House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and former Rep. Bill Thomas go different ways on the Bakersfield mayor's race, and the hit group HoneyHoney appears Friday at Temblor Brewing Co.

 * ... POLITICS: One of the curious sideshows in this year's election is the split between House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and his old boss, former Rep. Bill Thomas, on the Bakersfield

mayor's race. McCarthy has endorsed Karen Goh while Thomas has thrown his reputation and influence behind former homebuilder Kyle Carter. Wouldn't you love to be a fly on the wall when McCarthy and Thomas are discussing the Goh-Carter showdown and why they ended up in different camps?

* ... TRASH: Sometimes when I am out and about I torture myself by making mental notes of the various kinds of trash I see about our community. We are a community of litterers, but this goes beyond the fast food cups and paper bags you see everywhere. Among the items I spotted this week: an old washing machine, a discarded copier, a broken and rusted baby stroller, tires, roof shingles, diapers and of course the ubiquitous soiled mattress and box spring.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "My eyes are just fine... It's my life that's out of focus."

 * ... LIVE MUSIC: When was the last night you got out of your comfort zone and enjoyed some live music in town? Tonight (Friday) at 6:30 p.m. a dynamic duo called HoneyHoney will appear at Temblor Brewing Co. Trust me on this: the music of singer and violinist Suzanne Santo and vocalist and guitarist Ben Jaffe will leave you tapping your toes with a smile on your face. Tickets are $25 each and can be purchased at the door.

 * ... OUR TOWN: Pat Chandler had visitors in town recently and had this to say: "Just had company come in for a flying visit from London, via San Francisco and Napa. They are pretty sophisticated world travelers, plus being vegetarians. What to do with them? I put them up at the Padre Hotel and took them to dinner at Valentien. Not only were they delighted, but also impressed. Nice one Bakersfield!"

 * ... CHANGES: Hal Bopp read my post on the closing of Orchard Supply Hardware and added this: "Things don't change, do they? I was just as sad to see Vons close its store in the same building on Ming and Ashe back in 1991 (plus or minus).  When we moved into our Courtside at Laurelglen condo in 1990, we were happy to have a grocery store right across the street that we could walk to.  Then, the Marketplace opened just down the street with a more ginormous Vons Super Market. Vons' first statement was that they had not made a decision on the Ming and Ashe store. When they announced that it was closing no more than about three weeks later, it was pretty clear they knew all along."

 * ... GOOD FORM: And finally, Shirley Rowles shared this surprise she experienced recently.
"My oldest, dearest art friends, Coral and Nancy, had arranged an 85th birthday lunch for me at the Red Pepper.  We had a great visit with a lot of laughs. When we were ready to leave we were informed that a lovely lady at a nearby table had paid for our birthday lunches when she left. It was a delightful surprise and we all plan to pay it forward."

A little post-election analysis, a First Friday and more reports of bad manners over Halloween

* .. ELECTION NOTES: Ever wonder what good could have come if Meg Whitman had used that $140 million she spent on her failed campaign for governor to instead fund charities? ... Now that Michael Rubio is heading to Sacramento and the State Senate, all eyes will be on who Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will appoint to fill Rubio's county supervisor seat. Former assemblywoman Nicole Parra is in the mix, as is Garden Pathways director Karen Goh. And a source told me not to rule out Wendy Wayne, the former First Five Commission chairwoman who would be a popular pick. ... The race between Rep. Jim Costa and Republican challenger Andy Vidak in the 20th Congressional district is too close to call, but it's curious how many  farmers turned on Costa so vehemently this year. Several told me it wasn't about water - Costa has long fought for valley water rights - but rather the perception that Costa had sold out to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Obama agenda.

 * ... OLD BAKERSFIELD: Received a thoughtful note from reader Gene Bonas who recalled growing up in a Bakersfield that was a much more simple place years ago. "I was born and raised in Bakersfield and, with the exception of the six years I spent serving our country in the United States Navy, I've lived here all my life. At that time it was an exciting excursion to shop downtown at Brock's, Vest Drugs, Kress, or Sears Roebuck and Company. To eat at the counter in Woolworth's or the 'elegant' dining on the second floor of Brock's was pure heaven. Sometimes, if we chose not to walk, we rode the bus to attend The Californian or Nile Theatres. Most of the time, though, we spent our 16 cents to watch the Saturday matinee at the Granada Theatre. This was at a time when east Bakersfield was a thriving community. What made it such a treat was going into Mother's Bakery and buying a dozen glazed donuts (George always gave me a baker's dozen), buying a milkshake at Hall's Drive-In, having lunch at the Knotty Pine Cafe and playing the juke box from your table, or Snider's to see and drool over the latest in bicycles. Saba's was and continues to be the place for quality clothing.  I honestly believe I grew up in the best of times."

