More evidence that diet sodas are bad for us, it's snake season in Kern County and First Friday features a creative pairing of photography and painting

 * ... SODAS: There's more evidence that drinking diet soda is bad for you. The latest comes from researchers who studied more than 4,000 people over the age of 45 and found a clear link between

diet soda consumption and an increased risk for stroke and dementia. Said The New York Times: "The study, in the journal Stroke, found that compared with those who did not drink diet soda, people who drank one of six artificially sweetened drinks a week had twice the risk of stroke. There were similar, although weaker, associations for dementia risk."

 * ... FIRST FRIDAY: If you are downtown for First Friday this week, don't miss a special show at The Metro Galleries featuring the photography of Don Martin and paintings by David Gordon. The idea: take the stunning nature photographs by Martin and have Gordon transfer them to paint on canvas, resulting a creative pairing of art reflecting the beauty of our community. Take in dinner at one of our downtown eateries (Uricchio's Trattoria, Chef's Choice Noodle Bar, Jin Sushi, The Padre Hotel, Muerto's, The Mark to name a few) and then head over to the arts district to soak it all in.

 * ... SNAKES: Heads up everyone because we are entering the peak season for snakes on our hiking trails and bike paths. I spotted two in the last week, sunning on stretches of the bike path, and you can bet there are more lurking in the weeds in Hart Park and along the Kern River. Enjoy the outdoors, but step carefully.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "It’s crazy that when Miley Cyrus gets naked and licks a hammer, it’s 'art'…. but if I do it, I’m 'wasted' and have to leave Home Depot."

 * ... SUNDAY EATS: Good news for downtown residents who often complain that most restaurants are closed on Sunday. Cafe Smitten, the popular new coffee and sandwich place on 18th Street, is now opening on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

 * ... GOOD FORM: Hats off to the West High School class of 1976 for providing $6,000 to the school for scholarships. The class recently held its 40th reunion and raised the money to provide for scholarships for three students. Wouldn't it be great if every reunion provided scholarships for those in need?My thanks to Lamar Kerley for passing this along.

 * ... MEMORIES: Lavania Poznoff shared this memory of old Bakersfield: "Re your mention of the Crystal Inn and its location on South Union Avenue. I seem to remember the Basque Club was formerly the Rainbow Gardens where a few times I danced the Western 2-Step to the tunes of Cousin Herb and his band, with Billy Mize on steel guitar."

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And finally, R. Short added this: "As a resident of Bakersfield in the 1940s I remember the dance halls along Union Avenue this way ,south to north: The 2307 Club (primarily black patrons); The Rainbow Gardens (primarily Okie patrons); The Crystal Inn (primarily country patrons); Maison/Jaussaud? (primarily wealthy patrons); Saddle and Sirloin (primarily middle to wealthy patrons)."

Neighbors square off against each other in the Bakersfield Country Club area over a proposal to gate off parts of the community, and David Gordon takes over the Arts Council

 * … GATES: There is a mini-storm brewing up in the Bakersfield County Club area where some residents are asking the county for permission to gate off parts of the neighborhood. The gates would be installed at Dalehurst Drive and Wingfoot, Wingfoot and Country Club and at Pinehurst and Country

Club, even though a number of homes in that area are already behind their own private gates  I am told a spike in home burglaries has led to this proposal, but opponents say it will only divide the neighborhood and funnel traffic down non-gated streets, not to mention close off streets to folks who like to take a morning walk. I have a feeling this topic will make the installation of cul-de-sacs in Westchester look like walk in the park.

 * … ARTS COUNCIL: I was happy to hear that David Gordon has been appointed director of the Arts Council of Kern. Gordon is an accomplished artist himself and a former employee of the Bakersfield Museum of Art. His experience will no doubt be an asset to the Arts Council, which has struggled in recent years to remain relevant.

 * … OLD SALT: My pal and Navy veteran Gene Bonas provided this shout out to all his fellow submariners: "Thought you'd like to know that on April 11, 1900, the Holland VI was acquired by the U.S. Navy. Although not actually commissioned as a warship until October 12, 1900, April 11th is celebrated as the birthday of the U.S. submarine fleet.  The U.S.S. Holland was considered to be the world's first truly successful submarine. In honor of our special day, this Friday all submariners are encouraged to wear their 'dolphins' to work or play.  Happy birthday, fellow bubbleheads!

