The Padre Hotel reopens on an $18 million bet on downtown Bakersfield

 * ... WELCOME BACK PADRE: The historic Padre Hotel reopens today (Monday) after an $18 million bet that downtown Bakersfield can support a first class hotel and restaurant. I had a chance over the weekend to spend a few hours with the two principal owners, Brett Miller and Graham Downes, both entrepreneurs who have put their own capital at risk here. (their photo is below, Miller on the right) Downes is an architect from Durban, South Africa, who made it to the United States via professional rugby. Miller is originally from Visalia, graduated  from San Diego State (Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity) and has a long history in the hotel and restaurant business. Both live in San Diego and collaborated on Tower23, a sleek boutique hotel on Pacific Beach. (view its website here) Miller is also owner of Moondoggies (view its website here) and Gringo's restaurants in San Diego. This is their largest investment together and it has been a huge undertaking, and the results are stunning. I think our community is ready for the Padre, but Miller and Downes must be careful about the tone their multiple bars set and try to avoid the rougher late night crowd that has brought bad publicity to other downtown eateries. A couple of ugly incidents could scare off the demographic they need to succeed and cause irreparable harm. If they can do that - while providing good service and food - they will be a hit.

 * ... ANCHORS AWEIGH: Reader Wayland Louie wrote to correct me in my reference to the Navy fight song  "Anchors Aweigh" at the funeral for Claude Fiddler, the retired Chevron geologist and Navy veteran. "Your updates on Mr. Fiddler's services were helpful. I must mention though ... you said one of his granddaughters sang 'Anchors Away' at his service. I believe you meant to say she sang 'Anchors Aweigh." Naval personnel and boaters 'weigh' anchor... If you look at the song lyrics for each title, you will see that one definitely is not a naval song." I stand corrected.

* ... MAIN DRAIN ROAD: Local farmer Dick Porter sent me a humorous email noting that only in Kern County would we have roads with names like Brown Material Road and Main Drain Road, "and they don't even intersect!"

 * ... PARKING WOES? Reader Janice Holder wrote regarding the rumor that Trader Joe's may be thinking of moving to a larger facility on Rosedale Highway (a report the company says is not true.) Holder said she has "a love/hate relationship with Trader Joe's. Love the store, hate the parking.  The parking spaces must be the absolute minimum size.  Love to park at Sam's Club, Kohls etc. on South Gosford.  Large, roomy parking spaces.  If you haven't been there, you should check it out.  Many vehicles are so large that minimum sized parking spots are no longer practical.  And while we're at it, how hard can it be to take your shopping cart to the designated storage areas?  I've seen perfectly "fit" people just push the cart up in between the cars and drive off leaving it to be some one else's problem.
 "On another note, I often affectionately refer to Bakersfield as "Bakerspatch."  We have Weedpatch and Pumpkin Center.  Why not  Bakerspatch?   Can't be all that bad, I'm a transplant from the mid west and have stayed here for some 55 plus years.  I have many great memories here."  Thanks for the note, Janice.

City manager says get ready for more traffic snarls and yet more feedback on nicknames: Backwardsfield?

 

 * ... TANDY REPORT: City Manager Alan Tandy spoke to the downtown Rotary Club Thursday and passed along some interesting tidbits. First, Tandy said we should all prepare for a flurry of major road work around town as stimulus money is put to work. This is money tied to creating jobs so the city has to spend it promptly. Resurfacing on a number of major arteries will begin after the rains. Tandy also noted that one sure sign of the recession is the marked decrease in the amount of garbage and trash being generated, and the hauls remain lighter than usual, a sure sign the recession is lingering. And lastly, he warned we should all prepare for more DUI checkpoints since that is one area that is still receiving healthy federal funding. He said the city will average about six DUI checkpoints a month.

 * ... FAREWELL CLAUDE: The funeral service for retired petroleum geologist and engineer Claude Fiddler was a fitting tribute to a remarkable man. The service was held at Greenlawn Memorial Chapel and followed by a special "toast" on the Panorama Drive bluffs overlooking the Kern River oil field. In a moving tribute to the Navy veteran,  granddaughter Sarah Ross sang "Anchors Aweigh" to wrap up the service. The Fiddlers (his wife Shirley Ann died just a few  weeks before Claude) were generous benefactors to a number of non-profits including the Golden Empire Gleaners, Southern Sierra Boy Scouts, Bakersfield Museum of Art and Valley Public Radio, to name a few.

