Remembering the fiberglass Big Indian who once stood on the Garces Circle, and recalling when Buck Owens and the boys would play at the old Blackboard honky tonk

 * ... BIG INDIAN: How many of you know the history behind the fiberglass "Big Indian" that now stands in front of Ethel's Old Corral on Alfred Harrell Highway? On Tuesday, at 9 a.m., local Realtor Ken Barnes will join me on First Look with Scott Cox (KERN 1180 or video streamed on bakersfield.com) to talk about the history of the statue. It turns out Barnes' family brought the Indian to town in 1965 to promote their tire store that was located on the Garces Circle. The original price: just $1,400. On some weekends, teenagers would drive by and fill it with arrows as a kind of adolescent rite of passage. Call in at (661) 842-5376 to share your memories.

 * .... BLACKBOARD: There has been a lot of talk on this blog speculating if there were two locations for the old Blackboard bar, birthplace of the Bakersfield Sound. Charlie Duran says back in 1953 he worked at Wayne's Dairy up the street and as far as he knows, there was only one location for the honky tonk. "On the south across the street from the cafe side of the building was the Hammaroph Hotel," he told me. "Farther south near the train overpass was the Tower Motel that had weekly rates. I and my milkmen pals used to enjoy going to the Blackboard to down a few cool beers while playing poker dice... Little did we know we were listening to the invention of the Bakersfield Sound."

 * ... GOOD DEED:  Al Caetano and his pals always have lunch on the first Monday of the month as a way to network and stay in touch. What happened last week at La Mina at the corner of Brimhall and Coffee roads was a pleasant surprise. "The five of us were sitting at a table near the buffet and across from us, in a booth, was a 'young' fellow with two ladies. Since they were in front of me, I glanced at them but didn't recognize any of them. After they had left, a La Mina employee came to our table and said that the gentleman had picked up our check, treating us to lunch. I've heard about this happening but this had never happened to any of us. The man was gone before we had a chance to thank him and I'm guessing that was on purpose. When we asked the waiter, he said that the gentleman was a regular customer and that he just wanted to do something nice. It was certainly a nice gesture and I'm sure that sometime in the future each of us will do the same."

 * ... ACHIEVER: Hats off to Anthony Wonderly, a graduate of Garces Memorial High School, who was honored this week in Fort Worth, TX., as one of the 'Forty under Forty.' Wonderly has emerged as a leader and principal of Olympus Property along with his brother, Chandler Wonderly. Anthony was recognized as one of the Elite 40 at an awards ceremony held by the Fort Worth Business Press as well as featured in their May magazine.  He is currently serving as the president of the Tarrant County Apartment Association.  He graduated from UT Arlington with a communication and business double major, and along with his wife and children, calls Texas his home. His parents Bill and Avon Wonderly of Bakersfield couldn't be prouder.

* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From Dixie Crane: "You might be a Bakersfield old timer if you remember the Green Grasshopper Teenage Night Club (no one over 20 allowed). It was located on 18th Street right in front of the canal. Before that it was a cola bottling plant."

Bako Bits: a local connection to the Jackie Robinson movie and East Rotary puts on a fund raiser to find a cure for Valley Fever

 * ... JACKIE ROBINSON: It turns out that the movie on the life of Jackie Robinson has a local connection. Joy Cook Tolladay told me that her brother, Dick Cook, is executive producer of the film and she recently attended a special screening.  "It's a story about courage, it's a love story and it's the best history lesson we can teach our children. Even though I didn't grow up in that era, I always
knew Jackie Robinson was a hero. I just didn't respect how big of a hero he was until I saw the movie."

 * ... LUIGIS: Is there a better way to spend a lazy Saturday brunch than at Luigi's Restaurant and Delicatessen over on East 19th Street? The long-time favorite lunch haunt features a can't miss menu, outside seating and new courtyard bar and a chance to reconnect with folks you haven't seen for months.

* ... MOVING UP: Debbie Allen is an understandably proud mother who brought us up to date on her surgeon son, Clint Tanner Allen, a 1997 graduate of Shafter High School. He went on to graduate from Bakersfield College and later Texas A and M University. From there it was medical school, internships and residency and now he is on the faculty at Johns Hopkins as an assistant professor of otolaryngology.

 * ... GOOD DEED: Hats off to the anonymous person who picked up the tab for a group of seniors from an assisted living facility who had lunch at Woolgrower's last week. Irving Falk was one of those who was treated to lunch and called me to "thank this person for a wonderful, wonderful thing."

 * ... MEMORIES: Reader Pat Donnallan remembers the old Brundage Variety store. "If you were one of the kids living West of Roosevelt School, Brundage Variety was a usual stop on your way home from Emerson Junior High. In the 1950s we walked from Myrtle and Bank atreets to Emerson. Parents did not drive you to school, you walked that two miles. On our walks home in the hot afternoon sun, we would hit Brundage Variety for the candy bar then walk up Chester to Warrens Drive-in for a Coke for that energy to help get us home. Brundage Variety was located on the southwest corner of Chester Avenue and 1st Street . I believe the store was owned by the Toggnini’s and I vaguely remember Mr. Toggnini was the pharmacist there  Their daughter Sandra went on to be on TV with an afternoon show here in town and she was always fondly remembered as the ‘lady with the glass eye.'  She used to have pound puppies on her show and mom took my sis and I to get one of the dogs we saw on her show.  Yep, brings back a lot of memories."

 * ... VALLEY FEVER: The East Rotary Club is holding a wine lovers dinner this Saturday over at Monsignor Leddy Hall at Garces Memorial High School. It's called Vino Amore and will feature a five course gourmet meal catered by T.L. Maxwell's Restaurant and Bar, followed by live and silent auctions. Proceeds will benefit Valley Fever Americas, the Bakersfield Ronald McDonald House and the East Bakersfield Rotary Foundation. Tickets are $75. Call Sandi Schwartz at (661) 706-6663.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Gil Pedersen says you are definitely a Bakersfield old time pilot if you remember "when you could  take  or land from Meadows Field without radio contact. You got clearance from the tower by light signals."

