If it is Christmas week it's time to look back on the year, to give some thanks for all the blessing we have, to call out some great service about town

 * … GIVING THANKS: As we wrap up 2014, there is a lot to be thankful for in this community of

ours. Here's to all those who volunteer their time for others, who give generously to the charity of their choice and who awake every day committed to making this a better place to live. In that spirit, here are some of the people, organizations, businesses and stories that caught my attention this year. Enjoy.

 * … HONOR FLIGHT: Hats off to all the volunteers, sponsors and escorts who have made Kern County's Honor Flight such a success this year. As the ranks of the Greatest Generation shrink, it's terrific to see these veterans given the respect they so richly deserve.

  * … TRENDS: And speaking of veterans, one of promising trends of the year has been the generosity of so many Bakersfield residents in picking up the tabs for veterans at local restaurants. Wear baseball cap identifying yourself as a veteran, and someone is likely to do something nice for you. This is surprisingly common and a touching way for one generation to say thanks to another.

 * … BAD NEWS: One of the biggest disappointments came late in the year when we learned plans for a "great park" in the canyons near Hart Park had fallen through over a dispute on mineral rights. The loss of a 800-acre park on some incredibly beautiful terrain is nothing less than heart breaking. This town needs more amenities like this.

 * … VIDEO: Was there a better video this year than the one showing a tabby cat named Tara saving a young boy from being mauled by a neighbor's dog? The video went viral and Tara the Hero Cat put Bakersfield on the map, this time in a good way.

 * … SERVICE: Few restaurants provide the kind of personal, white-gloved service as Uricchio's Trattoria, thanks to owner Claire Uricchio and her attentive staff. The food is always top notch, but it is the friendliness and attentiveness of the staff that sets this Italian eatery apart. As a friend said, "It's like Cheers in there. You always see someone you know."

 * … LUNCH: If there is a better place for lunch than Luigi's Delicatessan on a spring day, someone needs to take me there. It is the quintessential Bakersfield bistro to meet and greet, and I dare you to find more consistent food anywhere in town. I'll have the spinach salad with a scoop of tuna, please.

 * … GAS STATION: I have a fondness for the two partners who own the Ramco Express gas station downtown off 23rd Street. They offer competitive prices and they always greet you with a smile. And congratulations to co-owner Rami, whose wife just gave birth to twin boys.

 * … BURGERS: I am on a quest to find delicious new burgers in town, and we have plenty. Some of my new favorites include Eureka Burger, The Padre Hotel bar, Narducci's and Juicy Burger. New restaurants? Try Krush in the Northwest, Wiki's Wine Dive and Grill in the Southwest and Wall Street Cafe downtown.

 * … HEALTH CARE: Your health can't be in better hands than with Dr. Raj Patel and his incredible staff over at Preferred Family Care Physicians on Truxtun Avenue across from the lake. Patel and his crew provide the kind of old fashioned family doctor experience that is no longer common these days.

 * … BUTCHER: This one is easy: the Wood-Dale market is a modest little place off Stine Road, but you won't find better meat, chicken and sausage in town. And for Basque food? My favorite is Noriega's, perhaps my favorite since eating experience especially with a large group of friends.

If Hispanic lawyers like H.A. Sala are pit bulls in the courtroom, what about lawyers of other ethnic backgrounds, a reader asks. And domestic oil production skyrockets thanks to hydraulic fracturing

* … OIL: Thanks to a boom in domestic oil production and better fuel economy in cars and trucks, the United States is experiencing fewer shocks at the gas pump. According to The Wall Street Journal,

domestic crude oil production has shot up 47 percent since late 2010. In fact, domestic oil production in October surpassed imports for the first time in 20 years, the paper said. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is responsible for much of the increased production.

* … TANDY: Anne Stoken wrote in response to my earlier post about City Manager Alan Tandy. Said Anne: "Fans of the NHL, the Condors and ice hockey in general would greatly appreciate it if you would cease to refer to an alleged assault by City Manager Tandy 'during' an amateur hockey game.  It's clear from the video and the descriptions by eyewitnesses that whatever occurred happened 'after' an amateur hockey game." True enough, but Tandy is out of the woods after the District Attorney declined to prosecute.

