The long slump in the energy sector continues with more layoffs, more on that nasty run of car break ins about town and a Zippo lighter tells a soldier's story about Vietnam

 * ... ENERGY: It looks like the long slump in the energy sector is not about to end anytime soon. The big oil service companies like Halliburton and Baker Hughes (they plan to merge) are signaling

yet more layoffs as the price slump continues. Energy prices are down 20 percent over the past six weeks, thanks to expectations that new Iranian oil make flood the market. Said The Wall Street Journal: "Oilfield service providers have announced job cuts deeper than initially declared and warned of more layoffs to come. Halliburton Co. and Baker Hughes Inc.... disclosed last week that they cut 27,000 jobs between them, double the 13,500 announced in February. ConocoPhillips has already cut nearly 1,500 jobs so far this year but is planning more layoffs this fall that could number into the thousands... The impact of low oil prices isn’t limited to U.S. energy companies. Firms world-wide have shelved $200 billion of new-project spending, the Financial Times reports."

* ... CRIME: A resident in the Northwest awoke to find the windows smashed in on his daughter's car parked in front of the house. When the repair people came out to replace the window, they said this is happening a dozen times a night across town.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Might wake up early and go running but I also might win the lottery. The odds are about the same."

 * ... VIETNAM: Making the rounds on Facebook the other day was a picture of an old Zippo lighter inscribed with this bit of wisdom: "NAM 71-72: We the unwilling, led by the unqualified to kill the unfortunate die for the ungrateful."

 * ... SCAMS: I have mentioned this scam before, but it is worthy of a reminder. This from Judy Hanson: "My elderly parents live in central California. Someone called their home phone saying they were from Microsoft. They said that my parent’s computer was messing up a lot of other people’s computers. Microsoft needed to fix it. They convinced her to give them numbers off of her computer. They also tried to convince her to give them her credit card to charge her $150 to fix the problem. They didn’t get her credit card, but they did remotely wipe her computer and my parents had no back-up. They lost everything, address book,  photos, everything."

 * ... GRANTS: The Bakersfield (family) Foundation is now accepting letters of inquiries for its fall grant cycle. The foundation will award three grant amounts: one at $100,000, a second at $50,000 and a third at $25,000. All applications are due on Friday, August 28. There is no particular theme for this grant cycle, though the foundation is primarily interested in capital projects as opposed to funding operating expenses. The winners will be announced in November. For information go to the www.bakersfieldcalifornianfoundation.org.

 * .. DUTCH FRONTIER: I was stunned by the number of messages I received after writing about the Dutch Frontier restaurant in Ducor. It seems almost everyone from Bakersfield has visited it, and folks universally rave about its local ownership. I am told there are still some tables open for Thursday, August 6, when The Mark restaurant pays tribute to the Dutch Frontier by recreating its menu.

Memorial Hospital to break ground on new children's pavilion for emergency care, and the Bakersfield Californian Foundation is taking applications for its spring grant cycle

* … MEMORIAL: There's an important event this week that promises to usher in a new era of medical treatment for young children in our community. On Wednesday, Memorial Hospital will hold a ground breaking for the Robert A. Grimm Children's Pavilion for Emergency Care at Memorial's

Lauren Small Children's Medical Center. Over the last few years Memorial has made huge strides in developing a facility that can serve young children with serious medical issues. The Lauren Small Center already has a pediatric intensive care unit, a neotnatal intensive care units and a pediatric acute care unit. The Children's Pavilion will be the only dedicated pediatric emergency department between Los Angeles and Madera.

 * … SPOTTED: Posted on a Twitter feed was this missive: "I've got a better chance finding a unicorn than I do of going through an entire day without dealing with some jackass."

 * … DOWNTOWN: The Bakersfield Californian (family) Foundation will be accepting applications for its 2015 Spring Grant Cycle. The cycle will be focused on improving downtown Bakersfield. This includes projects involved in litter removal, public art, community gardens, historical preservation — and anything else a Kern County 501©3 nonprofit can dream up to better downtown. Online applications only. The application is due Friday, April 3, and can be found at http://www.bakersfieldcalifornianfoundation.org). Contact tcowenhoven@bakersfield.com with questions.

