Three young men get a Darwin award nomination for busting into a huge gun store overnight (yes they were arrested) and NBA legend Bill Walton will be in town Thursday to support Bike Bakersfield

 * ... DARWIN AWARDS: Just how stupid were the three young men who broke into Second Amendment Sports and were arrested after being trapped inside? Never at a loss for words, another

local gun shop owner, the colorful Gene Thome, described the two suspected gang members and a juvenile as being "industrial strength stupid," which is a nicer way of saying they should be in the running for the Darwin Awards, which recognizes folks who have "contributed to human evolution by selecting themselves out of the gene pool via death or sterilization by their own actions." Outside of banks and other financial institutions, is there a riskier place to rob or burglarize than a gun shop?

 * ... ROAD WORK: Tom Ware wrote about a construction project that has motorists fuming, particularly at rush hour. Said Ware: "It appeared that a right turn lane at the southeast corner of Calloway and Rosedale Highway was in the works. Houses have been taken down and the corner business vacated. Now, new curbs and sidewalks are in on that southeast corner as if no right turn lane is going to appear. The traffic there backs up about a half a mile at times. A designated right turn lane going on to Rosedale Highway east is badly needed. Do you have any information or pull?"

 * ... BILL WALTON: UCLA and NBA legend Bill Walton will be in Bakersfield this Thursday speaking at a fund raiser for Bike Bakersfield. His prowess on the basketball court is well known, but his messages of persistence, second chances and hope are what has defined his life since retiring in 1987. I chatted with Walton on NewsTalk KERN 96.1 on the Scott Cox show, and his energy and enthusiasm for life is intoxicating. And did you know his father was from Taft? Walton knows the oil patch, and he had this advice for local folks who have lost their jobs in the oil industry. "These are defining moments of your life when the ball bounces the wrong way," he said, noting his 30-plus surgeries on his 6 foot, 11 inch frame as well as his personal struggle with stuttering. Look at these setbacks as opportunities, he said, and with faith and persistence anything is possible. Walton will appear at the Gardens at Mill Creek (712 19th Street) from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Go to bikebakersfield.org to buy tickets.

 * ... HAPPY THOUGHT: This note from Mary Moreland brought a smile to my face: "Yesterday as I was walking my dogs Scruffy and Rusty east of Bakersfield College I noticed some chalk drawings on a driveway. I thought how great it was that despite cell phones, kids still do that. The important message in large script: LIVE LIFE HAPPY."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "You trust me holding your child? Do you know how many iPhone screens I’ve cracked?"

 * ... FOODIE: I was saddened to hear that Quig's BBQ and Catering, housed in a huge trailer that has graced the Garces circle for a few years, is closing down. Owner Scott Quig and his young family are moving to Maryland and hope to sell the trailer.

 * ...  LIBRARIES: Have you considered how you will vote on Measure F, the proposed tax to save our public libraries? Linda Fiddler is among those who supports the measure, and shares this memory from when she was a child in Taft. "I remember visiting the Taft branch library and participating in the summer reading program. After swimming at Taft High, we would spend the rest of the hot afternoon at the library picking out books, listening to stories and doing art projects. I went to the community meeting at the Taft branch recently. It looks just the same, only smaller."

Is Krispy Kreme headed to Bakersfield? If not on California Avenue, then where? And if you are ready for some outstanding barbecue, head over to Quig's BBQ and Catering on the Garces Circle

 * … KRISPY KREME: It looks like I spoke too soon in announcing that Krispy Kreme will open a new store on California Avenue. Duane Keathley, senior partner at Cushman and Wakefield, conceded he erred in telling me the popular doughnut shop was returning to Bakersfield on California Avenue across from Barnes and Noble. "My

apologies," he said.  "Krispy Kreme was negotiating and told us that they had a deal here." But Keathley said there is good news: "Krispy Kreme is actively working on another site (not California Avenue), but it is not done." Stay tuned.

 * … FIRST FRIDAY: I am looking forward to the opening this Friday of an art show featuring the seascapes and landscapes of Santa Barbara and the California coast. It's happening at the Metro Galleries on 19th Street, all part of the First Friday celebration downtown. There will be new works by Mary-Austin Klein, David Allen Gordon, Bonnie Hineline-Kempner, Betty Leonor and Bob Rowley. (artwork by Mary-Austin Klein)

 * … FOODIE BEST BET: I finally dropped by Quig's BBQ and Catering on the Garces Circle after months of driving by and enjoying the irresistible scent of slow cooked ribs and pork. Owner Scott Quigley, West High/Bakersfield College/CSUB, was enjoying a brisk lunchtime business (he also specializes in catering events and weddings) and I am happy to report that it did not disappoint. Try the pulled pork sandwich platter that comes with some of the best French fries and cold iced tea in town.

 * … OVERHEARD: A young teacher is walking with her mother when she remarks: "You know you're from Bakersfield when the phrase 'a breath of fresh air' is not longer acceptable to say."

* … TAFT COLLEGE: A special couple is being honored by the Taft College Foundation Community Spirit Award.  That is the word from my friend Sheri Horn Bunk, head of the foundation, who told me that John and Betty Miller will be honored at the fifth annual Cougar Rib Eye Cookout on October 16 on the Taft College quad. Miller, 93, trained fighter pilots during World War II and later returned to Taft to work with his wife's sister who owned a grocery store. He later purchased Pacific Perforation that serviced the oil industry. Tickets are just $20.

* … FUND RAISER: If you can't wait for the Taft College barbecue, head up to Garces Memorial High School this Thursday for its annual Fall barbecue. The always popular event kicks off at 5:30 p.m. featuring Harris Ranch New York steak or chicken and tickets are just $25.

* … BAKERSFIELDISM: Retired Realtor Ken Barnes said you may be a Bakersfield old-timer if you remember all the local theaters that once graced downtown. "You had your choice of seven in a five square block area of downtown Bakersfield: the Nile, Fox, Kern, California, Rex, Rialto, and Virginia. Those really were the days before television became so popular."