Bakersfield Observed puts a spotlight on old memories about town, from the Golden Crust Bakersfield to the companies that stamped the sidewalks around downtown

 * ... ODDS AND ENDS: I am visiting friends out of town and will devote this blog to sharing some of the odds and ends that readers send my way, most of them heavy on the history of the town we call home. Enjoy.

* ... BARBECUE: Elsie Petty weighed in on the best barbecue in town with this missive: "The best old locally owned BBQ restaurant was the Hickory House on 18th Street, across from Bill Lee's. It was owned by the Bill Lee family and was very good and not too expensive. Sad day when they closed and tore down the building. I am not sure when it closed."

 * ...SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Finding out your ex got fat is like finding 20 bucks in your pocket. Not life changing but definitely puts a smile on your face."

 * ... MORE TWITTER: "Someday, once humans are extinct, I hope whatever species rules Earth makes chicken nuggets in the shape of us like we did for dinosaurs."

 * ... GOOD FORM: Don Summers submitted this example of really good form: "Richard, I travel on Highway 65, Porterville Highway, weekdays and for the last month or so I have noticed a gentleman who travels up and down the highway picking up litter. He doesn't discriminate one side or other, far north or south, or in between. One person trying to make a difference."

 * ... MEMORIES: Navy veteran Gene Bonas reached out to share his memories of growing up on our east side, where the Golden Crust Bakery filled the streets with the sweet aroma of fresh bread. "One of my most cherished memories had to do with our kitchen when I was quite young. Because I was the last of nine kids, my mom cooked and baked each day of the week, Monday through Friday.  On Mondays it was bread; Tuesdays cakes; Wednesday cookies; Thursdays pies; and Fridays mom baked breads, rolls and muffins.  here were so many delicious smells coming from our kitchen that they were  magnets for friends of my five brothers and three sisters. Saturdays were shopping days where my mom and I would walk to the market on the corner of Kentucky and Kern Streets. I can't remember the name of the market but maybe one of your readers can. Shopping was an experience because my mom would visit with neighbors on the west side of Kern Street going to market, and talk with neighbors on the east side of Kern Street coming home. All the while I was pushing a cart loaded with two 50 pound sacks of flour and sugar plus groceries. By the time I got home, I was pooped! But, my mom made me return the borrowed cart to the market."

 * ... HISTORY: Last week I mentioned the names of the companies that left their logos stamped in our downtown sidewalks. It struck a chord with my friend Bailey Abbott, who dropped me this note: "You mentioned Fairchild, Gilmore and Wilton. That curb stamp, which can be found on (900 – 1000 block) 18^th Street, north and south sides, and possibly elsewhere is neigh on to 100 years old. In 1922 Fairchild, Gilmore and Wilton was purchased by Griffith Company out of Los Angeles. Griffith Company, License No. 88, has maintained an office in Bakersfield since at least the early 1930s. In 2002 Griffith Company celebrated 100 years of building California. My meager 36 years of continuous employment with the Griffith Company Red Trucks in town was just a bit part over their last 114 years in business. And no the city no longer allows those concrete stamps to speak to the history of Bakersfield."

Lamenting a culture that leaves out streets littered with trash and garbage, praising West Rotary and more memories of old Bako

 * … TRASH: It is a familiar lament when we travel out of state and notice that Bakersfield's litter

problem seems out of control when compared to other areas. I spent a few days recently in Salt Lake City and Park City, Utah, and it was near impossible to find trash on the roads and freeways. And then this note greeted me when I came home: "We are traveling and today we are near Atlanta. I read the Bakersfield Californian daily online and read your piece on litter. We just came through Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and now Georgia. IN NOT ONE OF THESE STATES DID WE SEE LITTER! We were so impressed and ashamed of Bakersfield at the same time. We want the town we love to be as clean and beautiful as what we've seen so far. What will it take to get our own people to wise up? Come on people, we need more civic pride!"

 * … DRIVING: From Tony Malon comes this observation about local driver: "Two types of drivers in Bakersfield, the tortoise and the hare. One is asleep when the light turns green, and one burns rubber at the first sight of green."

