RIP Pete Cattani and Bill Lee, our homeless population and former Mayor Mary K. Shell shows some resourcefulness at the Holy Smoke barbecue

 * ... RIP: Bakersfield lost a pair of local businessmen this past week. Sherman Lee, owner of Bill Lee's Bamboo Chopsticks and a major landowner downtown, died of pancreatic cancer and Pete Cattani,

owner of the Ammo Dump gun store, also passed away. Lee was 76 years old while Cattani was 84. Cattani was active in shooting competitions and his Easton Drive gun store was a must-stop among shooting enthusiasts. In June, we lost Gene Thome, owner of Bear Mountain Sports off Weedpatch Highway.

 * ... HOMELESSNESS: I moderated a panel on homelessness at CSUB recently and some of the statistics were just stunning. Some of what I heard: the homeless population is getting younger, particularly among women and their children. In addition fully 65 to 70 percent of the homeless veterans without combat experience have substance absue issues, and there is a clear distinction between panhandlers (many of whom have places to live) and the true homeless. Another worrying sign: their numbers are steadily increasing not only in Bakersfield but across the country.

 * ... DISNEYLAND: The oddest, and most stunning, photographs that appeared on Facebook this week were the pictures taken at Disneyland while the Anaheim Hills fires turned the skies an eerie blood orange. The amusement park remained open while just a few miles away the wind-whipped fire consumed a dozen expensive homes.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "The problem with drinking with people from work is they’re the ones I bitch about when I’m drunk."

 * ... PAT SAJAK: This tweet from Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak spoke volumes: "OK, let me explain this again: We're celebs. We're wiser and more empathetic than you. We are famous. Please take our opinions more seriously."

 * ... MARY K. SHELL: Former mayor Mary K. Shell has always been known for her resourcefulness and it was on display last week when she attended the Holy Smoke barbecue at Garces Memorial High School. Navy veteran Gene Bonas shared a table with the former mayor and reported this: "My wife noticed she was eating her steak with a plastic fork, so Robbie offered her one of the steak knives she always brings to BBQs for everyone to use. With a sly smile, Mary K. held up a Swiss Army knife and stated she was doing quite well. Mary K. was a totally delightful person to have dinner with."

 * ... BAD FORM: An odd sight along the bike path near North Chester this weekend when a group of riders headed west turned the corner to come upon two homeless men laughing hysterically as a muscular black pit bull was hanging from a rope tied to a tree, his sturdy jaw clenched tight to the end of the rope in an apparent show of strength.

 * ...REUNIONS: I was out and about this weekend and caught friends going to a couple of notable class reunions. The West High School class of 1987 were enjoying their 30th reunion at The Padre Hotel while Highland High class of 1977 was celebrating its 40th reunion.

The new year ushers in some tough economic worries, ammunition sales take off and a dark comedy starring Zach Galifianakis is set in the "garbage dump" that is Bakersfield

* ... LOCAL ECONOMY: It's hard to be optimistic about the local economy when we start the year with $26 a barrel oil, a stock market in full retreat and local Realtors warning the housing market will stall or even reverse. "It's going to be a tough year," one local businessman told me. "It's tough now

and it is going to get tougher." Still, as reported by John Cox in The Californian, several notable retailers are scouting the Bakersfield market for possible locations, including Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Cafe Rio Mexican Grill and Yard House and two national entertainment companies, Cinemark Theatres and Harkins Theatres.

* ... AMMUNITION: Lost in the recent series of stories about surging gun sales is the fact that ammunition sales are also going through the roof. Local gun store owners tell me that customers are routinely buying as much ammunition as they can for two reasons: the price of ammo is going up and there are fears the government will start requiring background checks for ammunition in addition to handguns and long guns. Said Gene Thome of Bear Mountain Sports: "Every time a politicians starts talking gun control, I can't keep anything in stock."

* ... BASKETS: A new dark comedy starring Zach Galifianakis is set in Bakersfield, and to no one's surprise it doesn't put us in a good light. Called "Baskets," the new FX series has Galifianakis as a rodeo clown who is forced to move back to Bakersfield to make ends meet. Here is how The New Yorker views it: "The show is set in California, though not a sun-kissed Apatovian Los Angeles, but instead a sun-blasted Bakersfield, where the most coveted job around appears to be behind the counter at Arby’s, and where one character remarks that the town is pretty, like a 'garbage dump.'" Should we care? Probably not, but you would think the script writers could find similar 'garbage dumps' much closer to home.

* ... OCSARS: The New York Post, the always irreverent tabloid, ran this headline combining the east coast snowstorm with the controversy over a possible Oscar boycott: "This weekend will be Whiter Than The Oscars."

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "The difference between in-laws and outlaws? Outlaws are wanted."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "OMG......was almost just killed by a lady driving the wrong way on 24th Street."

