Local radio shot host Ralph Bailey suffers a broken jaw in a fight at KC Steakhouse, Louis Gill resigns as head of the homeless center and the Wasco City Council removes Alex Garcia as mayor

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent any other company or publication.

 * ... ALEX GARCIA: The Wasco City Council has voted to strip Mayor Alex Garcia of his title after

Garcia was cited for driving under the influence. The vote was 4-1 with Garcia objecting. Garcia claimed the move was in retaliation for his proposal to fly the LGBQT flag over Wasco City Hall, while his critics said it was a matter of personal responsibility. Garcia will remain on the City Council through the end of his term and has since pleaded no contest to reckless driving in exchange for the court dismissing a charge of driving while under the influence and acquitting him of a related charge of driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent.

 * ... LOUIS GILL RESIGNS: Louis Gill, one of the most prominent local players in the battle against homelessness, is leaving the nonprofit that operates the Bakersfield Homeless Center and the Alliance Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault. Gill has served as head of the homeless center for 21 years and he said it was time to move on. Gill's move immediately triggered speculation he may run for local office, although he has not said what may be next in line. Local Democrats have been privately hoping Gill might consider a run for office.

 * ... MORE TROUBLE FOR RALPH BAILEY: Longtime local radio talk show host Ralph Bailey has found himself embroiled in another late night controversy, once again involving his birthday celebration and KC Steakhouse, Bailey's favorite cocktail lounge. This time it happened over the weekend when Bailey, out with two friends to celebrate his 58th birthday, suffered a broken jaw when he was punched during an altercation on the dance floor involving a waitress and another customer. Grainy security footage appears to show Bailey headed to the dance floor with the waitress, but once there another man steps in to dance with the woman. Words are then exchanged, Bailey is pushed, Bailey reacts by grabbing a bar stool and then the unidentified patron punches Bailey twice before a crowd separated the two men. Bailey said he broke his jaw and it will be surgically repaired on Thursday.  Ironically, it was during the same birthday weekend in 2013 that Bailey once again found himself at KC Steakhouse before he was arrested for public intoxication while walking home. Bailey also pleaded no contest to DUI after a 2006 arrest on E Street near 20th Street and in September 2005 he was charged with DUI and ended up pleading no contest to reckless driving. Bailey currently does not drive, opting instead to use ride sharing services. The Ralph Bailey Show airs weekdays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on KERN NewsRadio 96.1 FM/1180 AM.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I’m on a plant based diet, and right now my favorite plant is the one where they manufacture the Tyson chicken nuggets. "

* ... ALL THE HATE: A sign of the times: of all the competition in the Olympics this year, few teams have proved more controversial with some U.S. fans than the U.S. women's soccer team, whose two losses  eliminated the team from the Gold medal round. The face of the women's soccer team is none other than Megan Rapinoe, whose fondness for bending the knee during the national anthem has incurred so much wrath among some Americans. After the U.S. women lost to Canada, the internet exploded with anti-Rapinoe vitriol.

 * ... MISSING: Did you read the story in The Californian about the search for two men who appeared in the newspaper more than 20 years ago at the California Living Museum (CALM)? Steven Mayer writes the museum is trying to locate the two young men - identified in the photo caption as Zach Elliott and J.J. Thomas - to recreate the photo two decades later. 

 * ... MEMORIES: I spend far too much time on the Kern County History Fans Facebook page where contributors share historic photos and postcards like the ones here. Enjoy.

Colleen McGauley out at CASA, Memorial's Jon Van Boening gets a big promotion and KERN radio host Ralph Bailey mixes it up with KHSD candidate Bryan Colebrook

Friday, November 3, 2018

 Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this such a special to live. Send your news tips to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... BRYAN COLEBROOK: We are within a week of the mid-term elections and things are getting hot, not only among the candidates but between some candidates and the press. On the local level, KERN radio host Ralph Bailey mixed it up with Kern High School District candidate Bryan

Colebrook in a less than four minute interview that ended with Bailey abruptly ending the interview. At issue: Colebrook's statement questioning why his opponent Jenifer Pitcher is running when she doesn't have children and is single. Things got hot and the interview went to hell. Colebrook and Pitcher are running neck and neck, so we are left to wonder: will this help or hurt Pitcher, or Colebrook? The Valley Voice, an acerbic online newsletter, posted a video calling Bailey the "town drunk" and saying he basically ambushed Colebrook. Your take?



 * ... DIGNITY HEALTH: Dignity Health, which operates the two local Mercy Hospitals and Memorial Hospital, is going to grow in a big way when it merges with Catholic Health Initiatives, creating a $28 billion health system giant with 700 facilities in 28 states. The deal was announced at the end of last year and is expected to close by the end of this year. CHI is based in Colorado and it operates 103 hospitals, including four academic health centers and major teaching hospitals. Dignity operates hospitals in California, Arizona and Nevada.