 * ... GOOD FORM: Sometimes it is the small things that make working with local businesses so pleasant. Recently I called King Door Co. to service my garage door, and sure enough within a week I received a personal 'thank you' card from company president Roman Ruiz. For the price of a stamp, he earned my loyalty.

 * … SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "To avoid conversations at work, always walk with purpose and a toilet plunger."

 * … MOVING UP: Congratulations to Jason Cater who recently joined the staff of the city planning department as an associate planner. Cater is known for his work as director of Bike Bakersfield and he later did a short stint with Sage Equities.

 * … WEST ROTARY: If you question the service provided by your local Rotary Club, think again. Alvin G. Sandrini told me that his club, West Rotary, donated over $75,000 to local charities in 2015 and this year has chipped in another $56,000 to good causes so far. Said Sandrini: "While the Bakersfield West Rotary-Stroope Family Foundation provides the funds, it is the hard-working West Rotary members who donate the countless hours needed to generate those revenues."

 * … MEMORIES: Wayne Marshall shared this tidbit of our local history: "Barbara Kaiser Miner’s recollection of the location of the Golden Crust Bakery prompts me to write this note:...The bakery was located on the north side of the Santa Fe Railroad tracks at M Street. There is a good aerial photo
showing this area in Chris Brewer’s book (1998) 'Bakersfield’s Photographic Past – A Photographic Album' on page 7. I worked at the mentioned lumber yard (King-Marshall Lumber, 14th and L streets) from 1954 to 1960. It was owned by Larry King and Sid Marshall (my father). The lumber yard never burned. The yard that did burn was Hayward Lumber at 14th and H streets."

A young voice prays for tolerance and compassion as our nation struggles with race,some really bad form around town and more on those old bakeries

 * … KINDNESS: The tragic events besetting our country right now are almost behind my scope of understanding, so I will settle by sharing the words of a young woman from Nashville: "Rather than

pray for one specific race, one specific group, one specific country, or one specific community, pray for humanity. Pray for acceptance. Pray for compassion. Pray for tolerance." My thanks to reader Jerry Bowman for sharing this.

 * … NINA GRAE: Keep an eye on the rising talented singer Nina Grae, a Bakersfield product and the daughter of Claire Porter, owner of Uricchio's Trattoria downtown. I attended a private concert for Nina and her bad at Uricchio's this weekend and left believing I had been afforded a sneak peek at a rising star.

* … TRASH: Some days are worse than others, but last Saturday it seemed the entire town resembled a trash dump. On a three hour bike ride through town, I spotted three mattresses and three box springs (matched sets!) casually discarded off North Chester, the parking lane at the Panorama Bluffs park was littered with fast food cups, diapers and empty beer cans, and the Park at RiverWalk was awash in empty soda cups, soiled napkins and empty plastic water bottles.

 * … SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Want to see stupidity, watch how people are so easily confused boarding a plane."

 * … SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "I Just want to peacefully hang out with my friends, regardless of race while making fun of idiots, regardless of race."

 * … MEMORIES: A recent conversation thread about the Golden Crust Bakery stirred this memory from Barbara Kaiser Miner: "Bill Fong and Bill Upshaw's memories stirred up my memories of attending Emerson Jr. High School in 1938 and 1939. At that time I was a majorette with the Emerson Drum and Bugle Corps. Before school each morning we practiced marching to be ready for the parades. We would march south on 'L' street to the railroad tracks where we would practice our counter-march. The Golden Crust Bakery was on the south side of the railroad tracks. Since this was early morning, I also smelled the good smells that came as we approached the bakery. About 1940 the King Lumber Yard burned down."

 * … MORE MEMORIES: Mike Huckert weighed with this: "My dad drove a delivery truck for them and I can recall many trips to the bakery. The aroma of freshly backing breads is etched into my memory and there is nothing like the taste of a freshly baked sesame hamburger bun snatched off the cooling tray. At one time there was an observation deck on the north side of the bakery so people could watch twisting of the dough before it was placed in backing pans  As a young Cub Scout, we made several trips to see this and I can remember having to cross the tracks to get to the observation window and platform. I also remember certain kinds of premixed dough was delivered by rail in huge cardboard barrels and offloaded near this same area."

