Campus activism at UCLA puts the state of Israel in its cross hairs, and who wins the bragging rights for the amazing 3-year-old colt California Chrome?

* … ISRAEL: Did you hear about the latest incident of political correctness at UCLA? The Westwood campus is embroiled in a controversy over student government elections in which

candidates were pressured to promise that they would not visit Israel on sponsored visits. This kind of anti-Israeli sentiment is common on university campuses and it is sad that some try to quash a civil conversation about a very complex and important topic. One UCLA student, who refused to sign the pledge, lost by 31 votes. According to the Los Angeles Times, Chancellor Gene Block said he was disturbed by what happened and is calling for more tolerance on the campus. Other universities, including UC Santa Barbara and the University of Michigan, have seen undergraduates demand the school cut ties with companies that do business with Israel.

 * … BULLYING: And speaking of political correctness, you have to admire Porterville Mayor Cameron Hamilton's chutzpah even if you don't agree with his message. Hamilton is under attack for saying that bullying victims should toughen up and defend themselves and not blame the world's problems on bullying. In what can only be described as an unusual display of frankness, he said some folks should "grow a pair" and learn to "just stick up for them damned selves." You can imagine the ruckus that followed in the small community of 55,000 people. At issue was a student program proposing safe zones around town with signs directing children to places where they could seek refuge from bullies.

* … CHROME: It looks like there is a battle for bragging rights over California Chrome, the 3-year-old colt who will try to become the first horse in 36 years to win the Triple Crown. Folks in Bakersfield love the horse because co-owner Steve Coburn used to call Kern County home, but he now lives in Reno so the Nevada city also claims the horse. And up in Coalinga, where California Chrome was trained at Harris Ranch, there are bragging rights as well. It looks like the thoroughbred really has become "America's horse."

* … EXHIBIT: If you have a smart phone, and you use Instagram, here's your chance to enter a photography contest. The idea came from Don Martin, owner of the Metro Galleries on 19th Street, for a June exhibit. It will be called INSTAexhibition, a collection of Instagram only photography. Martin said this will be a unique show exploring not only the use of the app but also hashtags for marketing purposes. He already has entries from Europe, Canada and throughout the United States. For info on this exhibit log on to www.TheMetroGalleries.com or email Martin directly at Don@theMetroGalleries.com . (photo by Don Martin)

 * … MUSIC: And speaking of Metro Galleries, Don Martin is hosting a terrific Americana folk singer this Thursday, kicking off his summer concert series. The songstress is Kat Devlin from Santa Barbara, and I can personally vouch for her talent. A portion of the proceeds from the event (tickets are just $10) will go to support the Arts Council of Kern,. Doors open at 6 p.m. and Kat sings at 7 p.m.

 * … NUT FESTIVAL: Organizers are gearing up for the second annual Kern County Nut Festival out at the Kern County Museum. The inaugural event last year was a huge success but was not without its hiccups. This year they promise it will be bigger and better. It is set for Saturday, June 7, over at the museum. Pick up your tickets at the museum.

KERO parts ways with weather girl Melissa Dignan and Make a Wish holds a fund raiser

* ... MAKE A WISH: I'm told there wasn't a dry eye in the house when Mike and Cathi Stier hosted an event last week for the Make a Wish Foundation. The guest speaker was John Crowley, who shared his family's journey to save his children from a devastating neuromuscular disorder called Pompe disease. Harrison Ford has done a movie based on their family's story called "Extraordinary Measures." Said one participant: "Mike and Cathi went to extraordinary measures to share the Make a Wish dream and the national director came to the event and pledged up to $25,000 in matching donations. The money will stay in Bakersfield since we have 38 children locally waiting for a wish."

* ... KERO: It looks like KERO TV 23 has decided to part ways with popular weather girl Melissa Dignan. The station's top brass told Melissa they would not renew her contract and she would be off the air by the end of this year. Melissa told me she was surprised and saddened by the news and that she has grown to love Kern County and wanted to stay. "This is my home, this is where I met my husband," she said referring to Brian Dignan, former assistant men's basketball coach out at CSUB. Melissa joined KERO in January of 2008 and is known for her perky, upbeat forecasts and for supporting the adoptions of homeless dogs and cats. Here's wishing her the best.

* ... UCLA: Another local kid is about to graduate from college, and this one is the son of Debbie Moreno, president of the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce. "My son Marcus, a former East High student who is set to graduate from UCLA in another month with a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, just had quite an experience to remember these college years by. While on a final quarter field and marine biology study on a tiny island off the coast of Belize, they had to cut the month long program short by a week and evacuate off the island in a hurry as Hurricane Rina approached. After almost a full day and night of travel I got a text in the middle of the night that they arrived safely back in Los Angeles."

* ... TOW SACK ANNIE: Yet another reader, Charly Price, wrote to recall Tow Sack Annie, a woman who walked up and down Edison Highway and Bear Mountain Road, hurling insults to those who dared yell her name. In the 1950s, Charly was just a teenager and on a whim he and some pals tracked Annie down to her trailer where they had planned to knock on her door. "But being brave macho boys we all chickened out and threw pine cones on her roof. Well, it wasn't long before she came out screaming and cussing. I will tell you that she scared the heck out of all of us and we never thought about bothering her again!"

* ... LA CRESTA MEMORY: Mike Huston was reared on La Cresta Drive and wrote to share a few memories of the old Alta Vista area. "Last week I drove down Alta Vista Drive between Columbus and Bernard. I was left with the memory of three food markets that were so close in proximity, yet separately thrived in the late 1960s. On the corner of Alta Vista and Columbus was a small convenience type store, named Sears Market. Traveling south on Alta Vista at Water Street you found a 'super' market named Spic ‘N Span. My grandmother lived across the street and frequented the store for all of her groceries. Spic ‘N Span had black and white checkerboard flooring, its own butcher shop along with an aging white haired butcher named Van. If I’m not mistaken, the Reimer family owned the store. Further south on Alta Vista at Bernard, you found Green Frog Market, where of course it still stands today. Other than the Spray Rite Car Wash and the Tam O’ Shanter, there were a host of other business in this stretch, which have faded from my recollection. Perhaps some readers will help."

* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Terry Gaiser writes that you may be from Bakersfield "if you took your car to Three-Way Chevrolet on Chester Ave downtown for service and had lunch at Dave's Deli. You probably listened to the 'new' rock and roll music on KBIS, KAFY or KWAC!"

California schools among top rated public universities

 It was nice to see California well represented in the annual ranking of top public universities by U.S. News. We certainly have our budget and funding issues in this state, but in spite of all that our public universities are simply first rate and remain a relative bargain. In fact, given this recession, one has to question the wisdom of anyone sending their son or daughter out of state when our public schools are so good. Topping the list of the best public schools were Cal Berkeley and UCLA, followed later in the list by UC San Diego (7th) and UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara tied at ninth. Tied for second with UCLA was the University of Virginia, then the University of Michigan, North Carolina-Chapel Hill, College of William and Mary and Georgia Tech.