Is a new priest headed to St. Francis now that Monsignor Harrison has been on suspension for almost a year? Plus the former head of the Kern Community Foundation comes on to share his story of a childhood molestation and Rick Kreiser is honored by Bakersfield College

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 person or organization.

 * ... ST. FRANCIS: The Diocese of Fresno is apparently ready to send a new pastor to St. Francis to fill in until the questions surrounding the fate of Monsignor Craig Harrison are resolved. It is not yet

confirmed but I was told a new priest could be here sometime in March. Meanwhile, the status of Harrison remains unresolved almost a year after he was suspended by the Diocese over allegations by now grown men that he preyed on them sexually when they were young. Harrison has denied the charges but a recent report from the Fresno District Attorney's office found the allegations "credible." Shortly after that revelation, Harrison and his attorneys filed a defamation lawsuit against the Diocese of Fresno.

 * ... RADIO TIME: H.A. Sala, a prominent criminal defense attorney who is part of Craig Harrison's defense team, will appear on my radio show this week to respond to the Fresno DA's finding and launch a defense of Harrison. Does Harrison's lawsuit against the church mean he has given up on getting his job back at St. Francis? (After all who sues their boss expecting to get their job back?) How damaging is it when a DA's office says the evidence against Harrison seems credible? Were they implying he may be guilty of the accusations? We will cover these questions and others when Sala comes on the program this week.

 * ... JEFF PICKERING: And finally, we will chat with Jeff Pickering on Tuesday after his own revelation that he was molested as a youth by a doctor but as ashamed to come forward. Pickering, who now lives in Florida but spent time in Bakersfield as head of the Kern Community Foundation, will speak to the shame, guilt and embarrassment that explains why he kept the molestation a secret for 30 years. Pickering has documented his gripping story in a serial blog post that can be found at ... https://stillpracticingmetoo.fyi (Jeff Pickering pictured with his wife, Stephanie)

 * ... RICK KREISER: Congratulations to Rick Kreiser for being recognized by Bakersfield College for his contributons to the BC Foundation. Kreiser was honored at the Sterling Silver Dinner held at Seven Oaks Country Club Saturday night. In addition to Kreiser, the school also honored Dr. Bill Baker for his 43 years of service at the team doctor for BC football. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Burton)

 * ... BERNIE SANDERS: Just 48 hours after President Donald Trump spoke to a rousing crowd at Meadows Field, Bernie Sanders swept through town to cheer on his supporters at a rally at the Park at River Walk. And, despite what you might read on social media, particularly Facebook, it was a standing room only crowd that greeted the Democratic front runner. Facebook was full of posts saying only a handful of people showed up for the event, but in fact there was a crowd of around 3,500 who turned out for the rally.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Stop assuming all toddlers want to give you a high five."

 * ... MEMORIES: Stephen Humphrey posted this on the Kern County History Fans Facebook page. The caption: The Bakersfield Club in 1914 located on the n/e corner of 19th and "F" Streets. Building demolished after the 1952 earthquake. West Side Liquors now occupies the location.

The Valley of Hope gala honors Rick Kreiser, Dr. Jasleen Duggal celebrates a birthday in style, and Via Arte wraps up its 21st annual event at The Marketplace

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 reflect the views of any other individual, organization or company. 

 * ... VALLEY OF HOPE: Congratulations to Adventist Health and its Valley of Hope weekend gala

that benefited the Valley of Hope Children's Foundation. More than 350 people gathered for the gala, which honored Rick Kreiser as one of his award recipients. Owner of Carney's Business Solutions and a man deeply involved in our community, Kreiser lost both his wife and one of his sons to cancer.

 * ... BLUE GOLD SCRIMMAGE: Make sure you check out Tuesday's annual Blue/Gold scrimmage out at the Icardo Center at CSUB when both the men's and women's basketball teams will kick off the season with a nite of dunks and high flying acrobatics. The 7 p.m event is free to the public and doors open at 6:50 p.m.

* ... FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Check out this post from my friend Lily Crommett-Marsh. Read it and weep: "So San Luis Obispo, population 6, (actually 47,000, with airports in Santa Maria and Santa Barbara) now has non stop flights to: LAS VEGAS ($99.00 one way- not entirely heinous), Los Angeles, Denver, Dallas, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Seattle. Flights to SAN DIEGO and PORTLAND will begin next year.  And Kern, population 839,631, has next to nothing. What is going on. I know the airlines will go to the most lucrative markets, but what the heck are we doing wrong?????"

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Dear parents with teenagers: The bottle of vodka in your liquor cabinet is water."

 * ... BIRTHDAY: Dr. Jasleen Duggal, an endocrinologist from Bakersfield, celebrated her 40th birthday in style at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas with a few hundred friends and family. Duggal, known as 'Jazzy' to her friends, is married to local cardiologist Dr. Jeet Singh.

 * ... HOMELESS: Here is a random shot of one of our homeless using the public right of way as her own personal toilet. The caption read: "Off Highway 178 on Mt Vernon, panhandler taking a dump on the overpass where all can see him, as well as small kids."

 * ... VIA ARTE: The annual chalk art festival called Via Arte wrapped up this weekend, another successful venture by the Bakersfield Museum of Art held at The Marketplace on Ming Avenue. It was the 21st year of Via Arte. (photos courtesy of Jeanine Kraybill)

 * ... JUST FOR FUN: I saw this on social media, and it speaks volumes about how we view ourselves here in the Golden State.

 * ... MEMORIES: A couple more historic photos culled from the Facebook pages of Kern County of Old and Kern County History Fans.

Disneyland raises prices yet again, a moving tribute for cancer victim Christopher Kreiser and putting the spotlight on organic foot pioneer Heather Laganelli at Locale Farm to Table

Monday, January 7, 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 tips to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... DISNEYLAND: If you are a fan of Disneyland, get ready for another round of price hikes. That's right, Disney has announced price increases o up to 25 percent for daily tckets, annual passes

and parking. Said the Los Angeles Times: "The increases, which took effect Sunday, come less than a year after the resort adopted price hikes of up to 18 percent. Under the latest increases, the cheapest daily ticket will be more than $100. Daily parking prices are rising to $25 from $20 — a 25 percent increase." The resort expects visitor demand to skyrocket when it opens its new area, called Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, this summer. The 14-acre expansion will feature two attractions, including a ride that lets visitors pilot the Millennium Falcon, the spaceship flown by Han Solo in the “Star Wars” movies.

 * ... 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."

 * ... RIP CHRISTOPHER: It was a wonderful tribute and service this weekend for Christopher Kreiser, the 39-year-old local businessman who lost his battle with cancer, leaving behind a wife, three young children and a legion of friends and family. His father, Rick Kreiser, spoke on behalf of his family before a standing room only Catholic mass at St. Francis and then the crowd headed over to the Crystal Palace to be serenaded by the great Jim Shaw and one of Rick's longtime friends, guitar virtuoso Carl Verheyen. Christopher died of lymphoma while undergoing experimental treatment at UCLA Medical Center. He is survived by his wife, Katie and three children: Carson, Kyle and Kensie.

* ... FARM TO TABLE: A plant based diet is not right for everyone, but there is no denying that the movement is here to stay and steadily gaining adherents. Look no further than the expanding organic and vegan sections at Vons, Albertson's and Smart and Final. Not long ago vegan and soy-based "meat" products could only be found at Lassen's and perhaps Sprout's, but today they are near ubiquitous. There are also a growing number of vegan and vegetarian restaurants, including Hen's Roost downtown and Guapo's Tacos off White Lane where they offer a scrumptious like of vegan tacos. One of the local pioneers of this movement in Heather Laganelli, owner of Locale Farm to Table across from the downtown Post Office. Formerly known as Union Deli, Laganelli has run the restaurant since 2015 by focusing on healthy, locally sourced food and vegan options. On Monday she will be on The Richard Beene show at 2:30 p.m. (KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM) to talk about the growing popularity of healthy eating. Tune in to hear her story.

