony: Moore’s widow, Mary, and her family; retired BHS announcer Hal Silverman as emcee; Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall; and Kern County Supervisor Karen Goh.

“Being on Griffith Field brought back so many good memories, and the Drillers won 46-7. The ‘Colonel’ would have loved it,” Mary Moore wrote in an email after the event. “I feel very appreciative and in awe of the respect still given to my husband.”

Her late husband, known to most as “Colonel Moore” or simply the “Colonel,” was director of the BHS bands for 33 years, from 1946 to 1979. During that time, he positively influenced countless students through the power of music and the discipline that comes with being an award winning marching band. The Colonel passed away in 2004 but his memory lives on.

As Bakersfield and Kern County read the best-selling book “The Other Wes Moore” by New York-based author Wes Moore this fall, the community couldn’t help but recall the memories of our own own Wes Moore. The many themes of the book included the importance of education, mentoring, and positive role models for youth. The Colonel embodied all three of these themes in his career at Bakersfield High School.

During the half-time ceremony, Mayor Hall and Supervisor Goh both presented certificates to Mary Moore and her family for the contributions the patriarch made to Bakersfield High School’s students and the greater community. The BHS band played the Driller Alma Mater, which Moore himself composed. And Hal Silverman, who used to announce the Driller band formations during football half-time performances under Moore’s direction (and who in his own right is a BHS legend after announcing games for 40 years), acted as emcee for the ceremony.

It was a moving tribute and a wonderful example of how a common read can pull a community together in celebration, reflection, and discourse. The One Book, One Bakersfield, One Kern committee seeks opportunities like this to expand our annual reads to reach all corners of the community.

You can read memories of The Colonel submitted by community members here on the One Book, One Bakersfield, One Kern website: onebookonebakersfieldonekern.com/category/stories

Dr. Sheila Lloyd, Assistant Professor of English at University of Redlands, speaks to Mark Olsen's English class at Independence High School, which is reading "The Other Wes Moore" using high school curriculum developed in partnership with CSU Bakersfield as part of One Book, One Bakersfield, One Kern.

Hi All – What happens when a community comes together to discuss the strong themes of one great book?  Isn’t it time you saw first hand what effect this Read is having in our community?

Here’s your next opportunity to find out!  Saturday, Oct. 22; 11 a.m., 2nd Floor Founders Mt. Room – The Legacy of Friendship House.  For over five decades, the Friendship House on Cottonwood Road has inspired and mentored families of Southeast Bakersfield.  Friendship House pioneer Fuchsia Ward, will tell the story of the founding of the Friendship House against the backdrop of an era of exciting political change.  Please support Fuchsia in telling the story of one of our community’s great mentoring resources by your attendance.

Program treats you may have missed:

Moore or Less: You Get What You Give – An evening of dramatic readings. Approximately 32 folks enjoyed great art, wine, conversation, and terrific excerpts from The Other Wes Moore given by Empty Space and Bakersfield Community Theatre actors.  A winning combination!

Winning our Future and Life Choices panel discussions on Oct. 15 and 18 – If there is a better way to present the themes of a great book than a panel discussion, it is hard to say what it would be.  Thanks to Harlem and Beyond for creating the Winning our Future panel, which cleverly chose community members – parents, grandparents, single mothers, ex-gang members, teachers, military boot camp personnel, all who reflected characters in Wes Moore’s memoir. (50 people attending)  The Life Choices panel at Bakersfield College, sponsored by Safe Streets Partnership and coordinated by One Book community partner, Bakersfield Police Department Sgt. Mary DeGeare, featured memorable, heartfelt life stories from local ex-gang members as well as  longtime youth mentors. (over 100 attending)

We’re in the home stretch for our The Other Wes Moore programming. Make it your business to attend one of remaining programs, so you can put our Nov. 8 Evening with Wes Moore, in a local context.

– Kristie Coons, Coordinator of One Book, One Bakersfield, One Kern

Children's First Town Hall Meeting at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church on Oct. 6.