 * … HOME: If you don't think we live in a special place, consider this note from Ted Elder: "Yesterday I was in the Gift Shop at San Joaquin/Kaiser Hospital when a Corrections Officer offered me a beautiful custom handmade pen and thanked me for my service.  I must assume he did this because I was wearing my 'Special Forces Army Baseball Cap. My service was completed many years ago and.this recognition would never have happened where I came from - San Luis Obispo two years ago. Only in Bakersfield and thank you Bakersfield."

Another local business, Gregg's Pharmacy, sells out to Rite Aid, researching those old District Attorneys and remembering the Golden Crust Bakery

* … LOCAL HISTORY: The District Attorney's office is reaching out to the public for help in finding photos and information on some of the district attorneys who served Kern County since 1866.

The DA's office needs photos of A.C. Lawrence (1872-74), James W. Freeman (1874-79, 1883-88), Alvin Fay (1889-92, 1895-98), J.W. Ahern (1893-94, 1899-1903), and Barclay McCowan (1915-18). If you have information on these men, contact Christy King in the District Attorney's office at (661) 868-2716.

* … FAMILY BUSINESS: Every time a locally owned family business closes or sells out, we lose a little piece of the character of our community. And now I learned that Gregg's Pharmacy (owned by Gregg and Fran Gunner) has sold to Rite Aid, bringing an end to the Gunner family's long footprint in our community. Gregg Gunner (the only way to describe him is witty and joyful) bought the family pharmacy from his father Don in 1976. Prior to that Don Gunner owned and operated Gunner, Medical and San Dimas pharmacies. Gregg's father's sister's family also owned Yant's pharmacies locally during that time.

* … SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "The most important part of being on a gluten free diet is telling everyone about it."

 * … JACK: My pal Jack McGee over at Bakersfield Optical spoke for many of us when he left me this message: "It's terrible that we have two candidates running for mayor in Bako (Kyle Carter and Karen Goh) that have more character and integrity than the candidates running for president."

* … MEMORIES: Ann Cierly wrote to answer a reader's question about the old Golden Crust Bakery: "My 19 year-old father, W. R. Cierley, brought his new bride to Bakersfield in 1930 to go to work for his cousin, H.L.( Hub) Cierley, one of the owners of the bakery, which was on the north side of the railroad tracks on M Street. He worked there until his untimely death in 1946. I visited the bakery many times and remember fondly the great Labor Day employee picnics at what is now Hart Park, and the several Christmas programs in which he volunteered his very young daughter to recite The Night Before Christmas, ha! I know I'm among many old-timers who went to Emerson Jr. High when it was located on Truxtun across the street from the Baptist church. Many late Spring afternoons sitting upstairs in math class, with the windows wide open (no air conditioning then), we would sigh with pleasure as the smell of fresh baking bread wafted through the room."

 * … MORE MEMORIES: And Robert Ricou added this: "The Sanitary Golden Crust Bakery (full name) was located on the north side of the railroad tracks on M Street. My father drove the transport that delivered bread and Fontana Pies to Tehachapi, Mojave, Ridgecrest/China Lake until their closing in the late 1960s. While in high school and attending BC, my summer job was loading the China Lake and the Fresno transport which both left at midnight. Also, I unloaded sacks of flour from railroad boxcars on the tracks adjacent to the bakery. "

 * … FIREWORKS: And finally, former city councilman Mark Salvaggio reacted to my lament about fireworks this way: "Perhaps these dog owners who lose their pets on Independence Day ought to show some self-responsibility and keep their dogs inside on this night.  Better yet, they should keep their dogs inside every night during triple digit temperature days. Maybe you and Lois Henry ought to live back east where there are plenty of Big Brother liberals who also spout taking the joy out of this American pastime. You could do an exhaustive study on which are more noisy:  illegal fireworks or safe and sane legal fireworks."

Looking for Catholic parishioners? You will find them at Costco, at least according to a local monsignor, and get ready for the annual Via Arte out at The Marketplace

 * … VIA ARTE: Make sure you remember that Via Arte is set for this weekend over at The

Marketplace in the Southwest. This is always an amazing experience as chalk artists line up to show off their talents in the parking lot. The event is free, of course, and it runs all day on Saturday and Sunday.

 * … SPOTTED: A roadside sign has this inspirational message: "You have never really lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you."

