RIP Pete Cattani and Bill Lee, our homeless population and former Mayor Mary K. Shell shows some resourcefulness at the Holy Smoke barbecue

 * ... RIP: Bakersfield lost a pair of local businessmen this past week. Sherman Lee, owner of Bill Lee's Bamboo Chopsticks and a major landowner downtown, died of pancreatic cancer and Pete Cattani,

owner of the Ammo Dump gun store, also passed away. Lee was 76 years old while Cattani was 84. Cattani was active in shooting competitions and his Easton Drive gun store was a must-stop among shooting enthusiasts. In June, we lost Gene Thome, owner of Bear Mountain Sports off Weedpatch Highway.

 * ... HOMELESSNESS: I moderated a panel on homelessness at CSUB recently and some of the statistics were just stunning. Some of what I heard: the homeless population is getting younger, particularly among women and their children. In addition fully 65 to 70 percent of the homeless veterans without combat experience have substance absue issues, and there is a clear distinction between panhandlers (many of whom have places to live) and the true homeless. Another worrying sign: their numbers are steadily increasing not only in Bakersfield but across the country.

 * ... DISNEYLAND: The oddest, and most stunning, photographs that appeared on Facebook this week were the pictures taken at Disneyland while the Anaheim Hills fires turned the skies an eerie blood orange. The amusement park remained open while just a few miles away the wind-whipped fire consumed a dozen expensive homes.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "The problem with drinking with people from work is they’re the ones I bitch about when I’m drunk."

 * ... PAT SAJAK: This tweet from Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak spoke volumes: "OK, let me explain this again: We're celebs. We're wiser and more empathetic than you. We are famous. Please take our opinions more seriously."

 * ... MARY K. SHELL: Former mayor Mary K. Shell has always been known for her resourcefulness and it was on display last week when she attended the Holy Smoke barbecue at Garces Memorial High School. Navy veteran Gene Bonas shared a table with the former mayor and reported this: "My wife noticed she was eating her steak with a plastic fork, so Robbie offered her one of the steak knives she always brings to BBQs for everyone to use. With a sly smile, Mary K. held up a Swiss Army knife and stated she was doing quite well. Mary K. was a totally delightful person to have dinner with."

 * ... BAD FORM: An odd sight along the bike path near North Chester this weekend when a group of riders headed west turned the corner to come upon two homeless men laughing hysterically as a muscular black pit bull was hanging from a rope tied to a tree, his sturdy jaw clenched tight to the end of the rope in an apparent show of strength.

 * ...REUNIONS: I was out and about this weekend and caught friends going to a couple of notable class reunions. The West High School class of 1987 were enjoying their 30th reunion at The Padre Hotel while Highland High class of 1977 was celebrating its 40th reunion.

What do you do when your stolen bike ends up on Craigslist? A local chiropractor tells his harrowing story, and mourning the loss of Giuseppe's in Pismo Beach

 * … CRIME: These are the days when thieves roam our community with virtual impunity. They steal our bikes, our cars, our water heaters, packages off our porches and even our sago palms (more on that another day). So what do you do when someone steals your bike and it shows up on Craigslist the next

day? That happened to local chiropractor Dr. Courtland Keith recently when his expensive Cannondale road bike was stolen out of his garage in Oleander and promptly showed up for sale on Craigslist. "I thought, you have to be kidding me?" he told me. Keith reached out to the seller and agreed to meet at Jastro Park, and then called Bakersfield police who agreed to closely watch the transaction and move in for the arrest. (For the record BPD does not recommend that citizens set up these stings) When it all went down, Keith said three BPD vehicles moved in but the thief fled on his stolen Cannondale, but as karma would have it, he was broadsided by a car on Truxtun and arrested. No word on the condition of the thief but Keith's bike was reduced to a pile of expensive rubble. "It is like being violated," Keith said. "The whole scene was surreal."

