Memorial Hospital to break ground on new children's pavilion for emergency care, and the Bakersfield Californian Foundation is taking applications for its spring grant cycle

* … MEMORIAL: There's an important event this week that promises to usher in a new era of medical treatment for young children in our community. On Wednesday, Memorial Hospital will hold a ground breaking for the Robert A. Grimm Children's Pavilion for Emergency Care at Memorial's

Lauren Small Children's Medical Center. Over the last few years Memorial has made huge strides in developing a facility that can serve young children with serious medical issues. The Lauren Small Center already has a pediatric intensive care unit, a neotnatal intensive care units and a pediatric acute care unit. The Children's Pavilion will be the only dedicated pediatric emergency department between Los Angeles and Madera.

 * … SPOTTED: Posted on a Twitter feed was this missive: "I've got a better chance finding a unicorn than I do of going through an entire day without dealing with some jackass."

 * … DOWNTOWN: The Bakersfield Californian (family) Foundation will be accepting applications for its 2015 Spring Grant Cycle. The cycle will be focused on improving downtown Bakersfield. This includes projects involved in litter removal, public art, community gardens, historical preservation — and anything else a Kern County 501©3 nonprofit can dream up to better downtown. Online applications only. The application is due Friday, April 3, and can be found at http://www.bakersfieldcalifornianfoundation.org). Contact tcowenhoven@bakersfield.com with questions.

 * … DAY: A reader's note about local TV personality George Day triggered a lot of memories, including this one from his son. "This is George Daisa III writing this note. My son is George Daisa IV and my father was George Daisa II.  His father was born in Romania and came to the United States during World War IU and his name was George Daisa. My father started a radio show in San Antonio, Texas and as a catchy name he used 'Night with Day.' This was around 1946 and the name stayed with him all his life. About eight years before he died he legally changed his name to Day. Although he deeply loved the Hispanic people, his roots are not in the Latin culture, but from Romania."

 * … MORE DAY: And add this from Will Wim: "Anecdotally, I do remember coming home from school early one afternoon to see George Day advertising and demonstrating a hide-a-bed for the Hub or Weatherby's Furniture store. After several attempts to show how 'easy' it is to pull the thing from a couch to a bed, George got really mad and they had to cut away from live TV when he began to swear at the thing. Found out later from his son, George, that the store routinely tied hide-a-beds down to transport them, but the rope was hidden at one end where George didn't see it."

* … BAKERSFIELDISM: Tommie Sue Self says you might be from Bakersfield if you remember the champage bubbles at the old Brock's department store. "My mother, Patricia Light Self, had worked downtown as a dental assistant and later a Bell telephone operator after she'd arrived from central Texas and before marrying daddy and moving to Shafter. She said the bubbles were to let folks know that Brock's was having a big sale… Sometimes I got to roam around behind the scenes of dressing rooms and stock areas. Others would have us both try out make-up and perfume as we sat on tall stools at the make-up department counter. My brother, Travis, and I had formal photographs taken there too by a Brock's photographer. I really enjoyed standing on the corner by that bubble-making machine, watching it churn out all those bubbles - a la The Lawrence Welk show - and mama's getting those perfume-scented sales postcards from Brock's that I used as bookmarks."

Beverly Byl ends tumultuous time at CSUB and Karen Goh picks up big name supporters in bid for Supervisor post

 * ... BYL OUT: Beverly Byl, once the chief fund raiser at Cal State Bakersfield, has landed a new job as interim vice president for University Advancement for Cal State University Maritime in Vallejo. Byl's time at CSUB was a rocky one, and her departure ends a period of turmoil during which she and some of the university's strongest supporters butted heads. At one point during her tenure, the chairman of the university Foundation, Geoff King, called for her to step down. A few months ago she lost her title as VP of Advancement and was repositioned to become head of governmental affairs. No word yet on how or if she will be replaced.

* ... GOH: Friends of Fifth District supervisor Karen Goh held a fund raiser this week at the downtown home of Kyle and Kim Carter. Goh, who was appointed to the post to replace state Sen. Michael Rubio, is now running for a full term and has picked up the support of a long list of heavy hitters. Among the fund raiser "host committee" were Morgan Clayton, Lou and Sheryl Barbich, Judi and Rob McCarthy, Barbara Grimm-Marshall, Ray and Joan Dezember, Sal and Cynthia Giumarra, Harvey and Lavonne Hall, George and Linda Martin, Mary K. Shell, Steve and Katie Valentich, Larry and Susan Moxley, Tony Martinez, Don Martin and Chuck Kirschenmann. The only other declared candidate in the race is former public defender Leticia Perez.