 * … DAY: A reader's note about local TV personality George Day triggered a lot of memories, including this one from his son. "This is George Daisa III writing this note. My son is George Daisa IV and my father was George Daisa II.  His father was born in Romania and came to the United States during World War IU and his name was George Daisa. My father started a radio show in San Antonio, Texas and as a catchy name he used 'Night with Day.' This was around 1946 and the name stayed with him all his life. About eight years before he died he legally changed his name to Day. Although he deeply loved the Hispanic people, his roots are not in the Latin culture, but from Romania."

 * … MORE DAY: And add this from Will Wim: "Anecdotally, I do remember coming home from school early one afternoon to see George Day advertising and demonstrating a hide-a-bed for the Hub or Weatherby's Furniture store. After several attempts to show how 'easy' it is to pull the thing from a couch to a bed, George got really mad and they had to cut away from live TV when he began to swear at the thing. Found out later from his son, George, that the store routinely tied hide-a-beds down to transport them, but the rope was hidden at one end where George didn't see it."

* … BAKERSFIELDISM: Tommie Sue Self says you might be from Bakersfield if you remember the champage bubbles at the old Brock's department store. "My mother, Patricia Light Self, had worked downtown as a dental assistant and later a Bell telephone operator after she'd arrived from central Texas and before marrying daddy and moving to Shafter. She said the bubbles were to let folks know that Brock's was having a big sale… Sometimes I got to roam around behind the scenes of dressing rooms and stock areas. Others would have us both try out make-up and perfume as we sat on tall stools at the make-up department counter. My brother, Travis, and I had formal photographs taken there too by a Brock's photographer. I really enjoyed standing on the corner by that bubble-making machine, watching it churn out all those bubbles - a la The Lawrence Welk show - and mama's getting those perfume-scented sales postcards from Brock's that I used as bookmarks."

More on my verbal altercation on hydraulic tracking, The Mark restaurant opens a beautiful outdoor seating area and celebrating the best burger around town

 * … SCAM: A reader who asked that I not identify her offered this warning about yet another scam: "I opened a letter today from Amex saying my data had been breached. I Googled the name at bottom

of letter and found a lot of people have gotten this letter or have been called from this number 1 (855) 693-2213.  I called instead the number on the back of my card and asked if they sent this letter, which they said they hadn't. I asked for a new card, but wanted readers to know as this was a very good scam letter… They wanted me to sign up for a free year (of identity theft protection) but of course I would provide them with Social Security and other vital information."

 * … FRACKING: LaNell Hart responded to a recent post in this blog about an altercation I had while on a trip recently. "I just finished reading your column in today's paper including your story of being verbally accosted about hydraulic fracturing. Perhaps your accoster never thinks about where the jet fuel comes from that powers the planes that fly in and out of Denver International Airport. Was he accompanied by a horse and buggy? Perhaps you could have asked where his horse was so you could pet it." Well said.

 * … GRANTS: The Bakersfield Californian Foundation (this is the charitable arm of the family that is separate from TBC Media) has given out some important new grants to some deserving non profits, including three $50,000 awards and one for $100,000. The winner of the $100,000 grant was the Alliance Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault. The award will fund a portion of their Shelter Rehabilitation project. The three $50,000 winners were the Art, Science and Technology Educational Corporation of Tehachapi for its Joint STEAM Center and 4-H Facility; Bakersfield ARC for its Innovative Education Program for the Developmentally Disabled and the Mercy Foundation-Bakersfield/Friends of Mercy Foundation for its Community Wellness Center Kitchen Classroom. In addition, the foundation offered the opportunity for matching grants to both the Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Foundation and the Tejon Ranch Conservancy.

* … FOODIE: Claire Uricchio and the folks over at Uricchio's Trattoria downtown have introduced a splendid new salad, adding strips of cripsy chicken to the eatery's classic house salad. It's worth a try.