 * ... VAN BOENING: The pending merger may explain why Memorial President Jon Van Boening has just been promoted at Dignity, moving into a position making him responsible for the business operations of seven hospitals in Dignity's Central California service area. Van Boening, who has been president of Memorial since 2001, will retain an office in Bakersfield. Meanwhile a search has begun for a new president of Memorial Hospital.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "If anybody tells you you’re putting too much Parmesan on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don’t need that negativity in your life."

 * ... MCGAULEY: After 17 years as head of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Colleen McGauley is out as its director. No one is saying what really happened (there is a story there somewhere) but CASA said in a news release that McGauley is moving to a new position as senior advisor. Stay tuned.

 * ... GRIMMWAY: Hats off to the employees of Grimmway Farms who spent Saturday helping clean up the area around Lamont. More than 200 employee volunteers and their families pitched in to help clean parks, road and walkways throughout the community.

 * ... MEMORIES: Thanks to the Facebook page Kern County of Old for sharing this old photo of the Grapevine, then and now.

While the furor over the Confederate flag burns hot, a local black news talk show host questions the rush to tear down monuments in the South to Civil War heroes

 * ... FLAG: The controversy over the Confederate flag is resonating across the country, and it is nowhere as hot as on social media. When Amazon decided to stop selling the flag, I spotted this note on Facebook speaking to the hypocrisy of it all: "Amazon sells a huge variety of shirts, posters, you-name-it featuring the hammer and

sickle, Joseph Stalin’s mustache, all things Che Guevara, Vladimir Lenin and other colorful revolutionaries ... Guevara’s book Guerilla Warfare is on sale in four different formats. In one of the worst genocides in modern times, Stalin forcibly starved Ukrainian peasants in what’s known as the Holodomor, a 'terror-famine' that left anywhere from 2.4 million to 7.5 million Ukrainian peasants dead in 1933."

 * ... MORE FLAG: The feeding frenzy that started with the Confederate battle flag has now moved on to the hundreds of statues of Confederate war heroes that appear throughout the south, as well as schools and streets named after rebel leaders. Is it reasonable to expect that every vestige of the Civil War, from the Southern perspective, be removed from society? I was struck when local talk radio host Ralph Bailey, a conservative African American and host on KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM, yesterday defended Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate calvary general from Memphis known as the "wizard of the saddle." After the war Forrest became a member of the Ku Klux Klan, but later fully embraced the Union and apologized for his actions, much to the dismay of his fellow Southerners. Said Bailey: "The facts are irrefutable. Forrest experienced a Malcolm X-like racial epiphany. Not only did he walk away from an incredibly lucrative slave trade profession but he addressed a crowd of black pole bearers in 1875 calling for racial equality well documented by The New York Times. He had no political motivation and had to have been vilified by friends and family who viewed blacks as innately inferior. Not only should his bust remain in the Tennessee statehouse but he should be a symbol of change and forgiveness ."

 * .... SOUTH HIGH: If you are a Bakersfield native, you know that the rebel flag was used by South High School to support the "Rebel" athletic teams. Said Ronal Reynier: "Here in Bakersfield we had a similar situation in 1976 when South High School was asked to change the 'Stars & Bars' flag they had been using for 19 years. The proposed flag would be a field of red with SH in gold. It was proposed at the meeting to change it to a field of red with SHS in blue trimmed in white. This was not agreeable to one faction. A student asked to speak. He said that the solution would be to have a new red flag with a gold hammer and sickle. He was suspended from school for five days.

 * ... PERRY: Former Texas governor and Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry was in town the other night for a fund raiser at the Westchester home of Kyle Carter and his wife, Kim McAbee. You can bet Perry will be followed by a parade of other GOP contenders who will be courting some of our area's influential business people.

* ... SPOTTED: A panhandler on a freeway ramp holds a sign proclaiming: "Mostly harmless."

  * ... INDEPENDENCE HIGH: Phyllis Adams dropped me a personal letter to thank a group of Independence High School seniors who have entertained residents at Carriage House Estates. "Glenn Miller era music was played by Richard Gonzales and dancing was enjoyed with students and residents for several hours," she wrote. What a satisfying feeling for teens to plan and enjoy time with their elders. Sharing of those evenings will be long remembered."

 * ... MEMORIES: Joe Chavez wrote with this memory from East Bakersfield: "Does anyone remember Louie the mailman from the 1960s? He delivered in east Bakersfield and he always had a smile. I myself would chase after him when I was waiting for a toy or model kit I ordered. Then it was off to swim at Jefferson park. What wonderful days!"

Coyotes are attacking and dining on abandoned dogs off Breckenridge Road, Terry Maxwell takes over The Mark restaurant as general manager, and I will interview Ralph Bailey on the Sinatra legacy

 * ... ANIMAL ABUSE: It is distressing enough that some people feel it's perfectly okay to dump pets on the side of the road once they tire of them. But Terrie Stoler says something horrific

is happening off Breckenridge Road when pets are abandoned there. "This has been an ongoing problem on our road for many years. Yesterday we witnessed the end of the lives for several abandoned dogs on our road. We had seen them for several days and then in broad daylight watched as a coyote killed and ate them! Is this what people that drop off unwanted pets are expecting? They would suffer less if they just shot them! To gain insight as to the hell that these abandoned pets go through please order my book,  'Rudy, the Throwaway Mutt' from Amazon. Rudy made it and found a better life but most are either run over or eaten by coyotes!"

