Good riddance 2010 and hello 2011, and the Padre faces another hurdle

 * ... NEW YEAR: By all accounts 2010 was another tough year in this prolonged Great Recession, so let's all hope the new year ushers in better times. I compiled my own list of hopes for our community for the new year. Here's a sampling:

  1) Let's hope we can go a full year without a single case of child abuse or animal cruelty in our community.
  2) I pray for the recovery of our real estate market and better times for  our hard working local Realtors.
  3) I hope for more of a civil discourse in our nation, and that all sides - liberals and conservatives - learn to work together for the common good.
  4) For all those out of work, here's hoping there are paychecks and health insurance on the horizon.
  5) For all those ailing and battling sickness, both physically and emotionally, here's to a rapid recovery and good health.
 6) If just a few of those come to pass, it will be a good year.

 * ... PADRE: Local risk management consultant John Pryor shared with me a letter, penned on old Padre Hotel stationery, that was written to him when he was just six days old. It was written by R.L. Hendrickson, who was an insurance company "special agent" who worked with Pryor's insurance broker father. "I was six days old when he wrote this letter," Pryor wrote to Brett Miller, the Padre's new owner. "The Padre Hotel was just four years old. Bakersfield's population was about 27,000. Our family's phone number at the time was 89 - without any dial until later. The Padre's phone number wasn't listed on its letterhead. It wasn't needed. Callers simply picked up the phone and asked for the Padre Hotel. The friendly operator complied and made the connection." The original owners were Roy Cummings and Fred Widmer. The letter gave Pryor some advice about obeying his mother and father and ended with the line, "A Merry Christmas to you and the OLD people."

 * ... MORE PADRE: Speaking of the Padre, I'm also hoping the historic hotel emerges from its latest round of worries and successfully renegotiates a $8.4 million loan to keep the old girl open. The Padre's dilemma is a metaphor for the  long-tail effect of this recession: a loan taken out two years ago by a La Jolla bank that no longer exists and now called by a new bank (OneWest) that has no ties to our community. The irony is that the Padre is doing well - sold out rooms for New Year's and cash flow positive. I work and live downtown and spend a lot of time at the Padre and know its owners well, so I am not unbiased here. But these are folks who put their own capital at risk to bring life back into downtown, and it serves absolutely no one to see this venture fail. It's in all of our interests that the Padre stays open and under its current ownership.

 * ... MORE MIGS: Yet another person has come forward to recall, with great fondness, former East High teacher and football coach Migs Apsit. This time it was John Brock who wrote to recall when he joined the group of kids who Migs took across the country every summer. "Others will know more about him than I  but I happened to go with him on one of the trips for high school kids he organized during summer vacations. It was called the USA Tour and it essentially circumvented the U.S. over a period of about six weeks. I recall that there were about 70 kids and we traveled in two buses. We stayed in hotels, motels and camped out occasionally. It was a fantastic experience." And so it sounds.

 * ... DID YOU KNOW? Some of the rumored Chinese tunnels downtown actually do still exist. During the retrofitting and renovations to the basement of the Hay Building (soon to be 1612 City Lofts) workers uncovered and then resealed tunnels leading out under Eye Street and also 19th Street.

  * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You know you're a Bakersfield old-timer if "you remember when almost every doctor in town had an office in the Haberfelde Building."

More scorn heaped on local litterbugs and a local attorney takes a hard fall on a mountain bike

 * ... BAD FORM: My earlier post about the trashing of our parks triggered a response from readers like Dee Rhodes, who shared her own frustration with this behavior.  "I know . . . I know . . .  It is probably the same woman that pulled up to the stop light at Oswell and Bernard (a photo-enforced intersection), literally opened her car door, physically got out of her vehicle with an arm load of garbage, deposited it on the street, in full view of operating cameras. She did not get out of her car just once, she got out of her car three separate times, each time laden with unimaginable garbage she placed in the street.  Had I have done something so reckless and heinous as to run this red light I would have been ticketed! Hmmmm."

 * ... MORE COACHLIGHT: Received a nice handwritten note (that doesn't happen every often these days) from George and Carol Bracchi. They had fond memories of Bill and Pauline Wright, former owners of the old Coachlight Inn. Apparently they also owned a drive-in on Chester Avenue before buying the Coachlight. The Bracchis also lamented so many changes in east Bakersfield and recalled Mother's Bakery, where they Carol learned that a baker's dozen was actually 13.

 * ... GRIDLOCK: Get ready from some real traffic snarls on one of our busiest streets: Truxtun Avenue. Starting Wednesday (today) traffic will be reduced to one lane on both Truxtun and Mohawk Street for several weeks as work continues to connect Mohawk to Rosedale Highway.  This should prove interesting during the morning and afternoon rush hours. Construction should last several weeks.

 * ... ON THE MEND: Local attorney David Cohn, managing partner of Chain Cohn and Stiles, is on the mend after a nasty fall on his mountain bike this past weekend. Dave was riding the trails near Mammoth, enjoying a weekend out of the Bakersfield heat, when he took a spill that required 32 stitches in his thigh. He's out for a few days recuperating.

 * ... OVERHEARD: A couple who regularly visits Carpinteria is warning others to beware of the local police. Apparently they are on a ticketing rampage, citing minor parking and open container infractions to raise money for the city. "I overheard a cop telling one person that the city manager told them to put the heat on because they needed to raise money," one frequent visitor told me. Another seasonal "Carp" resident said he hadn't witnessed any stepped up enforcement and was thankful that the city and police were working to maintain a "family friendly" environment in the seaside community.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You know you're an east Bakersfield old-timer if "you remember where the original Stinson's Stationers was located. (Kentucky Street just west of Baker.)

Earning your money in a recession and more areas of town hit with rash of burglaries

 * ... REALTOR PRAISE: There are few harder jobs in this economy than being a Realtor. The real estate market is in a major funk, home prices have been sliding for three straight years, credit is tight, banks can be difficult to work with and the appraisal business is a mess. Many Realtors who were flying high several years ago have simply gotten out of the business, but the hardiest of the lot remain, and they can be invaluable. I sold a house recently and encountered the usual challenges of the 2010 Great Recession: an escrow that fell through, a low appraisal,  picky buyers, price concessions and seemingly endless open houses. It was an agonizing ordeal and would never have happened without the diligence that my Realtor - in this case Mary Christenson of Watson Realty - gave my case. How many times have you come home to find your Realtor on her hands and knees with a bottle of Pledge shining your wood floors? Our community is blessed with many good Realtors, and this year they are earning every penny of their commissions.

