Adios to Harvey Hall, Bakersfield's longest serving mayor, get ready for the first Bakersfield Marathon and dealing with our litter problem around town

 * ... ELECTION: You know the sad thing about waking up with a new president-elect? There will be no honeymoon for the new president with the American public, and the vitriol and ill feelings that

have marked this campaign (thanks to two flawed candidates) will continue. I miss the days when a new presidency was met with a sense of hope, forgiveness and compromise.

* ... FAREWELL: One familiar character I will miss in the months ahead is Mayor Harvey Hall, our longest serving mayor who has brought dignity and decorum to the non-partisan office. Hall made a hard job look easy by keeping it simple; as he told a TV interviewer, his goal was "to facilitate good deeds and recognition." He was always gracious and defined the word 'inclusion' in a world that has become increasingly diverse. Sometimes it is just that simple.

* ... MARATHON: Have you determined where you will be this Sunday when the first Bakersfield Marathon hits the streets? The race will start at Cal State Bakersfield and wind its way through town (Stockdale Highway, California, Oleander, Westchester, up Chester, Columbus and Panorama before hitting the bike trail) and it will be a spectacle to watch. Take the time to research the route and be a part of this grand event.

* ... PAINTED PICKUPS: Have you seen those whimsically painted miniature pickup trucks about town? Juliet Smith wrote to say that her friends, Keri Gless and Katie Werdel, came up with the concept to benefit the Bakersfield Museum of Art. "Not only did they bring together artists, friends and businesses to raise funds to benefit the museum, they can be spotted each week with rags and bottles of 409, cleaning each of the 33 trucks! Their dedication and love of this wonderful project is an inspiration!"

 * ... CANNABIS: William Wood posed this question: "So when recreational pot becomes legal won't that put a whole new spin on the recipe for pot pie?"

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "My kids wanted to know what it's like to be a mom so I woke them up at 2 a.m. to let them know my sock came off."

 * ... TRASH: Steve Green wrote to tell me there is an app called "City Sourced" that can be used to report graffiti and trash. Said Green: "Just go to the city of Bakersfield website for this app that is customized for Bakersfield. Once you have the app on your phone you can open the app, create a service request for everything from potholes, graffiti, landscaping, and illegal dumping amount other issues as well. When creating your request you have the ability to submit a picture and it will also mark the location with the GPS coordinates."

 * ... GRANTS: Congratulations to the winners of several sizable grants from The Bakersfield Californian (family) Foundation. Fall cycle winners included the Kern Literacy Council for its Fighting Illiteracy program, $25,000; the Special Olympics Southern California for $25,000; the
California Recreation Foundation/One Spade Youth Packers’ One Spade Youth Packers Improvement project for $50,000; the Wildlands Conservancy for its San Emigdio Sunset Theater at the Wind Wolves Preserve, $50,000; and the Kern Medical Center Foundation for its Infusion Therapy Clinic for $100,000.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Kurt Seeger posed this question for all you old timers out there: " Who remembers the Let`s Eat sign on Golden State Highway, in front of the old Rancho Bakersfield Motel and restaurant?"

First phase of major development at the busy corner of Stockade and Coffee Road about to break ground, valley fever in dogs and a Bakersfield High senior wins an art competition

 * ... DEVELOPMENT: Word on the street is that ground will soon be broken for a major new

development at the corner of Coffee Road and Stockade Highway across from the Trader Joe's center. The 15-acre parcel, owned by GC Investments, will eventually house a major brand hotel at the north end, a high end Sully's Market and gas station and some retail including Blaze Pizza, Cafe Rio and Jersey Mike's.

* ... WEEKEND: Congratulations to the local chapter of the Friends of the National Rifle Association (NRA) which held its annual fund raiser this weekend. This is a huge event and is said to be the fourth largest of its kind in the United States. Add to that the annual Bakersfield Jazz Fest out at Cal State Bakersfield, Kentucky Derby parties around town and Mother's Day, if you were bored it was your own fault.

 * ... ACHIEVER: And a special shoutout to Ethan Petty, a senior at Bakersfield High School, who was the overall winner of the annual Congressional Art Competition hosted by Rep. Kevin McCarthy at Metro Galleries on  19th Street last Friday. Under the direction of his art teacher, Vicki Smart, Ethan created his piece, “Internal Contrast,” using acrylic paint on canvas.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I’ve probably wasted a solid year of my life just staring into the fridge."

