One in four Americans want Santa to be gender neutral (seriously), downtown traffic is a mess due to the 24th Street widening project, and setting the record straight on the history of Mexicali

Monday, December 17, 2018

 Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this such a special to live. Send your tips to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... DOWNTOWN TRAFFIC: The 24th Street widening project downtown is now in full swing, and boy has it created a mess. The city closed off parts of 23rd Street over the weekend to install a

storm drain at D and 23rd, forcing traffic into the Westchester neighborhood to skirt the construction. And if you think this is bad, prepare for all those bridges for the Centennial project (across Stockdale Highway, California Avenue and Truxtun) that are just now getting underway.

 * ... GENDER NEUTRAL SANTA: Well here is a sign of the times: a recent survey in both the United States and Briton revealed that one in four people believe Santa Claus should be either female, or gender neutral. Given the changing views of sexuality, all this is not unsurprising but it does reflect society's evolving view of the role of gender in society. And so it goes.

 * ... JAKELIN DEATH: I think we can all agree that the death of 7-year-old Jakelin Caal Makin at the border was a tragedy, but do both sides really need to politicize it? Sen. Dianne Feinstein has called for an investigation, asking how the Border Patrol "allowed this to happen." Say what? The youngster, suffering from dehydration, died after just six hours into U.S. custody after being hospitalized. Isn't blaming her death on the Border Patrol a bit like blaming the death of a car crash victim on the Hall Ambulance medics who responded to the scene? Or blaming Kern County sheriff's deputies for the death of a person who was swimming in the Kern River after they respond to reports of a drowning? The child's death is lamentable, but politicizing it serves no purpose. Check out this meme lifted from Facebook with this caption: "Jakelin Ameí Rosmery Caal Makin- only 7 yrs old - died of thirst, shock and exhaustion while in U.S. Border Patrol Custody. No child should be placed behind cages, no child should die because of inhumane treatment."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Running is the best way to remind yourself how much you love sitting."

 * ... OVERHEARD: A middle aged man is relating the story of a shoplifter who was chased out of a Rite-Aid downtown: "So he is chased out the door and he runs to a newer Mercedes parked in the parking lot and drives off."

 * ... MEXICALI: My friend David Lyman sent me this note to correct the record: "You refer to Mexicali West as the 'second' Mexicali.  It actually is the fourth. The company's first location was on Baker Street. It then opened its second location downtown on 18th Street. The third location was on Niles Street which has since closed. Mexicali West is number four."

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this old photo of Emerson School from 1904, courtesy of the Kern County History Fans Facebook page.

Work gets under way on the 24th Street widening, Candi Easter dies and did you know that more than 50 U2 spy planes were made right here in Oildale?

Friday, October 26, 2018

 Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this such a special to live. Send your news tips to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * .. 24TH STREET: The widening of 24th Street has been decades in the making, and now after eight lawsuits and years of delays, the final construction phase is now under way. The city held a

ground breaking Thursday morning at the corner of 24th and Oak Street on the empty lot that once was used to sell pumpkins and Christmas trees. Now that houses on the north side of 24th have been razed and a brick sound wall erected, the next step is a sound wall on the south side near Oak and Beech Street, the widening of 24th between the Kern River and Beech and the widening of the northwest portion of Oak Street. It should all be done by spring 2020.

 * ... RIP CANDI: Candi Easter, the longtime head of the Kern County Democratic Party, has died after an extended illness. Easter stepped down from her party post a few years ago and has been in ill health for months. Services are pending.

 * ... U2 SPY PLANES: Did you know that the famous U2 spy plane was assembled right here in Bakersfield? That's right, according to retired Gen. James Whitehead the first 50 U2s were assembled at a secret Lockheed manufacturing facility on Norris Road in Oildale. The U2s were assembled there in 1956 and 1957. The planes were assembled there and flown to Nevada where they were flight tested in the military's super-secret Area 51 airfield.

 * ... DOWNTOWN EATERIES: If you don't live or work downtown, you might be missing a growing culinary trend toward mom and pop family owned restaurants devoted to healthy eating. The Locale Farm to Table across from the downtown Post Office started the trend, and now right down the street are a growing number of eateries: Rig City Coffee Roasting, Better Bowls and the Hen's Roost, home of the best vegan burger in town. Meanwhile, more local restaurants and bakeries are planned for the so-called Eastchester where the Smitten Cafe has enjoyed a gangbuster's business. If you haven't been downtown lately, it is worth your while.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Why are you showing me pictures of your kid if you have a dog?"

