8/14/2019 Charity Dinners

1/3

BY SHELLIE BRANCOCalifornian staff writersbranco@bakersfield.com

Mom, and fellow ladies of the class

of nineteen-sixty-(cough loudly to mask year), how did you do it?

You slept in hair curlersthe size of frozen orange juice cans. You rose at 6a.m. to slap on black eye-

liner and spray andbackcomb your hair

into a winged helmet only several mortar roundscould obliterate. Yourbeauty took work. It was

outrageous, but you stoodout. And I love it.

Ive always admired themonochromatic, clean mod

styles of the early 60s. Thatsbecause my mother neverquite moved on. And whoneeds to, when your idols were Jackie Kennedy,miniskirt inventor Mary Quant and Audrey Hepburn?

It must have been theelated, youthful Kennedy mood of Barack Obamasinauguration that led meto glam up for my coverageof the Bakersfield Sympho-nys annual Black and White Ball (colors fitting for my favorite era).

I figured last Saturdayssmall-town gala wouldgive me a glam fix, but Idiscovered big hair opens

S UNDAY , F EBRUARY 1, 2009 phone: 395-7384 | fax: 395-7519 | e-mail: eyest@bakersfield.com

FSECTION

JO

H

N H

ART

E / THE CALIFORNIAN

The Bakersfield Symphony Ball 23rd annual Gala at Stockdale Country Club on Jan. 24. Cheryl Hilzer and RogerHess enjoy a dance.

BY SHELLIE BRANCOCalifornian staff writersbranco@bakersfield.com

Recession? Pop-pycock!Despite thedoom and gloomof layoffs and

corporate meltdowns,some Bakersfieldians arestill willing to part withtheir cash to support a

good cause.Two cases in point: Last weekendsPlayboy dinnerbenefiting Bakersfield Col-lege ag and culinary artsstudents and the Bakers-field Symphonys annualBlack and White Ball at theStockdale Country Club.

Black and White BallLocals want to see the

arts make it through thedownturn as news circu-lates of other cities failing orchestras and operas.

The Associated Pressreported The Orchestras of Pasadena canceled aNovemberconcert and a winter pops series, theOpera Pacific in Santa Ana

shut down in November,and the Santa Clarita Sym-phony canceled its 2009season.

Supporters are pleased with the Bakersfield Sym-phonys attendance. Eachconcert has drawn 1,700 to2,000 people,said Dodie

Mosby, president of Sym-phony Associates, thefundraising arm of thesymphony.

This years gala, however, was a bit smaller than inpast years, said Symphony Associates treasurer HelenHess. There were roughly a

dozen fewer guests this year, a reflection of theeconomy and guestsscheduling conflicts.

Symphony board mem-ber Dr. John Gundzik, whobrought his wife, Coleen,took a break from his filetmignon to say he believesif the shows good, people will be willing to pay for it,no matter

the economy.The nights73 guestssampledbacon-wrapped dates,artichoke hearts withcream cheese and petitebrie en croute in the cock-tail hour. Ball chairwomanLouise Weber makes herown dresses and appearedin a striking wine-coloredsequined Spanish lacegown from an Oscar de laRenta pattern by Vogue. Itmade dramatic swirlsacross the dance floor tothe big band and ballroommusic of the Ronnie Kay Orchestra.

Milt Younger and hisPlease see FESTIVITIES / F7

Herb BenhamCALIFORNIAN COLUMNIST

This is one big daddykind of Caddy, folks

Iwant one.

The one Im talking about is a 1957 Cadillac Eldo-rado Brougham. Superlatives gush out, too many to

list. The car looks like sex, luxury, grace and fun all inone package.I want one, but Bill Wetzel has one. And hes wantedone a lot longer than I have, so when he finally boughtone last year after chasing the car for 30 years itseemed like the completion of a lifes arc.Go ahead. Pile drive on Detroit. Join the legion ofAmericans whove gone from kicking tires to kickingcar companies.But 52 years ago, Detroit, and, in this case, GM, got itright. The company made 400 Broughams in 1957and 304 in 1958. About 550 have survived. Not a lotof cars.The Brougham sold for $13,400, (a Corvette sold forabout $3,500 and a Bel Air for $2,500) not a lot ofmoney if you were gangster Mickey Cohen, an oil ty-

coon or any garden variety movie star.For Wetzel, a father of two boys, andthe then-owner of Bully Boy, a fertil-izer company (he now has Oasis Turfwith Robert Sandrini) and a guyscrapping for a living, $13,400 might

as well have been a million dollars.