One woman volunteers to pick up trash and finds abandoned cats, a stray dog, dead fighting roosters and more trash and litter than one can believe

 * ... TRASH: Jennifer Waguespack is one of those good citizens who joins with others to help clear the trash and debris from our community, but this note from her was a distressing one. "This has been a disappointing week," she wrote. "First, we found two dumped cats and one pit bull at the Alfred  Harrell Highway and Goodmanville Road underpass. Then on Sunday I (and my reluctant 13 year old daughter) picked up trash under the Fairfax and Alfred Harrell Highway bridge. Needless to say after three large trash bags full and numerous boxes later it looks better but not perfect. There is still a little trash, but also several dead roosters. Yes, thatʼs right dead roosters. I assume they are from cock fighting, or they are dumped in plastic bags under the bridge. Also we found a lot of used energy gel (GU) packets. Given that this is popular route for bicyclists and that cyclists are common energy gel users, I have to assume that they are the cyclists. 'Sharing the road' apparently does not apply to cyclists. Keep your trash in your car or in your back pocket if your on your bike and stop dumping your animals. Love your neighbors.":

 * ... GRAPEVINE: Remember when the skies were so clear you could see the lights up the Grapevine  from your house. Well, reader Roberta Bollard say on certain days, you still can. "We see them at about 6:15 almost every winter morning as we walk south down Loma Linda Avenue past the Garces parking lot gate (at La Colina Avenue) and the side of Our Lady of Perpetual Help school.  Because the trees in the distance have grown taller over the years there aren't as many places along that route where you can see them now, alas -- but they're there, and you can see them clearly as long as there's no cloud cover. "

 * ... MASSEY: Candi Easter, head of the Kern County Democratic Party, wonders if anyone remembers her great aunt, local artist Joyce Massey. Massey was an artist in Bakersfield in the 1940s and 1950s who taught art in in Bakersfield. "I visited here (as a child) in 1956 or 1957 for her 'one woman art show at the Bakersfield Art Museum in Central Park.  My dad (who is 91) and I would love to hear if there is anyone that remembers her."

 * ... MEMORIES: Pam Roberts, one of the volunteers who works the annual SPCA book sale, wrote to ask if anyone remembers the old Brundage Variety store. "It was located on Brundage and I think around Cypress or Myrtle. I used to buy all my books there when I was a kid—Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew, Little House on the Prairie and the Bobbsey Twins and my paper dolls. Lots of memories in that store."

 * ... NUN RUN: I goofed in saying the annual Nun Run is this Saturday. The annual event, to benefit Our Lady of Guadalupe School, will kick off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 20, on East California Avenue.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You may be a Bakersfield old timer if you "ate lunch at the House of Rasmussen Restaurant on Niles Street." Thanks to Gene Bonas for that nugget.

California Radio will focus on spending and the future of the Golden State, and what's with the Bakersfield police littering our streets?

 * ... GOLDEN STATE: What is your view of the future of California? Are we on track to become the next Greece? Will unbridled spending and public pensions spell the end of the promise of the California dream? Join me on Californian Radio KERN 1180 Monday when I will be chatting with David Bynum, an attorney at LeBeau-Thelen, about unfunded pension liabilities and their affect on the state and local governments. I also will be talking with Dr. Raj Patel, a partner in Preferred Family Physicians, about seasonal allergies and what we can all to do deal with them.

 * ... GRADUATES: This is the time of year when our children walk across the stages of high schools and colleges in graduation ceremonies that make us all swell with pride. So congratulations to all these graduates and the families that stood behind them in their quests. And special kudos to my own Hannah Beene, who graduated this past week at the University of Michigan, and all those teachers at McAuliffe Elementary, Tevis Junior High and Stockdale High School who guided her along the way.

 * ... FAN CLUB?: I wrote earlier about trash piling up on the bike trail following the Great American Cleanup, and it triggered this response from reader Kash Berry. "Go pick up the trash yourself you bum...  Don't complain about bags being left out..  complain about the shame that is your excuse for a newspaper and city. And when the Amgen (cycling) tour hits Bakersfield, all that the participants and spectators from out of town will notice is the worst city in California that stinks of bad air and idiotic people. Let the river flow! It might cover up the trash left out." Thanks Kash, but next time try to be more direct.

 * ... SPOTTED: Larry A. Fredeen describes himself as a "law and order" guy who has always supported the Bakersfield Police Department. But last week he witnessed some behavior he wanted to share. He was driving south on M Street and fell behind a Bakersfield police unit. At a red light, the officer rolled down the window and dumped a handful of peanut shells out his window, and then repeated it at the next two lights. "I spend hours (as do other good Bakersfield citizens) keeping the area around my home, street and a nearby 'city-owned' alley cleaned up.  (Just ask Harold Hansen, he's aware of my cleaning.)  I keep a trash bag in my vehicles, I never throw anything from them, and empty the debris in a proper trash can.  I have helped out on city clean up days, and the Great American Cleanup etc. I was appalled to view one of Bakersfield's finest littering our downtown streets."

 * ... BAKO: Local farmer Dick Porter and wife Becky were in Cincinnati recently when they came upon a downtown restaurant named 'Bakersfield.' Porter described it as "music saloon" which featured Bakersfield landmarks on the walls and a band that plays "outlaw country music." Painted on one wall is the Bakersfield arch and on another wall is the Fox Theater.

* ... NFL: Debby Schipper dropped me a note to add a few more names to the already long list of local athletes who played in the National Football League. "I wanted to remind you of John and Melvin Tarver who played for the Patriots and Broncos respectively. I went to Arvin High School with both of them and wanted to remind you of their achievments in the NFL! Carrying on their tradition, I have heard via Facebook that one of their nephews, Justin Cheadle, just signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. (Cheadle when to Bakersfield High School) What  fabulous family contributions Arvin has made to the NFL!"

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Spotted on Facebook was this: You know you're from Bakersfield when the best burger in town comes from a car wash (34th Street Car Wash) and the best bloody Mary is from a bowling alley (Westchester Bowl).

