BY ANTHONY RUCKER, SR. Community contributor J ulius Rucker recently played at the all day Stockdale Basketball Tournament.The first game was early at 8 a.m. but Julius was defi- nitely awake. Julius had a total of 18 points with a final score of Independence, 20, and BHS, 42. The second game, at 1 p.m., was a hard fought game against Liberty. At the end of the half, the score was 16-17 with BHS up. At 3:41 in the game, the score was 20- 24 and by 1:26 in the game the score was 24-24 with Liberty showing momentum. Julius said, “I just stayed calm, played my game and went into clutch mode.” Julius stole the ball, went in for two points breaking the tie that triggered an overall force of massive defensive destruction in steals against Liberty. It was hard going but through great defense the Drillers won 24-30. This was one of those games that you didn’t want to miss. Julius had eight points and showed great leadership for his team. The final game for first place was against Golden Valley. A week back, we lost by two points; however, we were out of town and Julius was not able to play in that game. At first we thought that this would be the worst battle yet — but instead BHS took the game over with a victory of 13-38. Julis had five points, great defense, and several assists. Congratulations to the whole team! Stay tuned for details of their next game. BY CHRISTINE GRONTKOWSKI Community contributor W alking, balance and coordination problems are among the common symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Those limitations in mobility can lead to injuries and can have a negative impact on quality of life. To help out, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Southern California & Nevada Chapter designed “Free from Falls: A Comprehensive Fall Prevention Program for People with MS” which will be launched in Bakersfield for the first time ever at HealthSouth Bakersfield Rehabilitation Hospital Thursday, January 19. Free from Falls, which will be held Thursdays through March 8, is designed to help improve confidence, safety and mobility and reduce the risk of falls by providing a supportive group atmosphere and expert instruction. Dawn Thompson, physical thera- pist at HealthSouth, will lead each week’s two hour program. Each session will have two parts: a discussion component focused on awareness of issues related to falls and an exercise component directed to improving postural alignment, balance, endurance and mobility. People in Bakersfield will be among the first to complete “Free from Falls;” the pro- gram will be offered nationwide later in the fall. The curriculum is designed for people living with MS who are able to walk (alone or with one cane, walking stick or crutch), but who may be at risk for falling. For more information or to receive an application, please call the Kern County office of the National MS Society at: 321-9512 or email: [email protected]. About Multiple Sclerosis Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and it stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diag- nosed with MS, an unpredictable, often dis- abling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are mov- ing us closer to a world free of MS. Most peo- ple with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the dis- ease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S., and 2.1 million worldwide. About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. We help each person address the challenges of living with MS. In 2010 alone, through our national office and 50-state network of chap- ters, we devoted $159 million to programs and services that improved the lives of more than one million people. To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested $37 million to support 325 new and ongoing research projects around the world. We are people who want to do something about MS NOW. Join the movement at nationalMSsociety.org. 2 The Bakersfield Voice Sunday, January 8, 2012 Share stories, photos, blogs ■ Submitting your stories for The Bakersfield Voice is simple and FREE! Just go to: bakersfieldvoice.com and create a profile. ■ Choose what you’d like to contribute (an article, letter, picture or communmity event listing) and post it yourself. ■ Still need help getting your contributions onto our website? E-mail Sandra Molen at smolen@bakersfield.com ■ Circulation: If you would like to receive our weekly pub- lication or cancel delivery, please e-mail: voicedelivery@bakersfield.com or call 392-5777. Be sure to include your request, contact information and address. YOUR ENTERTAINMENT FROM USER NAME: SONFLOWERANDGRACE I remain amazed at this wonderful world we live in — and God’s ability to teach us when we least expect it. Even sea glass can be used to teach