Former homeless shelter director Louis Gill challenges Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Democrat Rudy Salas takes aim at Rep. David Valadao, a big gift for the CSUB wrestling program and CBD retail pioneer Ted Sisco dies

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent any other company or publication. 

 * ... RIP COLIN POWELL: We lost Gen. Colin Powell this week, but he leaves behind a legacy of leadership and wisdom. Powell had been suffering from cancer and Parkinson's when he contracted

COVID-19 (he was vaccinated but remained in a high risk group) and died. He was 84. Powell left the nation a lot in his writings, and one of his most powerful were his 13 lessons of leadership. Here they are:

* ... LOUIS GILL: Former non-profit leader Louis Gill is challenging Rep. Kevin McCarthy in the 23rd Congressional District, but are voters ready to send McCarthy packing just as he may be ready to become House Speaker, assuming the Republicans win the House back? Gill spent 21 years with Bethany Services, serving as head of the homeless shelter and the Alliance Against Family Violence. In announcing he faulted McCarthy for focusing on his own political ambition at the expense of the district. Gill will run as a Democrat and will join two others - actor Bruno Amato and teacher Marisa Wood - in the campaign. While anyone challenging McCarthy may seem like a long shot, Democrats believe this time is different. Here is why this is important: McCarthy has enjoyed overwhelming support for reelection over the years, but he did so while positioning himself as something of a moderate in the mold of his mentor and predecessor, Bill Thomas. But the Trump presidency, and specifically McCarthy's loyalty to Trump, as well as McCarthy's wishy-washy response to the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, has cost McCarthy support among moderate Republican business owners and voters. And McCarthy also is widely distrusted by the conservative fringe of his own party, where he is viewed as a Trump conservative out of convenience, not conviction. Has McCarthy lost enough local support to allow someone like Louis Gill to slip through? It's doubtful, but only time will tell. Gill will also have to go up against McCarthy's ability to build a sizable war chest, not insurmountable but tricky to say the least. It's game on. Stay tuned.

* ... RUDY SALAS: Meanwhile the Democrats also took aim at the 21st Congressional District where Rep. David Valadao is seen as vulnerable. Assemblyman Rudy Salas has announced he is running against the Republican Valadao, and he made the announcement surrounded by some Kern County Democratic power brokers, including Supervisor Leticia Perez and civil rights advocates ate Dolores Huerta. Already announced as a candidate on the Democratic side was former Assembly person Nicole Parra, a once formidable leader and opponent who appears to be getting marginalized by her own fellow Democrats. (file photos of Valadao, Parra and Salas)

* ... TED SISCO: It was distressing to learn of the passing of Ted Sisco, one of the retailing pioneers of the CBD industry in Kern County. Sisco died under unknown circumstances and services are pending. He was just 52 years old. This note was posted by employers of his CBD Shoppe on F Street: "It is with great sadness that we have to inform you all of the loss of our owner, Ted Sisco. He was not just our boss. He was a mentor, a leader, and most of all our friend. He cared for all of us employees like family and he truly cared for the well-being of our customers. We thank you all for the shares, phone calls, and prayers. We also ask to please respect his family's privacy during this difficult time. We will continue to stay open for the time being and will give updates on any changes."

 * ... CSUB WRESTING: The CSUB wrestling program may have an enviable record in competition, but the program has struggled to survive through the years thanks to the efforts of volunteers and the Coyote Club. And now one of wrestling's biggest supporters has stepped forward with a big gift to keep the program going. The Tobin family (Craig Tobin represented CSUB on the team when it won a national title) is donating $125,000 to establish the Tobin Wrestling Scholarship at CSUB. It will be paid out over five years. Craig Tobin, a 1979 alumnus, said the focus of the new scholarship is to bring more students into CSUB’s wrestling program and support them in their academic and athletic pursuits. There are currently 30 student-athletes in the program, according to the university. “We want to give back a little bit,” he said. “This is a strong program that CSUB has. There’s a lot of good, hard-working kids out there. All they need is a chance.” (historic picture of CSUB wrestlers provided by CSUB)

 * ... MEMORIES: Every wonder where the lines for the old trolleys ran in East Bakersfield? Well this old map from the Kern County of Old website answers some of those queries.

