City Councilman Bob Smith steps in to help residents of a neighboring ward, Monsignor Craig Harrison holds forth at another successful CrabFest and remembering the late Trice Harvey

 * ... GOOD FORM: Here's an example of really good form from Campus Park resident Kevin Cornelius. Campus Park is in Ward 5, represented by the late Jeff Tkac, and was having issues with trees being cut and hauled away. So with no current city council representative, residents turned to

Ward 4 Council Bob Smith for help. "Last Monday the city cut down five trees in one day! We the neighbors of North Campus Park decided enough already. We also had complaints with the sump or pond which was formerly a nice ecosystem a few years back. In this pond area or sump as the city calls it... everything from kit fox to ducks, cranes and falcons thrived before the city brought in heavy earth moving equipment and cleaned out all the reeds and vegetation. My wife (Sabrina) contacted Bob on Tuesday about the situation and he responded right back with a meeting three days later. Councilman Smith brought along with him city officials ( Dianne Hoover with Parks and Recreation,   Jason Meadows theWater Resources Director, and Arthur Chianello the Water Resources Manager).  We would like to thank Bob and these three city officials who showed up in the pouring rain at the park to listen to all of our concerns. They were all very courteous and promised to get back to us with some hopeful solutions."

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
* ... CRABFEST: Monsignor Craig Harrison held court at the annual CrabFest this weekend, the hugely popular fund raiser for St. Francis School that brings together a few hundred like minded people under one roof for a dinner of ribs and crab. Angeline Mason and Rick and Cindy Jones were honored for their service, and longtime St. Francis principal Cindy Meek learned the school will build a new wing and cafeteria named in her honor. I had the chance to break bread and chat with the remarkable Kathy and John Ritter, both longtime educators and St. Francis supporters. Events like this bring our community together, and it was good to spot so many people giving their time (and money) to a good cause.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Relationship status: getting a back rub from a tennis ball wedged against the wall."

 * ... TRICE HARVEY: Ronal Reynier shared with memory about our late Assemblyman Trice Harvey, which speaks to his good character. "About 20 years ago my wife Mary and I, on the way back from the coast, stopped at the White Elephant in Taft for lunch. A Iowa football game had just started. Trice was there and said Iowa had no chance against his team. My wife could not let that pass and so bet him $5 Iowa would win. Our quick 30 minute lunch turned into a three hour game. Iowa won and Trice reached into his wallet ... he had to borrow $5 from a friend, his wallet by that time was empty."

 * ... CHARTER SCHOOLS: My piece on charter schools triggered this response from my friend Louis Widman out at Cal State Bakersfield: "Public schools are good for our democracy, because no other institution brings so many children together and, very importantly, teaches them how to get along with people of different faiths, races, and wealth. Since we are only free to make choices among the alternatives we know, a democracy needs public schools to provide everyone with an education that prepares people to make choices as citizens. I don’t want corporations or churches running charter schools to control what choices people realize they have."

 * ... MEMORIES: Anthony Bernal says you know your are from Bakersfield "if you remember the days presidential candidates traveled by rail and both Harry Truman and Thomas Dewey made campaign stops at the Southern Pacific Depot at Baker and Sumner in 1948."

Bakersfield experiences a rash of home burglaries, car thefts and break-ins, the hills green up thanks to the rains and another Super Bowl goes into the books

 * ... SUPER BOWL: Super Bowl 50 is over, and I am always amazed at what a popular spectacle it is no matter where you live. Some fun facts on the big day: it is the biggest eating day of the year

behind Thanksgiving; 6 percent of the people who watch it will call in sick the next day; the average number of people at a Super Bowl party is 17; 13 billion wings are consumed during the game; 11.2 million pounds of potato chips are eaten; 139 million pounds of avocado are eaten; beer sales increase by almost $18 million leading up to the game; and the Super Bowl is the biggest day for pizza delivery all year.

 * ... SUPER BOWL 1: But it wasn't always that way. Super Bowl 1 featured the Green Bay Packers against the Kansas City Chiefs, and though it was recorded, the original tapes are missing. The Packers won 35-10 and the rest, as they say, is history.