*  …GIUSEPPE'S: Let's hope the folks that own Giuseppe's Cucina Italiana in Pismo Beach decide to rebuild the landmark eatery after it was gutted by fire this past weekend. If you are from Bakersfield, chances are you have dined at the popular restaurant and even didn't mind waiting 90 minutes for a table while enjoying some of the best people-watching on the central coast.

 

 * … BAD FORM: And speaking of inviting bad karma into your life, while the Erskine fire was devouring homes and leaving thousands devastated two KGET reporters tweeted out a cheery, self serving selfie in fire gear. Someone needs to remind reporter Anne Di Grazia and her male colleague, Alex Fisher, that amid such loss and heartbreak, the story is not about them.

* … SICK BAY: Gene Thome, the gregarious owner of Bear Mountain Sports, is at home recovering from surgery to have one of his kidneys removed because of a cancerous tumor. "Thank God that he gave me two," Thome told me. The surgery was performed at the City of Hope Hospital in Duarte and Thome is back home recovering.

 * … FOODIE: Uricchio's Trattoria is featuring a summer grilled cajun chicken salad with avocado that is perfect for these hot Bakersfield days.

 * … SPOTTED ON TWITTER: From comedian Allie Borden: "If you don't like me asking what tricks they can do then please stop introducing me to your small children."

 * … SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "When my wife falls asleep in public I shake her and yell, 'DON"T YOU DIE ON ME!" When she wakes up people start clapping."

  * … GOOD FORM: Midge Bradford shared this experience at a local Walmart: "Earlier this month I shopped at the Walmart on Colony and when I departed the self checkout I left my change behind in the tray.  Even though I was sure it was gone forever I went back to see.  I was surprised to find that whoever discovered it in the tray had turned it in to the Attendant.  I would like that person to know that I am forever grateful and my faith in humanity has been restored.

Three young men get a Darwin award nomination for busting into a huge gun store overnight (yes they were arrested) and NBA legend Bill Walton will be in town Thursday to support Bike Bakersfield

 * ... DARWIN AWARDS: Just how stupid were the three young men who broke into Second Amendment Sports and were arrested after being trapped inside? Never at a loss for words, another

local gun shop owner, the colorful Gene Thome, described the two suspected gang members and a juvenile as being "industrial strength stupid," which is a nicer way of saying they should be in the running for the Darwin Awards, which recognizes folks who have "contributed to human evolution by selecting themselves out of the gene pool via death or sterilization by their own actions." Outside of banks and other financial institutions, is there a riskier place to rob or burglarize than a gun shop?

 * ... ROAD WORK: Tom Ware wrote about a construction project that has motorists fuming, particularly at rush hour. Said Ware: "It appeared that a right turn lane at the southeast corner of Calloway and Rosedale Highway was in the works. Houses have been taken down and the corner business vacated. Now, new curbs and sidewalks are in on that southeast corner as if no right turn lane is going to appear. The traffic there backs up about a half a mile at times. A designated right turn lane going on to Rosedale Highway east is badly needed. Do you have any information or pull?"

 * ... BILL WALTON: UCLA and NBA legend Bill Walton will be in Bakersfield this Thursday speaking at a fund raiser for Bike Bakersfield. His prowess on the basketball court is well known, but his messages of persistence, second chances and hope are what has defined his life since retiring in 1987. I chatted with Walton on NewsTalk KERN 96.1 on the Scott Cox show, and his energy and enthusiasm for life is intoxicating. And did you know his father was from Taft? Walton knows the oil patch, and he had this advice for local folks who have lost their jobs in the oil industry. "These are defining moments of your life when the ball bounces the wrong way," he said, noting his 30-plus surgeries on his 6 foot, 11 inch frame as well as his personal struggle with stuttering. Look at these setbacks as opportunities, he said, and with faith and persistence anything is possible. Walton will appear at the Gardens at Mill Creek (712 19th Street) from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Go to bikebakersfield.org to buy tickets.

