The state of California ushers in an expected $7 billion industry next week with legal marijuana, criminals hit local churches to steal and break into cars and animal control officers capture some wild dogs on the bike path

 * ... LEGAL CANNABIS: While the city and county have opted out of regulating the legal sale of cannabis beginning next week, the emerging $7 billion state industry is moving forward. One of the

latest developments: Bill Lockyer, formerly California's top cop as Attorney General, has co-founded a company to distribute marijuana concentrates and edibles to retail outlets. That's right, the same person who was in charge of California's "war on drugs" is now hoping to cash in on the medicinal and recreational use of pot. As Lockyer told The Los Angeles Times:  “For me as somebody who was on the law enforcement side for so many years, I saw the inadequacies of the effort to regulate something just by calling it illegal. I think legalizing will help stabilize and help legitimize this industry and result in better consumer protection and other public benefits. This whole industry has to come from the dark side to the light."

 * ... CRIME: Not sure if this is a trend but car thieves seem to be singling out local churches to steal and break into cars. At least two friends had their cars stolen this Christmas, right from the parking lot of their local churches. Yet another left the service to find his car had been broken into and his wallet stolen.

 * ... DOG POUND: It was nice to see two Bakersfield animal control officers on the bike path near Manor Drive on Christmas Day looking for a pack of wild dogs that has been chasing cyclists and runners. So far they have captured six dogs, mostly pit bull mixes, while two or three remain loose.

* ... SHOPPING MAYHEM: On Christmas Eve every single shopping cart at the Target on Stockdale Highway was in use, not to mention every checkout line was open with a line. I wasn't the only shopper to wait to the last minute.

 * ... CHRISTMAS LAMENT: I spotted this on a friend's Facebook page: "I really hope to wake up to a brand new car with a huge red bow, but I’m pretty sure my husband just got me socks."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I’m pretty sure that it’s easier to leave most street gangs than it is to cancel a membership to a gym."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Everyone is talking about Star Wars and I'm here thinking about tamales."

 * ... ALARM CLOCK: Local appraiser Gary Crabtree wonders if he is alone in noticing a new alarm clock about town. "Is it just me or has anyone else noticed the new town alarm clock in the form of the 'pile driving” taking place for the Centennial Corridor project over the Kern River. For the last two weeks I’ve been awakened by the 'gong' that starts around 6:30 to 7 a.m.  I can hardly wait for them to begin on the California Avenue and Stockdale Highway’s bridges."

  * ... GOOD FORM: Sandra Morris was dining with friends at Joseph's Italian restaurant recently when a kind looking man eating by himself picked up her bill. "A friend from Nigeria is here for the holidays and we were giving her a going away party and an Italian food experience... My friend from Nigeria always says how good and generous Americans are and she got to see a fine example today."

Readers tip a hat to Chalet Basque and medical marijuana will be the focus of Californian Radio, KERN 1180

 * ... CHALET BASQUE: The son of J.B. and Marie Curutchague, former owners of the Chalet Basque, dropped me a note on behalf of his parents to thank their customers all through the years. Christian Curutchague says his father is suffering from a rare disease that has symptoms of both Alzheimer's an Parkinson's, but he is alert enough to remember his years at Chalet Basque. "If you ask them what they miss most about the restaurant business, they will always respond, 'we miss all the wonderful customers we grew to know and love throughout the community and beyond.' Today they look forward to when dad has a good day." When a reader mentioned Chalet Basque in this blog, Christian said it triggered a "bombardment of phone calls from former employees, family and friends. You can’t imagine the joy and happiness my parents felt and will continue to feel."

* ... CANNABIS: The debate over medical marijuana is showing now signs of abating, and Kern County voters will likely be deciding its fate at the ballot box. Law enforcement generally hates it, believing that cannabis storefronts attract crime, but others believe it's time to accept it for its medicinal attributes. On Monday at 9 a.m., join me on Californian Radio KERN 1180 when I will be speaking with Jeff Jarvis, one of more vocal proponents of medical cannabis, who will give us his perspective on the debate.