 * ... VALLEY FEVER: We are entering the season for Valley Fever, but did you know the disease can also be deadly for dogs? That's what I heard from my friend Becky Porter, who told me she and husband Dick have had three dogs diagnosed with valley fever in the past two years. "One poor boy, Jotolon, was diagnosed late in the disease and had to be put to sleep - it was tragic.  The other two were caught early. One girl, Bullet, responded quickly to medication and was healthy in a matter of weeks. Our Balthazar has been on meds since October and just can't seem to get better. These poor animals suffer just like we do and need medical attention. Has anyone done an article on the effects of Valley Fever on our pets? Our vet tells us the disease is rampant among animals right now."

 * ... FOUNDATION: One of the most generous family foundations in town - The Bakersfield Californian Foundation - gave away $328,000 to local nonprofits this past Friday. Among the recipients: Bakersfield Community Theatre, $10,000 to improve and upgrade their Youth Theatre program; Bakersfield Ivy Legacy Foundation, Inc., $5,000 for their ASCEND (Achievement, Self Awareness, Communications, Engagement, Networking and Developing) Program; Bessie Owens Primary School, $4,500 to purchase risers for their stage area; Boys and Girls Club of Kern County, $16,650.27 for the expansion and upgrade of the Club’s sound system for their Performing Arts Program; Child Guidance Guild of Bakersfield, Inc., $10,122.43, to help replace damaged kitchen equipment; Covenant Community Services, $12,500 for Fostering Art, an art advocacy and educational program for former foster youth; Kawaiisu Language and Cultural Center, $6,000 for Go Native! 2016, an annual outdoor event that exposes the public to Native American traditional crafts, music, storytelling and food; Kern County Library Foundation, $48,898 to help in the creation of a Digital Arts Lab; Kern County Museum, $49,925 to fund painting the exterior of the Hotel Fellows, one of the historic properties in Pioneer Village; Kern County Superintendent of Schools, $51,223 toward the funding of the California Living Museum’s Master Sign Plan; Kern Dance Alliance, $10,000 for the Kern Dance Alliance + Garden Pathways Summer Dance Camp and $3,650 for SHINE for Girls, MATH + DANCE = SUCCESS program; Kern River Valley Historical Society, $20,000 to help fund construction costs of the Kern Valley Museum Annex; New Advances for People with Disabilities, $25,000 toward the purchase of sound, video recording, and stage lighting equipment to outfit their new state of the art center; North of the River Junior Theatre, $12,000 for this summer’s Junior Theatre Summer Program; Ridge Route Communities Museum and Historical Society, $5,283 for upgrades to their Museum Signage, and improvements to their Outdoor Learning Center; Tehachapi Community Theatre Association, $25,000 to help with the funding of the expansion of the BeeKay Community Theater; Tehachapi Parks Foundation, $12,500 for the purchase of artistic bike racks and cultural features at locations in the Tehachapi Valley Recreation and Parks District.

Gaggles of drunk, 50-something women who should know better disrupt a local concert, and Bike Bakersfield's Adam Kahler gives his rescue pit bull a first class lift

 * ... BAD FORM: Is there anything worse than paying top dollar for a concert and then seated next to a group of loud and obnoxious drunks? Local Realtor Michael Richert had this experience when he attended the Jennifer Nettles concert at the Fox Theater. "We had six, drunk 50-60 year old women who came in behind us and were the most obnoxious group talking about their last text from their

boyfriends, and what was on Facebook and who was seeing who. Something I’d expect from a high school crowd and not the Fox Theater at $75 per ticket.  Everyone in our row asked in several ways for them to be quiet so we could listen and nothing would stop them. It was so rude to all the performers. Complaints were made to the Fox employees but nothing. Finally, we got up and moved to open seats further back. There, we encountered three more groups of people who were so drunk that they were falling down in the aisles and around their seats all the time yelling and fighting about everything except the concert and performers. Again, these weren’t kids, all grown adults. I just can’t picture ever going back to the Fox Theater for a concert. I was embarrassed for the performers and what was to be a great night turned into something that was not. I usually go to LA for concerts so this was my 1st at the Fox in 18 years of living here. I’ve been told that 'it’s just how things are at the Fox.'  I really wish it had been different."

