Wild winds increase changes of contracting Valley Fever, and the SPCA launches its annual book sale to benefit local dog and cat rescue operations

 * ... VALLEY FEVER: It's worth repeating: The next time we get those devilish winds like we had Sunday, stay inside. That's the warning from Dr. Raj Patel, co-owner of Preferred Family Physicians over on Truxtun Extension. Patel confirmed that yes, valley fever spores are airborne during these wind storms and it's prudent just to stay out of it. Further, he questioned whether bandanas and other masks will
guard against valley fever although they might help against certain allergies. And finally, he told me  that it now appears that just because you have had valley fever before doesn't mean you can't contract it again. Patel said it takes two or three weeks after exposure to come up with symptons, and he is expecting to diagnose more valley fever cases in the coming weeks.

* ... SPCA: Don't forget that the big, annual SPCA book sale is under way now up on Mall View Road. It's hard to over appreciate what these volunteers do in our community, particularly with the explosion of stray dogs and cats who are being abandoned by their owners. If you have extra books to donate, or if you are looking for a summer read, make sure you stop by. It runs until May 25. And if you have time to help work the sale, I am sure they will put you to work.

 * ... FRAMING: The Ice House Framing and Gallery has officially opened at its new location downtown after leaving its longtime home at the Ice House. The new digs are located on 19th Street in the heart of the arts district. It's good to see downtown benefiting from another well run, locally owned business. The business is owned by Laurie and Dr. Javier Bustamante.

* ... BAD FORM: File this under the "really" bad form department compliments of reader Walter E. Stewart: "I witnessed a waitress sneeze into the palm of her hand, wipe her nose with the back of her finger, then deliver a check to a customer. Did she take time to wash her hands? No. Did she continue serving customer? Yes."

 * ... OVERHEARD: My poor man's barometer on the economy starts with a conversation with Dean Farnsworth, one of the best handymen in town who works with a lot of Realtors on last minute, escrow-mandated repairs. Houses are selling, Dean says, and his business is looking up. "Mary (Watson agent Mary Christenson) closed three houses in one week so I am staying busy! It's a lot better than it was this time last year."

* ... TWILIGHT: Congratulations to the folks over at Twilight Rotary Club which is approaching its fifth anniversary.  In that short time the club has helped numerous local non profits, including Relay for Life, the SPCA Book Sale, Flood Ministries and Covenant Community Services just to name a few.

 * ... STUDENT: And here's to 15-year-old Emily Bloom, a 10th grader at Bakersfield High School who has been accepted to UC San Diego's summer engineering program for high achieving kids. Proud mother Karen Bloom characterized her daughter as "our shining light" amid challenging times.

 * ... FOX: If you are looking for something special for mom this weekend, you might consider a special "Girls Day Out" sponsored by the Fox Theater and Dignity Health this Saturday. The event begins at 10:30 a.m. with a health fair and block party, followed by a fashion show by Fashionista at noon, and a showing of The Princess Bride at 12:20 p.m. The first 200 mothers will be presented with a rose from a Bakersfield firefighter. Admission is just $1 and popcorn and sodas also $1 each.

More businesses move to Bakersfield's growing downtown arts district, and a new survey shows underage drinkers prefer beer, Budweiser to be specific

 * ... ARTS DISTRICT: The downtown arts district is in the midst of another growth surge. Among the businesses relocating downtown are the Ice House Framing and Gallery, which is moving over near The Metro Galleries on 19th Street, and Tasha's, a new clothing and gift boutique. Meanwhile,  Metro Galleries is adding another 1,100 square feet on the Eye Street side of the building. The folks at 1612 Eye Street (the old Hay Building) tell me they expect to sign another new tenant, a bakery, within the next few days. By the way, the first residents of 1612 City Lofts should be moving in within the next 30 days.

 * ... WEGIS: Local farmer Greg Wegis was quoted in a Los Angeles Times story about the lack of immigration reform, saying he is having trouble finding enough migrant workers to help harvest his crops of cherries, tomatoes, pistachios and almonds. Wegis, a fifth generation farmer, told the Times' George Skelton that he had to cancel a cherry pick last year because of a shortage of workers. "Migrant workers," he said, "are moving to other states that are friendlier and where there's less likelihood of getting harassed or deported."

 * ... YOUNG DRINKERS: A national survey by Boston University has found that beer, and specifically Budweiser, is the favorite alcoholic beverage of underage drinkers. Among its other findings: almost 70 percent of those surveyed had drunk either beer or hard liquor, and about 50 percent had consumed flavored drinks. "For flavored alcoholic beverages, the respondents preferred Smirnoff malt beverages (Smirnoff Ice, and others, in many flavors.... Smirnoff vodkas were the number one choice for hard liquor, followed by Jack Daniel's bourbons," according to a New York Times piece on the study. (Getty Images picture courtesy of The New York Times)

 * ... ROMANCE: My recent blog post on Bakersfield being deemed one of the nation's least romantic cities (based on the rentals of romantic movies) drew this smart rebuttal from local Realtor J.R. Lewis: "It seems to me that Redbox is drawing the wrong conclusion from its data. Using Redbox's logic the most athletic city would be the city where more people sat on their couch and watched sports on TV.
Real romance doesn't involve renting movies; real romance is about living, sharing, loving and caring. I'm lucky to be living out a grand romance with my wife, Kim, and we haven't rented a movie in years."

 * ... DREAM BUILDERS: There will be an interesting exhibit this Saturday at the downtown Kern Superintendent of Schools building on 17th Street. It's an art show showcasing and celebrating the artistic talents of children with learning and emotional disabilities, an exhibition being put on by eight high school students who comprise the Dream Builders, part of the Jim Burke Education Foundation and Ford Dimension. The show runs from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. and is worth checking out.

 * ... MEMORIES: Charles Duran wrote to tell me that his aunt and uncle, Stella and Chon, owned a small restaurant just off the southwest corner of East 19th and Baker Street that was named La Estrellita. They and their two daughters made enough money off the restaurant to move back to El Paso, Texas, where they bought a cotton farm. Anyone remember La Estrellita?

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You would have to be a real Bakersfield old timer if you remember this high school cheer submitted by Sheryl Stuhr: "Ma He, Ma Ha, Ma Hoe, Rominickle, Dominickle, Nip Fat, Soap, Rag, Kern County Union High School, Rah! Rah! Rah! ... By the way the football team that year won the state championship!"