Bako Bits: Stockdale High loses two key staffers to retirement and who knew the Strawberry Alarm Clock once played at a Bako bowling alley?

 * ... STOCKDALE: Stockdale High School has lost two long-time staff members with the

retirements of Mark Hance and Dave "Doc" Rangel. Hance was the athletic director and Rangel the longtime athletic trainer. If your child attended Stockdale, you no doubt are aware of the good cheer and commitment both of these men brought to their jobs. Congratulations and good luck.  

  * .... BIKES: Don Brakebill is a regular runner on our bike path and submits this reminder to cyclists who share the path. "Most are courteous in announcing 'on your left' as they approach from behind, and we respond with a left hand in the air to acknowledge we had heard and understood they were passing.  A few would race by us without a word, dangerous for the rider and for the runner as either could change direction or stop suddenly. But the worst are groups of riders riding three abreast coming toward us and not moving over to their half of the pathway. So, just as cyclists expect car drivers to respect their presence and right to be on the roads, runners and walkers expect and will appreciate the same courtesy from the bikers using the pathway. There really is room for us all and biker and runner etiquette can be learned and practiced."

* ... NAVY: Carolyn Ewert, a Centennial High graduate, has now graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a degree in ocean engineering and has been commissioned an Ensign in the Navy.  She is now getting ready to report for duty at the Naval Station Everett in Everett, Washington, and will immediately be sent to her ship, the USS Shoup, which is on deployment in the Persian Gulf. She is the oldest daughter of Dave and Nancy Ewert.

* ... MEMORIES: One more memory of old Bakersfield, this one from reader Tony Contreras: "In response to writer Dave Rangel's input about he and Russ Kinney and Mike Hicks working at the Bakersfield Bowling Academy way back when, he mentioned a roller rink and drive-in with an elephant out front. The drive-in was called Jumbo's and the roller rink was called the Starlight Roller Rink on Kentucky, just east of Union. Jumbo's was part of 'the strip' that all the teenagers cruised back then. Another drive-in which was part of 'the strip' was Michener's on 18th Street near Q Street. Truly the good ole days!"

*  ... BOWLING: And speaking of old haunts, this one the Golden State Lanes, Terry Gaiser remembers its banquet room that for a while was called "Gay 90s" and later turned into a place for teens called "Club 17." As it turns out, Gaiser said, the 1960s band Strawberry Alarm Clock played there before its one big hit, "Incense and Peppermints."

  * ... MUNITIONS: And speaking of Golden State Lanes, Hal Aaron remembers that behind the bowling alley "was a very large warehouse that was used by the government to manufacture munitions and casings for the military. The operation required high security clearance. My knowledge of the above was from two brothers who worked there, one had day shift and the other had night shift." That was around 1943 or 1944, Aaron said.

Those foreclosed eyesores, pesky homeowner associations and high achieving kids headed to college

 * ... FORECLOSURES: There is no more representative face of this recession than the abandoned house down the street. You know the one: weeds knee high, dirty, an eyesore in an otherwise wonderful neighborhood. One reader named Bob lives in Seven Oaks and wrote to complain about how many homeowner associations (HOA) turn a blind eye toward these foreclosures while nitpicking other residents about the silliest of things. Said Bob: "Many of these HOAs (in gated communities) are administered by firms that don't seem to care about anything other than collecting monthly fees and making sure the electronic entry gate functions properly. I am tempted to post a sign in front of these overgrown front yards 'get a goat' or 'pride of ownership.' To add insult, responsible neighbors get pimped (with a mailed notice, picture inset and threatening fines) for having weeds in our yards or inappropriately parking our cars!" (an example from Grand Islands at Seven Oaks shown below)

 * ... STAR IS BORN: If you have never heard of a young country singer named Lauren Ashley, you will soon. Her father, Chris Persel, sent me a note saying that Lauren will be playing this Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Younger Gallery in the Bank of America building downtown. She's just 15 but plays all original country songs. And she will have an album out soon produced by Monty Byrum and Paul Serpa. Chris told me his daughter has written over 100 songs, sang the National Anthem for a Condors game and the Youth Leadership Conference and performed four nights at the Kern County Fair. To hear her music check out her website at www.laurenashleyofficial.com. Or even better, head over to the Younger Gallery to hear her perform in person. Her appearance will benefit the gallery and the Arts Council of Kern. This kid is going places.

 

 * ... HIGH ACHIEVER: Ready for some good news? Then consider the case of Joe Feghali , who was just 11 years old when his family moved here from Lebanon. At the time he spoke only French, no English. Like many immigrants (and Lebanese are known for their industrious nature) the Feghalis embraced their new hometown and emphasized education. Joe is now a senior at Stockdale High School, and during one of the most competitive years for getting into the school of your choice, has been accepted at arguably some of the world's most selective universities. Among them are Harvard, Princeton, UC Berkeley, Brown, Duke, Cornell, Dartmouth and UCLA. Impressed? We should be. Proud father Antoine Feghali told me that he himself had just earned his citizenship last year and his wife just earned her bachelor's degree in modern language from CSUB. Who says this isn't the land of opportunity?

