When marriages end in a most public way via social media, Bakersfield's Joey Porter is in trouble again and remembering a time when Bako was the home of a bicycle speed record

* ... DIVORCE: By sheer coincidence a number of friends and acquaintances of mine are seeing their marriages end, or at worse slowly unravel in a most public manner via postings on Facebook and other forms of social media. The indescribable heartbreak of divorce for those of us who have

been through it - as I have - is compounded by the way social media allows people to peek behind the curtain of our private lives. (One social media ritual is a Stalinesque purge of the soon-to-be ex spouse's photos, a sure sign that something isn't right at home). My advice to these folks: whatever pain you feel now will eventually be replaced by hope, new beginnings and salvation. If you have a friend going through a tough time, do as the late poet Maya Angelou advised and "be the rainbow in somebody else's cloud."

 * ... MARY: Watson Realtor Mary Christenson was out for dinner at Wiki's Wine Dive and Grill the night of the Alabama-Clemson college football championship when a stranger asked her if she was rooting for Alabama. Why? She was wearing a black checked wool wrap reminiscent of the late Alabama football legend Bear Bryant's houndstooth cap. (Full disclosure: Mary and I have been friends for years, I have used her to buy and sell homes and she is the generous sponsor of this blog.)

* ... JOEY PORTER: Why can't Joey Porter just stay out of trouble? The former Foothill High star, now a coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, was arrested outside a Pittsburgh bar for assaulting a doorman. This is just the latest in a long string of incidents that seem to follow Porter.

 * ... FRIENDLY: Did you see that a driver fell asleep at the wheel and ran his car into a restaurant on North Chester that used to be the home of the Friendly Cafe? The Friendly, and its famous multi-egg omelette, was one of the first places I visited after moving here years ago. And yes, I still miss it.

 * ... SPOTTED ON INSTAGRAM: "There should be a millennial edition of Monopoly where you just walk around the board paying rent, never able to buy anything."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Filing my taxes online this morning and Vladimir Putin texted to say I shouldn't be using form 1040EZ."

 * ... SPOTTED BY PETER: Peter Wonderly spotted a young man at a local Target wearing a T-shirt that read, "I like big butts and taco trucks."

 * ... SCHWINN: My buddy Randy Martin of Covenant Community Services turned me on to this interesting factoid from a history site. In 1941, a man named Alfred Letourneur "was able to beat the motor-paced world speed record on a bicycle, reaching 108.92 miles per hour (175.29 km/h) on a Schwinn Paramount bicycle riding behind a car in Bakersfield, California."

* ... EAST HIGH: Sue Lueth reached out to me to remember Roger Chichester, a former biology teacher at East High who was so kind and inspirational to her daughter, who at one time was had a rare immune disorder and was facing a potential bone marrow transplant. "Mr. Chi in his usual graceful way, made her a  teacher's assistant during the time Physical Education classes were supposed to be held. This single act of kindness guided a scared isolated  teen to pursue a career in science. Her excitement was  invigorating and a joy to watch... We were blessed with the grace of God, to follow a much  less rigorous course of treatment, thus avoiding the need  for the transplant thanks to the incredible medical professionals at UCLA. My daughter went on to college to pursue her dreams. Ken Chichester is his father's son, and this gentle dynamic man is keeping his father's dream alive. In the obituary it lists a scholarship fund for East High  students excelling in Science. Donations can be made to: East High ASB, 2200 Quincy Street, Bakersfield, Ca. 94306 . Please write Roger Chichester on the memo section of the check.

Prepare for massive Bakersfield gridlock and learning to obey police commands

  

* ... HOUSING SALES: Local appraiser Gary Crabtree brought some perspective to my earlier somewhat downbeat post (read the earlier story here) regarding three straight months of declining home sales. Crabtree is one of Kern County's foremost experts on local housing statistics, and cautioned me "not to make this any worse than it is." He said the Bakersfield market bottomed in April 2009 at $114,000, "then over the peak season increased to a high of $141,250 in November, then entered the off peak season that ended in January at $128,000 (a drop of 9 percent with 5-6 percent being typical)... then started its recovery and as of today has a median price of $141,000 or equal to the price entering the off peak season."
 At the current rate of sales and foreclosures," he said "we should reach REO (real estate owned) liquidation by October 2011. If a second wave of foreclosures does take place, all bets are off."

 * ... JOEY PORTER: I read about Joey Porter's arrest early Sunday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence over off Calloway Drive. The incomprehensible part of the story: he also allegedly resisted arrest and may be charged with battery on a California Highway Patrol officer. Here's some free advice: generally speaking, it's always better to obey the officer's commands.

 * ... GRIDLOCK: Get ready for a couple years of gridlock on our local roads. It's all part of the Westside Parkway project that - at the end of the day - will be a wonderful thing for our community. But getting there is going to be a nightmare. The intersection of Coffee Road and Truxtun (already a mess) will be totally redone and there will be major disruptions on Jewetta, Calloway, Brimhall and Allen roads. If you didn't catch Gretchen Wenner's piece in Sunday's Californian, check it out here. Brace yourself.

