Elephant Bar shutters its Stockdale Highway location, and Sam Outlaw brings his brand of alternative country to Temblor Brewing Co. this Friday

 * ... RIVERWALK: I was surprised to learn the other day that The Elephant Bar abruptly shut down last week. Along with California Pizza Kitchen, the franchise eatery was one of the first anchor tenants of Castle and Cooke's The Shops at River Walk, but given the competitive nature of the restaurant business, and our fickle nature, it didn't make it. Regional and national franchise restaurants always have a tough time competing against the locally owned eateries, where owners like Claire (Uricchio's Trattoria), Jake (Jin Sushi), Sonny (Mexicali) and Rod and Julie (Pyrennes Cafe) are always there for a personal greeting to make sure your stay is satisfying. No word yet on what will replace The Elephant Bar in that location.

 * ... SAM OUTLAW: One of the hottest young alternative country musicians, Sam Outlaw, will be in town this week for a gig at Temblor Brewing Co. A native of Los Angeles, Outlaw burst onto the scene only a few years ago and is fresh off a successful European tour. His honest lyrics and alt country sound born in Southern California make for a compelling show. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at www.passingthroughproductions.com or at the door. Showtime is 6 p.m. this Friday.

 * ... SPOTTED: A woman in a white Toyota Highlander is casually flossing her teeth at a red light on Calloway Drive. It's nice to know I am not alone in tending to dental hygiene while behind the wheel.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Turns out a degree in communications doesn't help in a marriage. I guess that's why it's called a bachelor's degree."

* ... GUNFIRE: A regular reader dropped me this note about the opening day of dove season: "While at Kern River Golf Course on the opening day of dove season, as we were listening to all the gunfire around us one of the guys in our foursome wondered out loud if this was what it might be like on a typical golfing day in South Chicago."

 * ... ASSISTANCE LEAGUE: Do me a favor and do two things right now: take a $10 bill and put it in a safe place, and mark Wednesday, Sept. 21, on your calendar. When the day comes, drive down to 20th and R streets and spend that $10 for a trip tip sandwich lunch to benefit the Assistance League, which does so much good in our community. You will be supporting Operation School Bell, which provides school clothing to needy kids.

 * ... FEEDBACK: Some reader feedback from Jay C. Smith: "Don't get me wrong, I enjoy your blog and appreciate you for keeping it up. I did almost choke when you quoted an informant who had seen a second car with a 'F--- Trump"'sticker saying 'welcome to the intolerant and low-class world of progressive America.' Are you/he or she kidding me? At Trump rallies they chant 'Hang the Bitch.' And that's the rallies, not two yahoos driving around. Is that the tolerant and high class behavior 'progressive America' should learn from?"

Elephant Bar shutters its Stockade Highway location, and Sam Outlaw brings his brand of alternative country to Temblor Brewing Co. this Friday

 * ... RIVERWALK: I was surprised to learn the other day that The Elephant Bar abruptly shut down last week. Along with California Pizza Kitchen, the franchise eatery was one of the first anchor tenants of Castle and Cooke's The Shops at River Walk, but given the competitive nature of the restaurant business, and our fickle nature, it didn't make it. Regional and national franchise restaurants always have a tough time competing against the locally owned eateries, where owners like Claire (Uricchio's Trattoria), Jake (Jin Sushi), Sonny (Mexicali) and Rod and Julie (Pyrennes Cafe) are always there for a personal greeting to make sure your stay is satisfying. No word yet on what will replace The Elephant Bar in that location.

 * ... SAM OUTLAW: One of the hottest young alternative country musicians, Sam Outlaw, will be in town this week for a gig at Temblor Brewing Co. A native of Los Angeles, Outlaw burst onto the scene only a few years ago and is fresh off a successful European tour. His honest lyrics and alt country sound born in Southern California make for a compelling show. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at www.passingthroughproductions.com or at the door. Showtime is 6 p.m. this Friday.