Austin sets an example of how to keep its downtown clean, Carol Ferguson retires at KBAK TV, more retail closings and Stockdale Principal Ramon Hendrix gets a promotion

 * ... RETAIL: If you don't think this is a tough time for retailers as they try to compete with online

shopping, check out this list of companies and the number of stores they have been forced to close:
Sears and Kmart 150 stores; JC Penny 138 stores, Macy’s 68 stores Abercrombie and Fitch 60 stores, Guess 60 stores, Crocs 160 stores, American Apparel 110 stores, Payless 400 stores, RadioShack 552 stores, Staples 70 stores and CVS 70 stores.

* ... ADIOS: One of our most prominent and longest serving local TV reporters, Carol Ferguson, has retired from KBAK after a distinguished career. Ferguson spent 25 of her 37-year career with KBAK and served as a role model for dozens of young reporters who used Bakersfield as a stepping stone to move on to larger markets. Prior to working in local TV, she also worked as the news director at KERN-AM as well as news director and anchor at KKXX.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Which vitamins work best for fighting a cold or the urge to hit my ex boyfriend with my car?"

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Surround yourself with tacos, not negativity."

 * ... TRASH: Mayor Karen Goh's recent litter survey that seemed to downplay our trash problem prompted a flurry of emails, virtually all of them reflecting comments like the one from this reader: "Thanks for keeping this trash issue alive... (Mayor Goh's) results were laughable. It brought to mind another survey a while back that failed miserably: homeless population. Their count determined the homeless numbers had dropped by 50 percent.  But buried in their information was the comment they’d reduced the census taking hours from a 24-hour day to only 12. Duh!"

* ... DOWNTOWN: And speaking of trash I spent a few days in Austin recently and had the opportunity to see how a progressive city takes on litter. Historic downtown Austin is beautiful, but like Bakersfield it has a serious homeless problem. So how does it handle trash? There is a group called the Downtown Austin Alliance (a more focused, ambitious and strategic version of our Downtown Business Association) in which dozens of red shirted workers with push carts loaded with cleaning liquids go block by block picking up trash. I witnessed workers picking up litter as small as cigarette butts and on the day after Memorial Day one worker was busy cleaning up sidewalk vomit and urine on the side of a high rise - seriously. The idea? Downtown is the Austin's welcome mat to the world and it deserves to look as clean as possible. Is there a cost to it? Certainly. But this is a city that takes its welcome mat seriously.

 * ... RAMON: Congratulations to longtime Stockdale High School principal Ramon Hendrix, who is moving on to become the superintendent of the Greenfield Union school district. Hendrix led Stockdale with a steady hand, and while my daughter was there I witnessed his deep commitment to the students and their parents. Stockdale's loss is Greenfield's gain.

 * ... GOOD FORM: Here's yet another example of how some local companies feel it is important to give back to our community. Some 150 Grimmway Farms employees are volunteering to help restore the Greenfield Baseball Park this weekend. They will be sanding and repainting backstops, bleachers and dugouts, restrooms and storage facilities They will be joined by 25 Greenfield Baseball Association volunteers. The local little league, adult intramural teams and others will benefit from a refurbished baseball field and facilities to enhance their recreation activities.

* ... CSUB WRESTLING: The CSUB wrestling program is a civic treasure, and its success well documented. But (like litter) it doesn't happen without public support. That's why I purchased a $100 ticket in hopes of winning an Infiniti QX30 to support the program, which lives year by year via the generosity of all of us. Only 1,000 tickets will be sold and the drawing will be held on June 29. Call (661) 654-2343 for more information, or mail a check paid to CSUB Wrestling to 9001 Stockdale Highway, 8 GYM, Bakersfield, 93311.