 * ... HAPPY THOUGHT: This note from Mary Moreland brought a smile to my face: "Yesterday as I was walking my dogs Scruffy and Rusty east of Bakersfield College I noticed some chalk drawings on a driveway. I thought how great it was that despite cell phones, kids still do that. The important message in large script: LIVE LIFE HAPPY."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "You trust me holding your child? Do you know how many iPhone screens I’ve cracked?"

 * ... FOODIE: I was saddened to hear that Quig's BBQ and Catering, housed in a huge trailer that has graced the Garces circle for a few years, is closing down. Owner Scott Quig and his young family are moving to Maryland and hope to sell the trailer.

 * ...  LIBRARIES: Have you considered how you will vote on Measure F, the proposed tax to save our public libraries? Linda Fiddler is among those who supports the measure, and shares this memory from when she was a child in Taft. "I remember visiting the Taft branch library and participating in the summer reading program. After swimming at Taft High, we would spend the rest of the hot afternoon at the library picking out books, listening to stories and doing art projects. I went to the community meeting at the Taft branch recently. It looks just the same, only smaller."

The new year ushers in some tough economic worries, ammunition sales take off and a dark comedy starring Zach Galifianakis is set in the "garbage dump" that is Bakersfield

* ... LOCAL ECONOMY: It's hard to be optimistic about the local economy when we start the year with $26 a barrel oil, a stock market in full retreat and local Realtors warning the housing market will stall or even reverse. "It's going to be a tough year," one local businessman told me. "It's tough now

and it is going to get tougher." Still, as reported by John Cox in The Californian, several notable retailers are scouting the Bakersfield market for possible locations, including Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Cafe Rio Mexican Grill and Yard House and two national entertainment companies, Cinemark Theatres and Harkins Theatres.

* ... AMMUNITION: Lost in the recent series of stories about surging gun sales is the fact that ammunition sales are also going through the roof. Local gun store owners tell me that customers are routinely buying as much ammunition as they can for two reasons: the price of ammo is going up and there are fears the government will start requiring background checks for ammunition in addition to handguns and long guns. Said Gene Thome of Bear Mountain Sports: "Every time a politicians starts talking gun control, I can't keep anything in stock."

* ... BASKETS: A new dark comedy starring Zach Galifianakis is set in Bakersfield, and to no one's surprise it doesn't put us in a good light. Called "Baskets," the new FX series has Galifianakis as a rodeo clown who is forced to move back to Bakersfield to make ends meet. Here is how The New Yorker views it: "The show is set in California, though not a sun-kissed Apatovian Los Angeles, but instead a sun-blasted Bakersfield, where the most coveted job around appears to be behind the counter at Arby’s, and where one character remarks that the town is pretty, like a 'garbage dump.'" Should we care? Probably not, but you would think the script writers could find similar 'garbage dumps' much closer to home.

* ... OCSARS: The New York Post, the always irreverent tabloid, ran this headline combining the east coast snowstorm with the controversy over a possible Oscar boycott: "This weekend will be Whiter Than The Oscars."

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "The difference between in-laws and outlaws? Outlaws are wanted."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "OMG......was almost just killed by a lady driving the wrong way on 24th Street."

 * ... MEDIA MOVES: Meteorologist Colin Jackson has left KERO TV to take a job as chief meteorologist for  the NBC affiliate in in Reno. No word yet from KERO who will be Jackson's permanent successor.

* ... ACHIEVER: Hats off to Malcolm Rivera of Arvin who is now serving as chief justice of the Associated Students at the University of California at Davis. Rivera graduated from Arvin High School in 2013 and and is attending UC Davis as a Gates Millennium Scholar. Said his proud mother Regina Rivera: "We, his family, are so very proud of him and he is making a name for himself as a leader."

Bakersfield Sound legend Red Simpson and gun shop owner Gene Thome head to Tennessee for the Muddy Roots Festival, and are we becoming a nation of singles?

 * ... RED SIMPSON: Bakersfield Sound legend Red Simpson will be appearing at the Muddy Roots Music Festival outside of Nashville this weekend. And opening for him will be Gene Thome, the owner of Bear Mountain Sports who is quite the singer himself. The festival is set in Cookeville, Tennessee. Thome told me he will be sharing the stage with Shooter Jennings, son of the late Waylon Jennings.