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this old photo of our Fox Theater, compliments from the Kern County of Old Facebook page. Amazing.

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And then there is this, from the Kern County History Fans Facebook page. It had this caption: "3 unidentified men in a 1912 photo that states 'Booze Joint' (left side) and a fraternal flag that is F. O. E. (Fraternal Order of Eagles)."

Friday's Bakersfield Observed: Homelessness is out of control across the country, Ken Keller becomes CEO of Memorial Hospital, and are women in Bakersfield more likely to cheat on their husbands?

Friday, December 21, 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 tips to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... HOMELESSNESS: For the second consecutive year, the number of people living homeless on our streets has risen. There is a critical shortage of affordable housing, opiod abuse is adding to the

problem and despite the best efforts of cities, the problem remains out of control. Sound familiar? If you thought I was talking about Bakersfield, you are wrong. These are excerpts from a new report on homelessness across the nation. Like Bakersfield, cities big and small are facing the same vexing problem in confronting homelessness: it is bad and it is getting worse, and there are no easy solutions.  In Los Angeles just two hours south of us, Mayor Eric Garcetti has responded by dedicating special funding to set up temporary shelters across the city.

 * ... PEREZ: Supervisor Letitia Perez will go on trial in March for allegedly violating conflict of interest laws when she voted to regulate marijuana while her husband, consultant Fernando Jara, represented clients seeking to get into the business. I am still betting this will be settled before trial, but the pressure is on to find a compromise before the March trial.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Apparently putting Alka-Seltzer in my mouth while getting baptized and pretending I’m being possessed by the devil is not funny."

 * ... RIP CHRISTOPHER: Christopher Kreiser lost his battle with cancer this week and with that our community lost a good soul. Kreiser, son of Carney's owner Rick Kreiser and the late Kristen Kreiser, was just 39 years old. He had been undergoing experimental treatment at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles for a few months when he passed. Ironically, it was 10 years ago that his mother, Kristen, died of cancer. Rick Kreiser is the founder of the Guitar Masters concerts series that has raised tens of thousands of dollar for the Kern County Cancer Fund. Christopher is survived by his wife, Katie, and their three children.

 * ... KEN KELLER: Ken Keller, chief operating officer at Memorial Hospital, has been appointed president and CEO following the promotion of former CEO Jon Van Boening. Keller holds a masters in the executive program from the University of New Orleans and a bachelors in pre-medicine from the University of Southwestern Louisiana. Van Boening is now president and senior vice president of operations for all the Dignity Health hospitals in Central California.

 * ... CHEATING: I spotted this on Facebook. Are our women here more likely to cheat? Yes, says the cheating website Ashley Madison.

 * ... MEMORIES: Enjoy this walk down memory lane with this shot of the old Allard Furniture Company building on Baker Street from 1920.

Fires, mayhem and high taxes force more Californians to give up on the Golden State, Villaraigosa closes in on Newsom in the governor's race and Rick Kreiser raises $42,000 for the Kern County Cancer Fund

 * ... GOODBYE CALIFORNIA: It looks like the recent fires in Santa Rosa and Ventura County are

pushing yet more people to finally leave California for good. At least that is what the New York Times reported recently, citing our long frustration with the high cost of living here. "For many Californians," the paper reported, "the question is always sitting there: Is this worth it? Natural disasters are a moment to take stock and rethink the dream. But in the end, the calculation almost always comes down to cost." Since 2010, it continued, "the state has lost more than two million residents 25 and older, including 220,000 who moved to Texas... Arizona and Nevada have each welcomed about 180,000 California expatriates since the start of the decade."