 * ... MAXWELL: Terry Maxwell, the Ward 2 city councilman and long-time owner of TL Maxwell's Restaurant and Bar, has taken on new responsibilities as the general manager of The Mark restaurant downtown. Maxwell told me he has known the owners of The Mark for years and was eager to take on job. "I want to improve on what is already a good thing," he said. Among his early plans: revamp the lunch and dinner menus and introduce some enticing new specials. His own eatery, Maxwell's, will remain open as he spends more time just a few blocks away at The Mark on 19th Street.

 * ... SINATRA: Did you know that this week marks the 17th anniversary of the death of Frank Sinatra, arguably one of the greatest singer and entertainers this country has ever produced? And is there a bigger Sinatra fan in town than KERN radio host Ralph Bailey? If Ralph isn't singing along with Frank during his show, he is sharing fascinating tidbits of Sinatra's legendary life. On Thursday at 5 p.m., I will turn the tables on Ralph and interview him on his own show (KERN  96.1 FM.) about his deep obsession with Sinatra. Tune in and call in with your questions as we delve into Ralph's fascination with this American icon.

* ... SPOTTED: On a friend's Twitter feed: "Whenever I see a couple’s names carved into a tree, I can’t help but wonder why all these people are bringing knives on a date."

 * ... TEXTING: Greg Banks was driving on Stockade Highway recently when he "looked over and noticed an 80-plus year old woman texting on her cell phone as she was trying to maneuver her vehicle while driving about 20 mph and holding up traffic behind her. At the next stop light, she pulled up along side my vehicle still texting. I honked, she looked up, and I did the 'shame on you' gesture. She was so embarrassed she hung her head! I guess the temptation to text can occur at any age."

 * .. FOX THEATER: Peter Parson reminded me that the new FLICS season will start this September at the historic Fox Theater. Part of the show will be a documentary featuring the history of the Fox. "The film includes several shots of the original interior the walls of which were painted to look like an avenida in Old Mexico with balconies, ivy etc. leading to the stage. I believe the new interior was done in the early 1950s fortunately just prior to the onset of the Uglification Project  which destroyed historical architectural details of Brock's, Penney's, Sears, etc. (they missed The Californian) and replaced them with facades of stucco, plastic and worse materials.  For a mere $6 the public can see it for themselves or $50 will get a season pass for up to 17 excellent foreign films. By far the best entertainment deal in town!"

Local radio group adds an FM simulcast for First Look with Scott Cox and The Ralph Bailey show, heating up the local radio wars …

 * … RADIO WARS: The local radio wars heated up this week when American General Media

accounced it had added a new FM station to its broadcast of News-Talk 1180 KERN. The station will simulcast KERN-AM on 96.1 FM, giving local hosts Scott Cox and Ralph Bailey new reach on the FM dial. AGM president Rogers Brandon said the simulcast will "allow KERN-AM and the excellent talent that we have on the station to be discovered by the vastly larger FM audience."

* … BIRTH: Did you hear about the woman who gave birth on a Southwest Airlines flight from San Francisco to Phoenix? Lind Brammer wondered: "Who issues the birth certificate? Which county?  I think it would be an interesting item for that baby to put on his/her resume, that he/she was born inflight, somewhere over the San Joaquin Valley."

* … PANDHANLDERS: Sandra Hurtado witnessed something the other day that is worth sharing. In her words: "We were exiting freeway at White Lane and a young girl in her 20s was standing at the median with her cardboard sign asking for money. My daughter made a comment that it was so sad because she is so young. We all felt bad for her. I proceeded to my destination at Urner's to pick up my order. I'm standing in the back and I see the young lady walking through the parking lot and get in a car. She sat in the car for awhile … counting her money. She left in a shiny red SUV, a really nice car.  It's so hard to judge now when giving money."

 * … RIP NANCY: Nancy Sherman spent 30 years working as a nurse at Kern Medical Center, and over that time became almost legendary in her commitment to her patients. This note from my friend Gordon Westhoff speaks volumes: "I just read the obituary today for Nancy Sherman and wanted to say a few words regarding her. I had the privilege as a sales rep in healthcare to call on Nancy for over twenty years at KMC. She was the best and most dedicated clinical nurse I ever knew - her patients were all that mattered to her. Doctors and sales reps both feared and respected her  As a rep you better NEVER try and sell her a product that was not the best for her patients  I was terrified of her when I first met her becasue she let me know in VERY clear terms to not ever waste her time with salesman bull! Her nurses all respected her and her patient's families loved her. She was a true legend at KMC."