 * ... FARMER'S MARKET: Had the chance to check out the new farmer's market over at the newly renovated Mill Creek Park behind the Bakersfield Museum of Art. There were about a dozen vendors and the fruit and vegetables were splendid: fresh corn, tomatoes, various kinds of squash, scallions, melons, strawberries, blue berries, dried fruit and herbs. It runs every Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and is worth checking out. Another farmer's market is out at the corner of Brimhall Road and Calloway Drive on Saturday mornings.

* ... MAN OF GOD: Rev. Peter J. Pacini, Bakersfield High School class of 1985,  was in town recently on his way to a new assignment in South Bend, Indiana. That might prove touchy for Rev. Pacini, particularly since he graduated from USC - one of the University of Notre Dame's arch rivals - in electrical engineering. He will be installed as pastor of St. Adalbert and St. Casimir parishes in South Bend, home of the Fighting Irish. His parents are local residents Pete and Rosemary Pacini.

 * ... CRIME WATCH: Here are more neighborhoods that readers have told me that have been hit with burglaries over the last few months: Laurelglen, Silver Creek,  Oleander, Westchester and the Bakersfield Country Club area.


  * ... COACHLIGHT: Reader Barbara Fleming added her own memories of the old Coachlight Inn. "Every time you have written about the Coachlight Inn my heart has smiled. My husband Jim was district manager of the Social Security (office) when we met. The Coachlight Inn become our place that we loved to go for romantic dinners, a martini and great conversation. The place is still high in my memories."

* ... BAKERFIELDISMS: Two gems from reader Fred McCaa: You know you're  from Bakersfield when "you can get sun burn by moonlight, and if you fail to stop at the stop sign, just stop twice the next time."

Bakersfield comes up dead last in a quality of life survey, Emily Falke says farewell and more recollections of old time Bako

 * ... MUSEUM FAREWELL: Had a chance to stop by the Bakersfield Museum of Art this week to attend the send-off for Emily Falke, the long-time curator heading to Santa Barbara to become director of education and exhibits at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. Emily said she had already moved into a small house in Santa Barbara and was looking forward to the new challenges, but would miss her friends here. Among those attending the farewell were many former and present members of the museum board, as well as artists, including Melissa Fortune, Melissa Grayhek, Art Sherwyn, Susan Hersberger, Beth Brookhart Pandol, Napier Hill, Joe and Mimi Audelo and of course museum executive director Bernie Herman.

 * ... LIFESTYLE RATINGS: Earlier this week The Californian reported that Kern County has the 15th weakest economy in the state, and now comes some more sobering news. According to Portfolio.com, Bakersfield ranks dead last on a list of "quality of life" in the nation's 67 largest markets based on factors like education, income, unemployment and home ownership. (read the entire report here) For example, we rank last among major markets in terms of adults with advanced degrees (4.6 percent) as well as those with a bachelor's degree (14.3 percent). Our  poverty rate of 16.6 percent was also worst in the survey and our average household income of $46,400 was fifth from last. There is no doubt that these figures come as no surprise, given our reliance on migratory workers for farming and the fact that California has a higher percentage of new immigrants who tend to be poorer and lesser educated. And the statistics certainly don't factor in things like civic pride and goodwill and the willingness of people to pitch in for the common good. So while the statistics don't lie, at the end of the day it's just another survey that only tells part of the story.

 * ... IN AFRICA: UCLA student and Highland High graduate Stephanie Hammons is in South Africa for a month volunteering with Youth with a Mission (WYAM) and Ten Thousand Homes. The groups assists local orphanages, schools and villages and also helps with food distributions in South Africa. She apparently also got to take in the World Cup soccer match between Australia and Serbia.

 * ...  REMEMBERING OLD BAKERSFIELD: Retired school superintendent Al Sandrini wrote to correct another reader's recollection of the old Coachlight Inn. He said the Coachlight Inn was never on Stockdale Highway. "The Coachlight Inn was always located just north of 34th and Union Avenue... The building on the corner of Stockdale Highway was Ewing's Stockdale Inn. This was the same owner who owned the Tam 'O Shanter. This building was moved to the corner of Oak and California Avenue ... near the Santa Fe Railroad's roundhouse.... The original Coachlight Inn was eventually torn down when the north side of 34th Street was completely overhauled. Besides the Coachlight, there was a Kenny Shoe Store, a gas station and some office buildings. These were replaced by a Burger King, Los Hermanos and Matia's Basque Restaurant, owned and operated by Frank Matia before he moved to Rosedale. Oh by the way, I hate the term Bako."

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: A couple of offerings from correspondent Riley Parker: "You know you're a Bakersfield old timer if you had late night burgers at 'The Jumbo,' and your childhood mailing address was 'Kern Canyon Star Route, Box A.'"

Occidental makes a big bet on Bakersfield and BakersfieldLife to spotlight our high achieving kids

* ... GOOD NEWS: If there  is a winner in this terrible oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, it may be Occidental Petroleum. At least that's the view of Bloomberg news service, which said Oxy is "leading a rush to find crude on land" as the disaster spurs tougher offshore drilling rules. Oxy recently doubled its estimate for a discovery near Bakersfield, to the equivalent of as much as $34 billion at current prices. Bloomberg said Oxy "bucked the oil industry migration to deep-sea drilling during the past decade and focused on onshore fields from California to Texas to Abu Dhabi." The story went on to say that Oxy is keeping the precise location of its Kern County discovery a secret to prevent competitors from trying to buy adjacent tracks of land.