* ... BACKWARDSFIELD? OUCH! This from reader Jerry Cox on nicknames for our hometown. (His comments will no doubt get a response.) "No doubt you've heard this one before. My favorite pet name for Bakersfield is Backwardsfield. As I travel around this great state, I'm often asked 'Where are you from?.' I usually reply that I am originally from the Midwest but that I now live in Backwardsfield. That usually results in getting a wink, or a nod, with a knowing smile, as a reaction. Just passing this on. You may not want to share this with your readership. But, as you media people would say, 'Just reporting the news, not making it.'  I can only speculate on why I get this response. Deserved or not. Editorially speaking, after living here eight-plus years, I would say deserved. As TBC would write -- These are his opinions, not necessarily The Californian's."

 * ... BROWN MATERIAL ROAD: And then there is reader Anne Grogan, who said that "no one should be so insecure that they are afraid to inform people they are from Bakersfield. After all, it isn't as bad as telling someone you reside on Brown Material Road!"

 * ... THE BUZZ: There is a lot of talk going around town that Trader Joe's may be leaving the Southwest to relocate to the Northwest Promenade on Rosedale Highway. I'm not sure where this rumor started and the folks over at Trader Joe's say there is no truth to it, but it nonetheless has a lot of people upset. Negotiating Rosedale Highway and dealing with the traffic at the Promenade is no fun, and many loyal Trader Joe's folks want it to stay exactly where it is. We'll keep an eye on this one.

 

The coming real estate train wreck, David Gordon hits the radio and more on Bakersfield nicknames....

* ... COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE: I read a disturbing piece the other day about just how much worse things can get not only with residential sales but also with commercial real estate. One expert, Andy Miller, argues the worst is yet to come, particularly in the commercial sector. (read the entire post here). On the residential side, the number of foreclosures remains staggering particularly in an area like the Central Valley that has been so hard hit. No one predicted we would be out of the woods this year, but Miller paints a frightening picture. An excerpt:

 "The public doesn't have any idea of the scale of the guarantees the government is taking on through Fannie, Freddie, and FHA. It's huge. If people understood what the federal government has done and subjected the taxpayers to, there would be a public outrage. But you can't get people to focus on it, and it's very esoteric, it's very hard to understand. But it's not something the bond market won't notice. The government can't keep doing what it has been doing to support mortgage lending without pushing interest rates way up.
 "Refinancings of single-family homes are very interest-rate sensitive. Consumers have their backs against the wall. They have too much debt. Refinancing their maturing mortgages or their adjustable-rate mortgages is very problematic if rates go up, but that's exactly where they're headed. So anyone who's comforted by current statistics on single-family homes should look beyond the data and into the dynamics of the market. What they'll find is very alarming." 

 So hang on, we've got more rough road ahead.

* ... ST. FRANCIS SCHOOL: Cynthia Meek, principal at St. Francis Parish elementary school, emailed to remind me that the school's annual Crabfest fund raiser this past weekend was organized by the Parent Teacher Organization and not the Junior League. I had mentioned the Junior League in an earlier posting on the event, noting that many of those working Crabfest were Junior Leaguers, but didn't mean to imply the League was a sponsor.  "I only mention this because I do not want to confuse our parishioners who support our school and the community businesses that support our school.... The Crabfest is the main fund raiser of the PTO and all profits go directly to the school to help underwrite the cost of education,"she said.

 * ... BAKO OR BUCKERSFIELD? Reader Don Palla weighed in on Bakersfield nicknames, asking if I had "totally forgotten about Buckersfield after Bako legend Buck Owens? That gets my vote!" And another reader, Molly Sabat,  noted that when "my husband and I were preparing to move here from Ventura in 1996, my little brother Kevin McKean started throwing out Baker-tucky. I think I like it." Thanks for the feedback.

