West Rotary spins off another successful Cioppino Feed at Monsignor Leddy Hall, Jersey Mike's Subs shows some good form and more memories from the old Hart Park archery club

 * ... CIOPPINO: I don't know how the folks over at West Rotary prepare clams and cioppino for 500 people, and serve it hot and steaming without missing a beat, but I hope they keep doing it. I am

talking about the annual Cioppino Feed at Monsignor Leddy Hall that benefits so many worthy causes, a three hour feast and social  that rivals just about any other fund raiser in town. The Saturday event was yet another sell out, more good news for its beneficiaries this year: the West Rotary Breast Cancer Fund, the West Rotary Stroope Family Foundation, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Kern County and the Alliance Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault.

 * ... NETWORKING: In addition to raising money for good causes, events like the Cioppino Feed serve an important role in our community in terms of networking and bringing people together. Among those I spotted there were Mayor Karen Goh, Assemblyman Vince Fong, District Attorney candidates Cynthia Zimmer and Scott Spielman, Supervisor Zack Scrivner and wife Christina, Rabobank's Kym Moore, Mission Bank's Lisa Boydston, Mike and Dona Chertok, Pat and Terri Collins, Gina Pearl, Ron Eaves, Al Sandrini, Jack Gotcher, Realtors John and Katy Glentzer, Adventist Health's Kevin Burton and all those West Rotarians who made it happen, starting with President Angela Paquette to Rick Kreiser, Ricki Peace, Howdy Miller, and so many more.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I had a great time. Not tonight, but I've had a great time before."

* ... KEYSTONE: Former oil executive Lynn Blystone dropped me this note: "Jobs aside, it makes total sense for the nation's security to be directly tied into North America's biggest petroleum reserve with the Keystone LM Pipeline."

 * ... GOOD FORM: Hats off to Carrie Asbury and the other owners of the three Jersey Mike's Subs deli and sandwich shops for stepping forward to support the Alzheimer's Disease Association of Kern County (ADAKC). This Wednesday only, 100 percent of all Jersey Mike's sales will be donated to the ADAKC to support its new facility off Buena Vista Road.

* ... FOUNDATION: If you are involved with a non-profit focused on summer based literacy programs or animal welfare, make sure you check out the The Bakersfield Californian (family) Foundation that has put out calls for its Spring grant cycle. Proposals for grants are now being submitted. Only 501(c)3 organizations need apply, and for details go to www.bakersfieldcalifornianfoundation.org.

 * ... GARCES MEMORIAL: Congratulations to four local folks who are being inducted into the Hall of Honor by the Garces Memorial High School Alumni Board. They include Tom Anchordoquy, class of 1965; Arnold Cattani, class of 1964; Yolanda (Papasergia) Griffiths, class of 1951; and Frank Maitia Jr., class of 1960. In addition the Mac and Stella McMurtrey family will be recognized with the legacy family award. The 10th annual Hall of Honors Banquet is set for Saturday, April 29, at Monsignor Leddy Hall.

 * ... HART PARK ARCHERY: My post recalling the days in the 1950s when an archery club held tournaments at Hart Park triggered this memory from Lyn Switzer Kalar: "I too remember spending lots of weekends with my folks, Darwyn and Bette Switzer, at Hart Park babysitting the archers' kids or participating as a teenager in the youth group. We went to the state tournament one year and camped at Griffith Park in the middle of the horse track. During the tournament the dads took the kids to the zoo and not until the moms came back to camp after the tournament did anyone realize that one of the kids had been left at the zoo! Good job dads!"

Milk tops all commodities in total value in Kern County for 2011 and a reunion brings Vietnam vets together

* ... GOT MILK? Did you know that the highest grossing commodity in Kern County last year was milk? That's right, according to the Kern County Department of Agriculture milk shot to the top of the list after ranking fourth in 2010. Following milk were almonds, grapes, citrus, carrots and pistachios. The department said Kern County reached a milestone in 2011 by topping the $5 billion gross production value for the first time ever. The top five commodities - milk, almonds, grapes, citrus and carrots - make up 70 percent of the total value of all commodities.

 * ... LIFE SAVER: Reader Teresa Hutson wrote to recognize Terry Pederson, a Bakersfield High School teacher who may have just saved a life on a field trip to Los Angeles. "As they were unloading the bus, Terry noticed a frantic woman with her child. The woman was panicked because she couldn't figure out what was wrong with her child. Terry recognized that the child was choking, and took the child from the mother. She gave the child a firm pat on the back and lo and behold a piece of candy about the size of a quarter shot out of her mouth...  If Terry hadn't been there at that moment, and because the mother was panicked and couldn't react sensibly it could have turned out to be a terrible tragedy.  Kudos to Terry and her quick response."

* ... OVERHEARD: Vince Rojas, retired head of Kern Schools Federal Credit Union, is relating a story about spotting a woman in the old Mervyn's parking driving with a plastic bag full of trash stuck in the driver's door. "I motioned to alert her to the bag, so she opens the door and lets the trash fall to the ground and drives off. I couldn't believe it."

* ... REUNION: Fred Drew and wife Linda traveled to Fort Benning, Ga., recently for an emotional reunion with men he served with in the Tay Ninh area of Vietnam. He was just a 22-year-old  captain when he went to Vietnam in 1969, and the reunion brought him face to face with 18 of the 165 men in the company he commanded. "Among those attending was my executive officer, one of my platoon leaders, my driver, and two of my platoon sergeants. We had several planned activities, one of which was to recognize Danny Peterson, who was killed in action in a heavy action on Jan. 9, 1970, and who was later awarded the Medal of Honor. There was a lot of emotion and joy and a few beers. These were the guys who helped make my command a success.  I owe them a lot.  America owes them a lot, as we do our current soldiers in harm's way." (Vietnam war file photo)

 * ... TOILET LOVE: Who knew that giving away new toilets would be such a big hit? It was all in the name of water conservation, and last week the West Kern Water District in Taft, Cooper's True Value Hardware Store and the Water Association of Kern County partnered to host "Junk Your John Day" in Taft. Customers of West Kern brought in old, inefficient toilets and swapped them for new, water efficient toilets. The event was a huge success and 121 toilets were traded out.

 * ... GARCES: The folks over at Garces Memorial High School have reached out to a neighbor who complained about the fireworks every year at the school's homecoming game. New to the neighborhood last year, the woman was not aware of the fireworks which spooked her new cat, who was killed by two dogs who had escaped their own yard. Homecoming for Garces is Friday night, and Lou Ann Durrett at Garces told me that the school would distribute fliers letting everyone know about the fireworks.  "We feel awful about your reader’s rescued cat. Hopefully we can avoid having that happen again," she said.