CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : BAKERSFIELD : Salvation Army to Return to Mall

There won’t be any “bah humbug” at Bakersfield’s Valley Plaza Mall this Christmas season. The shopping center banned the traditional Salvation Army kettles and bell ringers last year because the mall doesn’t allow any kind of solicitation for funds. That decision created a major controversy in the community. So Valley Plaza decided to let the five major department stores located there decide individually if the Salvation Army can solicit funds in front of their stores this season. Rollie Moore, president of the Salvation Army’s advisory board, said all five have agreed to let the bells ring this year.