 * ... MEDIA MOVES: Meteorologist Colin Jackson has left KERO TV to take a job as chief meteorologist for  the NBC affiliate in in Reno. No word yet from KERO who will be Jackson's permanent successor.

* ... ACHIEVER: Hats off to Malcolm Rivera of Arvin who is now serving as chief justice of the Associated Students at the University of California at Davis. Rivera graduated from Arvin High School in 2013 and and is attending UC Davis as a Gates Millennium Scholar. Said his proud mother Regina Rivera: "We, his family, are so very proud of him and he is making a name for himself as a leader."

Bakersfield Californian tapes pilot for new video streaming sports program

The Bakersfield Californian's video division is taping a new pilot program for local sports. Hosted by sports reporter Mike Griffith, this shoot featured longtime outdoor's columnist Steve Merlo and Gene Thome, owner of Bear Mountain Sports. They covered new gun laws, gun and ammunition control and popular new weapons. Stay tuned. Much more to come.

Californian Radio tackles gun control with guests Donny Youngblood, Kern County Sheriff, and Gene Thome, owner of the gun store Bear Mountain Sports

* ... GUN CONTROL: With the Democrats holding a super majority in the California legislature, it's a sure bet that our state's already tough gun laws are about to get much stricter. So what is next? Background checks on buying ammunition? More restrictions on the types and models of weapons that can be sold? On Monday, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood will be on Californian Radio KERN 1180 to talk about gun control, the recent shooting in Taft and the 2nd Amendment. We will also be joined by Gene Thome, the owner of Bear Mountain Sports on Weedpatch Highway. Tune in at 9 a.m. to join a lively discussion on the hot issue of the day.

* ... FISHER: Fisher Communications, the company that owns KBAK TV and the Fox affiliate KBFX, appears to be up for sale. Industry insiders say the company is exploring "strategic alternatives" because of pressure from billionaire investor Mario Gabelli. Fisher also owns TV stations in Portland, Seattle and Boise among other markets. It is not certain if the company will be sold as a group or broken apart, and it is too early to tell what that will mean for the local staff and the direction of KBAK and the local Fox affiliate.

 * ... SPOTTED: Reader Virginia Childres submitted this about a homeless person she spotted on a local street. "I read this morning about the sign your friend saw and I remembered the funniest one I saw yesterday. I laughed again every time I thought of it, 'I'm too ugly to prostitute and too dumb to get a job. Just give me money.'"


 * ... HARVARD: Joe Feghali is a graduate of Stockdale High School who is now attending Harvard University, and he has returned to talk to other Bakersfield students about getting into Harvard and other elite schools. He will speak to students at Stockdale and 15 other local high school and middle schools this month.

 * ... NRA DINNER: Don't forget the annual Southern Valley Friends of the National Rifle Association dinner and auction which is set for Friday, February 1, at the Bakersfield Elks Lodge. Dinner tickets at $50 each and there will be opportunities to enter special drawings. Call Cyndi Benson if you are interested in sponsorships or donations, (661) 205-8569.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You may be a Bakersfield old timer if you remember Banducci's Corner at Weedpatch and Edison highway as a great place for lunch.

Juicy Burger readies to expand to a second location and Californian Radio will host Rep. Shannon Grove to talk about our dysfunctional legislature

 * ... JUICY: One of our community's local success stories is the success enjoyed by the privately run Juicy Burger restaurant on 24th Street, open since November of 2010. It has created a large and loyal following and was awarded the "best burger" and "best new restaurant" by Californian readers its first year in business. The owners, Moe Mathuna and Justin Smith, also run the Dreyer's Ice Cream Parlor in the same complex. Now comes word the owners are expanding and will open a second location for both Juicy Burger and Dreyer's off Hageman and Calloway next month.

 * ... GRAPES: Did you know that California produces 99 percent of all the table grapes grown in the United States? And in California, Kern County is the top producer of table grapes? About a third of the grapes grown here are destined to export, to places like Canada, Mexico, China, Central America and Australia. I spent Sunday driving through the lush vineyards off Famoso Road and it looks like we'll have another rich harvest of the popular red seedless grapes. If you are new to town and have not experienced a leisurely drive through our vineyards, treat yourself to this amazing experience. (photo courtesy of A. Domingo)

 * ... GROVE: Tune into Californian Radio (KERN 1180) Monday at 9 a.m. to weigh in on several hot topic issues. I'll be chatting with Assemblywoman Shannon Grove about the dysfunctional state Legislature and its inability to find common ground. Last week the state Senate voted down a bill that Grove said would have "accelerated the cumbersome process of dismissing teachers that commit horrific actions upon school children." Said Grove:  “It is absolutely appalling that most Democrats are so beholden to the teachers union and their large political donations that they are not willing to make even the most obvious needed reforms in order to protect our children." She will be on the show at 9:15 a.m.