New lofts project is headed to the arts district in downtown Bakersfield, and a gas war heats up in Shafter

 * ... CITY LOFTS: Downtown Bakersfield received some good news this week when the city Redevelopment Agency approved a $612,000 loan for finishing construction of the 1612 City Lofts Project at 19th and Eye streets. The money will go to finishing nine upstairs lofts in the building that houses the Metro Galleries, Ellie Jaye's Kids Boutique and Jezebel's Boutique. The building is owned by local Realtor Eydie Gibson and a partner and is located in the core of the emerging downtown arts district. I'm told the owners have already spent $1 million on the project and the loan will allow them to complete the project in six to nine months. These will be rental lofts - not low income rentals - and will go for between $895 and $1,395 a month.  They are designated "affordable moderate income" rentals, meaning they will be available to single people with an income not higher than $47,000 and a couple with a gross income of not more than $53,000. The building itself was constructed in 1893 and is said to be the second oldest still standing commercial structure downtown. It was originally a rooming house. Let's hope the lofts attract more young urban professionals to the downtown area.

* ... AIRFIELD: I continue to receive a lot of feedback about the old La Cresta Airfield that was located off Panorama Drive near Bakersfield College. One reader asked when it was built, which I could not answer. Any history buffs out there know? Another reader, Mickey Pearson, recalled a small cafe at the airfield that served burgers, fries, sandwiches and a great bowl of chili. He said it was run by his grandparents, Ezra and Myrtle Pearson. "While eating lunch you could try your luck at the punch boards. Pay your money for a chance to win cash. They had a small tool about the size of a toothpick. You would push a small rolled up paper out the back of the board, unroll it and see if you won."


 * ... CRIME WATCH: A reader who lives near Pacheco Road and Hughes Lane called with a horrifying story of a break-in at her home in May and a warning to others to be on guard for the unexpected. She was outside in her yard and had left the front door unlocked, like we all do when we are puttering around the yard. Turns out a group of robbers slipped inside when she wasn't looking and when her daughter showed to pick her up to run an errand, she locked them inside. When she returned, she surprised three men in her house who scattered out through the back yard. "The police were down the street investigating another burglary and were here in two minutes! Now I never leave the house without locking every door even if I am outside five minutes. This is happened all over town, not just out here."


 * ... GAS WAR: Folks in Shafter are abuzz over a local gas war, started when a new ARCO station opened at the corner of Lerdo Highway and Highway 43. One resident, David Vanderpool, told me the ARCO opening forced the local Fastrip to drastically cut its prices to the point where Fastrip now has some of the cheapest gas in the county. "Most people in Shafter, before the ARCO opened up, would buy their gas in Bakersfield since it was cheaper than Shafter on any given day. So yes, competition is great!"

* ... MEMORIES: Reader Paula Rodenburg touched based to share her memories of shopping for clothes with her mother at Brock's, Fedway and JC Penney. "After Brocks we'd go down the street heading east on 19th to Woody's Toy Circus and Thompson's Petland (Woody's moved to Chester Avenue later after a fire, I believe). LOVED Thompson's-puppies and kittens in the back and I'd always beg for more pets even though we were full up at home. And Zippy the Clown-he was at my sixth birthday party. I believe he was on the George Day show. Good times."

 * ... REMEMBER WHEN: Carole Lynn Anderson wrote to recall the days when "you could see the tops of the West High School locker buildings from the corner of Stockdale Highway and California. The only building between Stockdale Highway and California was the White Front store ... everything else in between included oil pumps, scrub brushes and the occasional kit fox!"

* ...  DALEY LEAVES: Heard from reader Pattie Otts that Dr. Patrick Daley has left Bakersfield to assume a family practice in Ojai. His last day at the Mohawk Medical Group was July 30. He had been in private practice specializing in sports medicine for some 20 years and was active in the Kern County Medical Society, where he served one year as president.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You know you're a Bakersfield old-timer if "you still have a copy of Isabel Forker's guacamole recipe."

Steak dinners for $1.50 at the Bakersfield Inn and the community says farewell to the late judge Joe Noriega

* ... LAW SCHOOL: It was nice to hear from Kerry McGill that his son, Phillip, has decided on attending law school at the University of San Diego. I met Kerry while appearing on the  "Moneywise Guys" radio show (KERN 1180 AM), where he is one of the hosts. Phillip graduated from Stockdale High School and then UC Irvine and ended up with a number of law school scholarship offers (including one from the University of Notre Dame) but decided the lure of staying in California was just too great. Hats off to this high achieving youngster.


 * ... NORIEGA FUNERAL: The community gave a proper send off Thursday to Joseph Noriega, the former judge who died of cancer last week at the age of 81. Monsignor Craig Harrison presided over the Catholic service at St. Francis Church, which drew a large crowd of community leaders. Among those attending were District Attorney candidate Lisa Green and husband Jeff, community activist Sheryl Barbich, Superior Court Judge Gary Freidman, defense attorney H.A. Sala, local businessman and attorney Tony Leggio, John Brock Jr., Watson Realty president Ken Carter, local attorney Steve Clifford, Bruce and Jane Haupt and businessman Ed Shuler and wife Colleen. Noriega served as a judge for five years but is also known for helping found one of our community's premier insurance defense firms, Clifford and Brown.

* ... BAKERSFIELD INN: A reader sent me a menu from the old Bakersfield Inn on Union Avenue, once one of our city's premier restaurants. There's no date on it but it apparently was printed during World War II because it includes a note about many employees being gone serving in the military. The hotel's signature New York sirloin steak went for $2, halibut was 85 cents, salads were around 80 cents and two pork chops (including potatoes and rolls) went for 80 cents. Breakfast? Poached eggs on toast cost 65 cents, bacon or cheese omelette was 50 cents and a cup of coffee was a dime.

 * ... CRIME WATCH: Heard from a Northwest resident fed up with petty crime in her area. "We get hit almost every night - Coffee, Olive, Hageman, Patton - they take everything that's not nailed or glued down in your car and they go through your car like they are on some kind of scavenger hunt ... chap stick, hair scrunchies, cheap sun glasses. Whether you locked your car or not, whether you locked your garage door or not, whether you locked your front or side door or not. Nothing like waking up to hear someone was in your home while you were sleeping. I think the security watch signs should say 'Welcome to our neighborhood. Take all you want. Let's not be strangers. Come back anytime ya hear!'"

