Bako Bits: a bit of good form around town and a dose of bad form and more memories of the old Haberfelde Foundry

 * ... GOOD FORM: Gary Chambers provided this bit of good news that reflects well on our community. "On July 3 I stopped at the Fresh and Easy at Jewetta and Olive to pick up some last minute items for the Fourth barbecue. At the last minute I decided to withdraw $50. Guess I was

distracted and I forgot to take the $50 that had been dispensed. I didn't notice it missing until the Fourth.  Knowing it was probably fruitless I called the Fresh and Easy as I was sure someone took the free cash.  To my suprise the manager said a customer had turned in both the $50 and the receipt. The store had my money when I arrived to pick up the next day. I would like to thank the person who turned the money into the store.  Makes one feel good about the honest people in Bakersfield."

 * ... BAD FORM: As if the litter on our roads were not enough, have you ever noticed the landscaping (or lack thereof) around the Highway 99 and Highway 58 interchanges? It is virtually non existent and and weeds grow out of control. Next time you are on Ming at the 99 or on California check out the "landscaping" on the on and off ramps.

 * ... FIREWORKS: A reader left me a voice mail message with a curious argument in favor of fireworks on the Fourth of July. Dogs on both sides of his house, he said, normally bark through the night preventing him from getting a full night's sleep. "But on the Fourth they shut up," he said. "I find the constant dog barking far more irritating than fireworks."

* ... JOBS: Did you know that restaurants and bars account for one in 10 jobs in America? That's according to the Wall Street Journal, which reported that restaurant sector job growth is helping lead the overall growth in national employment. The downside: salaries in this industry are generally at the lower end of the compensation spectrum.


 * ... MEMORIES: My recent blog entries on the old bowling alleys around town triggered this memory from Gene French. His family moved to Bakersfield in 1943 when his father went to work at a pattern maker for the Haberfelde Foundry.  "The pattern shop was on the east side of the canal in a brick building that was south of the building that became Golden State Lanes. My father said that in the 1930s the big building was an ice skating rink, the brick building had the refrigeration unit for the rink. (Bakersfield Ice Chalet – Not sure about the name.) During the war the building ... was machine shop to machine tank parts that were cast in the foundry. After the war Haberfelde changed the machine shop to machine and rebuild automobile engines into the late 1950s.


* ... ACHIEVER: I am always happy to recognize all our local kids who go on to great achievements, and the latest is Heidi Wegis, a West High and CSUB graduate (2002) who went on to Oregon State  and obtained her master's and doctorate in exercise and sport science.  She is now an assistant professor within the School of Biology and Population Science. Heidi successfully completed the Ironman Triathalon in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, on June 23, swimming for 2.5 miles, biking for 112 miles, and running for 26.2 miles. Her family, including her parents, Robb and Evelyn Wegis and her aunt Carol Hall, are understandably proud of her.

Former House and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas to appear on First Look with Scott Cox on Monday at 9 a.m., and more dirty diapers left in the scorching sun

 * ... ENERGY: Did you know that more than 70 percent of the oil and gas produced in California comes from the fields of Kern County? Taken alone, Kern County produces 10 percent of all the oil and gas produced in the country. Yet, the state still imports half of its gas and oil annually, a fact that Rep. Kevin McCarthy is blaming on overbearing and restrictive regulations. McCarthy called this "unfathomable" particularly in view of the untapped reserves located in the Monterey Shale.

 * ... THOMAS: Make sure you tune into First Look with Scott Scott Monday at 9 a.m. when our guest will be Bill Thomas, former chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Opinion page editor Bob Price will get his thoughts on a variety of issues, from national topics like immigration reform to local news like the stink in the southwest over a homeowner boarding up an entrance to his cul-de-sac. Tune in at 9 a.m. at KERN Newstalk 1180 or watch it live on bakersfield.com

 * ... GOOD DEED: Here's a nice note from Gail Romley over at Curves. It turns out that one of the members at Curves in Dawn Baumgarten, who owns Log Cabin Florist. She lost a valuable and sentimental ring at the club and was thrilled that it was turned in. "She was so thankful that it was turned in that she brought in 125 long stemmed roses for all the members to show her appreciation for getting it back. Some may remember that Log Cabin Florist has given out free roses for Good Neighbor Day in the past. You could go in, get a free dozen but you had to give them to others. What a neat way to put a smile on someone's face! I was the recipient of one of the roses in the past, and it was a member here at Curves."

 * ... BAD FORM: Shame on the mother who changed her baby's diaper in the back seat of her black GMC SUV and then casually left it in the parking lot of the Target on Rosedale Highway Saturday afternoon when the temperature hovered around 104.

 * ... MEMORIES: Local attorney William R. Go read an earlier blog post about the 1960s band Strawberry Alarm Clock playing at the Golden State Lanes and added this: "It was the summer of 1967 and I was in a band that played before they performed. If I recall we were paid $60 (the entire band) for our performance. Also performing around this time at the same venue was a group called 'Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band' whose hit was 'DIDDY WAH DIDDY.' The Golden State Lanes also had a restaurant called the 'Hoffbrau' which was briefly popular."

* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You may be a Bakersfield old timer if you ever went out to Meadows Field and skated the landing strip with your roller skates until workers drove you off. After being chased off, Rocky Robins said his crew would run over to Stan's Drive-in on Union for a burger.