It's Thanksgiving, can we spend a few days without the post election vitriol? And celebrating the annual Pie Run and remembering the old Golden Spike Cafe on F Street

 * ... GIVING THANKS: I hope we can all spend the next few days giving thanks to the blessings in our lives. There has been poison in the air ever since the election, and I for one am weary of the vitriol and insults that have worked their way into our everyday conversations and our musings on

social media platforms like Facebook. So I am calling for a truce. How about this for starters? Let's spend the next few days thinking about the things that bring us joy: the new grandchild, the children coming home for Thanksgiving, a morning run in the crisp fall air, wet puppy kisses, that new job, that new love (or even an old one), the memory of someone special who is no longer here. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

* ... PIE RUN: The annual Thanksgiving Pie Run, one of my absolute favorite things about living here, is back on for this Thursday at Hart Park. Thirty-five years ago John Rous and a couple of

running buddies decided to do a run on Thanksgiving morning, followed by a slice of homemade pie, and since then it has grown into one of our town's signature events. The idea is attractively simple: bring a pie, donuts or cookies and gather at Hart Park and then head out for a walk/run/or hike at the crack of dawn. Return and reward yourself with some breakfast treats. It's free of course and all it requires is an early wakeup and the will to join a couple hundred of others in a Thanksgiving tradition. The walk/run starts at the crack of dawn, so get there early.

 * ... GOLDEN SPIKE CAFE: Nobody really leaves Bakersfield without taking a piece of the town with them. That enduring theme was reinforced the other day when I struck up a conversation with a stranger and his son at the bar in the Padre Hotel. It turned out Robert Williams, a lawyer, and his son Ryan had driven up from Mission Viejo to take in the Sturgil Simpson concert at the Fox Theater. Williams expressed an unrestrained love for his hometown, and told me he regularly returns so his son can share in the quirkiness and warmth of Bakersfield. Williams grew up in Oildale and first attended Roosevelt Elementary and later Franklin Elementary, and then Golden Valley Junior High School. The family left Bakersfield in 1955 to move to Los Angeles. He told me his parents, Otis and Dell Williams, ran the Golden Spike Cafe at 1510 F Street. Anybody remember the Golden Spike?

* ... WRESTLING: I dropped by the home of Kevin and Tuesdy Small last week to attend a fund raising event for the storied Cal State Bakersfield wrestling program. One thing cannot be disputed: the folks who support our wrestling program (Coyote Club and others) are organized, energetic and they simply don't quit. Some 200 supporters turned out to get an update on the wrestling program and open their wallets to make sure the sport is properly funded and continues for years to come.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I hate it when I forget my password and don't answer my secret questions right. It's like I don't even know me."

 * ... SAFETY PINS: My earlier post about folks wearing those anti-hate safety pins triggered this response from Chris Padham: "So it's come to this? If I'm not wearing a safety pin I could be considered a unsafe person to talk or sit next to? Seems like assumptions are being made if a pin isn't worn. And if you always sit next to someone who shares your views and won't challenge your beliefs how can you grow and expand your horizons or understand the hows and whys of opposite views?"

A Texas veterinarian is fired after claiming to have killed a feral cat with a bow and arrow, another successful Mac 'n Cheese Festival and the moth invasion continues

 * … VETERINARIAN: This is one of those stories that makes you cringe, and wonder what makes some people tick. A veterinarian in Brenham, Texas, has been fired after she posted a picture online of herself holding up a dead, orange tabby cat that she claims to have killed with a bow and arrow. It is a

horrific picture and you have to question the sanity of anyone who does this kind of thing. The caption read:  "My first bow kill lol. The only good feral tomcat is one with an arrow through its head! Vet of the year award… gladly accepted." The local sheriff's department is investigating, but the business booted her out and took her name off its sign.

* … MAC FEST: Shame on you if you missed the second annual Macaroni and Cheese Festival out at Cal State Bakersfield Saturday. More than 2,500 folks showed up to sample mac 'n cheese creations from more than 30 food vendors, ot to mention unlimited amounts of wine and beer and music by Monty Byrom. The winners: Murray Family Farms came away as the crowd choice, followed by last year's champion Cafe Med with Catering Affairs in third place.