 * ... MORE OLD TIMES: Dena (Chase) Duty, born and raised here, wrote to share some special memories of Bakersfield. "As a family we would go to Woody's Toy Circus on Ming Avenue and I remember picking out a set of clackers and my mother bought me my first 'grown up' pair of bell bottom pants from Newbury's when I was around 10 years old. I have lived in other states (Scottsdale, Az., Colorado Springs, Co.) and while I appreciate their beauty and uniqueness, I am so happy to be living back here in Bakersfield, my home. Your (column) ... puts a smile on my face. Thanks for letting me share and keep the 'Bakersfield Memory' chain going. Love it!" And thanks to you, Dena.

 * ... AIR PARK: Earlier this week I mentioned the fact that there was once a small air strip (called La Cresta Air Park) up on the Panorama Bluffs between Bakersfield College and Greenlawn Mortuary and Cemetery. One reader, Gary Denny, emailed to tell me he not only remembers the air park but also recalls that it would occasionally be used for drag races.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You know you're a Bakersfield old timer if you "remember when Kern City was the newest part of town."

Local kid heads to Oregon to work for Republican congressional hopeful and a photography show worth seeing

 * ...MID-TERM ELECTIONS: Looks like Robby McCarthy, one of the young guns in the office of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (not related), is leaving to become the finance director for a Republican running for an important Oregon congressional district. Robby will be on temporary leave to work for Scott Bruun (check out his website here) who is running against one-term incumbent Kurt Schrader in Oregon's 5th Congressional District. This is a big race for the Republicans as they try to exploit the economic malaise and President Obama's weaknesses in the mid-term elections. Robby is the son of Judi McCarthy, head of the Kern Community Foundation, and Rob McCarthy, owner and founder of Lightspeed Systems. He graduated from Garces Memorial High School and then the University of Southern California in 2006. He will return to the Bakersfield Republican congressman's office after the November elections.

 * ... AIR PARK: How many of you knew there used to be a small air strip up on Panorama Drive? Old timers will remember the La Cresta Airpark located between what is now Greenlawn Mortuary and Cemetery and Bakersfield College. The runway was situated almost perpendicular to Panorama Drive, meaning small planes taking off or landing sometimes had to fly over the bluffs. Houses now sit on the old air park land.

 * ... AIR FORCE: Nice to hear that Foothill High graduate Edward Ramirez has graduated from the Air Force Academy and is headed to Arizona for flight school. He is the son of Ruben and Virginia Ramirez. If you remember, Ruben was the long time wrestling coach at Arvin High School who died in 2000 of complications of a 1982 car wreck.  

* ... ART SHOW: If you've got the mid-summer blues, stop by The Padre Hotel to catch a show of some outstanding photography in the hotel's Farmacy Cafe. It's the work of Fred Castillo, a Bakersfield native who left town but returned in 2004 to help care for his ailing father. There will be about 14 prints on display of various sizes, all of them capturing the special mood, flavor and taste of our community. There is a stunning sunset shot of Fox Theatre and some interesting landscapes. The show opens Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and is sponsored by Don Martin's Metro Galleries, which consistently sponsors some of the best art seen in our town for years. (not all of the shots shown below will be on display)

 * ... WHERE'S WESTCHESTER? My earlier post about a burglary on 20th Street in Westchester drew this response from Geraldine Sproul: "As I have stated before many times, Westchester is located north of 24th Street. This area was developed in the late 1940s after World War II. I was living here then and well remember it. I live in Westchester as I am north of 24th Street. I am sorry to say ... 20th Street is not in Westchester."

* ... UNION AVENUE: Reader Donna Garone Calanchini dropped a note to recall "attending children's birthday parties at the old Carnation Ice Cream plan on Union Avenue in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Other fascinations on Union Avenue in those days were, of course, the Bakersfield sign stretching across the highway and the roundness of the Saddle 'n Sirloin building."

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From reader Esther Brandon: You know you're from Bakersfield when "a fellow customer at Blockbuster spits on the floor while browsing the slasher flics."

It's the summer of burglaries and break ins and more stink over those sweet public pensions

 * ... GO IRISH: Heard from the "Notre Club" of Bakersfield that six local kids are heading to the University of Notre Dame in South Bend this fall. They will join a freshman class of only 2,035 students selected from more than 14,500 applicants. Two graduated from Wasco Union High School-Moises Martinez and Daniel Sanchez. Others include Nicole Madrilejo, Daniel Yi, Eric Andrew Whittington and Brandon West from Garces Memorial High. Thanks to Dean Bears for bringing this to my attention.

* ... CRIME WATCH: The summer of burglaries and break-ins continues. In the past week I've heard of a burglary on 20th Street in Westchester (committed mid morning), two in La Cresta (one of them another mid morning break-in) and two cars broken into, one near Bakersfield Country Club and the other at Beach Park. Be careful and keep those alarms on.
 
* ... PUBLIC PENSIONS: Few topics have aroused such a spirited response as the debate over public pensions, highlighted by City Fire Chief Ron Fraze's pending retirement. Most of the responses have been highly critical of these sweet public pensions, but not all. Reader Irene Edmonds gives her own spin. "I speak with some knowledge on this issue. My husband was in law enforcement for 37 1/2 years, my oldest son was in law enforcement for 15 years and now owns Interquest Canines of LA and my youngest son was a firefighter in the Air Force before becoming a firefighter with LA County. Twenty five years working for the police department or the fire department in reality is like working double years.. How many years would it add to your job to go to autopsies and watch a body being dissected up so that you could testify in court?  How many years would it add to your job to have to handle a really bloody murder scene, one where the sons killed their parents? ... Each and every firefighter or police officer has lived through experiences that you would not understand. I am the wife and mother of police and firefighters and I know

it angers me to hear these things said."

 * ... ACTION SPORTS: Reader Kim Wiens weighed in on my earlier post (read the full post here) regarding the remarkable number of kids who have worked for Kerry Ryan at Action Sports and gone on to successful professional careers. "Both of my sons, David and Robert Wiens, were lucky enough to work at Action Sports back when it was located in the Town and Country Center. I can't thank Mr. Ryan enough for all that he taught them about hard work, customer service and running a business. That real work experience has served them so well in every job they have had since. David is currently enrolled in the Full Employed MBA program and UCLA and working as an engineer for a steel company. Rob is a bartender at RJs." 