 * ... COLLEGE BOUND: The city magazine BakersfieldLife comes out Saturday with its annual spotlight on some of our community's high achieving, college-bound kids. This is my favorite issue as it focuses on some of our local success stories, all of them inspirational. Among those being profiled are Joanne Bae, Liberty, headed to UC San Diego; Wesley Elrich, BHS, headed to UCLA; Kristyn Pendley, Ridgeview, headed to UC Davis; Tyler Davisson, West High, going to Cal Poly; Alexandra Tamplin, South High, bound for Stanford; Brandon West, Garces Memorial, Pepperdine; Katherine Scott, East High, headed for Smith College; Andrew Morales, Highland High, UC Irvine; Jake and Lauren Howry, Centential, going to University of Chicago and Washington and Lee, respectively; Melissa Hamilton, Stockdale, bound for Stanford; Michael Moore, Golden Valley, Morehouse College; Nathaly Navarrette, North High, UC Merced; Alex Kim, Stockdale, West Point; Jasmin Barrena, Foothill High, UC Berkeley, Brice Ezell, Bakersfield Christian, George Fox University; and Alexandria Trakimas, Frontier High, University of Pennsylvania.

* ... GARCES POOL: Nice to hear that Garces Memorial High School is getting ready to break ground on a new state-of-the-art competition swimming pool .  It will have 12 practice lanes and 10 competition lanes and a diving area with a depth of 14 feet. It will also have two one-meter diving boards and one three-meter board. It is supposed to be completed in December.


 * .,.. DRILLER NATION: Sue and Roger Allred wrote to tell me about their ninth child who will be graduating from Bakersfield High School on June 3. Their oldest graduated from BHS in 1993, the 100th graduating class of the school. "Our children have five bachelors degrees, one masters in education, one is a lawyer, one is going for a masters in physics, four are stay at home moms, and three are still working on degrees. We have had a wonderful time at BHS and thank those who have enriched our children's lives." And apparently all nine kids will be home for the graduation, coming from places like New York City, Brooklet, Ga., Salt Lake City, Ut., Tucson, Az., San Diego and of course Bakersfield.


 * ... AMGEN TOUR: A reader asked me to list the three committee chairmen who worked so hard to make last week's Amgen Tour of California a success, so here they are: Sam Ames of Action Sports was responsible for the VIP area, Janey Clary was in charge of the hundreds of volunteers and Doug Gosling, an attorney with Klein, DeNatale, was chairman of the festival committee, where all the food and vendors were set up. 


* ... EAST BAKERSFIELD: You know you're an East Bakersfield old timer if  "you remember what the original price of a hamburger at Ken-Ken's was. 10 cents."

A surprise mother-son reunion at the Atlanta airport and two South High kids receive Gates scholarships

* ... IS THAT YOU MOM? This is such an uplifting story that I had to share. I cannot say it better than reader Kim Goforth. So here it is. Enjoy. "On Easter Sunday evening, I was walking through the Atlanta Airport with my friend Carol Formanek, returning home from a fun trip to Georgia. In the back of my mind, I knew my oldest son, Captain David Goforth, was coming home from Iraq sometime in the near future with his unit, the 923rd Movement Control Team.  I had not talked to him recently. Off to the right, we came upon a group of Army soldiers in their brown/tan fatigues. As we got closer, I said to Carol, 'That soldier on the end looks like my son.' (Was not wearing my glasses) Carol replied that indeed he did look like my son. I zeroed in to make a positive identification. 'David?  Mom?!!   What are you doing here?'  'Coming home from a trip to Georgia.'  Talk about shock and awe!  All the other soldiers had met me before and had received care packages and letters, and were so surprised to see me. I was able to visit with David and the other soldiers for about an hour before they had to board their plane to Ft. Bliss, TX  (El Paso), the last leg of the journey before coming home to Bakersfield about three to four days later.  This is such a supreme coincidence that I will always remember and treasure it as a gift.  I just wanted to share this remarkable story with your readers" Thank you for sharing.

 * ... SOUTH SCHOLARS: Jason George, the assistant principal over at South High  School, wrote to tell me that on May 13 the school will be honoring more than 100 kids going on to four-year colleges. These schools include UC Berkeley, Stanford, Boston University, UCLA, Johns Hopkins and a number of other top schools. In addition, he said two South students have been awarded the Gates Millenium Scholarships. Now that is some accomplishment. Jason said he hopes this event turns into an annual tradition honoring these kids moving on.

* ... ARMANDA BOSLEY: Reader Ruth Jackson wanted to share some moments about the last years in the life of Armanda Bosley, the former owner of Lou Ella's Children's Boutique who died recently. She was a neighbor of Bosley's and recalls how Armanda and her daughter Brenda would ride in their golf cart accompanied by their two dogs. "These two ladies always wore big smiles and lifted the spirits of pet owners and their animals. Some of the pets included Jacque, Mugs, Pebbles, Happy, Peaches, Andy, Bug, Buddy and many others I'm sure. For pets and their owners, we will always remember 'Do' and her daughter Brenda for those welcome day visits."

 * ... AIR FORCE RETIREE: Local residents Nancy and Larry Jamison told me that their son, Jeffrey Jamison, is retiring from the  U.S.  Air Force in May after 22 years.  Jeffrey was raised  in  Bakersfield and became an Eagle Scout. Two weeks after graduating from South High School in 1988, he left for basic training and later was stationed at Malmstrom AFB in Great Falls, MT., and well as Ellsworth AFB in Rapid City, S.D. He served in Desert Storm at an air base in Oman and later served in South Korea. He is now stationed at Randolph AFB in Universal City,  Texas, where he is an air crew life support systems manager.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISMS: You know you're from Bakersfield when "you refer to wearing jeans, a T-shirt and cowboy boots as a Lamont tuxedo."

Inga Barks show is canceled and more moves in the CSUB development office

*  ... CSUB MOVES: There's been more movement over at the Cal State Bakersfield development office following a period of extreme upheaval. This is the chief fund raising office run by Beverly Byl, the person who was brought in by President Horace Mitchell but who has struggled to establish a local constituency over her own. Under the Byl regime, longtime development officer Laura Wolfe was forced out and others, including Sheri Horn Bunk and Kathy Miller, left on their own for greener pastures. Byl's leadership style has a sharp edge but give her credit but trying to bring on people with connections. First she hired former San Joaquin Bank CEO Bart Hill to a new position to oversee major gifts, and now she has hired Rob Meszaros as head of communications. Both Hill and Meszaros are well connected, smart hires. Meszaros is particularly gifted in the marketing arena. I know  this because he is leaving The Californian to join CSUB. Their gain is our loss.

