The Westside Parkway gets ready to open, but what is with the moonscape landscaping? Or is there landscaping at all? And finally we will see an end to the state Senate 16th District race

 * ... PARKWAY: The good news is that the long awaited Westside Parkway will open August 2,  a welcome relief for all those folks who have battle traffic along Rosedale Highway and Truxtun to get

home. The bad news: what is up with the Iraqi-style landscaping, or seeming lack thereof? Let's hope the parkway landscaping doesn't end up looking like the dismal state of affairs along Highways 99 and 58.

 * ... MARK: My earlier posts from a friend who shared his inner most thoughts while battling cancer seem to have touched a lot of people. Barry Rosenfeld, a friend and fellow Rotarian, shared what he said while speaking to a Boys and Girls Club dinner. It is worth hearing. "When I visit clients and friends who are in the final stages of their life, whether in a hospital or at home with Hospice, not once has anyone asked me to bring them a picture of their boat or motor home or ski condo. You know what they say? They tell me they want their family close and they also say they wish that they had given back more. They wish they had given more money to their church or synagogue or to the homeless or to youth groups. But I know those of you in this room will not say those things when your time comes because you have given back. But tonight the one thing I do ask of you is to pay it forward by getting other people involved. Ask another person to volunteer their time or donate money.  I ask you to do this because we want them to know how good it feels to give back."

 * ... SPOTTED: A local car is spotted with a bumper sticker reading: "Honk if you love Jesus... Text while driving if you want to meet in person."

 * ... SENATE: Keep your eye on the special election Tuesday in the 16th state Senate District, a particularly nasty runoff between Supervisor Leticia Perez and Hanford cherry farmer Andy Vidak.  Republicans see it as a chance to reestablish themselves in a state where Democrats hold a strong majority, and money and flowed into both campaigns.

 * ... DIRICO'S: More on the old DiRico's eatery, compliments of Glen Stoller: "Thanks to Vickie Burke Shallock, Darlene Stewart and Jerry Beckwith for writing in about DiRico’s Italian Restaurant. It was my favorite spot in Bakersfield. My first experience with pizza was in 1956 when I was at Cal Poly. After a Mustang-Bulldog football game in Fresno, we went to a restaurant called DiChicos. I had my first pizza and fell in love with it. Shortly after that I discovered DiRico's in Bakersfield; oh the joy! Pizza is still my love and making it is a hobby of mine with a wood burning oven in my front yard."

 * ... MEMORIES: Joan Stain is one person in town who remembers the old days of the Bakersfield Bowling Academy. She moved here in 1963 and filled in for a friend who worked the desk, and never left. "I was hired permanently and not only worked the desk but also acted as league coordinator. That occurred in 1979 and I retired from Southwest Lanes in 1996 as the manager. Seeing the names of David Rangel, Mike Hicks, Jack Moore etc. brought back loads of memories for me," she said. "How I loved those days at the old BBA with Sarge at the help. He was truly special in my eyes."

The Bakersfield Racquet Club struggles to survive and will Andy Vidak agree to an on air debate with Leticia Perez in the 16th State Senate District runoff?

 * ... THE BUZZ: It looks like the Bakersfield Racquet Club may be in financial trouble again. Members are telling me that money is so tight a purge of the staff is under way and members are being urged to sign up 100 new members to save the club. The storied tennis center, located on Pine Street off Truxtun, has been suffering from declining membership for years. Over a year ago a move by some
board members to revamp the club to widen its appeal was rejected by a core group of older members, leading to a lot of bad blood among long-time members and supporters. The issue: how does a club built around tennis (unfortunately not a growth sport) stay relevant and expand its audience? Stay tuned.

 * ... STATE SENATE: Kern County Supervisor Leticia Perez says she is ready to debate Republican Andy Vidak in their runoff for the 16th State Senate District. No word yet if Vidak will take Perez up on her offer to appear together on First Look with Scott Cox. Vidak narrowly missed winning the seat outright and the two are now headed for a July runoff. Perez, a Democrat, is positioning herself as a centrist who can work with the Democratic majority to get things done.

* ... BAD FORM: "How this for bad form?" wrote reader Car Nicita. "Yesterday my wife Beverly and I were taking our dogs for a walk in Challenger Park when we found someone had dumped an old dried up full size Christmas tree along Harris Road. The tree still had a stand attached! Wonder where they were keeping it until they decided June was the time to dispose of their tree?"