SOCIETY

My remaining daughter at home, a high school senior,had such a boring evening last weekend that she actually went to the movies with her mom. She wanted to seeMarley & Me, which Id heard was pretty sappy, but I

went along to enjoy an unexpected date with my daughter.

The sap flowed freely throughout thefilm, which was based on a collection

of newspaper columns by JohnGrogan, but by the end, so were

our tears. Grogan wrote first forThe South Florida Sun-Sentinel and later for The PhiladelphiaInquirer, often about his yellow lab, Marley. The horrifically behaved Marley caused no endof havoc, but was nevertheless

beloved by his family.Marley & Me brought back memories of Molly. A

shepherd mutt, Molly was my dog before my husbandand I were married, making us an instant family. In 1980, we rented our first apartment without even seeing theinside of it, because the landlord let us have a dog. Molly,our child before we had children, accompanied us justabout everywhere, never requiring theindignity of a leash.

Once we had children, weunderstood that Molly was,indeed, a dog. As the Disney movie-dog Tramp declares,When a baby moves in,the dog moves out! ButMolly was fiercely protectiveof our babies, even as sheavoided their sticky, fur-pulling hands and growled atthem mildly if they over-stepped their mark. She was

not fond of them, but she wasloyal. And she gladly madetheir fallen (or thrown) foodvanish from the floor.

After the movie, I realizedthat my daughter had been 10months old on the day I took

Please see BENHAM / F2

Please see MAKEOVER / F7

JOHN HARTE / THE CALIFORNIAN

Shellie Branco with symphony conductor John Farrer,left, and Milt Younger.

Good food,good music draw donors

Even in troubledtimes, people stillwant to have fun

M

IC

HA

E

L FAGA

NS / THE CALIFORNIAN

William Bloxsom-Carter, left, executive chef at the Play-boy Mansion, demonstrates to BC student Ken Fister atBakersfield College Foundations fundraiser Jan. 23.

A little Amy Winehouse goes a long wayBall offers perfectexcuse for a littleretro glam fix

Valerie Schultzspring22@bak.rr.com

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST

Please see SCHULTZ / F2

THURSDAYS EYE:Read about the Bakersfield Symphonys La Traviata concert and how the orchestra is staying afloat

MOREPHOTOSAND FUN,F7

H

ENRY A

. B

A

RR

IO

STHE CALIFORNIAN

Bill and Karen Wetzel

Marley brings outtears for one before

8/14/2019 Charity Dinners

2/3

TODAYBellvedere Super BowlParty, free deep pitbarbecue, free prize drawingsduring game, 2 p.m.,Bellvedere Cocktail Lounge,3090 Brundage Lane. 325-2139.Finish Line Sports Bar &Grill, see the big game on TV,with food and drink specials,begins at 11 a.m., Red LionHotel, 2400 Camino Del RioCourt. 327-0681.Golden Empire Hot JazzSociety, a dance with musicby the Southside ChicagoSeven, 2 to 5 p.m., Elk'sLodge Banquet Hall, 161630th St. $10 for nonmembers.

665-9083.Guest Speaker, BonnieAnderson, president of theHouse of Deputies of theEpiscopal Church, talkingabout the current schismwithin the church and othermatters, 10 a.m., FirstCongregational Church, 5Real Road.Super Bowl Party, with bigscreen TV; food by Red D'sBarbecue; raffles and prizes,drink specials during the

game, begins at 11 a.m.,Muggs Pub & Eatery, 1306Airport Dr. 393-2035.Super Bowl Sunday,includes Super Bowl lunchspecial, raffle ticket, andchoice of 16-ounce beer, 2p.m., B. Ryder's Sports Bar &Grill, 7701 White Lane, Ste. A.$5. 397-7304.Super Bowl Sunday, watchthe big game on the bigscreen, prime rib buffet withall the fixin's, 1 p.m., CafeMed, 4809 StockdaleHighway. $22.95 for buffet.834-4433.The Wright Super BowlXLIII Party, with barbecue,raffle prizes, begins 3 p.m.,The Wright Place, 2695-CMount Vernon Ave. 872-8831.

