Get ready for the inevitable dustup over off road motorcyclists in the soon to be preserved 'grand park" out by the Kern River, and we lose another member of the Greatest Generation

 * … CANYONS: Some of the best news in years came recently with the decision by the Metropolitan Bakersfield Habitat Conservation Trust Group to acquire the "crown jewel"of our area, the nearly 850 acres of bluffs out near Hart Park and the Kern River. Ever since the scheme to develop the property went bust, the rolling hills have been used by joggers, hikers, bicyclists and off-road motorcyclists. It is a beautiful area and certainly worth the investment as a new "grand park" for Bakersfield. But once the land is turned over to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, there will no doubt be restrictions on the off-road motorcyclists who are destroying habitat and carving their own trails in the area. Stay tuned for the inevitable dust up.

 * … RIP: We lost another member of the Greatest Generation the other day with the passing of 90-year-old Ed Barnet. My friend Angelo Haddad told me that Ed, who lived in the Northeast near the old Green Frog Market, received a Purple Heart for his D-Day invasion wound, the Bronze Star, the European Theater Combat medal, the Presidential Unit Citation medal, and numerous campaign ribbons including the Battle of the Bulge during the winter of 1944 as a 19 year old from Memphis. May you rest in peace.

 * … OVERHEARD: A local businessman whose wife is Jewish is telling a friend at lunch: "When we moved here we were surprised at how many meetings start off thanking 'our savior Jesus Christ.' It doesn't bother me but that would never have happened back where we used to live."

 * … SPOTTED: On a friend's Facebook wall: "NBA commissioner rules that Donald Sterling cannot bring a white person -- namely, himself -- to any NBA games ."

 * … OLPH: Don't forget the annual Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish spring barbecue is this Thursday, May 1, at the Parish ground on Columbus. A $25 ticket gets you a delicious Harris Ranch steak or Teriyaki chicken grilled by Gary and Adam Icardo. The doors open at 5 p.m. with dinner service from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 pm.  Call Deborah Leary for tickets (661) 872-1543 or buy them at the door.

* … MEMORIES: Local architect Tom Jannino added to the discussion of the old downtown. In his words: "If memory serves me correctly, and it is getting a little foggier, Tiny's was originally on the  southeast corner of 18th and Chester, across 18th from the building in question. It later moved across 18th when it's former location was demolished for the construction of what was originally 'Bakersfield Savings and Loan', a structure presently housing 'Caesars' and several other tenants. As a child, I had many trips downtown with my mother, often stopping for lunch at Tiny's, the Tea room at Brock's, or the lunch counter at Newberry's or Woolworth's. A personal favorite was a small donut shop located on the east side of Chester Avenue just across the alley from the building that was originally the Californian Theater. Of course, all of this happened before the existence of Valley Plaza, when downtown Bakersfield was the center of shopping and banking."

 * … MORE MEMORIES: Jack Pasek reached out to remind me that a Sambo's restaurant once occupied the building on Ming Avenue that is now Bob's Big Boy. And Rollie Moore reminded be that the 'Salad Bowl' on Chester and 18th Street (Northeast corner) was his favorite eatery. "They had a 'Door open Toaster' sitting on every table along with a small cereal shaped box listing all the current songs. For a nickel you could select your favorite song and it would signal the big juke box in the corner to play your request as you visited and ate. The food was great!"

New dorms at CSUB push out the Relay for Life and mourning over the loss of a member of the Greatest Generation

 * ... RELAY FOR LIFE: It's too bad that Relay for Life has been forced to leave Cal State Bakersfield for a less desirable site in Southwest Bakersfield. This annual fund raiser to fight cancer is hugely successful, drawing thousands to the campus in a win-win for both the university and the fight for a cure. So what prompted the move? Rob Meszaros, director of public affairs over at CSUB, said the soccer fields used by Relay for Life have long been designated to house student residence halls. Until recently, he said it looked like the dorms would be open in the fall 2013 term but that has been pushed back a year. Either way, the school hopes to break ground about a year from now and open the new dormitories in the fall of 2014. When it does happen, the complex will consist of 500 beds in "semi suites" - two bedrooms connected to a bath. Each bedroom would have one, two or three students. Meanwhile, the Relay for Life event will be held April 30-May 1 at the Old River Sod facility at 11800 Old River Road.

 * ... RIP WALTER: We lost another member of the Greatest Generation the other day. Walter Truax passed away on February 2 at the age of 91. He served in the Army from 1941 to 1945 and spent most of his time in Germany, serving as a squad leader sergeant. He won both the Silver Star and Bronze Star. Two years ago, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) presented Truax nine medals he earned during the war that he never thought to collect. Truax was married to his wife for 52 years until her death a few years ago. After the war he opened his own business, Truax Optical, in Bakersfield and was a member of the Bakersfield Lion's Club for more than 40 years.A funeral service is set for 1 p.m. Friday at Hillcrest Memorial Chapel and graveside services will follow. (Californian photo by Casey Christie)

 * ... BUDGET CUTS: California's budget mess will mean sacrifices all around, but it was particularly distressing to read about the cuts facing our university and state college systems. University of California President Mark Yudof said the UC campuses are prepared to accept another 30,000 to 40,000 students but can't because of the lack of finances. All this is bad news for our state and particularly areas like Kern County that already suffers from one of the lowest educational rates in the state.

 * ... OVERHEARD: A local Realtor, thrilled with four, near full price offers on a downtown bungalow within days of it going on the market, expressing hope things may be finally turning around for our beleaguered housing market. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that buyers around the U.S. are "snapping up homes in all cash deals, betting that prices are at or near bottom and breathing life into some of the nation's most battered housing markets." Last year, 42 percent of all deals in Phoenix were all cash, and in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area, fully half of all sales were for cash.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Reader Maxine Baker remembers when a drive-in diner called Bloomfields was located at the corner of Niles and Baker streets. "My mom was a car-hop there. It has been many things since but is now a parking lot for BCSD. This had to be in the late 1930s or early 1940s."