Bako Bits: A terrific First Friday is upon us, the Garces pool is set to open and Memorial gets $100,000 for its children's center

 * ... GARCES POOL: It looks like the new competition swimming pool at Garces Memorial High School is on schedule to be completed. Gordon Wetshoff, a Garces development officer, said water will go into the pool on Tuesday, December 7. It will have 12 practice lanes and 10 competition lanes and a diving area with a depth of 14 feet. It will also have two one-meter diving boards and one three-meter board. Garces is on a building spree that will soon include other projects as well. Said Gordon: "The next project is to try and have the new tennis courts ready for the start of school 2011. We need to raise an additional $400,000 plus and we are working hard at doing this. The Board wants very badly to have all our athletic teams be able to participate on our campus (except golf of course). The Garces girls team wants the courts ready for their season in August."

 * ... FIRST FRIDAY: It's time for another First Friday in our emerging downtown arts district. What better way to support our downtown merchants than by taking in some art and dining at one of our wonderful downtown restaurants? Or, as a friend of mine does, start the evening at Cafe Med on Stockdale Highway and then migrate over to downtown. As usual, Don Martin over at Metro Galleries on 19th Street promises a terrific show. He'll feature the art of Gita Loyd, celebrating a decade of painting in Kern County, as well as something called "smallworks 2010" which will feature paintings, pottery, sculpture and other art by a slew of local artists. There is also some stunning (and affordable) small wood works from local artist Tom Christenson, the retired oil executive and husband of Realtor Mary Christenson. And while you're there, head over the Uricchios Trattoria for its classic Italian fare or Mama Roomba for some splendid Caribbean eats. There won't be a First Friday in January so don't miss this one.

 * ... MEA CULPA: I owe an apology to Donna McGuire, the owner of Serenity salon off Coffee Road. I reported that her salon was to be the subject of Bravo TV's "Salon Takeover" but McGuire says that is news to her. "We'd love any tips from anyone but we are really proud of our salon and business is good," she said. "We have a wonderful group of people here and we're involved in a number of community activities." McGuire is one of those local success stories. A product of South High School, she opened the salon four years ago and this year was it won the coveted "Best Of" award in the annual Californian reader poll.


 * ... TBC FOUNDATION: Seven local non-profits have been selected by The Bakersfield Californian Foundation for monetary grants. Among those receiving funds were the Ready to Start reading program, $15,000; Here's Life Inner City Bakersfield, $5,945.90; Society for Disabled Children, $5,000; Arts Council of Kern, $5,000; Garden Pathways, $5,068; Community Action Partnership, $6,012, and the Kern County Library, $3,000. The Foundation is not part of the newspaper but is run by publisher Ginger Moorhouse and her daughter Tracey Cowenhoven, who serves as director. It is operated as a separate entity and focuses on early childhood education.

 * ... MEMORIAL: Had a chance to attend the end of the year dinner and meeting of the Memorial Hospital Foundation Board at Luigi's this week. Memorial President Jon Van Boening and chief development officer Sue Benham always run a crisp meeting and this one included some good news for the new children's pediatric hospital at Memorial. Turns out the Waterman Foundation of the Rotary Club of Bakersfield, the downtown club, is donating $100,000 over three years to help the children's hospital grow. The donations cover the terms of past Rotary president Duane Keathley, current president Harry Starkey and 2011 president Tracy Walker-Kiser.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From reader Jack Kelley: You know you're a Bakersfield old-timer if "you remember the passenger trains running from Bakersfield to Los Angeles from the depot on Baker Street."

Today's Bako bits: Business booms at H. Walker's, a sick website and charity for a good cause

Some short shots around our fair community, trying to look for a bit of good news in a bad economy:

* THE MAGIC OF H. WALKER'S: Stopped by H. Walker's Men's Clothing Co. today and had a nice chat with owner Tracy Walker. Here's something you don't hear often these days: business is booming. Tracy said the company had its best April in five years, an incredible feat considering every other retailer I know is hurting. As mentioned before (see previous post here) Tracy is a master marketer and her shop is always brimming with good cheer, not to mention the occasional glass of cabernet. Tracy's birthday is tomorrow (April 24) and she'll spend a special weekend with hubby Brian in Santa Monica.