 * … OVERHEARD: A one-liner from Monsignor Craig Harrison: "I love Costco. I see more parishioners there then at church."

* … GOOD FORM: Tonya Grier was impressed when her son, who attends West High, found that someone had hit his car but left a nice note on the windshield. It stated 'I hit your car and I am soooo sorry, I had to go to work, but here is my number, call me so we can exchange info. Sara.' "The damage wasn't too bad, so I wanted to call the young lady and thank her for having integrity and good values by leaving a note, and also inform her that I know she is a student, so don't worry about it, best success in her future for doing the right thing.," said Grier. "(But) The number was disconnected! I was so angry, and she didn't leave her last name. I told my son, we will pray for her, God sees all."

 * … KIWANIS: If you want to support a good cause while enjoying some vintage cars, head to Olive Knolls Church of the Nazarene this Saturday to enjoy a car show sponsored by the Oildale Kiwanis Club. Ralph Korn told me proceeds from the show go to help needy youngsters.

 * … SERVICE: Another tip of the hat to a local company that provides excellent customer service. This time it's the folks over at Stability Home Access, who dropped what they were doing to install a grab bar in the bathroom of Jim Murphy who had just been released from UCLA Medical Center after leg surgery. Thanks to Jim's wife, Connie, for sharing her story.

* … MEMORIES: Warren E. Pechin, a local architect, shared with me this walk down memory lane regarding the old Golden Crust Bakery. "I actually worked at the bakery before school started the spring semester of my senior year at Bakersfield High School and for about five summers afterwards except for the summer of 1967 when I was in summer school at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo taking architecture classes. The bakery was owned by George Martini and employed about 60 people producing the products of the bakery. I was one of the summer relief help hired to allow the full-time employees to rotate through vacations. Among the other 'helpers' were Steve Anderson of S.C. Anderson, Danny Ronquillo, who eventually wound up being a Fresno City Councilman, and Radon Fortenberry, who eventually was the athletic director at Shafter High School. The bakery closed in the summer of 1968 or 1969 and I went from making $4.20 an hour to $2 and hour at Wright and Metcalf, a local architecture firm who designed the Civic Auditorium and Bakersfield College and many other buildings in Bakersfield. All of us 'helpers' rotated through some of the regular jobs at the bakery, although I worked mainly in the packaging of bread and on the ovens, Steve worked with the engineers and maintenance staff, Danny worked in the dough room, and Radon boxed bakery goods and helped load the trucks for the various drivers (about 20 other employees besides the 60 mentioned earlier. The experience of working in the bakery was quite interesting and the pay was excellent for the time compared to many other jobs of students."

Monday Bako Bits: Don't feel left out if you haven't been targeted by a telephone scammer because it is coming, and a walk down memory lane at the old theaters in east Bakersfield

* … SCAMS: There are few things more annoying than being the vicim of telephone scams involving fake pitches from the Internal Revenue Service, state tax collectors and "friends" stranded in Europe Gary Schneider wrote he, too, was recently targeted when he returned from a trip to find a message on his answering machine from someone posing to be from the IRS. "Oh, I had heard the stories of everyone getting the broken English IRS scam. But I had never been privileged to get one, until now. There she was threatening me to call immediately or face severe consequences… And the best part of the whole call was she thanked me at the end of the recorded call and wished me a nice day!"
and Mexico in need of a few thousand bucks.

 * … WEEKEND: It was pretty tough to beat a weekend like the one we just had, especially if you are a fan of the arts or sports. First Friday was a huge success, at least if you just by the throngs downtown throughout the evening, filling the art galleries and local businesses and restaurants and enjoying a break from the late summer heat. That was followed by a weekend of major league baseball playoffs and some of the best college football games of the year. There wasn't a restaurant in town that didn't enjoy a booming business.

 * … GOOD DEED: Beverly Tatum shared this heart warming story about her recent visit to Rosemary's on F Street. "When it came time to leave our waiter told us that our bill had been paid by three young women sitting closet to us," she said. "What a thoughtful thing to do. I just wish we had been able to thank them in person. Thank you!"

