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."

Local banker Ray Dezember is honored and Tejon Ranch is featured in a Super Bowl advertisement

 
* ... TEJON SUPER BOWL: Barry Zoeller, vice president of corporate communications out at Tejon Ranch, tells me the ranch will serve as a backdrop in a Super Bowl commercial this Sunday. The spot will feature an elephant, a black panther, a laughing hyena and a great backdrop of Tejon Ranch, likely doubling for the plains of Africa. Said Barry: "This is the second time Tejon Ranch has been featured in a Super Bowl commercial. In fact the 2000 'Herding Cats' commercial for EDS routinely makes the list as one of the top 10 Super Bowl commercials in the history of the big game." So be looking for a bit of the ranch during the game. (photos below are of the 2000 EDS commercial)

 

 

 * ... A TRIBUTE TO RAY: Local planning consultant Dave Dmohowski tipped me to yet another tribute bestowed on Ray Dezember, the longtime retired local banker turned philanthropist affectionately known by his friends as "Mr. Bakersfield." Ray and his wife Joan have been involved with or supported about every civic and non-profit effort in town, but I've always known he had a special place in his heart for his beloved Whittier College. It should come as no surprise that Ray has been a huge supporter of the school, and recently was among five individuals who were cited as "remarkable trustees." Both Ray and Joan graduated from Whittier, where Ray served as student body president and captain of the Whittier Poets football team. He has served on its Board of Trustees since 1970, chaired a $70 million capital campaign and was awarded a distinguished service medal from the school faculty. Just another example of the generosity of this amazing couple.

 * ... FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY: Sherry Kelley, vice president  of the Friends of the Kern County Library, reminded me that the organization's annual used book sale will be held March 10-13 at the Beale Library. All funds go to the Kern County library branches for programs and circulating material. The group is always looking for books and audio video material for its sales. It will be spring soon, so it's time to throw out those hard covers and donate to this worthy cause.

 * ... BAKO OR BAKERSWEED: Jamie Butow, a work colleague who recently moved here from Visalia, had this to say about Bakersfield's many nicknames. "My cousin is flying out here today and texted me with a question while 'roasting' in Phoenix. She referred to Bakersfield as Bako. She lives and owns a hair salon in a very small Colorado town so I asked her where she heard the term. She said my brother (who lives in  L.A.) calls it that, and a client of hers who used to live here calls it Bako or Bakersweed. Sounds like we're known as Bako all over!"

 * ... THE BUZZ: If you want to see water in our river, don't forget to clip out, sign and mail the coupon in The Californian urging the State Water Resources Control Board to rule in favor of the city's bid to run unappropriated water down the historic Kern River. There are few things that would make a more positive impact on our community, and it could be done without harming farmers. So if you have not already done so, find the coupon, sign it and mail it in. It has to be received by next Tuesday, so do it today, or drop it off at the Californian Monday morning and we will handle it from there.
 

Another First Friday weekend in Bakersfield and Barry Goldner is recognized as a 'Super Lawyer'

* ... FIRST FRIDAY: It's time for another First Friday celebration downtown. There are a number of events worth checking out, not to mention just stopping by the new Padre Hotel to check out its $18 million facelift. Here's a sample itinerary: You might want to start at the Surface Gallery at 1703 20th Street to view a remarkable collection of photographs of the Padre Hotel through the years taken by Felix Adamo, local Californian photographer. After that head to Dagny's Coffee Company on 18th Street to see paintings by Cindy Stiles, wife of Dave Stiles of the Chain, Cohn and Stiles law firm. And don't forget to drop by Don Martin's Metro Galleries  at 1604 19th Street for "California Contemporary," a show with a number of artists including Art Sherwyn, Keith Wicks, John Brosio, Tina Bluefield, Lily Stockman and Mary-Austin Klein. Then choose from Uricchio's Trattoria, Mexicali, Mama Roomba, the Padre or La Costa Mariscos for a bite to eat downtown, or drive over to Cafe Med on Stockdale Highway. You can't lose either way. The stunning painting below is by Marty -Austin Klein and will be on display at Metro Galleries. The photo below that is of Vikki Cruz of Surface Galleries, showing large protest signs that once hung in the old Padre Hotel.

 

 

 * ... MCCARTHY GIVES THANKS: I was touring the Padre Hotel Monday night when I spotted Rep. Kevin McCarthy and aide Vince Fong setting up for a reception to recognize the congressman's supporters and friends. McCarthy says he does this simply to "say thanks" to the many local folks who have helped in over the years. Among those at the reception were Ray and Lisa Karpe and Tim Terrio of Terrio Therapy-Fitness, Dan Hay of Jim Burke Ford, Rob and Judi McCarthy of Lightspeed Systems (she's also head of the Kern Community Foundation), retired oil executive Gene Voiland, Greg and Mary Bynum., Memorial Hospital President Jon Van Boening, and city council member and Memorial development director Sue Benham.
 
 * ... GOLDNER NAMED SUPER LAWYER: It was nice to hear that Barry Goldner, a principal in the law firm of Klein, DeNatale, Goldner, Cooper, Rosenlieb and Kimball, was named by Southern California Super Lawyers magazine as one of the top attorneys in Southern California. Goldner was specifically recognized for his work in business litigation. He is married to Theresa Goldner, county counsel, and they have one daughter, Rachel, a high achieving junior at Garces Memorial High School.

* ... BRAIN ARMOR:  Local chiropractor Dr. Courtland Keith is recovering after a nasty crash on his mountain bike last Saturday. An accomplished cyclist, Keith was flying down a hill near Keyesville when he hit a rut and was sent airborne, smack into a pine tree. He spent several days at Mercy Hospital with a broken collar bone, three cracked ribs and a collapsed lung. He is lucky on two counts: his wife Heather is an emergency room nurse and he was wearing a helmet. Helmets save lives. Wear them.


 * ... THE BUZZ: It is time to put to rest the rumors that Trader Joe's is moving out of the Southwest for roomier quarters on Rosedale Highway. Kevin Deighan, who works for Trader Joe's in the corporate office and is in charge of real estate, told me flatly there is no truth to the reports. Not only that, but Deighan also said there are no current plans for a second Trader Joe's in Bakersfield.