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "No matter how nice I ask random people, nobody will take me to Funkytown."

 * ... SPAY NEUTER: Hats off to a group of local pet rescue organizations for a successful day vaccinating more than 300 dogs this past weekend. Dozens of spay neuter vouchers were issued, pet food was provided for those in need and distemper vaccinations were administered at Heritage Park. Volunteers represented a number of organizations, including Bakersfield Boxers and Bullies Rescue, SafeFurr Place Animal Rescue, Cook's Veterinary Hospital, Bakersfield SPCA and the Bakersfield Pet Food Pantry. The event was funded by the Basic Needs Foundation. The next clinic will be held Nov. 11 at the same park.

 * ... MEMORIES: How many of you attended this Fleetwood Mac concert back in the day?

CSUB basketball coach Rod Barnes is WAC coach of the year, solving the mystery of a house scheduled to be demolished on 25th Street and remembering Jose's Spanish Food

 * ... ROADRUNNERS: Cal State Bakersfield basketball coach Rod Barnes won his second consecutive "Coach of the Year" honor in the Western Athletic Conference, and with that he once again inched the Roadrunners closer to national prominence. If the Runners win the WAC again it

will mean an automatic tournament bid to attend the NCAA "Big Dance," which puts CSUB in rare company and under a national spotlight. The upside of this kind of image marketing for Bakersfield cannot be underestimated, and it brings the campus better recruits and moves us closer to the kind of recognition offered other smaller schools like Gonzaga, Bucknell and Creighton.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I miss a man around the house so he can watch me do all the work."

* ... GOOD FORM: Here's to the middle aged man who hopped out of his white GMC pickup truck at 19th and Chester the other day to help a homeless woman who fell in intersection, spilling her belongings in the crosswalk and holding up traffic.

 * ... BAD FORM:  Shame on two bicyclists who, on their weekly noon ride that takes them up Panorama Drive, decided to urinate in public at the corner of Alta Vista and Panorama on the wall of a private residence. One man's toilet is another's neighborhood. Let's try to treat every neighborhood as if it were our own.

 * ... 24th STREET: Earlier this week a reader wrote inquiring about the history of a house at the corner of 24th and Beech that bears a large white "P" on its chimney. It is among the houses scheduled to be razed for the 24th Street widening. My friend Peter Hunt responded this way: "The house at the corner of 24th and Beech Street that one of your readers asked about was my grandfather's home. His name was Pat Morison. The house was built in the late 1950s. In the 1960s it was written about in the Los Angeles Times or maybe Sunset Magazine or the Californian. I can't remember. During the construction he fell off of a saw house he had been standing on and severely broke his leg in several places. Doc Iger fixed him up. He sold the house in1970. The fireplace had a large M on it in those days!"

 * ... MORE 24TH: And Kevin McDermott added more history to the same house: "My dad, Robert McDermott, owned and lived in the house you mentioned in your blog at the corner of 24th and Beech from 1973 to 1989. I believe the house was built in 1956. The house had an initial up on the chimney when he moved in, and he changed to his when he moved in. I am not sure when it was first established, but have seen it change since he sold the house. I still remember 1981 when he dressed in a Santa outfit and sat on the roof next to the chimney waving to the passing cars. My daughter cried when she saw him up there."

 * ... DAN BLOCKER: ​And the local stories about the late Bonanza star Dan Blocker continue. This note came from reader Harry Love: "With all the recent articles about Dan Blocker I thought you would enjoy this one. I began teaching at Foothill High School in 1967. I was in the social studies department. Another member was Larry Yount (now deceased). He was a double for Dan Blocker on Bonanza. He was very proud of doing it and showed us photos of him on the set."

 * .... MEXICAN FOOD: So who remembers Jose's Spanish Food at California and K Street in the early 1960s? I spotted a menu for the place on the Kern County of Old Facebook page offering taco and tamale dinners starting at $1.45.

