McCarthy, Cantor and Ryan set out GOP agenda in new book "Young Guns" while readers reminisce on the good old days

* ... YOUNG GUNS: Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) has teamed with two other up and coming Republicans in the House of Representatives to author "Young Guns," a book that sets out a new path for the Republican Party. The trio (McCarthy, Virginia's Eric Cantor and Wisconsin's Paul Ryan) earned the nickname 'Young Guns' from the Weekly Standard which described these three as a new generation of conservative leaders. If the Republicans take control of Congress in November, these three will be in key positions to move their agenda forward. McCarthy would be in line to be majority whip. The book will be released to the public next week. (Read the Weekly Standard review here)

* ... THOMPSON'S: Many readers have sounded off on the old Thompson's pet store, now closed, and it prompted this response from Mike Thompson. "I certainly know the whereabouts of the old Thompson's Pet Land owner, as he is my dad.  My parents, Warren and Rhoda Thompson, purchased the old Clyde's Pet Shop way back when. It was located across the railroad tracks from the old Haberfelde Ford dealership on Chester Avenue. When the Chester Avenue underpass displaced them, they moved the business to the old Greyhound Bus Station on 19th Street, where they operated the store for many years.  My parents were well known in the community. Both were accomplished pilots, my mom a lady air racer and my dad active in the Sheriff's Aero Squadron. Warren Thompson now lives in Campbell River, British Columbia, on Vancouver Island's northeast coast. He published his first novel,  'EARTHQUAKE,' in 1990, and is working on its sequel. He also recently published a historical book for the town's Maritime Heritage Museum. My dad is still independent, drives, and has been an avid Rotarian for many years, earning the 'Rotarian Of the Year' award Many times.  He will turn 96 this November.

 * ... OLD DOWNTOWN: Reader Charles Conner wrote to tell me about the bustling downtown of the early 1960s, when retaurants like Tiny's at 18th and Chester Avenue served up specialities like the Chubby Steak, chef's salad and home-made pie. "I believe this was the Tiny Ward who was well known for his pies. Tiny's served great tasting food. Downtown Bakersfield was an exciting and wonderful place to live and work during those years."

 * ... GLENDALE COLLEGE: Hats off to Andrea Hashim, a local girl who is the new administrative director and head of the dance department at Glendale Community College in Arizona. Andrea went to Our Lady of Perpetual Help and later Bakersfield High School, class of 2000. She later attended Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa., and earned her master's in dance from the University of Arizona. Her parents are Chuck and Valerie Hashim.

* ... SPOTTED: In the parking lot of a local grocery store a woman pulls up in a battered old Honda sedan. A small dog sits on her lap and the woman is smoking a cigarette, seemingly oblivious to the toddler crying in the passenger seat, with his seat belt unbuckled.

 * ... CHEAP GAS: One of the best deals in town for cheap gas continues to be at the Fastrip in Shafter, where it was being sold for $2.67 a gallon, according to local sleuth Bob Smith.

* ... MOUSEKETEERS: And then there is this from regular contributor Don Kurtz: "Another fond remembrance of La Cresta. In 1955 Annette Funicello and other Mouseketeers were are the Green Frog Market to sign autographs. A bunch of us local kids could not wait and after going through the line four or five times, they asked us to leave! We followed her upstairs and got about half way up when the owner, Charles Everett, escorted us back down the stairs. Oh what a day ...  "

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You know you're from Bakersfield if  you describe traffic on Coffee Road  "as a NASCAR event."

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.