 * … MOTHS: The one upside of this invasion of moths is the fun it brings to our cats and dogs. Consider this note from Loretta Pedroza: "I too have never seen so many moths and I have lived here my entire life. There are little ones and some really big ones. At least they are not as bad as the year we had crickets. I can remember sitting in my car at 24th and Oak and hearing them even with my windows up. As far as the moths go my three cats and dog are having lots of fun chasing and trying to catch them. I can't believe how high my cat Abby can jump. Really funny to watch, but I still hope they go away soon. Love your column! Keep up the good work! "

 * … MORE MOTHS: And finally there was this bit of irony from reader Denney Evans: "Our pest control service always leaves the invoice on our doorknob when they finish. This past week my wife snatched it off the door knob and found a bug crawling around on it!  What are we paying for?"
                                                        
 * … KINDNESS: Here is an example of kindness that I promise will impress you. Arelene Bonner is a senior who lives alone in an apartment complex. On a recent Sunday afternoon, she was attending a show when - unknown to her - two teenagers tried to kick her door in. "The couple upstairs heard the noise and scared them away," she said. "The door was loose so they called the manager and the police and the maitanance man. He came and fixed the door and I got home at 5 p.m. only knew about it because the manager left me a note. On Tuesday the maitanance man put a security door on that was paid for by the couple up stairs, who I hardly knew. I am a senior, living alone and thought this kindness should be shared."

* … CSUB WRESTLING: The folks who raise money to keep the CSUB wrestling program going - the Coyote Club - have two upcoming events worthy of our support. On Tuesday, May 5, "An Evening with Stephen Neal" is coming up at Stockdale Country Club. For information on sponsorships, tickets or live or silent auction items call Janis Varner at (661) 979-7136. Later on May 23, a Saturday, the 21st Annual Coyote Club/Stephen Neal golf tournament will be held at Rio Bravo Country Club.

The nation marks the birthday of Cesar Chavez, but years after his death the United Farm Workers has become an insulated, irrelevant force, say critics

* … CHAVEZ: The legacy of Cesar Chavez has been in the spotlight this week - a new biopic movie on his life opened along with National Cesar Chavez Day - but is the union he founded still 

relevant? Some critics say no, and they say his foundation now exists to run radio stations, attract grants and employ a few people. Miriam Powell, who wrote an unflinching portrait of Chavez and the United Farm Workers in the book 'The Union of Their Dreams: Power, Hope, and Struggle in Cesar Chavez’s Farm Worker Movement,' said this in an opinion piece for Fox Latino News:  "The man born 87 years ago today worked with a single-minded intensity few could ever match. For a time, that zeal produced unprecedented gains for California farmworkers. But the union he founded failed to thrive and has become irrelevant; farmworkers today know Cesar Chavez only as the name of a famous Mexican boxer. In the end, Chavez’s legacy is far from the fields, in cities across the country where his name evokes pride and his life serves as an example of what community organizing can accomplish."

 * … HEART HEALTH: Margaret Scrivano Patteson is the seeming picture of perfect health: an avid runner and cyclist, she rarely goes a day without a vigorous workout and watches what she eats. Yet while cycling recently the 51-year-old pharmaceutical sales rep suffered a heart attack, and her story is a cautionary tale for all of us who think we are doing the right thing but are unaware of the silent killers within us. Patteson appeared with me on First Look with Scott Cox to talk about her family history of heart disease and to thank her cardiologist, Dr. Brijesh Bambi, the folks at Bakersfield Heart Hospital and her personal physician, Dr. Raj Patel. Go to bakersfield.com to view the entire interview.

 * … GOOD FORM: Julie Calvin submitted this bit of news to make your day. Last Sunday she went to PetStyling Co. on Coffee Road to pick up her dogs after being groomed. "As I hurried to get them safely into my vehicle, I apparently dropped my wallet in the parking lot. Not realizing that I had dropped it, I continued home.  About five minutes later I received a call from the manager at PetStyling and they had found my wallet (I didn’t even realize yet that I had dropped it!).  I went back to retrieve my wallet and everything was still in it. It’s nice to know that there are still honest people in the world!

