New dormitories could transform Cal State Bakersfield and celebrating a good deed

* ... CSUB: There's an important development over out at Cal State Bakersfield that has been overshadowed by the serious cutbacks affecting the entire university system. The Cal State Board of Trustees has approved the funding for new dormitories that will feature 500 beds for students, the first phase of a project that will slowly allow CSUB to evolve from a commuter school to a more residential environment. Why is this so important? It's all part of President Horace Mitchell's plan to bring a more authentic college experience to the campus, and that can only be achieved by having students live on the campus. Can you imagine the campus with 500, 1,000 or even 5,000 students living there? The smaller older dorms (now 40 years old) will be phased out, replaced by the new dorms featuring suite-style rooms with bedrooms connected to a bath. The master plan calls for three phases of dorm building on the soccer fields fronting Stockdale Highway. If things go as planned, the first phase will be ready for fall 2014. The funding is coming via new revenue bonds.

 * ... SPOTTED: A young couple braves the rain recently to take a hot cup of coffee to a homeless man who was standing in the downpour protecting his belongings.


* ... SAM THE HIPPO: Harry Love, a retired teacher at Foothill High School, chimed in with his memory of Sam the hippopotamus who once lived at the old Larson's Dairy in town. "I was teaching Social Studies at Foothill High School. I think it was in the early 1970s. I had students who were passing out bumper stickers that read 'Save Sam the Hippo.' They went to different classes, charging $1 for them. It was a publicity stunt to get the county to purchase land for Sam and other animals at the small zoo in Hart Park."

* ... PAJAMAS: A reader's note mentioning she "spotted" a mother walking her children to school while wearing a robe and pajamas has triggered a healthy little debate. Is this another example of how lazy we've all become, or should the mother be applauded? Raymond S. Pederson wrote to send "kudos to Pam Cheatwood for pointing out the simple but unavoidable truth that getting children to school, even in if mom wore pajamas, is a noble act.  How many people would not have taken their children to school under these conditions. You would think that with the present rate of drop-outs in Kern County, getting the kids to school so that they might move on to eventual graduation represents a true effort on the part of the mother, regardless of outward appearances. Thanks to a mom who cares enough to make sure her children get a good start on the path to a better future through education."

* ... THRIFT STORE:  A new thrift store has opened to serve the neediest in our community. It's called the Blessing and Bargains Thrift Store and is located at 2141 South Chester Avenue. This is a project of the Chester Avenue Community Church, which member Paul Warner describes as "small but we have strong faith." Stop by sometime and if you have leftover items from a garage sale, or other donations, they will be happy to take them off your hands.

 * ... WHO KNEW? Did you know that the giant fiberglass Indian statue now at Ethel's Old Corral Cafe is a “Muffler Man Indian” and once stood on the Garces Circle? The Vision 2020 Image Committee says there are different versions of Muffler Men all over the country. There is even a website devoted to Muffler Man sightings.

Kern Citizens for Sustainable Government push for pension reform; hear its founders on Californian Radio KERN 1180

 * ... CAL RADIO: Kern Citizens for a Sustainable Government is a newly formed organization devoted to supporting policies that balance the need for growth with responsible spending. Since forming a few months ago, this group has proved to be a steady voice in holding our local and state officials accountable for their votes and actions. On Monday, I will be chatting with two of the founding members, J.P. Lake and Patrick Wade, on Californian Radio KERN 1180 at 9 a.m. Tune for to hear their priorities and concerns going into this election year. Here is Lake on the group's mission: "Unless all of us get involved in changing our government, politicians will continue to enact poor policy and regulations. Maybe you know the saying: 'Nothing changes, if nothing changes.' For us, change means working to raise public awareness, education and participation in the creation of laws and regulations and the election of public servants."


 * ... SNAIL MAIL: A reader submitted this example of service from our Post Office: "I just received a thank you note that was postmarked Dec. 30! Two and a half months later it arrives across town!"

 * ... SAM THE HIPPO: Clarine Seymour is a local resident who passed along her knowledge of Sam, the hippopotamus who once lived at Larson's Dairy. Turns out Claire published a children's book called "Sam, The Hippo No One Wanted."It tells the story of how Sam came from the Jungle Compound in Thousand Oaks and was virtually homeless until the late John Barber, owner of Barber Pontiac, heard about Sam, purchased him and gave him to the Bakersfield Zoo. He stayed there for a while and eventually was moved to Larson's Dairy where there was a cement pond filled with water. When plans for a bigger zoo never materialized, Sam was sold to an animal trainer and once appeared on a television commercial for Cal Worthington Ford.