 * ... FOOTBALL: We are headed into the first weekend of college football with all the collective hoopla and hysteria. Steve and Danielle Frolio reminded me that the Nebraska Cornhusker Group meets each game day at Goose Loonies Tavern and Grill to cheer on the red and white.  aid Danielle: "This is a local group that my husband and I started here in Bakersfield back in 2008 to bring more attention to college ball (and especially our favorite team - the Huskers) in which everyone is invited to come out and support college football, whoever your team may be. Our first game is this Saturday at 5 p.m. and we hope to have a terrific turnout. GO BIG RED!" Starting Sept. 7, Goose Loonies will open for breakfast at 9 a.m. on the weekends.

 * ... GOING SOLO: Did you know that more Americans are now living alone than ever before? According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 27 percent of Americans are living alone, compared to just 17 percent in 1970. Why? Young people are waiting longer to marry and the number of married couples has been steadily dropping, from 71 percent in 1970 to 49 percent today. The Los Angeles Times quoted a researcher as saying "the rise of living alone is the greatest social change of the last 50 years."

 * ... ROTARY: More kudos to the Twilight Rotary Club which sent 140 kids back to Mount Vernon School with free backpacks and supplies. The club also raised some money for Rotary International's Polio Plus project.

 * ... MEMORIES: Jerry Beckwith remembers the old Stan's Drive-in on the northeast corner of 19th Street and Union Avenue. "It was part of the weekend cruise along with Mitchner's and Andre's. One of the really cool things, other than the best double burgers and onion rings ever, was the Request Phone Line that was mounted on an outside wall - a direct line to KAFY Radio. I guess you could call it our 1950s version of Social Media."

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And finally this from Jimmie Hill of Oildale: "Just a little comment on Anthony Contreras and his memory of Baker and Bernard streets. The market on the northwest corner was the Stop and Shop Market owned by the Diffenbaughs. There was Herb and maybe a couple more brothers. Gene and Joe's was a sporting goods and bike shop next door. My dad was the meat cutter/butcher at the store for years and Gene and Joe's repaired my bike after it was stolen from in front of the old Granada Theatre on Monterey street. This was in the late 1940s to early 1950s."

The lawyers descend on those injured from flying shrapnel from the explosion that went awry, and Andy Vidak appears at Bear Mountain Sports to savor his victory

 * ... EXPLOSION: The planned implosion of an old power plant in Bakersfield that went awry is tragic beyond words. One man lost a leg when shrapnel flew hundreds of feet into the parking lot at a nearby Lowe's, and at least four others were injured. Given the dozens of videos posted on YouTube, it is surprising that even more people were not injured. It likely will be some time before we learn what went wrong, but by the time the lawyers are done with this, PG and E and the demotion experts will likely pay a high price for the mistake.

 * ... PARKWAY: Social media was abuzz with positive reviews of the new Westside Parkway, which opened Friday. It will be a particular boon to folks who live in the extreme Southwest and Northwest, allowing commuters to avoid the dreaded Rosedale Highway and the always clogged Truxtun Extension. I do worry about what will become of the minimalist bark landscaping after the first big rain or windstorm. Only time will tell.

 * ... VIDAK: A relaxed Andy Vidak made an appearance at Bear Mountain Sports this weekend to thank Kern County voters for helping him win the 16th state Senate runoff against Leticia Perez. Bear Mountain Sports owner Gene Thome always puts on a good show for his annual dove season sale, and Vidak was at center stage along with music by the Bakersfield Rhythm Boys and the raffle of a rifle. Vidak, a Hanford cherry farmer, takes office later this month. (photo courtesy of Gene Thome)

 * ... JINGLE: Here's a question that Stephen A. Montgomery has been wrestling with. Let me know if you can help. "Back in the late 1950s and early 1960s on KAFY, then the radio station of choice for young people, there was an ad with the voice of a speaker using a mock cartoonish hillbilly accent advertising some business on Wible Road; '...Waa-aable Road!' as he said it. Friends and family remember the ad but none of us can remember what it was promoting. Since then there have been a couple of changes on Wible Road, such as SR 99 on one or the other side of it and a lot of construction post dating that time, but we are trying to remember what long ago business sponsored that ad."