* … CIOPPINO: Congratulations to Bakersfield West Rotary for another spectacular Cioppino Feed over at Monsignor Leddy Hall this past weekend. The proceeds from the event - it raised some $100,000 -  will help fund the club's foundation as well as Memorial Hospital's pediatric unit.

  * … WRESTLING: I ran into Vernon Varner at the Cioppino Feed and he reminded me of another upcoming fund raiser to support the storied CSUB wrestling program. The event, planned for Tuesday, May 6, will feature former world wrestling champion and ex New England Patriots player Stephen Neal. Tickets are $75 each. Call Janis Varner at (661) 587-8157. CSUB wrestling could not exist with the help from the Varners and the Coyote Club, and it's worth your consideration to support this effort.

One person finds a way to deal with our trash and litter problem, and the CSUB wrestling boosters plan another evening with Stephen Neal to save the storied program

 * ... TRASH: I was heartened to receive this note from reader Lynn Bailey, who submitted a shout-out to an unidentified neighbor who is single handedly trying to tackle our litter problem. Someone, she said, put a small trash can next to the community mail boxes, leaving it a handy receptacle to dispose of community trash. "Everyday when I walk down Jenkins with my dogs I collect trash and dash across the street to dump in the can," she said. "I also try and collect some on my return to dump again in the can. I wish I knew who put it out so I could thank them! I also wish we had a concrete pad to put another one on the opposite side of the street where the kids wait for the buses. There is a ton of wrappings, baggies, cans, cups etc. laying about. Maybe the city could start a program like adopt a street only this could be buy a can and individuals would adopt the 'can' to dump. Just some ideas and a big shout out to the creative person who put that trash can out on Jenkins!"

* ... TRANSITION: From Randy Martin, the Covenant Coffee director: "In the 1950s the Junior Baseball Association was located on west Columbus. The site was a collaboration between the county and city. Now, the Residences at West Columbus, an affordable housing project serving transition age youth and low income families occupies the site. Another partnership to bless the community."

*... WRESTLING: The CSUB wrestling program has been cut off by the university and only exists because of a group of committed boosters who raise $250,000 annually to keep the program alive. On Tuesday, May 7,  the boosters will host an "Evening with Stephen Neal" to raise money for the wrestling program. Tickets are going for $75 and sponsorship opportunities are available. Call (661) 302-4455 for more information. The dinner will be held at Stockdale Country Club. If you have ever dealt with a former wrestler, you know that these people never give up, and they approach every challenge with the same grit they did when their faces were flat on the mats. I'm not betting against them to keep this program alive.

* ... EAST ROTARY: Hats off to the folks over at the East Rotary Club, who put on upscale five-course dinner Saturday to raise money for three local charities. The event was held at Garces Memorial High School and featured a meal by T.L. Maxwell's, wine and a live and silent auction. Word is they raised some $50,000 for Valley Fever Americas, the local Ronald McDonald House and the East Rotary Foundation.

* ... MEMORIES: One final memory about the old Brundage Variety store, where the family of reader Debby Rodrigues shopped. "West on Brundage was Fiddler's Variety, which became Southwest Variety, where birthday presents were purchased for friend's birthday parties. Young's Market, El Tejon Pharmacy and the Belvedere as Brundage Lane met Stockdale Highway. Piggot's Bar stood where the Highway 99 now is. The highway was two lanes with dirt shoulders on either side.  No traffic to speak of. We could walk to Stockdale Liquors or the Oaken Bucket Liquor Store for candy or in the mid 1960s, Foster's Freeze to enjoy a 10 cent soft serve ice cream cone. Carefree days, except of course the Cold War bomb drills! We did think nothing of being out and about, taking our safety for granted. Lots of changes since then.  Kids on the street now! Oh my, what are their parents thinking!"

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You may be a Bakersfield old timer if you attended the Saturday morning movie matinees at the Granada Theater.

Is the super high end housing market warming up? And get ready for some cyclocross racing at Hart Park on Sunday when Bakersfield hosts the California state championships

  * ... HOUSING MARKET: The last five years hasn't seen much activity in the high end real estate market, but that may be starting to change. Mary Christenson, the Watson agent who specializes in high end properties in the Southwest, told me a $1.4 million home on the Seven Oaks golf course had four offers in five days of showing. "We have three buyers still ready to buy! Where are the new listings?" she asked.