 * ... CRIME: There is no neighborhood in town that is immune from crime, no matter how high your walls or how many gates you live behind. And when it hits close to your own home, it certainly gets your attention. In the last week, a friend who lives in a gated Seven Oaks neighborhood has his car broken into. Another friend, who lives in Oleander, was awakened at 2 a.m. by someone trying to smash through a front door. And on Friday, a neighbor's house was burglarized in broad daylight and the house was cleaned out of jewelry, passports, guns and cash. In this case, the intruders used a propane tank to smash through a side patio door, make their way upstairs and cleaned the place out. It happened sometime between 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. The family alarm, which doesn't guarantee safety by any means but serves as somewhat of a deterrent, was not on.

 * ... HIKES: If you are into vigorous hikes, get out into hills quickly. Thanks to the El Nino triggered rains, the hills have turned a beautiful green as we head toward spring. If you don't want to drive out to Wind Wolves Preserve off Highway 166, head out to Hart Park and walk to your heart is content.

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "A best friend rides in your car no matter how many times you almost killed her."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Imagine being the sort of person who knows what every button on a TV remote does."

 * ... CATHOLIC SCHOOLS: Last week was Catholic Schools Week, a time when folks over at places like the Saint Francis Parish School take the time to say thank you for people who have supported their cause. If you were one of those, chances are you found a box of homemade cookies and brownies on your doorstep accompanied by a very sweet note. Talk about making one's day.

* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You may be a Bakersfield old timer if you remember the name of the movie-theater owning mayor: Manuel Carnakis.

The rash of accidents and speeding-related deaths around Bakersfield raises new questions about obtaining a driver's license, and kudos to Henley's Photo shop

 * … SAFETY: The rash of speeding-related accidents around town - the last one on Saturday

when a 54-year-old man was killed on Gosford Road - has folks talking about road safety. Stephen A. Montgomery offered his view: "One thing that should happen is make greater restrictions on who is granted a driver's license. In the industrialized world the U.S. states appear to have the easiest path to getting a drivers' license requiring little beyond an easy test and a quick drive to get one. Most countries serious about driver safety require the applicant to actually show they have the skills and attitude to properly and safely operate a motor vehicle."

* … HENLEY'S: Glenn Porter reached out to me to praise the customer service at Henley's Photos, which recently changed hands. "Our family has done business with Henley's for years, but recently had the experience of working with the new owner, Jimmy Bunting, and was absolutely awed by the number of positive changes he has made to what was already great.  He brings together extensive knowledge with film photography utilizing cameras that are well over 100 years old, melds that superior knowledge of digital photography and videography and caps it all off with brand new, state-of- the-art printing technology. They even have classes to help you learn to use the features your camera has so that you can take professional looking photographs.   The store is currently undergoing a major rehab, but even now you will be greeted by friendly, knowledgable photo experts, which is a refreshing change from what you get at with the kiosk approach at drugs or membership stores. Congratulations to the new owners of Henley's for making a great store even better."

 * … ST. FRANCIS: It's that time of year again and St. Francis Parish School will be hosting its Pot of Gold celebration to raise money for St. Vincent De Paul and Mercy without Borders. All week the students have been collecting donation and are hoping to top the $2,000 they raised last year.
The celebration will be held on Monday, March 17, from 7:50 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. at St. Francis Parish School. The children and staff (along with Monsignor Craig Harrison) will be performing the Irish Jig.

 * … MEMORIES: One of my regular contributors, Elinor Grant, submitted this memory of old Bakersfield: "I have fond memories of the meat market at 23rd and L streets. My grandmother and I would take the street car up town and walk over to the market. Among other things she would purchase a pound of wieners, the good old fashioned kind.On the ride back to our neighborhood she would open up the package and we would each eat a wiener. And does anyone remember the Japanese fish market in the same general area?"

 * … SALAD BOWL: Ilona Wilson of Sacramento sent me this note: "I was wondering if you could help and give me the address for the Old Salad Bowl Restaurant that used to be on Chester Avenue in the 1960s?  Is it still there or was building torn down? What store or restaurant is there today?  Was thinking of stopping by on our next trip to Los Angeles." Can anyone help the Wilsons?