 * ... SPOTTED: A posting on Twitter: "Spotted: Little Caesar's car in Taco Bell drive-thru. Must have had enough of pizza pizza."

 * ... WINE TASTING: If it's March you know we're in the middle of the prime season for fund raising. And on Saturday, March 24, one of my favorite events will be held at Motor City Lexus from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. It's the 4th Annual Wine Tasting with all proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society. More than 20 California wineries are featured along with live music and culinary from many of Bakersfield's finer restaurants. Only 550 tickets will be available and the cost is $40 in advance or $50 at the door, and can be purchased at Imbibe Wines and all Coldwell Banker locations. Thanks to Coldwell's John Mackessy for sharing this.

 * ... TOP GUNS: Some of the top competition shotgun shooters in the country will converge on Kern County later this month for the 31st annual Ken Barnes Open Skeet Championships. The tournament will be held at the Kern County Gun Club March 30-April 1. The event is named after local Realtor Kenny Barnes, one of the all-time great skeet shooters and a member of the Skeet Shooting Hall of Fame.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Bill Black of Taft says you might be a Bakersfield old timer if "you remember that the Mexicali on 18th Street was Herb Kings before it became the Mexicali... (and)
the Imperial Hotel on 21st Street later became Maison Jaussaud's at their new location on Union Avenue."

Tree Foundation of Kern holds a fund raiser and remembering when Sam the Hippo graced old Bakersfield

 * ... TREES: One of the more lower profile but highly effective non profits in town is the Tree Foundation of Kern, which is devoted to bringing more shade to our community.  I have purchased trees through the Foundation to honor friends, watched them planted and then grow, and I will tell you this group does a lot of good for our community. This Friday, it's holding a fund raiser called "An Evening of Wine and Cheese" at The Metro Galleries on 19th Street. The cost is $50 per ticket or $85 for a couple, and it includes hors d'oeuvres and wine from Croad Vineyards. There will be a silent auction and artists showing "trees in art." Email Melissa Iger at tree info@urbanforest.org or call (661) 325-6650.

* .... SAM: Frank Echenique is in the livestock transportation business, and he clearly remembers when Sam the Hippo lived in town. "We transported Sam from the Old Kern County Fairgrounds on North Chester to Larsen's Dairy on Wible Road. Sam was in the horse stalls. It took us all day... Sam did not want to go into ther cattle trailers... it was a fireman squirting water around the stalls that got Sam to go into the trailer. The news media left the fair grounds and then they were tired of waiting at Larsen's Dairy so Sam didn't make the news that day.  Also we had another encounter with Sam. We were asked to hide Sam as part of a scavenger hunt put on by Teen Challenge. He was hidden in our trailer at a church on Ming Avenue by where the Golden Corral resturaunt is now. We do remember Sam the Hippo."

 * ... RILEY'S JOURNEY: Riley Parker is a private investigator and friend, and occasionally I spotlight him in this space because I admire what he has done to whip himself into shape. At one time he weighted 232 pounds and was told by his doctor he was headed for a life as a diabetic. He changed his lifestyle, bought a  bicycle and committed himself to healthy eating and exercise. Where is he today? "After spending two months hovering in the 205-207 range, I met with my doctor at Kaiser-Permanente.  While that was a significant change from my all-time high of 232; my doctor suggested that I do an even more aggressive change to my lifestyle. What that really meant was going virtually Vegan in my eating habits. We did so with the help of a book entitled 'Eat to Live.' It took one week from the onset of those changes to attain, and then pass, my goal weight of 200. This morning, for the first time in two decades, I saw a '1' as the first number on my digital scale. Today, I set a new goal weight of 190.  I can’t describe how much better I feel…how many things no longer hurt, and how much energy I have. You must convince people my age, those original baby-boomers, to get off their butts, get some serious exercise, and to eat like paupers. It is the only way to overcome the affects of what our over-indulgence and wealth has done to us. The alternative is a really crappy fourth quarter of life. I’m going out on Saturday for a celebratory 50 mile bike ride." Well done, Riley. (photo of Riley and Jane Parker)

 * ... GOOD SERVICE: Sometimes it's the little things that count. For William and Pamela Goldman, it's the friendly Walmart greeter that they have come to appreciate. "I don't have his name, sadly, but he does his job in a professional manner. My wife and I require mobil carts to do our shopping, and this gentleman always finds one for each of us. Good deeds should be recognized."