 * … FOODIE: If you are a fan of anchovies, make sure to order the Ceasar salad at The Padre Hotel which comes with lightly and delicately fried anchovies. Highly recommended.

 * … SPOTTED: A man waiting in line at the downtown Sequoia Sandwich Shop is wearing a T-shirt that reads: "Bakersfield. It's really not that bad."

 * … GOOD FORM: Hats off to Shirley Cody who recently completed 1,000 miles of water walking at the McMurtry Aquatic Center. Not a bad feat for an 80-year-old woman who devoted five years of her life to achieving this goal.

 * … BAD FORM: Kern County sheriff's deputies have arrested two teenage boys for allegedly feeding a cat to two large dogs and vide taping the grusome act. According to KGET, the video surfaced on social media and the teenagers were tracked down and arrested for animal cruelty. This kind of behavior defies all logic. In the video, the teenagers could be heard encouraging the dogs to attack the cat. No word on if the cat survived.

A veterinarian gives props to a local animal rescue group and remembering Tooey's Steak House in lower La Cresta in the Northeast

 * … PETS: The way some people treat their pets, like disposable diapers, is beyond disheartening, but every once in a while we hear something that gives us hope. Over at the City of Bakersfield Animal Care Center, veterinarian Robert Duquette sent me this note: "We are always appreciative of the many rescues that help us rehome our furry friends but The Kern Project recently adopted 37 animals in one day. These pets were then transferred to shelters in Marin County that have a shortage of adoptable shelter animals (obviously our long term goal!).  This was organized locally by Tammy Folino who works with Grace Stauffer from Novato. We are also very extremely grateful to Cori Mincher, Jeff Cross and Bill Murray from the Double Tree Hotel for making a substantial donation of towels and linens that can be used for bedding. Our shelter is always in need of any bedding donation and their single contribution almost doubled our stock!"

 * … DINING: Last week I mentioned some of the new restaurants that have sprung up downtown over the last few years. A reader chastised me for not mentioning The Mark, a stunning eatery on 19th Street. Said the writer: "They have a great atmosphere food and a full bar music on weekends. The food is fresh and great quality." I could not agree more.

 * … BURGER: And on the subject of food, I am shameless in my devotion to the Hudson burger at Muertos downtown (who doesn't like a fresh burger with egg and bacon on top?) A friend told me that Bill Lee's and Mexicali downtown also make a good burger. What is your favorite burger in town?

 * … HONOR FLIGHT: Hats off to KERN radio host Ralph Bailey, who raised more than $10,000 on his Monday show to help fund the Honor Flight program. Bailey accompanied some of the veterans back to Washington, D.C., and promptly returned the favor by asking his listeners to support the program. Among those who chipped in were Rep. Kevin McCarthy, state Sen. Jean Fuller and state Rep. Shannon Grove.

 * … TOOEY'S: Margaret Lemucchi solved the puzzle about a long-gone restaurant in La Cresta: "Tooey's steak house was the restaurant where the Tam O'Shanter restaurant sits now. It had a stainless steel half-circle counter where the broiler is now located plus several tables. Jack and Hazel Ewing operated a Scottish/golf-themed bar next door called The Shillelagh. The Ewings acquired Tooey's and then operated the bar and restaurant for many years as Ewing's Tam O'Shanter. Timothy and I bought the business from the Ewings in 1971, called it Lemucchi's Tam O'Shanter, then bought the building, and then expanded the bar to the south where the second bar, stage, and dance floor are now.  Manny Mendez became the proprietor in 1988 and calls the establishment Manny's Tam O'Shanter. "

 * … MEMORIES: Added reader Connie Allen Frasch: "You brought back memories for me. I  grew up in La Cresta just blocks from Tooey's steak house in the 1940s, a small cafe with a counter and stools. I always wanted to go there and have one of Mr. Tooey's famous hamburgers but my dad said it was too expensive!"

A dying friend reaches out to touch base, radio show host Ralph Bailey gets some good news and remembering DiRico's Italian eatery

 * ... MARK: You don't know Mark James, and I had not heard from him for years until he reached out to me on July 3. Back when I knew him, some 35 years ago, I was a young reporter and he was an ambitious young aide to a Georgia congressman. We knew each other on a professional level, we both moved away, the years passed and we went about living out our lives. That is, until I heard from him.

Mark is now dying, suffering from a cruel lymphoma that has depleted his strength and left him alone in his thoughts, reflecting on a life that passes by in a seeming nano second. And yes, he has regrets. I asked Mark if I could share his thoughts, because I have found them so profoundly powerful. It is a story of success, joy, loneliness, fear and regret, both sad and uplifting. From time to time I will share Mark's story. I will begin with his first email:  "After 40 years, I suddenly had you on my mind, so I Googled you and am so happy you did so well in your career. I met you when you when I was a kid working for Congressman John Davis. A few years later I decided politics was hopeless and decided to make money. I spent the bulk of my career running an American commercial real estate company based in Manhattan for a wonderful Saudi family. I'm declining now from a rare Lymphoma. The chemo didn't work and I'm lingering, homebound, with much time on my hands. You probably don't remember Mark Stroup (I've been Mark James for 30 years) but I remember you. When I was so young, and quite stupid, you treated me with respect. So this is to thank you, and to let you know you made a difference in my life. I am most grateful."

