Monsignor Craig Harrison celebrates 30 years in the priesthood, Ben Stinson III gives away $93,000 in non-profit grants and lamenting those crazy Bakersfield drivers

* ... FATHER CRAIG: Congratulations to our own Monsignor Craig Harrison, who celebrates 30 years in the priesthood in September. Harrison began his journey in Merced and his first parish

was in Mojave and Rosamond, then on to Firebaugh and finally now at St. Francis where he has been for 19 years. There are few more popular religious figures in town than 'Father Craig,' and as one friend said to me: "I'm not even religious but talking to Father Craig makes me want to join the Catholic faith."

 * ... GOOD FORM: People who are in touch with their own "true north," that internal moral compass that guides decision making and feeds the soul, are invaluable to the success of any community. We are blessed with many of them here, and one of them is Ben Stinson III, who has guided Stinson's Stationers to a growth path despite the challenge from big box competitors and online shopping. So it shouldn't surprise anyone that Stinson, to celebrate his company's 70th anniversary in business, decided to give away $93,000 in $1,000 grants to local non profits. At his vast warehouse off Union Avenue Tuesday morning, more than 200 representatives from local non-profits gathered to network and enjoy a robust breakfast.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Racism is alive and well. I entered a plane and a white lady started freaking out. I laughed so hard my grenades fell out of my pocket."

* ... DRIVING: Are drivers in certain parts of town more reckless and prone to speeding than others? That occurred to me the other day while driving on Coffee Road near Meany Avenue when I was passed by not two, but three different drivers doing at least 80 mph plus on a quiet Saturday morning. Is it the width of the roads in the Northwest and Southwest that turn them into our personal German autobahns?

 * ... GET A GUN: I spent a lazy morning this past weekend at a relatively new firearms store called Get A Gun over off Patton Way in the northwest. For you hunters and enthusiasts gearing up for dove season, owner Rafael Esqueda and his staff have put together a remarkable destination for firearms and accessories.

 * ... MEMORIES: My pal Gene Bonas, a proud Navy submarine vet, submitted this memory on growing up in Bakersfield in a simpler time. "I was reminiscing about growing up in east Bakersfield during the 1950s when I realized what today's youth missed. I remember pasta had not been invented yet. Back then it was called macaroni or spaghetti. Pizza? Sounds like a leaning tower somewhere.  Potato chips were plain, oil was for lubricating, fat was for cooking. Healthy food consisted of anything edible! Sugar was considered white gold. Water came out of the tap; if someone had suggested bottling it and charging more than gasoline for it, they would have been the laughing stock.  There were two things mom never allowed on the table: elbows and hats, and there were always two choices for meals: take it or leave it!  I really miss those days!"

Expedia ranks the most annoying things about flying (seat kickers, crying children, arm rest hogs etc), Stinson's celebrates its anniversary by giving away $70,000 and lamenting our trash filled streets

 * ... FLYING ETIQUETTE: Would you pay extra for a seat on an airplane in a designated "quiet zone?" It turns out a lot of folks would, anything to get away from pesky young children to seat mates who talk too much. That is one of the conclusions of Expedia's annual survey of plane travel, which

ranked the most annoying things about flying. The top things that bug us about flying include rear seat kickers, inattentive parents, aromatic (smelly or overly perfumed) passengers, the audio insensitive, the boozer, the chatty Cathy, the queue jumper, the seat back guy and finally the arm rest hog.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "How to get a woman mad in two easy steps: Take a picture of her and don't show it to her."

 * ... VAN KOPP: Welcome back to town 29-year-old Samuel Van Kopp, the Bakersfield High graduate who went on to West Point only to be gravely injured in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan in 2012. Van Kopp was a platoon leader when a suicide bomber approached and blew himself up, killing two soldiers and leaving Van Kopp with serious brain trauma. My interview with him, in which he questioned the politically driven rules of engagement for troops on the ground, is posted on Kernradio.com. Van Kopp has finished his first year of law school at Georgetown and his working this summer at the law firm of Klein Denatale and Goldner.

 * ... FOODIE: The new QwikCafe on 18th Street, brought to you by the owners of Sequoia Sandwich Co., is off to a good start and is starting to expand its offerings. A few of my favorites: a new "protein box" featuring hardboiled eggs, roast turkey, gouda or brie cheese, humus, veggies and grapes, or the "lite lunch premium" with half a roast turkey sandwich with a beet or kale-quinoa salad. Two of the more popular new offerings include the beef dip on baguette and a tuna melt panini.