 * … PITBULLS: And Julie Womack wrote to question my description of H.A. Sala and Daniel Rodriguez as courtroom pit bulls who could have squared off in the Tandy case.  "So if Hispanic lawyers are pit bulls, what breeds of dogs would be identified with attorneys of other ethnic lineages?" she asked. If any lawyer is as dogged (no pun intended) as H.A. Sala is in the courtroom, he or she is also a pit bull.

 * … WALL STREET: I stopped by the Wall Street Cafe the other day and was delighted to find the owners had rolled out a fresh new summer menu. The "summer salad" featured fresh strawberries and the caprese salad was outstanding. The cafe is located at 1818 L Street.

* … ACHIEVER: Hats off to Christopher Siebert, a Bakersfield student who was named to the Dean's List at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va. He is a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering.

 * … REED: Joanna Reed, owner of Cricklewood Nursery and Landscape, dropped me a note to say her son, Mark Reed, was honored as Father of the Year by the American Diabetes Association for the work he has done on behalf of diabetes research and outreach. Said his mother: "He shared the podium with Jakob Dylan and Michael Helfant who were also honored. All three men have children with Type I diabetes and have taken time from their busy schedules to help with a very worthy cause.  Needles to say I am quite proud. Mark is a graduate of Foothill High and the father of Ryan Reed, NASCAR Nationwide driver No. 16 who has Type I diabetes."

 * … MEMORIES: Ninety-year-old Irene Hageman Bower sent this note about the old St. Joseph's School.  "It was located on the north side of Oregon Street in the 500 block. I lived on the south side of Oregon Street in the 400 block, and attended Washington Elementary School for the second and third grades. When Washington Elementary School became a junior high, we students were transferred to Longfellow Elementary, where we attended until moving back to Washington Junior High.  After graduating from there in 1938, I went on to attend one semester at Bakersfield High School before being transferred to the newly completed East Bakersfield High, from which I graduated in 1941. Our home on Oregon Street, as well as St. Joseph School, was demolished for the creation of the cross town freeway."

Banning fracking in Kern County would cost us thousands of jobs and millions in tax revenue, much like the devastating impact on the Pacific Northwest after the spotted owl devastated Oregon's timber industry

 * …  FRACKING: The recent incident involving Moo Creamery and a petition to ban hydraulic fracking is part of a larger effort that could have serious consequences for energy rich areas like Kern County. There is little doubt that environmentalists and anti-fossil fuel advocates are

doing everything they can to alarm the public over fracking, which has been practiced for decades in Kern County without incident. As of yet, there is no scientific evidence that fracking harms the environment, much less trigger earthquakes, the latest spurious argument to come from an environmental group. So what could happen if those who "suspect" or "fear" fracking get their way? Consider this:  when the Spotted Owl was listed as an endangered species in the Pacific Northwest, more than 168,000 people lost their jobs and timber production decreased by 80 percent. And once robust cities like Roseburg, Oregon, were thrown into economic tailspins. Said one informed reader, Eric Hansen: "Fracking has been done on the westside for 50 years. Where is the proof of subterranean damage leading to environmental calamity? There isn’t. This does not mean that fracturing should be conducted in an uncontrolled manner, however all parties with vested interests should be a bit more sensible."

 * … LAWSUIT: And speaking of misguided efforts, did you hear about the Colorado man who is suing the same firefighters who saved his life during the recent flash floods in Boulder County? That's right, an attorney for Roy Ortiz said he is seeking $500,000 because the firefighters and a dive team didn't rescue him quickly enough and he needs the money "to pay bills." And the fact that Ortiz is an undocumented alien has added fuel to the fire. (photos courtesy of ABC News)

* … WALL STREET: The latest boutique restaurant to open downtown, the Wall Street Cafe on L Street, is holding its official grand opening this Friday. The cafe is a cozy, warm bistro owned by the same couple that runs the Japanese-themed restaurants Enso and Toro at The Marketplace. On Friday some bottles of wine and beer will be half price and there will be specials on appetizers. Reservations are preferred for the grand opening. Call (661) 322-9255.

