Cal State Bakersfield cancels its annual fall barbecue citing conflicts with the new Western Athletic Conference, and Rick Kreiser ties the knot

 * ... CSUB BARBECUE: For the first time in many years the annual fall Cal State Bakersfield barbecue has been canceled and replaced with another event. CSUB Athletic Director Jeff Konya told me that conflicts with the schedule of the new Western Athletic Conference and with women's volleyball competition meant he had to cancel the annual October fund raiser. (In addition NCAA rules now

allow both basketball teams practice opportunities in early October) Instead, CSUB is looking at a concert at the Fox Theater as a possible replacement in early December. Konya said the fall barbecue could come back next year if the schedule is better and interest remains in the event. As a side note, the folks over at St. Vincent's de Paul set their first annual barbecue fund raiser for this Thursday when they learned the Cal State event had been canceled. Tickets for that are $25 at the door. The event will feature steaks grilled by Gary Icardo, who usually cooks at the Cal State event.

 * ... BAD FORM: Karen Odle suffered a bit of bad luck recently when someone stole a large package off her front porch that was left there by her postal carrier. It was a package full of her son's personal belongings as he awaited orders to report to a new base with the Navy. "It was supposed to be signed for upon delivery but the mailman left it without a signature and someone stole it off of my front porch. I was not home as I was visiting with my daughter-in-law and grandson from Florida - her husband is stationed at Jacksonville -  and when I arrived home there was no package but the Post Office website showed that it was delivered. I have lived her a long time and have never had this happen. This was a large heavy box that someone decided they needed more than my son, it makes me so mad on so many levels. Why do people think it is okay to take things that do not belong to them."

 * ... TRASH: From my regular pen pal Linda Welch. "We just came back from a two week trip to Colorado and we did not see one used diaper or discarded beer can. All the way through Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Nevada ... I guess you know the story of when we entered our beautiful state, or at least what could be our beautiful state."

 * ... ROMANCE: Congratulations to Rick Kreiser and Lorie Tovar-Stites who were married this past weekend at their home in the Tuscany area of Bakersfield. Kreiser is the owner of Carney's Business Technology Center and a longtime West Rotarian. The couple has been dating for three years. Kreiser's surprise to Lorie on their wedding day? He imported a ukelele singer they both discovered in Hawaii to sing at the wedding.

 * ... NAVY: Hats off to Chief Petty Officer Eli W. Hollis, a Bakersfield man who has found his calling in the U.S. Navy. A North High graduate, Hollis has been in the Navy for nine years and is now one of the Navy's youngest sailors to rise to the rank of chief.  His mother, Cheryl Hollis, and aunt and uncle were able to attend the September 13 promotional ceremony aboard the USS Missouri, moored in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Ryan Beckwith, sacrificed at Bakersfield College, heads to Cal State Bakersfield to work in the athletic department, and more readers lament the trash on our streets

 * ... BECKWITH: It looks like former Bakersfield College Athletic Director Ryan Beckwith has landed on his feet. Beckwith, who was forced out at BC after the football team was stripped of its championship because of program violations, is joining Cal State Bakersfield as a strength and

conditioning trainer in the athletic department. CSUB Athletic Director Jeff Konya said Beckwith will likely start as a part-time employee. Beckwith was only at Bakersfield College for two years, and many thought he was unfairly painted as the fall guy for program violations that had been going on for many years.

 * ... TRASH: Some things are just too hard to believe. Consider this note from Patricia Seymour: she was taking a walk down Panorama Drive near Thorner School when she spotted a white pickup with a black trailer pull into an open field. And sure enough, the occupants dumped a full load of trash right in the open field. She called Bakersfield police and the dispatcher insisted she had to witness the incident, which she had. "I realize there are other emergency calls... so we started walking home and at Fairfax we saw three detective cars driving from the north. We figured they had been out practice shooting at Hart Park or to a meeting.  I don't know if detectives go out on calls but as I am a multi-tasker and I figured they could have dropped by to at least give warning to these dumpers. The area at the end of Panorama Drive is constantly being dumped on. It's a sad sight when one is trying to exercise and enjoy the great outdoors."