 * ... MORE BAKO TALK: Lee Webb, professor emeritus of math at Cal State Bakersfield, sent me a thoughtful note on the debate over nicknames. In his words: "I'm enjoying the discussion about Bakersfield's name and the possible variations used.  I believe that you have mentioned the use of Stockdale, CA., but if not, I remember when I arrived in town in 1971 to start my teaching career at CSUB, I wondered what would happen if I put Stockdale, CA. 93309 instead of Bakersfield, CA. 93309 on a letter?  Stockdale sounded so much better.  After all, I believe if you addressed a letter to Oildale, CA. 93308 that is would arrive in a timely manner.

 "Also, when my son and I were in Mammoth skiing in December, I noticed one of the lift operators had a name tag with her name and 'Rosedale, CA.' under it.  I did not remember any Rosedale, CA, so I asked her if she lived in Bakersfield.  She said yes, but she didn't like to advertise that she lived in there, so she had them put Rosedale, CA on her name tag.  She thought that was better as she had recently graduated from Liberty High School and lived in the 93312 area code.  Would a letter addressed Rosedale, CA 93312 get to her?  Having been raised in Santa Barbara, which is considered a garden spot of CA, I even tried to disassociate myself with Bakersfield by thinking about Stockdale, CA when I first arrived.  It seems as though some young people are still trying to do so.  Now I appreciate Bakersfield more, particularly the very nice, friendly people.  I would prefer more Santa Barbara type weather, but I tolerate the heat and fog." 

 * ... MUSEUM ON THE RADIO:  David Gordon is the assistant director of The Bakersfield Museum of Art, a local artist himself and one of the wittiest people I know. So it was nothing short of a stroke of genius that the Museum decided to partner with 101.5 KGFM radio to put Gordon on the radio every Wednesday, teamed with the sibling morning hosts Rachel and Dustin Legan (photo below) to talk about gossip, local entertainment and local happenings. It's called "The Scene" and it will debut today (Wednesday) at 7:40 a.m. and will air every Wednesday at the same time. I'm tuning in, and suggest you do the same.

Local plastic surgeon Dr. John Lang dies and the Museum of Art looks for art donations

* ... MARRIAGE LAWSUIT: It turns out that Kristin Perry, one of the lead plaintiffs in the marriage lawsuit being played out in federal court, is the state director of First 5 California. If you remember, Perry and her partner are among those trying to overturn Proposition 8, which affirmed that  marriage in California is defined as a union between a man and a woman. (read one account of her testimony here) The local angle is that Perry grew up in Bakersfield and testified on growing up gay in the conservative Central Valley. She now lives with her partner, Sandra Stier, in Berkeley. First 5 was a voter initiative to improve the lives of young children in California via funding from a tax on tobacco.

 * ... LOCAL SURGEON DIES: I was saddened to hear that Dr. John Lang, a well-known plastic surgeon, died of a heart attack in Hawaii a few days ago. I didn't know Dr. Lang but friends tell me he was a skilled surgeon and a wonderful person. Debbie Hanson, his longtime office manager, said Dr. Lang and his wife Dione were in Hawaii for a niece's wedding and enjoyed "just a super, fabulous week" with family and friends. He died last Monday, January 18th,  the day the couple was to return home. They have one daughter, Kristyn, who is 30. Dr. Lang was 64. A mutual friend told me Dr. Lang  was originally from Pittsburgh and was an enthusiastic Steelers fan. According to his website biography, he earned his undergraduate degree from Iona College and a medical degree from Georgetown University. He later did his residency in plastic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. His office was on 21st Street in Westchester. Keep his family in your thoughts and I will share details of his services when they are made public.

* ... ONE VOTE FOR B-TOWN: Edna Clark Hunton wrote me that she was born and raised in Wasco but routinely refers to Bakersfield as 'B-town.' "On the weekends when someone would ask what you were doing, the normal answer would be 'going to B-town.' Even now when I am in Bakersfield and filling out a form and they ask where you live (city) I always put B-town and then my zip. It is a lot quicker and everyone knows what B-town stands for. Love your column." Thanks for the feedback and the nice note, Edna.