* ... ACHIEVER: Hats off to Ashley Langeliers, a Liberty High School graduate who went on to earn a degree from CSUB. On May 31, she received her PhD in clinical psychology from Alliant International University in Fresno. She currently works as the clinical manager at the Center for Autism and Related Disorders in Fresno. Her parents are Marcy and Joel Brust.

 * ... CHAMBER: Congratulations to all the people and organizations who were recognized in this past weekend's Beautiful Bakersfield awards sponsored by the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce. The awards are an excellent way to recognize people who contribute to the betterment of our community, even if the annual banquet is a televised snooze fest in dire need of a makeover.

 * ... BLACKBOARD: I received a call from Helen McCutheon, a loyal reader, who wondered where the original Blackboard honky tonk was located. The Blackboard, of course, was home to the birth of the Bakersfield Sound and enjoyed its hey day in the early 1950s. Its Chester Avenue location was razed in 2001 to make room for the expansion of the Kern County Museum. McCutcheon was a youngster but remembers when the blackboard may have been located farther south on Chester Avenue near a series of 35 to 40 small cabins, the original location before it was moved near the museum. Can anyone pinpoint where the original Blackboard stood? (historic photo of The Blackboard)

Bako Bits: short takes around town, from a Rubio run to kids making college decisions

Some short takes around our community following another splendid spring weekend, celebrating folks getting together for a good cause and our children moving on in their lives.
* RELAY FOR LIFE: You have to hand it to the organizers of Bakersfield's annual Relay for Life event out at Cal State Bakersfield. Thousands showed up and camped and walked and tens of thousands of dollars were raised to fight cancer. This has become one of our community's signature events and it is certainly something to rally around. Has any family not been touched by this dreaded disease?
* KUDOS TO KBAK: The folks over at channel 29 KBAK did a nice job with their live reporting from Relay for Life on Saturday morning. Personal testimonials from weatherman Miles Muzio were done in a quiet and respectful manner.
* RUNAWAY WINDMILL: Spotted this headline on the Californian breaking news Twitter feed: "runaway windmill closes Highway 58." Only in California would we understand runaway windmills.
* CLEAR PATH FOR RUBIO: When former Assemblywoman Sarah Reyes bowed out of the race for the State Senate 16th District, it virtually handed it to Supervisor Michael Rubio. Rubio's war chest of almost $400,000 and his total commitment to winning this seat is scaring away potential opponents. Others may emerge, but Mr. Rubio is going to Sacramento.

Last Friday was the day our high school seniors had to make final decisions on what colleges they will attend. This is clearly one of the most important decisions these young folks will have made in their short lives, and it will shape their lives forever. Here's a sampling of where some kids I know will spend the next four years:
* USC TROJANS: Frances Ellison, a senior at Stockdale High, will be heading to the USC engineering program. Frances was the top singles player for the Stockdale tennis team. Her sister Denise (also the No. 1 singles player before her) ended up at Notre Dame. They are the daughters of Bob and Patricia Ellison.
* LINDENWOOD LIONS: Elizabeth Key, senior at Ridgeview, decides on private Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., taking advantage of a scholarship that recognizes her academic achievements along with skeet shooting. She's the daughter of local businessman Keith Keys.
* GO BRUINS: Andrew Green, senior at BHS, heads to Westwood to enjoy the beautiful UCLA campus. Andrew is the son of deputy District Attorney Lisa Green and Grimmway counsel Jeff Green. His brother is attending UC Irvine.
* SAN LUIS: Brooke Shuford, another Driller over at BHS, is headed to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Brooke was a Driller swimmer and is the daughter of Kellie and Dan Shuford.
* TO THE BEACH: Scott Camp, Stockdale High, heads to the beach at UC Santa Barbara to study. Scott is the son of Jim Camp, owner of S.A. Camp company, and Carol Camp.
* TEXAS BOUND: Cassie Clayton, a golfer over at Garces Memorial High, heads to Texas Christian University, a favorite of a lot of Bakersfield kids. Cassie is the daughter of Judy and Greg Clayton.
* MISSOURI BOUND: Brian Foley, Ridgeview High, also heads to Lindenwood to hone his shooting skills on a skeet scholarship. He is the son of Kim and Tim Foley.