The Craft Tap House opens to ride the wave of popularities for craft beers, the food truck trend (belatedly) comes to Bakersfield and a big night planned for the Bob Elias Sports Hall of Fame

 * ... CRAFT BEER: The Craft Tap House, a new business devoted to the popularity of craft beers, opens Friday in the old Garden Spot at the corner of Oak and Truxtun. Owned by David Dobbs (Imbibe Wine and Spirits) and several investors, this tap house is almost certain to be a huge hit

among the legions of folks who crave specialty beers. There are more than 50 taps for craft beers and a full kitchen that turns out speciality burgers and other bar food. (A full bar is in the future) Located across from the high end Valentien, you can bet this will be a popular venue.

 * ... FOOD TRUCKS: I hope cooler heads prevail over this issue of food trucks on the streets of Bakersfield. The idea by some established restaurants that these trucks pose a threat to their business is nonsense, and it reminds me of the time some local restaurateurs opposed the idea of The Padre Hotel being renovated, fearing it would suck all the life out of downtown eateries. As for the Downtown Business Association, let's hope it wholeheartedly supports these new businesses and the excitement they bring to downtown. The truth is: a rising tide lifts all boats, as long as everyone is operating within the law, which at this point everyone is. And if you doubt these businesses don't add to the flavor of their community, visit Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Austin and other cities where food trucks and brick and mortar restaurants operate happily side by side.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "The only thing worse than 'the one who got away' is 'the one who won’t go away.'”

 * ... BOB ELIAS: The Bob Elias Sports Hall of Fame is celebrating its 50th year in grand style this month, honoring the 210 people who have been inducted since the organization was formed. Organizers say 115 of the 210 inductees are still alive, and 77 of them have indicated they will attend the banquet and awards ceremony at Rabobank Convention Center. The ceremony is planned for Thursday, February 25, starting with a social hour at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $80 and can be purchased at Rabobank or at Raymond's Trophy. Among those confirmed for the event is former tennis great Dennis Ralston.

 * ... MORE BOB ELIAS: And if you ever doubted the quality of the folks who contribute to sports in Kern County, check out some of the past inductees into the Hall of Fame: Ken Ruettgers, Hank Pfister Jr.,  Roger Mears, Carl Bowser, Pat Douglass, Gloria Friedman, Kevin Harvick, Joey Porter, Gabe Woodward, Jerry Quarry, Frank Gifford, George Culver, Rick Mears, Lonnie Shelton, Jeff Buckey, Bob Hampton and so many more.

 * ... SUPER BOWL: Carla Pearson is a victims advocate for the local chapter of the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and she had this to say about an earlier blog post: "In response to reader Ruth Fee, who wrote about Peyton Manning and his plug of Budweiser, MADD Kern County was certainly paying attention. While we’re not against people celebrating with an alcoholic beverage, we are certainly against underage drinking, and adamantly against those of any age drinking and driving. We were also happy to see Budweiser’s Super Bowl commercial featuring Helen Mirren (#GiveADamn), who called those who drink and drive 'oxygen-wasting human form of pollution... selfish coward,' and other truths."

Dennis Ralston checks in with Bakersfield and an alarming report on poverty in the bubble cities

 * ... RALSTON: I received a nice email from Dennis Ralston, one of the greatest American tennis players of all time who hails from Bakersfield. He recently had his left foot amputated but has been fitted with a prosthetic leg and is back at his game. "A friend forwarded your blog to me," he wrote. "We enjoyed it very much - a real trip down memory lane for us. Thanks for the mention. I am doing very well - have gotten back on the court to teach etc. Just wanted you to know we enjoyed it. We still count Bakersfield as our home - many years of wonderful memories there." Ralston graduated from Bakersfield High School and went on to play collegiate tennis at USC before joining the pro tour. He was  the No. 1 American player for three consecutive years in the 1960s and both played on and coached the U.S. Davis Cup team. He was once ranked No. 5 in the world.

 * ... SUNSHINE: Two straight days of sunshine and warming temperatures is almost enough to make one feel guilty given the snow and ice that is covering most of the country. Well, almost. These are the days that remind us why we all live here.