UPCOMINGAvenged Sevenfold andBuckcherry, with specialguests Papa Roach andSaving Abel; doors open at5:30 p.m., show at 6:30 p.m.Monday, Rabobank Arena,1001 Truxtun Ave. $39.75.ticketmaster.com or 322-2525.Go Red For Women

Luncheon, The AmericanHeart Association inviteswomen of Bakersfield to viewa unique survivor gallery, 8a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday,Marriott Hotel, 3601 MarriottDrive. For more information,327-1173.Open Forum Travel Series,Don and Fran Van Polen, Seato Sea in a Model T, 3:30p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday,

Bakersfield High School,Harvey Auditorium, 1241 G St.Free. 871-0146.Sierra Club ConditioningHikes, 3 to 5 miles, 7 p.m.Tuesdays, meet at corner ofHighways 178 and 184. 872-2432 or 873-8107.

F2 THE BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN EYE STREET S UNDAY , FEBRUARY 1, 2009

Wetzel took sick with theI want the 57 CadillacBrougham virus 31 yearsago. The only cure wassnagging one of thosedreamboats that featureddual quad carburetors, low-profile tires, tinted glass,forged aluminum wheels,automatic favorite positionseat, air spring and leveling system, brushed stainlesssteel top, vanity instrumentpanel compartment includ-ing: comb and mirror, lip-stick holder, compact andpowder puff, and the volup-tuous Dagmar frontbumpers, which resembledone of the most notable fea-tures of Dagmar, a famous50s TV personality.

Problem was, when I hadthe money, I couldnt findthe car and when I foundthe car, I didnt have themoney, Wetzel said, who in

the meantime messedaround with Corvettes.The search began in

earnest in 1977 when Wetzel walked into Gene WinerCadillac at the corner of 24th and H and asked how many Broughams the deal-er had sold in 1957, and who had bought them.

Kenny Loewen, then thesales manager at Gene Win-er, climbed into the attic tolook for the records. Heblew dust off some boxes. Winer had sold six in Bak-ersfield one to SuperiorOils William Keck, whobought five others straightfrom Cadillac, and one foreach of his kids. Wetzelretrieved the names and VINs and was on the prowl.Bingo a car appeared,owned by a DuncanEmmons in Rancho Mirage. Asking price: $6,500.

I was in my no-money

phase, Wetzel said. Icouldnt do it.

Five years ago, Wetzelbefriended Dale Armstrong, who not only had a storiedpast in drag racing but whohad fallen hard for the 57and 58 Broughams. Arm-strong owned several him-self and worked on thenotoriously complicated carfor other collectors in hisshop in Temecula.

I told him I wanted one, Wetzel said, on one of hismany pilgrimages to Arm-strongs shop.

Two years ago January, Wetzel got the call. A friendof Armstrongs was display-ing his 57 Brougham at acar show in Orange County and a man walked up andsaid, I have one of thoseand I want to sell it.

Two days later, Wetzeldrove to Orange County andbought the black car, which

lacked only bumpers andtrim. Wetzel found the exacttrim in a chrome shop inLong Beach.

Turns out this was thesame Cadillac Wetzel hadbeen offered in 1977. Thecar had originally belongedto Howard Keck, the Superi-or Oil founders son. Better yet, it was a Bakersfield car.

Wetzel, now 65, has beendriving the Brougham forthe last year. And I meandriving it.

I didnt want a garagequeen, he said, referring tothe classic cars whose wheels rarely touch theground.

Karen, Wetzels wife, hadto get used to riding in theCadillac. Its like being on afloat in a parade. Everybody gives you the thumbs-up.

Shes learned to smile andgive the thumbs-up inreturn.

BENHAM: Fellow fanhelped in Cadillac hunt

CONTINUED FROM F1

$2.00

THEDAYTHEEARTHSTOODSTILL-PG13 12:00,2:10,4:50,7:00,9:15

THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX- G 12:30,2:40,5:10,7:15,9:20

BEVERLYHILLSCHIHUAHUA-PG 12:40,2:50,5:20,7:40,9:40

TRANSPORTER 3- PG13 12:10,2:20,5:00,7:10,9:50

MADAGASCAR 2- BG 12:15,2:15,5:30,7:30,9:30

FOUR CHRISTMASES- PG13 12:20,2:30,7:20

FIREPROOF- PG 4:40,9:30

2009Times For 2/1/09

Adv. Tix on Sale THE PINK PANTHER 2 Adv. Tix on Sale FRIDAY THE 13TH NEW IN TOWN (PG-13) (1130 300 515) 740 1005 THE UNINVITED (PG-13) (1245 315 530) 745 1015 TAKEN (PG-13) (1200 230 500) 730 940 UNDERWORLD 3 (R) - ID REQ'D

