Hundreds of Kern County residents helped the California Living Museum (CALM) celebrate its 24th "Birthday Bash" on May 19, and, as a special treat, all children (ages 3-17 years) were admitted free. Birthday celebrations are not uncommon at CALM but with the theft of long-time petting zoo pony Thomas in February and the death of veteran black bear Dart, a couple of weeks ago, the huge outpouring of more than 1,000 visitors was a joyful sight. "Our animals and staff are like family, and when we suffer a loss such as Dart's it's difficult but brings us all closer together," said Zoo Manager/Curator Lana Fain. "And to see this support by the community - it's tremendous. One five-year-old girl drew a picture of a black bear and wrote, 'I loved Dart.' It just makes you puddle up." The 24th birthday celebration had plenty of fun activities for everyone. The Central Valley Children's Railroad provided $1 rides, and the "can't miss" attraction was Steve Martin's Working Wildlife from Frazier Park. Wildlife's Jeff Lee gave presentations with eight animals from around the world.