 * ... MORE TRASH: And speaking of trash, Ken Barnes has been going to Canada to hunt for more than 25 years. "On our 40-mile drive from the airport in Edmonton to the town of Tofield, it would be unusual to see more than three or four pieces of litter along the highway for the entire trip. And they do not use clean-up crews....the people just do not litter!"

 *... OVERHEARD: On the first day of school, a mother tells her teary-eyed kindergarten daughter that she must go to her class or the school will call the police and her parents will go to prison.

 * ... SPOTTED: Having a bite to eat at The Padre Hotel bar the other day were Supervisor Leticia Perez, fresh off her loss in the 16th state Senate district runoff, and Roy Ashburn, who also is recovering from his loss in a supervisor's race.

 * ... CALAHAN: Former KGET reporter Tim Calahan is back in the business, joining KERO TV as a breaking news reporter in the afternoon and the 11 p.m. co-anchor along with Jackie Parks. Calahan had most recently been with the Kern County Mission.

 * ... MEMORIES: A walk down memory lane with Gene Bonas on the old Andre's Drive-in. "The Andre family ran both Andre's Drive-Ins and the Garces High School cafeteria.  Mary Andre managed the Niles Street Andre's, Joe managed the Brundage Lane Andre's, and John managed the Garces cafeteria and filled in when Mary or Joe needed time off... My memory of Andre's on Brundage had to do with two Garces students who worked at the restaurant.  A close friend of mine ran the grill ensuring all the food was cooked to perfection.  I can still taste the hamburgers and fries that (my friend) made and snuck to me out the back door without anyone's knowledge."

Wool Growers restaurant likely to get some new love in an upcoming feature of Saveur magazine, and an old timer remembers the original Green Frog market

 * ... WOOL GROWER'S: It looks like Wool Growers, the famous Basque restaurant on 19th Street, will be getting some more love from the national press. Christiane Camou, daughter of Wool Grower' owner Jenny Maitia-Poncetta, tipped me that the editor of Saveur magazine (James Oseland) popped into the eatery last week.  "He enjoyed it so much that he had his photographer take hundreds of pictures of the food, and visited with my grandmother and myself about the history of Basque restaurants in Bakersfield," she said.

 * ... CAL RADIO: Tune in to Californian Radio (KERN1180) Monday at 9 a.m. when Assemblywoman Shannon Grove will be my guest to talk about AB 202, the school marshal's bill. In addition, I will be chatting with Cal State Bakersfield Athletic Director Jeff Konya and Runners baseball coach Bill Kernen.

 * ... HIGH ACHIEVER: Hats off to Stacy Vanderhurst, valedictorian of her 1994 graduating class at Centennial High. She went on to graduate from Notre Dame with honors and is now completing her doctorate at Brown University. In addition, Stacy is teaching an "Anthropology of Globalization" class at Brown this semester.

* ... NIGHTMARE: Here's a nightmare story on air flight that I wouldn't wish on anybody. Lois Henry, our Californian columnist, was flying back from the inauguration when she missed her 6 p.m. connection in Phoenix and was bumped to the 9 p.m. flight. That turned out to be two hours late, but it did make it to Bakersfield only to pass over the city and turn around because of fog at Meadows Field. "They initially rebooked me on the next day's 9 p.m. flight, but I was able to finagle a seat on the 11 a.m. flight. And no, US Airways did not put us up in hotels. You either had to pay for your own room, or schlump around the airport all night. If I don't see the Phoenix airport again for a good long while, it still won't be long enough!"

* ... WHAT'S IN A NAME: Cheryle DeMaro shared with me the origin of her own namne. "In the mid 1950s there were quite a few female babies (me included, except my dad changed my middle name to Jeanette in a compromise with my mom) that were named Cheryl Ann. Working in banks over the years I met a few of them in Bakersfield. I got curious and asked my mom why she picked that name. She said while in the hospital a new TV series came on and it was called 'On the Waterfront' starring the hunk at the time Preston Foster. His famous tug boat was named the Cheryl Ann. It was only on a couple of years but he had some Bakersfield women who had a crush on him. I thought maybe these 'Cheryle Anns ' would like to know. Also, does anyone know the story of the beautiful old Victorian house located behind the new Maya?"