a lesson. While collecting these “gems” recently I became aware of the comparison between us, our lives and sea glass. The simplest lesson first is a reminder of diversity. Just as sea glass comes in many shapes, sizes and colors, so do we. Sea glass becomes this treasure through tum- bling. Life is always sending obstacles our way. These “tumblings” shape us — and strengthen our faith. Now, there are a few pieces that make it ashore still rough and sharp around the edges. Unfortunately, it’s the same with those hearts that have hardened, choosing to hold onto bitterness. While choosing my favorites or the “perfect piece of sea glass,” I am gently urged to recall the many times in life that I’ve done so with oth- ers — quick to judge or label. Tumblings have worn away or smoothed these labels so we are finally content to just accept ourselves and others for what is now — and not what we, or they, may have done or been in the past. Markings and labels are still evident on some pieces of sea glass, making the origin obvious. Or is it really so obvious? Just as we are all creations of God before the world gets a hold of us, sea glass also begins as a creation. Man takes sand and heats it, molds it — cre- ating something. Then. he casts it away as trash. Sometimes life takes us, tumbles us around and casts us off — but we find comfort in the promise that God reclaims His creation. He watches over our tumblings — using them to mold His masterpiece. About Karen C. Davis-Solomon aka sonflowerandgrace (her blog name on www.bakersfieldvoice.com): As a wife, mother, daughter and neighbor, I strive (but do not always succeed) to follow God's direction every day just as the sunflower follows the sun throughout the day. Submitting your stories, photos or blogs for The Bakersfield Voice is simple and FREE! Just go to: bak- ersfieldvoice.com and create a profile. Then choose what you’d like to contribute (an article, letter, picture or community event list ing) and post it yourself! W hen making compost, the compost is NOT “ready” until it looks like soil. Using compost too soon can pull valuable nitrogen from the plants — as well as heating up feeder roots which is not good for a healthy garden. This week’s gardening tip is from Kathy Robinson of Robby’s Nursery. Do YOU have a gardening tip you’d like to share with our readers? Post your gardening tips and photos of your garden on our web site at: www. bakersfieldvoice.com. Be patient when making your own compost PHOTO BY KAREN C. DAVIS-SOLOMON Sea glass from Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, Calif. YOUR WEEKLY GARDENING TIP Tumbled treasures offer plenty of lessons in life YOUR SPORTS FROM THE BLOGS BY PHILLIP SCOTT Community contributor J oin the Bakersfield Community Concert Association and celebrate the birthday of Scottish poet Robert Burns with Highland Way at the Rabobank Theater at 7:30 p.m., Monday, January 23. Highland Way brings Scotland (and a little bit of Ireland) to you! Brian Caldwell of Glasgow leads Highland Way in the songs of his homeland, backed by fiddle, man- dolin, guitar, accordion, bodhran, and whistle. With Ned Giblin from Ireland, Paul Graham Castellanos, Freddy Faith, and guest artist Sharon Whyte, Highland Way offers a evening of lively songs and instrumentals — favorite Highland melodies, jigs and reels, heartfelt ballads, and songs of sly whimsy. Pre-concert music will be pro- vided by the Bakersfield Christian High School Advanced Jazz Band under the direction of Brett Clausen. Highland Way will perform a Student Outreach concert at a local school prior to their evening performance at the Rabobank Theater. Highland Way loves to entertain audiences in the concert hall, at festivals, and even on a cruise to Nova Scotia. The band’s fifth CD — Are you Feeling it Yet? — reflects the eclectic mix of music featured in the Highland Way per- formances. Expect an evening of music both familiar and new, with clas- sic melodies from Celtic tradition along with songs from songwriters like Dougie MacLean and Tommy Sands. All performed with the Highland Way flair and presented with good-natured banter! Call 589-2478 for ticket infor- mation or go to: www.bakersfield- cca.org. To learn more about Robert Burns and the music of Highland Way go to: www.bakers- fieldvoice.com. Bakersfield Christian Jazz band to open for Highland Way Jan. 23 Karen C. Davis- Solomon PHOTO PROVIDED Highland Way, pictured here, will perform at the Rabobank Theater at 7:30 p.m., Monday, January 23. Pre- concert music will be provided by the Bakersfield Christian High School Advanced Jazz Band. YOUR VOICE BHS basketball team takes trophy PHOTO PROVIDED Julius Rucker excels at the recent Stockdale basketball tourna- ment. New program to help people with MS