 * ... VILLARAIGOSA: Does former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa have a shot at beating former San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom in the governor's race? Apparently he does, at least if you follow the polls. Villaraigosa started off more than 20 points behind Newsom among Democrats and has now narrowed that to about five points. And Villaraigosa, who swung through Bakersfield this week, is making a bold bid to lure moderate Republicans by courting the conservative San Joaquin Valley. Expect to see more of Villaraigosa locally as we head into the new year.

 * ... SEASONAL LIES: Some of the lies we tell ourselves: "I am starting my diet tomorrow ... He will never hear from me again ... I'll just have one drink."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: I saw this on my friend Justin Salter's Twitter feed: "If we can train ourselves to be optimistic, as soon as life gets difficult, we will have the mental toughness to persist and succeed. "

 * ... GREGORY PORTER: Here's a worthy fund raiser that you may want to consider: Habitat for Humanity will be holding a concert featuring Grammy winning jazz singer Gregory Porter. Porter is one of the most famous singers to come out of Kern County, having graduated from Highland High School and going on to San Diego State. Habitat says Porter will be singing some Nat King Cole tunes. The concert will be held in the Dore Theater at CSUB on Saturday, Jan. 20. Tickets are just $50 and all proceeds will benefit Habitat for Humanity Golden Empire. Porter appeared on NBC's Kathie Lee and Hoda earlier this week to belt out a tune. Check out the Habitat for Humanity Golden Empire Facebook page to buy tickets.

 * ... CANCER FUND: Hats off to Rick Kreiser and his Guitar Masters series, which raised $42,000 for the Kern County Cancer Fund during his annual concert featuring Christmas with the Cranktones. Kreiser sold out the Crystal Palace for the annual event, benefitting an organization that says all the money stays in our community to help cancer patients and their families pay for cab rides, living expenses, wigs and other items during their fight with cancer.

* ... HARVEY HALL: Another reason why I miss Harvey Hall as our mayor. Even out of office, Hall continues to give back to his hometown by funding the Downtown Street Ambassadors who pick up trash in our downtown area. Since kicking off April 1, the street ambassadors have removed 2,714 bags of litter. That's an average of 340 bags collected each month. Some good news: the amount of trash collected actually decreased in October. Hall stepped up to fund the program in February.

A couple who burglarized a downtown home are arrested thanks to their pictures being circulated on Facebook, celebrating Hammons Meat market and it's time for another Guitar Masters concert

 * ... SOCIAL MEDIA: You can mark this one as a victory for the good guys. A neighbor's house downtown was burglarized this past weekend and later in the day the intruders came back to finish the job, eyeballing the home from a rear alley. This time the owner was home, snapped a couple of

pictures of the suspects in the alley (a couple in their early 30s, heavily tattooed) that were later circulated first on a neighborhood watch email list and later on Facebook. Within hours the couple was arrested (turns out they were driving a stolen car) and most of the stolen items were recovered. Now that is social media at its best.

 * ... VISITOR: When visitors come to town, how do you entertain them? I had friend from college this weekend and at his request, gave him a tour of the almond groves off Famoso Road and the Kern River oil field. We take this stuff for granted, but for folks from another area of the country, they are awesome sights and a chance to educate them on agriculture and oil. Then, a weekend of our landmark downtown restaurants: dinner at Muertos on Friday and Uricchio's Trattoria the next day, along with the signature Bakersfield event: Saturday lunch at Luigi's. Doesn't get much better than that.

 * ... HAMMONS: And speaking of local family-owned businesses, I had a nice chat the other day with Jenny Hammons, the dynamic 27-year-old who has taken over JJ Hammons Meats, the remarkable meat market founded by her grandfather in 1975. Jenny told me the market has a July Fourth special on rib eyes for $7.59 a pound, a bargain by any standard and almost 50 percent less than other high end meat shops. The special runs from June 24 through July 4. Check Hammons out at 1700 South Union Avenue.

 * ... SPOTTED: A local bumper sticker reads: "Duct tape can't fix stupid, but it sure can muffle the sound."

