Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame to honor the "Bakersfield Sound" and more bad news for the local jobless rate

* ... BUCK: The Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville is opening a new exhibit dedicated to the late Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and others who helped create the 'Bakersfield Sound.' The exhibit opens March 24 and will run for two years. Said CMT: "Narrated by Dwight Yoakam, the exhibit will explore the roots, heyday and impact of the Bakersfield Sound, the loud, stripped-down and radio-ready music most closely identified with the careers of Country Music Hall of Fame members Buck Owens and Merle Haggard."

* ... WORST CITIES: In a reflection of just how bad the housing collapse hit California's Central Valley, a new list of the 10 worst cities for finding a job includes six from our valley. USNews compiled the list and noted that "the list of cities where housing prices remain depressed has striking similarities to a list of the cities with the worst employment problems." The top five were Merced, Fresno, Modesto, Stockton and Visalia-Porterville. Rounding out the list were Atlantic City, N.J., Bakersfield, Hickory-Lenoir, N.C., Riverside and Brownsville, Texas.
* ... TOO RISKY? Maybe it's just a sign of the economic times, but since when did U.S. Savings Bonds become "too risky" to cash? That's what an employee of the Bank of America told Anthony Finochhiaro the other day when he went to the Oswell branch by Country Club Liquors to cash six bonds. First he was told they would only cash 10 or fewer for non-account holders but later - even though he only had six - "the woman told me they were too risky and they wouldn't cash them. What is this, Greece?"

* ... SPOTTED: A couple runs out of gas and is struggling to push their 1980s-era Chevrolet Blazer into the gas station at Mount Vernon and Columbus while a dozen people non chalantly look on. A U.S. Army soldier in fatigues then pulls up, spots the couple and hops out to help push the Blazer into the gas station.

* ... CONVENANT: Covenant Community Services, the group that does so much to help put foster youth back on their feet, needs just $33,000 more to complete the remodel of its new headquarters and coffee bar at 1700 North Chester Avenue. The non-profit has managed to raise $50,000 so far, transforming the former bank building into an impressive center to help foster youth. Drop by sometime to buy some of Covenant's outstanding coffee and support this worthwhile project.

* ... OBESITY: Obesity and the factors that lead to it - poor diets, lack of exercise etc - are some of the biggest challenges we face not only here in Bakersfield but also in the country as well. So I suppose it's good news that the latest research shows obesity rates have stalled, but they remain extremely high. Overall, almost 36 percent of the adult population and 17 percent of children are obese. In Kern County, the rates are much higher, with as many as half of all adults overweight. With statistics like this, it's little wonder the number of people coming down with diabetes remains stubbornly high.

More blowback on Bank of America's plans to impose a debit card fee and another successful Spooktacular

 * ... BANK BACKLASH: I received a handful of tartly worded messages last week defending Bank of America and its plan to impose a debit card fee. I was reminded the fee ($5 a month) will not apply to new or existing customers until July 2012, and will not apply to customers who may other other services with the bank like mortgages. What they didn't mention is that the bank may waive the fee if the customer has a certain level of deposits, perhaps as high as $20,000. Huh? Sorry, but none of this makes me any better. As Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) told Bank of America customers: "Vote with your feet."

