On Saturday May 12, Greenfield residents celebrated murals that were added to the community building in Rexland Acres Park over the past year. Responding to a call from the Arts Council of Kern in August 2017, community members were asked for input on mural content. Following many months of work by artists Carlos De Guzman, Jorge Guillen, and Garrett Memering, community members’ concepts were unveiled in completion.

Building Healthy Communities South Kern’s Education Justice Collaborative launched a media campaign to inform parents how the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) impacts their children. The campaign encourages parents to be familiar with their district’s Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and provide feedback about the plan, which outlines how dollars will be used to student outcomes, to their school district. Look for our ads on billboards, local buses, and digital signs!

Yesenia Ocampo from California Walks, along with youth from South Kern, were selected to present at this year’s American Public Health Association’s (APHA) annual conference. Their presentation “Youth Voices for a Healthy, Safe, & Active California” fits squarely with APHA’s conference theme this year: Creating the Healthiest Nation: Health Equity Now”. They will be sharing local work at an event with more than 12,000 attendees! Congratulations!

Joining over 21 localities across California, the City of Arvin signed-on to an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) brief that was filed on Friday May 18, 2018 urging the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California to uphold Senate Bill 54, the California Values Act, and two related State laws against an attack by the federal government.
At its May 15, 2018 meeting, the Arvin City Council authorized Mayor Jose Gurrola and the City Attorney to sign-on to the brief, which was co-authored by the Santa Clara County Counsel’s Office, the City of Oakland, and the County of Los Angeles.
Speaking on SB 54’s impact on Arvin’s public safety, Mayor Gurrola said, “President Trump and Attorney General Sessions’ anti-immigrant policies and attacks on SB 54 further undermines the public’s trust in our criminal justice system and makes law enforcement’s job more difficult. I’m proud to join leaders from across the state to stand up for our values and public safety against the ill-advised attacks from President Trump.”
“The people in our city, our state, and the entire country deserve to feel safe regardless of their immigration or citizenship status. Ensuring that everyone feels safe and comfortable enough to reach out to law enforcement when they need help is essential to public safety everywhere. If our national government refuses to see the importance in this, it is up to the rest of us to do what we can to make it happen,” said Arvin City Councilmember Jazmin Robles.
Other geographies signing the brief included: City of Albany, City of Berkeley, City of Culver City, City of Davis, City of East Palo Alto, County of Marin, County of Monterey, City of Morgan Hill, City of Mountain View, City of Palm Springs, City of Richmond, City of Sacramento, City of San Diego, City of San José, City of Santa Ana, County of Santa Cruz, City of Santa Monica, County of Sonoma, City of Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, and City of West Hollywood.
An estimated 1 million Californians drink unsafe water at home, school, or in public places. Californians deserve water that is safe to drink, free from toxins. Kern County residents have joined forces with other Californians across the State to reach that goal. On May 11, the Dolores Huerta Foundation hosted an event in downtown Bakersfield in support of Governor Brown’s Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund. And last week more than 100 San Joaquin Valley residents meet with Sacramento legislators to share their stories about how unsafe drinking water impacts their families and their communities.
Governor Brown has asked the State legislature to enact a statewide tax on drinking water to treat unsafe wells and treatment systems. The proposed tax is expected to be voted on this summer and requires a two-thirds majority to pass. The projected cost per person would be $11.40 each year.

BHC partners showed up to the Kern High School District Board meeting Monday May 7th in support of redistributing KHSD boundaries equitably. About 150 community members, mostly from South Kern, along with organizations such as the Dolores Huerta Foundation, Leadership Counsel, Committee for a Better Arvin, and Comité Progreso de Lamont spoke at the meeting, asking Board Members to make sure their communities are fairly represented as the new boundaries are determined. The Board will make their final decision when they vote at their next meeting, May 21st.

Throughout the State, youth are finding their voice and developing skills to effectively advocate, and to move into leadership and decision-making positions. YO! California (Youth Organize California) is building leadership pathways and acting as the anchor organization for youth organizing across the State. Jeremy Lehoud from YO! California spoke with BHC Kern partners about they work they’ve been doing that impacts Kern County Youth.
One of the results has been the newly formed South Kern Youth Advisory Council (SKYAC). Led by Margie Madera from the Lamont Boys and Girls Club and Jose Pinto of the Greenfield Walking Group, SKYAC was created to train, encourage, organize, and mobilize youth aged 15-24. The Council is currently accepting applications from youth interested in participating.
For more information, please contact Margie Madera at Mmadera@bgclubsofkerncounty.org or Jose Pinto at Pinto.jose46@yahoo.com