 * ... BAILEY: Local radio talk show host Ralph Bailey got some good news last week when he was told he would not need surgery for a suspected heart ailment. "It was the scariest call I have ever received," Bailey told me. "But it was good news!" Bailey was told he may need a stent, but after a review by Dr. Brijesh Bhambi and his staff at Central Cardiology Medical Clinic, he was given a clean bill of health. Bailey will be my guest on First Look with Scott Cox on Tuesday at 9 a.m. to talk about his health scare.

 * ... ACHIEVERS: Hats off to the Bakersfield College culinary department team which recently won top honors during a competition in Mammoth. Said Bob Mullin, whose granddaughter was on the team: "They beat out four culinary schools for the championship.  They were the only junior college to compete. The other teams were cordon bleu schools and an art institute.  My granddaughter, Victoria Menna, was also one of twin students to be selected to intern under the master chef at the Playboy mansion in Los Angeles. Way to go Tori!"

 * ... MEMORIES: Vickie Burke Schallock wrote to thank Darlene Stewart for evoking memories of Art DiRico's Italian Restaurant, which was located on the southeast corner of South Chester and Terrace Way (not Belle Terrace). "As a child in the 1950s, I recall our family visiting the restaurant and I also recall the red/white checkered tablecloths and the candles dripping the multicolored wax onto the wine vinegar bottles placed on the tables. Fun times! Along that line, does anyone recall another long-ago Mexican restaurant, I believe it was called Señor Jose's, and I think it was located in the southeast corner area of Chester and California. My siblings and I also enjoyed visiting there with my folks...kids always received some kind of small toy upon leaving the restaurant!"

  * ... MORE DiRICO'S: And this from Jerry Beckwith: "In the late 1950s Art DiRico tended bar, Dave Blanco was the chef, Dave Gallagher was the pizza boy and I was the pearl diver. Some nights after closing we would go to the Terrace Drive In, via the exit gate and watch the late feature film. When security came by to eject us, out popped a container of spaghetti and it was all good. Art's mom made all of the ravioli and the New York style cheesecake at home. Yum."

Bakersfield ranks high on a list of cities with strong job growth, thanks to the boom in the oil and gas fields. And remembering swim teacher Owen Nelson, a role model for so many others

 * ... JOBS: Bakersfield showed up on yet another list of cities that are showing strong job growth, thanks in large part because of the oil and gas boom. According to Forbes, Bakersfield placed No. 5 on the list of medium sized cities showing strong job growth. Said Forbes: "But the real evidence of

energy’s power can be seen in smaller metro areas. Oil-rich Midland, Texas, places first on our list of smaller metro areas (those with less than 150,000 jobs) and also first overall among the country’s 398 metropolitan areas. Nipping at its heels in second place in both categories is Odessa, Texas. On our medium-size cities list, energy towns with strong growth include No. 4 Corpus Christi, Texas; No. 5 Bakersfield, Calif.; and No. 6 Lafayette, La."

 * ... RIP: Donna Cazacus wrote to remember Owen Nelson, a retired Bakersfield City School District teacher and longtime swim coach who passed away recently. When Donna was a teenager, Nelson was the head lifeguard at the Jefferson Park pool. "I have thought of him countless times over the years and have many memories of him, including him buying an early Mustang (red) and him jumping into the pool to help a child in distress. However, the thing that has most stuck with me is the counseling he gave me when 'friends' weren't being so nice to me at the pool.  He told me not to worry about them, that the friends you have in college will be the friends you have for life.  And he was right!  Thank you, Owen."

* ... BAD FORM: Just when you think we are making some progress against litter you witness something like this. From reader Caroline O. Reid: "I was entering the parking lot to the Target off Stockdale Highway on Saturday, July 6.  I met a woman leaving.  She had her child in the front seat open the passenger door and start throwing trash out of the car.  All I could think to do was roll my window down and say, 'Are you cleaning out your car?' Her window was down. She was actually stopped in the row of traffic leaving the store as her daughter threw out bags, cups, etc.  Glancing in my rearview mirror I saw their trash sitting in the left turn, outgoing lane. I mentioned it to a couple of employees inside the store but the trash was still there when I left. I cannot imagine that anyone would think that would be a good place to clean out one’s car. Unbelievable."

 * ... RALPH: Popular local radio talk show host Ralph Bailey may be headed to surgery to correct a heart ailment. Bailey, host of The Ralph Bailey Show on NewsTalk 1180 KERN, told listeners this week that an abnormality was detected during a routine exam and he is now awaiting word if surgery will be necessary. Bailey's highly rated program appears on KERN from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. five days a week. 