Squatters move into homes on the north side of 24th Street as the widening project moves ahead, and which breed of dogs barks the most? The Beagle and Bassett Hound are the worst offenders

 * … SQUATTERS: The proposed widening of 24th Street downtown has led to a mess as squatters take over vacant homes on the north side. Just this weekend, Bakersfield police busted up a family of squatters on one house near Elm Street, apparently finding stolen guns and drugs in the process.

Neighbors tell me as soon as one house is purchased by the city and vacated, homeless and gang members move it to make the place their own. "I must say it truly took at the neighbors rallying together" and contacting Bakersfield police to get action on the Elm Street home, one homeowner told me.

* … DOGS: We have all have had neighbors with dogs who bark and yelp throughout the day, and night, but did you ever wonder what breeds were the worst offenders? According to a recent survey, the top five breeds who bark incessantly include the Maltese, the Keeshond, the Jack Russell Terrier, the Bassett Hound, and worst offender of them all, the Beagle.

 * … GOOD FORM: Ruth Fee wrote to thank some folks who work on 18th Street for coming to her aid when she took a nasty fall on a public sidewalk. "They quickly brought first aid, offering help and concern for my welfare. A special thanks to a visiting physician who despite my protestations refused to leave my side until my daughter arrived, and assured her I was in good hands. Scrapes, aches and a little rocky but otherwise all is well."

 * … BAD FORM: Steve Barnes wonders who "signed off on the lane striping on Highway 58 from Cottonwood Road to Highway 99. I drove it westbound last night at 5:30, and you literally cannot see the lanes when they shift left or right. You are driving along in the No. 1 fast lane and all of a sudden you are in the No. 2 lane. I came home from 99 to 58 east at 6:15 p.m., and you could see at least every third or forth car in the westbound lanes crossing over into the next lane unknowingly!"

 * … ACHIEVER: Greg and Mary Hanel are understandably proud of their children. Greg Hanel, former Stockdale High 2010 senior class president, is commissioning in the United States Air Force as a second lieutenant and graduating from The Ohio State University with a BS in Theoretical Mathematics in May. He will report to Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, to begin pilot training. His sister Alyson, Stockdale High Class of 2009, will also graduate in May from Kansas State University with an MS in Geology  She and her husband Trent McCaw will reside in Henderson, Nevada.

* … HOUSING AUTHORITY: The Housing Authority of Kern County is celebrating its 75th year in existence, and it is looking for input from local folks. The authority's past is a living memory of our county, from the historic Sunset Migrant Camp to the housing provided during World War II. The authority is planning a luncheon with an historical exhibit on Thursday, May 21, at Hodel's. If you have a memory or photo you want to share, call (661) 631-8500 extension 2002.

An online petition seeks to have crosswalks placed on 24th Street and readers speculate on how Bakersfield played in the filming of the Hitchcock classic Psycho

* … CROSSWALKS: There is a grass roots effort to convince our City Council to install two

pedestrian crosswalks on 24th Street as part of the widening project. The online petition asks the Council to consider putting crosswalks at both A and Beech streets, allowing residents on the north side to access Franklin Elementary School and Jastro Park on the south side. Personally, I think crossing 24th on foot is a suicide mission in the best of circumstances, but the only other ways to resolve this - a pedestrian tunnel or bridge - may be cost prohitited. More on this to come.

   
* … PSYCHO: An anonymous reader wrote that one of the scenes in the movie Psycho (where actress Janet Leigh was buying a car) was filmed at the northeast corner of Union and California avenues. Another speculated it was filmed on Truxtun Avenue in front of the courthouse. And still a third, Mona Martin, added: "We so enjoy your blog, upon doing a little 'Psycho' research, I discovered that the used car lot scene was actually filmed a bit to the north of the Universal Studios at an existing used car lot. I believe it was portrayed to have been in Mojave though."

 * … OLD TIMES: A reader mentioned an old miniature golf course in town, leading Dennis Claxton to add this: "Let’s not forget the miniature golf course located on Oak Sreet. just north of Brundage Lane where Barnett’s Tire shop stands now. About eight of us would spend many of the hot summer nights playing pinball and getting the soft drinks out of the water cooler ."

 * … HORSES IN BARS: Bill Deaver wrote to say downtown Bakersfield wasn't the only place where folks rode their horses into local bars. "Back during a Gold Rush Days celebration in Mojave in the 1950s, George Hodges, the then-constable, rode his horse into one of the bars that lined Sierra Highway. When I was constable during the 1970s I didn't have a horse but I levied on a couple local bars to satisfy judgments. From a bunch of bars in the 1950s we are down to two now, and one of those is in the Elks Lodge. In think TV did them in, giving folks something to do at home rather than in the local pubs. By the way, there are few places that smell as bad as a bar in the morning."

