Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center celebrates a silver anniversary and it's time for another drive for towels and blankets for rescue animals

 * ... CBCC: There was a big turnout for the outdoor "silver celebration" for the Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center at its Truxtun Avenue campus. CBCC was an early pioneer in cancer care in Kern

County and has grown into a venue of hope over the past 25 years. Among those I spotted at the event, catered by Steak and Grape, were Supervisor Mike Maggard, Clinica Sierra Vista's Steve Schilling, pilot Steve Loyd, Memorial Hospital President Jon Van Boening and wife Phillis, Mercy Hospital CEO Russell Judd, CBCC director Ravi Patel, Mercy Foundation's Stephanie Weber, CASA director Colleen McGauley, clothier Tracy Walker-Kiser, Memorial's Sue Benham, Carney's Rick Kreiser and wife Lori, accountant Geoff King and wife Lisa, and the Hispanic Chambers Jay Tamsi.

  * ... DOGS: The popularity of dog breeds come and go (chihuahuas are still big) but here is a list of five breeds that one veterinarian misses. According to Dr. Marty Becker on the veterinarian website vet street.com, he sees "a lot of Chihuahuas over the exam room table these days, along with Labradoodles, Pit Bulls, Bulldogs and the eternally popular Labrador Retriever. I love them all, but I have to admit I do miss seeing some of the dogs who used to be in my waiting room, pets I rarely see now that they’ve lost the cachet they once enjoyed." Those breeds he misses: Irish Setters, Scottish Terriers, Collies, Brittanys and Cocker Spaniels.

 * ... SPOTTED: On Twitter I spotted this political tweet: "At least House Republicans managed to dismantle the Jonas Brothers."

 * ... KINDNESS: Elinor Grant wrote me a note to thank a Bakersfield police officer for watching after her and two friends. She was leaving church, headed for her car when a BPD officer slowed and made sure the three friends made it to their cars. "When he, or she, was sure we were safely on our way he continued on. A big thank you to the officer for taking the time to watch out for our safety."

 * ... SCHOLARSHIP: Good to hear that East Rotary held yet another successful event to raise money for its Joe Alexander Scholarship Foundation. The event, call the Elegant Evening of Wine, was held at the downtown home of Mark and Sue Ashley. Meir Brown of Cafe Med provided the pairing of food and wine.

 * ... SCRUFFY: Mary Moreland shared this story of 'all bark, no bite.'  "While walking my dog Scruffy in my neighborhood east of Bakersfield College,  I noticed a 'Beware of Guard Dog' sign on a home’s side gate. Behind it was a small Yorkie yapping at us. Scruffy is about 20 pounds and really sweet. I was thinking how pretentious the sign was, when the Yorkie ran to his back yard and a second later a very large German Shepard was at the gate fiercely barking! Scruffy and I went quickly on our way."

 * ... SHELTERS: Here's something worth putting on your calendar. It's that time of year again when a group of well meaning folks are gathering up blankets and supplies for animal shelters around our county. Operation Blankets of Love will be outside Petco on Gosford Road between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 9. All the towels and blankets donated there will go to shelters, rescues and sanctuaries. The group is also looking for pet toys, pet beds, crates and carriers and leashes and collars.

The fattest state in the union? Mississippi. The Centers for Disease Control releases an obesity rating list and remembering Dr. Hans Einstein

* ... GOOD CAUSE: If you're like me you have your list of favorite charity fundraisers (West Rotary's annual Cioppino Feed and St. Francis Parish School's CrabFest are near the top of mine). But another one not to miss is the "Elegant Evening of Wine" to benefit the Joe Alexander Scholarship Foundation. This is an East Rotary-inspired event that, while a bit pricey, is always a first class operation thanks to folks like Vernon Varner, Phil Icardo, Daren Alexander and others. It's a great alternative to the time consuming charity golf tournament or chicken dinner at a country club, and it's all for a good cause. This year it's set for Saturday, Sept. 29, at the downtown home of Dr. Mark and Sue Ashley. It's the 10th anniversary of the event and the 100th birthday of Joe Alexander. Tickets are going for $175 each. Contact Vern Varner for more information at (661) 979-5788.

 * ... EINSTEIN: Our community lost a giant recently with the death at 89 of Dr. Hans Einstein, one of the preeminent experts on Valley Fever. Einstein, a distant relative of Albert Einstein, was born in Berlin but his mother moved him to The Netherlands after Hitler took power. He came to the United States as an exchange student and attended Furman University. Dr. Gerhard H. Schmidt recalled this story from Einstein's mother, who had been living in England where political scandals usually involve sex. "So, when Dr. Einstein’s mother was visiting from England just after Watergate and the Nixon resignation, her big question was, 'But where’s the sex?'"

 * ... OBESITY: Obesity is a national epidemic, and now the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta has rated the states in terms of the best, and worst. The fattest state? Mississippi leads the nation with a rate of 34.9 percent, followed closely by Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana and Kentucky. Even the "most fit" states have high obesity rates. The least obese state was Colorado where 20.7 percent of the people were overweight, followed by Hawaii and Massachusetts. California came in with a rate under 25 percent.

* ... WOOD-DALE: Marlene Morales, the communications director over at the law firm of Chain, Cohn and Stiles, dropped into the Wood-Dale market for the first time recently. "It's everything I've read and now just experienced. Old fashion fresh meat counter with old fashion customer service. I felt like I was in Ozzie and Harriet's movie. Everyone waiting in line conversed with each other as we all observed the fresh meats (Harris Ranch steaks, stuffed pork chops, various sausages, bison, frog legs, scallops, halibut, etc...)  Then at the cash  register, the checker introduces herself as Darlene and proceeds to tell me that for the holidays they will be offering turducken... Turkey stuffed with duck, the duck stuffed with hen. Needless to say, it was a wonderful experience back in time and glad
Bakersfield still has old fashion values and grocery stores."

 * ... GOOD DEED: Here's a nugget to brighten your morning, compliments of reader Ginny Espinoza. Ginny's friend held a yard sale recently and a couple bought several items and paid with two $100 bills, both of which turned out to be counterfeit. "Last week the mother of the male came to my friend’s house to pay the debt! Her son was guilt-ridden (now in jail for another offense) and asked his mother to make good.  I am just hoping that he will repay her one day! I really have to give kudos to the mother – that couldn’t have been easy!"

 * ... SPOTTED: Peter and Patty Wonderly and a friend were running the foothills just north of Morning Drive and Paladin recently when "we noticed a pickup truck parked on the edge of the hilltop. We ran up the side hill and as we crested the top we witnessed a young couple in the truck bed - complete with mattress - scrambling to get into their clothes. Hey - keep it classy, folks."