(1215 245 545) 800 1020 PAUL BLART MALL COP (PG)

(1145 215 445) 720 1010 GRAN TORINO (R) - ID REQ'D (1230 330) 630 920 INKHEART (PG) (115 PM 345 PM) 645 PM HOTEL FOR DOGS (PG) (1115 145 400) 615 900 THE READER (R) - ID REQ'D

(1045 130 415) 700 945 SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (R) - ID REQ'D

(1100 145 430) 715 1000

Adv. Tix on Sale THE PINK PANTHER 2 Adv. Tix on Sale FRIDAY THE 13TH NEW IN TOWN (PG-13) (1045 125 425) 715 1005 THE UNINVITED (PG-13) (1010 120 415) 700 955 TAKEN (PG-13) (1130 200 445) 730 1000 INKHEART (PG) (115 405) 650 930 UNDERWORLD 3 (R) - ID REQ'D

(1110 140 420) 710 950 PAUL BLART MALL COP (PG)

(1115 210 440) 725 1025 DEFIANCE (R) - ID REQ'D (1200 315) 630 935 MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D (R) - ID REQ'D #

(1120 150 430) 720 1010 HOTEL FOR DOGS (PG) (1020 105 350) 640 925 THE UNBORN (PG-13) (220 500) 740 1030 BRIDE WARS (PG) (1140 215 450) 745 1020 VALKYRIE (PG-13) (1000 AM 400 PM) 1015 PM THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (PG-13) (1100 240) 615 945 FROST NIXON (R) - ID REQ'D (100 PM) 705 PM GRAN TORINO (R) - ID REQ'D

(1015 110 410) 655 940

TAKEN(PG13) (10:45-11:45-1:00-2:00-3:10-4:10-5:15)-6:15-7:20-8:20-9:30-10:30THE UNINVITED(PG13) (11:30-1:40-3:50)-6:00-8:10-10:20NEW IN TOWN (PG) (11:00-1:10-3:20-5:30)-7:40-9:50SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE(R) - ID REQUIRED

(11:40-2:20-5:05)-7:45-10:25PAULBLART:MALLCOP(PG) (11:20-1:30-3:45)-6:00-8:10-10:25UNDERWORLD: RISEOF THELYCANS (R) - ID REQUIRED (10:50-11:50-1:00-2:00-3:15-4:15-5:25)-6:25-7:35-8:35-9:55-10:55GRAN TORINO (R) - ID REQUIRED (11:10-1:45-4:30)-7:10-9:45NOTORIOUS(R)- ID REQUIRED (12:00-2:40-5:20)-8:05-10:45THE UNBORN (PG13) (12:00-2:05-4:10)-6:15-8:45-10:55

MY BLOODY VALENTINE(R)- ID REQUIRED (1:15-3:35)-6:10-8:25-10:40BRIDE WARS(PG) (11:05-1:15-3:25-5:35)-7:45-9:55HOTEL FOR DOGS (PG) (12:15-2:30-4:45)-7:00INKHEART (PG) (12:25-2:45-5:10)-7:30REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (R) - ID REQUIRED (1:15-4:00)-7:00-9:50BEDTIME STORIES (PG) (11:00)LAST CHANCE HARVEY (PG13) (11:00)THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON(PG13) 9:25DEFIANCE (R) - ID REQUIRED 10:00

Valid 1/30 thru 2/1 Only

2008 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

ACADEMYAWARD

NOMINATIONS INCLUDING5BESTPICTUREBESTACTOR

FROSTNIXON

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATRES AND SHOWTIMES

MOBILE USERS: For Showtimes - Text FROST with your ZIP CODE to 43KIX (43

ACADEMY AWARD

NOMINATIONS10 INCLUDINGBESTPICTURE

UNITED ARTISTS

EAST HILLS 10Bakersfield (800) Fandango #497

READING CINEMAS

VALLEY PLAZA 16Bakersfield (800) FANDANGO #2703CALL THEATRE OR CHECK DIRECTORY FOR SHOWTIMES

THEFIRSTGENUINELY FUNNY MOVIE OF2009!

RogerMoore,ORLANDO SENTINEL

NOW PLAYING!