 * … BURGERS: And speaking of food, Scott Burgy weighed in on my quest to find the best hamburger in town. Responding to an earlier reader he said: "I imagine Bryan Kelly has never had the 'Kenny Burger’ from Mexicali West! It is an off the menu item, hence few people are aware of its existence. The 'Kenny Burger’ would easily add 75 pounds to one's weight if indulged on a regular basis! It is a work of art and by far the best burger in Bakersfield."

 * … THE MARK: I stopped by the grand opening of the new outdoor dining area of The Mark Restaurant on 19th Street this weekend. This is a stunningly beautiful addition to The Mark, which has made a name for itself in its short period of existence. Called The Park and The Mark, the area offers water features, beautiful lighting and ceramic planters.

 * … GOOD FORM: Lara Kimm headed over to Milt's Coffee Shop intent of treating some veterans for breakfast, but as she asked for their bill, she learned someone had anonymously picked up her tab. Said Lara: "Wow, that really made our day!  I have paid it forward many times, but I have never been on the receiving end. It is such a great feeling that it makes me want to make someone else's day by paying it forward more often  And of course, I picked up the vets' tab as planned. I hope I made their day as well."

Bakersfield man suffers traumatic neck injury while zip lining in Mexico; family establishes fund raising to bring him back to the United States

 * … TRAGEDY: Horrible news out of Cabo San Lucas where a Bakersfield man was severely injured in a zip lining accident. Brian Hodges and his wife Shimeaka were in Cabo celebrating a year of marriage when Brian broke his neck when he slammed into the side of a mountain while

zip lining. He is currently in a medically induced coma in a Mexican hospital. The family is trying to raise money to have Brian flown back to California where his insurance will kick in and he can be treated. Shimeaka works at OMNI Healthcare and Brian is a truck driver for KSI. A friend established the Brian and Shimeaka Hodges Fund at gofundme.com under their name. The family is trying to recoup the $50,000 it had to pay the Mexican hospital for Brian to be treated.

 * … BAD FORM: This example of some really bad form (and that is being generous) comes from reader Darla McCallum. "This is to the person who hit a dog on July 19th on Enos lane south of Rosedale Highway. (you know who you are). Did you even slow down or stop to see how the dog was? My guess is no! Shame on you. My husband and I did along with four other kind hearted people. He was severly injured and scared. How could you just leave him on the side of the road to die? You could have called for help. We could not afford to take him to the emergency vet. We comforted him as best we could until Animal Control got there. I say THANK YOU to the four people that stopped to help. My husband and I and a young women from Taft stayed with him for almost three hours, and by the way he had to be put down his internal injuries were too bad to save him. Again I say where is the compassion for living, breathing beings?"

 * … GOOD FORM: Hats off to two Garces High graduates who rescued a dog in the ocean off the Ventura coast. It turns out a dog had chased a sea gull into the ocean and went out too far, getting stranded while its owner was frantic on the beach. The two Bakersfield men, David Etcheverry and Cruise Adams, grabbed a kayak and a surfboard and paddled out to save the dog. Said Jeff Adams, Cruise's uncle: "David and Cruise paddled back to shore to a standing ovation by about 50 onlookers. It was a good thing David had been out kayaking every morning and Cruise had been surfing every morning to give them the ability to save another families love one."

 * … FOUNDATION: The Bakersfield Californian (family) Foundation is holding two separate grant cycles with awards of $100,000 and $50,000. The Foundation is looking to make a large impact with these two awards that will go to deserving non-profits. Letters of inquiry are due Friday, August 29. There is no "theme" for the work being done to win these awards. Go to the Foundation website (www.bakersfieldcalifornianfoundation.org) for more information.

 * … KUDOS: Kudos to Rachol West, a 2013 Garces High graduate who has been recognized by the Mountain West Conference for academic excellence in maintaining at least a 3.5 GPA through her freshman year as a student athlete (women's basketball) at San Jose State University.