 * ... GREEN FROG: Stan Anderson wrote to recall the old Green Frog Market that was located on the southeast corner of California and Chester. "In the early 1950s, Paul Taylor owned and operated the grocery department, and my dad, Clif Anderson, owned and operated the 'full service' meat department while Charlie Everett owned and operated the produce department  Somewhere around 1953 or 1954 Mr. Everett built the store at Alta Vista and Bernard and the Chester store closed. At this point, my dad went to work in the Alta Vista store where he worked for Mr. Everett as a meat cutter until he retired in 1974.  My Mom, Naomi Anderson, was the bookkeeper for the Bernard store from about 1955 until she retired in about 1992."

Cal State Bakersfield Athletic Director Jeff Konya is a finalist for the AD position at Cal State Northridge, and a ton of memories of old Bako

* ... CSUB: It looks like Cal State Bakersfield athletic director Jeff Konya is being courted by Cal State Northridge to become the director of athletics for the CSUN Matadors. Konya is apparently a finalist for the job, which came open when Rick Mazzuto left in November. Konya came to CSUB two years ago from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma, replacing Rudy Carvajal as athletic director. The loss of Konya would be a major blow to Cal State, which is now competing on the Division 1 level in college athletics and has just entered the Western Athletic Conference. Stay tuned.

 * ... GREEN FROG: From Santa Maria, Jerry Kirkland writes that he remembers when there was  a Green Frog Market on California and Chester. "When I was a junior at BHS in 1950-51, I worked there after school and on Saturdays, boxing groceries and stocking shelves. Oddly enough, we still use the term 'box boys' even though we haven't actually used boxes to take out groceries in many years.  We did in those days and it was about the hardest job I ever had since you had to literally carry the boxes to the customer's cars. Very few shopping carts in those days.  I started at 75 cents an hour but that was later raised to $1. Big money. Paul Taylor was the owner and manager and a really nice guy to work for.  Seems like maybe he was partners with the guy - his name excapes me - who had the store on Bernard and Alta Vista.  There was a full service butcher shop with sides of beef stored in a large walk-in refrigerator and the butchers would cut steaks or roasts according to the customer's wishes.  There was also a bakery in the front of the store, a Smith's if I'm not mistaken.  One day an older lady parked out front got her foot on the wrong pedal and came over the sidewalk and through the wall into the bakery section. Ruined a few pastries but no one was hurt."

* ... LITTER: Brent Stratton wrote to weigh in on the La Cresta homeowner who was upset that the Bakersfield police would not act on a man he caught littering in his neighborhood.  "I just wanted to point out that unless I'm mistaken, littering is an infraction and California law does not allow for a citizen to make a citizen's arrest (or an officer to arrest for something like this that did not occur in their presence). I don't believe it's selective enforcement, I just don't think it's legal for them to act  and would potentially open them (taxpayers) up to civil liability. Something to consider."

* ... HONOR FLIGHT: One of the most uplifting operations in town is the Honor Flight, in which World War II veterans are flown to Washington, D.C., to visit the war memorials. One of the driving forces behind the local effort is Lili Marsh, operations manager of the Petroleum Club. She told me there are two more flights planned - in the spring and in the fall - and wants more veterans to reach out to take advantage of this opportunity. "We have many applications, more than enough to fill a flight, but every time I read the obits it seems like another World War II vet has passed away. And I always think, 'I wonder why they didn’t fly with us?'" Lili can be reached at (661) 544-VETS. (photo courtesy of Jessica Frey)

 * ... OLD BAKO: Carol Owen gave me a call to answer a reader's question about the name of a restaurant that was located next door to Sinaloa, when that eatery was in the current location of Wool Grower's. "I believe it was called Frager's and it was very fancy and it featured enchilladas, tamales and fried chicken of all things," she said. "And I wonder if anyone remembers the old Tea Room on Truxtun that had the best home cooked meals. It was in an old two-story house down near the Civic and people used to be lined up at 5 p.m. trying to get in."