* … FRENCH VILLAGE: I received a note from Ruth Paulden Raney recalling going to a dance party at a place called the French Village. She said this was in 1955 and she cannot remember if it was on Real Road or near Garnsey Avenue. "I talked with my friend Milt Huggs about this place and he remembered it too but did not remember the story about it. He thought it was located where the Parkview Healthcare Center is now located on North Real Road... Would you ask your readers if any of them remember the place?"

 * … MEMORIES: From my friend and Navy veteran Gene Bonas: "Just a note to let you know today's blog made my day. Your reader, Elinor Grant, validated my memory of the meat market at the corner of 23rd and L streets during World War II. Having just turned 75 this past Wednesday, I thought my mind may have been playing tricks on me when I discovered those 5 pound sugar coupons. They allowed me to remember the walks with my mom from east Bakersfield to the market to buy meat and sugar. Back in those days sugar was extremely important because everything my mother cooked or baked was from scratch. Cooking and baking for nine kids was no easy task. There were no ready made meals in those days. " Thanks Gene.

Bako Bits: A new restaurant prepares to open downtown, Wienderschnitzel tests a Fritos Pie for the Bakersfield market

 * … EATERY: The same couple that owns the popular Japanese restaurants Toro at the Marketplace

and Enso downtown are at it again, opening a swanky new eatery on L street between 18th and 19th streets. It's call the Wall Street Cafe, occupies a spot that used to specialize in macaroni and cheese, and should be open in a week or so.

 * … COSTCO: Reader Susan Peninger wrote that the friendly man who checks receipts at Costco is named Alan Acres. "He its a true gem," she wrote, "gifted with the ability to engage people with words or song and like so many others, I walk away uplifted by his genial spirit." Peninger also mentioned that our own Woolgrowers restaurant was featured in her latest Saveur magazine.

 * … FRITOS PIE: Given our appetite for high calorie fast food, this shouldn't surprise me. But Wienerschnitzel is testing a new menu item here at its seven Bakersfield locations. It's the new Chili Cheese Fritos Dog and Chili Cheese Fritos Pie until January 27. Pass the antacid, please.

 * … BAD FORM: Check out this bit of bad form submitted by reader Andy Wonderly. "Earlier today, a man in scrubs posing as a dental assistant trespassed into my job's passcard-protected office building near Truxtun and Mohawk and began going from office to office attempting to sell a discounted teeth-whitening service. He apparently held the side entrance security door open after my coworker and I went in as to be undetected by reception. He walked in my office and targeted me first.  He had a very official-looking ledger card complete with a space to write down my credit card information (and likely any other personal information he could elicit). I declined his services and immediately notified our office manager, who promptly found him and escorted him out of the building.  He was friendly and not menacing, so my initial reaction was not shock or anger, but I knew he wasn't supposed to be there  The audacity of the human spirit never ceases to amaze.  Hopefully he can find a legitimate way to pay for his Christmas shopping."

 * … GOOD DEEDS: More good deeds from the Rotary West club. Said Vija Turjanis of the county Mental Health-Children's Services: "(The club) brought the joy and wonder of Christmas to 20 very needy youth for this holiday.  About two months ago, the children wrote Dear Santa letters,  which were delivered to Rotary West, and the awesome Rotarians made sure all the children's  Christmas wishes were going to come true. Many of these children would not have had much of Christmas if it were not for Rotary West. The Rotarians did the shopping and Bakersfield West High School Interact Club wrapped all the gifts. There were piles of gifts from bicycles, skate boards, doll houses, to electronic devises and gift cards just to name a few. A very special thanks to Rotary West for making the magic a reality for these children."