We have begun October programming with two great events:

Oct. 4 – How One Decision Changed My Life, Russo’s Books
Thomas Robinson led the conversation with about 20 attendees, including members of the public as well as Mark Olsen’s Independence High School English class, which is reading “The Other Wes Moore.”  The kids were reluctant to share their life-changing decisions at first, but Thomas began with his own junior high decision to leave a group of “friends” who definitely did not have his best interests at heart; his personal and easy-to-relate-to story struck a chord with the students particularly, and decisions both heartening and heartbreaking followed.
Oct. 6 – Solutions for our Children’s Futures, Children First’s Town Hall Meeting, Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church
It was an intriguing idea to relate the themes of “The Other Wes Moore” directly to the lives of Bakersfield City School District’s children, and Mt. Zion hosted a packed house of community members, agency/nonprofit heads and elected officials. The power point presentation given by Emerson Middle School principal Kempton Coman was particularly effective, highlighting the crucial roles of the community partners which support Emerson. This statement Kempton made really stood out for me thinking about the lives of the two Wes Moores and the futures of children locally. “Aspirations without opportunities mean nothing.”

Children First Director Andrae Gonzales comments on the evening: “With over 67 leaders from various community-based organizations, government agencies, businesses, and neighborhoods, and over 100 community members in attendance, the Children First campaign began an important community conversation about solutions for our children! Thank you so much for making the Children First Town Hall meeting a great success. One Book, One Bakersfield, One Kern would like you to know that you can continue the community conversation about “The Other Wes Moore” on its website at http://onebookonebakersfieldonekern.com.

Upcoming event too good to miss!
Tuesday, Oct. 11-6pm – Dramatic readings from the book, given by local actors in the beautiful setting of the Bakersfield Museum of Art and David Gordon promises libations at the informal mixer prior to the readings!

– Kristie Coons, Coordinator of One Book, One Bakersfield, One Kern

Youth from the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center's after-school program listen to Kern County Supervisor Karen Goh tell them she believes in them at the kickoff event for One Book, One Bakersfield, One Kern on Sept. 20, 2011.

Here is a report on the progress of our One Book read of “The Other Wes Moore”:

Tues. 9/20 – Kick-off Day was busy!  That morning the Read was officially proclaimed by the Kern County Board of Supervisors,  with brief comments by Emerson Case, CSUB, 1st Year Experience Coordinator, and Andrae Gonzales, Read community partner for Children First.

Tues. 9/20 – The Kick-off at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center gymnasium was attended by about 80 people, including students at the community center after school. David Gordon did a great job as master of ceremonies. Thomas Robinson of Russo’s not only sold books, he also opened the kick-off with a dramatic reading from the book, and wowed the audience with a moving rendition of “I think I can Fly.” All three major TV stations covered the opening event. The student performers were very entertaining. Next year we’ll have to insert all that inspiration and entertainment in a more time-efficient package! Thanks to all who participated and/or attended.

Thurs. 9/22-  East Bakersfield High School’s Associated Student Body sponsored the film screening of “The Pursuit of Happyness.” I had forgotten how powerful that film is, and applicable to the themes of “The Other Wes Moore.” Around 100 students and families from the neighborhood attended. East High’s Workforce students (an evening high school diploma program for kids who have previously dropped out up to age 19) were there with their history teacher and participated in the discussion. When discussion leader Andrae Gonzales pointed out how the Will Smith character needed to concentrate on numerous daily survival tasks, while still planning for job success in the future, a young woman raised her hand and said, “That’s why I am still in high school!” That’s the kind of insights a community read is all about.

Fri. 9/23 – A One Book first – a One Book event cancelled by a lightning storm. Yep – after waiting through three 30-minute delays at the Bakersfield High School/Foothill High School football game, with the planned half-time tribute to our own (Colonel) Wes Moore being presented to the Colonel’s widow, Mary Moore and family, the game was cancelled. Now you all have a chance to attend the rescheduled presentation at the Nov. 4 BHS football game!

Sat. 9/24 – Senator Michael Rubio’s office presented personal copies of “The Other Wes Moore” to all Sgt. John Money’s Lamont Sheriff’s Activities League participants today after a discussion of personal choices led by Rubio field rep. Leticia Perez. Attending CSUB students/recent graduates told the SAL kids their own stories overcoming obstacles, and the young SAL students shared their academic/career dreams.  All the kids were excited about hearing Wes Moore on Nov. 8 and transport for the group is being planned.

What terrific One Book program will you be attending, telling your circles of influence about, and bringing friends to in the next few weeks?

– Kristie Coons, Coordinator of One Book, One Bakersfield, One Kern

Community figures will speak at the event, and youth performances will showcase positive life choices. Performers include an oral language festival team from Thorner Elementary School, youth actors from Bakersfield Community Theatre, and dancers from Penn Point Dance Academy. The Bakersfield Police Department and the Arts Council of Kern will also unveil a community mural project that will depict themes of the book along Union Avenue – a central location that bridges Bakersfield’s diverse communities.