 * ... FIRST FRIDAY: Time for another First Friday and it looks like the weather will cooperate. A lot of downtown businesses will remain open through the early evening, including Ellie Jay's Children's Boutique, Kuka's Folk Art, Dagny's Coffee, Art Express, the Bakersfield Art Association Art Center, the Spotlight Cafe and of course the Fox Theater. Over at Metro Galleries on 19th Street,  former Disney animator Mike Tracy's intriguing work (the show is called Monsters and Gods) continues to be displayed. At the Padre Hotel you can take in hand painted pottery by local artists and celebrities.And don't forget our downtown eateries that always need our support: Uricchio's Trattoria, Mexicali and Mama Roomba, among others.

 
* ... ADULT LITERACY: Another example of the generosity of our community comes from Donna Hylton, head of the Kern Adult Literacy Council. She reported that the Read to Succeed Brunch raised over $20,000 for the council. "It really is a miracle in this economy," she said. "All proceeds go to the 3,500 students at 56 sites around Kern County. If everyone gives a little bit it really makes a big difference."

 * ... BAD FORM: More reports of bad form on Halloween. This comes from Evan Jones: "A group of pre-teen boys came to my door Halloween night and got a little rowdy. I heard 'BAM, BAM, BAM! DING-DONG! DING-DONG! GIVE US YOUR CANDY!' Whatever happened to 'trick or treat?"

 * ... TASTE OF HOME: Never too early to get tickets to the annual "Taste of Home" cooking show that will be held Tuesday, November 16, at Rabobank Theater. This is a popular event that sold out last year. Tickets are $13 each and doors open at 3 p.m. Call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You know you're from Bakersfield if "you grew up in a family that dined at a Basque restaurant every Saturday during your childhood."

 

Warning newcomers about the dangers of Valley Fever and musing about about Zack Scrivner's pot conviction

* ... VALLEY FEVER: Pauline Larwood, a former county supervisor and one of the leaders in an effort to find a cure for valley fever, dropped me this note regarding what every newcomer to our town should know: "September's reported cases show a sharp rise in valley fever infection in Kern County. The number of monthly cases in tracked by both the Kern County Health Department and Physician's Automated Lab. September's cases likely were exposed to Coccidioides immitis spores six weeks prior to infection. people who have lived here all their lives are likely still susceptible. History shows that the old, the very young, those who are immune suppressed, blacks and Filipinos and some other Asian ancestries all seem to be more susceptible to serious disease. New residents probably know little about the disease and should educate themselves. One way to do that is to visit www.valleyfever.com."

 * ... THE BUZZ: Lots of talk around town about county supervisor candidate Zack Scrivner's disclosure that he was arrested on a marijuana charge while a student at UC Santa Barbara. Call me jaded, but I can't get overly agitated over this whole affair. Isla Vista, where Zack was busted, is not much different from Chico, Berkeley, Boulder, Austin, Ann Arbor or any other college town. Marijuana is a fact of life and the idea that kids experiment with it should come as no surprise to anyone .That's not an endorsement of his behavior, or the fact that he didn't come clean about it earlier, but rather a concession that with youth comes indiscretion.

 * ... SHE'S BACK: Read with interest Californian opinion editor Robert Price's Sunday column talking about the very real possibility that Nicole Parra will be appointed county supervisor to replace the state Senate bound Michael Rubio. Parra, a former Assemblywoman, would be appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger if Rubio wins the 16th State Senate race as he is expected to do. As Price points out, this is rich with irony since Parra would return to reclaim her "deposed father's place on the dais, replacing the man who defeated Pete Parra six years ago - and who happens to be a former protege of her sworn blood enemy, termed out 16th District state Sen. Dean Florez."

* ... GREEN FROG: Reader Nancy Vibe recalled when her father-in-law leased the produce section of the Green Frog market on Alta Vista for 32 years. In the old days, he said "people would come in on Saturday, dressed in their good clothes, and shop. He said the men had on nice sport coats and ties, and the women had on - get this - fur coats! So they would come in all dolled up, buy their veggies and give and get the latest gossip about Bakersfield's finest. You had to see Roy Vibe on Saturday to get the good stuff!"

 * ... IRON MAN: Mike Toland is one of those guys who makes us all look bad. Fit, trim and disciplined, this geologist at the state Department of Conservation is one of our community's most committed athletes, not to mention a gracious and decent man. So it was nice to hear that Toland is headed to the International Triathlon Union's World Long Course Championships in Las Vegas next year. Mike qualified to be part of Team USA in the 55-59 age group by competing in the National Long Course Championships in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The race included a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and 13-mile run. Now that's something to crow about.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You know you're a Bakersfield old-timer if you "remember what was on the northwest corner of 20th and K streets. (The Trailways Santa Fe Bus Depot)