 * .... MEMORIES: Another memory from long time ago compliments of reader Elinor Grant. "Does anyone remember the oriental auction house? It was on Eye Street across the alley from the old Newberry store in the 1930s. I purchased a small coin purse made in China. Just recently I passed it on to a friend who intends to pass it on to his daughter. Still in mint condition! (the coin purse that is)."

Bakersfield Californian tapes pilot for new video streaming sports program

The Bakersfield Californian's video division is taping a new pilot program for local sports. Hosted by sports reporter Mike Griffith, this shoot featured longtime outdoor's columnist Steve Merlo and Gene Thome, owner of Bear Mountain Sports. They covered new gun laws, gun and ammunition control and popular new weapons. Stay tuned. Much more to come.

Californian Radio tackles gun control with guests Donny Youngblood, Kern County Sheriff, and Gene Thome, owner of the gun store Bear Mountain Sports

* ... GUN CONTROL: With the Democrats holding a super majority in the California legislature, it's a sure bet that our state's already tough gun laws are about to get much stricter. So what is next? Background checks on buying ammunition? More restrictions on the types and models of weapons that can be sold? On Monday, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood will be on Californian Radio KERN 1180 to talk about gun control, the recent shooting in Taft and the 2nd Amendment. We will also be joined by Gene Thome, the owner of Bear Mountain Sports on Weedpatch Highway. Tune in at 9 a.m. to join a lively discussion on the hot issue of the day.

* ... FISHER: Fisher Communications, the company that owns KBAK TV and the Fox affiliate KBFX, appears to be up for sale. Industry insiders say the company is exploring "strategic alternatives" because of pressure from billionaire investor Mario Gabelli. Fisher also owns TV stations in Portland, Seattle and Boise among other markets. It is not certain if the company will be sold as a group or broken apart, and it is too early to tell what that will mean for the local staff and the direction of KBAK and the local Fox affiliate.

 * ... SPOTTED: Reader Virginia Childres submitted this about a homeless person she spotted on a local street. "I read this morning about the sign your friend saw and I remembered the funniest one I saw yesterday. I laughed again every time I thought of it, 'I'm too ugly to prostitute and too dumb to get a job. Just give me money.'"


 * ... HARVARD: Joe Feghali is a graduate of Stockdale High School who is now attending Harvard University, and he has returned to talk to other Bakersfield students about getting into Harvard and other elite schools. He will speak to students at Stockdale and 15 other local high school and middle schools this month.

 * ... NRA DINNER: Don't forget the annual Southern Valley Friends of the National Rifle Association dinner and auction which is set for Friday, February 1, at the Bakersfield Elks Lodge. Dinner tickets at $50 each and there will be opportunities to enter special drawings. Call Cyndi Benson if you are interested in sponsorships or donations, (661) 205-8569.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You may be a Bakersfield old timer if you remember Banducci's Corner at Weedpatch and Edison highway as a great place for lunch.

Juicy Burger readies to expand to a second location and Californian Radio will host Rep. Shannon Grove to talk about our dysfunctional legislature

 * ... JUICY: One of our community's local success stories is the success enjoyed by the privately run Juicy Burger restaurant on 24th Street, open since November of 2010. It has created a large and loyal following and was awarded the "best burger" and "best new restaurant" by Californian readers its first year in business. The owners, Moe Mathuna and Justin Smith, also run the Dreyer's Ice Cream Parlor in the same complex. Now comes word the owners are expanding and will open a second location for both Juicy Burger and Dreyer's off Hageman and Calloway next month.