NO PASSES ACCEPTED FOR THIS ENGAGEMENT

READING CINEMAS VALLEY PLAZA 16Bakersfield (800) FANDANGO #2703

UNITED ARTISTSEAST HILLS 10Bakersfield (800) Fandango #497

EDWARDSBAKERSFIELD STADIUM 14Bakersfield (800) FANDANGO #119

SORRY, NO PASSES ACCEPTED FOR THIS ENGAGEMENT

K A T E W I N S L E T R A L P H F I E N N E S

T h e Re a d e r www.TheReader-Movie.com

ARTWORK 2009 THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

READTHE VINTAGE BOOK

INCLUDING

BEST PICTURE A C A D E M Y AWA R D N O M I N AT I O N S

KateWinsletgivesthebestperformanceof theyear.

RichardCorliss,

ATTENTION AMPAS Members: Your card willadmit you & a guest to any performance

(subject to seating availability).

UA EAST HILLS 10Bakersfield (800) FANDANGO #497

NOW PLAYING

Molly to the vet for the last time. Thedog that was so much a part of our sal-ad days was a four-legged stranger inphotographs to her. I told her how shehad come to the vet with me: The old-er girls were in school, my husband was out of town, and Molly was para-lyzed.

At 15, Molly had been failing for along time, rarely moving off the frontporch, and I knew I had been putting off the inevitable more for my sakethan hers. At the vet, I kissed Molly goodbye. I perched my baby on thecounter, signed the euthanasia

papers, wrote a check and cried the

whole time.My daughter noted other similari-ties between Marley & Me and ourlives like a parent who writes regu-lar columns about family doings and together we pondered the lessonsthat our dogs teach us. A childs firstencounter with death is often due to adogs shorter life span. Our dogs teachus responsibility, but more important-ly, they show us the joy of the presenttense, and the warmth of uncondi-tional love.

When my daughter and I think about the many unwanted and

unloved dogs in Kern County, our

hearts break for all they are missing by not belonging to a family. If it were upto us, every dog would be adoptedand have a long, full life like Marley. And Molly. And Pomme and Ringo,the dogs who share our home now.

Sometimes theres nothing like agood sappy movie, especially whenshared with a fellow sap-lover.

Thes

e are Val

eri

e Schul

tzs opinions,and not necessarily those of TheCalifornian. Her column appears onSundays. Write to her atspring22@bak.rr.com.

SCHULTZ: Pet owners have shared experiencesCONTINUED FROM F1

Get out

The Associated Press

CHICAGO The 2009

Mobil Travel Guide honoredthree of Steve Wynns Las Vegas properties TowerSuites Las Vegas, Alex restaurant and the Spa at Wynn with five stars.

Sea Island Resorts also wonmultiple five-star awardsfrom Mobil for its hotels,The Cloister in Sea Island,Ga., and the Lodge at SeaIsland Golf Club in St. SimonsIsland, Ga., as well as for itsGeorgian Room restaurantand the Cloister Spa. Thecomplete list of Mobil TravelGuide winners and reviews isat mobiltravelguide.com.The 2009 awards wereannounced Jan. 22.

Mobil awarded five starsto 44 hotels in all. In addi-tion to The Cloister, proper-

ties appearing on the list forthe first time included The

Umstead Hotel and Spa inCary, N.C., and Skylofts atthe MGM Grand in Vegas.

Four new restaurantsearned five stars, bringing the total earning Mobilshighest rating in the U.S. andCanada to 20. The new addi-tions include Kai Restaurantin Chandler, Ariz., Lautrec inFarmington, Pa., Studio inLaguna Beach and Addisonin San Diego.

Spas added to Mobilsfive-star list for the firsttime, in addition to Wynnsand the Cloister, are SpaGaucin at St. Regis MonarchBeach in Dana Point; TheSpa at Mandarin Oriental inMiami, and The MayflowerSpa at The Mayflower Inn in Washington, Conn.

Wynn, others win bigwith five-star ratings

TRAVEL

MOVIES

BY SUSAN WLOSZCZYNAUSA TODAY

Michael Sheen has scratched out anifty film niche for himself as real-lifecharacters in such tony period pieces as2006s The Queen (as prime ministerTony Blair) and the current Frost/Nixon(as TV interviewer David Frost).

But the respected British actor alsohas a fearsome beast lurking inside thathe cannot deny, one that has earnedhim cred with admirers of both stylishhorror and hunky, fur-bearing men.