 * ... CONCERT: If you are looking for something to do this Saturday, alternative country crooner Grant Langston is playing at The Gardens over off 19th Street. The Gardens is a relatively new meeting and concert venue at the corner of 19th and R streets, a beautiful outdoor setting and that is ideal for weddings or other events. Doors open at 7 p.m. and Langston comes on at 9 p.m. The best part: admission is free.

 * ... MEMORIES: Darlene Stewart asks if anyone remembers Art DiRico's Italian restaurant from the 1950s  and 1960s.  "As I recall it was on the south-east corner of South Chester and Belle Terrace.  It had the old Italian look with red and white checked tablecloths and candles dripping multi-colors onto wine vinegar bottles.  It was fun to watch the chef making the pizza dough by throwing it up in the air.  Great place to go with lots of ambience & the best Italian food - their pizza was at the top of my list!"

Oil executive helps former state Sen. Michael Rubio buy and sell two homes and radio talk show host Jaz McKay has a hissy fit after his colleague leaves for another station

 * ... RUBIO: Should we be surprised about the revelation that an oil executive helped former state Sen. Michael Rubio with the purchase and sales of two homes while Rubio was serving in the state Legislature? Rubio, a Shafter Democrat, says it was all on the up and up but the whole scenario hardly passes the smell test, especially given Rubio's squeaky clean image. Rubio described the oil executive, Majid Mojibi, as a close personal friend who just happened to help him with two deals, including one a $681,000 four-bedroom, five-bath home in El Dorado Hills. Don't we all wish we had friends like this? All this, of course, happened while Rubio was a rising star in the state Senate who later held hearings on the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Rubio has since resigned and moved over to Chevron as head of governmental affairs. And they wonder why the public is so cynical. (file photo of Michael Rubio, wife Dora, and their two children)

 * ... BAILEY: Local radio talk show host Ralph Bailey moves his afternoon program to KERN 1180 on Monday, a fact that seems to irritate to no end his former colleague Jaz McKay. McKay, who appears on KNZR, used Facebook to hurl some racist comments at Bailey, not to mention calling him a "a misogynist pig" who "hates women." Truly bad form, but hardly unexpected. Bailey will be my guest on Californian Radio KERN 1180 Monday at 9 a.m. to address the brouhaha over his departure and to kick off his new show. (file photos of Ralph Bailey and Jaz McKay)

 * ... JACK SMITH: I mentioned the late Los Angeles Times columnist Jack Smith the other day, prompting reader Marie Schroepfer to share these fond memories of her mother. "Jack Smith was her favorite columnist and his column was the first thing she read when it appeared in the paper.  Jack Smith, paired with breakfast, her favorite meal of the day, would make her day," she said. "Periodically I would return home to spend a few days with her. Always, when I sat down for breakfast the first morning of my stay, there would be a stack of Jack Smith’s articles that she had 'saved' for my next visit.  There was no getting around reading them during my stay as she would periodically inquire as to my progress.  She particularly enjoyed his description of the antics, and perhaps misbehaving, of his Airedale dog."

  * ... PLANK: I am always happy to report when one of our local foundations opens its wallet to help others. This time is is the Plank Foundation, which wrote a check for $10,000 to the Friends of Mercy Foundation/Florence R. Wheeler Cancer Center. It was the 12th annual donation from Plank in that amount, and it was presented at a meeting of the Bakersfield East Rotary. The Plank Foundation (www.theplankfoundation.com) was started in 1985 and supports locally the fight against cancer, hospice efforts and provides donations for immediate community needs.

  * ... MEA CULPA: I erred in reporting earlier that the fine dining restaurant Valentien would have a daily prix fixe lunch menu. The restaurant's new hours mean it will only be open for lunch on Fridays, when a prix fixe meal will be available for $16. A prix fixe meal will also be offered at dinner.

 * ... ACHIEVER: Hats off to Stephen Samples, who has been promoted to vice president of regional neurosciences at the Neurological Institute of the Cleveland Clinic. He is the son of Lora and Frank Samples, a local attorney. Stephen went to school at Trinity University in San Antonio and at the University of Texas Medical School.

Local radio host Jaz McKay issue below the belt comments about former colleague Ralph Bailey, and the sad rise and fall of former NBA player Robert Swift

* ... THE BUZZ: The decision by local radio talk show host Ralph Bailey to leave KNZR for cross-town rival KERN 1180 triggered a harsh response from Bailey's former colleague, Jaz McKay. McKay posted a lengthy, vitriolic message attacking Bailey on his Facebook page after Bailey made his announcement. The message immediately made the rounds on social networking, being forwarded and reposted until it was apparently deleted. Among the below-the-belt comments were, "Farewell to the man with the biggest ego known in history... Farewell to the man who couldn't keep his story straight on his political beliefs... Farewell to the man who although as much as he tried could not get past the fact that he is black." Ouch. Bailey's new show will run on KERN 1180 weekdays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (stock photos of Jaz McKay and Ralph Bailey)