 * … MEMORIES: Meanwhile local Realtor Ken Barnes remembers visiting his longtime friend Robert Stack in Los Angeles about 12 years ago. "We decided to go to lunch at the Bel-Air country club near his house. When we entered the bar-lunch area overlooking the putting green Bob said 'Let's join these guys over here by the window.' As we sat down he introduced me to Richard Crenna, Greg Kinnear, Dick Martin, and James Garner. He told me later he thought Kinnear was being interviewed for a membership in the club. You would never had known any of these guys were famous just sitting over lunch for an hour or so and talking about nothing special.  Garner was especially funny with many of his remarks.  Sad to say, I lost Bob the following year to a heart attack. Great memories."

More doubts about the panhandlers who roam our parking lots looking for cast, and The Bakersfield Californian Foundation hands out $211,000 for groups that care for our stray and abandoned animals

 *… PANHANDLERS: Kathy Scott wrote to share some information on panhandlers who hang out in the Von's parking lot at Stockdale Hwy. and California Avenue. "According to someone who works in the center, he noticed a large van coming early in the morning hours that unloads a group of people who then scattter throughout the shopping center and ask for money. At a precise time of day they all

gather to get into the van and return home. They profess to need food but will only accept cash.
Hungry, doubtful! But hungry for money that goes untamable, yes. I myself have encounter many of them outside of where I go for weekly meetings and was blasted for not giving them money. When are people going to see that the panhandlers are, for the most part, not whom they seem."

 * … GRANTS: I am fortunate to serve on the board of The Bakersfield Californian (family) Foundation, which focused its recent grant cycle on animal welfare. The number of groups and individuals committed to rescuing and helping abandoned animals is nothing less than impressive. The foundation handed out more than $211,000 in grants last week. Among the recipients: 2nd Chance Ranch [Tehachapi] $15,000; All The King’s Horses of Robison Ranch [Ridgecrest] $5,000; Bakersfield Pet Food Pantry $10,025; Bakersfield SPCA $40,000; Bit-O-Heaven Ranch $20,000; Cathey’s K-9 Rescue $5,000; Critters Without Litter: $20,000; Friends of the Kern County Animal Shelters Foundation $30,000; Have a Heart Humane Society [Tehachapi] $14,000; Helping Animals Live Tomorrow (HALT) Rescue: $13,300; People Assisting Wasco Shelter (PAWS) $12,000; Pet Match Maker California $10,000; A SafeFurr Place Animal Rescue: $5,000 and Whiskers Paws Hooves and Claws Animal Advocacy $12,000.

* … GOOD FORM: Here is a bit of good form compliments of reader Judi Anderson Gahagan. She was having dinner at the Outback Steakhouse on Mother's Day when her order was lost. "The manager came and asked what I had ordered, he then asked if my husband wanted a fresh meal when mine would be delivered. We said no, so my husband enjoyed his meal... I did too when my steak was delivered.  When our check came, we noticed my meal had been deducted, so this was a wonderful way to get us as repeat customers."

 * … MORE GOOD FORM: Kristi Orizaga, who worked in the city animal care center, wrote to thank the folks at Sharon's Mobile Pet Makeover for donating their time at the shelter. "The ladies do a wonderful job and I just wanted them to know how much we appreciate it."

 * … SKATE PARK: I ran into Dianne Hoover, the city parks director, the other day and she reminded me that a new skate park is opening this week at Planz Park. The park was designed by local skate boarders and will open this Thursday at 3:30 p.m. The new park, larger and more elaborate than the one at Beach Park, features a bowl, ramps, stairs, railings and a sloped wall. The skate park was originally a public pool that was built in the 1960s that is long past its life expectancy. (file photo by McIntosh Associates of Beach Park)

 * … SIDEWALK: The decision by a downtown property owner to dig up his sidewalk, only to be told by the city to replace it, could prove a costly mistake. Said Stephen A. Montgomery: "Not only will the property owners be required to replace the sidewalk they removed but the new walk will need to meet current code which, if the property is on a corner, will include an ADA compliant access ramp per the California Building Code. Their lapse of common sense and judgement may prove to be rather expensive."