 * ... SPOTTED: A woman in a white Toyota Highlander is casually flossing her teeth at a red light on Calloway Drive. It's nice to know I am not alone in tending to dental hygiene while behind the wheel.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Turns out a degree in communications doesn't help in a marriage. I guess that's why it's called a bachelor's degree."

* ... GUNFIRE: A regular reader dropped me this note about the opening day of dove season: "While at Kern River Golf Course on the opening day of dove season, as we were listening to all the gunfire around us one of the guys in our foursome wondered out loud if this was what it might be like on a typical golfing day in South Chicago."

 * ... ASSISTANCE LEAGUE: Do me a favor and do two things right now: take a $10 bill and put it in a safe place, and mark Wednesday, Sept. 21, on your calendar. When the day comes, drive down to 20th and R streets and spend that $10 for a trip tip sandwich lunch to benefit the Assistance League, which does so much good in our community. You will be supporting Operation School Bell, which provides school clothing to needy kids.

 * ... FEEDBACK: Some reader feedback from Jay C. Smith: "Don't get me wrong, I enjoy your blog and appreciate you for keeping it up. I did almost choke when you quoted an informant who had seen a second car with a 'F--- Trump"'sticker saying 'welcome to the intolerant and low-class world of progressive America.' Are you/he or she kidding me? At Trump rallies they chant 'Hang the Bitch.' And that's the rallies, not two yahoos driving around. Is that the tolerant and high class behavior 'progressive America' should learn from?"

Mini fiberglass trucks painted by local artists will appear throughout town courtesy of the Bakersfield Museum of Art, and country crooner Sam Outlaw is coming back to town

 * ... CONSTRUCTION ZONE: A frustrated reader wrote pleading to Caltrans to speed up the work being done on the junction of northbound Highway 99 and eastbound Highway 58, a nightmare for "local motorists who have endured a year of construction. "I have had two screws in my tires, several close calls and a few scares with semis when I take that road to work," she said. "When will it be finished?"

* ... TRUCKS: Hats off to the Bakersfield Museum of Art for its upcoming show featuring miniature fiberglass pickup trucks customized in paint by local artists. The trucks will be part of "Driven By Art" show that will run from Sept. 19 to Oct. 2 and later - and I love this idea - a dozen of them may be permanently installed on the Westside Parkway. Look the trucks on display around town, including one at The Marketplace in the southwest.

 * ... OVERHEARD: A customer at the downtown Sequoia Sandwich Co. is overheard telling a friend: "Why is it I need a photo ID to pick up a radio station giveaway but not to vote?"

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Son, someday you will meet a very special woman and make her incoherent with rage."

 * ... MORE TWITTER: "When my stylist is washing my hair and then tries to talk to me, I press my finger to her lips and say 'shh, let's not ruin this with words.'"

 * ... OUTLAW: Here's a must-see event for your calendar: On Friday, Sept. 9, the rising country singer Sam Outlaw returns to Bakersfield for a one-night show at Temblor Brewing Co. Outlaw (and yes, that is his real name) has appeared twice in Bakersfield to great fanfare and he and his band are returning after a long European tour. Outlaw is appearing courtesy of Passing Through Productions, which earlier this week showcased the New Orleans band The Iguanas at Temblor.

  * ... GOOD FORM: Shawna Haddad runs the successful Muertos Kitchen and Lounge downtown, and she knows something about good service and good form. "Thank you to the woman who thought she cut me off at the Starbucks 24th Street drive through for paying for my order. It was a complete and lovely surprise! However, it was not necessary. Please call me at Muertos (661) 324-2557. I would like to return the favor and treat you for your kindness. Thank you again for being so thoughtful."

 * ... FOUNDATION: The Bakersfield Californian Foundation is accepting applications for its fall grand cycle, offering three separate awards in the amounts of $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000. There is no specific focus for this cycle but the Foundation is interesting in capital and stand alone project, not operating costs. For more information go to www.bakersfieldcalifornianfoundation.org.