 * ... RUBIO: Another stunner last week was the sudden resignation of state Sen. Michael Rubio (D-Shafter) from the state Senate. Rubio took a job with Chevron Corp. to be its director of governmental affairs in Sacramento. That's a fancy title for lobbyist, and it doesn't hurt that Rubio was holding hearings on reforming the California Environmental Quality Act and is taking to Chevron a pocket full of contacts and inside knowledge. Rubio said he was leaving to spend more time with his wife, Dora, and his two daughters, the youngest of whom was born with Down syndrome. (family photo provided by Michael Rubio)

 * ... BAD FORM:  It's sad to watch the ongoing story of the rise and fall of Robert Swift, the onetime Garces High school basketball standout who went on to the Naitonal Basketball Association before injuries forced him out of the game. His $1 million home in Seattle is in foreclosure, and he is refusing to leave. According to a story on AOL: "The home's new owner has gone to court to have Swift removed from the property, and court records show that he is now past a grace period to leave. He has a final deadline to vacate the premises by the end of the month -- and after that, he could be forcibly removed, KOMO News reported. "He will have to respond to the sheriff, I'm sure," the new owner said. "This is a pretty sad case of an ex-NBA star who once held such promise but now has found himself in trouble."

* ... LIONS: Hats off to the Bakersfield Breakfast Lions Club and Tim Delcid who donated $12,700 to the local chapter of the Honor Flight, the group that takes aging veterans to Washington, D.C. to view the war memorials. Local organizer Lili Marsh said it costs $1,500 to send one veteran, so the Lions Club donation allows nine to go on the Spring flight. "The looks on the faces and the tears in the eyes of these humble vets, when they see that they have not been forgotten ... really brings home the significance of this of this simple gesture to the generation that saved the world! Breakfast Lions rock!"

 * ... RICHARDSON: Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson will be the keynote speaker during the annual Kern County Economic Summit, set for Wednesday, March 20, at the DoubleTree Hotel. The cost is $100 per ticket and you can register online at www.kedc.com or www.bakersfieldchamber.org.

 * ... RECIPE: Steve Agerton asked for help in tracking down a garlic butter recipe made by the owners of the old Joe's National Market on East 18th Street. "We used to get gallons of this garlic butter for the Oil Man's barbecues every year. It has since closed down and out of business. I know this might be a crazy request but we wanted to try anyway." Can anyone help Steve?

Conservative talk show host Ralph Bailey will join rival radio station KERN 1180

 Ralph Bailey, the conservative Bakersfield radio talk show host, is jumping to crosstown rival KERN 1180. Bailey left his longtime home of KNZR yesterday, and today it was revealed he had joined American General Media's KERN 1180.
 Bailey will be on the air in early March in his familiar 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. time slot. The show will retain the familiar "The Ralph Bailey Show" label.
 Bailey replaces KERN host Scott Cox, who is moving to the mornings in a joint venture with The Californian newsroom. That 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. show will be called First Look with Scott Cox.

More memories of Jack LaLanne, and a local attorney gives a tip of the hat to the lads of Kappa Sigma fraternity out at Cal State Bakersfield

 * ... TRASH: Normally the only reward people get from picking up litter along the side of the road is the satisfaction of knowing they've done a good deed for their city. Franklin "Woody" Allen of Bakersfield got that and more on a recent cleanup patrol with members of his Kiwanis club. The crew was tidying up an area near Calloway Drive and Hageman Road when Allen spotted a crumpled piece of green paper. Yep, a $100 bill. Nice volunteer work if you can get it.

 * ... KAPPA SIGMA: College fraternities earn their own negative attention sometimes, but they can also do a lot of good and provide kids with lasting memories and a full college experience. Local attorney Dan Clifford was a Greek (Chi Psi) himself at the University of Oregon, and he passed on this bit of good behavior involving the Kappa Sigma fraternity out at Cal State Bakersfield. Turns out Clifford and his wife Jennifer went to Deer Peak Park to hold a birthday party for their daughter, but learned the park had already been reserved by the Kappa Sigs. James Wilson, one of the fraternity brothers, responded by helping the Cliffords carry tables to another area so both groups could enjoy the park. "Jennifer and I could not have been more relieved and appreciative. Shortly thereafter the playground was filled with screaming kids and the party went off without a hitch. For the fraternity’s part, they looked like they were having fun and were complete gentlemen. Although my encounter with the guys was brief, it was an extremely positive one. It is refreshing to know that the Greek system continues to turn out well rounded, good natured adults.  Many thanks to James and the rest of the Kappa Sigs. "

 * ... RALPH: My earlier note on the late fitness guru Jack LaLanne drew yet another local connection, this one from KNZR radio host Ralph Bailey. Turns out Ralph went to high school with LaLanne's son, Jon Allen, in Sherman Oaks where they both played baseball, soccer and football.  "And we were coached by Gary Fowler, former Highland, Centennial and Golden Valley coach and athletic director. Gary recently retired from Golden Valley and Jon Allen is playing in a band and is a pool cleaner in Brentwood. His parents came to all of his games and one of my great thrills came after one of our football games in which I ran back a punt for a touchdown. Mr. LaLanne came up to me and said, 'That was a great run, Ralph.' Thought I was gonna die! I don't know what impressed me more: the fact that he admired my run or the fact that he actually knew my name!"

