Two local kids make an investment in Bako's emerging downtown arts district, and Macey Kibbee plans a homecoming

 * ... YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS: The long-term success of any city depends on young entrepreneurs who bring their energy and creativity to the local business scene, often seeing opportunity in midtown areas where others see capital risk. That's why it was so nice to hear from Yvonne Cavanagh, who along with Vikki Cruz owns and runs The Surface Gallery art studio at 1703 20th Street. The Surface Gallery is part of the downtown renaissance and emerging "art district" surrounding the historic Fox Theater. Yvonne told me Surface Gallery will feature photos of the historic Padre Hotel taken by Felix Adamo at the First Friday celebrations set for Feb. 5. Adamo is a longtime Californian photographer who has documented our community in stunning artwork for years. The Adamo show will coincide with the reopening of the old Padre Hotel, at least the new restaurants and bars. I asked Yvonne to tell me something about herself. In her words:

 "I graduated from Bakersfield High in 1997 (where I have now taught for 7 years)! I never thought I would teach at the very high school I attended. I then when to BC for two years and then off to San Francisco State graduating in 2002. I returned and earned my credential and then my MA in Education from La Verne in 2009.  My business partner Vikki Cruz went to Garces then BC then graduated from Berkeley in 2002.  Even though we have a lot in common including our close birthdays (mine is Dec. 25th and hers Dec. 23rd), we didn't meet until 2008 when we opened Surface Gallery. We wanted to be a part of the Arts District and thought of no better spot to open Surface than downtown. "

Wish these young entrepreneurs well in 2010. (photo is of Vikki Cruz on left and Yvonne Cavanagh on right, courtesy of Yvonne's Facebook page)

 * ... HE SWORE HE'D NEVER RETURN: Joel Young, who wrote me earlier how Bakersfield can grow on you like an ugly dog, shared his own story on his circuitous route home. Said Joel:
"I came to Bako in 1976 at the age of five. Left to go to school at Washington State University in 1993.  My future wife, born and raised in Bako, followed me to WSU in 1994. We moved to LA after school in 1998.  Moved back to Bako in 2002 to raise our family. We swore that we would never come back, yet here we are.  Despite the poor air quality and sweltering summers, it is a great place to raise a family."

 * ...  MACEY HOMEWARD BOUND: I was happy to hear that Macey Kibbee, the college sophomore at Long Beach State who was critically injured in a car-pedestrian accident earlier this month, will be heading home in a week or so. I have been following the 19-year-old's amazing recovery from traumatic brain injuries on the family blog (read the latest post here). Macey was hit by a car while jogging in Long Beach and has been at Long Beach Memorial ever since. When she comes home, she'll face a long rehabilitation at the Centre for Neuro Skills in Bakersfield, which has mended many of our young people over the years. Here's to a fast recovery and a wonderful 2010 for this former Stockdale High School Mustang.

 * ... HAPPY NEW YEAR: I view 2009 a bit like the uninvited guests who came for a weekend and stayed a month. By the time they leave, you've grown so weary you never want to see them again. Besides the dismal economy - and it will eventually recover, if not this year then next - I know far too many people who have encountered personal crises of health, family, relationships or employment. So let's all take a deep breath and take a moment to appreciate all the blessings we do have. My warmest wishes to everyone for a prosperous 2010, and let's never lose sight of what is really important and where we all derive our strength and purpose. Onward.

A California "brain drain" and a local girl is gravely injured in a Long Beach accident

  * ... CALIFORNIA BRAIN DRAIN? Here's something new to consider: the high cost of living in California and the rising cost of a university education is leading to a statewide "brain drain" of college kids out of our state. That's the conclusion of  "The Capitol Weekly" that said for the first time since the 1980s, California sent more college kids out of state than it received from other states. This is amazing stuff and points to the  increasing cost of a California bachelor's degree combined with other factors like state and local taxes and housing costs that are sending kids elsewhere. Read the entire story here but consider this excerpt:

   " ... the state has registered a net loss of college graduates annually for many years. Whether this is attributable to cost of living or other factors, the fact remains that the state is subsidizing the education of people who contribute to another state’s economy. The ideal situation ... is to recruit people who do most of their schooling elsewhere, come to California for college or graduate school, then stay and join the workforce."
  "Nevertheless, public higher education in California is still on course to produce slightly fewer graduates, with somewhat more debt, in the coming years. And these things are happening at a time when the state needs more graduates.

* ... PRAYERS FOR  A LOCAL KID: I was shocked to learn this weekend that Macey Kibbee, a local Bakersfield girl now attending Cal State Long Beach, was in a horrific accident and is hospitalized in critical condition. Macey, a sophomore at Long Beach, was jogging last Thursday afternoon when she was stuck by a car and thrown onto the windshield. Family members say there was serious swelling of the brain and that she was put into a medically induced coma, but she is (hopefully) now showing signs that the worst may be over and at least once responded to verbal commands. This is every parent's nightmare and a scenario that you simply cannot allow yourself to imagine once you send your youngster off to school.  (Follow her recovery on the family blog here) Macey graduated from Stockdale High School in 2008 and was part of a large group of high achieving, good kids that included my own daughter. She is one of a number of local kids who are attending Long Beach State, a popular state university that draws heavily from the Central  Valley. She is now surrounded by family and friends at Long Beach Memorial Hospital.


 * ... TWO MORE WHO CAME HOME: I heard from Carol Dokolos who added her two sons to the long list of local kids who went off to college and later home to contribute to our community. Nick Dokolos is a North High graduate who earned his teaching credential at Biola University and is now teaching at Columbia Elementary  School. Brother Marcus Dokolos is also a North High grad, majoring in engineering at beautiful Westmont College and is now working for Porter and Associates Engineering. Nick is also the person behind the local Segway rentals this Christmas, having done something similar in Door County, Wisconsin, during the summers.

* ... ANOTHER FIRST FRIDAY: You missed something special if you didn't attend the "First Friday" celebrations downtown. The weather was crisp, hundreds of folks were milling about listening to outdoor concerts and checking out the art galleries, and the atmosphere was electric. These downtown events keep getting better and are at their best in a fall evening in scarf and sweater weather. Don Martin's Metro Galleries was packed and the hors d'oeuvres provided by the new sushi restaurant Enso on 19th Street were superb. Downtown has certainly had its issues and bad publicity in recent years, and deservedly so, but its revival is worth our support. I saw many local folks there, including former Weill Institute head Jeff Johnson, local artist Barbara Reid, attorney David Cohn and wife Debby, oil engineer Bob Ellison and wife Patricia of Southwest Bakersfield, local artist Chalita Robinson and many more.