Bakersfield Observed is back from a vacation on the east coast and returned home to find my mailbox full. Some musings from around town

 * ... HOME: I am back from a few days on the east coast and returned to find my mailbox full and a 10-year-old tabby needing a lot of attention. Enjoy these random musings around our community as I settle back into our California lifestyle.

* ... GOOD FORM: Victoria Derringer wrote to thank the stranger who picked up the tab for her father's haircut at Super Cuts at The Marketplace. Her 90-year-old father was wearing his World War II cap when the younger man engaged them in a conversation, thanking her father for his service.
"It brought my dad to tears and he wouldn't even let my dad leave a tip for the hair dresser. Thank you very much Bob Rodgers."

 * ... MORE GOOD FORM: And then there was this note from Rick Tomlinson, who spotted a car with a Semper Fi bumper sticker out at Rio Bravo Country Club. "That in itself is not unique, but there was another bumper sticker referencing the 'Chosin Few.'  Knowing the significance of that bumper sticker I engaged the gentlemen in a conversation. He indeed fought with the 1st Marine Division at the Chosin Reservoir. He also mentioned that he just attended an annual meeting with the remaining 20 members of his company from that battle.  Needless to say, that is a sober reminder that our aging vets from World War II and Korea are slowly leaving us. He mentioned that he was at this golf tournament as a guest of Honor Flight. He was very 'Gung Ho about the program. So the next time you see a vet wearing a military cap or displaying a military bumper sticker, thank them for their sacrifice and service to our country."

 * ... SKEET: Congratulations to 16-year-old Remington DeWitt, who shot a perfect 100 straight in the 12 gauge at a skeet tournament in Stockton recently. DeWitt joins an impressive line of junior shooters from Kern County who have mastered this hard-to-accomplish feat. The Frontier High School junior is the daughter of Stuart and Kourtney DeWitt.

 * ... GOLLA: Bakersfield High principal David Reese sent me this bit about a recent Bakersfield College football game: "Coach Golla had some criticism thrown his way for not having the team wear pink socks for Breast Cancer Awareness month. Coach told the team in September that they would donate the $250 that it would of cost to purchase the socks to cancer research. I thought that was pretty cool of him. He told the team that if every high school in California did the same thing  (4,495 high schools in California) they could raise over $1 million dollars."

 * ... LITERACY: Did you know that Kern County has an adult illiteracy rate in the range of 25 percent? Appalling yes, but one group that is doing something about it is the Kern Adult Literacy Council, which is holding a big fund raiser at Hodel's on Wednesday, Oct. 21. It is a breakfast event called "Read for Success" and will feature Monsignor Craig Harrison and Tel-Tec owner Morgan Clayton, moderated by Javier Lozano of Aera Energy. Reserve tables or seats at kernliteracy.org or call Laura Wolfe at (661) 324-3213.

 * ... GIRLS NIGHT: Feel like being pampered for an evening? If so check out the Girls Night Out event this Thursday at Motor City Lexus where women will be treated to gourmet food, wine from Imbibe and shopping from a host of retailers. It runs from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and tickets are $60. For more information call (661) 392-5716.

 * ... MEMORY: This nugget comes compliments of my Navy veteran friend Gene Bonas about growing up in a Bakersfield when it was truly a small town. "I grew up in east Bakersfield during a time when it had much in common with Andy Griffith's Mayberry.  Both towns were peaceful and quiet.  Everyone knew their neighbors. I recall the friendliness when mom and I walked to ADS Market or Safeway on Baker Street to purchase our groceries. There was only one major difference: in Mayberry, no one was married. Andy, Aunt Bea, Barney, Floyd, Howard, Goober, Gomer, Sam,  Ernest T. Bass, Thelma Lou, and Clara were single. The only one married was Otis, and he stayed drunk! Sure glad that's not the key to happiness."

