Monday Bako Bits: Dr. Ravi Patel to appear on First Look this week to talk breast cancer awareness and noted bluegrass great John Jorgenson to appear in Bakersfield for the Guitar Masters series

* … CANCER: October is breast cancer awareness month and a brief look at the statistics are humbling. For example, about 1 in 8 U.S. women (about 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. In 2014, an estimated 232,670 new cases of invasive breast cancer were

expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 62,570 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer. And, about 2,360 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in men in 2014. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000. On Tuesday, at 9 a.m. on NewsTalk KERN 1180 and on First Look with Scott Cox, I will be talking with Dr. Ravi Patel of the Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center about the progress being made against this deadly disease.

* … SPOTTED: I spotted this post on a friend's Facebook page: "I've totally been taken advantage of… at the gas station on the corner of Cali and Oak this man told me he was trying to get to the hospital because his wife was in an accident. He left the house without his cell and wallet and ran out of gas. He was dressed nice and had an older Ford Taurus. He reminded me of my dad. Then a few days later I saw him running the same scam at another gas station."

 * … OVERHEARD: "You are a true '08er if you live south of Decatur (street)."

 * … GUITAR MASTERS: If you appreciate great musicians, then you should consider attending the final session of the Guitar Masters season this Thursday over at American Sound Studios, 2231 R Street. The brains behind this series is local businessman Rick Kreiser, and he told me this final session will feature multi Grammy winners John Jorgenson (Desert Rose Band, Hellecasters, Elton John) and Jim Cox (Mark Knopfler, Lyle Lovett). Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the cost is $30 with a cash bar by Cafe Med. (file photo of John Jorgenson)

 * … SABA Congratulations to Tom Saba and the folks over at the Saba Agency, the creative media group that is now celebrating 25 years in business locally.

 * … MEMORIES: The memories of life when Baker Street was the center of town keep rolling in. Consider this one from Richard Giachino: "I also have some great memories of Baker Street. I went to Saint Joseph's, remember watching all the pretty girls across the street at Washington Junior High.
Mothers Bakery was great. Tejon theater, where forgive me Mr. Lemucchi, we would walk in backwards while people were leaving after the movie was over! I also worked there after, but kept that to myself. Great memories and great times!"

 * … MORE MEMORIES: And finally this last word on the old Golden Crust Bakery from reader Dennis Claxton: "My dad was a salesman for Golden Crust Bakery, one of the 60 salesmen employed by Golden Crust in Bakersfield. In the summers, between the ages of 9 and 11 years old, dad would take me on his route which covered Taft, Maricopa, and Ford City.  He would wake me around 4 in the morning to go down to load his truck.  The smell of the fresh bread is something you don’t forget.  We would travel to the stores and restaurants that were on his route.  When we arrived at Jo’s restaurant, in Taft, i would get a piece of fresh pie or cake from the owner.  One time, again in Taft, i was at the back of truck and a guy rode up on a horse to go inside the market.  He asked me to hold his horse, and of course i said yes.  As soon as the rider walked into the store, this huge animal stepped on my foot and i couldn’t get him off, that hurt. In Ford City, my dad and I would meet Al Green, aka “Whitie”, and have lunch. Al, founded Pizzaville here in Bakersfield, and from time to time still drops into the business, now run by his son.  At the end of the work week, my dad would pay me $10 for the weeks work.  I still have one or two of the Golden Crust key rings and i think i have one of his old work shirts, lots of good memories."

A history teacher recalls 9/11, the Einstein Pavilion opens at Memorial Hospital and kids unite for breast cancer awareness

* ... 9/11: Ben Ansolabehere remembers exactly where he was during the World Trade Center attacks, sitting as his desk at East High School when fellow teacher Mike Warner told him to turn on the TV. "After seeing the aftermath of the first plane and being a history teacher, I knew that planes were  not allowed over Manhattan Island because of a similar incident with a B-24 Liberator and the Empire State Building. Seeing the second plane hit the other tower sealed the fact that we were under attack. 'Less we forget!'"

* ... CANCER: Hats off to Crysta Barrick and a group of friends at Liberty High School who have started a club to assist those battling breast cancer. The idea started when Crysta's mother, Natalie Barrick, was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer last year. The group is called Operation HOPE (helping others prevail everyday) and it hopes to grow to other schools in Kern County. I could not think of a better way to recognize October's breast cancer awareness month than shedding some light on this special group of students.

 * ... EINSTEIN: I attended the opening of the new Einstein Pavilion front entrance at Memorial Hospital in honor of the late Dr. Hans Einstein. It's a beautiful facility and a fitting tribute to this remarkable man. Among those I spotted at the opening were Memorial CEO Jon Van Boening and wife Phillis, Tracy Walker-Kiser, Laura Weiner, Ernie Schroeder, David and Catherine Gay, Rogers Brandon, Greg and Mary Bynum, Harry Starkey and Kimberly Ward-Graham, Rob Noriega, Tom Smith, Hal Aaron, Dr. Nick Hansa, Dr. Chris Hamilton, Holly Arnold, Sue and Herb Benham, Steve and Pat Loyd, Steve and Kari Grimm-Anderson, Dr. Tommy Lee and many others.

