The exodus of Californians to lower cost states continues as the state passes yet more taxes, lamenting some of the architectural treasures lost in the 24th Street Widening Project and remembering an old bar on the Panorama Bluffs

* ... GOODBYE CAL: Is California running people and businesses out of the state with higher taxes and regulations? Diane Alburger thinks so and she dropped me this note: "I have lived in Cali since 1977. Gone to college here, gotten married here, raised my kids here, and made a career here

(teaching). Now, its spring break and I'm writing to you from the breakfast table of the Westin in Scottsdale. We're in Arizona scouting our retirement locations because we want to leave Cali. Both my brothers and their spouses, and my parents are also scouting out Arizona. Filled up the gas tank last night for $2.14 a gallon which we thought was great. Turns out, if we apply for a Circle K debit card, we can save an additional 20 cents a gallon and pay $1.94. Take that, Jerry Brown!"

 * ... 24TH STREET: Debby Rodigues wrote about the city's attempt to sell some of the vacant homes on 24th Street that will soon be razed. She said: "Referencing today's note on the homes south of 24th, and there being no interest by anyone to purchase and move them. Sadly, all the city regulations, requirements, and large monetary deposits, in addition to the short time frame between one opportunity to do a walk thru in a boarded up house with no electricity, and the final bid date made it impossible to pursue  bidding and moving  any of them. So the salvage value is all that is left of these formerly handsome homes. At least one has some interesting history as the home of a local pioneer telephone system, as well as the solid wood doors, frames, cabinets. Unfortunate situation."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "The downside of dating intelligent women is having to Google what they call you when it ends badly."

* ... GOOD FORM: Hats off to a crew from the Kern Wheelman Bicycle Club who pitched in to help repair a water line on a property off Amberhill Lane on the Poso Grade this past week. Keith and Monica Anderson, who own property along the road, were kind enough to run a water line from their property to the roadside so cyclists could access fresh cold water on long, hot days. The line needed repairing the the Wheelmen pitched in to have it repaired. Good from all around.

 * ... EATERY: Here is a shout out to the downtown farm to table business that regularly serves up nutritious meals at reasonable prices. From Lois Caswell: "You may have talked about this place before but I am out of town a lot. My daughter and I had lunch at Locale (Farm to Table) today. It is across from the downtown post office. Previously a deli and the old deli sign is still up. Amazing, locally sourced food. Good prices and incredible quality. We spoke to the owner, Heather Laganelli, and she has wonderful ideas for the place.We will be back, as there are several items we would like to try."

* ... MEMORIES: Michael Hutson responded to the query about an old bar that once stood at Panorma and River Boulevard. "I grew up in the La Cresta area during the 1960s and 1970s. We used to walk from La Cresta Drive, (through Greenlawan cemetary) up to the liquor store for candy.  The store was owned by Ray Hanning, named Hanning’s Liquor. There was a gas station on that corner of Panorama and River Boulevard but I don’t recall a bar being there.  I’ll be curious as to the response from your readers.

 * ... LOFT: Yet another reader, Rhaya Lemons, thought the bar was called "The Bluffs."

City councilman Terry Maxwell and Mark Salvaggio square off on the 24th Street widening project, the Bakersfield Racquet Club gets a new eatery and a big celebration for a 100th birthday

 * ... 24Th STREET: City Councilman Terry Maxwell has taken a lot of heat for opposing the widening of 24th Street, and just last week he took a tongue lashing from former Congressman Bill Thomas who secured the funding for the project. And now former city Councilman Mark Salvaggio

has weighed in, sending Maxwell an email that triggered a lively online debate between the two. Salvaggio argued that the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is being used (or abused) by a vocal minority to hold up the project. Salvaggio recalled at least two other times when CEQA was used to delay projects and told Maxwell: "But the thing you don't get is the 24th Street Widening Project is good for Bakersfield. It is a much-needed road improvement project. Why is this so? In short, 24th Street is well over its design capacity.  It carries more traffic than all but one other arterial segment in the city with four lanes for traffic. The other 17 top arterials carry less traffic with six (6) lanes. 24th Street is also unsafe due, in part, to its traffic volumes, lacks controls over left turns and driveways which go directly into the travel lanes. Do you ever drive 24th Street? Or do you walk or ride your bike?  It takes some navigation. You favor the Hageman flyover. So does everyone else. This road project is needed to provide an alternate and direct route from the Northwest into Downtown (our urban core) Bakersfield.  Both of these important projects complement our efforts to improve circulation in metropolitan Bakersfield. The prevailing view is both of these road projects are needed." Maxwell, for his part, is holding firm to his opposition, seeing the project as a waste of taxpayer's money when there are cheaper alternatives.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Statistics show the number one cause of failed relationships is opening your mouth and letting words come out."

 * ... BIRTHDAY: Karene Williams wrote to tell me that Hazel Ream celebrated her 100th birthday Sunday. A huge gathering helped celebrate the day at the local Moose Lodge in Lake Isabella.