Oil production across the country surges to new highs and the country is now producing 83 percent of its energy needs, and former Bako mayor Mary K. Shell throws some love at the downtown Post Office

 * ... OIL: Thanks to fracking and other new methods of extracting oil, our country is now producing more than 7 million barrels of oil a day, the highest since 1993. And, we are growing closer to total oil independence. According to a story distributed by the Bloomberg news service, the United States is now producing 83 percent of its total energy needs. "Production grew by the fastest pace in U.S. history last year and will accelerate in 2013 as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, unlocks crude trapped in formations such as North Dakota’s Bakken shale," the story said. "The state boosted production 40 percent last year through October, Energy Department data show. Texas was up 23 percent, and Utah rose 11 percent."

* ... DARNELL:  Steve Darnell, vice president and general manager of the Buckley Radio stations in Bakersfield, is leaving to become sales manager of Clear Channel radio in Fresno. Darnell joined Buckely in 2002 and was a member of West Rotary. The Buckley stations include KKBB, KLLY, KSMJ and KNZR.

 * ... LOFT LIVING: The finishing elements are being installed on the 1612 City Loft project in downtown Bakersfield. All nine units have been pre-leased and residents are expected to be moving in within the next month or so. The project, which is in the building formerly known as the Hay building, has been in the construction phase for the past year. Some of the residents include local Realtor Adam Belter, KBAK reporter Tom Murphy and long-time Walker-Lewis employee Stephanie Gonzalez and husband A.J.

 * ... OVERHEARD: At a local Starbucks a customer who had bought a coffee for a young homeless man outside remarks: "Well that was unexpected. He said he really wanted a hot chocolate."

* ... POST OFFICE: Former mayor Mary K. Shell speaks for many when she talks about the outstanding service at the downtown Post Office. "The employees are exceptional! They make it a practice to let you know if you can mail or ship something at a better price and they greet each customer with a smile, especially when the waiting lines are long  In addition, I can’t forget to thank my letter carrier, Ralph, who’s been on the same 93301 route for maybe ten years or more.  He gets mail to me even with a mangled address, in rain, fog or blistering heat!"

 * ... CRABFEST: The hottest ticket is in town next week is for the Crab and Rib Fest to benefit the St. Francis Parish School.  It is already a sellout with some 400 people expected to head to the Kern Country Fairgrounds next Friday for the annual event that raises tens of thousands of dollars for the Parish.

Bako Bits: speculating about the old Padre Hotel and $160,000 raised for the children's wing at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital

 * ... SMALL WORLD: Mary Vanfleet and her husband, owners of Purifying Systems, were on a 12-day trip to China recently when they were reminded just how small the world is. "While cruising down the Yangtze River on a ship that holds only 200 passengers, my husband Rodger and I ran into our old neighbors from Bakersfield, Ed and Chris Biebrich! They moved about 15 years ago and now live in North Carolina. We haven't seen each other since. Ed Biebrich was with American Bank and then with Citizen's Bank and is now retired. So after all these years,  there they were and there we were in a far away land. It was like running into an old friend at Cafe Med!"

* ... HAUNTED PADRE? Who would have guessed the the old Padre Hotel would turn up in a new cable television show featuring an alleged psychic from Long Island? Will Winn said it happened as he was watching a promotion for a new episode of "Long Island Medium." The episode features an email the psychic received from a lady who claimed to have been visited by a child who died in a hotel.  "The picture of the hotel is shown and it is the Padre!" Winn wrote. "Wonder which room she was in?" 

* ... MEMORIAL: Good news from the 10th Annual Larry Carr Memorial Golf Tournament last week: it raised more than $160,000 to go towards the construction of a children's pavilion for emergency care. The event was held at Bakersfield Country Club and was co-chaired by Steve Loyd and Jenny Waguespack. 

 * ... COLLEGE BOUND: Julie Gibson wrote to say that her son, Timothy, is now attending the University of California Irvine and while dropping him off at school, she learned he was in good company.  "Five of his classmates from Golden Valley High School who were also on the 'We the People Constitution' team are also entering freshmen at UCI. They include Arshdeep Gill, Rocio Martinez, Karen Cervantez, Juan Castaneda and Stephanie Padilla.  I attribute that to the influence of their coach, John Hansen." Mike Gibson, Timothy's father, was his son's football and baseball coach at Golden Valley.