 * … ACHIEVER: Ruthann Romano Marquez wrote to note that her nephew, Adam Schuster, graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder summa cum laude with a double major in English and Philosophy. He was also chosen to be the valedictorian speaker at the English Department graduation ceremony. Adam will pursue a Ph.d in English at the University of Wisconsin starting in September. Adam and his parents, Frank and Lisa Marquez Schuster formerly lived in Bakersfield. Adam attended Ronald Reagan Elementary and Warren Junior High before moving. He is the grandson of Joe Marquez, nephew of Deborah Marquez Baker and Richard Marquez ,who all reside in Bakersfield.

Lots of shout outs: to good customer service, the folks who work to make this a better place, and embracing the good that is called home

 * ... HOME: I spent a few days with my younger daughter in Chicago, her adopted hometown now that she is working and out of college. Chicago is one of the world's great cities, and her downtown Lakeview area is an eclectic mix of bars and boutique restaurants brimming with young people setting out on their own. It's easy to become infatuated with what you don't have, but even with all our quirks and challenges, Bakersfield is a good place to call home. To that I will add this: You know you're from Bakersfield when you pick out friends' homes in La Cresta when the commuter jet flies over the Panorama Bluffs before landing.

 * ... GOOD FORM: Here's a hats off to some folks working to make our city a better place. The potted trees that were planted downtown have really spruced the place up. It was the work of Melissa Iger of The Tree Foundation of Kern, paid for by a grant from The Bakersfield Californian (family) Foundation. Don Martin, owner of The Metro Galleries and long a driving force in the downtown renaissance, helped plant the trees and then decorated them with beautiful fall flowers. And kudos to the city of Bakersfield which has been diligently going about the thankless job of picking up tons of trash and old clothes left on the bike path between Beach Park and Manor Street. That corridor is a favorite haunt for runners, walkers and cyclists but it is shared with the homeless who often discard their belongings near the path.

 * ... CUSTOMER SERVICE: And speaking of good form, is there any better customer service in town that what you witness at the downtown Cruz Thru car wash? Whoever owns this franchise either has a terrific training program or is an ace at finding the right employees.

 * ... MUSEUM: Matt Munoz has joined the Bakersfield Museum of Art to head up its marketing department. Matt is a member of the popular local band Mento Buru and most recently was an entertainment reporter at The Bakersfield Californian.

 * ... KINDNESS:  This random act of kindness comes courtesy of reader Denise Pennell:  "My husband and I were enjoying an ice cream outing with friends at Dewar’s on Rosedale Highway when a family in an adjacent booth finished their Dewar’s adventure and left the store. Another young family with three children came in just behind them and sat in the same booth next to ours that was just vacated. The oldest daughter – of around eight years old – discovered a wallet in the booth which obviously belonged to the gentleman who had just left. Her parents pointed him out in the parking lot and the young girl ran to deliver the wallet before he could leave. We didn’t witness the exchange but I can only imagine how grateful he was to have his wallet returned with everything still intact. As we were leaving, I asked the parents if I could pass along a Kindness Coin to this young lady after witnessing her selfless act of kindness. Her face lit up when she received the coin and listened to the Random Acts of Kindness story, and I knew that it would make a difference in her life as she promised to 'pay it forward.'  Dr. Chuck Wall’s movement still thrives today as displayed by the prompt action of this young girl and her parents who obviously teach their children well the value of honesty, integrity and kindness. And I still believe there is goodness in just about everyone. We need to continue to pay it forward."

Race for the open 16th District state Senate District heats up with heated barbs between frontrunners Leticia Perez and Andy Vidak, and a reunion is set for the old Kern County Union High School

 * ... PEREZ: With just a week to go the campaign for the 16th District state Senate race is growing predictably nasty. Frontrunners Leticia Perez and Andy Vidak have taken the gloves off, both airing scathing TV ads attacking the other. And now comes word that Perez had to apologize for using the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe in a campaign flier distributed in Fresno. Perez called it an "image of inspiration" but apologized after a complaint was filed with the Fresno Archdiocese. Perez also was not amused by a popular video produced by the Kern Citizens for Sustainable Government promoting more fiscally sound policies. And finally, Perez abruptly canceled a scheduled appearance on KERN's First Look with Scott Cox video simulcast after The Californian endorsed Vidak. If Perez and Vidak end up in a runoff, as is widely expected, we'll all have two more months of this to entertain us. (file photos of Perez, Vidak)