 * ... INGA BARKS: It looks like we've heard the last from Inga Barks' local talk show, at least in terms of her long-running morning gig on KERN 1180 Talk Radio. The show has been canceled but she is still working at the station and will apparently reemerge in some other capacity. Inga is among the gaggle of local talk show hosts who adopted the FOX News model of angry partisan talk. It appears that like so many before her (remember Bill Manders?) that she simply ran out of runway. Starting Monday, the MoneyWise Guys will run from 10 a.m. to noon and morning host Scott Cox will temporarily add an hour to his program until a new full lineup is announced. Stay tuned.

*  ... VEGAS AWARD: It was nice to hear from Marjorie Bell, the talented and popular retired journalism and English teacher over at Bakersfield High School. She noted that one of her former students, Liz Benston, recently won an award for her reporting on financial problems at a resort complex in Las Vegas. Liz is a reporter at the Las Vegas Sun and the daughter of Carol and Dick Benston, retired English professors at Bakersfield College. Liz graduated from Bryn Mawr College outside of Philadelphia and has won a number of awards in her journalism career.

 * ... DRILLER NATION: Jay  Gauthier is an old friend and work colleague who wanted to share that three of his five children are now in college. They include daughter Taylor at Cal State Fullerton, son Jadon at Biola University and son Zach at Cal State Bakersfield. Another daughter Morgan already graduated from CSUB and daughter Spencer is a sophomore at Bakersfield High. In fact, all five are Drillers. This is the week when all college acceptances should be in hand, so if you'd like to share your good news, drop me an email.

 * ... EASTER WEEKEND: This is a weekend to celebrate with family and friends and to embrace our blessings, no matter your religion or if you are spiritual at all. All of our picnic areas, from Beach Park to Hart Park and the Park at RiverWalk, will be filled to capacity wall to wall. So let's try to make it through the weekend safely and without any bad behavior. If you drink, don't drive. If you are on the road, drive carefully. Enjoy the weekend.

 * ... BAKERSFIELD: You know you're from Bakersfield when "you no longer associate bridges with water."

Men behaving badly, regulators behaving badly and Steve Annis lands on his feet

 * ...STREET BUZZ: I heard that Steve Annis, the chief financial officer of the now defunct San Joaquin Bank, has been hired in the same post at Valley Republic Bank. Annis is the latest of a long string of San Joaquin employees to land on their feet following San Joaquin's seizure by the FDIC  last October 16. He is a talented banker with many years of experience, including a long stint at American National Bank.

 * ... FED BONUSES: Speaking of banks, I saw the Associated Press reported that our government handed out millions of dollars in bonuses to federal regulators whose agencies ignored the warning signs that our financial system was on the verge of a meltdown. Said the AP: "The bonuses ... are the latest evidence of the government's false sense of security during the go-go days of the financial boom. Just as bank executives got bonuses despite taking on dangerous amounts of risk, regulators got taxpayer-funded bonuses for doing 'superior' working monitoring the banks." And so it goes.

 * ... MEN BEHAVING BADLY: There's a sociological experiment of sorts going on over at the newly renovated Padre Hotel involving hygiene and men behaving badly. It started when I overheard a group of women at the bar pointing to a young man who had failed to wash his hands after using the men's restroom. How did they know? Turns out, the hotel has a common wash space outside the restrooms that men and women share and this guy had bypassed the wash station and headed straight to the bar. You've been warned, gents.

* ... LOVE STORY: I received a wonderful email from Michael Edgerle, who was eager to tell me about his own love story and return to Bakersfield. Turns out Michael did all his early schooling in one city block: Eissler Elementary, Chipman Junior High and Highland High School, class of 1990. He went on to Evangel University, a Christian college in Missouri where he spent four winters learning to scrape ice off his car windows. He returned to Bakersfield and met Tiffany Shick at his church. She grew up in McFarland, graduated from Garces Memorial High School and was attending Azusa Pacific University. She eventually worked for Catholic Healthcare West and he worked at Dole Fresh Fruit before the company left town. He now works at Adventist Health (San Joaquin Hospital) and she stays at home with their three children.
 "I had no idea what would be in store for me career wise coming back to Bakersfield... (but) now we're back in the Northeast part of town (City in the Hills), still attending Canyon Hills church where Tiffany and I met, and busy raising our kids in this great community of ours. And doing it all in our hometown where we have four generations on either side of our family. It is a true blessing."

 * ... ANOTHER RETURNS: Bill and Avon Wonderly wrote to tell me about her daughter, Sally Wonderly, who also graduated from Garces Memorial High School, went to UCLA to pursue her dream of becoming and doctor and has now returned after many years. "Sally and her husband of 15 years, Jeff Nalesnik, and their three boys (our grandchildren) have moved back home to Bako!!!  Sally Wonderly Nalesnik is an OB/GYN at Advanced Women's Health Center, while Jeff is a Urologist for Kaiser Permanente. Their three active boys are students at St. Francis School (third generation)....it is a dream come true for us...Bakersfield has been a wonderful place to live and now Sally's family is finding this to be true as well.  Thank you for letting us share our happiness and welcome them home to Bakersfield."

  
* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You know you're from Bakersfield when "Anywhere that takes longer than a ten-minute drive is way too far."

Oxy finds huge new oil reserves in Bakersfield and the story of an incredible bike journey

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 * ... OXY HITS IT BIG:  The latest issue of Forbes magazine says that Occidental Petroleum, which it calls the "untrendiest of the big oil companies," is proving that the days "easy oil" are not yet over. Forbes says Oxy's announcement of a big new oil reserve near Bakersfield last year is turning out to be "the biggest onshore oil discovery" in the country in the last three decades. It apparently may have as much as 1 billion barrels of oil, all relatively easy to extract. All this of course is good news for our local economy and the oil companies that provide so many jobs and capital for investment. Said Forbes: "That the gusher is situated in a hydrocarbon basin that has been picked over for 100 years validates Oxy President Steven Chazen and Chief Executive Ray R. Irani: the best place to find new oil is in old oilfields." (click here to read the full story)

* ...  BIKE TREK: Reader Kimberly Thompson shared an inspiring story about her son Jacob and two of his adventure-loving friends. Turns out that the threesome completed an epic 3 1/2 year bike ride that began in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, and ended in Ushuaia, Argentina, in Tierra del Fuego. She said that's a distance of some 34,000 kilometers (roughly 20,400 miles) that took them through 14 countries, arriving last in Argentina on January 10. (check out his website here) Jacob graduated from Centennial High School in 2000 and UC Santa Cruz in 2005 with an MA in Education. He currently works as an independent studies teacher in Taft for the Kern County Superintendent of Schools as he "contemplates his next adventure." Check out their website at www.ridethespine.com for some videos of this truly epic adventure.