* ... ACHIEVERS: The Jim Burke Education Foundation has released its new team of "Dream Builders," a group of high achieving local kids from our local high schools. Among them are Alexander Pearson, Highland; Renae Lewis, West; Connor Brady, Liberty; Emily Norris, BHS; Nolan Cooney, Stockdale; Xitlaly Estrada, Golden Valley; Sean Tieu, Independence; Heather Hansen, Centennial; Joshua Park, Centennial; Alice Verderber, BHS; Connor Fisher, Stockdale; Katie Cornford, Frontier; Joshua Gaddis, Independence; Abby Grisedale, North; Robert Keathley, Bakersfield Christian; Esperanza Gutierrez, South; Corbin Burnes, Centennial; Paige Basconcillo, Liberty; Charles Hale, East; Bailey Wanner, North; Caroline Kim, Frontier; and Hunter Villanueva, West.

 * ... BLESSING: One of my favorite events will be held this Friday at the St. Francis Parish School when it will hold its annual 'Blessing of the Animals.' It will start at 2:30 p.m. at the Palm Street school. The community is invited to bring pets for a blessing, in honor of the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals, along with their spare change.  It is always a fun event, with critters large and small, manageable and hard-to-handle.  The school will also finish its annual  Coins for Canines drive to raise money for needy pets and will donate the money raised, in addition to blankets and pet food, to a local animal charity.

RIP Trevor Jones and a reader notes some really bad form at the St. Francis confirmation evening

  * ... RIP TREVOR: Bakersfield police officer Trevor Jones was just 23 years old and a week shy of being married when he died of a heart attack. One of his classmates at Stockdale High School was Jolie Brouttier, who recalled Jones a "friend to everyone, always funny and positive, the best powder puff cheerleader, and one hell of a backflipper." On graduation night at Stockdale, Brouttier said Jones performed a "stand-jump backflip right before receiving his diploma." As she noted: "Remember to express to your friends on a daily basis just how much they mean to you, whether you are young or old." (photo courtesy of Jolie Brouttier)

* ... BAD FORM: Just when you think you have heard everything comes this example of really bad form, passed along to me by a close friend who requested to remain anonymous. The incident happened last Monday at the St. Francis Confirmation, held at Harvey Auditorium Monday.  "We had the misfortune of sitting in the upper balcony, second row, behind a family that didn't think it was the slightest bit inappropriate to change their baby's diaper, not once, but twice, between the 'Prayers of the Faithful' and the 'Preparation of the Gifts!' When the mass was over they started to walk out the row,  leaving the diapers under their chair. I politely asked if the diapers were theirs and reminded them that at that late hour, it wasn't likely a custodian would be coming in. The guy started yelling at me. I thought I was going to be stabbed at my daughter's own Confirmation." (file photo of diapers)

             
 * ... GENE: Gene Thome is the owner of Bear Moutain Sports gun and ammo shop and he can also happen to belt out a country song with the best of them. Which perhaps explains why he is among the special guests invited to Nashville to attend the opening of the Bakersfield Sound exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame. When I last heard from him, he was heading to lunch with the legendary Red Simpson and then on to Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, one of Nashville's iconic country bars behind the old Ryman Auditorium. (photos courtesy of Gene Thome)

 * ... PENNIES: Here's a feel-good story about young people reaching out to others. This one involves Caroline Edmonston, a junior at Garces Memorial High, and her sister Marisa, a seventh grader at St. Francis. They have started a "Pennies from Heaven" project to help those affected by the recent Midwest tornadoes. All money raised will be donated to St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Henryville, Indiana, one of the areas hardest hit. The girls are hoping to make a difference, one coin at a time.  Spare change can be dropped off at the St. Francis School office, 2516 Palm Street, or at father Craig Edmonston's law office, 2204 Truxtun Avenue.


* ... MEXICALI: Sibyl Azbill read my earlier piece on the downtown Mexicali Restaurant and believes the building housed a nightclub called "Good Friends Inn" during World War II. "I'm not sure but I believe the Good Friends Inn started on Edison Highway where it had an all black orchestra. My brother was quite a tumbler back then and had some issues there!"

Cindy Meek retires at St. Francis Parish School while Art Sherwyn says goodbye to Stockdale High School

 * ... MEEK RETIRES: Cindy Meek, the longtime principal at St. Francis Parish School, has retired after a long and distinguished career. She served as principal for 20 years and has worked with Monsignor Craig Harrison for years. "I started working with him when I was teaching at St. Francis and he was in the seminary.  It has been a great thirty-two years experience all together." Meek will continue to be involved with scholarship, teacher training and assisting her successor, Father Denis Ssekannyo.