 * ... KUDOS: Hats off to local human resources consultant Holly Culhane for coming up with a creative and generous way to recognize her company's 25 years in business. Instead of holding an anniversary party, Culhane sent out small, pre-stamped post cards asking folks to choose from three charities who would receive a $25 donation in their name. The non-profits are Youth for Christ/USA, the Bakersfield Rescue Mission and the Houchin Blood Bank capital campaign. Kudos to Holly and her colleagues over at PAS Associates.

 * ... DUST BOWL: If you are a history buff you might consider taking in the annual "Dust Bowl Festival" at the Sunset School in Weedpatch this Saturday. It's always an interesting look back at our past and will feature the usual wealth of comfort food (biscuits, gravy, cornbread etc) and classic cars. It runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: This nugget comes compliments of longtime reader Linda Welch: You might be a Bakersfield old timer if you remember "when the freedom train came to town on Baker Street carrying the Constitution and Bill of Rights... Also the other train that carried Harry S. Truman when he was running for president. He came out on the landing of the last car. What a thrill those trains were to a very small child."

Happy Jack's returns to the breakfast business and radio personality Ralph Bailey battles pneumonia

* ... HAPPY JACK'S: Had breakfast the other day with Jack McGee, a skeet shooting pal and owner of Bakersfield Optical over on 19th Street. We ended up at Happy Jack's Pie 'n Burger on 20th Street downtown, a small homey place that has been in business for 35 years and this week returned to serving breakfast. Thanks to owners Frances and Ruben Rosales, this is one of those Bakersfield treasures where the food is consistently outstanding and you are always welcomed with a warm smile. Frances and Ruben raised four high achieving children and over the years each has worked at Happy Jack's to help work their way through college. Happy Jack's is among a long list of locally owned eateries (Sequoia Sandwich Co., Uricchio's Trattoria, Casa Munoz and Cafe Med are on my short list) that embrace their customers and always leave them smiling.

 * ... SICK BAY: Swapped a few emails with an ailing Ralph Bailey, the loquacious and rapier witted host of the daily "The Ralph Bailey Show" on KNZR 1560 talk radio. Ralph has been at Mercy Hospital since Sunday suffering from pneumonia, which he says is actually good news since he first feared he might be suffering from a heart attack. Ralph told me his doctors are checking to see if Valley Fever is involved. The good news: he's feeling better but is expected to be holed up in the hospital all week. Get well, Ralph.

 * ... MISS TEEN CAL: Nice to hear that Liberty High School senior Mackenzie Carter has been crowned Miss Teen California International 2011. She won the honor last month at the Downey Civic Theatre and it certainly seems well deserving. She's an All Area volleyball player, Ford Dimension Dream Builder and an accomplished pianist. It seems appropriate that Mackenzie's focus will be working with the American Cancer Society during her year as Miss Teen California International. Her grandmother, Lenore Carter, lost her battle with cancer in November 2009. Lenore was the wife of Warren Carter of Watson Realty and the mother of Ken Carter, Watson's president. Mackenzie's parents are Doug (Ken's brother) and Dena Carter. Mackenzie will be playing Divison 1 volleyball at the University of Delaware next year. Hats off to this high achieving kid.

... LINKS FOR LIFE: October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and pretty soon our town will be wrapped in pink. Last Friday, on October 1, teams from businesses across town walked in the midday heat to the Liberty Bell to honor those who have suffered from cancer. This is one effort worth recognizing. There are so few of us who haven't been touched by cancer in some way.

 * ... CELL PHONE: An alert reader was driving on Allen Road, southbound at Stockdale Highway, last week when he found himself behind a government owned (exempt plate) black Buick Enclave that was being driven by a female who was talking busily on her cell phone.  "I thought how special she must be, driving a car that we (taxpayers) provide, ignoring the law with apparent impunity.  The California Exempt plate is 1351476. She was still on the phone two minutes later when she passed Ming Avenue, still headed south on Allen Road. By the way…is that Armor-All on those tires? Nice!"

 * ... MEA CULPA: Local businessman Brian Kiser's name was misspelled in this column on Monday (spelled Miser instead of Kiser), thanks to a Google Android phone spell check function that didn't recognize Kiser as a legitimate word. I should have caught it in an email to my editor. My bad, BK. 

* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From reader John Strand: You know you're a Bakersfield old-timer if you remember "driving from Enos Lane to Pierce Road  (now Buck Owens Boulevard) on Rosedale Highway without encountering a single stop sign."