 * ... GUNS: Also for KERN 1180 Monday: What if you ran a sports store and Facebook would not let you advertise because it refuses to run ads featuring guns? That's just the case facing Gene Thome, the owner of Bear Mountain Sports on Weedpatch Highway. Gene will be coming on the radio Monday to share his frustration and talk about dove season and the gun business. (Gene Thome, left, in file photo)

* ... HONOR FLIGHT: The local group behind the "Honor Flights" that send aging veterans to our nation's capital is planning on hitting the streets to raise money on Thursday, Sept. 6. Organizers said they will be seeking donations in the morning at several locations to send more of our veterans to Washington, D.C., to view the war memorials.

* ... TAFT COLLEGE: Taft College is getting ready to celebrate its 90th birthday this week with what it calls a good, old fashioned party. It is all set for Thursday beginning at noon with a 90-inch cake cutting ceremony. Officials from the college, the Taft College Foundation and Cougar alumni and friends are invited. Alumni are asked to Contact Jan Ashley at jgarrattashley@gmail.com for more information.

RIP Trevor Jones and a reader notes some really bad form at the St. Francis confirmation evening

  * ... RIP TREVOR: Bakersfield police officer Trevor Jones was just 23 years old and a week shy of being married when he died of a heart attack. One of his classmates at Stockdale High School was Jolie Brouttier, who recalled Jones a "friend to everyone, always funny and positive, the best powder puff cheerleader, and one hell of a backflipper." On graduation night at Stockdale, Brouttier said Jones performed a "stand-jump backflip right before receiving his diploma." As she noted: "Remember to express to your friends on a daily basis just how much they mean to you, whether you are young or old." (photo courtesy of Jolie Brouttier)

* ... BAD FORM: Just when you think you have heard everything comes this example of really bad form, passed along to me by a close friend who requested to remain anonymous. The incident happened last Monday at the St. Francis Confirmation, held at Harvey Auditorium Monday.  "We had the misfortune of sitting in the upper balcony, second row, behind a family that didn't think it was the slightest bit inappropriate to change their baby's diaper, not once, but twice, between the 'Prayers of the Faithful' and the 'Preparation of the Gifts!' When the mass was over they started to walk out the row,  leaving the diapers under their chair. I politely asked if the diapers were theirs and reminded them that at that late hour, it wasn't likely a custodian would be coming in. The guy started yelling at me. I thought I was going to be stabbed at my daughter's own Confirmation." (file photo of diapers)

             
 * ... GENE: Gene Thome is the owner of Bear Moutain Sports gun and ammo shop and he can also happen to belt out a country song with the best of them. Which perhaps explains why he is among the special guests invited to Nashville to attend the opening of the Bakersfield Sound exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame. When I last heard from him, he was heading to lunch with the legendary Red Simpson and then on to Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, one of Nashville's iconic country bars behind the old Ryman Auditorium. (photos courtesy of Gene Thome)

 * ... PENNIES: Here's a feel-good story about young people reaching out to others. This one involves Caroline Edmonston, a junior at Garces Memorial High, and her sister Marisa, a seventh grader at St. Francis. They have started a "Pennies from Heaven" project to help those affected by the recent Midwest tornadoes. All money raised will be donated to St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Henryville, Indiana, one of the areas hardest hit. The girls are hoping to make a difference, one coin at a time.  Spare change can be dropped off at the St. Francis School office, 2516 Palm Street, or at father Craig Edmonston's law office, 2204 Truxtun Avenue.


* ... MEXICALI: Sibyl Azbill read my earlier piece on the downtown Mexicali Restaurant and believes the building housed a nightclub called "Good Friends Inn" during World War II. "I'm not sure but I believe the Good Friends Inn started on Edison Highway where it had an all black orchestra. My brother was quite a tumbler back then and had some issues there!"

Obama gives stimulus to gun stores: booming sales

Chatted with my old friend Gene Thome over at Bear Mountain Sports today and he is one businessman who is not complaining about the economy. After stuttering to find the right words, Gene was literally gushing about how busy he has been, selling handguns, AR-15 assault rifles, ammunition, gun safes, shotguns, just about anything you can think of. The reason: fear that President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder will not only reinstate the ban on assault rifles, but include other weapons as well. "He (Holder)said as much a few days ago," Gene told me. "I can't keep stuff in the store. I'm up at night on the internet trying to find handguns to order." Gene is a longtime businessman and hunting and shooting advocate who obeys the laws and believes in protecting the Second Amendment. For some gun-loving humor, check out the video TV ad on his website (click here to view). Business is so good Gene is hold a "customer appreciation sale" this weekend at his store, located south of Highway 58 on Weedpatch Highway.