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 * ... ART'S FAREWELL: I attended the retirement party for Art Sherwyn, the popular Stockdale High School art teacher who has left a lasting imprint on so many students, colleagues and friends over the years. If the measure of a life can be judged by an event like this, then Art Sherwyn has certainly done something right. Teachers, friends, former students and family members showed up at the Bakersfield Museum of Art to testify to the ability of one person - in this case a teacher - to profoundly influence the direction of one's life. His two children, Liz and Ben, gave moving tributes to their father, as did several former students of Art's when he was at Wasco High School. Sherwyn is best known as an artist, but I know him from his time guiding my younger daughter on the Stockdale girls tennis team. And I will you he was an artist there as well.


 * ... THREE SONS: It's not often that you have three sons in the same family celebrating graduations at the same time, but that's the case with John and Angela Genter. Their son Brock is graduating from CSUB with a degree in biology and a minor in chemistry. He was also named biology student of the year and is working for the Forest Service and studying for the MCATS. Son Aaron is also graduating from CSUB with a degree in business. He works for Lightspeed Systems as a sales force administrator. And finally, son Evan is graduating from Frontier High School with a not too shabby 4.2 GPA. He is headed for the Colorado School of Mines where he will be studying to become a petroleum engineer. Congrats to John, who is chief operating officer at Lightspeed, and wife Angela.

 * ... GOOD NEWS: Reader Shelley Cauzza dropped this nice note: "I meant to write a while back, then forgot, then was re-inspired by today's (Friday's) column  I can't tell you how much I appreciate the good news in your column.  I was very pleased to see your comments about Jacob Frost and University of Colorado.  I was his first grade teacher (and his younger brother's a few years later) and I can tell you he was a great kid back then. I wasn't surprised to see what he had accomplished. He had the heart of a lion back then. But proud to know him, for sure. And his parents deserve a round of applause too. Carol was probably one of the most amazing mothers I have ever met. Here I am 10 or so years later raising my own kids, and I pray I am half as good as she is. So, thank you, I enjoy the good news."

 * ... ENGINEER: And then there is Don McCuan, a 2000 graduate from Wasco High School who will be getting his master's in geology at CSUB. Dan worked  for his father's  window business but was inspired by Bakersfield College geology professor Natalie Burzstyn to pursue a career in petroleum geology. He is finishing his thesis in time to start work as a professional geophysicist at Occidental Petroleum in just a couple of weeks. While in graduate school at CSUB, he worked as a research assistant on a prestigious National Science Foundation grant to the Geology Department.
  
* ... WHO KNEW? Highland, East Bakersfield and South were all high schools attended by members of Bakersfield-grown, Grammy-award winning band, Korn.

Michael Turnipseed fights for the Valley in Sacramento while Fisher Communications faces hostile takeover

 * ... TURNIPSEED: Hats off to Michael Turnipseed, the head of KernTax who is leading the fight to bring more equitable utility rates to the San Joaquin Valley. Turnipseed was on SmartTalk1230 with Californian columnist Lois Henry Wednesday, explaining in the clearest terms how Valley residents are being hosed (my words, not his) through a Pacific Gas and Electric rate structure that penalizes ratepayers who live in harsher climates. This is fight worth following and we should all be thankful that a pitbull like Turnipseed is in Sacramento representing our interests.

 * ... KBAK: It looks like Fisher Communications, the parent company of KBAK-TV, is in a nasty fight to fend off a hostile takeover bid from a hedge fund company. Fisher owns some 20 stations in the West, including the Bakersfield franchise. Not sure what this might mean for KBAK if the hedge fund succeeds, but they are not known for progressive management.

 * ... NURSERY: Here's something I bet you didn't know: According to reader Rob Ferree, there is a popular plum tree in town named for Carl Krauter, who ran a local nursery in town for years. Ferree said he and his wife met Krauter in 1977 "and he proudly introduced us to a plum tree called the Krauter Vesuvius which is distinguished by a dark purple leaf and pink blossoms. Apparently Carl Krauter named the variety that can be seen all over town and is quite popular elsewhere as well."