 * ... MEMORY: Elinor Grant also remembers the Mexican eatery that was in the current Wool Grower's location, and recalls that its specialty was a small green pepper, stuffed with cheese, dipped in batter and deep fried. "What a delight," she wrote. The memory still lingers."

Time to support the Cal State Bakersfield Runner baseball team, and remembering when "Ray Ray" the ice cream man roamed the city streets

 * ... BASEBALL: If it's almost spring it must be time for baseball, and there's no better place to take in some big time college baseball than Hardt Field out at CSUB. Now that we're competing in Division 1, the Runners will be taking on teams like UNLV, Southern Cal, North Carolina State, New Mexico State, Fresno State, Nebraska and the University of Washington. And this after taking on Kansas State and winning two out of three. CSUB Athletic Director Jeff Konya has also announced a plan to raise funds to improve Hardt Field. If you haven't taken in a game, give it a try. This is a team worth supporting.

 * ... MEMORIES: From my mailbag comes this note from  a reader named Dena, who wonders if anyone who grew up in South Bakersfield remembers the "Ray-Ray" ice cream truck that used to roam the neighborhood. "In his pristine little white truck with freezer attached, very clean,..., Ray-ray was always a very dapper gentleman always wearing a clean white shirt, little bow tie and black shiny shoes. He was so kind to all of us neighborhood children and my mother relied on his summer rounds every day, keeping my 'ice cream money' in a special Ray-Ray jar."


 * ... OVERHEARD: Only in Bakersfield "will I drive out of my way just to get a look at a new gas station (Sully's Chevron market at Buena Vista Road and Ming Avenue)."

 * ... SPOTTED: Former Bakersfield City Fire Chief Ron Fraze, along with wife Shelly, at the outdoor Prairie Fire grill at The Padre Hotel this weekend meeting with friends and supporters and talking politics. Fraze has submitted papers to run for the Ward One seat on the City Council to replace the retiring Sue Benham.


 * ... ART: Looking for some good, affordable art for your home? If so, make sure you swing by the Bakersfield Museum of Art when it offers quality, previously owned art for sale. These are works that have been donated to the museum. The event will be held Thursday, March 8, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets for Art A Go-Go are $50 before the event and $60 at the door. Call (661) 323-7219 for more details.

 * ... OPEN HOUSE: The Independent Living Center, which helps folks with disabilities live independently and with dignity, is holding an open house this Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. There will be food, a silent auction, a boutique and even Plinko to honor everyone who has helped support this organization. The event will be held at 5251 Office Park Drive.

CSUB launches a new sports marketing program and good wishes to a local architect battling prostate cancer

* ... CSUB: I spent the afternoon out at Cal State Bakersfield the other day and was impressed with the bold new branding around the athletic programs. Thanks to an aggressive marketing plan under Athletic Director Jeff Konya, the Icardo Center is now "wrapped" in sepia-like, golden toned pictures of CSUB athletes in action. Inside, the Icardo Center has received a new blue floor emblazoned with a huge Roadrunner in the middle and new lighting. Expect to see more CSUB promotion in near future; it's all part of Konya's plans to bring excitement back to Roadrunner athletics. And by the way, the first regular season home game for Runners basketball is Nov. 19 when Pepperdine University comes to town.

 

 * ... SICK BAY: Bruce Biggar is one of our community's longtime residents and good souls, not to mention a friend of mine, so I was concerned to learn that he just underwent surgery to deal with prostate cancer. The good news is that the surgery, performed at UCLA Medical Center, was a complete success. "Of course nothing is guaranteed but right now I am cancer free," he told me. A longtime architect at BFCG-IBI Group Architecture Planning, Bruce told me he is now "going to get on my soap box to tell men: monitor your PSA levels and get regular checkups." Other than losing a few pounds, Bruce is doing well and now walking regularly to retain his strength and stamina.

 * ... THANKS: From reader Pamela Mahan: "God bless these 'quiet millionaires' such as Dr. Cornforth and his wife, Edna, who have donated a million dollars to San Joaquin Hospital for their cancer center. We should all appreciate what the private sector does to contribute to our welfare. We don't all have to rely on the government to take care of us."