* ... GRANTS: The Bakersfeld Californian (family) Foundation has awarded $225,413 in grants to Kern County nonprofits involved in community enrichment projects throughout Kern County, including beautification efforts, small scope historical preservation projects and general community improvement. Among the recipients were The Bakersfield Museum of Art, Golden Empire Gleaners, Saint Vincent de Paul Center, Fox Theater Foundation, Covenant Community Service, the Gay and Lesbian Center of Bakersfield, The Cross Family Center and the Kern River Parkway Foundation, among others.

 * ... REUNION: There is a very special reunion planned this Saturday: the 75th anniversary of the 1938 class of Kern County Union High School. At this point, organizer Ada Davis says 38 classmates have been located and about half of them will be attending with friends and family. The first reunion of the class was held back in 1958 when 376 members of the graduating class of 630 attended. Many of these folks are among the "who's who" of Bakersfield, and it will surely be a memorable event. The event is planned for 11 a.m. at Marie Callender's.

 * ... TENNIS: If you are out and about this (Wednesday) evening, you might want to run over to Seven Oaks Country Club for a special (and free) tennis exhibition. It's being sponsored by a local company that provides fracking monitoring services for safe and effective oil field development and is called "Hit the Target," as in in both fracking and tennis. Ellen Bartling, a former standout tennis player at Stockdale High School and now a graduate of UC Santa Barbara working in the oil industry, is helping in promoting the event. The matches start from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

 * ... MEMORIAL DAY: Greenlawn Funeral Home is holding a special Memorial Day celebration at its Southwest location on Panama Lane. It will include an honor guard, Tehachapi police pipes and drums, the Blue Star Moms, speakers and even a Marine vocalist. There will be food and activities for children following the 11 a.m. event. A more traditional service will be held at the River Boulevard location in the Northeast.

 * ... CORRECTION: Dominic's Dugout, one of the Relay for Life teams, raised $45,000 for cancer research over a three year period and not all in the recently completed Relay event.

Remembering 15-year-old Caleb Hannink and The Bakersfield Californian Foundation awards $145,000 in grants

 * ... CALEB: When you count your blessings this week, keep the family of Brad and Maren Hannink in your thoughts. It was their 15-year-old son, Caleb, who died of a heart ailment at Centennial High School last week. Brad Hannink is a financial adviser, an accomplished singer and a former president of the (downtown) Rotary Club of Bakersfield.

 * ... GO BEARS: Three 2012 graduates of Stockdale High School - Chelsea Sanford, Rio Gosling and Julia Johnson - are now freshmen at Baylor University and were in the stadium for Baylor's upset victory over then No. 1 Kansas State. As proud father Guy Sanford said: "The girls had an amazing experience in the stands and will cherish it forever. Having the opportunity to charge the field after the game with the entire student section was a memory of a lifetime. Go Bears!"

* ... AIR TRAVEL: In an earlier post I posed the question: what do you think of people bringing pizzas, hamburgers and French fries on airplanes? Jeff Travis wrote that it could be worse. "My beautiful, dear, and sensitive-nosed wife was on a long flight where we are all joyfully passing the time away, along with all our six kids, watching the televisions attached to the back of the seats when she smelled what she thought was smoke. After clearing the area around the seat it turned out to be a guy's stinking feet. But, to be safe, the pilot turned off all electronics for the rest of the flight. I still feel the glares. Awfully funny in hindsight."

 * ... CALIFORNIAN: The Bakersfield Californian (family) Foundation has awarded $145,000 in grants, the latest in the family's long legacy of giving back to the community; The recipients include the American Lung Association, $15,000;  BARC $10,000; Boys and Girls club of Kern County $7,500; California Living Museum , $16,800;  Community Action Partnership of Kern, $8,276;  Desert Area Resources and Training, $3,000; Flood Bakersfield Ministries, $5,000; Greater Bakersfield Green Expo, $2,500; Henrietta Weill Memorial Child Guidance Clinic $10,676.45; Independent Living Center of Kern County, $3,702; Keep Bakersfield Beautiful, $4,000; Kern Economic Development Foundation, $25,000;  Laze Foundation, $3,500; Legacy Behavioral Services, Inc., $10,000.