* ... BIKE BAKERSFIELD: If you spot a fit young man riding a bicycle and towing a white pit bull around town that would be Adam Kahler, the new director of Bike Bakersfield. Kahler, a Bucknell graduate who left the energy industry to pursue his passion, made the bike trailer out of PVC to pull Winston, a pit bull he rescued in Shafter a couple of years ago. "He loves it. He just sits back there like he is in the back of a pick up truck. I did flip it once, which he did not like," he said. If you see Adam and Winston around town, give them a friendly honk and wave.

 * ... JAR TRAIL: The Jar Trail is a steep hike at the foot of the Kern River canyon, but its popularity seems to have caught up with it. Listen to this from reader Nancy Vibe: "I have bad news about the Jar Trail and hiking in the canyon. There are some evil people taking advantage of the hikers. My husband and a few friends parked their vehicles at the Upper Richbar parking. Off they went for an awesome morning of hiking. They returned to busted out passenger windows, missing car registrations, insurance cards and house keys! Luckily my husband Mark had house keys and his ID on him. (he never takes his wallet). But the friends were not so lucky. They spent the rest of their Saturday getting their homes re-keyed! Be smart people... they will have your address and the keys to your house and can clean you out before you get home!"

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Unless you tripped and smacked your face on the treadmill, no one wants to hear about your workout."

 * ... FOUNDATION: The Bakersfield Californian (family) Foundation is kicking off its spring cycle of giving with a focus on arts and culture. The Foundation is accepting applications beginning this week and all applications are due by Friday, April 1. Go to www.bakersfieldcalifornianfoundation.org to find out more about the kind of projects that will be funded.

Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek sends $10,000 to Taft College to fund a scholarship, downtown Bakersfield gets some love from a travel writer and the Bakersfield Californian Foundation gives out $275,000 in grants

 * ... TREBEK: Alex Trebek, the popular host of the long-running game show Jeopardy!, has developed a love affair of sorts with Taft College. Trebek has long had a fascination with oil and gas production, and in October he showed up as the emcee of the West Kern Petroleum Summit

sponsored by the Taft College Foundation. Trebek politely declined to be paid for his appearance, and instead foundation director Sheri Horn Bunk promised to create an engineering scholarship in his name. What happened next? Bunk said Trebek sent a check for $10,000 to help fund the scholarship, which Bunk called totally unexpected. "His letter to me asked if I found a good text book on drilling for oil please send that to him," she said. "The gift was unsolicited and this is one I will always remember." What's next? Trebek told Bunk he planned to return to Taft, this time to take up skydiving.

 * ... VALENTINE: A travel writer from the Sacramento Bee spent some time in Bakersfield recently, and his story cast us in a pretty good light. The piece was devoted to downtown and some of our iconic buildings and businesses: the Fox Theater, the Kress Building, the Woolworth building, the antique malls and the Padre Hotel. Said the writer: "Yet there is an undeniable charm to downtown Bakersfield’s fossilized, late-1950s feel. If you want modern conveniences – an Applebee’s and an Apple store; a Chipotle and a Nordstrom – alight to the 150-square-mile sprawl of the city’s outer, strip-mall-saturated regions. Downtown Bakersfield clings to the past with buttons and buckles, not Velcro. Sure, there’s a fancy arena and a few chain hotels anchored on Truxton Avenue. But on the grid, streets numbered and lettered with straightforward humility, the past isn’t even the past, as Faulkner wrote. This is a good thing. This is downtown Bakersfield’s charm." (photo courtesy of the Sacramento Bee)

* ... GRANTS: The Bakersfield Californian (family) Foundation awarded its Fall grants last week, handing out $275,000 to deserving non-profits. The Community Action Partnership of Kern was awarded $100,000 for a food bank solar energy improvement project, the Children First Campaign was awarded $50,000 (with an additional $50,000 in matching funds available) for a family zone pocket park, the Bakersfield SPCA was given $50,000, and the Independent Living Center of Kern $25,000. Lastly, the Lamont Women's Club was awarded $25,000 to restore the city welcome sign and the Youth 2 Leaders Education Foundation won $25,000 for a technology readiness project.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "The sole purpose of a child’s middle name, is so he can tell when he’s really in trouble."

