Bakersfield College speeds up plan to spend Measure J money, the Bakersfield Marathon rolls through town and voters are furious with our Board of Supervisors for rejecting the music festival plan

 * ... BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE: Bakersfield College is rolling out its plans to spend more than a half billion dollars raised by Measure J, and it looks like the building and improvement program may

go faster than expected. BC President Sonya Christian told me there was initially a 20-year plan to spend the money, but some of the college trustees (including Kay Meek and Bill Thomas) want a more aggressive building schedule. I think that's a good idea. Those of us who voted for the bond measure really don't want to wait two decades to see results. One of the first capital improvement plans, to build a Veterans Resource Center, was unveiled this week.

 * ... MARATHON: So where will you be this Sunday when the Bakersfield Marathon rolls through town? If you are smart, you will review the marathon route, grab a cup of coffee (and your dog if you have one) and plant yourself in a shady spot to cheer on the runners. And hats off to the organizers of this event, which puts our community in a positive light.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Woke up early so I could get in a few extra minutes of being angry on-line today."

 * ... OVERHEARD: A friend of mine, frustrated with a problem, said this: "When I have more than $500 in my bank account, I think about leaving and starting another life."

 * ... MUSIC CENTER: Social media lit up with frustration after the Board of Supervisors denied a proposal to build a music event center off Interstate 5 on land owned by Phil and Daniel Rudnick. Interestingly, the criticism seemed to come from all ages, borne out of a frustration that our ruling political class too often seems to find ways to say "no" to opportunities that other communities so routinely enjoy. The responses included this satirical one from local veteran Chad Garcia: "Welcome to Kern County! We have a train museum and an old boxcar that a country music legend lived in that you can visit. Oh! And a lot of bars filled with people who will fight you. And meth. A lot of meth."

 * ... MORE MUSIC: My take on the music festival proposal: Are our supervisors so comfortable in their own personal wealth and social position that they feel they can say no to projects that will provide jobs, paychecks and opportunities to so many in our community that live hand-to-mouth? Does the greater good ever trump objections from a few well heeled neighbors?

 * ... GOOD FORM: Roy Parks made my day when he sent me this message: "On Sunday (11/05) I went to an ATM at Bank of the Sierra's new branch on California Avenue. I later discovered I did not have my wallet. I returned to the ATM but my wallet was gone. Returning home I envisioned the nightmare of contacting credit cards, DMV, insurance, etc. My house has a mail slot that empties into a hallway. There was my wallet! A very kind and honest person had driven to my house and returned my wallet. I wish we could have met. Another tale of good people in Bakersfield."

 * ... BLACK WIDOWS: Bill Casey worked for a pest control company and knows something about the infestation of black widow spiders. Said Casey: "I have never seen them this bad before. I usually do night patrol in the summer, twice a month, and then once a month in September, October.  I had to double my attacks this year. I must have killed 200 black widows this summer. Three made it into the house, but must have gotten into my spray area outside before getting in, and were sick or dead when I found them. With cooler temperatures they try to come inside where it's warm, and this can be a dangerous time for families with children. It's a good idea to check in dark areas, closets and under furniture for them."

  * .. MORE WIDOWS: And lastly, Irene Gorman added this: "The widow also comes in cream color and has bright red markings on its body, quite pretty. My son worked for Texaco many years ago... in Long Beach." The advice from her son? If it is black, squash it to keep from being bitten. Her son has since passed but she was left with one enduring memory of Signal Hill in Long Beach: the beautiful emerald green 'jumping spiders.'

Phil and Daniel Rudnick hope to put Buttonwillow on the map by creating a world class concert and festival center, in praise of the Yeti cooler and correcting the record on the old Padre Hotel

 * ... MUSIC FESTIVAL: Is Kern County ready to host its own Coachella-style music festival? Phil and Daniel Rudnick believe so and are trying to push through a plan to build a world class music festival venue off 7th Standard Road and Interstate 5. The venue would house up to 65,000 concert

goers and provide shuttle buses, RV parking for 700 vehicles, camping areas for another 2,200 people as well as security, stages, toilets, showers and food booths. The best part of it all? It won't cost the taxpayers a penny because all costs are picked up by the Rudnicks. Stay tuned as this is headed for a a Nov. 7 hearing with the county. If you support this idea, and I do, contact your supervisor to let him or her know. For more information go to the projects website CalCentre.com.

 * ... REMEDIAL CLASSES: It looks like the California State University System isn't the only public university system to scrap the concept of remedial classes. Colorado, Indiana, Tennessee, West Virginia and Florida are also rethinking the concept, which has come under attack for being an ineffective way to gauge student preparedness. Consider this from The Wall Street Journal: "For the class of students who started in 2009, the six year graduation rate across the California State University System was 66 percent for students who didn't need any remedial classes. It was 45 percent for those who took remedial classes in both math and English."

 * ... YETI COOLERS: Have you heard of the Yeti cooler? It is a basic plastic cooler but is so popular in some parts of the country that people pay up to $1,300 for the top of the line Yeti Tundra 350. A country song has been written about the Yeti ('Buy Me a Boat' by Chris Janson) and Miranda Lambert swears by hers. Yeti coolers started off as favorites of hunters and anglers, but burst into widespread popularity a few years ago with the introduction a stylish soft cooler that goes for the princely fee of around $300.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Get a head start on preparing for winter by beginning your seasonal depression on the first day of fall."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "I just read that Hugh Hefner passed away, but I only read the obituary for the articles."

 * ... PADRE HOTEL: Memo to 23ABC KERO TV which erred in a story on earthquakes by saying the Padre Hotel was constructed of brick and would be at risk of collapsing during a quake. Said Brett Miller, whose company renovated the Padre and now owns and operates it: "The Padre survived the big one because of the reinforced concrete structure. They have done a disservice to us by not fact checking."

 * ... MEMORIES: Did you know that John Philip Sousa and his "distinguished band" arrived by train and performed at the old Bakersfield Operation House (the old Hill Theater) on Nov. 1, 1909? An advertisement in the Bakersfield Californian announced that "the March King is in excellent health and a thoroughly enjoyable concert is a firm expectation of the local lovers of the best in music." Thanks to the Facebook page Kern County of Old for posting this.