 * … CAR DEALERS: One more trip down memory lane, this one compliments of reader Kala Stuebbe: "My dad, Kenny Loewen, loves the walks down memory lane you so often provide especially in this case the car dealerships of the past. He began his career as a car salesman in 1950, and interestingly in 1959 on the first day it was mandated that car salesmen had to be licensed he happened to be at the DMV registering a car for a customer, so he filled out the form for his license and received the license number 157 in the entire state which he kept for over 50 years. Can you imagine the numbers of licenses now? He remembers Thrasher Motors who carried DeSoto (27th and Chester); Kitchen and Hodges who carried Nash (H and 23rd); Bakersfield Garage who carried Dodge; and Ed Fant Buick (at the west end of the now crosstown freeway) who was the first one to carry Fiat in 1957. He said that Plymouth was the lowest priced car of the time and carried by Bakersfield Garage, Thrasher Motors, and Strickland Motors. Leo Meek had a large used car sales business and the only new car they carried was the Edsel (for a short time). Tom Gillum Used Cars, located in Oildale, was almost as busy as Leo Meek."

Residents on Bakersfield's east side lament the lack of services, squatters take over houses on 24th Street and remembering those local car dealers from long ago

 * … EAST SIDE: Marilyn Sullivan is a proud resident of the east side, but she is frustrated by the lack of services in the area. "Take a drive out 178 on our in- progress freewa.  You can't help but notice the complete lack of commercial development east of Morning Drive. Our councilman has said it's

because of the recession, lack of rooftops, Caltrans, etc. There are many housing developments but no grocery stores. However, the new freeway will make it more pleasant  and easy to drive out to the west to shop and buy groceries. Just one Sully's corner (Ming and Buena Vista), or a Brookside deli and gas, a Trader Joe's (Greenfrog left a good location), a clean, modern sports bar, would be wonderful. Why isn't somebody (city of Bakersfield) doing something (incentives) to bring commercial development to the northeast? … I've lived in the northeast for eight years. In that time, very little has changed, except for government projects." (photo by Fred Castillo)

 * … SQUATTERS: It looks like squatters are taking over some of the homes on the north side of 24th Street that have been purchased by the city for the eventual widening process. Neighbors said that one house that was recently vacated had been taken over by a homeless couple and their dog but were chased away. As the project drags on, we can likely expect more of this.

 * … LIBRARY: For all you old timers out there, the Baker Street branch library will celebrate its 100th birthday this May, and the Friends of the Baker Library will be holding an open house. Susan Bennett told me the group is putting together a scrapbook of memories and family pictures of the library. If you want to share, bring your pictures to the library where they will be copied and returned to you. The celebration is set for Saturday, May 9, from noon to 3 p.m. The email for the group is Bakercelebration@gmail.com.

 * … EAST HIGH: There is an impressive group of high achievers who will be inducted into the East Bakersfield High School hall of fame next month. Among those to be honored are Superior Court Judge David Lampe, oilman Chad Hathaway, Jack Randolph, Michael Dellostritto, Dr. David Smith, Terry Maddux, Carl Bryan and Steve Gradowitz. The event will be held at the Marriott Hotel on Saturday, Feb. 28. Tickets are available at the EBHS finance office.

 * … CAR DEALERS: A few readers added to the conversation about old auto dealers. Said Marilyn Kendig: "What about Leo Meek Automobiles? I hear that little ditty over and over in my head and can still sing it ---- '2 - 7 - 1 -1 Chester Avenue, Leo Meek Automobiles.' I miss that." And Bobbi Womack added: "Don't forget the Packard and foreign car dealership at 23rd and H street (northeast corner) and
Haberfelde Ford on Eye Street."

 * … MEMORIES: This memory from a reader reacting to a recent post on the old Vincent's bicycle shop. "Well my first Schwinn came from Snider's. Wheeling in the backdoor in the alley off Baker for service (early 1960s). Still there, on Union Avenue now, selling bikes and best locksmiths in town."