 * … MEMORIES: Al (not Alvin) Sandrini wrote to recall and old theater in Lamont. "I remember it being south of Di Giorgio Road and west of Main Street. If I remember correctly, you turned off of Main Street onto a paved lane in a vineyard to get to the theater. Also worth mentioning were the Granada, Tejon and Oildale theaters. I remember watching Elvis and Ann-Margret in Viva Las Vegas in 1966-67.  My friend and I were escorted out of the theater for pulling the pony tail on the young lass sitting in front of us. We explained that her unusually long pony tail was actually so far down her back, that when she leaned forward to talk to her friends in front of her, that she was pulling her own hair. We had to go to the Nile to see the movie again. I also remember the warm summer nights, when a family would put a sheet over a back yard clothesline and show movies with a rented movie projector."

 * … MORE MEMORIES: And there was this memory about the old Rialto theater in east Bakersfield from reader Ronal Reynier. "As a kid I lived for a time across the street from the Granada and around the corner was the Rialto with the not opened yet Tejon up Baker Street. On the same block was 'Mom's Bakery'… it was not the neatest nor the cleanest bakery by today's standards, it was only the best in town. They would even bake a suckling pig if you brought it in and gave them two days. One night during a thunderstorm and sitting on our front porch, a bolt of lighting hit the sidewalk in front of the Granada and split it. We were not hurt but the electricity in the air stood our hair on end. Boy that was fun for a nine year old boy, but not for his mother; she screamed for five minutes."

 * … BAKERSFIELDISM: Lastly, Thomas Hunt shared his memories of the old Golden Crust Bakery when he attended Emerson Junior High School. "The school was at the corner of Chester and Truxtun Avenue where the county building is at present. I lived out in the country so I road the school bus to Emerson. The buses parked on the south side of the school and when we were dismissed from school a friend and I would walk down to the bakery and buy a hot loaf of bread and then go to a little store next door and buy a quarter pound cube of butter.  We would hollow out the dough and put in the butter and let it melt and soak into the bread and eat it on the way home. It brought back a lot of memories from long-long a go."

Ann Arbor, Michigan, deemed the "smartest city" in the United States while the Valley cities (Modesto, Visalia and Bakersfield) are at the bottom of the list, and the question of ryegrass overseeding is the question of the day

* … SMART CITIES: Ever wonder what U.S. cities are considered the "smartest" in the country? Based on the percentage and types of educational degrees, high paying jobs and the quality and size of local schools, Ann Arbor, Michigan, (home to the University of Michigan) ranks at the top,

according to the personal finance site WalletHub. Next were two North Carolina cities (Raleigh, home of N.C. State and Durham, home of Duke University) followed by Provo, Utah (Brigham Young University) and Manchester, New Hampshire. The "least smart" city was Beaumont, Texas, followed by Salinas, Rockford, Ill., Brownsville, Texas and then Modesto, Visalia and finally Bakersfield.

 * … COMMON CORE: I have burned a lot of newsprint on the difficulty of a science question over at Fruitvile Junior High, which prompted this note from Fruitvale Superintendent Mary Westendorf.  "Just for clarification purposes, the Next Generation Science Standards for California Public Schools (NGSS) were adopted in September, 2013, by the California State Board of Education. They are not Common Core standards, but science standards specific to California. The Fruitvale community (both families and staff) have high expectations for student achievement and students rise to those level of those expectations. Many of the students in that particular class did have a correct or partially correct answer to that particular question and the teacher then spent time reteaching the concept so that there was understanding across the board. As I'm sure you're aware, colleges and universities point to the lack of proficiency in students entering their programs, specifically in the areas of math and science.  We have students that are bright and capable and parents that expect a challenging curriculum that prepares their students for college preparatory and advanced placement classes in high school, ready to move on to college and university with lots of options. Community support for student achievement is so very important and we are fortunate in Fruitvale."

 * … DROUGHT: Clayton M. Koerner was at the ticket office over at Rabobank Arena last week when he noticed a city maintenance worker washing down the fountain area with a hose. "I asked him if he was aware of the water situation in California and the fact that there could be fines for wasting water unnecessarily. NO, he was not aware! Asked why he was watering the cement around the fountain, said his boss told him to do it. The City of Bakersfield is considering fines for wasting water yet they wash down the cement around the fountain at Rabobank arena. I left just shaking my head and wondering who sent this young uninformed employee out to wash down the cement?"