 * ... MEMORIES: Al B. Gonzales was in the first class at Garces Memorial High School and wrote to remember when "East Bako was booming. The five and dimes by the Granada Theater were Ben Franklin and Cornet, J.C. Penney's, Snider's, McMahans, Kirby Shoes, Casa Moore, Saba's and don't forget Mother's Bakery. Our dad worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad and had credit at Saba's. I bought a red flowered silk shirt with a mandarin collar. It was the style in the 1950s."

 * ... TAR HEEL: Among our community's unsung exports are our outstanding students who set out across the country attending first rate universities. One of those students is Julianne Toler, who attended Norris School and graduated from Bakersfield Christian High School in 2003. She went on to graduate Cum Laude with a bachelor's degree in athletic training from Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. She then attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and in 2009 she received a masters in Exercise Science and Sports Medicine. She is still attending UNC in the doctorate program and should complete that in 2013 or 2014. Her father is Larry Toler, a retired battalion chief with the city fire department, and her mother Marilyn is a retired teacher with the Norris School. Proud father Larry told me Julianne will be getting married in July to Dave Schmidt, whom she met at Chapel Hill.

 * ... WILDCAT: Another youngster headed to the dorm life is Adam Karpe, who will be a freshman at the University of Arizona in the fall. Adam's older brother, Robert, will be a sophomore at the University of South Carolina. Both Karpe boys graduated from Garces Memorial High School. Adam's father is Ray Karpe, also a graduate of Garces who went on to earn a degree from CSUB. His mother, Lisa, went to Highland High School, Bakersfield College and Fresno City College.

 * ... WHO KNEW? The Rolling Stones, longtime country music fans, sang about Bakersfield in 1978 in their song “Far Away Eyes” on the album “Some Girls.”
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World War II veteran recognized with "honor flight" and St. Francis Parish School celebrates 100 years

* ... HONOR FLIGHT: An old cycling friend of mine, Dwayne Daniel, wrote to tell me about a very special group of people who got together to honor his father, World War II veteran Van Austion Daniel. His father served in the Pacific as an infantryman and driver and was awarded the Bronze Star. He will turn 88 years old in May and hasn't flown commercially in over 60 years. But now he is being flown to Washington, D.C., to visit the WW II monument as part of Honor Flight, which recognizes veterans for their service with free trips. The American Legion Post 26 has set up transportation and accommodations at LAX the night before the flight, and some 50 motorcycle riders will escort his father to the base of the Grapevine on their way down, and on their return trip. Dwayne cited Bob "Boomer" and Vicky Montgomery of the American Legion Post for helping make it all happen. Dwayne will accompany his father on this special trip.

 * ... HEADED TO PENN: Ryan Marschang, son of local attorney Linda Monje, is headed to the Ivy League and the University of Pennsylvania. It turns out that he was only one of 43 kids accepted to a joint degree program (engineering and economics) at Penn's prestigious Wharton School of Business. He was also accepted at Harvard, UC Berkeley, Texas A and M, Northwestern, Duke and the Air Force Academy. Thanks to local attorney Richard Monje, Linda's husband, for passing this along. Another local kid making us all proud.

* ... ST. FRANCIS: The folks over at St. Francis Parish School are gearing up for a huge 100th anniversary celebration the weekend of April 24-25. Some of our community's most prominent members are part of the St. Francis family and the dinner-dance on Saturday night promises to be quite the event. Tickets are $25. Those interested should call Judy Jacobs at the church office at 661-327-4734. There will be a 9 a.m. mass celebrated by Bishop John Steinbock on Sunday. Apparently almost 700 people have already confirmed for the weekend, so get your tickets now.

 * .... BIOLA GRANDMA: Doris Winham wrote to say she attended a "Grandparent's Day" down at Biola University where granddaughter Taylor Witcher-Page is a freshman. "There were about 450 other proud grandparents from 20 different states. It was great to tour the campus, attend seminars and take part in a day in their lives."  Taylor's mother is Brenda Witcher-Page of Bakersfield and her father is Edward Page of Midlothian, Va. This is the first I have heard of a "grandparents" day at a college or university, but makes sense to get the whole family involved.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You know you're from Bakersfield when "you do your spring shopping at White Forest Nursery and South Kern Machinery."