 * ... BAKO OR BAKERSFIELD: One of my colleagues here at The Californian is Steve Swenson, a longtime court reporter who is well known for sharing his opinions with anyone who cares to listen. Swenson has lived in Bakersfield for years and he simply hates the idea of using the term "Bako" as shorthand for Bakersfield. He told me it's "disrespectful, smacks of outsiders trying to nickname Bakersfield and is the equivalent of calling San Francisco 'Frisco,' which residents of San Francisco universally hate." What do you really think Steve?

 * ... ART A GO-GO: You have to admire the folks over at the Bakersfield Museum of Art. Not only do they know how to bring quality art shows here, but they also are shrewd marketers. Their latest pitch is something called Art a Go-Go in which they are asking people to donate "no longer wanted" art pieces for a sale in March. Beth Pandol, museum marketing director, said it can be "anything from really nice paintings, sculpture to prints and posters. Just no junk." I suppose that rules out all those velvet Elvis and dogs playing poker pictures in my garage. The art is strictly a donation - no consignment. But the donors do get a tax deduction. The general public sale will be on March 20 and a pre-sale gala cocktail party will be held March 18 at $50 a person or $60 at the door. Knowing the small but influential art community in this town,  my guess is this will a big success.

Mike Olague lands at Bank of the Sierra, Pat Collins buys HP Sears and Memorial thanks its donors

  

 * ... A BIT OF HISTORY: I received a nice note from John Pryor, an insurance and risk management consultant who also serves as historian for Stockdale Country Club, which will celebrate its 85 birthday next month. I had written earlier about Lloyd Tevis and the club's origins (see that post here) and John added some context. Consider:

 - Lloyd Tevis was the first CEO of Wells Fargo Bank (in San Francisco) in 1872.
 - Stockdale is named after a friend of the Tevis family, Sir Edmund Stockdale, who became Lord Mayor of London.
 - Mrs. William Tevis, the former Mabella Pacheco (called Mabel) was the daughter of California's first Hispanic governor, Romualdo Pacheco.
 - Many local streets are named after those in Stockdale's history, including Tevis Drive (and school), Carr Avenue, Pacheco Street, Hesketh Street, Haggin Oaks and of course Stockdale Highway.
 - Mrs. Tevis purchased exotic trees during her world travels, most of which are still viable and visible at the clubhouse and on the golf course. Notable are two Italian cypress trees at the entry to the clubhouse and the Monkey Puzzle tree next to the 18th green.
 My thanks to John for sharing some of this rich history.

 * ... BAKO OR BAKERSFIELD: Mike Griffith, a longtime sports writer at The Californian, shared with me the story of how Bakersfield came to be known as "Bako" among some local hockey players. According to Mike, it was around 1994 when he was covering the old Bakersfield Fog hockey team (forerunner to the Condors) and some Canadian players took to using "Bako" to refer to their new hometown. "Seems to fit," Mike told me. "After all hockey is all about nicknames for just about everybody and every city."

 * ... MEMORIAL GIVES THANKS: Memorial Hospital rolled out the red carpet to showcase the completion of donor signage and to honor those donors to its Capital Campaign. Nancy Carr, director of the Capital Campaign and widow of the late Larry Carr, chief development officer Sue Benham and hospital CEO Jon Van Boening had special words of thanks to all those who supported the hospital's expansion. Among those attending were David and Catherine Gay with daughter Emily, Joey and Christy Porter, Don and Sherrie McMurtrey, Pete and Mona Pankey, Hal Aaron, Dr. Hans Einstein and daughter Evie, BMH Foundation chair Pat Osborn, Tom Alexander, Cynthia Lake, Tom Smith, Bob and Mary Beck, Bart and Napier Hill, Dr. Bruce and Rosemary Swinyer, Dr. Madhu and Dr. Rabinder Bhogal, Dr. Kamalnuth and Lilly Iyer, Harvey and Lavonne Hall,  and Dr. Robert and Shirley Marshall.