 * … OVERHEARD: A resident of Seven Oaks is talking about the drought: "My neighbor said he wouldn't seed with ryegrass if I don't. No one wants to be the only green lawn on the street this winter."

 * … FOODIE: Gene Bonas wrote to praise Sorella's Ristorante Italiano in its new location on McNair Court in the Southwest. "Twenty one of my Garces Memorial classmates and friends had lunch at Sorella's last Thursday in their brand new building. The food was excellent and the ambiance excellent.  I highly recommend Sorella's for a pleasant dining experience."

 * … CHRISTMAS: It may only be September but the planning is already under way for the 32nd annual Bakersfield Christmas Parade set for December 4. Jerry Cook, one of the coordinators, reminded me the parade is staged through private funding. If you are interested in helping, go to the event website at www.bsp.com.

 * … BAKERSFIELDISM: Bill Deaver chimed in to say he too remembers the old Golden Crust Bakery.  "Regarding unsliced bread, there was a lot of that during World War II because, as a baker in Madera where we lived at the time told my Dad, there was a shortage of metal for knives (and lots of other stuff!) due to the war… By the way, there are few things that taste as good anytime as a chunk torn from a fresh and well-made baguette."

A ridiculously difficult math problem appears on a "common core" test at Fruitvale Jr. High School, and a Seven Oaks homeowner's association makes the right call on overseeding rye grass

* … COMMON CORE: Think you are smarter than an 8th grader? Then consider this ridiculously hard question that appeared on a "common core" exam at Fruitvale Jr. High School, along with the witty response from the student. The question: "A glass cylinder contains four liquids in four

separate layers. One liquid is pure water. The purple liquid has a density of 1.62 g/cm3. The yellow liquid has a density of 0.46 g/cm3. The red has a density of 0.91 g/cm3. What is the order of the liquids in the cylinder? Explain your answer. What will happen if you slip a small, flat chip of wood (density 0.85 g/cm3) into that cylinder?" Seriously? The student left this answer: "That question … is by far the most challenging, most hard and impossible to answer question in the history of time and matter. Everyone in this room is now looking at this knowing that there is no one able to solve such a question. Award me no points because I know I'll never get this. Thank you!"

 * … RYEGRASS: Hats off to the Grand Island Homeowners' Association at Seven Oaks for making the right call when it comes to water conservation. The association sent letters to homeowners saying they would not be fined if they reduced or eliminated watering during this period of drought. Normally, homeowners would be fined if they did not overseed with ryegrass during the winter.

 * … MORE DROUGHT: John and Norma Fowler wondered how many other homeowner associations would follow suit, and noted they told their own gardener to let their lawn go brown this winter. "We did, however, have him order mulch for the flower beds so that our choice will not affect his income and because it will help hold moisture in our soil."

 * … FOODIE BEST BET: Try the cheese ravioli appetizer at Uricchio's Trattoria downtown, a bargain at just $6.50.

* … BRIDAL SHOP: A new bridal boutique business - Enchanted Bridal Boutique - is opening on Stockdale Highway. Co-owners and sisters Angela Jourdan and Patricia Holcomb have set the grand opening for this Saturday over at 4817 Stockdale Highway. The store carries dresses for the entire wedding party.

 * … ROTARY: Breakfast Rotary Club kicks off the Halloween season with "Bats and Brooms" on Oct. 18 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Kern Agriculture Pavilion. The costume party will feature a gourmet menu, dancing to music by No Limit  live auction, and much more.  Ticket are $75 each with chance to win $1,000 gift of travel with purchase of ticket. Contact Jan Lemucchi at (661) 754 2957 for details.

 * … BAKERSFIELDISM: Ronal Reynier says you may be a Bakersfield old timer if you remember Golden Crust Bakery. "When I was in junior high school we would stop and buy a unsliced and unwrapped loaf from their outside window. It was hot and fresh right from the ovens. On the way home we would tear-off the top and eat the inside. We would tear up the crust and throw it into the canal for the fish, frogs, and crawdads to eat. Yes, our canals were full of them in the days
long gone. My wife was from Iowa and she had tears when they closed their doors. After all these years you still can not buy bread as great as Golden Crust."