After being online for just four months, Bakersfield Express is taking a look back on the top 10, most-read stories of the year. It gives us a chance to see what you, our readers, care about most. It also helps us set goals for the coming year.

The two most popular types of stories are arts and consumer news. You want news you can use, such as how to understand your energy bill and eat a gluten-free diet. You want to know about arts events, such as Dia de los Muertos and Via Arte. You also care about renewable energy.

The following is a list of our most-read stories for 2009. Thank you for sharing your time with Bakersfield Express. And if there is a story you’d like to see us tackle in 2010, please share your idea in the comments section below.

No. 1— Women’s Art show goes on despite vandalism, theft

By Jennifer Baldwin, Oct. 15

“Burn her! Burn her!” What started out as a joke – a way to get back at the discrimination and conservatism women artists felt they were experiencing in Bakersfield – has grown so much that the annual Burn The Witch all-female group art show had to find a new venue this year. But even that came with a price. After the women had hung the first submitted pieces, curator Nyoka Jameson was horrified to find some of the artwork missing and vandalized.

No. 2 – In Season Now: Yams, cranberries and more Thanksgiving treats

By Michelle Beck, Nov. 19

Thanksgiving is coming soon, and with it all of the traditional dishes, some good, some not so good. I’ll be hosting this year with family members supplementing the feast. I’m not sure of the exact menu yet, but no Jell-O will be harmed in the making of our meal. It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving if I didn’t mention the Turquoise Shrimp Jell-O Mystery my grandma presented to us one year. Luckily for us, she is a very talented cook otherwise. (Do I still get some ravioli, Gramma?)

No. 3 – Dia de los Muertos celebrations are to die for

By Louis Medina, Oct. 28

Whether it happens in a highbrow or grassroots setting, art is art – and death is death. These transcendental forces will meet this Sunday and Monday in two fanciful Day of the Dead celebrations in downtown Bakersfield. On display at the Bakersfield Museum of Art is an exhibit inspired by the holiday, as well as family altars assembled in the outdoor gardens.  At Golden State Mall, a tradition of entertainment, food, altars and a procession will take place.

No. 4 – Doing the math on your PG&E bill

By James Geluso, Oct. 19

I’ve kept up with the coverage of SmartMeters, the new meters installed by Pacific Gas and Electric Company that some people blame for doubling and tripling their electric bills. PG&E says it’s a combination of a rate increase and a heat wave that resulted in this year’s larger bills. Personally, I moved this year, so I don’t have any data points of my own. So I decided to look at the publicly available data to see what the rate increase and heat waves have meant.

No. 5 – Manure Power: Dairies harness methane to create renewable energy

By Jennifer Baldwin, Nov. 11

David Albers knows the power of poop. Cow manure, that is. The third generation dairy farmer from Bakersfield has 2,600 cows producing about 130 tons of manure each day.

But he prefers to count it differently.

“The way we’ve broken it down is, two cows can power one home each day. So our cows power about 1,300 homes.”

No. 6 – Taking the frustration out of gluten-free eating

By Michelle Beck, Nov. 13

Gluten intolerance can be a depressing diagnosis and some people, not understanding their options, get frustrated and give up. This is unfortunate, because for those with celiac, avoiding gluten brings a huge improvement in health and overall well-being. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, spelt, kamut and rye. It is not found in oats, but many gluten-intolerant people avoid oats as well.

No. 7 – Kern County has power to be renewable energy leader

By Jennifer Baldwin, Nov. 13

Solar fields and rooftops in the desert and valley, wind parks in Tehachapi, biomass from waste production, and geothermal hot springs – with all its sun, wind, agriculture and geologic features, Kern County has a lot to offer when it comes to renewable energy. And then, of course, there are the oil and natural gas fields, keeping Kern a leader in fossil fuel production as well. With all these resources, Kern seems to be in the right spot at the right time.

No. 8 – Via Arte: It’s OK to look down on this art

By Jennifer Baldwin, Oct. 11

For four days every year, a portion of the parking lot in front of The Marketplace turns into a patchwork of chalk drawings as part of the Via Arte Italian Street Painting festival. Artists from Bakersfield and beyond converge on the freshly coated blacktop to create temporary masterpieces – to be enjoyed by passersby for just those few fleeting days, before being washed away.

No. 9 – Bakersfield Pride boldly proclaims ‘Gay is Good’

By Louis Medina, Oct. 5

Local gay community members want Proposition 8 supporters, religious critics and bigots to take note: “Gay is good.” That’s the slogan they’re embracing as the theme of this year’s Bakersfield Pride Celebration, to be held Oct. 17 at Stramler Park.

The festival’s organizing committee was unanimous in choosing “Gay is good” as almost a kind of battle cry in January, said Whitney Weddell.

No. 10 – Singing camp offers lessons far beyond how to sing

By Jennifer Baldwin, Aug. 14

The group hug on stage after the final rehearsal said it all – this week’s Garden Pathways Singing Camp went far deeper than lessons in vocalization and stage presence.

One by one, the students took the microphone to share what they learned, and thank their mentor Amy Adams, Bakersfield’s own American Idol contestant from season three.