 * ... BROCKS: Most of us remember Brock's, the popular locally owned department store downtown, but how many of us had a Brock's  charge card? This from reader Sandy Palmer Spray: "I have my mother's Brock's charge card, one of the earliest issued I think, in the 1950s.  It is small, like an addressograph card size, pink, just her name and account number on the back.  It is still in the little pink plastic case it arrived in and I am not sure if she ever used it as she was a cash kind of gal. I treasure it as one of many fond memories of Brock's."


 * ... SPOTTED: On a friend's Facebook page: "And for tonight's official 'I'm old' moment: my son informed me that he has 'no idea' what a pay phone is!"

  * ... OVERHEARD: My mouth was watering as I overheard a hair stylist describe a Valentine's Day take-out special from Cafe Med: "We had two 9-ounce filets plus shrimp, plus twice baked potatoes, a Greek salad with their special pita bread and all for $47. I can't tell you how delicious it was."

 * ... MARRIAGE: Did you know that interracial marriage in the United States has reached an all-time high? That's according to USA Today which says that in 2010, 8.4 percent of all marriages involved interracial couples, compared to 3.2 percent in 1980. The Pew Research Center says interracial marriage has gone from "taboo to rarity, and with each passing year, it's less of a rarity."

 * ... EXCHANGE STUDENTS: A local organization is trying to find temporary homes for French exchange students who will soon be visiting Bakersfield. The students are aged 15 and 16 and will stay every night in the host family home. Susan Peninger is the coordinator for Horizons du Monde, so if you are interested, give her a call at (661) 332-7147.

Westchester rattled by a second shooting at Jastro Park and more weigh in on union protesters

 * ... JASTRO SHOOTING: The second shooting in a year at Jastro Park has rattled residents of the downtown and Westchester neighborhoods. Blessed with wide streets, century-old homes, a canopy of trees and the charm of Rockwellian America, Westchester has always enjoyed a special allure but also bears the brunt of the occasional opportunistic crime. In the latest case, two known gang members were arrested for opening fire at two other men with whom they had an altercation. As one resident said: "My family has lived here for 60 years and we've never had two shootings in a row like this. There's one home that seems to be at the center of this activity and we're going to do something about it."

* ... PICKET LINE: Stephen J. Haupt, a senior vice president at Colliers International, responded to my post about union picket lines with a view shared by many in the business community. "Personally I do not have a problem with people exercising their First Amendment rights. However, it would be more meaningful if the union members were actually on the picket line rather than the temp workers who probably do not know all of the issues. I wonder if the union is paying these protesters union wages?"

* ... SPOTTED: From a reader: Seen at California Avenue and Oak Street an older, mid-sized truck
with two bumper stickers on the back window. "One shows a cell phone with a red slash through it and the words 'Hang up and drive.' The other says 'Keep honking — I'm reloading.' Is it just me, or would shoving ammunition into a firearm while driving represent a bigger potential traffic hazard than talking on a cell phone?"

 * ... MEMORY: Roger Abonnel asks if anyone else remembers the Kern River flood of 1950. "You are an old timer if you stood on the bluffs, as I did, on Sunday, November 19, 1950, and watched the flood take out Gordon's Ferry,  Rancheria and the Kernville bridges.


* ... FISK HARLOW: Regular contributor John Pryor wrote with some background on Fisk Harlow, who owned the old Bakersfield Hardware store. He said Fisk lived "in a charming home on the southeast corner of Alta Vista and Bernard, directly across the street  from a current news story - the Green Frog Market - whose owner Charles Everett lived across the street from the Harlow's (and my family) in the opposite direction. We witnessed Everett walking back and forth from his home to the Green Frog with a huge bag of money in his grip. It was so heavy he 'listed' to one side as he walked the almost two block distance." Pryor said Harlow also owned the first golf cart used at Stockdale Country Club.


* ... CPA: Longtime Bakersfield resident and CPA Lynn Starr Del Mundo has joined the accounting firm of Daniells Phillips Vaughan and Bock as a partner. Prior to this Lynn had been part of a successful accounting practice with her late father, Martin A. Starr.



* .... BROCK'S MEMORY: Marvin Schmidt weighed in from New Mexico with a memory of his mother, Irene Schmidt, who worked at Brock's until she was into her 80s in the drapery department. "Standing 4 feet 11 inches and weighing a little over 100 pounds, she always wore high heeled shoes and the best dresses. When management changed, they were told not to look at her age but at her abilities," he said. "For years before moving to Bakersfield she rode the bus from Shafter to come to work."

