The truth meter finds fault with Terry Phillips' rambling attack on Bakersfield Observed; is refusing to recite the pledge unpatriotic? You be the judge

* ... PHILLIPS RETORT: Terry Phillips is a former Valley Public Radio broadcaster who is thinking about running for Congress against Rep. Kevin McCarthy. Last week I noted that Phillips created quite a stir at the downtown Rotary Club when he declined to participate in the pledge of allegiance before speaking there back in 2008. Phillips took me to task in a rambling letter to the editor Monday, accusing me of distorting the facts and questioning his patriotism. Really Terry? Let's review what happened. First, Phillips never denies not participating in the pledge, so it seems my reporting was accurate on that count. Second, it's also true that some folks in the mostly conservative crowd of local business leaders viewed his act a provocation and complained to Rotary officers after his speech. And third, I never accused Phillips of being unpatriotic, nor did I imply that he was fired because of the incident. (He was fired three years later) I did wonder aloud how his refusal to recite the pledge would play with voters, which seems like a reasonable thought. But as for Phillips being fired last year, I neither know nor care why VPR let him go. So indulge me as I once again review what I wrote: that he did not recite the pledge (true), that some Rotary members were upset (true) and that he was later fired (also true). Looks like a trifecta of accurate reporting to me. Isn't it funny how folks, particularly politicians or would-be politicians, have such a selective memory when the past returns to haunt them?

* ... HOUSING: We all know the dismal state of housing in states like California and Florida, but where is housing making a rebound? Realty website Inman News reports that for a second year in a row, the Midwest and Northeast dominate the markets deemed most desirable. Among the top hot markets are Raleigh, NC, Wichita, KS, Rochester, NY, Des Moines, IA, Chattanooga, TN, Peoria, ILL, and Amarillo, TX.


* ... REIDER: Kudos to retired Kern County Schools Superintendent Larry Reider who has had an educational building named after him. The five-story building in downtown Bakersfield, formerly known as the UC Merced building, has now been christened the Larry E. Reider Education Center. A fitting tribute to a longtime leader in Kern County education.

 * ... SPOTTED: Candace Bunes contributed this nugget from a day in the life of our city. "Sitting at a stop light on Truxtun and Coffee there is a lady in front of me drinking coffee, smoking a cigarette and talking on her cell phone. Beside me is a lady using a curling iron and putting on mascara. And behind me is a man doing nothing but waiting with his hands on the wheel!"

 * ... KINDNESS: Wendy Wayne, the former director of the First Five Commission who is battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, shared a wonderful story of a random act of kindness done on her behalf. The person, who Wendy did not name, was able to help a disabled veteran get a complete dental makeover. Turns out the veteran was born with a cleft pallet that required multiple surgeries. The good Samaritan found an organization called Soldiers Smile which found a dentist in Los Gatos who helped.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You may be from Bakersfield if you only use your turn signals once you are well into the turn.

Terry Phillips edges closer to running for Congress and fans of Bear Pascoe give him a shout out

* ... POLITICS: It looks like longtime broadcaster Terry Phillips is getting closer to deciding to run for Congress in the 23rd District against House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy. A press release said friends are gathering signatures to nominate him and he has created an exploratory committee. Phillips worked for Valley Public Radio and was a former news correspondent for CBS News. On a side note, Phillips spoke to the downtown Rotary Club in 2008 and created a stir when he declined to participate in the flag salute during the Pledge of Allegiance. His explanation - that as an American he can choose to opt out - fell flat with the Rotary crowd. "Can you imagine doing that before a group of conservative Rotarians?" one Rotary member told me. "It was a nightmare. We've never had so many complaints about a speaker." VPR later apologized to the club and Phillips was fired in 2011. We'll see how this plays in the election if he decides to run. Phillips is not a member of any political party and is registered as "decline to state."

 * ... BEAR PASCOE: Dina Ligari dropped me a note to remind me that Kern County was represented when the New York Giants beat the San Francisco 49ers. "The Giant win ...  brings up the issue that I have not read in this paper of the long generational connection to Bakersfield and Kern County of New York Giants No. 86, McKenna 'Bear' Pascoe. .. Bear’s parents Sean and Julie Pascoe were married in Bakersfield and lived much of their newly wed life here before eventually raising their kids on the family lease outside Woody. The Pascoe contingency in this town is very strong. In fact we were surprised there were no Richter scale reports from Sunday right after Bear’s first pro touchdown. The family was whooping and hollering from Bakersfield to Kazakhstan. Needless to say we are all so very proud and love Bear for all his accomplishments…..but will be glad when the Super Bowl is in the bag, cause the calves need to be branded. Life goes on. Go Big Blue!" Pascoe went to high school in Porterville and played for Fresno State before being drafted by the 49ers and later traded to the Giants.

* ... SPOTTED: A reader spotted this bit of bad form in front of Stockdale High School around 2 p.m. recently. "At least eight cars parked in the 'no parking' zone in front of Stockdale High School on Buena Vista Road. One lady double parked on Buena Vista forcing the traffic in the right hand lane to come to a complete stop."

 * ... WALMART: Reader Frances Quiroz shared this experience while shopping at the Walmart at East Hills.  "I was shocked when a Walmart employee who was working on 'the floor' was unable to help me because she did not speak English. Are you kidding me? I think anyone who gets paid with American money should at least know the language."

 * ... PETS AND SPEEDING: Kristen Bellue lives in one of downtown's charming homes on 21st Street and is pleading with commuters to recognize the 35 mph speed limit. Last week she came home to find her cat dead in the street. As she tried to retrieve the cat, drivers refused to slow and "some disgusting person hit my cat again. He flew through the air and landed in front of my neighbor's house. The sound was horrendous and as you can imagine I was hysterical!" Downtown is one of those areas where there are many indoor-outdoor cats, and Kristen is pleading with drivers to observe the speed limit. "I have even witnessed people passing down the center lane of 21st Street to pass the drivers that are going the speed limit."

 * ... ON THE MOVE: Bryan Burrow has joined the Kern Community Foundation as director of non-profit outreach. Burrow earned his MBA from CSUB, where he was a 2010 Alumnus of the Year,  worked for the Bank of America and is a member of the Rotary Club  of Bakersfield. He will report to Foundation President and CEO Jeff Pickering.