 * ... RACQUET CLUB: I have been hearing some rave reviews for the new Match Point Grill in the Bakersfield Racquet Club coffee shop on Pine Street between Truxtun and 18th Street. This space has been occupied by a number of restaurants over the years, most recently Covenant Coffee. Operated by Catering Affairs, Match Point is open for breakfast and lunch Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Those living and working downtown, as well as club members, are thrilled to have another eatery option. Match Point is open to the public.

 * ... SUSHI: Speaking of food, the new Japanese restaurant Jin Sushi is also getting some good reviewers from downtown diners. Located next to the Metro Galleries at the corner of Eye and 19th streets, Jin Sushi has only been open a few days but has gained a small but loyal following. Let's hope the place can maintain its service and quality of food.

 * ... APW: The Association of Petroleum Wives is holding a "Welcome Back" party this Saturday at the Metro Galleries on 19th Street. Ladies whose husbands are employed (or retired from) the petroleum industry are invited to attend to join or renew your membership. The event kicks off at 6:30 p.m. with live music, food catered by Chef's Choice Noodle Bar. Call Lynn at (661) 301-0907 to make reservations.

 * ... MEA CULPA: And finally, my sincere apologies to Kim McAbee Carter, whose last name I butchered in a recent column. Kim is an accomplished country music singer who, along with husband Kyle Carter, are building the Bakersfield Music Hall of Fame.

The proposal for a tree lined Westchester Parkway picks up support downtown, and homeowners join the trend to downsize their homes and lives

 * ... 24th STREET: An alternative proposal to widen 24th Street by converting it into a "Westchester Parkway" with a green belt in the center seems to be picking up some strong support among downtown residents. There are certainly people who prefer the "no build" option, but commercial real estate broker Wayne Kress' "Westchester Parkway" option is gaining supporters. The idea: work with the city to achieve the widening but in doing so create a beautiful gateway into our community with a more landscaped option.

 * ... RADIO: Mark Salvaggio is a retired city councilman who has remained active in local political circles and never shies away from a strong opinion. He will be my guest on Monday, at 9 a.m. on Californian Radio KERN 1180. We'll discuss public employee pensions, the governor's budget  and the local political scene. Join us by calling in questions at (661) 842-5376.

* ... WENDY: I attended the celebration of life Saturday for the late Wendy Wayne, an event that packed the downtown Fox Theater with friends, family members and well wishes. It was amazing how many people flew in from out of town to give their last respects to this amazing woman. Wendy's oldest son, Larkin Tacket, gave a moving, sometimes funny tribute to his mother that had everyone dabbing their eyes with tissue paper.

 * ... GOING SMALL: I read with interest the Sunday column by Opinion Page Editor Robert Price who extolled the virtues of "going small" when his family sold its Stockdale Estates home and moved to a much smaller home downtown. The economy is pushing many of us in that direction, but others like the Prices are doing it as a lifestyle change. Fortune magazine picked up on this recently saying "millions of people are finding that having less makes them happier. Spending less and saving more is kind of like sushi: You have to be made to try it, but then you may find you love it."

* ... REUNION: Reba Mullen's family held its 16th Bulter-Williams family reunion recently, attracting more than 60 relatives from at least six states. "I would like to give kudos to our local businesses and merchants who were very generous, gracious and supportive. Among them were Wendy Zielsdorf at the Bakersfield Convention and Visitor's Bureau for a goodie bag full of Bakersfield branded pens and bumper stickers, the folks at My Husband's Nuts and to the people at Coconut Joe's for the good food and service. And, let's not forget about Dewar's and its famous chews."

 * .... SCAM: Heads up on a possible telephone scam. JoAnn Williams wrote that she received four calls in just one week, all from people with heavy Indian accents telling her she had a computer virus. "I know there is no virus. I refuse to speak with anyone I can not understand, so I never continue the call. I know there has been notice of this scam before, but so many phone calls in such a short period of time worries me."

 * ... POEMS: Esther Dougherty sent me a copy of "Search," a series of poems by local waste management executive Skeet Varner. Some of the poems deal with Varner's love for and support of the sport of wrestling, and others deal with topics like aging.

Red hot topic of widening 24th Street will be the topic of Californian Radio KERN 1180 on Monday at 9 a.m.

* ... 24TH STREET: A group of downtown residents is determined to stop the 24th Street widening project, which has long been planned and is now funded thanks to the Thomas Road Improvement Program. The residents don't like either option - either widening to the north or to the south to accommodate two more lanes - and instead want to stop it in its tracks. Join me Monday on Californian Radio KERN 1180 when we will talk to opponents as well as Raul Rojas, the city Public Works Director ,who will be on hand to provide background. The show starts at 9 a.m. (photo courtesy of BakersfieldNow.com KERO TV)

* ... DOWN UNDER: Hats off to two North High graduates who will be traveling to Australia with Down Under Sports to play basketball this summer. MacKenzie Odle and Brodie Smih will be making the trip and are now raising money to pay for it. Karen Odle, MacKenzie's proud mom, said her daughter has been successful in raising money by "flocking" people's yards with pink flamingos. The problem: some of the flamingos are stolen out of the yards and MacKenzie has had to replace them. "It is hard to raise money when people steal your flocks and you have to replace them.  She has lost three flocks of 12 birds since starting this fund raiser .... If you could help get the word about about not stealing the flocks that would be great." Good luck to both these North High Stars.

