Bako Bits: circling the wagons at Tejon Ranch, celebrating a healthy Wendy Wayne and the return of Steve Uricchio

Some tidbits around our community ... 

 * ... HAPPINESS AND HEATH: Wanted to catch up with Wendy Wayne after receiving some inquiries about her health. It's a testament to Wendy's personal popularity that so many folks are concerned and have rooted her on in her battle against non Hodgkins lymphoma. I haven't seen the former First Five Commission chairman and civic activist in a while but I hear she is out and about, looking great and busy visiting with family and doting on her two granddaughters from sons Benji and Larkin. This photo from her Facebook page speaks for itself and reflects the joy in her life. I asked her for an update, so here it is:

 "I can tell you that I continue to be very grateful for the phenomenal support I have from this community: family, friends and folks I don't even know. Prayers and thoughts have been so very abundant. Amazingly, I still continue to receive reports of Random Acts of Kindness from folks who are responding to my request from a year ago to do something for someone else in lieu of cards, flowers, phone calls to me. It's just so overwhelming.
 "My tests taken last week were good. My white blood count continues to be low, however, there is no evidence of lymphoma or myelodysplasia.  I feel really good and look forward to the day when my energy level returns to pre-Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma days.  In the meantime, I love every moment I'm alive - and feel like each day of good health is a gift."

  * ... WHO'S LAUGHING NOW?: How'd you like to be the folks up at Tejon Ranch when the news broke that a tribe of Native Americans is claiming ownership of part of the ranch? That's right, the challenge comes from David Laughing Horse Robinson, an instructional technician over at Cal State Bakersfield, who claims the Kawaiisu tribe owns part of the land on the east side of Interstate 5. Huh? Never mind that Tejon's ownership has never before been challenged or that the Ranch  is due to go before the Board of Supervisors on Monday for approval of Tejon Mountain Village, the high end development of mountain homes. And, it came on the same day that Tejon won the governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award in recognition of the historic conservation pact signed by Tejon Ranch and conservation and environmental organizations. Under that pact, 90 percent of the ranch - some 240,000 acres - will be preserved. But here's the kicker: now comes word (reported in Friday's  Californian) that the tribe is disavowing itself from Laughing Horse Robinson, who seems to have his own agenda. And check this out: this guy ran for governor in 2004, apparently one of those guys who throws his hat in the ring simply to see his name on the ballot and get a little attention. Who's laughing now?

 * ... PADRE TO OPEN FOR NEW YEAR'S? Was downtown the other day and spotted Steve Uricchio,  the itinerant restaurateur who has jumped around the past few years. Back in the day Steve and his sister Claire partnered with their father Nick to open Uricchio's Trattoria, the popular Italian eatery over off 17th Street in the Haberfelde Building. Steve later left, ran the Petroleum Club kitchen and event dining for a while, dabbled in music and moved around a bit. He's now back and says he's the new food and beverage director at the historic Padre Hotel. Steve says the hotel is planning a grand opening gala at the restaurant at the end of the year, possibly culminating with a New Year's Eve dinner and party.

Bako Bits: the sad saga of Crisp and Cole and a weekend full of art and music to look forward to

  Lots to catch up on and plenty to look forward to this weekend. Let's start ...

 * ... THE CRISP AND COLE SAGA CONTINUES: Is there a more compelling local story than the latest twist in the Crisp and Cole saga? This story has it all: greed, hubris, gullibility, and loss amid the now historic real estate run-up and bubble. Which is why I found the latest installment on ex staffer Jerald Teixeira pleading guilty to federal fraud charges so compelling. Let's face it the two principals here, the flamboyant high flying David Crisp and his older partner Carl Cole, earn little sympathy from anyone other than perhaps their mothers. And it was almost sad to hear Cole quoted in The Californian as saying "I'm an old man and I was taken in." Really? He was in his late 50s at the time and last I heard he should still have a pretty good kick at that age. By contrast I found Teixeira's plea and his willingness to own up to his mistakes refreshing. He told The Californian he was looking forward to "manning up" to what he did and "doing what's right." Don't you wish everyone involved in this saga would do the same? Apparently Teixeira, a McFarland High graduate, is a Marine Corps veteran. That probably explains a lot about his willingness to "man up" to his transgressions. Lastly, if you are not familiar with the story, read The Californian's excellent coverage here. This is the kind of stuff only a local newspaper can or is willing to do, but that's a topic for another time.

* ... ANOTHER FIRST FRIDAY: If it's October it must be time for another "First Friday," the monthly date when downtown comes alive with art, music and food. There's always plenty to do, whether it's starting the evening at Uricchios Trattoria or Mama Roombas for food with a little Cuban/Caribbean flare, and it's always worth the visit. Over at Metro Galleries at 1604 19th Street, owner Don Martin has been busy promoting a show of photographs by local artist and educator Susan Reep and Californian photographer Michael Fagans. I haven't had a preview but Don always puts on a great show and of course there's always some finger food and wine available. In his words:

  "Susan has created a stunning group of photographs that have been altered to create amazing and sometimes whimsical scenes. Michael's collection of photographs document his time embedded with US Forces in Afghanistan and capture the intensity of the moment. Live music on the patio, Hors d'ouerves and no host wine bar by Valentien."

 * ...  MEANWHILE OVER AT THE FOX: If a movie is more your style (and by that I mean a movie that otherwise never see the light of day in Bako) then check out the Friday night Flics (Film Lovers International Cinema Society) over at the historic Fox Theater. Flics is a largely undiscovered gem in our town but its following is growing with each showing. This week: "Laila's Birthday," which the Flics Facebook site describes as "a Palestinian movie that manages to be absurd, funny and thought-provoking at the same time." It continues:

 "Human Rights Watch describes the film as 'A moving and humorous tale of a Palestinian taxi driver just trying to get home in time for his daughter's birthday.' Variety wrote the film shows 'the confusion, frustration, absurdity and coping mechanisms of life in contemporary Ramallah.'
 If you haven't been yet, check it out.

 * ... REMEMBER CLAUDIA TRUE? If you are connected with the  local art scene, or recognize some of the paintings below, you will remember Claudia as a talented member of our Bakersfield art circles. Her work is distinctive and unique. and - my opinion here - always has a positive energy surrounding it. I saw on Facebook that Claudia is celebrating ten years as an artist and is selling and showing some of her work online. Claudia and her husband moved to Overland Park, Kansas, (a suburb of Kansas City) in February 2007 and it has been our loss, but it's good to see her staying in touch. She has a wonderful story to tell, so check out her website.

 Other examples of her work:

First Fridays: Can something this good really be happening in Bakersfield?

Let's face it: culture and the arts just aren't terms one associates with Bakersfield. Obesity, bad air and poor zoning yes, but the arts have long struggled to find a following. But there is the seed of an (albeit small) arts district growing downtown that flourishes the first Friday of every month. It's one of the rare events in town where you actually see college educated kids having fun and networking without fear of being caught in a drunken melee at one of our local bars. Thanks to folks like Don Martin, owner of Metro Galleries (pictured here), a six or eight square block area of downtown comes alive on First Fridays. There are now at least a half dozen art galleries downtown and solid family-owned restaurants like Mama Roomba's and Uricchios and the old standby watering hole Guthrie's Alley Cat will be packed wall to wall. Martin's Metro Galleries over on 19th Street features an array of California artists like Keith Wicks, Mary-Austin Klein and Laddie John Dill.