Kevin McCarthy's stunning decision to drop out of the race for House Speaker, it's time for the 99 Music Fest out at CSUB and Connie Perez considers a run against Rep. David Valadao

 * ... MCCARTHY: Politics, like aging, is not a game for sissies, but I couldn't help but feel for Rep. Kevin McCarthy and his family after he bowed out of the race to become the next Speaker of the House. McCarthy is an adult and can take the heat, but when he took questions from a swarm of reporters, flanked by his wife Judy and their children Meghan and Connor, it was painful to see the expression on Judy's face as her husband
fielded the inevitable queries under the glare of national scrutiny. No matter what you think of McCarthy and his politics, the emotional toll on his family is not something to celebrate or to take joy in.

* ... MUSIC FEST: Your best bet for entertainment this weekend is the 99 Music Festival out at the CSUB amphi-theater. There will be seven bands on two stages featuring pure 'Americana' music, a blend of folk, country and Bakersfield sounds that helped forge the unique music of our nation. Among the headliners will be James McMurtry, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Sam Outlaw, Truxton Mile, the Roustabouts, the Canadian group The Sheepdogs and Bakersfield's own Monty Byrom. The gates open at noon and the first music starts at 12:30 p.m. There will be plenty of wine, beer and food. Tickets at 99musicfest.com and available for $50 at the door. This is a '21 and over' event. (file photos of Sam Outlaw, Monty Byron)

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "If you think nobody cares if you’re alive, try missing a couple of payments."

* ... OIL SUMMIT: Hats off to the West Kern Petroleum Summit that has sold out all 700 seats for its event next weekend at Taft College. Only in its second year, this summit has hit the sweet spot for a new event devoted to energy production. Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens will be the keynote speaker, Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek will work as emcee and Rep. Kevin McCarthy will also address the crowd. If you missed out on tickets the event will be streamed live on bakersfield.com.

 * ... PEREZ: Folks who follow this stuff are scratching their heads over word that Connie Perez, a partner in the accounting firm Brown Armstrong, is considering challenging Rep. David Valadao in the 21st Congressional District. Perez is a virtual unknown, has never held elective office, works in Pasadena but nevertheless is known to be personally ambitious. While some local Democrats say Perez has a powerful story to tell (she grew up poor in Tulare County and overcame numerous obstacles to succeed), others see her candidacy as a misguided "hail Mary" to unseat the well entrenched Valadao.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You may be a Bakersfield old timer if you remember celebrating St. Patrick's Day at Lemucchi's Tam O'Shanter up on Alta Vista.

Looking for the most affordable place to retire? Who knew that Medellin, Colombia, would appear on the list, celebrating a new sushi place and getting ready for a huge music festival in town

 * ... RETIREMENT: Thinking about retirement and weary of high California taxes and housing costs? The AARP has a new list of the cheapest and best places to retire, and some of these may

surprise you. Austin, Tx., came in No. 1 but that's not surprise given that Texas is the top destination for folks leaving California. Then comes Tuscon, Az., followed by Medillin, Colombia, a locale best known as the hometown of the notorious (and thankfully dead) Pablo Escobar, formerly head of the Colombian drug cartel. Other cities listed included St. George, Utah, Savannah, Ga., St. Augustine, Fla., Bloomington, Ind., and Huntsville, Ala. (file photo of Medellin, Colombia)

* ... TRASH: This note from a man who recently moved back to Bakersfield pretty much speaks for me: "Bakersfield pride.... or perhaps a lack of it. This is what I see and think of as I drive down various streets, not only in Bakersfield but, in Kern County. I moved back recently after a 25 year absence and am appalled at the amount of litter lining our roads and highways. I can't remember EVER seeing a trashier town. What happened to Bakersfield pride? Did it go the way of the dinosaur? Does anyone still care?"