 * ... MORE SERVICE: And speaking of service, Jeff Pickering wrote to praise the folks over at Action Sports who provided gold star customer service after he purchased a bicycle. Pickering is CEO of the Kern Community Foundation and is now cycling to work several days a week.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From Marlene Morales: "Geez, you know you’re from Bakersfield if you had your high school senior pictures or family photos  taken at Olin Mills back in the 1970s and 1980s."

Meg Whitman likens Fresno to Detroit and downtown Bakersfield merchants move toward a special tax district

 * … DOWNTOWN TAX: Property owners and merchants in the downtown area are once again tossing around the idea of a special tax district to improve the area. Hundreds of other cities – most notably Visalia – have done so with great success but the idea has always been met with resistance locally. This time, even in spite of the bad economy, it appears to have some traction. The idea: if downtown is ever going to attract the higher end demographic it needs to thrive, it’s going to cost in some form or the other. Of course that doesn’t stop some of the perennial naysayers, including longtime local restaurateur Terry Maxwell, who stormed out of a recent meeting when he predictably threw up roadblocks to the idea. In the heat of the argument, Bob Bell, head of the downtown business association, called Maxwell a “cancer” on the process. One insider told me “the feeling is, forget Terry Maxwell because he’s always going to oppose it. The idea now is to start smaller, perhaps around the arts district, where we think we can get the votes once the full process is explained.” 

 * ... MEG ON FRESNO: There's no doubt that the San Joaquin Valley has its challenges, but have we sunk to comparisons with Detroit? Apparently Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman thinks so. She told the editorial board at the San Jose Mercury News that Fresno "looks like Detroit. It's awful."  Wow. If Meg thinks Fresno looks like Detroit, how would she describe Bakersfield?

 * ... MEMORIAL: In this time of great economic uncertainty, it was good to hear that a golf tournament supporting the Children's Medical Center Initiative over at Memorial Hospital was a huge success. More than 280 folks attended a dinner for the eighth annual Larry Carr Memorial Golf Tournament and 33 teams fielded foursomes on the course. The dinner and tournament raised some $135,000, not bad in the midst of a recession.

 

 * ... NEW MANAGER: Heard the other day that Toni Snyder has been promoted to market manager for the seven stations owned by American General Media in Bakersfield. Toni is a longtime and respected fixture in the Bakersfield media market, having worked in broadcasting for more than 20 years. Although this is a new role, she replaces Roger Fessler, who left AGM as general manager to become associate athletic director at California State University Bakersfield. Among the AGM properties locally are KERN Radio Newstalk 1180, Hot 94.1 KISV, KEBT La Caliente and Hot Hits 93.1 KKXX.

 * ... SAM THE HIPPO: A lot of folks have weighed in on their memories of Sam the hippo who lived on the grounds of Larson's Dairy, but now we have the rest of the story. Maxine Barber, widow of the late Johnny Barber of Barber Honda, wrote to say her husband bought Sam from Cal Worthington car sales in Los Angeles. "In Cal's TV ads he always featured an animal of some kind. When Johnny saw Sam he had an idea. Bakersfield should have a zoo. Good idea? However he never could get the support needed. We kept Sam on a ranch but feeding and watering him was a mammoth job so eventually we gave Sam to Larson's Dairy. Hope this will help clear part of the mystery." Thanks for writing Maxine. Sam certainly had his fans in town.

 * ... GEORGE CULVER: Bakersfield's George Culver was honored at Dodger Stadium Wednesday night for his many years of service to baseball and the Dodger organization. Culver, who recently retired, was sent off with a celebration in the team offices with the Dodger staff, including GM Ned Coletti and Tommy Lasorda, prior to Wednesday night¹s game with the San Diego Padres. He was then recognized on the field before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. Culver pitched in the major leagues for nine seasons and coached and managed for 26 years in the minor leagues, 18 with the Philadelphia Phillies organization and the last eight with the Dodgers.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From Riley Parker: You know you're a Bakersfield old timer if "you have walked the 'opium den' tunnels beneath downtown Bakersfield just for the fun of it."