 * ... DRILLERS: Elaine Conley added this note about the old days at Bakersfield High School. "My husband, Larry Conley, enjoyed your column  about the pep band playing 'Sweet Georgia Brown' when the basketball team warmed up. Larry was captain of the pep band in 1960-61 and remembers this very well. He said the basketball coaches didn't like it because the players started twirling the ball and acting like the Globetrotters, but nothing was ever done because it was THE Driller Band!"

 ... GOOD FORM: This note, signed simply Dee and Jean, showed up in my mailbox and is worth sharing. "This morning my gentleman friend and I went to have breakfast out at our favorite restaurant - Mel's Cafe on Knudsen and Olive. It was one of those chilly mornings where pumpkin pancakes for me and ham and eggs for my friend seemed fit.  Since we are just a little old senior couple, it was a big order. Soon our waitress came over and said our check had been paid for.  It was such a great surprise.  Made our day! We want to please say thank you to the man and his little boy for turning our day into a happy day. Sir, if you are reading this, we thank you and God bless you!"

Music festivals, menudo cook-off, craft beer fest and The Eagles highlight the weekend, and northeast homeowners hold an Irish wake for a 60-foot tall coastal redwood tree

 * ... FESTIVALS: How fat is your wallet these days? I'm asking because if you are looking for something do this this Memorial Day weekend, there are plenty of festivals and music acts that will

be happy to take your money. You can start with George Martin's huge Rock and Country Music and Art Festival Saturday at the Kern County Museum featuring a couple dozen familiar acts like Leann Rimes, Chubby Checker and Eddie Money. If that is too pricey, head over to the CSUB amphi-theater for the Craft Beer Festival hosted by Moo Creamery and Imbibe Wine and Spirits. Fighting a hangover? Then the Kern Hispanic Chamber's Menudo Festival may be right for you at the fairgrounds, or you can save your money and try to score a ticket to The Eagles concert at Rabobank Arena on Tuesday. On the less expensive side, you might check out the Average White Band appearing Friday evening at the Park at River Walk, where tickets are just $15.

* ... DROUGHT: Bob Hartshorn sent me this missive about the drought: "I have a comment regarding the California water conservation efforts/laws. I am waiting for the port-a-potties to be lined up at the Sacramento legislative offices, so our lawmakers can lead by example. Also, I would like to suggest to the lady who goes to her neighbor to ask/tell him not to wash out the gutters. Invite that gentleman to observe you taking a shower so the he can make sure you aren't taking too much time. After all, it's for the common good.

 * ... SPOTTED: Saw this on Twitter the other day: "I've never been in love, but I imagine it's similar to the feeling you get when you see your food coming in a restaurant."

 * ... VISUAL CLUTTER: Here's a thoughtful note from  Anthony Malon: "What's with all the 'I buy houses' signs everywhere? Don't they ever have to take them down ? If there is a law, it's easy to enforce they have a phone number on the signs. Looks terrible on top of all the yards sales signs on Saturday."

 * ... GRANTS: One of the more generous benefactors in town is The Bakersfield Californian (family) Foundation, which recently announced yet more grants. Among the recipients were the College Dream Fund, $3,200 for scholarships; Have a Heart Human Society, $3,500; Kern Agricultural Foundation, $4,000 for scholarships;  Kern Athletic Fencing Foundation, $7,500; Salvation Army, $11,520; Keep Bakersfield Beautiful, $14,500 for two community gardens; Bit-O-Heaven Ranch, $25,000 in matching funds; and the Wings of Rescue, $28,000 for its Saving Bakersfield Shelter Pets project.                                                                                  

* ... IRISH WAKE: What's the proper way to say goodbye to a stately old tree? How about an old fashioned Irish wake? John Rodgers lives on Christmas Tree Lane in the Northeast and has the tallest coastal redwood tree on the block. "We have been told we need to remove it since it is six feet from our home and is causing damage to our foundation. Needless to say we are not happy having to do this. We are posting it on Facebook and hoping folks will come for one last look at the tree and share a toast with us."

Pots holding shade trees for the downtown arts district are vandalized and The Salvation Army gets a $100,000 grant from The Bakersfield Californian Foundation

* … VANDALISM: It was distressing to awake Saturday and learn that someone took a hammer to one of the beautiful new pots that were installed downtown to beautify the area. The pots, which were

purchased via a grant from The Bakersfield Californian (family) Foundation, were placed throughout the arts district to hold shade trees. The pot that was demolished sat near the Ice Housing framing studio on 19th Street.