 

* ... THE BUZZ: Michael Olague, formerly head of the regional Rabobank office, has landed at the Bank of the Sierra as a senior vice president and area manager of the Bakersfield area. Olague is a longtime and well respected local banker who previously worked with Bank of America and the now defunct San Joaquin Bank. He is one of several local bankers who found themselves out of work in the tumultuous banking crisis of 2009. He is a graduate of Cal State Bakersfield and the University of Virginia graduate banking school and currently serves on the board of Mid State Development and the Kern Community Foundation, as well as the advisory board for the CSUB Business School. Always good to see people like Olague landing on their feet. Lastly, I heard from former Kern Economic Development Corporation head Patrick Collins that he is now the owner of H. P. Sears credit company. Collins was brought in to run the family owned company. founded in 1928, and has now become its owner.

'BAKOBOB' goes public, Ray Karpe lands at Terrio Therapy-Fitness and Stockdale C.C. celebrates a birthday

* ... BIRTHDAY FOR STOCKDALE: Stockdale Country Club is getting ready to celebrate its 85th birthday next month, a milestone that deserves some recognition. Club tennis pro Hank Pfister told me the club's history is a fascinating reflection of our community, starting when Lloyd Tevis and partners Ali Haggin and William (Bill) Carr formed the Kern County Land Company in 1890. In 1896, according to Pfister, William Tevis (son of Lloyd Tevis) purchased the land on which the club now sits and built a 9,000-square-foot mansion on the site. Lloyd Tevis later developed a nine-hole golf course on 300 acres, using the mansion as the club house, and opened the club for public play on February 18, 1923. Original dues were just $5.50 a month or $1 for a round of golf.  In 1925 Lloyd Tevis sold the property to a group of investors who formed the Stockdale Holding Company and began what is now the private Stockdale County Club, thus the 85th birthday. And as Pfister said, "now you know the rest of the story."

* ... BAKOBOB SHOUT OUT: All this good natured banter over whether the term "Bako" is an appropriate nickname for our town is old hat to Robert H. Brumfield III, a local attorney specializing in real estate and business law with Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann and Girard. Turns out Robert not only embraces the term "Bako" but also uses it on his personalized California license plate called "BAKOBOB." And he's had the tag for a full decade. That's what you call an early adopter.

 * ... KARPE IN AT TERRIO: It looks like Ray Karpe, until recently the president of Karpe Real Estate, has landed on his feet as the new chief operating officer of Terrio Therapy-Fitness, Inc. Owner Tim Terrio told me that his business had grown so quickly these last few years that he needed a right-hand person to help him "continue to grow, but grow responsibly. I'll continue to do the vision and program development and Ray will run the operations. I couldn't pass him up." Karpe ran the company bearing his family's name until he had a falling out with his father, Bob Karpe. He told me he's anxious to get started and is looking forward to his new career. Terrio now has 12 locations, including one in Fresno, with some 150 employees. 

* ... HISPANIC RADIO: The Bakersfield-area radio ratings for the Fall are out and - no surprise - reflect the growing influence of the local Hispanic market. The perennial winners continue to dominate the primary market, with American General Media's Rhythmic station Hot 94.1 continuing as the market leader by a large measure. AGM also has the leading Hispanic station in town with La Caliente 96.9 FM. Country icon KUZZ held its own and was in a respectable second place in the survey. The Hispanic influence in our market is interesting - and impressive. Latin heavyweight Piolin por la Manana is the leading morning host on the dial followed by Hot 94.1's Romeo and KUZZ's Steve Gradowitz.

Padre Hotel restaurants will open in January and some tips for staying off the roads on New Year's Eve

 * ... MORE ON THE PADRE: I ran into Steve Uricchio this week and got a run-down on the plans to reopen the old Padre Hotel downtown. Construction delays prevented the much anticipated New Year's celebration, but Steve now says there will be a "soft opening" on Wednesday, Jan. 20. Steve is the hotel's food and beverage director and says there will be three restaurants and two bars, including a bar on the second floor which will also house a banquet facility. The ground floor facilities include a casual dining restaurant and a more formal restaurant along with two bars. He promises the hotel will be "stunning" and says the new executive chef, Darrell Jensen, has a proven track record in the Colorado mountain resort communities. There will be ample parking with the Padre striking a deal with the city for using the garage next door, plus there will be valet parking. The hotel rooms, according to Steve, will not open until February, a bit later than the bars and restaurants. Meanwhile the old Padre is getting some new awnings as workers rush to meet the new deadline. Stay tuned.