 * ... TRASH: This note came from a reader reacting to those who so casually litter our streets. "Concerning those we see throwing trash out of their car. I went to Cal Poly SLO, and if you saw anyone throwing trash out of their vehicle, you would turn them in. This was in late 1970s. Now when I see it in a parking lot I confront the people and they have always picked it up without a confrontation. Maybe if more of did this, it may make a difference."

 * ... RODEWALD: Legendary Kern County broadcaster Don Rodewald will be inducted into the East Bakersfield High School Hall of Fame on February 16. Bakersfield City School District trustee Rick Van Horne told me that East High recently sent a film crew to sit down with Rodewald and let him reminiscence about his early days in radio and television. "Don is still in good spirits at Glenwood Gardens, so much so, that the crew ran out of video taking it all in," he said.

 * ... CYCLOCROSS: If you're looking for something to do this weekend, drive out to Hart Park to take in the California State Cyclocross Championship. It runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday and will feature some remarkable athletes riding off road on a European-style course. Even if you don't know much about the sport, it provides a great spectacle from multiple angles, and is absolutely free. Organizers Sam Ames and Keith Barnden tell me there will be a beer garden, drum line, bag pipes, food and more.

* ... CLEAN UP: The Oildale Foundation is planning a massive clean up of the area around the North Chester bridge on Saturday. Patrick Frase told me that Mayor Harvey Hall will be joining in the effort and he is urging other folks to volunteer. "With the very generous commitment of Mr. Greg Sanders and Varner Brothers Disposal we will beautify this area by removing tumbleweeds, dead vegetation and litter! Yes there is a lot of it... months of debris and neglect! With that said I am asking for volunteer help. We are starting at 8 a.m. meeting at Beardsley and North Chester Avenue. Trash clean up supplies will be provided."

 * ... WRESTLING: I goofed in writing about an upcoming dinner to support CSUB's storied wrestling program. The event is February 9 (not in April) so get your tickets now. They cost $40 each. Make your checks payable to The Coyote Club and mail to Janis Varner, 12300 Old Town Road, Bakersfield, 93312.

 * ... BANDUCCI'S: Another memory about the old restaurant Banducci's Corner on Weedpatch Highway. Terry Gaiser writes: "My favorite memories of Banducci's: Bud and his wife, the spaghetti and best, their apple pie with the secret rum sauce!"

More good news on building permits from Mission Bank and the Bakersfield Museum of Art introduces its new executive director to the community

 * ... BUILDING: There is more evidence that our local economy is improving, albeit slowly. A report from Baynes Bank, vice president over at Mission Bank, shows marked improvement in the number of building permits being issued. While the total number of 2012 permits pulled were 259 percent higher than 2011, he noted "we are still less than 50 percent of where we were a decade ago." Bank said a large apartment project has broken ground near Gosford and Pacheco roads, "and there are two more significant projects being discussed in the Northwest.... Also of note, Standard Pacific Homes (the national builder that purchased local builder Probuilt Homes) pulled eight permits in December. These are the first Bakersfield permits they have pulled in over four years. Welcome back."

 * ... MUSEUM: I ran into the newly appointed executive director of the Bakersfield Museum of Art just a few hours after his appointment was announced. My guess is that John Lofgren and his wife Inger will fit nicely into our community. He's got the charm, experience and drive to take the museum to the next level. I chatted with Lofgren while he was out dining with retiring director Bernie Herman and his wife Joan, Sheryl and Lou Barbich and museum board chair Susan Hersberger from Aera Energy.

* ... AMMO SALES: The push by the Obama administration for new restrictions on gun ownership has led to a predictable surge in the sales of weapons and ammunition at local gun stores. One gun shop owner, Gene Thome of Bear Mountain Sports, told me there is a run on almost every type of ammunition, and that he sells his Glock semi-automatic pistols as quickly as they arrive.

 * ... SPOTTED: A pox on the young man driving a newer VW Passat who casually tossed his fast food drink cup out his window while driving south on Gosford Road.