* … SPOTTED: Talk about bad form. Cheryle DeMarco was at the Target store on Mall View Road a few months ago when she spotted this:  "I was getting in my car which was parked about three spaces down from the entrence. I looked at the car parked in front of me and a little girl (about 8 or 9) was unloading quite a bit of trash right onto the parking lot. Her mother stood at the opened car door on the other side looking all around the lot like pretending to not see what she probably told her daughter to do, throw all the trash from the car out. We were only about 40 feet from a trash can. I thought this is one reason we have a litter problem. Parents teach their kids this bad habit. I always made my kids throw their trash out, even in places like the movie theater. You clean up after yourself, simple as that!"

 * … MORE TRASH: Deanna Haulman extended props to the Just Johnson Park Work Center. "These young men and women are faithfully out at Hart Park Monday through Friday cleaning rest rooms and picking up trash that people are too lazy to do.  I think even if large trash bags were provided it still wouldn't help because these are the same people who can't walk 20 steps to a large trash can. There are those that leave their trash bags but do not realize or don't care that the park critters get into those bags at night."

 * … GRANT: Hats off to the Kern Economic Development Corp. and the East Bakersfield High Health Careers Academy for winning a $15,000 grant to prepare the local workforce to fill healthcare positions in Kern County. The grant will support the purchase of medical equipment for Academy students to practice treatment solutions as well as job shadowing at Kern Medical Center. The grant came from the Office of Statewide Planning and Development.

The best image from the government shutdown: World War II vets pushing back barriers to visit the WW II memorial in Washington, D.C. And a woman searches for her beloved lost Yorkie

 * ... HONOR FLIGHTS: One of the more inspiring images to come out of this regrettable government shutdown are the dozens of military veterans crossing the barricades to view the World War II memorial. Two groups of Honor Flight veterans, one from Mississippi and one from Michigan, removed the barriers the National Park Service had erected to keep people out. The irony, of course, is that these men and women are visiting a memorial that honors their own service. And why the government felt the need to "close" the memorial by erecting barricades is beyond me. They are, after all, memorials erected outdoors so folks can view then on their on time and schedule. Finally, it is worth noting the federal government contributed just $16 million of the $197 million price tag to build the World War II memorial, the rest paid for by veterans, corporations and other taxpayers.

 * ... LOST DOG: A small Yorkie that belongs to a disabled widow has apparently been stolen out of her yard. This all happened about two weeks ago when the woman's neighbor was having a well attended garage sale. The woman walked outside to go to her mailbox and was followed by her two-pound Yorkie. When she noticed it was gone just minutes later, neighbors launched a search but it could not be found. Said a friend: "We live in a gated community (off Stockdale Highway) and this dog is her life," she said. "Someone picked up this dog and left with it. It is like the kidnapping of a child; it is all she has." The dog is chipped, collared and goes by the name Fancy. There is a reward offered. If you see this dog, call (661) 549-6733.

 * ... MOUNTAIN LION: My earlier blog posts about bobcats and mountain lions being spotted in the Southwest sparked this note from reader Mary Lewis. "About two months ago I thought I saw a mountain lion in a field on Brimhall and Coffee. Shortly after that my neighbors cat disappeared for three days only to return scared to go outside. Then my cat disappeared for a few days, returned injured and scared to leave the house. Obviously something was out there. Two weeks ago my daughter was in our front yard with our cat at 11:30 p.m. when she heard a loud roar coming from the field behind our house. She and the cat ran inside. So was it the bobcat or could I have seen a mountain lion?"