 * ... STANFORD LEGACY: And speaking of high achievers I heard from Liz Blaine, a longtime Bakersfield patron of  the arts, adding some perspective about her Stanford-bound granddaughter Melissa Hamilton. I had mentioned that Melissa's parents, Dr. Chris and Susan Hamilton, also graduated from Stanford but Liz takes it a step further. "She (Melissa) follows two sets of grand parents, six aunts and uncles and a cousin" as current or potential Stanford alums. She added that Melissa had choices as well, being accepted at Northwestern, Notre Dame and the University of Michigan. As Liz said: "Guess that's enough grandparental crowing. Thanks for indulging me." Happy to share it, Liz.

  * ... BAKERSFIELDISMS:  You know you're from Bakersfield when you realize that "Rosedale is a world of its own."

From fashion week to baby carrots to representing Bakersfield at the U.S. Naval Academy

 Putting the spotlight on people and things around our community...

* ... THE DISMAL STATE OF CALIFORNIA: Was interested - but not surprised - to read the results of a statewide poll showing Californians have lost faith in their state government. The survey was done by the Public Policy Institute and was carried by the Los Angeles Times and The Californian. It's good to know I'm not alone in having lost almost all confidence in the legislators in Sacramento to work together to turn things around. The poll found that 73 percent of those polled said state government was run for the benefit of the few and only 23 percent of Californians felt the state government would "do what is right." Is anyone surprised by this?

* ... TEN YEARS OF SANDWICHES: The Sept. 11 anniversary came and went as the nation remembered the 2001 terrorist attacks. But for Jeff Simpson 9-11 has a happier meaning. Jeff and partner Gary Blackburn own Sequoia Sandwich Co., the popular Bakersfield deli with three locations locally. (They opened a fourth in Clovis about a year ago) Jeff told me Sept. 11 marked their 10-year anniversary in business in Bakersfield. Jeff and  Gary were bankers before getting into the restaurant business and in the past decade have become firmly entrenched  in our community. Jeff also revealed his first date with wife Karen was on a Sept. 11, another reason why 9-11 has special meaning in his life.

 * ... FASHION WEEK AND THE GRIMM GIRLS: It's fashion week in New York and that likely means sisters Melissa and Catie Grimm are somewhere in the Big Apple taking in the new designs. The Grimms are scions of Grimmway Farms, the world's largest carrot producer and one of Bakersfield's most respected family owned business institutions. The sisters run Carrots, a high end clothing boutique in San Francisco's Jackson Square, located at 843 Montgomery Street. I visited Carrots' website recently and thought it was stunning. If you'd like to check it out, do so here.

 *  ... LOCAL KID SHINING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY: It was nice to get an email the other day from Dave Ewert, who joined  with me in coaching a girl's National Junior Basketball (NJB) team a few years back. (We had a less than successful season but we had the best girls.) My daughter Hannah and his daughter Carolyn were teammates and went their separate ways: my daughter to Stockdale High and eventually the University of Michigan and his to Centennial High and eventually to the Naval Academy. Was pleased to hear that Carolyn is now in Annapolis playing volleyball and succeeding beyond all expectations. I picked this up from the Naval Academy website after a recent game:

  
"Individually for Navy, freshman Carolyn Ewert (Bakersfield, Calif.) is pacing the Navy offense with an average of 2.82 kills per set while also ranking second on the team with 1.55 digs per set. Joining Ewert with an average of multiple kills per set are Abbie Merkl (Sr., Upper Marlboro, Md.) and Meghan Carpenter (So., Frederick, Md.) with averages of 2.41 and 2.00 kills per set, respectively."

 Dave said he and his wife will be going back for a football game this fall and to visit Carolyn, another local product making the old hometown proud.

When good kids do stupid things, or why high school brings out the idiocy in our kids

If you haven't yet read The Californian's exclusive story today on the Stockdale High bullying case, make sure you do so before the day is over. (link to the story here) It's a incredible piece of reporting that should be read by every parent in Bakersfield. First, it's the type of reporting only a newspaper does any more: detailed, time consuming and thoughtful, and it's precisely this kind of stuff that we need more of, not less. But that's besides the point. I happen to know a lot of the players in this sad episode, in which a freshman on the forensics team was tied up in Saran wrap by upper classmen. The picture of the youngster, run on the front page, is heart breaking. Some of the kids involved were friends of my daughter, who graduated from Stockdale last year and is off in college. These are good kids, high achievers, funny, witty, most of them bound for greatness. Many of them are now off to prestigious universities and eventually this case will fade, but not after it cost them dearly, both monetarily and emotionally. But it's a lesson that even good kids make absolutely stupid decisions, and in today's highly charged environment, what starts as a stunt, a joke or an off-hand remark can land you expelled from school, or worse. High school is a perilous time in which our kids - near grown ups but still capable of making incredibly stupid decisions - need to know the consequences.