 * ... CSUB GRADS: Nice to hear that two graduates of CSUB's nursing program have been accepted to the University of San Francisco Doctor of Nursing Practice program. They are Cynthia Jane Anderson and Ashley Lorenzo. According to the students, only 10 applicants were accepted into the cohort, with two of them from CSUB nursing.

  * ... EAST BAKO: From reader Larry Miller, recalling old Bakersfield. "Interesting note about Fred Schaffer's Stamp and Coin Shop in east Bakersfield.  He was originally in a tiny store front shop on 20 Street between Chester Avenue and K Streeet across the street and around the corner from 'Painless Parker's' (he wasn't)  second story dental office above a Thrifty Drug Store. Fred also sold model airplane kits that I loved to build. I was in junior high school and  liked to stop in Fred's shop to see what new model kits were available. This was after making deliveries of false teeth and dentures after school on my bicycle to various dentists around town. These dentures were made by S. R. Creasy in the same building as 'ol Painless.'  I earned $5 a week if I got there every day, and half a day on Saturday if I got there on time; but if I was late, then the old tightwad would dock me a dollar. 

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You know you're from Bakersfield when "the stranger who stops you for directions is looking for a prison."

Ron Fraze says he's retiring as fire chief and Bakersfield gears up for Sarah Palin and the Oct. 9 Business Conference

 * ... FRAZE OUT: Ran into Bakersfield Fire Chief Ron Fraze Friday night and he was giddy with the news that he is retiring after 25 years on the job, almost half as chief. Fraze announced his retirement on his Facebook account. He and wife Shelly have put their Westchester house up for sale but Fraze said they plan on sticking around town. (photo courtesy of Fraze's Facebook page)

* ... DMV: Cathie Morris responded to my previous post about my hassle-free trip to the DMV via its online appointment system. It wasn't her experience. "You must have had the DMV good fairies with you on the day of your visit. I too, recently had an appointment for a drivers license at the F Street location and was not so blessed.  When I arrived I was given a numbered ticket by the clerk. When I looked at the prompter to find my number I was amazed to see that there were 20 numbers ahead of me. I went back to the clerk and reminded him of my appointment and he was kind enough to give me a new numbered ticket which only placed me behind five other people. I returned to work an hour after my appointment time. The following week I called the DMV toll free number to inquire if I needed an appointment for a VIN verification and was told that I did not as all DMV locations had a drive-up station to take care of this.  Unfortunately that person was not familiar with the F Street site and when I realized that I would have to 'take a number' I went to the Auto Club who handled this for me in 10 minutes. I love the Auto Club."

 * ... BUSINESS CONFERENCE: Bumped into local attorney George Martin at the Petroleum Club the other day and he caught me up with plans for the Oct. 9 Bakersfield Business Conference. Martin said 9,000 of the 10,000 tickets have been sold and the event is coming together nicely. This year's lineup includes former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, former vice president Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, Mitt Romney and former First Lady Laura Bush. Tickets are going for $145. Interested? Call 661-371-2204.

 * ... TURKISH VISITORS: Heard from Gary and Constance Corbell the other day that their son's in-laws were visiting him from Turkey. Craig Corbell, and his wife Nilay married in Turkey last year. Craig's mother-in-law, Gulay Engin, teaches English at Ankara University in the foreign languages department. Turns out she is collecting issues of The Californian to use in her classes. Her husband is Tacettin.Craig works for Welenco and Nilay is a petroleum engineer at Chevron.

 * ... EAST BAKO: Reader Donald Kurtz added his own recollections of east Bakersfield. "It was a great place to grow up. You seldom had to go 'downtown.' We had the Stamp and Coin hobby shop on Baker Street, owned and operated by Fred Schaffer and family. Real nice people. Next door, Snider's bike shop and if memory serves me, some sporting goods. Always fun to go down into the basement." More from Donald's recollections later this week.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Local Realtor Patsy Sadler submitted this: You know you're from Bakersfied if "you remember your mom taking you to Fedway Department Store to buy all your clothes."

British retailers and brokers in town touring Pandol Brothers grape fields and the YMCA puts out a plea for help

 * .. KERN GRAPES: Was out the other evening and ran into Beth Brookhart Pandol, who was escorting a delightful group of visitors from the United Kingdom who were in town to tour our local grape fields. They were here to see the vineyards of Pandol Brothers, one of our area's larger grape growers. Turns out these folks have done business with the Pandols for years, primarily importing red seedless table grapes. Two of the visitors - Lisa Buckley-Hoyle and Anna Goodall - work for Tesco, which owns the Fresh and Easy chain of grocery outlets. The other two, Alan Guindi and Karen Cleave, work for Richard Hochfeld Ltd., a British fruit importer, broker and technical service company that deals extensively in grapes. Guindi and Cleave had visited Bakersfield numerous times but this time were staying at the newly renovated Padre Hotel, which Cleave called "a breath of fresh air."

 * ... THE BUZZ: With all  the cutbacks and challenges over at Cal State Bakersfield, is this the best time to have your bathroom remodeled? Apparently that's what is happening at the University Advancement office where the public restroom is undergoing a face lift. And it has some folks over at the Southwest Bakersfield campus chattering, first because money is tight and second the office is run by Beverly Byl, the chief fund raiser who is not wildly popular among her peers. (read a previous post here) If you remember, Byl was brought in by President Horace Mitchell to replace the retiring Mike Chertok but she has struggled to build a constituency either inside the campus or among longtime CSUB supporters. Rob Meszaros, the school's communications director, said the bathroom project was part of scheduled campus deferred maintenance and he dismissed the notion that "our office is getting preferential treatment. Our building was one of the last, if not the last, building to have work done." But that didn't stop the tongues from wagging and triggering a new round of talk at the campus about Byl and the perception that she has favored status with President Mitchell.

 * ... TROUBLE AT THE YMCA: Among the victims of this long recession are our local non-profits, who do so much good in our community. And now I hear that the local YMCA is having a particularly hard time because of a steep drop in donations. Said board member Dave Wilkerson: "YMCA's are the number one child care providers in the country and the biggest employer of teens. What a shame it would be if we were not able to continue to serve the kids of our community through our child care and sports programs. No child is turned away due to an inability to pay and we are most proud of that! How many of us in this community grew up at the Y?" If you want to help, call the local YMCA at 661-837-YMCA (9622). This is one non-profit worth supporting.