 * .. HOME DEFAULTS: While we are looking for good news, I heard that the Office of Thrift Supervision reported that second quarter "re-default" rate on modified mortgages - that means at least 60 days delinquent and three months past restructuring - fell from 30 percent to 19 percent. Good news? Let's hope so. The past year has been a nightmare in the local real estate market, with the lion's share of sales (70-plus percent) coming  in properties in some form of foreclosure. Let's all hope for a better 2010.

 * ... BAKO OR BAKERSFIELD? Local reader Stephen Montgomery wrote me about his friend who now lives in Fresno. "He regularly calls Bakersfield 'Backwardsfield,' a term that makes me grit my teeth. While I often call it Bako, as a member of the city's Keep Bakersfield Beautiful and active in pubic issues usually related to urban planning, I'm more interested in making Bakersfield a better place to live rather than dismiss it for its faults. Needless to say I took pleasure in referring to Fresno as 'Frezburg.' John didn't comment but if I think of something better he'll hear it."

 * ... THE BUZZ: With New Year's eve approaching, we all need to be diligent while driving, particularly if we have had anything to drink. If you are out and want to be safe, keep in mind a company called Designated Driver of Bakersfield Inc. that offers a terrific new service locally. Give them a call and they will not only pick you up and take you home, but also have someone drive your car as well. The base costs start at $45 but the company also offers "memberships" in which you get some rides free and others at discounted prices. Check out the company website here. It's worth considering.

Saying goodbye to a tough year, and thanking those who made a difference

  

* ... LOOKING BACK: I don't know anyone who wants to get older, but it's a measure of how tough a year it has been that just about everyone is eager to get 2009 behind them. Businesses struggled, thousands of local people lost their jobs and others suffered personal, emotional and physical setbacks. Recessions are odd things; it is much too easy to focus on how bad things are. But it is also time when we all reorder our priorities and focus on the things and the people that matter. I've been inspired by so many local people who have chosen to stay optimistic and plod forward, setting an example for us all. Some of those who lifted my spirits this year:
 - Local businessman Marvin Steinert, already one of our community's most generous benefactors, who had to deal with a rare illness that left him blind literally overnight. Marv responded by focusing on his faith and continuing to support our local non-profits, including writing a $50,000 check to the new children's medical center at Memorial Hospital.
 - Local community activist Wendy Wayne, who continues to show an indomitable spirit in the face of her own fight with cancer. Wendy does more for our community in a year than most of us do in a lifetime.
 - Judi McCarthy, who almost single handily kept the Kern Community Foundation going through a tumultuous year and whose sole goal is  to provide resources to help others.
 - Horace Mitchell, president of Cal State Bakersfield, who has laid out a clear vision for the university and guided it through a most difficult period. He has taken the heat for state budget cuts, but his vision has been unwavering.
 - Don Martin, the owner of Metro Galleries downtown, who kept all our spirits high by helping revive the downtown art scene through sheer will power and clever marketing.
 - All the service clubs in our community - Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions etc - whose only reason for existing is to build up our community.
 - Bernie Herman, executive director of the Bakersfield Museum of Art, and his talented staff who brought our community a level of fine arts that we have never seen and in turn made us all better.
 - Watson-Touchstone Realtor Mary Christenson and all her colleagues who somehow  managed to stay upbeat in the face of a dismal housing market.
 - We lost so many good people this year - John Petrini (last December), Shirley Ann Fiddler, Janice Jay, Lenore Carter, Donna Corum, Stan Simrin, Alton Saceaux, just to name a few - let's keep their memories alive. Their lives all enriched our community.

 * ... A FOUNDATION GROWS: Barry Rosenfeld, a former president of Bakersfield West Rotary, wrote to tell me about the success of the West Rotary Foundation. Most Rotary clubs have foundations and their generosity to local non-profits and charities is well known. Barry, who incidentally started the famous Cioppino feed fund raiser when he was president in 1993, is understandably proud of his foundation's growth. In his words:

  "When I became president of the Foundation on January 1, 2004 our balance was $140,000. Today we have more than doubled the corpus-we now have over $300,000! During this time, we have donated over $300,000, mostly to youth programs in Kern County (we have made a few other contributions, including a donation to the Rotary Polio Plus program). I share this with you, because the success we have had can mostly be attributed to the members and spouses of Bakersfield West Rotary as well as the other eight Foundation board members."

