Will lifting the sanctions on Iran spell trouble for Kern County's pistachio farmers? Plus more crime news and a hot new restaurant takes hold in town

 * ... NUTS: When analysts talk about lifting sanctions on Iran, they usually focus on what affect that will have on the global energy markets as Iranian oil competes on the world stage. But for Kern County, a lesser-known impact may come when Iranian pistachios flood the world market. Analysts say this could depress prices and its effect will be felt throughout Kern County, one of the nation's largest producers of the coveted nuts.
Said Bloomberg Business news: "Iran has far more clout in the market for cocktail nibbles than it does in crude trading. While it ranks only as the world’s seventh-largest oil producer, the Middle Eastern country vies with the U.S. to be the biggest pistachio grower. As with oil, Iranian sales of pistachios to the U.S. and Europe have been hampered by sanctions. As the talks between Washington and Tehran to resolve the decade-long nuclear dispute... traders are predicting lower prices."

* ... USS MISSOURI: This week marked the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II when a ceremony was held on the deck of the USS Missouri. Candace Cummings said her father, Edward Joseph Cummings, was a young naval officer aboard the Missouri and witnessed the historic event. "Today, my father is a vibrant 95-year-old veteran who served his country admirably for 30 years. Several days ago (August 28th) we celebrated his birthday at his San Francisco club with family and friends along with many toasts and cheers. I am a resident of Bakersfield and my parents are frequent visitors who thoroughly enjoy my friends and our town!"

 * ... CRIME: More crime news about town: thieves are targeting late model pickup trucks and SUVs and stealing both the front and back seats. One homeowner walked out to his Silverado pickup one morning and found only the front seats gone.

 * ... FOODIE BEST BET: One of the hottest meal tickets in town is offered at The Kitchen, a tiny culinary school/eatery on 20th Street run by Darci Atkinson. The business was set up so folks could get hands on experience in the kitchen, but it has become a favorite haunt for foodies who appreciate the fresh organic offerings, smaller serving sizes, attention to detail and creative offerings. Make sure to refer to its website to check on the hours, www.thekitchenbakersfield.com.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "How can I be expected to make life choices when I still use my fingers to count?"

 * ... DROUGHT: And there was this from reader Greg Laskowski: "I have another conundrum for you. In these times of water austerity measures, I have a neighbor who is watering his lawn with gray water effluent from his washing machine. After applying this measure over the course of several months, his lawn is still brown but it does smell like Snuggle. Oh, and here’s the funny part: one day I come home and I see the garden hose on the lawn and tracked it back to his garage where I see a rush of water running from his garage down the driveway.  I run to his kitchen door to notify him of the impending calamity. He reassures me not to worry. His gray water from the washing machine is being transferred to a 36-gallon plastic drum that has a tap on the bottom feeding the garden hose. The problem is that the washing machine holds 42 gallons of water. Go figure?

 * ... MEA CULPA: And finally, I want to offer this apology to anyone who subscribes to home delivery of The Bakersfield Californian. For the last year, our delivery service has been spotty at times, and in many cases, downright awful. The reasons behind this are not important; what is important is that you know I take responsibility and pledge to you that I am working to resolve this issue immediately. I have heard from all of you who have complained (about missing papers, late delivery, no vacation stops) and I appreciate your concerns, loyalty and frustration. Your feedback is important, and I hope you bear with us. We are dealing with the delivery issues and just this week hired a new senior customer service manager from out of state to come help solve this problem. You deserve better, and we will make that happen.

Two Bakersfield quarterbacks square off in the USC-Fresno State game, the rash of horrific drunk driving accidents continue and the ride sharing service Uber comes to town

 * … ACCIDENT: The madness of reckless and drunken driving continues, with the latest incident claiming two lives on Rosedale Highway and Verdugo Lane. In that case, early Saturday morning, police with 29-year-old Dontrell Collins was speeding going west on Rosedale when he slammed into a compact white car, causing it to burst into flames. Two passengers were killed and a third was

hospitalized with burns. These kind of tragedies are all too common, and in fact some folks in the Southwest have taken to calling Ming Avenue "blood alley" because of the high number of accidents involving alcohol or simply reckless driving.

 * … HOMETOWN BOYS: How fun was it to watch the USC-Fresno State game this weekend featuring two outstanding quarterbacks from Bakersfield? Cody Kessler, the former Centennial High standout, led the Trojans to victory but former Driller Brian Burrell represented the Bulldogs well in the loss. Two more young men in a long line of great local athletes.

 * … ROLE MODEL: Hats off to Katie Arriaga, a young mother who spent last weekend picking up trash and litter in the Riverlakes area. Katie took along her three daughters - 10-year-old Briony and 7-year-old twins Brevony and Bregan - to give them a lesson in community service. Thanks to Katie's proud mother, Bobbie McWhorter, for passing this along.

* … BAD FORM: Steve McCalley spotted someone driving an ATT Prius the other day, going 35 mph while texting. "Clearly the massage hasn't been received by the cell phone providers," he said.

 * … UBER: Über, the San Francisco-based ride sharing service that compete directly with local taxi cabs, is now servicing the Bakersfield area. Uber is wildly popular among consumers because no cash is exchanged (the transaction is completed via a cell phone app) and Uber is much cheaper than conventional taxis. To use the service, download the Uber app and when ready for a car, simply use the app to have one pick you up wherever you are.

* … DMV: Ruth Fee wrote to share how government bureaucracy: "I was heartened by your experience with an 'appointment' with DMV and I hoped I would have the same quick result. I needed a California ID and not knowing about appointments, I first waited in line for two hours, presented my paperwork and was told I needed my marriage certificate. I had not been told that when I called the DMV initially. A little more savvy, I made an appointment via internet and arrived with the required certificate. I was told by the clerk that I needed a 'certificated' marriage document. I was more than a little miffed as that was not specified by the first clerk. I was then given a number to call in California to get the required form and told to make another appointment. I called that number and was told I needed to call a number in the county I had been married in. (  didn't see the point as my husband was deceased.)  Calling the San Francisco number, I was given yet another number to call.
Rather than doing something uncivil, I threw up my hands and decided to try another day. To be continued - or not."

 * … HISTORY: Navy veteran Gene M. Bonas asked me to remind everyone that Tuesday will mark the 69th anniversary of the Japanese surrender of World War II aboard the USS Missouri.

 * … NOTE: I received a beautifully written letter, in cursive, from a woman who wanted to be known only as "Grandma." She only wanted to thank several women who came to her aid when she took a tumble. In her words: "I found that day there are some good caring people in Bakersfield. That's one of the reasons my late husband and I moved here. I have never seen any other town where people come to your aid like in Bakersfield."