 * ... RABOBANK: Had a chance the other day to meet Anker Fanoe, the new regional president of Rabobank. Fanoe replaced Michael Olague, who ended up in a similar position with Bank of the Sierra. Fanoe's wife and children are in Sacramento trying to sell their house and he's anxious to get them to the south valley. His first impression of Bakersfield: the people could not be nicer or more welcoming. I met him at the Rabobank Arena during a reception for sponsors of the upcoming Tour of California, a pro cycling race that will end its Stage Five with a sprint up the Panorama bluffs near Bakersfield College on May 20. The Dutch-based bank has long sponsored a pro cycling team and is one of the supporters of the California tour. It will be a good show.

* ... COMING HOME: Always nice to hear when folks make it back to town after establishing themselves elsewhere, and the latest to return comes via Daniel Klingenberger of the employment law group of Dowling, Aaron and Keeler. He told me that Micah Nilsson and Cheryl (Smith) Nilsson recently returned after being gone well over a decade. Micah is working at the law firm while Cheryl is taking care of their three boys. This couple has quite a resume, having lived in Idaho, Chile, San Luis Obispo, Utah, Hawaii, San Diego, Davis and Monterey. They met at Chipman Junior High and both graduated from Highland High where Cheryl was senior class president and Micah served on the student government association board. After a circuitous path, Cheryl graduated from Cal Poly SLO and Micah from Brigham Young University-Hawaii. They are happy to be back home raising their family.

* ... ART DEALS: If you're an art lover and believe in supporting the local arts you will enjoy "Art A Go-Go" over at the Bakersfield Museum of Art this Saturday. Here's the deal: local collectors have been donating art to the museum, which it in turn will sell to support local programs. Museum marketing director Beth Pandol says there are some terrific pieces for sale, some at bargain prices. This is a free event at the museum, and hats off to chair Cynthia Icardo and her crew for pulling all this together. Said Beth Pandol: "We have an amazing amount of art that has been donated. It's been a big surprise to see how much has come in. There's something for every taste and style. Paintings, prints, posters and lots of just nice, empty frames.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: This one comes from longtime journalist and Californian colleague Evan Jones: You know you're from Bakersfield "if your funeral is followed by a car wash." Ouch!

Bakersfield Commons retail project looks for traction and Newsweek throws Rep. McCarthy some love

 * ... BAKERSFIELD COMMONS: Had a chance this week to catch up with Daniel Niemann, project manager for the huge Bakersfield Commons mixed retail, commercial and residential development at the corner of Brimhall and Coffee roads. The project will go before the Planning Commission this Thursday (5:30 p.m. in the City Council chamber) and Niemann hopes it will finally gain some traction. The first phase is 600,000 square feet of retail plus another 200,000 square feet of commercial, and he believes our market is ready for some upscale retail. Niemann told me that Dillard's department store has already signed a "letter of interest" (nonbinding of course) and that JCPenny would be the other anchor. With a jobless rate of 17.1 percent, Kern County should be receptive to a project that promises to bring 4,600 construction jobs and 11,000 permanent jobs once fully built out, but there have been issues over the impact on local traffic flow. That said, there's no doubt that parcel will eventually be developed and we could use the jobs. With a little luck, the project could go before the City Council in June. We'll see. (to read a previous post on the project, click here)

 * ... THE NEW NEWT: Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) received some valuable recognition this week when Newsweek magazine ran a two-page spread calling him the "new" Newt Gingrich of the Republican party. (click here to read the entire piece) The story referred to McCarthy as an optimist and one of the GOP's "young guns" who was trying to repeat the 1994 Republican  "Contract with America" engineered by then House Speaker Gingrich. Late last year, the story added that House Minority Leader John Boehner assigned McCarthy the task of helping the GOP overcome the rap of being the "party of no." Though times have changed McCarthy is clearly one of the GOP's rising stars and someone to be watched.


* ... LORI'S KIDS: Reader Lori Drury sent me an email to update me on her children and their accomplishments. Her oldest daughter is Lindsay Rath, a 2002 graduate of UC San Diego who later went into the Navy and medical school. Her travels took her to Philippines, Japan and Thailand. She will move back to San Diego in August to begin a residency in anesthesiology. Her brother, Jason Meeks, went to UC Davis and later UC San Francisco Medical School, also studying anesthesiology. He is awaiting word on where he will do his internship. Another daughter is Christa Kenney, a nurse who graduated from Cal State Bakersfield who is  now working in the neonatal intensive care unit at Memorial Hospital. Finally, there is a younger daughter who is attending high school and wants to be a registered dietitian. As Lori said: "I guess we could start my own hospital if I had any more kids!"

 * ... LOU ELLA'S: Got a nice note from Bitsy Ming sharing her recollections of the old Lou Ella's children's store on Baker Street. Bitsy (her husband is Garrett Ming of Jim Burke Lincoln Mercury) spent countless hours at Lou Ella's as a child, playing with owner Brenda and Armanda's dogs. "My best friend Sara Mettler (Nilson) and I often went with our mothers and purchased identical outfits so we looked like Cindy Brady or my preference, Buffy of Family Affair. Our Cotillion clothes were purchased at Lou Ella's complete with gloves and stockings. Much later, after we had the misfortune of outgrowing Lou Ella's, we were back purchasing baby shower gifts and then even better our own children's clothing and blankets. It was hard believing it was our children's turn to lay with Armanda and Brenda's dogs as well as their toys while we completed our purchases."

 * ... TONY SPOTTED: NASCAR driver Tony Stewart was spotted last Thursday night dining at the Petroleum Club and apparently had great things to say about the food and service. No word on what brought him to town.

 * ... COLLEGE BOUND: Anna Keathley, a Bakersfield High senior and chair of the Assisteens, will be attending Loyola Marymount University in the Fall. Thanks to her mother, Marianne Keathley, for sharing the good news.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISMS: You know you're from Bakersfield when "you remember the two times in the last 25 years that it snowed and you remember everything you did that day."