Bako Bits: short takes around town, from a Rubio run to kids making college decisions

Some short takes around our community following another splendid spring weekend, celebrating folks getting together for a good cause and our children moving on in their lives.
* RELAY FOR LIFE: You have to hand it to the organizers of Bakersfield's annual Relay for Life event out at Cal State Bakersfield. Thousands showed up and camped and walked and tens of thousands of dollars were raised to fight cancer. This has become one of our community's signature events and it is certainly something to rally around. Has any family not been touched by this dreaded disease?
* KUDOS TO KBAK: The folks over at channel 29 KBAK did a nice job with their live reporting from Relay for Life on Saturday morning. Personal testimonials from weatherman Miles Muzio were done in a quiet and respectful manner.
* RUNAWAY WINDMILL: Spotted this headline on the Californian breaking news Twitter feed: "runaway windmill closes Highway 58." Only in California would we understand runaway windmills.
* CLEAR PATH FOR RUBIO: When former Assemblywoman Sarah Reyes bowed out of the race for the State Senate 16th District, it virtually handed it to Supervisor Michael Rubio. Rubio's war chest of almost $400,000 and his total commitment to winning this seat is scaring away potential opponents. Others may emerge, but Mr. Rubio is going to Sacramento.

Last Friday was the day our high school seniors had to make final decisions on what colleges they will attend. This is clearly one of the most important decisions these young folks will have made in their short lives, and it will shape their lives forever. Here's a sampling of where some kids I know will spend the next four years:
* USC TROJANS: Frances Ellison, a senior at Stockdale High, will be heading to the USC engineering program. Frances was the top singles player for the Stockdale tennis team. Her sister Denise (also the No. 1 singles player before her) ended up at Notre Dame. They are the daughters of Bob and Patricia Ellison.
* LINDENWOOD LIONS: Elizabeth Key, senior at Ridgeview, decides on private Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., taking advantage of a scholarship that recognizes her academic achievements along with skeet shooting. She's the daughter of local businessman Keith Keys.
* GO BRUINS: Andrew Green, senior at BHS, heads to Westwood to enjoy the beautiful UCLA campus. Andrew is the son of deputy District Attorney Lisa Green and Grimmway counsel Jeff Green. His brother is attending UC Irvine.
* SAN LUIS: Brooke Shuford, another Driller over at BHS, is headed to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Brooke was a Driller swimmer and is the daughter of Kellie and Dan Shuford.
* TO THE BEACH: Scott Camp, Stockdale High, heads to the beach at UC Santa Barbara to study. Scott is the son of Jim Camp, owner of S.A. Camp company, and Carol Camp.
* TEXAS BOUND: Cassie Clayton, a golfer over at Garces Memorial High, heads to Texas Christian University, a favorite of a lot of Bakersfield kids. Cassie is the daughter of Judy and Greg Clayton.
* MISSOURI BOUND: Brian Foley, Ridgeview High, also heads to Lindenwood to hone his shooting skills on a skeet scholarship. He is the son of Kim and Tim Foley.

Art Sherwyn: "I'm staying at Stockdale High"

Art Sherwyn tells me he's changed his mind and will be staying at Stockdale High School for another two years. A few days go I bumped into Art at the Bakersfield Museum of Art (check out the previous post here) and he told me he was taking early retirement from the Kern High School District. With any decision involving Art there's always a winner, and this time it's his art students at Stockdale High. Retirement can wait. His email to me:

"I feel kind of bad about this, but when I spoke to you about my retiring, I had not made the final decision as of that time. Even though retirement looked enticing, in my heart and my head I did not feel I was ready to leave yet; the art room is a magical place to exist. I decided today that I will stay at Stockdale High for two more years; I hope this does not screw up your blog. I’m very relieved with my decision."

Education's loss is a gain for local art aficianados

Ran into Art Sherwyn and his daughter Liz at a recent museum opening and he let it drop that come May, his teaching career is over. Seems the budget crisis led to an offer from the high school district that allows him to retire early, bringing an end to a long career at Stockdale High School. Some know Art as the tennis coach and art teacher at Stockdale, where he led the Mustangs girls tennis team to three straight Valley championships. But his real passion is art, and it was last December when the Bakersfield Museum of Art featured his work and that of his daughter, Liz. It was the first time the two accomplished artists held a joint show. Art is a natural teacher and an even more natural artist. Having had a daughter who graduated from Stockdale and was fortunate enough to play for art on the tennis team, his retirement will be a huge loss. But it will allow Art to throw himself completely into his art, which has always been his greatest passion. Check out his website here.