Ron Fraze bows out of the Ward 2 city council race to succeed Sue Benham, and Californian Radio prepares to review Tuesday's primary election

* ... FRAZE: Former city fire chief Ron Fraze has pulled out of the race to succeed Sue Benham in the Ward 2 City Council race. Fraze was one of the first to express interest in running for Council but sent an email Friday telling friends he had reconsidered. "We appreciate your friendship and your support, however, we believe God is leading us in a different direction. We intend to return all monies that were contributed to my campaign," he wrote. Others running for the seat in the November election include Elliot Kirschenmann, a member of the Bakersfield Planning Commission, and Terry Maxwell , a local restaurant owner.

 * ... POLITICS: And speaking of politics, are you ready to vote in Tuesday's primary election? Are you familiar with the issues on the ballot? We will be previewing Tuesday's election on Californian Radio KERN 1180 beginning at 9 a.m. We will also talk to Dr. Raj Patel of Preferred Family Care Physicians about the epidemic of diabetes in our community.


* ... BIOLA: Al Gutierrez wrote that that he was in the audience last week when his grandson, Michael McClain, graduated from  Biola University in La Mirada. "We then rushed back to Bakersfield Christian High School to witness the cum laude graduation of his brother, Kevin McClain. Kevin's next stop is the University of Arizona. The boys are the off-spring of Steve and Becci McClain."


* ... BAD SERVICE: Is there any worse customer service on the planet than ATT? I was forced to convert to ATT for internet service when I ordered DirecTV, and friends had warmed me about the company's reputation for poor service. But even I was dumbfounded after I spent more than two hours - yes that is correct - being shuffled around to different numbers and customer service reps just to locate a lost order.

* ... PHONE PREFIXES: Craig Holland remembers the old telephone prefixes back in the day. From Craig: "The central part of Bakersfield had the FAirview exchange, while the east side had EMpire, Oildale had EXport and south side of town had TEmple... I can still remember the first phone number my mom had me memorize: FA3-5146."

* ... LITERACY: The Kern Adult Literacy Council has found a new executive director to replace Donna Hylton, who resigned recently.  Ida Tagliente will fill the role on an interim basis and her position will be reevaluated in six to nine months. Board president Clayton Mongtomery said, "Ida’s past experience on the executive board and at Bright House Networks makes her a great fit for our team, and I have every confidence that she will guide us through this transition and into a stronger position."

 * ... BAD GRADE: And speaking of literacy did you know that Bakersfield is considered the "least educated" city in America? According to The New York Times, only 15 percent of the adults in Bakersfield hold a college degree, compared to a national average of 32 percent. Lost Angeles weighed in at 21 percent, Las Vegas at 21.6 percent, Boston at 43 percent and Dallas at 31 percent.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Local physical therapist Kyle Lacy says you have been around Bakersfield a while if you remember Fred Clad motors that featured imported auto brands like Jaguar, Porsche and others.

Obesity rate skyrockets and Donna Hylton is out as executive director of the Kern Adult Literacy Council

* ... OBESITY: How fat are we as a nation? Would you believe that the obesity rate among American adults is expected to top 42 percent by 2030? There are a host of factors of course - our obsession with fast food, snacks, sodas and and our aversion to exercise among them - but experts are warning the consequences for our health care system will be enormous. The diabetes epidemic alone will be devastating. Maybe we should start with smaller serving sizes, exercising more and giving up that morning Starbucks high calorie coffee (topped with whip cream) that really isn't much different than having a milkshake for breakfast. (photo courtesy of The Orange County Register)

* ... SHAKE UP: Donna Hylton, longtime executive director of the Kern Adult Literacy Council, is out after almost 12 years on the job. No word yet on who will replace Hylton, whose main job was raising money for literacy programs and operational expenses. The Council has long been on the forefront of confronting Kern County's illiteracy problem, which affects almost 25 percent of Kern adults.

* ... SPOTTED:  A young couple, sitting in a grey Nissan in the Target parking lot at Valley Plaza with an infant in a car seat, casually toss their Carl's Jr. burger wrappers and used napkins out the window before pulling out. As a friend told me: "Now there's some good modeling behavior."