Good news in the local used car sales and another scam hits the Bakersfield housing market

* ... GOOD NEWS: I dropped by the impressive new showroom at Motor City Lexus Saturday afternoon for Coldwell Banker's 2nd Annual Wine Tasting and Auction to benefit the American Cancer Society. More than 400 folks showed up to enjoy tastings from 25 California wineries and support the fight against this dreaded disease, which took my own mother. While there, Motor City general manager John Pitre told me the entire Motor City group (Buick, GMC, Lexus) set a record for used car sales in February, up more than 30 percent over the previous high. That's an all-time record, reflecting what may be a pent up demand for quality used cars in the 2007-2009 range. We take the good news when it comes.

* ... RENTAL SCAM: As if selling a house weren't hard enough these days, a new scam is making the rounds. This one starts with someone pulling a picture of your house off a Realtor web site and then posting it "for rent" on the free classified site Craigslist. If someone is naive enough, they will pay a deposit to this "renter" and happily get ready to move in - all without the knowledge of the homeowner who is simply trying to sell her house. I'm aware of this scam because it happened to my wife and me. Three times prospective "renters" showed up at our front door, one pair peering through the window like a pair of peeping Toms, checking out the "rental." Realtors say this is happening all over town, from Seven Oaks to the Northeast. These scammers could be from anywhere, from Lagos, Nigeria to across town. So if your house if for sale, stay on your guard and expect the occasional surprise guest.

 * ... PROUD MOTHER: Shirley Strickler is a registered nurse at Kern Medical Center and an understandably proud mother of four girls, three of whom went off to school and didn't return. All Highland High graduates, they include Christina Strickler Clayton, a UC Santa Barbara graduate now living in Carpenteria; Natalie Strickler, a San Diego State graduate now in San Francisco, and Leslie Strickler, another UCSB Gaucho who is living in San Diego. "They have had wonderful worldwide adventures and are great women, open minded and aware - they have taught me much about lifelong growth and learning," their mother said.  "My husband Fred is a Bakersfield native who has four daughters, four sisters and three granddaughters. Is he one lucky guy or what?" Amen.

 * .... CASA GRADS: The largest class ever of volunteers for the Court Appointed Special Advocates graduated last week. These are the folks who work with the courts in cases involving minor children, and they do an awful lot of good in the areas of our community that have the greatest need. Kate Kenny is the volunteer recruiter coordinator and said there were 39 people in the class, all sworn in before Judge Jon Stuebbe. She said all were "excited about taking a case and making a difference in the life of an abused, abandoned or neglected child in Kern County." Hats off to this group.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISMS: This one came from my friend Rachel Legan, morning host at KGFM 101.5 FM radio: "You know you're from Bakersfield when you spot wedding parties having their pictures taken in front of the rocks and water fountains at a mini-storage."

A local connection to the Oscars, more kids come home to roost and others are off to college

 * ... OSCAR CONNECTION: How many of you knew there was a strong Bakersfield connection to the Academy Awards? That's the word from Dennis Thelen, a partner at the LeBeau-Thelen law firm, who told me one of the winners of the "Best Original Song" Oscar used to call Bakersfield home. The song is titled "The Weary Kind"and is from the movie "Crazy Heart" featuring Best Actor winner Jeff Bridges. Ryan Bingham and T. Bone Burnette shared the Oscar for the song, and it turns out Bingham lived here for eight years before his family moved back to Texas and New Mexico. "Some will remember him as a very talented AYSO soccer player and Southwest Little League baseball player before he got interested in the guitar," Thelen said. Thanks for sharing, Dennis.

 * ... ANOTHER COMES HOME: I enjoyed a nice email exchange with reader Marie Parks who wanted to share the story of her son Jim Parks, yet another local product who went to college out of town, worked elsewhere but chose to return to our community. Jim graduated in 1989 from North High School, was an All Area varsity basketball player and a member of the National Honor Society. He graduated from Long Beach State (CSU Long Beach), worked in San Diego, married but decided to come back  home. His wife, Melanie, is from Tehachapi and the couple just had their first child, a daughter named Mahaila. By the way, father Jim Parks coached at CSUB in the 1980s and this week will be inducted into the California Community College Coaches Association Men's Basketball Hall of Fame. As Marie said: "I am proud of both of my boys!"

 * ... COLLEGE BOUND: Reader Lisa Bell let me know that her daughter, Allison Bell, a senior at Centennial High School, is headed for Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, this summer. Also, local Wells Fargo commercial banking vice president Michael Congdon (and his wife Lanette) report that daughter Lacey, also a Centennial senior, will be attending Baylor University. Congratulations to both these young women being accepted to these outstanding schools.

  * ... GET WELL EDDIE: I heard that local businessman Eddie Paine suffered a mild heart attack earlier this week. Eddie checked himself into Mercy Southwest Hospital after experiencing what seemed like indigestion and promptly received a heart stent. He's doing well and under doctor's orders to lighten up on the stress. Always easier said than done. Eddie is a longtime Bakersfield resident and his wife Maria is head of human resources over at Jim Burke Ford. Daughter Rachel is at Stanford University. Get well,  Eddie. 

 * ... THE BUZZ: It was disheartening to hear that our unemployment rate had jumped to 17.1 percent, a pretty clear signal that this long recession is far from over. There is no better barometer about the health of our economy than the number of folks out of work, and the release of this new number was like a dagger to the  heart. Once you factor in those who are considered under-employed or have simply stopped looking for work, our jobless rate is well north of 20 percent. Think about that: one in every five people in Kern County is either out of work or earning too little to make ends meet.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISMS: You know you're from Bakersfield when "One of your friends owns a house on a spot where you had field parties in high school.