* ... GOOD FORM: With all the issues facing our stray animals, it's good to hear the story of a woman named Kathleen Davis and what she has done to help a stray dog off Porterville Highway. Coworker Linda Lincoln told me Davis spotted the emaciated dog "weaving along the road, nearly starved to death, scars all over his body, and a long chain around his neck. Kathleen called him ‘Big Head’ because of his emaciated body. Kathleen sees to it that he has fresh food and water daily. At first, the dog was very wary of her because of the abuse he was subjected to, now Big Head runs to her, grabs her legs to prevent her from leaving, and wants to play with her. The chain has fallen off the neck and his hair has grown back in! We worry about the dog going through another winter living in a culvert.  We are desperately trying to find a forever home for ‘Big Head.’ If anyone is interested he will come with all his shots, will be neutered, and with a dog house... I am proud to call Kathleen Davis my friend!" If interested you can email Davis at katbutch@yahoo.com

 * ... FIRST FRIDAY: I got a sneak peak of some absolutely stunning art that will be on display at First Friday. The work is the product of David Gordon, a former employee of the Bakersfield Museum of Art whose art continues to evolve as it captures not only Kern County, but Los Angeles and San Francisco as well. The show is titled "Further" and 30 pieces will be displayed at The Metro Galleries on 19th Street. It is well worth checking out.

 * ... BAKERSFIELD: J.D. Logan called to remember a young man named Napoleon Bradley, who Logan said was the first man from East Bakersfield to be killed in the Korean War. He said Bradley graduated from East Bakersfield High School either in 1949 or 1950.

Enjoying a Passover Seder, the generosity of the Gay family and showing really bad form in Bako

 * ... PASSOVER: I enjoyed the company of some dear old friends and a few new ones at a Passover Seder meal at the home of the remarkable Wendy Wayne and her political consultant husband Gene Tackett. The meal focuses on retelling the story of the Jewish exodus from Egypt, but you don't have to be Jewish to join in the inspiring narrative. Wendy prompted each of us to discuss a "plague" in society, and all the usual suspects turned up: disease, loneliness, despair, poverty, illiteracy, ignorance etc. But there was also a long list of things to be thankful for: health, friendship, hope, love, children, faith, even good wine. What is on your list?

 * ... CSUB SIGNAGE: A new digital billboard showcasing Cal State Bakersfield has gone up at the Stockdale Highway entrance, thanks to the generosity of the Dean and Adah Gay family. This is just the latest local institution to benefit from the Gay family. If you haven't seen it, it's worth a look.

 * ... YOUNG GUNS: Was encouraged to hear that three of the folks involved in the mid-course update of the Vision 2020 planning documents are young folks who all graduated from CSUB and chose to stay in town. They include Brooke Antonioni (North High),  Christina Dixon (Highland High), and Alice Huang (South High).  Susan Hersberger, the public affairs director of Aera Energy, told me that "perhaps not so coincidentally, all three are also graduates of Leadership Bakersfield.  Brooke works for TransWest Security;  Christina and Alice are Aera employees. Leading the Vision 2020 update is veteran community leader Kay Pitts (also with Aera) who recruited the trio and other young talent for this project."



 * ... FIRST FRIDAY: Another "First Friday" is upon on and the downtown arts district will be alive once again. At the risk of repeating myself: if you have not been downtown in a while, give it a try. These events are always well attended and all the arts galleries will be spruced up and featuring interesting exhibits. Metro Galleries over on 19th Street will be featuring the work of David Gordon from the Bakersfield Museum of Art. Titled "Frond Frauds" it is a series of local landscape paintings featuring palm trees. It all begins around 6 p.m. and goes as long as you wish.

 * ... SPACEPORT: Millie Hylton, one of the long-time morning regulars at my gym, passed along an interesting tidbit about her grandson Steve Waid. Turns out that Waid is overseeing the construction of a two-mile runway that will represent the first phase of Spaceport America, the world's first facility designed specifically for commercial space travel. The New Mexico Spaceport Authority has already let $90 million in contracts to such clients as Virgin Galactic and Lockheed Martin. Millie's daughter, Patty Waid, passed along a story featuring Steve in a recent edition of the AmericanWay magazine which appears in the seat pockets on the air carrier.

 * ... REALLY BAD FORM: Am I the only one offended by the number of lifted pickup trucks around town sporting a pair of fake bull testicles dangling from the trailer hitch? I never considered myself a prude but this seems like a case of bad taste run amok, another example of legal visual pollution  that I could do without. Didn't your mother teach you better? A quick Google search found some efforts in the Florida and Virginia legislatures to ban such offensive gestures, though it's hard to legislate bad taste. And so it goes.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You know you're from Bakersfield when "people break out coats when the temperature drops below 70."