 * ... GRAPES: Did you know that California produces 99 percent of all the table grapes grown in the United States? And in California, Kern County is the top producer of table grapes? About a third of the grapes grown here are destined to export, to places like Canada, Mexico, China, Central America and Australia. I spent Sunday driving through the lush vineyards off Famoso Road and it looks like we'll have another rich harvest of the popular red seedless grapes. If you are new to town and have not experienced a leisurely drive through our vineyards, treat yourself to this amazing experience. (photo courtesy of A. Domingo)

 * ... GROVE: Tune into Californian Radio (KERN 1180) Monday at 9 a.m. to weigh in on several hot topic issues. I'll be chatting with Assemblywoman Shannon Grove about the dysfunctional state Legislature and its inability to find common ground. Last week the state Senate voted down a bill that Grove said would have "accelerated the cumbersome process of dismissing teachers that commit horrific actions upon school children." Said Grove:  “It is absolutely appalling that most Democrats are so beholden to the teachers union and their large political donations that they are not willing to make even the most obvious needed reforms in order to protect our children." She will be on the show at 9:15 a.m.

 * ... GUNS: Also for KERN 1180 Monday: What if you ran a sports store and Facebook would not let you advertise because it refuses to run ads featuring guns? That's just the case facing Gene Thome, the owner of Bear Mountain Sports on Weedpatch Highway. Gene will be coming on the radio Monday to share his frustration and talk about dove season and the gun business. (Gene Thome, left, in file photo)

* ... HONOR FLIGHT: The local group behind the "Honor Flights" that send aging veterans to our nation's capital is planning on hitting the streets to raise money on Thursday, Sept. 6. Organizers said they will be seeking donations in the morning at several locations to send more of our veterans to Washington, D.C., to view the war memorials.

* ... TAFT COLLEGE: Taft College is getting ready to celebrate its 90th birthday this week with what it calls a good, old fashioned party. It is all set for Thursday beginning at noon with a 90-inch cake cutting ceremony. Officials from the college, the Taft College Foundation and Cougar alumni and friends are invited. Alumni are asked to Contact Jan Ashley at jgarrattashley@gmail.com for more information.

RIP Trevor Jones and a reader notes some really bad form at the St. Francis confirmation evening

  * ... RIP TREVOR: Bakersfield police officer Trevor Jones was just 23 years old and a week shy of being married when he died of a heart attack. One of his classmates at Stockdale High School was Jolie Brouttier, who recalled Jones a "friend to everyone, always funny and positive, the best powder puff cheerleader, and one hell of a backflipper." On graduation night at Stockdale, Brouttier said Jones performed a "stand-jump backflip right before receiving his diploma." As she noted: "Remember to express to your friends on a daily basis just how much they mean to you, whether you are young or old." (photo courtesy of Jolie Brouttier)

* ... BAD FORM: Just when you think you have heard everything comes this example of really bad form, passed along to me by a close friend who requested to remain anonymous. The incident happened last Monday at the St. Francis Confirmation, held at Harvey Auditorium Monday.  "We had the misfortune of sitting in the upper balcony, second row, behind a family that didn't think it was the slightest bit inappropriate to change their baby's diaper, not once, but twice, between the 'Prayers of the Faithful' and the 'Preparation of the Gifts!' When the mass was over they started to walk out the row,  leaving the diapers under their chair. I politely asked if the diapers were theirs and reminded them that at that late hour, it wasn't likely a custodian would be coming in. The guy started yelling at me. I thought I was going to be stabbed at my daughter's own Confirmation." (file photo of diapers)

             
 * ... GENE: Gene Thome is the owner of Bear Moutain Sports gun and ammo shop and he can also happen to belt out a country song with the best of them. Which perhaps explains why he is among the special guests invited to Nashville to attend the opening of the Bakersfield Sound exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame. When I last heard from him, he was heading to lunch with the legendary Red Simpson and then on to Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, one of Nashville's iconic country bars behind the old Ryman Auditorium. (photos courtesy of Gene Thome)

 * ... PENNIES: Here's a feel-good story about young people reaching out to others. This one involves Caroline Edmonston, a junior at Garces Memorial High, and her sister Marisa, a seventh grader at St. Francis. They have started a "Pennies from Heaven" project to help those affected by the recent Midwest tornadoes. All money raised will be donated to St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Henryville, Indiana, one of the areas hardest hit. The girls are hoping to make a difference, one coin at a time.  Spare change can be dropped off at the St. Francis School office, 2516 Palm Street, or at father Craig Edmonston's law office, 2204 Truxtun Avenue.