Amgen Tour of California returns to Bakersfield and country fire chief leaves under cloud

 * ... FIRE CHIEF: Kudos to my colleague Lois Henry for digging into the "retirement" of Kern County Fire Chief Nick Dunn, who is leaving under questionable circumstances. Dunn appeared at a press conference wearing Bermuda shorts and a knee brace and referred to his "battered body," but it's now clear there is much more to the story. (He was under scrutiny for allegedly using public property for personal gain) Either way, he walks away with a lifetime pension of around $175,000 a year, which we will all be paying for years to come. Legal, yes. But also distasteful.

* ... GARCES TRIBUTE: Jim Doty read my earlier post about Garces Memorial High School and submitted this tribute to a Catholic school education. "We were living in England in the late 1960s (or early 1970s) and our son was the equivalent of a high-school sophomore. One day he told my wife and me that he would like to go back to the U.S. to go to school. My wife and I decided it was a reasonable request so we talked to a friend who had been in a similar situation when he was that age. He recommended his old school, a Jesuit boarding school, in southwest Arkansas. With his help, our son was accepted. We sent them a mighty fine boy; we got back an exceptional young man. He is now a senior executive for a major corporation, and has made us proud as punch, job-wise, but more important-son, man, person, everything-wise. That Garces turns out good students, and cares for them, does not surprise me. I am not Catholic, but I feel indebted to their educational system in every way. "

 * ... BIKE RACE: Terrific news that the Amgen Tour of California bike race is coming back to Bakersfield in May. If you missed this race two years ago, make sure you catch it this time. This is spectacular show - it will be a time trial here - and you don't have to be a bike racing fanatic to enjoy the extravaganza. So mark May 17 on your calendars to see some of the world's best athletes in action. (photo courtesy of Velonews)

* ... SALLY THE SHOPPER: John Brock Jr., whose family ran the famous Brock's department store for years, weighed in with the final word on the store's Sally the Shopper program. "It actually originated at our store in the spring of 1952. The first person appointed to the position lasted about a month and then Pat Esposito (now Mrs. Lloyd Plank) took over and really became the first Sally. She had been in the position for about three months when the earthquakes of July and August hit Bakersfield, forcing Brock’s to move from its downtown location into a circus tent which was erected on a parking lot in the Westchester area, just south of today’s Westchester Bowl. The personal shopping service became quite popular during the circus tent period with Pat on the job. She continued to be Sally until about 1955, and the service continued under others until Brock’s was acquired by Gottschalk’s in 1987 (and possibly after that)."

 * ... BROCK'S: And speaking of Brock's, reader Cheryl Bomar said her mother was a "Sally Shopper" and she worked in the gift wrapping department while in high school. "I made more in tips from the gentlemen shopping than I did in wages," she said. "It was during that time that I met Troy Donahue in the 'operator run' elevator. He said hello but I was too frozen to say anything."

 * ... LA CRESTA: Janice Huston Montoya spotted her brother's comments about growing up in La Cresta and added this: "I can't believe my little brother, Mike Huston, didn't remember one of our favorite places on Alta Vista Drive, the La Cresta Sundry. They had the best hamburgers in town!"

* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From Jerry Beckwith: "You might be a Bakersfield old timer if you remember going on a picnic with your grandmother Ethel and brother Mike, a bindle over your shoulder, to the Hillcrest sign north of Niles Street. There was nothing but foothills north of Niles and east of Horace Mann School.

Bakersfield ranks high on a list of cities with high poverty rates, but good deeds abound

 * ... POVERTY: The U.S. Census says Bakersfield ranks No. 4 on the list of metropolitan areas with the highest rates of poverty in the country. Ranking first was the McAllen, Texas, area with 33.4 percent of residents living below the poverty line, followed by Fresno at 26.8 percent, El Paso at 24.3 percent and then Bakersfield at 21.2 percent.

 * ... FAMILY AFFAIR: You may have read about the exciting end to the Garces-Highland football game last Friday, where Highland’s last minute drive for the winning touchdown was halted by an intercepted pass by Garces to end the game. The back story is that Highland was led by their quarterback, Ryan O’Leary, who had a terrific game but threw the doomed interception to Garces’ Mark Stinson. As can only happen in small town America under Friday night lights, O’Leary’s dad is John O’Leary, owner of O’Leary’s Office Products. Young Stinson is the son of Ben Stinson, owner of Stinson’s Office Products. What are the odds? The younger lads are class acts, and their dads are friendly competitors.

* ... SALLY SHOPPER: My recent post on the old "Sally the Shopper" program at Brock's department store caught the attention of reader Warren Pechin. "My mother, Marguerite Pechin, was one of the two original Sally the Shoppers along with a woman named Rose Nathan. They worked for Marie Smith who started the program and went on to run the Golden Empire Gleaners." This was around 1967, he said, and his mother is still going strong at 92.