 * ... SPOTTED: A woman emerges from an Albertson's with a deli sandwich and a small bag of dog food for a homeless man and his mutt.


 * ... POKER: For the past eight years a group of local guys have gotten together for a little friendly poker, and now comes word that two of them are heading off to play in the World Series of Poker July 3-4 in Las Vegas. According to Jeff Adams, Tyler Palmer and Johnny Iturriria will be playing for a World Series of Poker bracelet and possibly $600,000 in cash. "The strange this about this is that Tyler and Johnny are probably the worst players in our group, but let's wish them lucky anyway," said Adams, perhaps not too seriously. The members of the Thursday night poker group include Steve Donovan (DONO), Steve Adams (ROCKET), Ken Chapman (CHAPPY), Tyler Palmer  (TAMY), Jeff Adams  (JA), Johnny Iturriria (JI), John Kadel (KADELIAN), Brian Foster (BETOFOSTER), Dave Berkshire (DAVEY B) Andy Sweeney (STICK) and Chris Bellue (DANGERBOY).


 * ... DID YOU KNOW? Did you know that Flickinger's Farm and Garden store once stood where the Bank of America building now stands at the corner of 17th and Chester? That's according to Wil and Joan Flickinger, who told me his grandfather, M.P. Flickinger, arrived here around 1900 and brought a long numerous relatives. "The property was actually owned by the Kern County Land Company, once the largest land company in the world. They begged my grandfather to buy it on his own terms, but he felt downtown was getting too congested. By 1922, he opted to build his own building out on 18th and O Street. My grandmother cried because she felt people 'would never find him way out in the country there.'  He had one of the first telephones in Bakersfield with the number of Phone 100. The Chester Avenue building eventually was replaced by a Standard Service Station that my wife's father, Lloyd Potter,  ran at one time, and part of the wood yard was replaced by the El Tejon Hotel."

24th Street widening still a few years off and Sheryl Crow wows them at the Fox Theater

 * ... 24th STREET: The long-awaited plan to widen 24th Street through downtown is moving along through the environmental process but it still a few years off from breaking ground. That's the word from City Manager Alan Tandy, who said he expected everything to be ready for construction by the end of 2013 or early 2014. The project will run from about the 24th Street Cafe all the way to Sillect Avenue. The street will be widened to handle three lanes in each direction. Meanwhile, Tandy said the project to build an overpass on Truxtun Extension to provide access to the Westside Parkway is slightly behind schedule because of the swollen river this summer. And speaking of the river, Tandy also reiterated the city's pledge to fight to gain control of water rights to keep river flowing in the Kern almost year round, although that is a fight that will be tied up in the courts for years.

 * ... SIDEWALKS: Gilbert Gia is one of our local historians who has amassed an impressive amount of data on the history of Bakersfield and Kern County. He shared with me his history of local sidewalks and street paving, and how you can date the ages of the sidewalks and streets from the contractor stamps. Tge first sidewalks were built in the late 1800s and by the early 1900s streets and sidewalks were being erected downtown and in the old Baker Street business district. Next time you take a stroll, check out the stamps from long-gone contractors like A. Klingenberg (1915), Valley Construction (around 1920), Thompson Brothers (1912), Worswick Street Paving Co. (1916) and Dean and Strobe, among the many others.

 * ... SHERYL CROW: The Sheryl Crow concert at the Fox Theater was a sell out last week, and at 49 years of age the singer certainly knows how to wow a crowd. Crow mentioned the Padre Hotel five times during the show - that elicited a huge smile from Padre owner Brett Miller who was taking in the show along with wife Kelli - and Crow also shared that she took in the antique store across from the hotel.

 * ... FRAUD: Credit card fraud seems to run rampant these days. Just in the past week, three friends have told me about fraudulent purchases showing up on their credit cards. Then, in the span of 72 hours, I had two credit cards and my bank ATM card compromised. Almost all the fraudulent charges were made in central and south Florida, everything from a Winn-Dixie supermarket in Orlando to a $1,230 charge at Men's Warehouse. Banks are adept at spotting these charges but for your own protection, keep an eye on your bank statements.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Eleanor Grant remembers when she attended the Lowell School on H Street, where St. Francis church is now, and the circus train would come to town. The performers and animals would get off the train at the Santa Fe Depot and parade down Truxtun Avenue to their performance location while the teachers and students watched.

 * ... WHO KNEW? Did you know that China Grade, the paved road to the bluffs and Panorama Drive, was originally a trail used by Chinese residents during the 1870s? It is said they used it to get to the Kern River bank in search of watercress.

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