* ... MEXICALI: Sibyl Azbill read my earlier piece on the downtown Mexicali Restaurant and believes the building housed a nightclub called "Good Friends Inn" during World War II. "I'm not sure but I believe the Good Friends Inn started on Edison Highway where it had an all black orchestra. My brother was quite a tumbler back then and had some issues there!"

North High's Colby Lewis to lead Texas in the World Series and Kevin McCarthy's rise to a GOP leadership position

 * ... CSUB: Charlie Powell, a retired division manager for State Farm Insurance and one of the coordinators behind the company's move to Bakersfield, wrote with an interesting perspective on the recent shooting death of a teenager by suspected gang members at Cal State Bakersfield. "I enjoy your blog, especially when you cut to the chase on things like the shooting at CSUB. I suspect that many of the commuter universities in California (Los Angeles, Long Beach, Dominguez Hills, Fullerton) have much bigger security forces than CSUB. We're not a sleepy college town. (CSUB President) Horace Mitchell needs to address this with a sense of urgency. Items like this are not a boon to recruiting, or the community."

 * ... GOP SWEEP: If the Republicans gain control of the House of Representatives as expected, California's GOP delegation will be well positioned in the halls of power. According to The Los Angeles Times, among those lined up for key positions is Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield), who is expected to be appointed Whip. Others in line for leadership positions include Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista, to chair of the top investigative committee, Rep. David Dreier of San Dimas, head of the Rules Committee, and Rep. Jerry Lewis of Redlands, chairman of the Appropriations Committee.

* ... COLBY: All eyes will be on North High graduate Colby Lewis when he gets the starting nod for the Texas Rangers against the San Francisco Giants in the World Series. Jennifer Rose-Kavanaugh, a former Bakersfield resident now living outside of Dallas with her husband Bryan, attended Game 6 of the Rangers-Yankees series and left me this note. "My husband and his brother both attended North High School with Colby and remain friends with him to this day. We attended Game 6 and witnessed first hand Colby's commanding performance. It actually brought tears to my eyes when 51,040 fans chanted "Colby, Colby, Colby!"

 * ... TAFT COLLEGE: I am always impressed by the personal generosity of so many people in our community. Which is why it's worth noting a $200,000 gift the Taft College Foundation received from the Rowe Family Trust. Herbert John (Jack) Rowe and Evelyn (Beck) Rowe both went to high school and community college in Taft. Jack is now deceased but Evelyn is 95 years old. The gift will be used to upgrade the Taft High School soccer field which is used by both the college and the high school. Sheri Horn Bunk, director of the Taft College Foundation, said the gift "changed me as much as it might change the soccer field. Philanthropy does that. It gives me hope and I guess that is why I do what I do."

 * ... SPORTSMAN: It was nice to see Gene Thome honored as "Sportsman of the Year" in Kern County. Thome is the engaging and popular owner of Bear Mountain Sports on Weedpatch Highway and has done a lot over the years to promote gun safety and the outdoor shooting sports. (He's also a gifted country singer and has a killer imitation of Merle Haggard) He was honored at a banquet Tuesday night at the Kern County Fairgrounds. Thome is active in the Kern Sports Foundation, the 4-H, the Kern County Gun Club, Friends of the NRA among other organizations.

* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You know you're a Bakersfield old-timer if you remember "the name of one of Bakersfield's first fast-food hamburger joint, where it was located and who owned it. (Warren's, at 4th and Chester, owned by Warren Yackey)"