 * ... GRANTS: The Women's and Girls' Fund, part of the Kern Community Foundation, has annnounced a new four-year focus on grants supporting education and training for Kern women and girls. Through 2015 annual grants of $20,000 or more will be awarded to local non-profits. The new grant cycle has a deadline of Nov. 9 to apply. Go to http://www.kernfoundation.org/ to download application forms. Meanwhile, The Bakersfield Californian Foundation has an Oct. 14 deadline for grant requests focused on the beautification and general improvement of downtown Bakersfield. It's nice to live in a town where so many people are chipping in to improve our community. You can find the Californian grant applications on http://www.bakersfieldcalifornianfoundation.org/.

* ... OVERHEARD: A U.S. Airways flight from Phoenix to Bakersfield was recently delayed by more than 30 minutes because the crew ran out of seat belt extenders to accommodate a large number of out sized passengers. Oh my.

 * ... SPOTTED: Memo to the middle aged woman driving the late model silver BMW with black convertible top on Gosford Road: thanks for using your blinkers but weaving through heavy traffic like a NASCAR driver can be hazardous to your health.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: James Taylor writes that you might be a Bakersfield old-timer if you remember "the Texas Kid fruit stand on 34th Street and Dudley's hamburger stand across the street from East High School. Had lots of spaghetti and beans there."

A tribute to a career teacher who touched so many lives and dealing with a traffic nightmare on Truxtun

 * ... TRIBUTE: Jamie Henderson, who retired as superintendent of the Rosedale Union School District, dropped me this wonderful tribute to career educator  Lloyd Palmer, who died recently. Palmer spent 30 years as a social studies teacher at Curran Junior High, where Henderson found himself as one of Palmer's students in the early 1960s. "Kennedy was president, we had just come through the Cuban missile crisis and John Glenn had circled the earth.... It was a good time to be studying U.S. history and the Constitution." Henderson said Palmer knew every student by name and was always upbeat and positive. Years later, when as Rosedale superintendent Henderson was dealing with a difficult challenge, Palmer called and offered his support. "Forty years after I had been in his classroom he still checked on his students and offered them encouragement. Mr. Palmer, I realize having you as a teacher was a true blessing from God. May God continue to comfort and bless you and your family." (Californian photo of Henderson below)

 * .... TRAFFIC: The opening of the new Mohawk bridge connecting Truxtun Avenue with Rosedale Highway is proving to be a nightmare for morning commuters headed from the Southwest into town. Apparently so many drivers are using it to get off Rosedale Highway and onto Truxtun that it is backing up east-bound traffic on Truxtun almost all the way to Coffee Road. It seems particularly bad between 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. when traffic it at its worst.

* ... CSUB: I will be chatting with Jeff Konya, the new CSUB Athletic Director, Friday (July 8) at 10 a.m. on SmartTalk 1230 AM on Californian Radio. Konya will lay out the strategic direction of the athletic department and answer any questions from callers. We will also discuss the embattled wrestling and women's tennis programs and the fund raising efforts to save them.

* ... SPAY, NEUTER: Did you know that one intact female dog, plus her offspring and their offspring, can product 67,000 dogs in just six years? That's the word from Ha Adolfo, founder of the Basic Needs Foundation. And that's why her group is hosting two free mobile spay-neuter clinics for low income pet owners of Lake Isabella, Wofford Heights, Onyx, Bodfish, South Lake, Mountain Mesa and Kernville. These clinics will take place on Saturday, August 20, and Saturday, October 22, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the parking lot of the Lake Isabella Vons. To schedule an appointment call 1-800-404-SPAY (7729).

* ... STREET CARS: John Pryor says you are an old timer if you remember the city's electric street cars that traveled on tracks back and forth between the Southern Pacific Railroad station on Baker Street, down 19th Street to the Santa Fe Railroad station on F Street at 15th Street, just north of Bakersfield High School. "On the very last day of the street cars operation, sometime in the 1930s, my father took me for a ride from Baker Street to F Street and back. He knew it was the end of an era for Bakersfield, and gave me an experience I still remember 70 plus years later!"

  * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From reader Kyle Estle: "You know it’s summertime in Bakersfield when the internal temperature on your outdoor grill is above 150 degrees BEFORE you light it!"