 * ... LENDING HAND: Linda Sheffield was in front of the Target store on Rosedale Highway when she witnessed a good deed that she wanted to share. "I saw an elderly, bent lady with a cane stopped by those pesky yellow, bumpy things recently installed in front of the entrance, not sure how to navigate them. She looked as if she would surely fall. I was thinking I would go park and come back to help her, when a young man emerged from the passenger side of a small black car in front of me and offer his arm in assistance. What a blessing it was to observe kindness in action! I checked to see who was driving the car as I went by and it was another young man - not someone's mother who told him to help. I wanted to share this because I was so blessed by it, but also to help counteract all of those tacky things (and I see plenty of those, too) that show up in your column. Thanks for the interesting tidbits that you share with us."

* ... MEMORY: Reader Nancy Schilly says you have been around Bakersfield for a while if you "remember Wayne's Dairy on North Chester Avenue. It was across the street from the original Kern County Fairgrounds. Wayne's had a very good restaurant in front of the dairy. Growing up we drove in from Shafter and ate there a lot. They made their own donuts and you could watch them being made. They made them all by hand. They made all their own ice cream too. We also ate at Tiny's restaurant on the corning of 18th and Chester. You could get a chubby steak dinner for $5. Those were the times."

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Even young people have memories of "old" Bakersfield. From 23-year old Jolie Brouttier: You may be from Bakersfield if you "remember driving down Ming (Between Gosford and Old River) smelling only dust from the dirt field rather than Tahoe Joe's steak dinner."

Readers take a leisurely trip down memory lane, remembering a simpler time in Bakersfield

 * ... GO BEARS: Jon Crawford, a proud alum of Cal Berkeley, said he lives south of Valley Plaza where his neighborhood is frequented by three or four ice cream trucks. One of them, he said, plays the hold "Cal Drinking Song" that he sang at football games while at Berkeley in the 1950s. The lyrics start like this: "Oh we had a little party down at Newport - there was Harry, there was Mary, there was Grace. We had a little party down at Newport, and they had to carry Harry from the place." Crawford said he believes the song dates to 1939 and may have been picked up by other schools. It is now part of the song list of the Berkeley Marching Band and is regularly played at games. "Every so often, an ice cream truck comes down my street and plays a wonderful tune that reminds me of some good times at Berkeley."

 * ... GOLF: Don Adams wrote to recall the old Buck Owens Celebrity Golf Tournament that featured so many Hollywood celebs. Adams said Buck discontinued the event when he learned that part of the money raised for the American Cancer Society left the county. "Buck loved Bakersfield and wanted all the money to be distributed locally and withheld the funds from his last tournament in an effort to make that happen," he said. After that, and a dispute with the Cancer Society, Adams said Buck no longer put on the tournament. "Our own George Culver also held an annual golf tournament for several years, featuring many baseball and football celebritries: Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Jack Youngblood ... All the money raised went to local youth baseball."

 * ... EAST SIDE: More memories from growing up on Bakersfield's east side back when it was the place to be. Wrote Steve Richardson: "My family has a rich east side history. "My grand parents Lyle and Erma Richardson owned a radio shop on Baker in the 1930s where the Tejon theater sits now. When I was a kid we went to the golf course by the airpark on Union. We went to Shakey's after Bakersfield College football in the 1960s and 1970s. The town of Arvin was named after my uncle Arvin Richardson in 1914. He started the Niles Street water district back in the 1950s. Arvin has one living daughter and one niece who will be 94 this month. My dad was born in 1933."

 * ... BROCKS:  The old Brock's department store downtown received some more reader love when Doris Wofle wrote to recall an encounter with John Brock Sr. She had moved to Alaska in 1972 and returned for a visit when she bought a pair of shoes. "Upon returning home to Anchorage, I found that the shoes did not fit. So, I put them away until my next trip to Bakersfield.  One of the first things I did was go to Brock's and I took my shoes and receipt with me. The man who waited on me refused to let me return the shoes as it had been several months since I bought them. All of a sudden, Mr. Brock was standing there beside me. He asked how long I had lived in Alaska and I think he told me he was born in Alaska.  He immediately told the young man to do the paper work to return the shoes and wished me a happy day.  Boy,  do I miss Brock's!"

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From Marlene Morales, head of marketing at Chain, Cohn, Stiles law firm: "You know you're a Bakersfield old timer if you remember Larson's Dairy. They actually delivered the best chocolate and whole milk to your door on a weekly basis. Or you could visit the store on Wible Road, drive through and place your order. Better yet, actually see the cows on the premises."