 * ... GOOD FORM: Hats off to Stinson Stationers, the long-time office and furniture retailer that is celebrating 70 years in business. And in true Stinson's style, owner Ben Stinson III says the company will give away $70,000 in merchandise to needy local non-profits. To apply, go to Stinsons.com and click on the non-profit link. Applications are due June 15.

 * ... MORE GOOD FORM: And here is some more good form compliments of reader Denise Watson: "One of the best things about shopping at the new Grocery Outlet Store on Brimhall is the veteran parking spot…nothing is better than seeing the surprise and pride on the face of a veteran when they pull into the parking lot and see that there is a parking spot reserved especially for them.  Even better when another customer notices them and says, 'Thank you for your service.' Pride, gratitude, appreciation and honor in the parking lot of a grocery store – now that is fantastic!"

 * ... TRASH: I was driving through the littered streets of downtown Bakersfield on Sunday when I thought about the "trash survey" that Mayor Karen Goh conducted in which she scored us between 1 and 2, ratings that assume our community is only slightly littered. I am all for the aspirational, but our city is a mess, and a casual drive through town reveals a culture that views our streets as its personal trash cans. How about a public campaign to take pride in our community?

Sarah Lawrence College tops the list of the most expensive schools in the country, and Terry Maxwell joins me on Californian Radio KERN 1180 to talk about the City Council race

 * ... COLLEGE COSTS: A stunning new study has identified the most expensive colleges in the nation. Ready for some sticker shock? Topping the list is Sarah Lawrence College in New York, which offers an annual tuition of $61,236. That's right, some $250,000 for four years and that doesn't include money for pizza, books, travel home, clothes and other things. Rounding out the top five were New York University at $59,837, Harvey Mudd College at $58,913, Columbia University at $58,742 and Wesleyan University at $58,202.

 * ... MAXWELL: Terry Maxwell is a well know restaurateur and long-time local businessman who is running for the Ward 2 City Council seat being vacated by Sue Benham. He has picked up some impressive endorsements, and Monday he will be my guest on Californian Radio KERN 1180 at 9 a.m. Tune in to hear Terry talk about his vision for our city and his views on the proposed 24th Street widening project.

* ... CALM: A couple updates on what is happening at the California Living Museum (CALM), compliments of Steve Sanders of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools. Next month will feature an exhibit of desert Bighorn Sheep, a partnership with the San Diego and Los Angeles zoos, and CALM's first cooperative breeding program. "Also on Nov. 10 CALM will be the recipient of a Kaboom! Playground in partnership with PGE.  Some 200 volunteers will build a playground in just one day. Last month over 25 kids helped design their dream playground at CALM and many of their ideas will be incorporated."

 * ... MILESTONES: Stinson's Stationers is celebrating 65 years in business this week. In a time when so many businesses have struggled to remain solvent, it's good to see a locally owned business flourishing by putting customers first.

 * ... OVERHEARD: During the Kern Wheelmen Spooktacular bicycle century Saturday a trim 62-year-old is sharing his fitness regimen with a group of riders. "Every day after I void my bladder in the morning - and I mean every day - I flush and then immediately jump on the bathroom floor and do as many push ups as I can before the water fills the toilet tank. I am aiming for 50 but yesterday I did 46. Sometimes I finish and I find the cat looking at me like I am insane." Really?

 * ... NICKELODEON: A local teenager has been chosen to appear on an upcoming episode of Nickelodeon when kids get a chance to as President Obama questions. Fernando Perez, a 15-year-old sophomore at Foothill High, will be among the students who will be posing questions on Linda Ellerbee's special, 'Kids Pick the President: The Candidates.' Fernando is the nephew of Connie Perez, an audit partner at Brown Armstrong who works out of the firm's Pasadena office.

 * ... FUND RAISER: The Boy Scouts Southern Sierra Council have come up with one of the more innovative ways to raise money. On Saturday, October 27, people will be rappelling down the tallest building in town (Stockdale Tower) to raise money. That's right, actually rappelling down the side of the building. Each participant has to raise $1,000 for the Boy Scouts, be at least 14 years old and weigh between 110 and 300 pounds. It's called Over the Edge and if you are interested, call (661) 325-9036.