A Driller-Gaucho cabal and celebrating the renewal of old downtown Bakersfield

 * ... DRILLER-GAUCHO CABAL: I received a long, thoughtful and witty email the other day from Daniel Ketchell, who was eager to weigh in on the "brain drain" of local young people who leave Bakersfield and never come back. Daniel is a graduate of Bakersfield High and UC Santa Barbara and the son of Marsha and Gary Ketchell. Marsha is a former teacher at McAuliffe Elementary and now principal at Berkshire Elementary. One of my daughters was blessed to have Marsha as a teacher at McAuliffe; she's truly one of our community's outstanding educators. Daniel says though he now lives in Sacramento - he's just 25 - he may return one day. "I haven't thought about it too much but I'd love to end up in Bakersfield at some point. I hope that as the city grows (and it's obvious from your blog it is growing up every day), more and more people my age will feel the same way and come home to help Bakersfield keep moving on up. Also, while we're at it, two other former Drillers are hiding up here in Sacramento and are not on your list. It's my duty to rat them out. Jon Bertran-Harris (BHS 2002, UCSB 2007) and Ben Tragish (BHS 2005, UCSB 2009) That's right a Driller-Gaucho cabal."

 * ... DOWNTOWN RENAISSANCE: It was another successful First Friday in the downtown arts district, the latest in the rebirth of the central business district. If you gave up on downtown years ago, it's time to give it another look. The opening of the Padre Hotel and newer upscale restaurants like Enso sushi bar on 19th Street have joined longtime venues like Uricchios Trattoria, theWall Street Alley and the new arts galleries to give the area a new charm. Among those folks I spotted out and about were Lou and Sheryl Barbich, Mel and Darci Atkinson, Bruce and Jane Haupt with daughter Alyse, Michelle Mize, Barbara Reid, Joe and Mimi Audelo, Lisette Stinson and Kim Jessup, David Gordon, Scott Garrison, Jan Bans, Wendy Wayne and Gene Tackett, Bill and Sharon Thomas, John and Ginger Moorhouse, Joan and Bernie Herman, Dr. Javier and Laurie Bustamante, Lance and Jan St. Pierre, David Coffey, Jim Scott and Bart and Napier Hill.


* ... GARCES GALA: The folks over at Garces Memorial High School are preparing for the Garces Gala this Saturday, the Catholic school's annual black tie fund raiser featuring cocktails, hors d' oeuvres, live and silent auctions, dinner and dancing. This is a huge event for the private school and special events coordinator Desiree Adams tells me it will be "new and improved" from previous years. The theme this year is "Polynesian Paradise." My older daughter is a proud Garces grad and I've attended a number of these galas. The highlight for me is the annual auctioning of a sweet puppy at the end of the evening when the crowd is "loosened up" and the wallets come open. Tickets are $125 each and it all starts at 5 p.m.

 * ... CIOPPINO: Speaking of fund raisers I attended the annual Cioppino Feed at Garces Memorial High School Saturday night. This is one of my favorite charities, not only because of what it benefits but also because of its sheer unique character. More than 500 folks dined on fresh steamed clams, salad and cioppino fish stew. Sponsored by the Bakersfield West Rotary Foundation, this annual event has supported a number of well deserving charities. Hats off to the many West Rotarians who made this happen, including Mike Rubiy, David Gay, Rick Kreiser, John Falgatter, Jim Darling and so many others.

 

 

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Reader Esther Brandon spottted a Bakersfieldism and submitted it: You know you're from Bakersfield when you "drive by an estate sale at a mobile home park."

CASA puts on its annual fund raiser and remembering the 1970 student riots at UC Santa Barbara

* ... CASA GALA: One of the biggest social events of the weekend was held Friday when the Court Appointed Special Advocates of Kern County (CASA) held its annual fund raiser at the Moorea Banquet Centre off Harris Road. I'm always encouraged when the community turns out in mass to support  non-profits like CASA, and this event was no exception. CASA director Colleen McGauley told me they had 330 folks there, all bidding on silent and live auctions and dining on some excellent food and wine. There's not enough room here to note all the donors and supporters who were there, but among those I spotted included Bill and Whitney Rector, Steve and Nancy Sewell, Pat and Robin Paggi, David Coffey, John and Susie Falgatter, David and Catherine Gay, Pat and Roger Christy, Dan and Mikie Hay, John and Sonja Bush, Twila Klassen and Dave Urner, Joe and Jan Drew and Ernie and Shelly Phoenix, among others.

 * ... MORE GAUCHOS: Reader Joan Knowlden wrote to say that her husband, John Schumacher, was a student at UC Santa Barbara during the infamous student riots of 1970 when a branch of the Bank of America was burned. She said her husband "was walking home from school and walked into the bank after the doors were off. He looked around and thought 'this is probably not a good place to be if the cops come' and left the building." Schumacher and his sister, Mary King (valedictorian at Garces Memorial High in 1969), both graduated from UCSB and returned to Bakersfield, where they both now teach at Lakeside Junior High School. Thanks for writing Joan. By the way, Joan is an alum of Cal State Bakersfield.

 * ... GAUCHOS VERSUS ROADRUNNERS: Speaking of UC Santa Barbara, one alum reminded me that the Lady Gauchos will play the Cal State Bakersfield women at the Icardo Center next Saturday, March 6, at 5 p.m.

   * ... LA BOHEME: I heard from Ron Gallington that his son Aaron, a junior at Pepperdine University, is performing the lead role of Rodolphe in Puccini's LA Boheme at the university. Last summer Pepperdine sent Aaron and co-star Carolina Uribe to Heidelberg, Germany, for two months to study for the role and perform in Germany, Austria and Italy. Aaron is a theater and music major at Pepperdine and is a 2007 graduate of Liberty High School, where his proud father said he thrived "under the tutelage of his instructors Mr. Ware and Mr. Mac."

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISMS: You know you're from Bakersfield when "you have debated the merits of skiing at Lake Ming versus Buena Vista," and "the best restaurants in town serve pickled tongue!"

Local housing market struggles to get back on its feet, while one local school serves up some healthy eating

* ... LOCAL HOUSING: I heard from a few local Realtors after I posted an update on the local housing market. My own personal Realtor of choice is the hard-working Mary Christenson of Watson-Touchstone (pictured). She reported good buyer activity and reduced inventory, especially in homes under $400,000. She also noted the first time tax buyer credit ends April 30th and "buyers need to get offers accepted now in order to close by that date. I've had very good closing activity for sales generated in December during the last five weeks-by the end of February I will have closed a full 50 percent of my entire sales volume for last year!" Meanwhile, fellow Watson Realtor Katy Glentzer took me to task for citing the online real estate sales website Zillow in reporting slow sales in other markets. "We are not singing the housing Blues in Bakersfield," she said. "For the past several months our prices have increased. Yes, inventory is down, thanks to the banks wising up. Is there anything wrong with supply and demand? They are releasing foreclosures at a slower pace and actually helping owners through the short sale process."  We'll keep an eye on the local market and my thanks to Mary and Katy for their input.