* ... SPOTTED: A regular reader who asked that her name be withheld shared this observation at the Goodwill store on Olive Drive. "As I was going down an aisle a mother with her little girl in a cart were coming toward me. Mother handed her a bag of Skittles and she immediately dropped it and the candy went all over. The mother said no we are not going to pick it up and she shoved it under the rack with her shoe...(Then she) handed the little girl another bag of Skittles at the end of the aisle and same thing again, all over the floor and mother kicking it once again toward the racks.... she never said  a word to anyone working there."

 * ... OVERHEARD: A regular on Facebook laments the lack of civility on the social networking website. "I am really, really, REALLY tired of seeing everyone's political agendas paraded on here. Just while scrolling down RIGHT NOW there are five posts from friends that appear bashing one candidate or the other. At this rate, my Facebook account will be discontinued sooner, rather than later."

 * ... ALS: If you are free Saturday and want to support a good cause, stop by the third annual ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) barbecue and fund raiser. It's set for for 11 a.m. at Stella's Sandtrap (3133 Niles Street) and costs only $7 for a try-tip lunch. I am told some 92 percent of the money raised stays right here in Kern County.

Remembering a local kid killed in Fresno and a bachelor auction raises $100,000 for homeless center

 * ... CANCER: It was nice to read an inspirational story in The Huntsville (Ala.) Times about former Bakersfield resident Laura Brezinski's battle with breast cancer. She left Bakersfield five years ago when her husband Randy's job at Frito-Lay transferred him to Alabama. A year ago, during a self-exam she fund a small lump and underwent a successful lumpectomy. She is now recovering, doing fine and finished a 5K race. During this Breast Cancer Awareness month, it's nice to be reminded of the need to support cancer research. The Brezinski's three boys - Cody, Jake and Tommy - all went to Stockdale High School.

 * ... GARCES DEATH: It was heart breaking to read about the death of Garces graduate Rod Fiorini, a 23-year-old Fresno Pacific University student who was shot and killed by Fresno police earlier this week. Whatever the circumstances, a death like this is always a blow to the extended and tight-knit Garces community, not to mention the young man's family. His mother, Pam Fiorini, is the energetic executive director of the Golden Empire Gleaners. Keep this family in your thoughts.

 * ... MORE DIAPERS: From Bryan Kelly, the reader and Trader Joe's employee who wrote in to tell about finding a used diaper in a shoe box at Wal-Mart: "One must appreciate customers with a sense of humor. Although I personally do not subscribe to the Californian, rest assured that many people do and read your column as well. When you mentioned the Pamper-in-the-shoe-box story ...  I lost count of  how many customers mentioned seeing my infamous name in print, but I have received four shoe boxes full of 'treats.' Chocolate chip cookies wrapped in a dish towel folded like a diaper and secured with safety pins...chocolate chip cookies nestled in cent-off coupons for disposable diapers...Tootsie Rolls with a small container of PediaSure...a prune danish wrapped in a long sales receipt from Wal-Mart."

 * ... BACHELOR AUCTION: Nice to hear of some successful non-profit fund raisers during these tough economic times. Jan Bans, external relations manager at ATT, told me more than 400 folks attended the recent 10th Annual Boots and Bachelor Auction that benefited the Bakersfield Homeless Center.  The event raised $99,563, a slight increase over last year. As Jan said: "Just goes to show if you give folks the chance to let loose, let off some steam they will open their pockets! We auctioned off 15 bachelors." The event was held at the Crystal Palace. 



* ... THE MEEKS: Ran into Kay and Harold Meek at the 24th Street Cafe the other day. Kay was her usual gregarious self and brought me up to date on their retirement and her continued activity in the community. Harold was the long-time general manager of Three-Way Chevrolet who retired a couple years ago. Kay has been active in the community for years, serving on the board of the Kern County Fair, the Friends of Mercy Foundation, the Lori Brock Museum and the Kern Community College District, just to name a few. Her father was former Kern County Fire Chief Bob Williams, who died recently.
 
* ... RALPH UPDATE: Turns out that it is valley fever that is ailing Ralph Bailey, the popular host of "The Ralph Bailey Show" on 1560 news talk radio. Ralph has been in Mercy Hospital for three weeks now and it looks like he has a few more days ahead of him before he is released.  If you are new to town and are not familiar with valley fever, better consult your physician.

 * ... SPOTTED. A video crew from the Food Network's syndicated cable show "Cupcake Wars" was seen earlier this week filming at the small boutique Frosting Ink over off 18th Street near the downtown Post Office.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From Frank Williams: You know you're from Bakersfield if "you remember when Woolgrower's was located on Sumner Street and you could eat lunch for $1.50 including all the wine you could drink."