One woman's testimony to the Christmas spirit and more bad form involving cell phones at the Post Office

 * ... CHRISTMAS SPIRIT: Many thanks to reader Alice Brown for dropping me a note that brightened my day. She returned home last Sunday to find a plate of cookies left at her house with a note attached. "It said I had been RACK’ed," she said. "The card also said, this Christmas season, we are counting down the 25 days of Christmas by performing 'Random Acts of Kindness' each day. So often we get caught up in the shopping and forget the real reason for Christmas.  I just want to say thank you to the wonderful and caring person who shared this with me and I will be sure and continue this 'random act of Christmas kindness.'  Merry Christmas to everyone!"

 * ... STINSON'S: I stopped by the annual Customer Appreciation Party over at Stinson's Stationers to touch base with owner Ben Stinson. Every year he opens his warehouse to 800 customers, treating them to a barbecue lunch and drawings for dozens of prizes, including flat screen televisions. Ben takes to a microphone like a Southern minister at a tent revival, regaling the crowd with stories while promoting his business. Stinson's is just another example of a locally owned, family business that has weathered the downturn well.


* ... BAD FORM: This from former local TV anchor and now manners columnist Lisa Kimble Edmonston. She pulled up behind the downtown Post Office to mail a letter and sat there until she realized the woman parked in front of her was on her cell phone. "I got out of my car, walked my letter to the mailbox, tapped on her window to alert her that she had a line of six cars deep behind her ... and she was totally unfazed!"


* ... WHO KNEW? Did you know that the television  series “Pan Am” co-stars Bakersfield native Kelli Garner? She’s also had a number of film roles with actors like Drew Barrymore and Leonardo DiCaprio.

 * ... CROSS COUNTRY: East Bakersfield High School cross country teams of the 1960s will be honored at the "Run for the Dream" indoor track and field invitational meet, January 21, 2012.  Bob Farley, former cross country and track coach at Fresno State, researched and found East Bakersfield High School was the most successful cross country program in the valley through the 1960s. The guest speaker will be Billy Mills, Olympic gold medalist of the 1964 Olympics (documented in the movie "Running Brave"). The meet will be held at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, starting time 1:30 p.m. Thanks to  Richard Villalovos for sharing this.

* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Dennis Horack writes that you may be from Bakersfield if "you remember all the great men's stores we had when shopping for a sport coat or suit: Coffees, Caspers, Harris and Franks, Richmond Brothers, Seilers and Robert Hall. Back when dressing up for church or the office was the norm, my closet was full of sport coats and suits from the above retailers. I say out with today's casual manner of dress and back to the dress-up mode. My opinion is probably in the minority, but I am old school."

New fractures in the town-gown relationship between CSUB and its supporters and Ben Stinson resigns from the Foundation Board

 * .... CSUB: The deteriorating relationship between the administration at Cal State Bakersfield and some of its biggest supporters has gotten so bad it is affecting the university's ability to raise money. And for the first time, some long-time CSUB supporters are openly questioning the leadership of President Horace Mitchell. At the center of the storm is Beverly Byl, the vice president of University Advancement who Mitchell recruited from the University of the Pacific three years ago. Insiders describe her as dictatorial and paranoid, and she has managed to both insult and alienate some of the school's biggest supporters, including members of the alumni board and the CSUB Foundation. Last week outgoing Foundation chair Geoff King publicly called on Byl to resign, and I have now learned that Ben Stinson (Stinson's Stationers) resigned from the Foundation Board because of Byl's divisive nature. In addition, Stinson apparently sent word to Mitchell that he would not write another check to support the athletic programs until Byl was gone. Both King and Stinson are CSUB graduates and Foundation chairs and they represent the kind of supporters no university can afford to alienate. I have also learned that King, Stinson and former Foundation chairs Mel Atkinson, Rogers Brandon and Greg Bynum met with Mitchell 18 months ago to share their concerns about Byl, but it fell on deaf ears. The climate inside the University Advancement office is described as "a constant state of paranoia" where employees fear Byl will cut their pay or eliminate their position if she feels one is not on her team. Up to this point Mitchell has enjoyed widespread support, but as one insider told me: "All this could really hurt Horace's legacy." Stay tuned. (file photos of Byl, Mitchell)

 

 * ... OLD GLORY: Steve McCalley wrote in response to an early reader's complaint about American flags being made in China. "I have purchased my flags at Congressman Kevin McCarthy's office for several years. Made in the USA for under 20 bucks." Mary Helen Barro added that American-made flags are also on sale at Floyd's and Supply Sergeant, and reader Pat Mahan said Orchard Hardware Supply also has flags made in the USA.