* ...  KCUHS REUNION: Ken Shelton, one of my early-bird gym pals, pulled me aside the other day to tell me about the upcoming 70th reunion of the 1940 class of Kern County Union High School. It is set for noon, May 1, at the Petroleum Club. Anyone in the class, or even Drillers from another class, should call Ken at 661-663-9187. By the way, Ken served as 1940 Senior Class President and still seems to be presiding.

 * ... MARK EHLY DIES: Mark Ehly, the California Highway Patrol officer hospitalized after complications from a brain aneurysm, died over the weekend at San Joaquin Hospital. Ehly suffered the aneurysm in December and was sent back to the hospital last week. You might recognize him as the public affairs face of the CHP based in Fort Tejon. He was just 50 years old. Please keep his family in your thoughts.

 * ... PADRE BUZZ: Had a chance to catch up the other day with Brett Miller, one of the owners of the new downtown Padre Hotel. He said the Prairie Fire restaurant and outdoor dining area on the second floor will be open early next month and it is already being booked for weddings. At the same time, all the furniture in the ground floor bar will be swapped out for higher tables and chairs that have been on back order. Business is brisk and the hotel is slowly starting to lure business travelers to its rooms.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISMS: You know when you're from Bakersfield when "the stranger you met the other night turns out to be the aunt of the person you are buying a house from." Big city, small-town flavor.

Fondly recalling Lou Ella's children's store and Coldwell Banker plans big fund raiser for Relay for Life

 

 * ... RELAY FOR LIFE: Greg Holland over at Coldwell Banker reminded me that one of the most important fund raisers of the year, the Relay for Life Wine Tasting and Auction, will be held next weekend (March 13) at the Motor City Lexus dealership. This is the second year this event has been held and only 550 tickets will be sold. It's a terrific way to support a good cause and meet your neighbors, all while dining on some of Bakersfield's finest food and enjoying wine from 25 Central Coast wineries. Last year the event raised more than $37,000 for the Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society. Holland said tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door and are available all Coldwell Banker offices and at Imbibe Wine Merchants. Remember: it's next Saturday at the Lexus dealership and runs from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. You can also call 661-747-6208 for tickets. Kudos to the Coldwell Banker team for coordinating this event.
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. * ... REMEMBERING LOU ELLA'S: Susan Lewis is a former Bakersfield resident who now lives in Scottsdale, Az., who wrote to share her memories of the old Lou Ella's children's store on Baker Street. "My favorite thing there was the stock of Story Book Dolls. Every spring, the new dolls arrived in their polka dot dresses ... stacked along the north wall just behind the window display area. Lou Ella's is a part of my memory of my childhood... a good memory." Susan left Bakersfield in 1958 but often returns and said she always drives down Baker Street.
 Another reader, Kelly Donovan, called Lou Ella's one of our "finest institutions."
 "My grandmother Mrs. Vincent Casper used to take me down and dress me in Lou Ella's finest. It was at Lou Ella's that I learned how to dress, how to appreciate a pulled-together look. Even as a very young girl, the minute we pulled her Thunderbird up into the parking lot I knew I was in for a wonderful treat.. One of the most precious memories I have is of my grandmother taking me down to purchase a layette before my son was born. Armanda and Brenda were there to help me feel special then, just as they always were."

 * ... ONE LEGACY: It looks like the recent golf tournament to raise money for One Legacy and Donate Life was a huge success. Preliminary proceeds from the raffle and auctions alone totals more than $70,000 and the entire event could raise up to $100,000, according to those involved. Former Pittsburgh Steeler and Foothill High School product Joey Porter donated two football jerseys, both bringing in $4,000 a pop. The event was held at Seven Oaks Country Club and put on my Lori Malkin. Lori's son, Jeff Johns, died in a car crash a year ago and on that same day became an organ and tissue donor. His organs saved five lives and his tissue donations healed 50 others. The recipient of a kidney was in attendance. Now that's an inspirational story.

 * ...  FIRST FRIDAY: Only rain will be able to spoil the excitement around Friday Friday in the arts district. Make sure you check out the "Opening Doors to the Arts" exhibit in which downtown streets will have "public art" featuring colorfully painted old doors. Make a night of it downtown, beginning with the multiple arts studios to dinner at one of the many downtown eateries: Uricchios Trattoria, Mama Roomba's, the Padre Hotel and Mexicali just to name a few. The "public art" will be on display only from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Also this weekend is the popular "Cioppino Feed" to fund the Bakersfield West Rotary Foundation, which has helped so many non-profits and charities over the years. This is always a huge event featuring the event's famous seafood cioppino stew and a lively auction. It will be held Saturday night at Leddy Hall on the campus of Garces Memorial High School. Contact Howdy Miller at Ticor Title for tickets, at 661-846-5606.


 * ... BAKERSFIELDISMS:  You know you're from Bakersfield when "Everyone always says they're going to leave, but you know that if you try, you will get sucked right back in."