Sheen is back as the leader of the werewolf pack in Underworld: TheRise of the Lycans. His Lucian met hisend in the first Underworld in 2003and was seen only in flashbacks in the2006 sequel. And, in both of theseMatrix-inspired fang-vs.-claw exer-cises, the vampires were mainly largeand in charge.

But in this third helping, an originstory set in the Dark Ages, Lucian takescommand as a slave hero who insti-gates a rebellion against the neck-bit-ing oppressors of the werewolveslorded over by Bill Nighys Viktor. Healso has the bad luck to fall for Viktorsvampy daughter.

Im a huge fan of sci-fi and fantasy,says Sheen of his fondness for genremovies. I enjoy Stephen King and NeilGaiman. I never had a problem withtaking it seriously. The fact that charac-ters like werewolves and vampires stay with us the longest means they speak tous on some deep, mythic level.

That may be why Sheen isnt the only lycanthrope on the prowl these days.

Vampires monopolized the monsterkingdom last year with the dawning of literary phenom Twilight on the big

screen. But those aloof bloodsuckersare so last administration. Never mindseduction. Snarly and snappish is where its at.

Both vampires and werewolves areanimalistic, but vampires put up agood front, says horror movie histori-an David J. Skal. Werewolves are moredirect. It is a beast let loose with noattempts at a smarmy Transylvanianaccent or drawing-room banter. Were- wolves have always been favorites of adolescent boys. They are the personi-

fication of a coming-of-age ritual.There must be a full moon

This year, its time for these down-to-earth, less-pretentious supernaturalcreatures to take over the multiplex as

fall brings two more werewolf adven-tures. Arriving Nov. 6 is the anticipated

remake of The Wolf Man starring Benicio Del Toro, who is bitten by thesame curse as the moonstruck stalkerplayed by Lon Chaney Jr. in the 1941classic. The plot adheres semi-faithful-ly to the first film, save for the 19th-cen-tury setting and some twists. Del TorosLarry Talbot returns to his ancestralhome in England after his brother van-ishes. Beset by a sense of doom, hereunites with his father (Anthony Hop-kins) and becomes involved with hisbrothers fiancee (Emily Blunt).

The Wolf Man is about the internalstruggle of good and bad, says produc-er Scott Stuber. Its that animal sidethat takes hold of us at times. The one

that makes you want to go after some-one who honks at you in traffic. As lifegets more difficult, we are driven tolook inside and question what that urgeis all about.

Nostalgia buffs will enjoy the toucheslifted from the original, from Larrys sil-ver-topped cane to Conliffes AntiqueShop. Unlike updated incarnations of shape-shifters who change at will, Hol-lywoods most famous werewolf still isunder the spell of the lunar calendar. While romance is afoot, there are also

several frights and not a little gore. Stu-ber expects this version will earn an Rrating, although he stresses the focus ison the strained relationship betweenfather and son.

New Moon, due Nov. 20 and based

on the second volume of the Twilightsaga, expands upon a supernatural lovetriangle. While vampire Edward (RobPattinson) runs away to Italy to keep hismortal teen queen Bella (Kristen Stew-art) out of danger from others of hiskind, she makes time with the less-complicated Jacob (Taylor Lautner) ashe finally reveals his hairier, scarier side.

Director Chris Weitz (The GoldenCompass) picks up where CatherineHardwicke of Twilight left off on theproduction that starts shooting March23. One of his first tasks on the sequel was deciding to keep Lautner, whosegangly Native American high-schoolerin the first film transforms into a hulk-ing giant over the course of the book series as he fulfills his tribes destiny.

Taylor is a formidable guy, kind of agreat tool in the tool box, Weitz says of the nearly 17-year-old actor who hasbeen working out daily and has packedon 29 pounds, most of it muscle. In thefirst movie, we did not see or recognizehow dangerous a character he couldbe.

As for Taylor himself, he can kill me with his left pinky. But he is too nice todo that. There is something compelling and sexy about him. He captures thespirit of Jacob.Grounded in real world

The backdrop of the Twilight booksmight be a gothic fantasy, but the film-maker sees his characters as expres-sions of emotional attitudes shared by young people. One of the great thingsof Stephenie Meyers novels is that shekeeps them very grounded in the real

world, Weitz says.The vampires are about distanceand reserve, he says about the contrastbetween his male leads. Edwardrepresses his desire to do harm. Jacob isvery warm and emotional, but alsofeels the heat of anger. When he trans-forms, its like losing your temper sudden, explosive and lightning-quick.