 * … GRANTS: And speaking of The Bakersfield Californian (family) Foundation, it awarded a $100,000 grant to the Salvation Army, Tehachapi Service Center to fund the creation of a Community Center that will serve the residents of the Tehachapi area. The Foundation has also offered the Bakersfield Homeless Center Job Development Program a matching grant of $50,00. If the Homeless Center can raise $50,000 within six months, the Foundation will match that amount with its own $50,000.

* … DIAPERS: My earlier blog post on a woman who tossed a dirty diaper into a car via the sun roof after watching a couple leave in on the curb drew applause from more than a dozen readers. This, from Gene Bonas, was typical:  "I just love it when the Esthers of the world seize this type of opportunity and act on it. Great story! If you see Esther in a future meeting, give her a great big hug for me."

* … BAD FORM: Frances Quiroz raises a point about bad form that I just happen to agree with. It happens when parents take their young children into R-rated movies. "There were at least three families with kids that I saw going in to this movie. A movie, that if you looked up it's reviews, has three scenes of nudity, sexual content and sexually suggestive scenes and fondling… Are you kidding me? This is what you want to expose your kids to? As a parent of two minors myself, ages 13 and 16, there are some movies that are PG13 that I won't let my kids watch. Maybe I'm a parent from the dark ages, but I care about what my kids are exposed to. Please tell me that I'm not the only one!"

 * … BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE: Four distinguished alumni of Bakersfield College will be inducted into the alumni association's Hall of Fame this week. On Thursday, the alumni group will hold a dinner to honor Dr. John Alexander, Peter Reyes, Bill Houser and Gerry Collis into the hall of fame. Some tickets are still available by calling (661) 395-4800. Tickets are $35. The event kicks off at 6 p.m. in the Bakersfield College Cafeteria.

  * … GOOD FORM: The folks over at Covenant Coffee on North Chester are sponsoring a Book Drive for Oildale Schools. Said Covenant's Randy Martin: "The goal is for each K-6 grade student from Wingland, Standard, Beardsley and North Beardsley to be given two books each ...we need about 4,000 books! The drive runs through Nov. 17. We are giving a free coffee with the donation of two books!" This is a good cause and, if you haven't been to Covenant's trendy coffee shop on North Chester, here's your chance to check it out.

A dispute between two nonprofits supporting wounded veterans reveals a nasty split and celebrating the annual rite of taking those freshmen to college

 * ... VETERAN SPAT: If you missed Steve Mayer's story in The Californian about the spat between two nonprofits that support wounded veterans, it is worth giving it a read. The story provides a rare insight into the workings of nonprofits, in this case revealing a nasty dispute between Jeremy Staat (he has a nonprofit that bears his name) and the Wounded Heroes Fund, which kicked him off its board. Kern County is well known for its generosity and support of veterans, but with that comes a responsibility by groups like the Jeremy Staat Foundation and the Wounded Heroes Fund to be transparent about where the money goes. No one is alleging any impropriety here, but the public dispute does put the spotlight on where the money goes. One interesting note: Staat and fellow veteran Wesley Leon-Barrientos raised some $140,000 on their bicycle ride across the country, and spent virtually all of it on the ride. And the Wounded Heroes Fund is sitting on some $300,000 in donations that have yet to be spend. Keep an eye on this story.

* ... B-25 CRASH: I learned of yet another local connection to the 1945 crash of a B-25 Mitchell into the Empire State Building, this one compliments of Connie Adams. "My father, Louis Triand, was an aerial photographer for the Army Air Corps (that later became the Air Force).  He was across the street at the time and dashed out of the building when he heard the crash. The impact shook the ground like an earthquake. He had a camera with him and proceeded to take as many pictures of the crash as he could.  One engine dropped down through the building, crashing through a wall to the outside and continuing on down, plummeting through a sculptor's roof. Another engine and the landing gear fell through an elevator shaft into a sub-basement. My dad did not take the photo that later became famous but has other similar ones of the crash. The Army Air Corps had the rights to the photos that he took but he was able to keep several for himself. For several days afterward, he was flown over the site by the Air Corps to take pictures of the crash site. The pilot was on a course for Newark airport, not La Guardia."