 * ... MUSIC: Guitar virtuoso Albert Lee is performing tonight (Wednesday) at the Simonsen Performing Arts Center at Bakersfield College. This is part of Rick Kreiser's "Guitar Masters" acts that have become so popular. Tickets at $35 at the door and $18 for students. The fun begins at 7:30 p.m. and Kreiser promises a "surprise" appearance at the concert.

 * ... SCAMS: My post on KERO TV anchor Jackie Parks shutting down a telephone scam brought this response from reader Mike: "I got a laugh out of your article re Jackie Parks and thought you might get the same with an incident that happened to my mother. Years ago she had some furniture in storage. After she had it removed and paid her last bill she thought it was over. It wasn't! The following month she got a bill. She wrote back that the furniture was no longer in storage and to please stop billing her. Next month, same thing. And the next, etc. Finally she wrote them and said
'Please forward all furniture immediately to the following address!' She never heard from them again.                                          

 * ... ACHIEVERS: Louise Scurlock, a proud mother and grandmother, offered the following about some high achieving local products of our local schools: "You might go to Memorial Hospital one day and find Bruce Scurlock M.D.,  his daughter, Kristin Chrisum P.A., and his other daughter Brooke Holmes, R.N., all working there. Maybe son, Joshua Scurlock M.D., from Massachusetts, should be intrigued to come back to Bakersfield and practice. All are graduates of Bakersfield High Schools."

                             

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."

Cal State Bakersfield cancels its annual fall barbecue citing conflicts with the new Western Athletic Conference, and Rick Kreiser ties the knot

 * ... CSUB BARBECUE: For the first time in many years the annual fall Cal State Bakersfield barbecue has been canceled and replaced with another event. CSUB Athletic Director Jeff Konya told me that conflicts with the schedule of the new Western Athletic Conference and with women's volleyball competition meant he had to cancel the annual October fund raiser. (In addition NCAA rules now

allow both basketball teams practice opportunities in early October) Instead, CSUB is looking at a concert at the Fox Theater as a possible replacement in early December. Konya said the fall barbecue could come back next year if the schedule is better and interest remains in the event. As a side note, the folks over at St. Vincent's de Paul set their first annual barbecue fund raiser for this Thursday when they learned the Cal State event had been canceled. Tickets for that are $25 at the door. The event will feature steaks grilled by Gary Icardo, who usually cooks at the Cal State event.

 * ... BAD FORM: Karen Odle suffered a bit of bad luck recently when someone stole a large package off her front porch that was left there by her postal carrier. It was a package full of her son's personal belongings as he awaited orders to report to a new base with the Navy. "It was supposed to be signed for upon delivery but the mailman left it without a signature and someone stole it off of my front porch. I was not home as I was visiting with my daughter-in-law and grandson from Florida - her husband is stationed at Jacksonville -  and when I arrived home there was no package but the Post Office website showed that it was delivered. I have lived her a long time and have never had this happen. This was a large heavy box that someone decided they needed more than my son, it makes me so mad on so many levels. Why do people think it is okay to take things that do not belong to them."

 * ... TRASH: From my regular pen pal Linda Welch. "We just came back from a two week trip to Colorado and we did not see one used diaper or discarded beer can. All the way through Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Nevada ... I guess you know the story of when we entered our beautiful state, or at least what could be our beautiful state."

 * ... ROMANCE: Congratulations to Rick Kreiser and Lorie Tovar-Stites who were married this past weekend at their home in the Tuscany area of Bakersfield. Kreiser is the owner of Carney's Business Technology Center and a longtime West Rotarian. The couple has been dating for three years. Kreiser's surprise to Lorie on their wedding day? He imported a ukelele singer they both discovered in Hawaii to sing at the wedding.

