Mark Saturday, July 7 on your calendar for Wendy Wayne's celebration of life ceremony set for the Fox Theater downtown

* ... WENDY: The celebration of life for Wendy Wayne, who died last week after a long battle with non-Hodgins lymphoma, is set for Saturday, July 7, at the Fox Theater. That's the word from Wendy's husband Gene Tackett, who told me the event will take place at 2 p.m. at the historic downtown venue. More exciting news is that Gene and CSUB President Horace Mitchell are working on a plan to create nursing school scholarships in Wendy's name, and possibly even renaming the nursing school the "Wendy Wayne Department of Nursing" at CSUB. In 1978 Wendy earned a degree in nursing from CSUB and was later inducted into the university's Alumni Hall of Fame. More on this as it develops but I could not think of a finer tribute to a woman who meant so much to our community.

 * ... EXCHANGE STUDENTS: Wendy Wayne was a student of the world, from her early years with the Peace Corps (where she met husband Gene Tackett) to her later years traveling while working on humanitarian projects in Third World countries. She always had an open seat at her house for strangers, and she loved the exploration of other cultures. One program she would have admired is Horizons du Monde, a group that places exchange students with local families. Susan Peninger, local coordinator for Horizons du Monde, told me she desperately needs 10 families to place young French students July 10-31. This is an experience that will certainly enrich your life. Interested? Call Sue at (661) 332-7147

 * ... FIRES: Mark Parsons is a graduate of both Bakersfield High School and Bakersfield College and is now one of the hundreds of volunteers fighting the devastating wildfires in northern Colorado. His mother, Ann Danforth, said Mark has been working disaster relief operations for the Red Cross since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He and his wife, Sue, live less than 45 miles from the fire.

 * ... HOT SHOTS: And speaking of the Colorado fires, some 20 members of the Fulton Hot Shots fire fighting crew of the U.S. Forest Service based in Glennville have been on the fire line for more than two weeks, including Bakersfield resident Edgar Sanchez. Word is the Hot Shots may be there at least another one or two weeks. (photo courtesy of the Fulton Hot Shots)

 * ... BIRTHDAY: Happy 50th birthday to Gary Blackburn, one of the owners of Sequoia Sandwich Co. Hard to believe Sequoia opened its first branch in Bakersfield back in 1999. Blackburn and co-owner Jeff Simpson now have three Bakersfield locations and one in Clovis.

 * ... HOTEL LEBEC: Jo Ann Scroggins wrote to thank me for my recent postings on the old Hotel Lebec, which allowed her to delve a bit into her own family history with a connection to the Lebec. "My great grand aunt, Cowee Erskine, married Thomas O'Brien in 1911. Thanks to your blog, I now know how my great grand aunt met her husband! Cowee (Anna Cowee Erskine) had a successful singing career which I am just starting to research."

It's the summer of burglaries and break ins and more stink over those sweet public pensions

 * ... GO IRISH: Heard from the "Notre Club" of Bakersfield that six local kids are heading to the University of Notre Dame in South Bend this fall. They will join a freshman class of only 2,035 students selected from more than 14,500 applicants. Two graduated from Wasco Union High School-Moises Martinez and Daniel Sanchez. Others include Nicole Madrilejo, Daniel Yi, Eric Andrew Whittington and Brandon West from Garces Memorial High. Thanks to Dean Bears for bringing this to my attention.

* ... CRIME WATCH: The summer of burglaries and break-ins continues. In the past week I've heard of a burglary on 20th Street in Westchester (committed mid morning), two in La Cresta (one of them another mid morning break-in) and two cars broken into, one near Bakersfield Country Club and the other at Beach Park. Be careful and keep those alarms on.
 
* ... PUBLIC PENSIONS: Few topics have aroused such a spirited response as the debate over public pensions, highlighted by City Fire Chief Ron Fraze's pending retirement. Most of the responses have been highly critical of these sweet public pensions, but not all. Reader Irene Edmonds gives her own spin. "I speak with some knowledge on this issue. My husband was in law enforcement for 37 1/2 years, my oldest son was in law enforcement for 15 years and now owns Interquest Canines of LA and my youngest son was a firefighter in the Air Force before becoming a firefighter with LA County. Twenty five years working for the police department or the fire department in reality is like working double years.. How many years would it add to your job to go to autopsies and watch a body being dissected up so that you could testify in court?  How many years would it add to your job to have to handle a really bloody murder scene, one where the sons killed their parents? ... Each and every firefighter or police officer has lived through experiences that you would not understand. I am the wife and mother of police and firefighters and I know

it angers me to hear these things said."

 * ... ACTION SPORTS: Reader Kim Wiens weighed in on my earlier post (read the full post here) regarding the remarkable number of kids who have worked for Kerry Ryan at Action Sports and gone on to successful professional careers. "Both of my sons, David and Robert Wiens, were lucky enough to work at Action Sports back when it was located in the Town and Country Center. I can't thank Mr. Ryan enough for all that he taught them about hard work, customer service and running a business. That real work experience has served them so well in every job they have had since. David is currently enrolled in the Full Employed MBA program and UCLA and working as an engineer for a steel company. Rob is a bartender at RJs." 

 * ... CSUB GRADS: Nice to hear that two graduates of CSUB's nursing program have been accepted to the University of San Francisco Doctor of Nursing Practice program. They are Cynthia Jane Anderson and Ashley Lorenzo. According to the students, only 10 applicants were accepted into the cohort, with two of them from CSUB nursing.

  * ... EAST BAKO: From reader Larry Miller, recalling old Bakersfield. "Interesting note about Fred Schaffer's Stamp and Coin Shop in east Bakersfield.  He was originally in a tiny store front shop on 20 Street between Chester Avenue and K Streeet across the street and around the corner from 'Painless Parker's' (he wasn't)  second story dental office above a Thrifty Drug Store. Fred also sold model airplane kits that I loved to build. I was in junior high school and  liked to stop in Fred's shop to see what new model kits were available. This was after making deliveries of false teeth and dentures after school on my bicycle to various dentists around town. These dentures were made by S. R. Creasy in the same building as 'ol Painless.'  I earned $5 a week if I got there every day, and half a day on Saturday if I got there on time; but if I was late, then the old tightwad would dock me a dollar. 

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You know you're from Bakersfield when "the stranger who stops you for directions is looking for a prison."