 * ... HEALTHY EATING: I received an interesting email from local writer Teresa Adamo about a new after school day-care snack at the Downtown School. Each child receives a bowl holding different fruit, all cut into chunks. The kids are each given a plastic glove to gather their chunks of choice, and a skewer for the creation of their fruit kabob. Said Teresa: "As you can imagine, it was a huge hit! I saw happy kids making second kabobs because they enjoyed the process so much, not to mention the ingredients! The fruit choices included: oranges, bananas, cantaloupe, honeydew melon and kiwi. Of course, from a Mom's perspective, I saw the healthy value in this interactive snacking. With the alarming rates of childhood obesity -- not to mention the unknown, long-term affects & impact on health care -- this scene was at least a little reassuring." Someone from that school is thinking.

 * ... GAUCHO WORLD: I heard from two University of California at Santa Barbara graduates who wanted to give their alma mater a shout-out. Marciano Flores, activity director of the AVID program at East Bakersfield High School, wrote to say he was both a proud Gaucho and an East High Blade. Also weighing in was old friend and Gaucho grad Laura Wolfe, who is now working with the Arts Council of Kern after many years in development at Cal State Bakersfield.

* ... CAR CLUB DONATION: Hats off to the Bakersfield Car Club and its annual Super Cruise show that was held at the Kern County Fairgrounds. Club member Roy Romagno told me the club raised more than $10,000 to benefit the the Society for Disabled Children of Kern County. Always nice to see local folks pitching it to help others during a difficult year.

* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Reader Bobbie Hulson offered this one. "You know you are from Bakersfield when even old people pick their parking spaces by how much shade there is, rather than how close they are to the door." And add this one: "Someone from out of town talks about how foggy it is and you tell them, 'just wait!'"

Housing prices still heading south and four from Bakersfield named All-American in skeet shooting

* .. HOUSING BLUES: The long feared "double dip" in housing prices is now taking hold in as many as one in five major housing markets. That's the word from Zillow, the national real estate sales and data provider. Our own market here in Bakersfield remains slow, and local Realtors tell me there isn't a lot of inventory on the market. We are still working through thousands of foreclosures, and there are more to come. Zillow identified the top five cities to find a "bargain" for a house because of depressed prices. They are Naples, Fla., Cape Cod, Mass., Charleston, S.C., Merced, CA. (one house that sold for $337,000 five years ago just sold for $80,000) and Chicago. (read the Zillow and ABC report here) Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal referred to the pending flood of new foreclosures as "shadow inventory" and said there were enough homes expected to hit the market to last about 10 months based on average sales rates. It said the worst hit areas are California (naturally), Arizona, Florida and Nevada.

 * ... TRAVELING HOPWOODS: Reader Dale Hopwood wrote to remind me that Bakersfield was known as "Quakersfield" after the 1952 earthquake that devastated our once historic downtown. But he really wanted to talk about his children, some of whom moved away but came back home to live and work. His son, Ken Hopwood, is a North High graduate who was living in the Southland but moved back to work as a software engineer for Prosoft. Ken 's wife, Becky Coats, is working with the reading class at Endeavour Elementary. Meanwhile daughter Dana Villicano is teaching science at Fruitvale Junior High and another son, George Hopwood, is working at UC Santa Barbara in the special projects office. Finally, the last of the traveling Hopwoods is his daughter Sara Holm, a geologist living in the mountains of northern New Mexico.

 * ... SKEET HONORS: Kudos to four Bakersfield skeet shooters who have been named to the 2010 All-American Teams by the National Skeet Shooting Association. This is really unusual to have so many from one club make the All-American squads, and it's a credit to the programs and facilities at the Kern County Gun Club located near the Lake Buena Vista Recreation Area. Ben Wagoner, the 45-year-old owner of Air Control Services heating and air conditioning, was named to the Rookie First Team while Brian Foley was named to both the Open Honorable Mention team and the Junior First Team. Foley graduated from Ridgeview High and is now a freshman at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo. Also named All-Americans were sisters Emily and Rachel Shuford, a senior and sophomore at Bakersfield High respectively. Rachel made the Sub-Junior First Team and Emily the Junior Honorable Mention Team. 

 (Above picture left to right Emily Shuford, Brian Foley, Brooke Shuford and Rachel Shuford. Lower picture is Ben Wagoner with Brian Foley)


 * ... B-TOWN JUST FINE: Reader Dave Collins, who works at the local collection agency Commercial Trade, dropped me a nice personal note and ended it by saying "... by the way, I think 'Bako' is just fine along with B-town and Bake-in-the-field." Add him to the list who think 'Bako' is not an insult.


* ... BAKERSFIELDISMS: You know you are from Bakersfield when ...  "You know a swamp cooler is not a happy hour drink" and "You know Trouts and we're not talking about the fish."

You know you're from Bakersfield when ...

I ran across a group formed on Facebook dedicated to the quirkiness that is Bakersfield. Some of this stuff is hilarious and some of it is off color, but it's all in good fun. For the full list check it out here, but here are a few excerpts:


"A tribute to the quaint town of Bakersfield, California... loved by some and despised by most.

1) You will park a mile away from the entrance just to have your car parked under a tree.

2) You laugh when people complain about 95 degree weather.

3) When you go out of town and see a sign saying "Union Ave" you expect to see a hooker.

4) Rosedale is a world all its own.

5) You remember the TWO times in the last 25 years that it snowed in Bakersfield, and you remember everything you did that snow day.

6) Everyone always says they're going to leave, but you know that if you try, you get sucked right back in.

7) You know Trouts, and were not talking about the fish.

8) One of your friends owns a house on a spot where you had field parties in high school.

9) You know if you're not a Luigi's at exactly 10:30 Saturday morning you're not getting a steak sandwich.

10) You think a red light is just a suggestion.

11) You know a swamp cooler is not a happy hour drink.

12) You realize that Valley Fever isn't a disco dance.

13) You have to "explain" to someone about Beach Park.

14) Someone from out of town talks about how foggy it is and you tell them, "Just wait."

15) You no longer associate bridges or rivers with water.