 * ... NAVY: Hats off to Chief Petty Officer Eli W. Hollis, a Bakersfield man who has found his calling in the U.S. Navy. A North High graduate, Hollis has been in the Navy for nine years and is now one of the Navy's youngest sailors to rise to the rank of chief.  His mother, Cheryl Hollis, and aunt and uncle were able to attend the September 13 promotional ceremony aboard the USS Missouri, moored in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Remembering with the Civic hosted the Rolling Stones, the Jefferson Airplane and so many other rock favorites

 * ... BASQUE PRAISE: The new edition of the LA Weekly threw Bakersfield some love, focusing on our Basque restaurants as well as our unique character. Writer Jonathan Gold, a former Los Angeles Times writer, noted he has a soft spot in his heart for our community.  Wrote Gold: "Bakersfield, a scant two hours away, offers the not-inconsiderable pleasure of being in a place that is neither Los Angeles nor part of greater Los Angeles, a town that is thoroughly Californian but can also feel a lot like the good parts of Oklahoma. It's the home of the Bakersfield Sound, the Merle Haggard/Buck Owen/Rose Maddox thing that brought a bit of grit back to country music, and without it the radio now would probably sound even more like Taylor Swift. But mostly, at least for me, there is the old-fashioned cooking at one of the city's Basque dining halls, huge, multicourse feasts originally intended for the Basque shepherds staying at the local boardinghouses. They have become so popular that the few sheep men who show up are treated like local celebrities." (photo courtesy of the LA Weekly)

* ... CONCERTS: Old friend Rick Kreiser, owner of Carney's Business Technology Center, dropped me a note after reading about the rock band The Doors appearing at the Civic Auditorium in 1968. Not only was he there, but it prompted a flood of  memories when famous bands regularly showed up at the Civic. "How about half-way up left center to catch the Beach Boys and Jan and Dean with my Janzen shirt, baby blue Levis, and Converse low tops (all from Bud Johnson's in Hillcrest) with my mother! Or perhaps sitting in Orchestra Row T, seat 1, for the greatest rock and roll band in the world (still)... Mick and the boys in July of 1966 with the Standells, McCoys and Trade Winds opening the show. I painted the entire outside of our College Heights house in exchange for the price of a ticket ... six bucks!" Finally, Kreiser remembers when Civic manager Chuck Graviss pulled the plug on Grace Slick and the Jefferson Airplane during the haunting rock ballad 'White Rabbit' at the stroke of midnight, resulting in the rock goddess leading a few hundred angry fans down Truxtun Avenue to show the police how unhappy they were."Thanks for the memories, Ricky.  

 * ... CARNIVAL: Al Sandrini, manager over at Sundale Country Club, wrote to remember the old carnival that once entertained thousands down near the Kern River. "I can't say I am 100 percent correct, but I think the carnival at the river was set up just about where the 24th Street exit from northbound 99 is located," he said. "I remember that we would walk from the carnival and go into the river and walk out and cool off. The water at this point was about two feet deep and ran very slowly."

 * ... MEMORIAL RIDE: Friends of the late Paul White, the retired educator who died of a heart attack while riding his bike last week, have established an educational fund in his name to help struggling young teachers at the Panama Buena Vista School District. To raise money for the fund, the first Paul White Memorial Bike Ride will be held on Saturday, February 26, at Yokuts Park. It will start at 9 a.m. and head out to Hart Park and back, riding past Greenlawn Mortuary and Cemetery on Panorama where he is buried. The cost is $20 per rider. Interested? Contact Margaret Patteson at margpatt@sbcglobal.net or just show up at 8:30 a.m. on the day of the ride.

 * ... SPOTTED: A beautiful picture of Bakersfield's Tiler Peck, a member of the New York City Ballet, in a performance of Balanchine's 'Divertimento No. 15' in the Arts section of The New York Times. The story praised Peck's "brightness and keen musical responsiveness" in the performance. (photo courtesy of The New York Times)

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From reader Jack Kelley: You know you're a Bakersfield old timer "if you remember the River Theater in Oildale, which later became Buck Owens' recording studio."