 * ... WRESTLING: The folks who raise the money to keep the wrestling program alive at Cal State Bakersfield have an important event coming up on Saturday, Feb. 9. It's a dinner to celebration 40 years of wrestling and it costs just $40 a seat. It will be held at Stockdale Country Club at 6 p.m. Make your checks payable to the Coyote Club and mail them to Janis Varner, 12300 Old Town Road, Bakersfield, Ca. 93312.

 * ... GUILD HOUSE: Another cause worth supporting is coming up Sunday, January 27, at the historic Guild House on 18th Street. It's a five-course dinner (including wine and a tour of the graceful, grand old dame of downtown homes) to benefit the Henrietta Weill Child Guidance Center. Tickets cost $100. Call Nada for reservations at (661) 834-3566.

 * .... BANDUCCI'S: Marilyn Brown dropped me a note about the old lunch place Banducci's Corner. "My dad ate lunch there several times a week with friends and relatives from the Edison area.  As a family we would go out to dinner on Friday nights and one of our favorite places was Banducci's Corner.  I remember Julia Banducci giving us kids candy from the attached store. Banducci's was a fun place with good food where everybody knew your name!"

Miami, Los Angeles top the list of airports with the highest theft rates by TSA employees, and Rabobank drops its sponsorship of a major world cycling team, citing the culture of doping and cheating

 * ... THEFT: Have you ever had anything stolen from your suitcase while it was being inspected at the airport? While thievery involving airport security is not widespread, the Transportation Security Agency is finally coming clean with just how extensive it is. Said an ABC News report: "The TSA has fired nearly 400 employees for allegedly stealing from travelers, and for the first time, the agency is revealing the airports where those fired employees worked." The top five airports for TSA employee theft: Miami, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Las Vegas and Dallas-Fort Worth.

 * ... RABOBANK: The Dutch banking giant Rabobank has pulled out of competitive bike racing, citing the culture of doping that led to Lance Armstrong being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. The company was spending some $20 million a year to sponsor one of the sport's best teams, which excelled on the European circuit. Locally, Rabobank was also a big sponsor and supporter of the Tour of California. If the Tour of California returns to Bakersfield, the loss of such a prominent sponsor will be hard to overcome.

 * ... WRESTLING: You have to hand it to the supporters of the CSUB wrestling program, which is being funded almost entirely by private donations. Supporters of the storied program will hold another fund raiser on Thursday, Nov. 1, featuring Olympic gold medalist Jake Varner, at the Petroleum Club. Also appearing will be Kern County's other two Olympians, track cyclist Jimmy Watkins and hurdler Sonali Merrill. The cost is $100 per person. Call (661) 302-4455 for tickets.

 * ... FREEDOM TRAIN: From my mailbag, this one from Bill Schaefer: "Reading your items about the Freedom Train immediately had me humming the (tour) tune when it was touring the nation in 1947.  A Google search gave me the chance to hear the song again. It was written by Irving Berlin and recorded by a group including Johnnie Mercer, Peggy Lee, Bennie Goodman, Margaret Whiting and the Pied Pipers all on one recording. All proceeds went to the National Heritage Foundation. I didn't get to see the train, but I sure remember the song. Thanks for bringing back good memories."

 * ... RODEWALD: Kim Escalera answered my recent "Puzzler" asking if anyone remembered the tune that accompanied Don Rodewald's radio and television show. "Hello, I believe the answer to the question regarding the opening song is for Don Rodewald's show may be 'Popcorn' by Hot Butter.  If not, I know that it was someone's theme song back in the day.  I am kind of hoping I'm incorrect because if I'm right, I will have to bear the stamp... OMG I'm old!."

 * ... DON RESPONDS: Sorry Kim, but I spoke with Don Rodewald this week he said he never had a theme song but used to open his Wasco radio show with a "rattlely battlely thing to get everyone's attention. There really wasn't a song." Once he moved to KERO TV, he signed off his program by saying "Until tomorrow at three, when it's just you and me." Don is now living at Glenwood Gardens living the life of a retiree.