Where Bella is concerned, he adds,Edward represents the unattainable per-fection of first love. Jacob is friendship.

Look out vamps, these othermythical creatures are coming

Werewolves want piece of the action

DIYAH PERA / TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX

Hugh Jackman, right, who playsWolverine in the X Men movies, isgetting his own feature this summer.He is shown with Halle Berry, who playsStorm, in X Men: The Last Stand.

8/14/2019 Charity Dinners

3/3

F7 THE BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN E YE S TREET S UNDAY , FEBRUARY 1, 2009

wife, Betty,major patrons of the symphony and the arts inBakersfield, realize its toughto raise funds these days. Thesymphony relies heavily ondonations from private cor-porations and contributors,

which have becomeincreasingly difficult tocome by, Younger said.

Symphony president JonStuebbe said board memberscarefully chose the currentseason, selecting concertsthey knew would succeed orbreak even. The annual operadoes surprisingly well in Bak-ersfield, he added. This yearsselection is La Traviata,slat-ed for Feb. 7.

Conductor John Farrerapplauded their cautiousapproach.

It gives us a fighting chance during these hardtimes, he said.

Playboy chef

Bakersfield Colleges bud-

ding chefs worked for thatscholarship money along-side Playboy Mansion Exec-utive Chef WilliamBloxsom-Carter. He took abreak from frying chickenfor Hef and rolled up hissleeves to work in the Petro-leum Club kitchen just morethan a week ago.

The chef plated an exqui-

site six-coursetasting menupaired with wines for the 144guests, who watched Califor-nia Avenues flowing river of headlights from the top-floor restaurant.

The Bakersfield CollegeFoundationraised an esti-mated $5,000 for ag and culi-nary arts scholarships, said

foundation executive direc-

tor Mike Stepanovich. A jazz combo performed

as guests nibbled on appe-tizers such as smokedsalmon, heirloom goldenbeet and chive roulade withcaper creme fraiche, fol-lowed by seared scallops

(which gave off a divinecaramelized aroma in thekitchen), locally raised lamb with a Madeira wine glacand a chocolate torte topped with a smudge of gold leaf.

Bloxsom-Carter said thestudents were willing to lis-ten and implement theirskills to a higher degree inthe fast-paced kitchen.

I was a little nervouscoming up today and work-ing with the students, hesaid. They are getting suchgood training from their chef instructors. Im very impressed with the caliber of students coming out of BC.

Student Mariano Bascon was happy to rub elbows with Hefs chef.

Its a growing experienceand to learn just so much, justbeing around him and having him explain the process of how you put together thefood or plating, he said.

The guests gave the chefs astanding ovation that lastednearly a minute, whichshocked Bloxsom-Carter, whod never received thatresponse, Stepanovich said.

Foodies John Spires, direc-tor of the local Circuit City,and Young Wooldridge mar-keting director Kevin Burton were intrigued by the unusu-al flavor combinations, suchas wasabi-bathed caviar.

I wanna go back in thekitchen and talk to him andfind out the stuff that wedont really hear, Spires said.Could you imagine what hecould tell you? ... Could youimagine who hes cooked for? Anybody thats anybody hasbeen at Hefs house.

FESTIVITIES:BC students impress Hefs chef CONTINUED FROM F1

doors to the big city.

THE MAKEOVERThe wild weekend started

at Norma Jeans Atomic Kit-ten Salon on F Street, afavorite of therockabilly/pin-up crowd. Ifigured if anybody knew how to drain a can of Aqua Net, it would be them. So a goodfive hours before the ball, Iplopped down in ownerRamona Potts chair for aMotown makeover.

Foundation, layers of eye-shadow, coats of black eye-liner. Ramona pulled out anairbrushing gadget, whichlooked a lot like a paintsprayer, and blasted me withfoundation to even out my skin tone (the makeup feltlighter than I imagined). Sheapplied false lashes, thenmascara. It felt heavy and

sticky at first, but the lashessettled down. The finaltouch was a shimmery,pearly lipstick, because inthe days of Edie Sedgwick,gals dramatized the eyes andkept the lips pale.

Hairstylist Maria Howelltook over. I wanted the Amy Winehouse not the cry-ing out in the street in my bra at 2 a.m. version buta sleeker, true retro take onthe singers messy, sky-highblack beehive.