 * ... POVERTY: It's not surprising that there's been a spike in poverty after three bruising years of this recession. And it's also not surprising that the Central Valley shows up on most lists for suffering from some of the nation's worst economies. In a report in the January 29 edition of The Economist, the Sarasota, Florida, area saw a 4.5 percent jump in people living below the poverty line. Said the report: "All the other metropolitan areas that saw jumps of four points or more are also formerly fast growing southern and western states: Bakersfield, Boise, Greenville, S.C., Lakeland, Fla., Tucson, Az. Arizona now has the highest poverty rate in the nation, after Mississippi. The especially severe housing bust that ended the breakneck growth of these sunbelt cities has brought with it deprivation on a scale they have never previously encountered and are struggling to address."  (photo courtesy of The Economist)

 * ...  McGILL: The 1917-era McGill brownstone on 19th Street downtown has sparked a lot of interest. And now this from local art gallery owner Don Martin: "I was in Fishlips chatting with some friends about where I live and an older gentlemen sitting at the next table overheard the conversation. He asked if I lived at the McGill Building and what apartment number. He recalled babysitting in my exact apartment when he was in high school at BHS in the 1920s!"

 * ... FIRST FRIDAY: If you are heading downtown tonight for the First Friday festivities, remember that the Guild House is now open for First Friday as well. For just $5 you get a glass of wine and a variety of home-made hors d'oeuvres, and the proceeds go to a good cause: the Henrietta Weill Child Guidance center.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You know you're an east Bakersfield old timer
if you remember driving over the Mount Vernon overpass and being able to see the Thriftmart 'Big T' signs at College Center and Hillcrest, both at the same time!" Thanks to Joe Stormont for that one.

 * ... OLD-TIMER: And speaking of memories, one of my regular correspondents, Gene Bonas, dropped me a note the other day. "I thoroughly enjoy your blog. However, I can relate to so many of your 'old timer' comments that I remember something my dad used to say: 'You know you're getting old when everything either dries up or leaks.' I'm not there yet but I may be getting close!"

Tennis great Dennis Ralston sends his thoughts to Bakersfield, and remembering the 1952 earthquake

 * ...TENNIS GREAT: You don't have to be from Bakersfield to remember Dennis Ralston, arguably one of the greatest American tennis players of all time. He graduated from Bakersfield High in 1960 and went on to play at USC, rising to the top of his game in the 1960s. You may also know that he recently had his foot amputated and is now recuperating in Houston, Texas. It turns out the men's and women's tennis teams at Bakersfield College sent Ralston a thoughtful get well poster late last year, proclaiming that "Bakersfield remembers you and always will." Gene Lundquist, BCs women's tennis coach, told me he received a thank you card from Ralston the other day. "He said he was doing better and had a new foot designed for golf and tennis. He said he hoped to get back to Bakersfield and added that he needed a Dewar's fix," Lundquist said.

 * ... TRAIN RIDE: Heard from several readers about the tragic end to the Bakersfield to Buttonwillow train ride that featured a fake robbery staged by a local Lion's Club. Al Sandrini, who works at Sundale Country Club, remembers the last ride in 1959 when the actors rode their horses along the train, shooting blanks into the air and eventually stopping the train. But this is where things went wrong because others (not the Lion's Club actors) started shooting live 22 rounds at the train. "My father was standing in one of the parlor cars with some friends and a young man was struck in the head. My father attempted to stem the flow of blood with his handkerchief while others assisted. The young man died, and so did the Buttonwillow train ride."

 * ... McGILL: Reader Nancy Fieber wrote to recall being in the McGill brownstone apartment building during the 1952 earthquake that leveled much of Bakersfield. "As a newlywed, we were living at the McGill. We were routed out of our bed and had to grab the nearest articles of clothing. We had to rent an apartment elsewhere as the McGill had to have extensive repairs." Located at 19th and B streets downtown, the 12-unit McGill brownstone was built in 1917 and remains a popular destination for those who prefer the downtown lifestyle.

  * ... IVY BOUND: Nice to hear that James Nguyen, a senior at North High School, was accepted through early decision to Cornell University and will be headed there this Fall. He will be a double major in foreign economics and Japanese linguistics. Thanks to teacher Nicole Cerotsky for passing this along.

 * ... SPOTTED: From reader Wayne Marshall: On the southeast corner of Coffee Road and Rosedale Highway, a man in camouflage with a bed roll holding a sign reading, "Traveling, need help." When he flipped it over it said, "Need money for Guns and Ammo." 

* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Linda Welch wrote to say that "you know you're from Bakersfield if you remember the revolving doors on the old Bank of America at the corner of 20th and Chester. It was on the 20th Street side across from a Long's Drug Store."