 * ... COLLEGE: The annual rite of taking college-bound freshmen to dorms across the country has begun, and that means there are lot of parents showing up to work red eyed after emotional drives back home. It's a stressful time for both parent and child, and it forms memories that last a lifetime. My advice for all you parents? Somehow your kids will make it through and you indeed will hear from them: when they run out of money.

 * .... ACHIEVERS: It was nice to see the Jim Burke Education Foundation shed some light on some of our outstanding high school seniors. This year's Ford Dimension kids are Ryan Holmes, Stockdale; Brock Burger, Garces; Ashly Mohankumar, Highland; Abigail Mejia, Independence; Brianna Wright, Highland; Anne Shambaugh, Garces; Connor Kingsbury, Bakersfield Christian; Derek Frost, Liberty; Theimus Roberson, Ridgeview; and Erica McCall, Ridgeview.

 * ... SCHOOLS: If you think you need a lot of money to make a big impact for our needy schools, think again. The Bakersfield Californian Foundation has joined forces with a group called DonorsChoose.org to help teachers in this time of fiscal stress. It works like this: Teachers work through the DonorsChoose website to post what they need, and average folks like you and me can choose what classroom to help. And, the Californian Foundation is helping by offering matching funds for the projects that fit its criteria of early childhood literacy. If you go to DonorsChoose.org you can search by state, city, county and individual school. It's a fulfilling way to help teachers and our kids and make an impact

CSUB launches a new sports marketing program and good wishes to a local architect battling prostate cancer

* ... CSUB: I spent the afternoon out at Cal State Bakersfield the other day and was impressed with the bold new branding around the athletic programs. Thanks to an aggressive marketing plan under Athletic Director Jeff Konya, the Icardo Center is now "wrapped" in sepia-like, golden toned pictures of CSUB athletes in action. Inside, the Icardo Center has received a new blue floor emblazoned with a huge Roadrunner in the middle and new lighting. Expect to see more CSUB promotion in near future; it's all part of Konya's plans to bring excitement back to Roadrunner athletics. And by the way, the first regular season home game for Runners basketball is Nov. 19 when Pepperdine University comes to town.

 

 * ... SICK BAY: Bruce Biggar is one of our community's longtime residents and good souls, not to mention a friend of mine, so I was concerned to learn that he just underwent surgery to deal with prostate cancer. The good news is that the surgery, performed at UCLA Medical Center, was a complete success. "Of course nothing is guaranteed but right now I am cancer free," he told me. A longtime architect at BFCG-IBI Group Architecture Planning, Bruce told me he is now "going to get on my soap box to tell men: monitor your PSA levels and get regular checkups." Other than losing a few pounds, Bruce is doing well and now walking regularly to retain his strength and stamina.

 * ... THANKS: From reader Pamela Mahan: "God bless these 'quiet millionaires' such as Dr. Cornforth and his wife, Edna, who have donated a million dollars to San Joaquin Hospital for their cancer center. We should all appreciate what the private sector does to contribute to our welfare. We don't all have to rely on the government to take care of us."

 * ... GRANTS: The Women's and Girls' Fund, part of the Kern Community Foundation, has annnounced a new four-year focus on grants supporting education and training for Kern women and girls. Through 2015 annual grants of $20,000 or more will be awarded to local non-profits. The new grant cycle has a deadline of Nov. 9 to apply. Go to http://www.kernfoundation.org/ to download application forms. Meanwhile, The Bakersfield Californian Foundation has an Oct. 14 deadline for grant requests focused on the beautification and general improvement of downtown Bakersfield. It's nice to live in a town where so many people are chipping in to improve our community. You can find the Californian grant applications on http://www.bakersfieldcalifornianfoundation.org/.

* ... OVERHEARD: A U.S. Airways flight from Phoenix to Bakersfield was recently delayed by more than 30 minutes because the crew ran out of seat belt extenders to accommodate a large number of out sized passengers. Oh my.

 * ... SPOTTED: Memo to the middle aged woman driving the late model silver BMW with black convertible top on Gosford Road: thanks for using your blinkers but weaving through heavy traffic like a NASCAR driver can be hazardous to your health.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: James Taylor writes that you might be a Bakersfield old-timer if you remember "the Texas Kid fruit stand on 34th Street and Dudley's hamburger stand across the street from East High School. Had lots of spaghetti and beans there."