 * ... OLD BAKO: It was nice to hear from Lucille Bell, who at 91 has been reading The Californian for 65 years. She had her own remembrances of Bakersfield, specifically when "there were no shopping malls. We shopped 'downtown' but there was a small area on Niles Street called The Hillcrest Shopping Center. Was listed on maps as such. (It's still there)." Thanks for reading Lucille.
 

* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From reader Dan Giordano: You know you're from Bakersfield if "you remember Don Rodawald's TV show and his parting shot, 'See you tomorrow at three when it's just you and me.'"

CSUB's big gamble to attain Division 1 status and more feedback on trash in our parks

 * ... THE BIG GAMBLE: Hats off to Cal State Bakersfield for its successful drive to attain Division 1 status for its sports programs. A well connected  group of alumni and boosters were behind this, arguing D-1 status will add to the school's image and give the programs better leverage in recruiting top athletes. But not everyone supported the drive, saying the school instead should be putting more emphasis on its academic programs to lure a different kind of student to the university. In the best of worlds,  supporters hope CSUB will follow in the footsteps of schools like Gonzaga, the small Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington, that has gained national stature via a highly successful Division 1 basketball program.


 * ... BILL KIZER: In a time when so few people value loyalty to their employers, it's nice to hear cases  like that of William "Bill" Kizer. He retired recently from Today Cleaners where he worked for 55 years. That's right, more than five decades at the same place of work. Three generations of family ownership worked with Bill, including Jeff Newman Sr. who credits him with teaching him the ropes of the family business. In addition to that, eight other members of Bill's family worked at Sparkle or Today cleaners. Current company president Jeff Newman Jr. joined in a party to celebrated Bill's retirement. How many folks retire at the age of 86 after 55 years at the same job?

* ... TRASH WOES: I clearly hit a nerve with a recent post about our parks being strewn with litter after a weekend. Reader Pat Napier wrote to note that while traveling in Mexico "you will notice that all the parks and beaches look just like the ones here in Bako after a weekend or holiday.... strewn with beer bottles, watermelon rinds, potato chip packages etc, waiting for the tide to come in and wash it all away. What a shame to trash a beautiful country just like what is being done to Kern County." My take: there's lot of bad behavior in our community and it usually has more to do with education and upbringing than nation of origin.

 * ... STINSON'S: Stinson's Stationers, one of our town's iconic family owned businesses, held a shoe drive last week and collected almost 500 pairs for the Bakersfield Homeless Shelter. Business development manager Heather Henderson told me company drivers picked up the shoes along their routes or customers dropped off the shoes at the various Stinson's locations. And they did it all in one week.

 * ... LOCAL BOY: Reader Joel Hoffman was watching a Detroit Tigers versus Texas Rangers game on Brighthouse Networks the other day when the announcer mentioned the Ranger's pitcher - Colby Lewis - was from Bakersfield. He's listed as a 31-year-old right handed starter who stands six foot four and weighs in at 230 pounds.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From reader Anne Grogan: You know you're from Bakersfield when "you see people lining up to have their photos taken next to the Bob's Big Boy statue as if it were a national monument."

The rush to e-books continues and celebrating some good Mexican grub in Bakersfield

 * ... AMAZON: It was interesting to read in The New York Times the other day that the sale of digital books had overtaken the sale of hard cover books. At least that's what is happening at Amazon, which reported the sale of electronic books on the Kindle and other e-readers had finally surpassed hard covers. Amazon chief executive Jeffrey Bezos said it was amazing "considering we have been selling hard cover books for 15 years and electronic books for 33 months." Amazing, indeed.

 * ... GOOD DEED: A nice post from readers Peter and Emily Hernandez: "Recently, there have been a lot of unfortunate events happening in our community: crime, animal cruelty, negative press about our town, etc. However, during these bad times, there are still good people in our community who do good deeds. Our family would like to acknowledge and thank Chris Kowal for finding our family dog at a local AM/PM. Hearing a stranger on the phone saying 'I found your dog Honey' brought such a good feeling to our family. There were so many things running through our mind about what could happen to our dog, especially after seeing a dog hog tied in the paper and one spray painted. However, despite what people and surveys say about our community, we do have people who care for one another and do good deeds. The phone call my wife received from Mr. Kowal was not from a stranger, it was from a good person in our community, who is one of many people who do good deeds.

 * ... RANCH MARKET: Something else that is special about our community is the abundance of quality and authentic Mexican restaurants. Mexicali, La Costa Mariscos, The Red Pepper, Sinaloa and Casa Munoz, are just a few. But don't forget the Ranch Markets which offer casual inside dining in addition to their other standard offerings. I stopped by the branch over at Niles Street and Mount Vernon where they were grilling chicken outside and went home with some Mexican tacos or some Oaxaca cheese.

 * ... EGGHEADS: Mensa is the national high IQ society and it's safe to say it's a club that wouldn't have me as a member. But despite that, give the local Mensa group props for coming in second in Mensa's CultureQuest , a national competition to promote and test for cultural literacy. The local team is known as the Tumblin Tumbleweeds and consists of Carl Bryan, a retired math teacher and a public address announcer for Bakersfield College, Suzanne Bryan, a physician's assistant at Bakersfield Family Medical Center Urgent Care, retiree Jim Crawford and Linda Robinette from Ridgecrest. A team from Central Indiana won the competition.

 * ... MORE COACHLIGHT: Reader Patti Bailey wrote to share her own memories of the staff of the old Coachlight Inn. "I celebrated by 21st birthday there (many years ago!) Four months before that I had a very major, serious spinal surgery and was in a body cast with much pain and discomfort. The wonderful staff there made me feel like a queen and not someone to stare at. I will never forget that special evening and those special people."

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From reader Kurt Seeger: You know you're a Bakersfield old timer if you remember "two taverns, both located in the middle of a residential neighborhood, on North Baker Street called the College Inn and the Bluffs."