RIP Nadene Steinert, celebrating the new cul de sacs downtown and when is enough plastic surgery enough?

* … RIP: I was sad to hear of the passing of Adala "Nadene" Steinert, one of the truly gracious members of our community. Nadene was 92 when she died. She is survived by her husband of 71
years, Marvin Steinert, a local businessman who has been so generous to many worthy organizations in town.

* … CUL DE SACS: Not everyone may agree on the widening of 24th Street downtown, but Westchester residents could not be happier with the new cul de sacs being installed on the "tree streets" (Pine, Spruce etc). This weekend, I spotted no fewer than 10 small children playing in the middle of Pine Street near 24th Street now that the street has become a dead-end.

 * … TREES: A reader, who asked not to be named, had a terrific suggestion for the Tree Foundation of Kern to encourage "tree literacy." Said the reader: "I have long thought an interesting series of articles could be written about the trees in Bakersfield. Perhaps a contest of sorts. Each month, you or the Foundation could pick a kind of tree (Redwood, Sycamore, Beech, etc.) and ask people to nominate outstanding examples of that tree. Size, conformity, beauty in location, etc. could be judged and you could do a photo essay, pick outstanding examples, give a plaque to mount by 'the best example,' etc. It would encourage people to plant and admire trees and be a positive story about something nice in Bakersfield."

* … OSCARS: Apropos of nothing, but how surreal did Kim Novak and Goldie Hawn look at the Academy Awards? When is enough plastic surgery enough? (photo by the Associated Press)

* … CEMETERY: Lillie Rose wrote to recall the old Chinese cemetery off Terrace way. "My parent's friends, Bob and Molly Hawthorne, lived in a house that sat rather far back on a lot near where Baldwin Road meets Terrace Way. The Chinese cemetery was almost in their backyard. I was born in Bakersfield in 1943, and as soon as I could walk I was in their yard and fascinated by the cemetery.  It was a lovely place back then. Both the Hawthornes and my parents impressed upon me that it was a place to be treated with the utmost respect. I was sad when the graves were relocated and houses on what had once been holy ground."

 * … TUNNELS: And yet another reader, Kevin Schmidt, suggested making our underground tunnels a tourist attraction. "As an amateur historian, it is with fascination that I read your stories about the underground tunnels in downtown Bakersfield.  It reminded me of my visit to Seattle.  My favorite part of the city was the 'underground city tour' that took you literally underground in old Seattle to visit some of the business and speakeasy's that existed in those times. The city went 'up' while the existing businesses stayed put, with the streets above them. It is one of Seattle's most popular tourist attractions.
Perhaps some enterprising individual can reopen and explore the tunnels under Bakersfield, bring it back to its old mysteries, culture and history to become a unique Bakersfield attraction."

The dilemma of widening 24th Street through downtown Bakersfield: what is your take? And now is the time to trade that used car in for top dollar

* ... 24th STREET: I attended the public hearing on the proposed widening of 24th Street and got an earful from the red shirted opponents of the project. These folks prefer the "no build" option, arguing that widening 24th will divide the neighborhoods on each side of street and drive down property values. But aren't the neighborhoods already divided, and is doing nothing really an option? Here's an interesting compromise I picked up at the meeting: adopt the alternative to take a row of houses on the north side, but instead of leaving a center turn lane (turning against traffic on 24th is already a suicide mission at best) install a landscaped median with bike lanes in each direction. That way you end up with six lanes of traffic that looks more like Old River Road than Ashe Road.

 * ... STEVE HILL: The Desert Rose Band, featuring Chris Hillman and Herb Pederson, played at the Crystal Palace this week and I left promising myself I'd spend more time at this terrific local musical venue. Hillman was a founding member of the Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, and in the audience was Steve Hill, a little known songwriter who co-wrote with Hillman hits like "I Still Believe in You," "Summer Wind" and"Start all Over Again." I chatted briefly with Hill, an accomplished fiddle and violin player, who told me he now lives in Lebec and is still writing music.

 * ... USED CARS: If you are holding onto a good used car and have been thinking about buying new, now is the time to do it. Quality used cars are scarce, and auto dealers are offering killer trade in deals to lure new car buyers. Two friends told me they bought new when two separate dealers offered to pay off their existing leases just to get their business. Dan Hay, general manager over at Jim Burke Ford, told me that "good, clean used cars at any price are at a premium right now and will continue so into the foreseeable future. It really doesn’t matter the price range; good used cars bring all the money and we not only buy them but give top dollar as a trade."

