New Zach Galifianakis comedy series is set in Bakersfield, the Heart Hospital hires Margaret Scrivano Patteson and Taft College gets ready for a huge fund raiser

 * ... BASKETS: A new comedy on cable starring Zach Galifianakis will have a strong Bakersfield storyline. The series is called Baskets, it starts Jan. 21, and it features Galifianakis as an aspiring

clown who is forced to move back to Bakersfield because of financial difficulties. Hollywood has always depicted Bakersfield as a quirky, backwards place populated by amusing rustics, so it will be interesting to see how they portray us here. Said one promo: "Chip Baskets (Zach Galifianakis) wants to follow his dream of being a French clown—however, reality keeps interfering. Saddled with financial difficulties and facing an impenetrable language barrier, he moves back home to Bakersfield with high hopes. There, he is forced to confront his past while working as a rodeo clown and competing with his siblings for his mother's approval and affection."

* ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: Marriage is repeatedly texting your spouse "Do we need anything at the grocery store?" until one of you dies.

 * ... ANGELS: Erica Weigel Langston wrote to thank three "angels" who were there when her pregnant daughter fainted at the Goodwill store on Olive Drive. The first angel was a woman named Janet who found her daughter's phone and called her family, the second a nurse at Memorial Hospital named Roberto and the third a security office named Nyack who comforted her when she was rallying the family. "Heartfelt thanks and very much love to these and many more everyday angels who walk among us," she said.

 * ... PATTESON: Congratulations to Margaret Scrivano Patteson who has been hired as manager of business development at the Heart Hospital. A former pharmaceutical salesperson, Patteson credits Heart Hospital cardiologists like Dr. Brig Bhambi with helping her recover from a heart attack she suffered two years ago. She has been a volunteer speaker for the Heart Hospital and is currently a WomenHeart champion.

* ... TAFT COLLEGE: If you are a supporter of Taft College, mark Jan. 22 on your calendar for the school's Athletic Triple Play dinner at the Historic Fort in Taft. The guest speaker is Charlie Hough, a former major league pitcher who played for the Dodgers, the Texas Rangers, the Chicago White Sox and the Florida Marlins. He currently serves as the Dodgers' senior advisor of player development. Hough ended his career having won 216 games along with an ERA of 3.75 with 2,362 strikeouts.
Contact Sheri Horn-Bunk for sponsorships and tickets. (661) 763-7936.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You may be a Bakersfield old timer if you "remember stopping for a train at Banducci's Corner, Fairfax, Sterling or Oswell and watching each open boxcar to see if a 'bum' was inside."

The nation marks the birthday of Cesar Chavez, but years after his death the United Farm Workers has become an insulated, irrelevant force, say critics

* … CHAVEZ: The legacy of Cesar Chavez has been in the spotlight this week - a new biopic movie on his life opened along with National Cesar Chavez Day - but is the union he founded still 

relevant? Some critics say no, and they say his foundation now exists to run radio stations, attract grants and employ a few people. Miriam Powell, who wrote an unflinching portrait of Chavez and the United Farm Workers in the book 'The Union of Their Dreams: Power, Hope, and Struggle in Cesar Chavez’s Farm Worker Movement,' said this in an opinion piece for Fox Latino News:  "The man born 87 years ago today worked with a single-minded intensity few could ever match. For a time, that zeal produced unprecedented gains for California farmworkers. But the union he founded failed to thrive and has become irrelevant; farmworkers today know Cesar Chavez only as the name of a famous Mexican boxer. In the end, Chavez’s legacy is far from the fields, in cities across the country where his name evokes pride and his life serves as an example of what community organizing can accomplish."

 * … HEART HEALTH: Margaret Scrivano Patteson is the seeming picture of perfect health: an avid runner and cyclist, she rarely goes a day without a vigorous workout and watches what she eats. Yet while cycling recently the 51-year-old pharmaceutical sales rep suffered a heart attack, and her story is a cautionary tale for all of us who think we are doing the right thing but are unaware of the silent killers within us. Patteson appeared with me on First Look with Scott Cox to talk about her family history of heart disease and to thank her cardiologist, Dr. Brijesh Bambi, the folks at Bakersfield Heart Hospital and her personal physician, Dr. Raj Patel. Go to bakersfield.com to view the entire interview.

 * … GOOD FORM: Julie Calvin submitted this bit of news to make your day. Last Sunday she went to PetStyling Co. on Coffee Road to pick up her dogs after being groomed. "As I hurried to get them safely into my vehicle, I apparently dropped my wallet in the parking lot. Not realizing that I had dropped it, I continued home.  About five minutes later I received a call from the manager at PetStyling and they had found my wallet (I didn’t even realize yet that I had dropped it!).  I went back to retrieve my wallet and everything was still in it. It’s nice to know that there are still honest people in the world!

* … CIOPPINO: Congratulations to Bakersfield West Rotary for another spectacular Cioppino Feed over at Monsignor Leddy Hall this past weekend. The proceeds from the event - it raised some $100,000 -  will help fund the club's foundation as well as Memorial Hospital's pediatric unit.

  * … WRESTLING: I ran into Vernon Varner at the Cioppino Feed and he reminded me of another upcoming fund raiser to support the storied CSUB wrestling program. The event, planned for Tuesday, May 6, will feature former world wrestling champion and ex New England Patriots player Stephen Neal. Tickets are $75 each. Call Janis Varner at (661) 587-8157. CSUB wrestling could not exist with the help from the Varners and the Coyote Club, and it's worth your consideration to support this effort.