A scuffle at The Padre Hotel lounge leaves some patrons worried about their safety, and volunteers gather to clean up Oildale one block at a time

 * … PADRE: An ugly incident Saturday night at The Padre Hotel triggered two letters to the editor from women worrying about their safety at the bar. This is the kind of press that people like Padre

owner Brett Miller hates, and he told me Tuesday that he was getting to the bottom of it. "Someone stabbed someone with a pen," he told me. "It was a puncture wound…. Usually we have a good crowd I am surprised we had an issue." Miller said he was meeting with his staff to make sure the popular downtown bar and eatery was attracting the "right crowd" in its after hours lounge.

 * … OILDALE: Volunteers will be fanning out across Oildale this Saturday for a huge clean up day. Cher Pannell, president of the Oildale Leadership Alliance, told me some 200 people are expected to participate. It will start at 8 a.m. with Supervisor Mike Maggard serving as the honorary chairperson. Kern Country Animal Services will be there, holding a dog and can clinic offering free micochipping and spay-neutering at low prices. Want to participate? Show up at Standard Park for the fun.

 * … SIGN OF THE TIMES: This note from reader Pete Parson speaks for itself: "I live around the corner from the homeowner on Los Flores who fired warning shots when burglars were 'operating' on a neighbor’s house.  I am currently in the process of remodeling my bathroom and in so doing removed the old bathtub and placed it in my yard just off the front steps. Over a couple of weeks I made calls to numerous charities to effect a removal of said tub with no takers coming forward. As a last resort, utilizing a ploy my father once used with an worthless old freezer, I affixed a 'for sale $50' sign to it and to my great relief the tub was stolen within 24 hours."

 * … PANHANDLING: Robert Clements has an easy answer to panhandling: punish those who give money. "People who give cash perpetuate the problem. Pass an ordinance that  makes it an infraction to give cash to panhandlers. The ordinance  could also require any group or individual who wish to solicit for  donations in public to get a permit to do so or be cited (including  panhandlers). Once a few people are cited and the word spreads the  source of funds would dry up. This would create a reason for the givers to think twice, since they are the real problem.

 * … HIGHWAY 58: And finally there was this from Bill Deaver about those trucks on Highway 58. "I've been driving 58 (and 466 before it) since it was built, and have great respect for truckers. But there are two kinds who create problems: those who do what your letter-writer reported (slow passing) and those who, on the downgrades on both ends, go like a bat out of hell. The solution is a climbing lane out of Bakersfield from General Beale Road to Tehachapi. It will cost a fortune and won't be built for years, but it has to be one of this county's major highway priorities given its role as a major goods movement corridor, which you can confirm with KernCOG."

 * … MEMORIES: A reader submitted this about the location of the old French Village restaurant. "My grandparents lived in the house on the south side of the French Village. It was located at what is now Life House Parkville Healthcare Center at 329 No. Real Road, which is just south of Palm St. My family lived with my grandparents for a short time in 1944. My brother and I used to play with the owners children as they lived in a house on the property of the French Village."

Oildale as art and a window on the past through the Kern County Historical Society

Starting the week bracing for more temperatures in the 100s but getting some joy out of new life in the stock market. Let's take a look at some of the things going on in our world:



* ... DOGS AND MORE DOGS: I always look forward to the quarterly "bulletin" from the Kern County Historical Society. It's always rich with content about our past and carries some fascinating historic images. The latest issue did not disappoint, and focuses on an issue that is familiar to us all: the licensing of dogs in our community. The bulletin carries a notice that appeared in the Californian on Feb. 23, 1898, telling folks that all dogs had to be registered and if not, they'd end up in a new city pound. Some interesting tidbits:
* In 1898 there were 125 dogs registered, in 1900 that jumped to 174 and the following year 129.
* The most prevalent name in the books for a dog was Prince and "was bestowed on spaniels, setters, pugs, a poodle and a bulldog. Another popular name was Jip.
* The Pacific Coast Field Trial Club hosted field trials at several Bakersfield locations, including the old Stockdale Ranch in 1902, owned by William S. Tevis.
If you'd like to view a complete listing of the registrations, go to the Collections and Research section of the Kern County Museum website located here.



* ... OILDALE ART IN LA: Spotted this brochure for the Oildale art exhibit on the Facebook page of Claudia True, one of our popular local artists who recently picked up and moved out of town. Claudia is good at staying in touch and promoting our local artists, and I'm happy to pass this along. If you are in Los Angeles, make sure you check out the art exhibit.

* ... CARBON CAPTURE: Got word that the CSUB Department of Geology will be hosting a public workshop on "Carbon Capture and Sequestration" on Friday, Sept. 25, at the CSUB Student Union. Apparently a bunch of experts from across the country will be on campus to discuss various aspects to this technology. It's open to the public and free but you have to register. Go to the link here to do so.

Steve Dalkowski: perhaps the hardest pitcher in the history of baseball

I would have overlooked story in the Los Angeles Times' sports section had it not been for a Twitter alert from a friend on the east coast. The story, a bitter-sweet tale of great accomplishment and a horrific fall from grace, focuses on Steve Dalkowski, who according to this story may have been one of the hardest throwers in the history of baseball. (read the entire piece here) Dalk as he was known ended up battling the bottle, in and out of Bakersfield, and spent his time with the minor league teams that played at Sam Lynn ball park out in Oildale. The piece was written by Ron Shelton, writer-director of "Tin Cup" and "Bull Durham." Photo taken for the LA Times by Ringo H.W. Chiu.