 * ... HART PARK: And there was no better example of this than at Hart Park after the Labor Day holiday. The park was strewn with trash from picnic revelers, begging the question: is it asking too much to bring a black trash bag and hauling home your garbage?

* ... FOODIE BEST BET: I finally got around to visiting Jin Sushi, the new eatery that opened a few weeks ago on 19th Street downtown. The interior is comfortable and the staff friendly, and the sushi could not have been fresher. The owners told me they are undergoing a "soft opening" while they train the staff and work out the kinks.

 * ....SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Jellyfish have survived here on earth for 650 million years without brains. Great news for stupid people."

 * ... MUSIC FEST: The 99 Music Fest, a celebration of Americana music that will showcase some nationally known acts on two stages, is just one month out and prices will soon be going up. Early-bird pricing (at $40 a ticket) ends next Monday when individual tickets jump to $45. The event is planned for noon to 6 p.m. at the CSUB amphi-theater. Among the acts include Sam Outlaw, whose band just performed on the CBS Saturday Morning show, Ray Wylie Hubbard, James McMurtry, Monty Byron, Truxton Mile, the Sheepdogs and others. Buy your tickets at www.99musicfest.com.

* ... KUDOS: Hats off to Ali Schroeter, a 2012 Bakersfield High graduate who is now a starting libero on the Rutgers University volleyball team. The Big Ten Conference recently recognized Schroeter not only for her skills on the court, but for her civic engagement off the court. She was cited for her work assisting the cleanup operations on Staten Island after Huricane Sandy. Schroeder is is fifth in the Big 10 Conference in digs and has a 3.9 grade point average going into her last semester in college.

Ray Wylie Hubbard, James McMurtrey, Sam Outlaw and others to appear at the 99 Music Fest in October, a celebration of the roots of Americana music in a town that gave birth to "the Bakersfield Sound"

 * ... MUSIC FESTIVAL: If you are into celebrating the roots of American music make sure to mark your calendar for Saturday, Oct. 10, when the 99 Music Festival will be held at the CSUB amphi-

theater. This promises to be a dynamic lineup of true "Americana" music playing on two stages in a city that played such an important role in shaping the sounds we love. A partial lineup of the acts include Ray Wylie Hubbard, James McMurtrey, Sam Outlaw, the Roustabouts and Truxton Mile. Tickets are $40 and will go on sale Aug. 7 at 99 musicfest.com.

* ... HEALTH CARE: Beverly Lamb shared this bit of soon news about her son, who recently visited a doctor in the Los Angeles area. "He asked where my son was from, when he told him Bakersfield the doctor told him he had practiced in Bakersfield for seven years. He said he loved his patients here, they listened to him, followed his orders and never argued with him. He said his patients down there come in with notes and reams of print outs from the internet and question everything. He said it takes him 15 minutes to convince them he knows what he is doing and then they complain about the wait."

 * ... SPOTTED: On Twitter was this: "I never make plans until I know how I am getting out of them."

 * ... BRISCOE: Erin Briscoe, long time morning anchor with KERO-TV (channel 23) is leaving after seven years with the station. No official word on where she is going but I have been told she will end up at cross-town rival KBAK-TV (29).

 * ... PANHANDLER: Lu Granillo was stopped at a traffic light downtown when he saw a pan handler with his sign asking for money. "He then set his sign down and proceeded to count the money he had collected in full view. It was quite a haul. He seemed to be quite proud of himself."

 * ... SEVEN OAKS: Castle and Cooke has unveiled plans for its latest expansion in the Southwest, called Highgate at Seven Oaks. Highgate is located on some 443 acres at the corner of Ming Avenue and Allen Road and will eventually include a new Highgate Elementary School scheduled to open in 2018.

 * ... MEMORIES: Linda Welch dropped me a note with this memory of a man who kept exposing himself at the old JC Penney's store downtown. "He was in the basement one day and decided to awe a young associate," she said. "We he did she said, 'Sir, the little boy's department is on the mezzanine.' He was never seen again. What an ego buster!"