 * ... PEREZ: Leticia Perez, the district representative for state Sen. Michael Rubio who is running for county supervisor in the 5th District, has picked up the support of the powerful Kern County Fire Fighters Union via its Political Action Committee. The union is mailing out flyers urging voters to cast their ballots for Perez, who is running against incumbent Karen Goh. This promises to be one of the closest races to watch, so stay tuned. (photos of Perez and Goh)

* ... ASSISTEENS: The Assisteens League, which has guided so many of our daughters through the years, is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The group was formed locally in 1963 and is open to young people in grades 9 through 12. Marianne Keathley told me they are looking for former members for an anniversary event to be held next year. Contact Marianne at mtkeathley@hotmail.com for more information.

 * ... RODEWALD: Yet another memory of the bomb shelter years after the Cuban Missile Crisis. This nuggets from Rocky King, whose father in law is former local TV personality Don Rodewald. "He spent a month in a Nuedeck bomb shelter down on 19th Street during the bomb shelter scare. He and his wife, Shirley, spent the time together in the shelter and for their sacrifice, recieved a free bomb shelter from Nuedeck pools. Don asked the Neudeck brothers if he could have a swimming pool instead. The rest is history. By the way, Don still lives here in town in a senior living place and I am his ex-son in law."

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You know you're from Bakersfield if "traffic has come to a halt due to a huge flock of sheep crossing the road."

An amazing random act of kindness and another First Friday features the arts district

 * ... KINDNESS: Consider the following nugget as further testimony to the generosity of our community. According to Donna Hylton, executive director of the Kern Adult Literacy Council, one of her volunteer tutors was on the receiving end of an amazing random act of kindness. Turns out the tutor suffered from crooked teeth that her family could not afford to straighten, but an anonymous donor emerged to pay for her dental work at absolutely no charge. "The random act of kindness has changed her life forever," Hylton said. "He paid for everything, even the surgery. I just want to let you know fantastic things are happening every day in good old Bakersfield even at the Kern Adult Literacy Council." By the way, if you are interested in tutoring at the council call (661) 324-3213.

 * ... WEEKEND: It may be Super Bowl weekend, but there's a lot more going on around our town than football. The weather will be a warmer so make sure you get out and enjoy our extensive bike trials and parks. And don't forget to include First Friday in your plans. Make a night of it and dine at one of our many locally owned downtown restaurants - Uricchio's Trattoria, Mama Roomba, Mexicali, Chef's Choice Noodle Bar, Cafe Med etc - and then run by the Metro Galleries on 19th Street to check out a show featuring the works of Art Sherwyn, his mother Doris, and Dean Johnson. The Foundry (located next to Dagny's on 20th Street) will also feature a show by young artist Jesus Fidel titled 'Plant Impossible Gardens.' On Monday, longtime Californian photographer Felix Adamo will have an exhibit of some stunning photography at Valentien Restaurant and Wine Bar from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Twenty-five percent from the sale of every print will go to the Cancer Center at San Joaquin Community Hospital.

* ... SPOTTED: Reader Chris Padham was driving south on Highway 99 between Ming Avenue and While lane when he spotted "a red Mustang being driven by a woman who was texting with a toddler on her lap. Evidently she must have a force field around her vehicle to prevent others from making her have an accident."

 * ... HALF PRICE: H. Walker's, a longtime purveyor of fine men's clothing downtown, will soon stop selling business suits to move to a more casual denim look. That's according to owner Tracy Walker-Kiser, who says the move is in line with the more casual style of men's clothing in California and the southern San Joaquin Valley. The good news: all suits are now on sale for $199, while they last.

 * ... HONOR FLIGHTS: There's an effort under way to create a local chapter of Honor Flights, the organization that flies veterans to Washington, D.C., to view the memorials honoring their service. Lili Marsh, the manager over at the Petroleum Club, told me the group is looking for folks who may be interested in serving on its board of directors or in some other way. Honor Flights was established in 2005 and since then some 22,000 veterans have been flown to Washington at no cost. If interested, email the group at honorflightsbakersfield@yahoo.com.

 * ... CSUB: Had a chance to walk through the Student Recreation Center at Cal State Bakersfield this week and it's an impressive addition to the campus. It was full of students using the treadmills, rock climbing wall and weight rooms, all amenities prospective students expect at a college campus. If you haven't toured it yet, drop by and check it out.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You know you're a Bakersfieldian if, after every cough, sneeze, sniffle and/or wheeze, you always blame "the air quality." Thanks to Jolie Brouttier for that one.