  
* .... BAKO OR BAKERSFIELD? Reader Virginia Smith writes in: "From a native of the East Coast:  Boston has learned to accept 'Bean Town'  Natives of Maryland much prefer 'Balto' to the soubriquet recently given to Baltimore by the NY Times:  'Crabcake Corners.'  And Alabamians were distraught by the name used for their largest city during the violence of the civil rights movement in the 1960s:  'Bombingham.'  Be happy with 'Bako;'  it could be much worse. Remember Johnny Carson?"
 Yet another reader, John Strand of Lake Isabella, hates the term "Bako" and offered me this advice: "Bako instead  of Bakersfield is like using Bean-O instead of Beene. Maybe this thing will die a natural death." Thanks John, but some of my dearest friends have called me "Bean-O" for years, and you can too. I won't take offense.

Merry Christmas from BakersfieldObserved: celebrating a year of living in Bako

 * ... THE ALEXANDER GIRLS: John and  Kay Alexander emailed me to let me know that their three girls - Victoria, Elizabeth, and Kathryn - all graduated from Highland High, Bakersfield College, and UC San Diego.After a post-law school stint in Washington, D.C., Victoria returned to Bakersfield to work for Clifford and Brown, LLC, and married John Trichell of the W.A. Thompson Trichells. Elizabeth deferred an acceptance to UOP Dental School to teach biology at Foothill High, where she met her future husband, Gavin Bell, a Garces grad. Kathryn, who teaches social science at West High, also married a local boy, Zak Karlen, who is a director at Bolthouse Farms. As they told me: "Lucky us: we see our children and grandchildren almost daily. Thank you for letting me add my two--or three--cent's worth."

 * ... SAVING FOR COLLEGE: Lost amid the holiday shuffle was a news release from state Treasurer Bill Lockyer urging families to open a California Scholarshare account to start a college savings program for their children or grand children. This state sponsored 529 savings account allows folks to put money away after tax and watch it grow tax free. Fidelity manages the investments. If you are a parent or a grand parent, there isn't a better gift for the children in your life to give them the gift of a college education.

 * ... BAKO OR BAKERSFIED? Reader Darlyn Baker offered a little poem for the debate over using the term "Bako" for Bakersfield. Here's her take: "Bakersfield vs. Bako in your column is fine. Bakersfield is too long. Bako saves time. Embarrassment is not the intent nor pun. When using Bako, to me it sounds like fun."

 An anonymous reader was not so kind, remarking: "The term Bako instead of Bakersfield is a reflection on the person(s) who use it, and they probably use terms like Frisco and dude and 'I'm like' quite a bit.  I think that it is an ugly term.  It is the same as saying a woman is a 'babe' as opposed to saying she is an attractive woman .. and that's my two cents!" 

 * ... RIP JAN JAY:  Was saddened to hear about the death Christmas Eve of Jan Jay, wife of Bruce Jay, the president and CEO of Valley Republic Bank. Jan had been in hospice care for several weeks while suffering from cancer. Keep her family in your thoughts. She had worked for years in the pediatric dental practice of Dr.  Daniel Launspach in town.

 * ... THE BUZZ: It was exactly a year ago that I started BakersfieldObserved as an online blog, hoping to catch some of the spirit of our community by recognizing people who work quietly to improve our town. I am most grateful to the hundreds of people who have responded and emailed, even when they don't agree with me. The themes that seem to resonate most are those that go to the heart of our self esteem: local kids who came back home when they could have lived elsewhere, nicknames for the town, and how others perceive us. Thanks to Johnny Carson and Hollywood's depiction of the Central Valley, we clearly are a tad defensive about how others view us, but one can't deny the basic goodness of the people who call Bakersfield home and work every day to improve our community. I dedicate this blog to them. Merry Christmas and happy holidays to those of other faiths.