 * ... MORE CARS: Meanwhile over at Motor City, general manager John Pitre said trucks are still king in Kern County. "We are buying 2004 to 2011 trucks from private parties and our client base at  very competitive prices because we have buyers waiting. Our internet sales have reached new highs and we are selling cars all over the world... just exported several to Russia, the Middle East and even Mongolia. We have such great offers on new vehicles due to manufacturer incentives that the spread from used to new has never been so close, thus people can move up to a new 2012 GMC or Buick and after their trade in - there is very little difference due. Kern County is leading the recovery in California and we are at the epicenter."

 *... BELTER: I caught up with young Mallory Belter this past weekend when we ran into each other at a wedding in La Jolla. The daughter of Gary and Bettina Belter, the 22-year-old Mallory just graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles and is now working as a wardrobe stylist. She's landed her first client and is living in Los Angeles. Good to see these local kids thriving.

 * ... MEA CULPA: I goofed in an earlier blog when I wrote about Mark Parsons, who is working with the Red Cross in the Colorado fires. Ann Danforth is his sister, not his mother.

Downtown residents gather to oppose the widening of 24th Street and seniors at Garces Memorial High School pull off a year-end prank

* ... 24th STREET: There is a small but growing movement to oppose the widening of 24th Street downtown. A flyer being distributed to Westchester residents opposes the widening, saying it will destroy historic property and lead to a 40 percent decline in property values. The group is urging people to attend the upcoming hearings on the Thomas Roads Improvement Program (TRIP) project. Expect to hear more from these citizens. The plan is to widen 24th Street to six lanes, three in each direction, while cutting off some access to the south side of downtown by closing off some of the streets.

* ... GEESE: Darlyn Baker was heading west on Truxtun last week when traffic ground to a halt near Empire Drive. "Lo and behold, heading north across Truxtun was this family of geese.  It looked like the parents and six little ones. They made it safely across at their own pace... How refreshing to see the power of nature... to bring Truxtun traffic to a halt!" (photo by Darlyn Baker)

 * ... GUN CLUB: The Kern County Gun Club will hold its annual dinner and auction this Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the Bakersfield Elks Club. This is always an interesting and well attended event featuring both live and silent auctions and drawings. Tickets are $100 each. For more information call Ken Ferra at (661) 332-4680. And speaking of the shooting sports, I ran into Mark and Betsy Ramsey at Trader Joe's the other day and they told me son Miles has taken up skeet shooting at the Kern County Gun Club. Miles is being tutored by Clifford Bolt, an ace skeet shooter and a terrific coach. Miles is thinking of entering the Junior World tournament later this summer. (file photo of skeet shooter)

 * ... SPOTTED: Driving south on Highway 99 in a pickup truck, the driver is reading the Camera Ads auto trader publication while his passenger is engrossed in texting on his cell phone.

* ... SENIOR PRANK: A group of seniors over at Garces Memorial High School posted flyers photoshopping the faces of Monsignor Michael Braun and other school administrators on a historic picture of Adolf Hitler and some of his henchmen. They also apparently glued some of the classroom doors shut to delay the final exams for underclassmen. All this was done after they had graduated but underclassmen still had a few days of classes left. This little prank was clearly in bad taste as well as being destructive, but as one parent said: "Boys will be boys. Monsignor Braun should just budget for year-end pranks like this."

* ... SWAP MEET: Reader Joe Michael was at the swap meet on Union Avenue one recent morning when he noticed a young woman wearing a matching smock and pants like a health care worker with a stethoscope in her front pocket. Michael wondered how smart it was to carry a stethoscope in such a dusty and dirty environment. "A good friend of mine living in another city had surgery ... and contracted a staph infection, which entered his blood stream, went to his heart and lungs and he died the next day..... I thought of approaching her and asking where she worked and if she planned to sterilize the stethoscope before using it, but decided against it," he said.

* ... PREFIXES: More feedback on those old telephone prefixes, this one from reader Don Edwards: "My folks bought a house in the early 1950s out by the airport. I well remember the party line and prefix days. However the EX prefix wasn't Exchange. It was Export. Just a very trivial correction."