* WOMEN'S AND GIRLS' FUND: This unique philanthropy, part of the larger Kern Community Foundation, is gearing up to honor its grant recipients next Wednesday at a luncheon at Seven Oaks Country Club. Call 661-325-5346 if you are looking for tickets. Fred Drew is the new Foundation CEO and he is putting his stamp on the place. I hear that Amy Powell-Smith has left the Foundation and they are looking for a new communications person.
* HONORING LITERACY EFFORTS: The Californian and specifically publisher Ginger Moorhouse will be honored tonight by the Kern Adult Literacy Council for helping to fight illiteracy. The afternoon event will be held at the Bakersfield Museum of Art. Unfortunately Ginger will not be there; she's been caring for husband John who remains hospitalized at UCLA Medical Center fighting an infection from his recent kidney transplant. Ginger hopes to have John home in a few weeks.
* SKEET SHOOT FUNDRAISER: There will be a benefit skeet shoot on Saturday, May 9, to help fund the Scholastic Clays Target Program that teaches youngsters gun safety and prepares them to compete in the shotgun sports. This benefit will be held out at the Kern County Gun Club and will cost $40 per person. You shoot 100 targets in any gauge. Contact the gun club to sign up.

* I HATE BAKO: You had to figure this would happen, but there is now a Twitter feed devoted to finding stories that put Bakersfield in a negative light. (its logo is above) You can find it at twitter.com/IHateBako. It does have a link to an absolutely hilarious video on Bakersfield called "The armpit of the state" (click the link here to view) but you have to be able to poke a little fun at yourself. Here's another sample of what you will find there:

"Adult illiteracy rate in Kern County is 25%. I take that to mean that 25% of people in Kern County won't be reading this."

Some people have too much time on their hands.

Federal Reserve tightens control on San Joaquin Bank; stock tumbles on news

It's yet another sign of the difficulty of the times when a local institution like San Joaquin Bank comes under the thumb of the Federal Reserve. All banks are under an intense Fed microscope these days as they struggle with bad loans made in the go-go days, and San Joaquin is no exception. Now it turns out, revealed today, that San Joaquin has entered into a 15-page agreement on tightened controls with the Federal Reserve. (read one version of the story here) Among other things the Fed is demanding a plan to strengthen board oversight of management and operations of the bank. Within 60 days, the bank must also submit a plan to strengthen credit risk management practices. The bank's board reads like a "who's who" of local business leaders including my boss, Ginger Moorhouse, publisher of The Californian, local accounting firm owner Lou Barbich, and Rogers Brandon, coowner of American General Media, a radio group. Also on the board are property manager Mel Atkinson, farmer Jerry Chicca and of course bank president Bart Hill and bank chairman Bruce Maclin.
Within a couple hours of the announcement, San Joaquin's stock fell from $6.50 to $4.22 at midday. No doubt that the new upstart competitor in town, Valley Republic Bank, will seek to use this to its advantage.

Kidney transplant successful at UCLA

Spoke with Ginny Cowenhoven, Ginger Moorhouse's daughter, who tells me Ginger and her husband John sailed through the kidney transplant at UCLA Medical Center and that everything seems to have gone well. Ginger, publisher of The Californian and my boss, donated one of her kidneys to her husband Thursday. Ginny said her mother was fully alert later in the day and even "feisty" with the nurses as she asked to have her bed pulled alongside John's. The nurses finally relented. There has been an outpouring of support for the couple since Ginger began writing "The Kidney Chronicles" as seen here.

Publisher heads into kidney transplant at UCLA

Ginger Moorhouse, publisher of The Californian and my boss, heads to UCLA Medical Center this week to donate a kidney to her husband, John Moorhouse, a longtime insurance broker. Ginger has been blogging about her procedure (catch up the the "Kidney Chronicles" here) and it is one dramatic story. UCLA Medical Center is a national leader in these transplants and has amassed an amazing success rate. But it's been a full year of poking and prodding and tests for both Ginger and John as they prepare for this week. The surgery is set for Thursday, February 19th. Keep them in your thoughts.