A rash of burglaries hits downtown Bakersfield and remembering the old Coachlight Inn restaurant and bar

 * ... LOCK YOUR DOORS: A friend of mine who lives downtown on Cedar Street returned from dinner last Friday to find her house ransacked. Her loss: two computers, a flat-screen TV, a few incidentals and her sense of safety and security in her own home. Two Bakersfield police officers told her the downtown-Westchester area was getting regularly popped by burglaries, so take this as a reminder to keep your doors and windows locked and turn on your alarm. And if you think alarms are expensive, think again. Each burglary they prevent or interupt pays for the cost of installation and service. Police will tell you this stuff is happening all over town as the economy worsens and our underachieving youth are out of school and on the streets.
 
 * ... ICONIC BAKO: You don't have to be an art aficionado to appreciate some of the screen prints that are on display at the Padre Hotel by local artist Larry Jason. The prints depict some of our community's  iconic places, including Luigi's, the Alley Cat bar, the old Bakersfield "sun, fun, stay play" welcome sign on Highway 99 and of course the Padre Hotel itself. A reception honoring Larry Jason is being hosted by Metro Galleries and the Padre and will run from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday in The Farmacy at the Padre. If you can't make the reception, the art will be hanging through the first of August.

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 * ... IN INDIA: Reader Doris Winham wrote with pride to report that her grand-daughter, Taylor Witcher-Page, is with a group from Valley Christian Center in Madera working with disadvantaged children in India. The group is working with Sarah's Covenant Homes, an orphanage for kids with special needs, in Ongole, India.

* ... OOPS: Retired school superintendent Al Sandrini corrected me for misidentifying him in an earlier post regarding the location of the old Coachlight Inn. "You may find this hard to believe, but there are two Al Sandrinis in Bakersfield. My cousin, Alan Sandrini and I (Alvin) both go by Al and you are not the first to confuse which of the cousins with whom you might be dealing.  Al(an) and I both came from 'farmer families' south of Bakersfield. He was the long time owner of B and F Hobby Shops on Baker Street and more recently, worked with his son Bryan as the host for Sandrini’s restaurant downtown. He currently is working at Sundale Golf Course in Kern City as the assistant pro while I continue to work on lowering my handicap! Since retiring from Norris ten years ago, I’ve worked as an educational consultant, thus proving to my wife what she already knew, I flunked retirement! Finally, all that stuff about the Coachlight Inn Al told you about was true…I think…at my age it’s hard to remember!! Have a great day." My apologies to both the Al Sandrinis.

 * ... MORE COACHLIGHT: Additional recollections about the old Coachlight Inn from reader Milt Huggs, who should know something about the subject. "Jack Ewing's Stockdale Inn, located on the corner of Stockdale Highway and California Avenue/New Stine, was purchased by Milt Huggs and a group of investors in 1971. The building was sawed in half and moved to the corner of California and Oak Street, the former site of the Santa Fe Railroad Roundhouse. The two halves were placed over a vintage red caboose and reassembled.  The red caboose then became the lively centerpiece of the dinning room in a restaurant remodeled to look like an old train station. An old green Pullman Car was placed on tracks in front of building for future dining.  The remodeled restaurant was named the Iron Horse. The Iron Horse became the meeting place for the newly charted West (is best) Rotary Club. Al Sandrini and Milt Huggs are still members of the West Rotary Club. In 1978, the restaurant was sold to Gilbert Burns and it became a disco. A few years later Burns sold to the owners of the Coachlight Inn. They closed their Union Avenue and 34th Street location and moved to California Avenue and Oak Street.  The location is now a strip mall. While I have the chance I might as well toot my own horn. Milt Huggs is in the restaurant business with his son Mark Huggs. Milts Coffee Shop at Olive Drive and Freeway 99 for 46 years and the 24th Street Cafe for 25 years."

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You know you're from Bakersfield if "you remember the name of the country western singer who was tried and convicted in Bakersfield of murdering his wife. (Spade Cooley)

 

Local commercial market could be poised for rebound, and is Al Qaeda reall behind our local shoplifting rings?

 * ... COMMERCIAL WOES: Matthew E. Starr,  senior vice president over at Grub and Ellis/ASU Associates, wrote to bring some perspective about the local commercial real estate market. "The national office vacancy rate (17.9% and the end of the first quarter 2010 according to Grubb and Ellis research) continues to rise as does the local vacancy rate; however the local office market is in a position to experience an accelerated recovery. The office market vacancy rate for the greater Bakersfield area was 11.39% as of the end of the second quarter of 2010 ... This includes all submarkets and all classes of space. This is a dramatic rise from the all time low vacancy rates city wide early in 2007, but it shows that things could be a lot worse. New construction of office properties is at a virtual standstill and if growth in the economy continues and local companies resume expansion, the office market could be poised to tighten quickly. This of course depends upon the vitality of the employment rebound. I just wanted to let you know that things are not all doom and gloom with the local office market." Thanks for sharing, Matthew.

 

* ... SUBITO GRANT: Nice to hear that Jim Scully, a lecturer in the music department at Cal State Bakersfield, has been awarded a Subito Grant from the American Composers Forum to travel to Boston and have his two most recent compositions recorded by the artists who commissioned the works. The grant will pay for Scully to travel to Boston, record the works and produce a concert of his work at the Lilypad in Cambridge, Mass., on August 7. You might know Scully as a composer and jazz guitarist whose work has been featured at the Bakersfield Jazz Festival. He teaches courses in music, theory, jazz studies and music technology at CSUB since 2003.

 * ... BEANIE'S: Reader Lydia Lostaunau wrote to remember a place called Beanie's across from Jefferson Park. In her words: "In 1953 you could buy lunch (hot dog, potato chips and a Coke) for 25 cents. Beat eating in the cafeteria. Best burgers in town, the top of the bun was shiny with the grease from the grill. Ken Ken's was good for its crushed ice in the soft drinks. Andre's on Niles had the greatest chili burgers, served open-faced. I could go on but it's dinner time. Love your blog." Thanks, Lydia.

 * ... AL QAEDA: From reader Pierre Cardo: "A woman in a KGET 17 story about shoplifting was quoted as saying that Bakersfield shoplifting rings were supporting Al Qaeda. I nearly spit out my dinner ... say it ain't so!"

 * ... CASINO NIGHT: You might want to put August 14th on your calendar for the second annual TIL Casino night, the major fund raiser for the Transition to Independent Living program at Taft College. That's the program that receiving the Community College award for innovation. It will be held at the Bakersfield Jam facility. If you are interested, contact Sheri Horn Bunk out at Taft College.

* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You know you're a Bakersfield old timer if you remember what sport caster Bob Elias said at the end of every broadcast: "You don't have to play a sport to be a good one."

More dark economic news and the Padre's Drew Hall returns to work after jet ski accident

 * ... DARK DAYS: The news on the economic front has gone from bad to worse lately with all the talk of a double-dip recession and columnist Paul Krugman's warning that a depression is not out of the question. Now comes a study by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center showing how far the pain has moved through the economy. As reported in the Wall Street Journal, the study said that out of the 13 recessions since the Great Depression, "none has presented a more punishing combination of length, breadth and depth than this one." Even among those with jobs, three in 10 working adults have had their hours reduced and a quarter have taken a pay cut. Another 12 percent have been forced to take unpaid leave and 11 percent were forced to switch from full time to part time. Think about it: how many of your own friends and family members have taken pay cuts or been furloughed this year? Finally, the study said the recession had "ushered in a culture of frugality: 57 percent of those surveyed have postponed or canceled a vacation and seven out of 10 are buying less expensive brands. Nearly half have loaned money to someone in need."

 * ... PADRE NEWS: It was great to see Drew Hall back at work Wednesday night. Drew is the popular 31-year-old Padre Hotel manager who was critically injured in a jet ski accident at Lake Havasu. After suffering multiple skull fractures and almost losing an eye, he has made a miraculous comeback and is eager to get back to work full time.  (read my previous post here)   Drew has taken to Bakersfield and is still planning to buy a home here. He told me he received over 100 get well cards from folks around town. Meanwhile, Padre owner Brett Miller said the hotel had its best month ever in June, and business and leisure travelers are starting to discover his rooms. "The rooms have been on fire," he told me. "We are blowing away our guests with incredible service."

 * ... TOP GUN: Kudos to 12-year-old Jason David, one of our community's sharp shooters out at the Kern County Gun Club. The seventh grader from Standard Middle School is an ace trap shooter and recently posted his first perfect score, shooting 100 straight in the California State Trapshooting Championships. He was C Class Champion and won in a shoot-off. He also was champion in the Intermediate Entry Level at the California Scholastic Clay Target Program. His team, the Oaktree Junior Claybreakers, is traveling to Sparta, Illinois, in July to compete in the National Championships.

 * ... OVERHEARD: Word on the street is that  HomeGoods is considering opening a store in the old Long's Drug building on California Avenue. HomeGoods is owned by the company that owns TJ Maxx and Marshalls and they have outlets all over the country. No announcement yet from the corporate office.

 * ... SNAKE BIT: I seem to be snake bit when it comes to reporting on Siobhan O'Rourke, the young lady who received a National Multiple Sclerosis Society college scholarship. She's heading to Biola University, not Cal State Bakersfield.

* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From reader Kimberly Fulenwider: You know you're from Bakersfield if "you remember the koi pond at Valley Plaza and the ginormous chandelier that swept down from above it! I loved looking at the fish as a child and throwing pennies into the pond."

Who's living in that empty house next door? And looks like Dick's Sporting Goods is coming to Bako

* ... THE BUM NEXT DOOR: How'd you like to have a vagrant living in the empty home next door? That's exactly what happened to a friend of mine in one of the nicer neighborhoods in our town. The house had been foreclosed and my friend spent her time keeping its yard tidy. One day, she and her husband noticed the back door open, went to close it, and found the thermostat set at 66. The empty home's Realtor later told her a vagrant had been living in the house, happily using its electricity and enjoying a roof over his head. A long recession and thousands of empty homes can spell trouble. This story ended happily: the house has sold and a new family is moving in.

 * ... SCHOLARSHIPS: Kudos to two high-achieving local kids who received scholarships from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to go to college. Frontier High's Paige Brock and Bakersfield Christian's Siobhan O'Rourke were among 300 lucky students from across the country to receive money to help with school expenses. Brock was diagnosed with MS just before her 17th birthday and has since shown a strong, positive attitude. She'll receive $1,000 and plans on attending Cal State Bakersfield's nursing program. She hopes to become a labor and delivery nurse. O'Rourke said her mother was diagnosed eight years ago, throwing her into a new role at home. She received $2,500 and will attend Biola University in La Mirada to major in English. She hopes to either teach English or write. Hats off to both of these kids.

 * ... GLEN'S TAKE?: From reader Glen Worrell: "You know you're a Bakersfield old timer when Ray and Joan Dezember's daughter (Becky, I hope!) was in the fourth grade at Caroline Harris School where I was principal in 1965. She was more than great in the standing broad jump (9 feet plus?) I came to Bakersfield in 1937 and I'll have one of his 'I Love Bakersfield' stickers if I get there before they are gone!" 

 * ... FLIES BE GONE: A number of readers wrote with the same remedy to rid my side yard of pesky flies. The solution: put several pennies in plastic bags, fill them with water and hang them around the yard. "I was amazed and happy as they were driving us all inside. Worth a shot and cheap to boot!" Lynn Bailey said. John Rodenburg said the reflection/prism effect of the water-filled bags, along with the pennies, scares the flies. "We tried it a few days ago since flies like to feast of our hygienically-challenged pug this time of year. It appears to be working like a charm!" he said.


 * ... THE BUZZ: So what will come of the mess that befallen county Supervisor Michael Rubio, who up until a few days ago was a shoo-in to become the new state senator from the 16th District? Problem is, he doesn't live in the 16th Senate District but rather the 18th District. This is clearly not Rubio's fault since he has been voting in the 16th District and registered there. (the boundary is just yards down the road) It was a problem caused by the county elections office, and if someone officially challenges Rubio's ability to represent the district, he may be disqualified to run. Rubio is one of our community's rising young stars, but this legal snafu would derail his meteoric rise, at least temporarily.

 * ... OVERHEARD: It appears that Dick's Sporting Goods, another national chain, may be coming to Bakersfield. Workers are busy remodeling the inside of the old Linens 'n Things at the Northwest Promenade and someone spotted blueprints from Dick's. No official word but appears we have a new business in town. 

* ... BAKERSFIELDISM:  You know you're a Bakersfield old-timer if  "you remember the teletype machine in the lobby of the Padre Hotel and know why it was there. (So the horse players in the bar could get the race results."