 * ... FREDDIE'S: An earlier blog about Freddie's Top of the Hill drew this response from reader Gene Bonus. He noted his Garces class of 1957 had its 10-year reunion there because a classmate, Bradley Paola, was a nephew of the original owner. "One of the most famous watering holes in Bakersfield at that time was Amestoy's On the Hill. That place was always jumping. Amestoy's served excellent lunches and it was the place to be, especially on weekends. After being separated from the Navy and having returned to college (Bakersfield JC and Fresno State College extension) I spent many days at Amestoy's studying. According to legend, Mr. Paola named his place Top of the Hill since Frank and Marie Amestoy already had On the Hill."

 * ... MORE FREDDIE'S: Phillip Beltran grew up in Oildale where he went to North High, moved to Santa Clarita and was back visiting his parents when he read my blog about Freddie's. He noted that his father, Ray Beltran Jr., used to work for Freddie Giovanitte at the Skyway House restaurant out at Meadows field. "You also had a reader mention the Rio Grande service station at the corner of Roberts Lane and Chester. I don't know how many of your readers recall Sandy's Drive In at the east end of Roberts Lane before the extension of Manor Drive was completed. Sandy's sat facing west where that intersection came to a T.... Life as a child in Oildale was carefree and fun. We didn't have cell phones but our parents never worried where we were. Our time to come home was before the streetlights came on. Thank you for publishing memories in your column."

 * .... LAST WORD: And there is this from John N. Mixon: "Don't believe in beating a dead horse, but couldn't resist mentioned that you are really an old time if you remember when Freddie had a small restaurant at the Garces Circle and later at the airport before Top of the Hill. Also was the victim of an unsolved murder."

 * ... TAX ATTORNEY: Mark Allison, a Foothill High graduate who went on to graduate from Claremont McKenna, has joined the law firm of Caplin and Drysdale in New York. Mark is the son of Bob and Heidi Allison. He earned his law degrees from American University and New York University. He will be a New York based member in the tax controversies and tax litigation unit.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From reader LaVone Walker: You know you're from Bakersfield if you remember when there was a train, zoo and bumper cars at Hart Park.

Appreciating locally owned businesses and getting ready for more parolees to walk the streets of Bakersfield

 * ... STINSON'S: Dropped by Stinson's Stationers this week and joined a couple hundred other people for a tri tip sandwich lunch. The occasion was a table top show featuring more than 30 vendors displaying the latest in office supplies. Ben Stinson III wielded a bullhorn and worked the Sonoma Street warehouse like a showman, giving away prizes and introducing folks as they walked in the door. Locally owned since 1947, Stinson's is one of those reminders why Bakersfield is such a special place to live. There is nothing like walking into a Stinson's showroom, or a locally owned restaurant like Uricchio's or Luigi's or Casa Munoz, and being greeted by name by the owner.

* ... INMATE RELEASE: It was disheartening, not to mention alarming, to read that the Supreme Court has ordered the California prison system to release 30,000 inmates because of crowding. Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood called it "shocking" and "dangerous" and noted state inmates are more of the hard core criminal types. "These are real prisoners, real felons," he warned, not just some pot smoking offender. It's  yet another consequence of this long recession that has left California broke and with a swollen prison population, many of whom will be dumped on the streets of Bakersfield. (Photo courtesy of the California Department of Corrections)

 * ... SPOTTED: Mick Fleetwood, founder and co-namesake of the legendary rock band Fleetwood Mac, was spotted at the downtown Padre Hotel this weekend.  The British-born Fleetwood was seen talking to friends and fans on the Prairie Fire lounge but it was not immediately known why he was in town.

 * ... GARCES CIRCLE: Nice to see the Garces Circle all spruced up and landscaped after the long Cal-Trans project to improve the overpass. If you haven't been down to the circle, it's worth a drive by. 