 * ... 100 MILES: Hats off to the Kern Wheelmen bicycle club for hosting another successful Spooktacular on Saturday. This 100-mile ride up Breckenridge mountain and the Lion's Trail switchbacks to Walker Basin regularly attracts several hundred cycling enthusiasts, and this year (thanks to the Wheelmen holding the event two weeks earlier) they were treated to absolutely spectacular weather. Among some of the familiar faces I spotted doing the 100 miler were tennis pro Hank Pfister, Tom and Christy Morgan, Gareth Feldstein, Scott Garrison, Jack Skaggs, Tyler Williams,  Brett Bonetti, Wayne Rosenthal, Randy Scholl, Matt Clark, Gregory Riggins, Mike Marotta and Courtland Keith. Speaking of cycling, I will be chatting with the founder of Bike Bakersfield (Robert Smith) and its director Zach Griffin on Monday at 9 a.m. on Californian Radio on KERN 1180. Tune in to hear their plans to encourage more bicycle commuting.
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 * ... GARCES BBQ: The annual Garces barbeque was held last week and I'm told it was a huge success. This is a "must attend' event on my list but I had a conflict and am sorry I missed it. Mission Bank was the sponsor and the Icardo team was busy cooking Harris Ranch steaks. The crowd included alumni and family: Cathy and John Anspach, Jerry and Irma Cornejo, Bruce and Jane Haupt and the usual clan of Fanucchis. Am told a number of next generation of alumni was also in attendance, including Roger Cappola, Kelly LeBeau, and Oliver Sill.

 * ... MORE FRAUD: Alli Duncan dropped me a note to say she too has had her credit cards hacked. And she passed along this advice: "Do you use your card as gas station kiosks? If so, stop! Since I've started using cash or going inside to pay with my card, I haven't had any problems. People are putting devices on these 24-hour kiosks and are able to read your card number. Then, they generate a fake card with your number and someone else's name. Good luck!"

 * ... AND MORE: And there is this from Matt C. Clark, a partner at the law firm of Chain, Cohn and Stiles. "My card got stolen too. At least the number did. Bank of America alerted me when someone tried to buy $108 worth of Big Macs at a McDonald's in Upland. Based on my credit history, the bank obviously knows that if I were to buy $108 worth of burgers, it would be at In-n-Out."

 * ... OVERHEARD: Three young men talking loudly while getting into a car in the downtown city parking garage. "I didn't steal her car," one man says. "I just stole her car seat, and her weed too."

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From Alan Yost: "You know you're an old timer if you were coming off the Grapevine and saw a bright yellow light off in the distance. It was the sign at J's Coffee Shop on White Lane just east of 99 (now a motel)...that was some serious wattage."

Recession stories: local businesses hunker down and prepare for a long, hot, stark summer

Had the opportunity over the past week to spend some time catching up with local business leaders, first at a charity golf tournament and later at a couple of fund raisers. If there is one common theme it is this: nobody sees an end to this recession and everyone is preparing for a long, hot Bakersfield summer in a sick economy. Trust me, I'm trying to look for silver linings and signs of an uptick, but I just can't find them. Among some of the disturbing indicators:
* MORE FORECLOSURES: California and Florida led the country in home foreclosures in the first quarter. California had 13 cities among the top 25 with the highest foreclosure rates, including Bakersfield holding down the No. 7 position. (for the full story read it here). Others on the foreclosure hall of shame list include Merced, Stockton, Riverside-Ontario, Modesto and Vallejo-Fairfield.
* MORE JOBLESS: Our local unemployment rate is an astonishing 14-plus percent and it may get worse, according to RealtyTrac, a seller of default data.
* STUDENT LOANS: Defaults on student loans are also skyrocketing across the country. According to the Wall Street Journal, a combination of a weak job market for graduates, higher tuition costs and parents losing their jobs is leading to a sharp spike in defaults.
* BANKING MESS: It's clear that there will be no recovery until credit eases and the banking industry gets healthy. So it didn't help when the Bank of America reported a $4.25 billion profit but the stock slid because the bank reported a 46 percent increase in non-performing loans. Even a stalwart locally-owned bank like San Joaquin Bank is under the microscope to clean up questionable loans on its books.
* WHO'S BUYING CARS?: Our local car dealers continue to struggle, even with some new fuel efficient and reliable lines on their lots. One problem: even people with good credit are having trouble getting loans while others who have the money are hunkering down and hording cash.
* NON-PROFIT CRUNCH: I won't name them here, but non-profits and foundations across Bakersfield have been slammed by a downturn in donations and charitable giving. They too are cutting back on expenses and staffing.
Enough said. I'll share some good news when I get it!