The speaker lineup includes:

Kristie Coons, Coordinator of One Book, One Bakersfield, One Kern
Diane Duquette, Director of Libraries, Kern County Library
Dr. Soraya Coley, CSUB Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs
Fuchsia Ward, Director of Alternative Education for Kern High School District
Rudy Salas, Bakersfield City Council Member
Tony Martinez, Bakersfield Police Department
Claire Putney, Mural artist

The master of ceremonies will be David Gordon, assistant director of the Bakersfield Museum of Art. There will also be a dramatic reading and song performance by Thomas G. Robinson, business development manager at Russo’s Books, and director of marketing for Bakersfield Community Theatre.

For more information, call the Kern County Library at 661-868-0745.

Colonel Wes Moore, Director of Bands for Bakersfield High School, 1946-79.

As the One Book, One Bakersfield, One Kern committee geared up for this fall’s read of “The Other Wes Moore” (about two boys named Wes Moore growing up in Baltimore), community members here shared a recurring comment: Bakersfield has its own noteworthy Wes Moore. And, in following one of the key themes of the book – that mentoring can make a difference in a young person’s future – Bakersfield’s Wes Moore should be celebrated for positively influencing countless youth.

Known to most as Colonel Moore, or “The Colonel,” the late Wes Moore was the Director of Bands for Bakersfield High School from 1946 to 1979. During his tenure, the Driller Marching Band was known for its precision marching and musicality. They performed in parades, including the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena and the U.S. Bicentennial in Washington, D.C, and at football games both at home and up and down the state. The BHS Concert Band consistently received superior ratings at the annual Kern County Music Educators Association Ratings Festival.

Moore was inducted into the Hall of Fame of California Music Teachers in 2001.

In response to a call for submissions in The Bakersfield Californian, BHS alumni and former teachers shared their memories of Colonel Moore, who was known for his militaristic style and disciplined marching orders. Like the book’s author, who credits military school for putting him on the straight and narrow, many of Colonel Moore’s former students say his strict expectations taught them the respect and discipline they needed to succeed.

Colonel Moore also served for 30 years as the operations manager of the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra – a role his wife, Mary Moore, took over after he passed away in 2004 and continues to this day.

In appreciation of Colonel Moore’s impact on so many BHS students and the community, there will be a short tribute ceremony during the half-time of the Bakersfield High School football game on Friday, Sept. 23. Mary Moore and her family will be in attendance, and Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall will present a proclamation on Moore’s behalf.

To read all of the stories submitted about The Colonel, and to post your own, visit the “Stories” section of the One Book website at http://onebookonebakersfieldonekern.com.

Monty Byrom

By the time I hit high school I already knew what I wanted to do with my life: play music! Col. Moore saw that right away. But he knew something I didn’t: That the rest of school and college were just as important and somehow he got me to understand that. The Colonel had a way with kids that demanded respect without asking for it, a very rare trait.

I was in every music class I could sign up for and one morning in orchestra, Archie Raider sent me to the principal’s office and I’m sure I deserved it. On my way I ran into the Colonel and of course he asked where I was going. When I told him, he did something I never expected. He followed me into the office and asked to see the principal. I still didn’t know what was coming and all of a sudden he starts telling him that Raider may be the one with a problem, not me, and that I was one of his best and most talented students. That went a long way with me and 40 years later I’m still telling that story.

A good 15 years later after a few records and tours under my belt, I ran into the Colonel getting my oil changed. I heard that big baritone voice and knew right away who it was. I was genuinely excited to see him after all these years. The first thing he said to me was, “I heard that you sang with Barbara Streisand!”

Of course I was happy and proud to tell him, yes Colonel I sang a duet with her on her last record. But what he said next was not only hilarious and something I’ll never forget, but you almost had to know him to get it. He pointed his finger and poked me on the shoulder and said in almost a girlish voice, “Can I touch you?”

We laughed and I don’t remember exactly what I said as I was leaving, probably about how much he meant to me or something along those lines. I don’t know if he ever really knew how much he meant to this kid from Bakersfield.

Monty Byrom, Class of 1976

This story was submitted in response to a call for memories about Bakersfield’s own Wes Moore, the late Colonel Moore, who directed the Bakersfield High School bands from 1946-79 and positively influenced countless youth. For the original call for submissions, click here.