* .... PAJAMAS: Pat Gracey of Tehahapi doesn't really care if folks wear pajamas when they take their children to school, but she does add this caveat. "In 1943 my mother took my father to work at 6 a.m. and was wearing her white chinelle house coat (robe). Innocent enough until another lady, also in said nightwear rear ended our 1937 Lincoln Zephyr on Chester Avenue. Only the bumpers were entangled and both ladies were, in their nightdress, out jumping on the bumpers trying to disentangle them. A man came by and completed the task for them. With that picture in mind, I never drive a 'foot' or a 'mile' without being completely dressed."

 * ... SPOTTED: Friend Pete Wonderly posted this on his Facebook page: "To the woman driving slowly and erratically on 178, while eating a hamburger and texting: Jesus loves you - but I sure don't."

 * ... JAMES MCKINNEY: If you are a Bakersfield old timer you no doubt know the story of James McKinney, the outlaw who shot and killed two law enforcement officers in downtown Bakersfield back in 1903. Reader Linda Polston wrote to say that it was her great uncle, John Kelly, who helped organize the posse that tracked down McKinney at the old Chinese Joss house. McKinney was killed but not before he took down Deputy Sheriff Will Tibbett and Constable Jeff Packard.

Kern supervisors appear ready to strike down medical marijuana sales and remembering the Chinese school boycott of 1920

* ... POT LAWS: The Kern County Board of Supervisors seems poised to outlaw the sale of medicinal marijuana, despite the fact that some 20,000 local citizens have joined the cooperatives. Sheriff Donny Youngblood calls the law a sham, saying virtually anyone can qualify for a pot ID card and adding that the storefronts attract crime and other bad elements. Others, like local attorney Phil Ganong, argue that thousands of people suffering from illness and pain are benefiting from being able to legally purchase pot. What is your view? On Friday, I will be discussing the issue on Californian Radio SmartTalk 1230 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Call in at (661) 631-1230 to share your view.

* ... BAD BILLS: Got a chuckle out of a press release from the office of state Assemblywoman Shannon Grove, who pointed out some examples of government-run-amok bills introduced in the Legislature. One example: Senate Bill 432 "requires hotels to use fitted bottom sheets and not flat sheets so housekeepers won’t need to fold in corners." Said Rep. Grove: "Can’t hotels serve their patrons without state legislators telling them what they can and can’t put on their beds?" Could not agree more. (File photo of Shannon Grove)

* ... LOCAL HISTORY: The story of Bakersfield's Chinese community is a fascinating one, which is why I enjoyed reading Gilbert Gia's history of the Chinese boycott of local schools in 1910. It seems that 40 Chinese students were assigned to a special "Oriental class" at the Hawthorne School (24th and P streets). Chinese parents rebelled, arguing that their children would not learn English fast enough in a segregated classroom. One of the leaders of the boycott was Sing Lee, a respected wealthy businessman and laundry owner who died in 1922 at the age of 107. The boycott eventually failed but the local Chinese population had made its voice heard.

* ... COLLEGE COSTS:With the cost of a California college education steadily rising, a growing number of students are looking abroad for bargains at equally prestigious universities. According to Forbes, the cost of tuition at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, alma mater of Britain's Prince William and wife Kate, is $21,650. Likewise, tuition and fees at McGill Universty in Canada is $17,400. Compare that to public universities like the University of Michigan, which charges out of state students more than $40,000 a year in tuition alone, and going abroad starts to look like a real bargain.

* ... FRAUD: My mailbox is brimming with stories of credit card fraud. This one from reader Rhonda MacGillivray-Brady explaining how her husband's personal and business American Express cards were compromised. "He learned this by a phone call from the card company asking if he was in Canada as one of his cards have been used four times that day, once at a gas station for $100. Two days later, the second card was also used in Canada. I don't know what is going on or hwere these criminals obtained both of his card numbers, but at least American Express is keeping an eye out."

* ... SPOTTED: Young woman driving a green Toyota Camry down Rosedale Highway in the morning commute, shaving her chin with a razor.

* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You may be a Bakersfield old timer if you had a charge account at Brock's department store "because each generation did ... you qualified because your parents paid their bills and Mr. Brock believed that you would too." Thanks to Riley Parker for that gem.