Out and about: a night at the Museum with the Kern Adult Literacy Council

Spent a lovely evening at the Bakersfield Museum of Art for an event for the Kern Adult Literacy Council. Few places spruce up as nicely as the museum for an informal event featuring a silent auction. Lisa Borda provided the finger food (delicious as usual) and Croad Vineyards provided the wine. The event was held to honor Ginger Moorhouse, publisher of The Californian and my boss who has been quite generous to the Literacy Council. Ginger could not make it because she was at UCLA Medical Center tending to husband John, to whom Ginger donated a kidney. John came down with Valley Fever after the transplant and he is on the mend. These events are always great venues to see folks: School Superintendent Larry Reider and wife Sandra were there, as were AGM radio group owner Rogers Brandon and his wife Esther, banker Bart Hill, (that's Rogers and Bart in the photo) Bridget Blackburn, my old friend Jan St. Pierre snapping photos, Community College District Chancellor Sandra Serrano, museum director Bernie Herman, Area communications director Susan Hersberger and of course a host of Californian folks including editor Mike Jenner and wife Jean, sales VP John Wells and wife Karen, HR VP Nancy Chaffin and new Content VP Olivia Garcia. The wine from Croad Vineyards was excellent.

Also had the pleasure of meeting Talia Anders, daughter of Dr. Alpha Anders and wife Avital, who last year graduated from prestigious Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. She's thinking of grad school. Another high achieving youngster there was Clarise Hammett, who is headed to an intensive French program at Middlebury College in Vermont after a couple years with the Peace Corps in Africa.

Today's Bako bits: Business booms at H. Walker's, a sick website and charity for a good cause

Some short shots around our fair community, trying to look for a bit of good news in a bad economy:

* THE MAGIC OF H. WALKER'S: Stopped by H. Walker's Men's Clothing Co. today and had a nice chat with owner Tracy Walker. Here's something you don't hear often these days: business is booming. Tracy said the company had its best April in five years, an incredible feat considering every other retailer I know is hurting. As mentioned before (see previous post here) Tracy is a master marketer and her shop is always brimming with good cheer, not to mention the occasional glass of cabernet. Tracy's birthday is tomorrow (April 24) and she'll spend a special weekend with hubby Brian in Santa Monica.

* WOMEN'S AND GIRLS' FUND: This unique philanthropy, part of the larger Kern Community Foundation, is gearing up to honor its grant recipients next Wednesday at a luncheon at Seven Oaks Country Club. Call 661-325-5346 if you are looking for tickets. Fred Drew is the new Foundation CEO and he is putting his stamp on the place. I hear that Amy Powell-Smith has left the Foundation and they are looking for a new communications person.
* HONORING LITERACY EFFORTS: The Californian and specifically publisher Ginger Moorhouse will be honored tonight by the Kern Adult Literacy Council for helping to fight illiteracy. The afternoon event will be held at the Bakersfield Museum of Art. Unfortunately Ginger will not be there; she's been caring for husband John who remains hospitalized at UCLA Medical Center fighting an infection from his recent kidney transplant. Ginger hopes to have John home in a few weeks.
* SKEET SHOOT FUNDRAISER: There will be a benefit skeet shoot on Saturday, May 9, to help fund the Scholastic Clays Target Program that teaches youngsters gun safety and prepares them to compete in the shotgun sports. This benefit will be held out at the Kern County Gun Club and will cost $40 per person. You shoot 100 targets in any gauge. Contact the gun club to sign up.

* I HATE BAKO: You had to figure this would happen, but there is now a Twitter feed devoted to finding stories that put Bakersfield in a negative light. (its logo is above) You can find it at twitter.com/IHateBako. It does have a link to an absolutely hilarious video on Bakersfield called "The armpit of the state" (click the link here to view) but you have to be able to poke a little fun at yourself. Here's another sample of what you will find there:

"Adult illiteracy rate in Kern County is 25%. I take that to mean that 25% of people in Kern County won't be reading this."

Some people have too much time on their hands.