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.

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!"