Krispy Kreme plans a return to Bakersfield as retailers pour into town along California Avenue, among them Panera Bread, Corner Bakery, Habit Burger, and yet another pet dies at the hands of two unleashed pit bulls

 * … REBIRTH: It's nice to see so much commercial and retail activity on California Avenue in what

old timers know as the "old Mervyn's" shopping center. HobbyLobby opened last year with a bang and business was so good it almost immediately expanded, and now a new Panera Bread has popped up doing a gangbuster's business. Meanwhile, earth movers are busy on the long neglected dirt lot across from Barnes and Noble where Three-Way Chevrolet once stood, preparing the site for a new Krispy Kreme, Corner Bakery, Habit Burger, and yet-to-be-named pizza company, according to Duane Keathley, a partner at Cushman and Wakefield. All this comes as the Park at Riverwalk is getting ready to welcome a Nordstrom Rack, BevMo! and Sprout's natural market early next year.

* … PIT BULLS: Viva Wu lost her small dog Toto recently when he was attacked by two unleashed pit pulls at Tevis Park. She was walking Toto with her other dogs when the pits came out of seemingly nowhere and tore through her beloved pet. "By the time we got to the vet, he had no change to survive," she said. "It was the most horrible 20 minutes of my life."

* … KUDOS: Marcia Eyherabide sends kudos out to the roads department "for planning the resurfacing of Highway 178 in east Bakersfield during the late evening hours. It was a great idea. There was little or no disruption of traffic. It almost seemed like 'magic' that the lanes suddenly appeared to be refreshed."

 * … GOOD FORM: The men and women at the California Highway Patrol rarely get a pat on the back, so here is one compliments of reader Liz Blaine. "On Saturday evening my husband Mike received a call from my father who incurred a blown out tire on Highway 99 just south of McFarland.  As we approached the area, we saw the blinking red lights. His car came to rest on the median just a few feet away from the very formidable ditch where a new lane is under construction. A patrolman was already with him. Kudos to the California State Highway Patrol. If Officer Kyle Nunez' exemplary behavior is indicative of the men and women behind the badge, I applaud them. I am grateful to them. I admire them. His attentiveness and consideration toward my father ranked high above the level of duty.  My father needed a helping hand. Officer Nunez offered his."

 * … FIREMEN: A reader who asked not to be named sent these kudos to Bakersfield city firemen at station No. 9: "This past Sunday the firemen at this station were kind enough to assist me in the removal of a tight ring from my finger.  I tried everything from Windex, oils, lotions, and nothing freed my ring.  It only took a few minutes of their time and a job well done! Thanks again guys for your time and being so kind.  (Don't forget to purchase your 2015 Bakersfield Firefighters Calendar for only $20.  Proceeds go to Bakersfield Firefighters Burn Foundation, a nonprofit organization.)

 * … REUNION: Columbus Street Baptist Church (formerly First Southern Baptist Church of Bakersfield) is celebrating its 75th anniversary this Sunday. Senior pastor Dr. James Trammell told me that all members and former members are invited to a continental breakfast starting at 9 a.m. followed by a grand reunion that will include a catered lunch.

* … THEFT: Speaking of local churches, someone stole two Oktoberfest signs from the entrance and exit of the Lutheran Church of Prayer off Highway 178. As Linda Hartnett said: "The Lutheran Church of Prayer is a small church with a big heart in the northeast. This will be our fourth Oktoberfest and the signs are reused every year due to cost. Yep, we'll pray for those responsible. "

Remembering the great Bakersfield Dust Storm of 1977 and celebrating some good news on the economic front as major retailers head for Bakersfield

 * … DUST: This week's dust storm got me to thinking about the Great Bakersfield Dust Storm of 1977 that left several people dead and caused millions of dollars in damages. That event happened in

mid December and, like now, followed several years of severe drought. The day began normal enough, with a low of 44 degrees, but by midday it had warmed considerably and then the winds came roaring in, blowing swamp coolers off roofs and leaving the town littered with debris. Sound familiar? Time to pray for some rain.

* … RETAIL: One of the surest signs of a recovering economy comes when major retailers free up capital to expand into new markets. And that's why we should all be encouraged with news that retailers like Nordstrom Rack and the organic grocer Sprouts Farmers Market may be coming to the Shops at RiverWalk. These aren't done deals yet but all indications are that both retailers are Bakersfield bound. Another good sign: apparently the opening of the Hobby Lobby here was such a big success that the crafts store is already thinking of expanding in the old Mervyn's building. Golden Corral is another business that came to Bakersfield and enjoyed a near record grand opening and is one of the restaurant chain's top performing outlets.

 * … HOT CITIES: For the third year in a row the city of Atlanta has been ranked the top city where people are moving. This is the word from the truck rental company Penske, which tracks where folks are moving. Rounding out the top ten of most popular places to move were  Tampa/Sarasota, Fla.,  Dallas/Fort Worth, Orlando, Phoenix, Houston, Seattle, Chicago, Denver and Las Vegas. (file photo of Atlanta)

* … LAMENT: My old friend Bryan Kelly always has an interesting take on thing, and here is his lament on today's society. "My little hometown in Texas, as did so many others, died in the early 1960s when the interstate highway system by-passed it. In the 1980s a prison was built and the inmates were put to work cleaning the roadways, parks and lake area. They also keep schools, state, city and county buildings painted and in good repair. The townspeople show their appreciation. Little old ladies are always baking cookies and muffins for the work crews. Here?  If kids are asked to take the last five minutes of the day to pick up litter which has blown over the fence into the school yard, a mother has a fit. This is not her kid's problem!"

 * … BAD FORM: Sometimes it's hard to believe how reckless some of our local drivers can be. This story came from a colleague. "Around 9 p.m.  (on a recent) Saturday, I was at the Ming Avenue-Ashe Road intersection preparing to turn left (west) onto Ming from Ashe. The westbound traffic on Ming had a protected left turn southbound onto Ashe, and two women in a white van began turning left. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a grey SUV (might have been a Bronco or Suburban) barreling toward the intersection against a red light. The SUV slammed into the van, smashing parts of both cars' front ends; though luckily it could have been far worse, as neither car was traveling very fast. I got ready to put on my flashers and get out of the car to help, when suddenly the driver of the SUV peels out, turns sharply and screams off into the night northbound down Ashe. The white van, still drivable as well, heads off south down Ashe. I made a U-turn, assuming they would pull over and I would assist them as best I could. Nope. They drove off as well, beating me to a street light and off into distance — with most of their front bumper peeled off. It all happened pretty quickly and I wasn't able to recall license plate numbers or specific vehicle descriptions, but man: Two cars, a red light run, a collision and both take off from the scene."