 * ... CHARITY: Dress for Success is a national charity that helps women get on their feet by outfitting them with gently used shoes and clothes. The organization has now returned to Bakersfield, and it has a big event coming up on Tuesday, November 27 with a women's shoe drive. Its goal: helping women attain and retain employment. You can help by dropping off shoes at the Haberfelde Building, 1530 17th Street, between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. next Tuesday.

 * ...  CLINICA: Did you know that Clinica Sierra Vista, the agency that provides primary and preventative health care to the underserved residents of Kern, Fresno and Inyo counties, now has almost 1,000 employees? Forty years ago it had two staff members today is operating out of 70 offices.

A new pilates studio opens in downtown Bakersfield and The Bakersfield Californian Foundation announces grant recipients

 * ... PILATES: A new business devoted to pilates has opened up on 21st Street in a stunning loft building that formerly housed the "Little White Dress." It's called "Poise Pilates and Barre" and is the brainchild of partners Christine Travis and Callie Spitzer. The 30-year-old Travis, a Garces High and later Santa Clara University graduate, and 27-year-old Spitzer, who graduated from Liberty High and later Cal State Long Beach, have known each other for years and decided to invest in a beautiful, state of the art pilates studio. It's good to see two young entrepreneurs bucking the economic downturn by putting their capital at risk while offering a healthy lifestyle service to our community. They offer individual or group classes and my guess is Poise Pilates and Barre will be a hit. The business is planning a June 7 open house and ribbon cutting. (photos by Rebecca Rossini)

 * ... RETORT: Paula Robertson has worked for Stockdale High School for 22 years and was shocked when she saw herself mentioned (not by name) as the driver of a school van who was texting on her pink phone at a traffic light. "Yes I was on my phone but only to check the time because this particular van does not have a clock," she said. "I know better than to text while driving." Another reader, Riley Parker, spotted her on Stockdale Highway and thought he saw her texting. "I am 55 years old and I know better," Paula said. "I want to set the record straight."

* ...  ONLY IN OILDALE: Workers in the Oildale branch of the Chase bank were evacuated Thursday when a suspicious package was found. They were allowed to return when the package was found to contain an old pair of women's panties and a book on Barack Obama.

 * ... OVERHEARD: A woman walking into a local Starbucks on a recent morning: "I hope today isn't a repeat of yesterday. I was hit up three times for money and the last guy told me he was just released from Corcoran!"

* ... GIVING: I consider myself lucky to work for a family whose mission is to give back to our community, and recently The Bakersfield Californian Foundation gave out a new round of grants to deserving organizations. Among the recipients are The Cat People, Marley's Mutts, CALM, Pet Food Pantry, Kern County Library, Bags4Kids, BARC and the Friendship House. Those grants ranged from $1,700 to $6,500. The Foundation also donated $15,000 to Ready to Start; $15,000 to Lightwave Education; $9,800 to MARE (for the Summer Literacy program partnering with Migrant Student Outreach); $9,025 for the Boys and Girls Club summer reading program; and $4,000 for First Book. Add to that were miscellaneous donations of $20,000 to the Kern County Nut Festival; $5,000 to AngelDogs; $5,000 to the Henrietta Weill Memorial Child Guidance Clinic Stable Skills program; $3,200 to the College Dream Fund; $1,000 sponsorship to the Buena Vista Museum's Spectacular World of Science event; and $17,252 to the Kern Historical Society, for their historical plaques. That's some $125,000 that will do an awful lot of good around town.

* ...  ERA OF THE WINGER: Darrell Winger wrote to note the success of his children in the annual math field day competition in which son Zachary Winger won the 8th grade triathlon games.
"This marked the third year in a row for Zachary to win his event," he said. "This also meant that for the fifth year in a row a Winger family member has won the triathlon games at the competition. Zachary's older brother Alex won the competition three years in a row as well. A very proud family accomplishment!"