Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Bako bits: from dust allergies to the heath care debate to a stunning Latin art show downtown


Getting ready to leave town to get the kid settled into college in a town far away. (Is there a better way to weather the recession than to spend it on a college campus?) Lots going on, so I leave you with these nuggets around our town:

* ... JOHN BROCK AWARD: Vince Rojas, the longtime and retiring head of the Kern Schools Federal Credit Union, will be honored next week with the John Brock Award. The annual dinner and celebration is set for Seven Oaks Country Club next Thursday (Sept. 3.) As always, the proceeds will benefit the John Brock Endowment Fund for the School of Business and Public Administration at Cal State University Bakersfield. The Brock dinner always attracts a "who's who" in the Bakersfield business community. Past recipients have included Ray Dezember, Bernie Herman and Greg Bynum.

* ... IF IT'S AUGUST IN BAKO, YOU MUST BE SNEEZING: One of the downsides of living in one of the nation's richest agriculture areas is the annual almond harvest. To the uninitiated, almonds are harvested when huge belts are wrapped around the treet trunks and a tractor violently shakes the tree. This allows the almonds to fall harmlessly to the ground but also creates an incredible dust storm, triggering allergy attacks and sending folks running to their doctor's offices. The good news is the price of almonds have stabilized and is actually up a bit, and local farmers think this crop may be a good one. (harvest picture below)



* ... HEALTH CARE TOWN HALL: The much anticipated town hall meeting on health care will be held tonight over at the Icardo Center at Cal State Bakersfield. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) says more than 2,200 people have confirmed they are coming. Let's hope the tone is civil and Kevin creates an atmosphere where all sides can be heard. If you don't want to brave the crowd, KGET-TV channel 17 will be covering the event live I believe. No matter how you feel, you should tune in.

* ... DOVE SEASON OPENS SOON: The Kern County Gun Club is extending its hours to give hunters a chance to tune up for dove season. The new hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays, and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The club is located near the Lake Buena Vista Recreation Area west of town. Go to www.kerncountygunclub.com for complete directions.

* ... LATIN ART SHOW: Don Martin over at the Metro Galleries downtown is gearing up for "Latination," a show featuring works by local Hispanic artists and other local talent. I got a sneak peak at the offerings and some of the art is simply stunning. The show is sponsored by the Hispanic magazine Mas and will kick off next Friday, Sept. 3, during the monthly "First Friday" event. Make sure you check it out. Two pieces are featured below, photographers courtesy of Californian photographer Felix Adamo.






(Huelga painting by Larry Jason and chicken art by Claudia True)

3 comments:

bpandol said...

Ok, I'm being picky. But that's a photo of almond bloom, not harvest. Sorry - my farm side has to come out sometimes.

Anonymous said...

Totally love the chicken.

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