Maria started off with thecurling iron, then went totown with the teasing comb.She must have emptiedthree-quarters of that hair-spray can to keep everything in place. It was fun to watch,much like the constructionof a skyscraper.

Maria left a ponytails worth of curls hanging overone shoulder. I looked likesomething out of my momshigh school yearbook.

When your makeup is rad-ical, you have to keep it s im-ple elsewhere. That meant alittle black dress with a thinpatent black belt (think ashorter version of theBreakfast at Tiffanys dress)and black patent peep-toeheels. Both items I pur-chased at JCPenney at least a year ago. I added my old,long, black satin gloves and a

little color with a hot pink satin clutch purse pricedunder $10 in the Marshallsclearance bin.

When I walked into theStockdale Country Club, Igot the reaction I wasexpecting, stares and clam-oring from an older crowdthat most definitely remem-bers the 60s. Former Chain- Younger partner Milt Youngerwas shocked that alocal newspaper reportercould actually dress betterthan a coal miner.

THE ADVENTURE While partying on the job

is fun, Id spent enough onthe hair and makeup that I wanted to totally milk it therest of the weekend. I calledup a friend, who threw on asweater vest and a pork piehat and rode with me to Los Angeles at 10 p.m.

After a wrong turn near adrug deal by a riverside ware-house, we found the little clubBordello east of downtownL.A. It was Society night, when clubbers are encour-aged to dress like Oscar Wildein top hats and canes.

Blast the line, the velvet

rope and the bouncers! Wesauntered up to the frontand did our best WASP-y ver-sion of Dont you know who we are? We came all the way from Bakersfield.

The manager looked at us,smirked, then told the bounc-er to let us through ... after thenext eight people in line.

OK, so we werent exactly VIP, but we werent the losersin the back of the line, ei ther.Under the red chandeliers, we listened to Scottish bag-pipers followed by a gangstadrag queen.

While dancing, one clubberscreeched at me, I love you,followed by, You look like Amy Winehouses pretty sister!

Later, we settled down forsome 3 a.m. chow at AromaBakery & Cafe on SunsetBoulevard, an Israeli-stylecafe packed with twenty-somethings.

As I was finishing up amint lemonade and a salty egg-and-pickle turnover, amember of the staff eyed mefrom the corner. Heapproached me cautiously,like a small animal.

Excuse me, but you look familiar, he said. Are you Amy Winehouse?

MAKEOVER:All dolledup and headed to L.A.

CONTINUED FROM F1

Get behind-the-scenesvideo of the dinner andthe symphony gala onBakersfield.com.

BAKERSFIELD.COM

B e M y V a l e n t i n e

For reservations please call our At Your Serviceline at 661-323-1900

Champagne will be served with our Scrumptious Cheese Cake Dessert

The Nines Restaurant February 14th, 2009 5pm-8:30pm $120 per couple

Reservations suggested

Complete Valentines Day Package with rooms starting at $299.

Bring Your Valentine To The Bakersfield Marriott & Enjoy Our Exceptional Five Course Menu.

Choice of one of these four Entres: Rack Of Lamb Duck Breast Filet Mignon Sea Bass

CALL NAYLAN BENDER TODAY!

email: sold@naylanbender.com

Its A Great Time To Buy With LowHome Prices & Low Interest Rates!

20304 Valley Blvd. Tehachapi, Ca 93561 Office: (661) 822-8989 Cell: (661) 992-8398 Fax: (866) 941-4762

Lic #01507541

JOHN HARTE / THE CALIFORNIAN

Shellie Branco having somefun at the Bakersfield Sym-phonys annual gala.

MICH

A

E

L FAGA

N

S / THE CALIFORNIAN

William Bloxsom-Carter, executive chef at the Playboy Mansion, talks to staff and students about how the courses should beprepared during preparations for the Bakersfield College Foundations fundraiser.

Twilla Klassen talks with John and Coleen Gundzik.Jon Stuebbe having fun atthe dinner table.

Betsy Lambert, who con-ducted the live auctions,with James Koh.

Marcia Armon carries out salad at the balls dinner.

Chatting from left are Ann Marie Walrond, Ted Tilbury and Ju-dith Chase.

Helen Hess after winningthe nights first auction, abottle of wine that broughtthe symphony $550.

JO

H

N H

ART

E / THE CALIFORNIAN

Chatting from left are Warren Minner, Marge Minner,Eleanor Heiskell, Mary Moore and Pat Graffius.