First Friday to feature David Gordon's work

 We have another "First Friday" in the downtown arts district this weekend. Lots going on but thought I'd preview some of David Gordon's art that will be on display at the Metro Galleries. David works at the Bakersfield Museum of Art and his stuff just keeps getting better. Enjoy.

Bako Bits: foreclosures move to higher end homes and an update on community treasure Marv Steinert

 * ... MORE SCARY HOUSING NEWS: I'd love to share some good news on the housing front but the truth is our country and are community remain mired in a nasty mess that will likely linger on for a good time to come. More evidence of that came from the Wall Street Journal that reported that an increasing number of foreclosures are now coming in the high end market. Up to this point, the lion's share of foreclosures have been coming in the entry level market, where many folks got in way over their heads thanks to aggressive lending and "creative financing." Yet now we learn the high end accounted for 30 percent of the foreclosures in June, up from 16 percent when all this started three years ago. You can read the full Journal report here but this is disturbing data on any level. Some of these foreclosures involve so called "exotic mortgages" like interest only vehicles, which are virtually impossible to refinance once the property is less worth than the loan. Add to that folks losing their jobs at all levels, and we have a problem. From the Journal story:

 "The report shows that foreclosures, after declining earlier this year, began to accelerate in the late spring and that more expensive homes have more recently accounted for a growing share of all foreclosures. "The slope of that curve in recent months is much sharper than it was recently," said Stan Humphries, chief economist for Zillow. Rising foreclosures among more-expensive homes could create added pressure for a housing market that has shown signs of stabilizing in recent months as sales of lower-priced homes pick up."

 * ... UPDATE ON MARV:  Heard the other day that local businessman Marvin (Marv) Steinert continues to battle a condition that has left him virtually blind. A couple months ago Marv came down with something called "temporal arteritis," an inflammation or damage to the blood vessels that supply the head. It apparently has affected his eyesight to the point where he cannot see, but he is hanging tough, taking visitors and staying involved in the community. Marv is one of the most personally generous - and good spirited - businessmen in our community, and he has spread his largess to non-profits across town. Keep him in your thoughts.



 * ... LOCAL KID WINS AWARD: Kudos to Jadon Gauthier, a Bakersfield High School grad and Biola University student, for picking up another award for "Jitensha" (Bicycle), a short film shot on location in Tokyo. (read previous story here) Jadon is a junior down at Biola and the son of Jay Gauthier, a manager at Guardian Guaranty Corp. The film didn't win anything at the Venice Film Festival but did pick up a Crystal Heart Award from the Heartland Film Festival. Jadon says "it nominates us for an opportunity for a $10,000 Vision Award for short film!" He says the movie cast and crew (check out the website here) is waiting to find out if Jitensha will be selected for the prestigious Sundance film festival.

 * ... VIA ARTE A SUCCESS: Stopped by the Via Arte exhibit over at The Marketplace this weekend and was amazed at the crowd and pleasantly impressed with some of the terrific chalk art. This is one of the signature events for the Bakersfield Museum of Art and it wouldn't be a success without folks from the museum like executive director Bernie Herman, Emily Falke and David Gordon, who put in long hours to make this a success. (Photo courtesy of Barbara Reid)

Don Martin's eternal quest to bring art to B-town

You really have to admire Don Martin over at Metro Galleries. I've featured Don many times on this blog and all for good reason: he's one of the pivotal players in bringing a thimble full of culture to our community, which after all is known more for its adult illiteracy rate than for art. (read previous posts here) One caveat: lots of other folks have been busy on the local art scene, like the Arts Council of Kern and the Bakersfield Museum of Art, but what Martin and his involvement with First Fridays has done is to make it fun and cool and relevant to a much younger crowd. So you have to really hand it to Valley Republic Bank, the new bank in town, for asking Don to handle a special exhibit coinciding with the bank's grand opening this week.
Don says he sold the bank several pieces for its permanent collection but he'll also have works by Keith Wicks, Art Sherwyn, David Gordon and Bonnie Hineline-Kemper on view. The show is set for this Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the new Valley Republic Bank at 5000 California Avenue, Suite 100. Wine and cheese will be served. Art Sherwyn (read a previous post here) is a local artist and high school art teacher and of course David Gordon works at the Bakersfield Museum of Art.