 * ... YOUNG DOC: Michele Newell wrote to sing the praises of her nephew, Jon Witcher, former valedictorian at Centennial High School. The son of Bob and Caryl Witcher, he will be graduating in June with a Ph.D. in Engineering and Applied Science from UC Davis. He attended the University of Arizona where he received his bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering and  then transferred to UC Davis where he earned his master’s.  "Not only will he become Dr. Witcher in 2011, he will also gain a wife! In October, he will marry Jasmyn Pangilinan, a graduate of BHS and daughter to Florencio and Nenette. Florencio is a local physician here in Bakersfield. Our family could not be more proud!" she said.

 * ... UCLA BOUND: Another local high school senior, Daniel Kinder, is headed to UCLA to study neuroscience. What makes this particularly appealing is that Daniel, who attends Liberty High, will be able to part of research for a cancer that has struck his own father. "On May 18, 2010 my father was diagnosed with a brain tumor that was eventually deemed cancerous. My major will allow me to be part of the research for cancer at the UCLA Medical School campus." Congratulations, Daniel.

 * .. BAKERSFIELDISM: You know  you may be from "old Oildale" if you remember Art 'D Que's Drive-in on the corner of North Chester and Justine Street, where Winchell's now stands. Thanks to Clete Harper for this little nugget.

Stockdale Highway construction mess cleared up and Stinson's says thanks to its customers

 * ... THE MESS THAT IS STOCKDALE HIGHWAY: If you live in Bakersfield, I don't need  to tell you what a mess Stockdale Highway has become with the long overdue repaving and widening. The stretch from Highway 99 to California Avenue is a particular problem, and after getting caught in that mess several weeks ago, I have simply avoided it. And apparently so have a lot of other people. The businesses along that popular stretch of Stockdale Highway have felt the drop in business, which is the last thing they need in a recession. So it was nice to hear from Barry Goldner, a principal in the Klein DeNatale Goldner law firm, that the city relented and reopened most of the lanes at the appeal of local businesses. Said Goldner:

  "The problem was particularly acute at Stockdale Fashion Plaza. The irony is that the City was spending stimulus funds to improve the roads, and choking out (albeit inadvertently) the businesses that would ultimately benefit from the road improvements. At the urging of the businesses in Stockdale Fashion Plaza, the City opened up Stockdale Highway to six lanes. Now, traffic flow is restored. Stockdale Fashion Plaza is back and the roads are clear--six lanes of traffic."

  So if you're like me and have been avoiding that part of town, feel confident you can return to Cafe Med, Christine's, the Gourmet Shop, Houston Jewelers, the Outback Steakhouse and other businesses at the Stockdale Fashion Plaza without spending 30 minutes staring at your knuckles in traffic. Thanks to Barry Goldner for the tip.

 * STINSON'S THANKS ITS CUSTOMERS: I had the chance to stop by the annual customer appreciation lunch put on by Stinson Stationers at the company's 60,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution facility in East Bakersfield. Company president Ben Stinson does this every year, treating more than 600 customers to a barbeque lunch with dozens of free door prizes. The locally owned company, founded in 1947, has succeeded and held off the big box stores through a steady mantra of over the top customer service, Bakersfield style. Hats off to Ben and his crew at Stinson's.

  * ... UNIVERSITY OF PACIFIC SENDS TWO HOME: Local residents Tom and Sherry Sharp alerted me that their daughter Taryn, who graduated from Centennial High in 2000, is now back home working as a pharmacist at Sav-On Drug inside Albertson's on Coffee Road and Olive Drive. Taryn swam all four years at Cal State Bakersfield, graduated with honors and then went to the pharmacy program at the University of  Pacific in Stockton. She married Jeffrey Jolliff in 2004. He graduated from Garces Memorial and also from the pharmacy program at UOP in Stockton. He is now a pharmacist at Kern Medical Center. His parents are Terry and Eloise Jolliff of Joliff Enterprises, a long time custom home builder in Bakersfield. 

 * ... RIDGEVIEW KID RETURNS: Yet another proud mom, Victoria Martinez-Tate, tells me her daughter Alexis Olivas is back in town. Alexis graduated from Ridgeview High School, went to Bakersfield College for two years and then transferred to the University of California Santa Barbara where she earned a B.A. in history and a B.S. in biology. She worked both in northern and southern California and is now employed by Grimmway Farms as a qualify control laboratory manager.