Fourth District supervisor candidates Pinson and Couch line up support and remembering the old Canaday Nursery and its monkeys

 * ... CANADAY: Earlier this week I wrote about the monkeys who used to live at the old Canaday Nursery in Pumpkin Center, including one who was fond of hurling fecal matter at visitors. That brought a response from Jane Canaday, who remembers it well. "I was happy to see our old family business, Canaday Nursery, mentioned in Monday's column. I lived at the nursery until I was about 13. I had forgotten about Larry's 'proclivity.' I do remember that even though my father discouraged it, visitors would sometimes give the monkeys lit cigarettes. The monkeys would finish smoking them (and) then eat the butts."

 * ... SMART DOGS: Longtime animal lover and former KERO TV weather forecaster Melissa Dignan turned me onto a webiste featuring the smartest dog breeds. The smartest dog? The Border Collie, which the story described as extremely bright but in need of an energetic owner. Rounding on the list were the Poodle, the German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Doberman Pinscher, Shetland Sheepdog, Labrador Retriever, Papilion, Rottweiler and the Australian Cattle Dog.

 * ... PINSON: One of the hottest and closely followed local political races this year is the 4th District Kern County supervisor campaign where lawyer Harley Pinson is squaring off against City Councilman David Couch. Pinson is holding a fund raiser May 15 at the home of Bryan and Marie Batey. Among the supporters expected to attend are state Sen. Jean Fuller, Ray and Joan Dezember, Gene and Linda Voiland, Bob and Betty Stine, Jay Rosenlieb, Sam and Linda Monroe and John and Beverly Allen.

 * ... COUCH: Couch meanwhile announced his campaign co-chairs. Among them are George and Linda Martin, Keith and Jennifer Gardiner, Paul and Karen Sturgeon, Bob and Judy Hampton, Stan and Bonnie Ellis, Lou and Sheryl Barbich, Mayor Harvey Hall and wife Lavonne, former Sheriff Carl Sparks and former 4th District Supervisor Trice Harvey.  Couch also picked up the endorsement of former city councilman and local political observer Mark Salvaggio. (file photos of Pinson, Couch)

* .. SPOTTED: And speaking of Trice Harvey, he was spotted at the Guild House downtown volunteering. Thanks to Julia Alsup for this submission.


*  ... OUR WORLD: From Californian editor John Arthur's Twitter feed: "In effort to boost oil change recycling, the state notes that 'Kern [is] the state’s fourth-largest DIY (do it yourself) oil change market.'" Who knew?

* ... MEMORIES: Hart Park is beautiful this time of year, and LaVone and Bill Walker remember when it was truly a bustling place. "Families spent summer weekends at the park. There was a zoo to enjoy, as well as a swimming pool filled with dark river water, bumper cars, rings to swing on and a snack bar. Across the street from the snack bar was a small narrow gauge train that adults would ride on with their children; it ran by the rustic waterwheel mill," she said.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Dean Lemaster told me you might be a Bakersfield old timer if you remember when  the circus came to town in the 1940s and set up on Kentucky Street just off Baker Street.

John Arthur named editor of The Bakersfield Californian

 John Arthur, who has served as interim editor for The Californian for the past three months, has been named vice president and executive editor. Arthur worked for 23 years for the Los Angeles Times, leaving last year as executive editor. He won two Pulitzer Prizes there for his coverage of the Northridge earthquake and the North Hollywood bank robbery and shootout. For the full story, read on the Californian's coverage here.

Longtime Californian editor Mike Jenner leaving for academia and watching for fireworks in the Scrivner-Perez runoff

* .. FAREWELL: Mike Jenner, the longtime editor and voice of The Californian in his popular weekly "Sound Off" column, is leaving to become the dean of an endowed chair of journalism at his alma mater, the University of Missouri. Mike is one of our community's true good guys, deeply involved in civic life and committed to making this a better place to live. He came here a single man 17 years ago and is leaving with a wife (Jean), two energetic boys (Joe and Andrew) and wonderful memories of Bakersfield. He is a dear friend and he will be missed. Replacing him is another longtime friend of mine, John Arthur (photo below). John is former executive editor of the Los Angeles Times where he headed coverage for two Pulitzer Prize events, the 1994 Northridge earthquake and the North Hollywood bank shootout. A resident of Santa Monica, John's wife is from Bakersfield so he knows our community well. No doubt he'll soon know it even better.

* ... SCRIVNER-PEREZ: Now that Zack Scrivner has made it into the runoff with Steve Perez for the 2nd District county Supervisor post, you wonder what the unions will do to keep him out of office. The fire fighter's union launched a sharp and expensive campaign against Scrivner, who has led the charge for public pension reform and to make the public employees pick up more of their health care costs. Perez served two terms as a supervisor as well as 26 years in the Kern County Sheriff's Office. This should be a spirited race to watch.

 * ... EAST BAKO: A reader named Kelly submitted these thoughts about growing up in East Bakersfield: "The Big T atop the ThriftyMart grocery store! How about on the Fourth of July when Bakersfield College would shoot out toys attached to parachutes into the surrounding neighborhoods! I cannot talk about the Helms man without getting all misty eyed!"

 * ... DUI CHECKPOINTS: The Bakersfield Police Department will be conducting DUI checkpoints on Saturday, June 19, and the following Friday, June 25. To avoid trouble, simply don't drink and drive or take a cab. No sense asking for trouble. Be careful out there.

 * ... TIME FLIES: Hard to believe it has been over eight months since San Joaquin Bank was seized by state and federal regulators and shut down. For years the bank was a local institution known for supporting non-profits and local businesses. Now it's gone and most of the executives and employees have landed elsewhere. Former bank financial officer Steve Annis is now at Valley Republic Bank, and former CEO Bart Hill is working in fund raising at California State University Bakersfield.

 * ... SMASH 'N GRAB: A friend was the victim of a "smash and grab" recently when she parked and locked her car - for just two minutes - in front of a prominent retailer off Truxtun Extension. Thinking she was safe in broad daylight with the car locked, she left her purse on her seat. She returned just minutes later to a smashed window and stolen purse.A bad economy makes for desperate times.

* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From reader Terry Willey: "You know you're from Bakersfield when someone mentions a 'bluff' and you don't think of poker."