A stroll along the Kern River in the heart of Bakersfield....

 Isn't it amazing what a difference having a little water in the river makes? Here are three stunning photos from Metro Galleries owner Don Martin that were shot during an afternoon jog recently.

 

UC Regents look for another 10 percent rise in tuition and the Grimm and Anderson families come to the aid of the YMCA

 * ... TUITION HIKE: Not that it's a surprise, but it looks like we're in for yet another tuition hike for the budget challenged University of California system. The UC Regents say they will seek another 10 percent tuition hike, on top of an 8 percent increase already set for this fall. It's hard to keep up with the rising tuition costs but this will bring undergraduate tuition to $12,200, almost a $2,000 increase from where it is now. And remember, this is just tuition. Room and board can easily add another $10,000 a year and by the time you throw in books, food and incidentals, the average student is looking at $25,000 or more a year. Lastly, all this comes on top of news that the more selective campuses like Berkeley, UCLA and San Diego are admitting record numbers of nonresidents simply because they pay a much higher out of state tuition.  

* ... YMCA: Steve Anderson and his wife, Kari Grimm Anderson, have stepped in to help the Kern County YMCA expand its programs to Delano and Arvin. Grimmway Farms is sponsoring programs in Arvin and S.C. Anderson is doing the same in Delano and possibly McFarland. Steve Anderson also dropped a personal $5,000 donation check to the Y, which is struggling to rebuild its program base.


* ... MORE YMCA: Janelle Webb is another longtime supporter of the "Y" and wrote to urge everyone to support our local Kern County chapter. She said her 6-year-old daughter Karalee attends the Y's summer day care and is participating in a drama program, a Disney Musical Revue. "The YMCA drama production is superb with the children receiving individual attention and nurturing for their skills with the finished performance something that could be recommended for any stage."

 * ... SPOTTED: Nice to see so many folks swimming and kayaking the Kern River through town on a steamy holiday weekend. The area from Beach Park down to the Park at River Walk was busy and it's all relatively safe and shallow, at least compared to the raging Kern up the canyon. We will all miss these days when the river returns to a dusty shadow of its former self.

 * ... NEWCOMERS: Ran into Neil Walker and his wife Pam the other day. Neil is with Kern Oil and Refining and a former president of Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary and they were escorting around town Pam's sister, Tish, and her husband Mike Burnett. The Burnetts live in La Canada Flintridge but are moving to Bakersfield to retire. They were touring town when the temperature was well north of 100 but in good spirits nonetheless. These are the kind of newcomers who will undoubtedly enrich our community.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM:  Rosalee (Gelb) Pogue solved the mystery of the old downtown bowling alley which she identified as the Bakersfield Bowling Academy, located across from the Rice Bowl. "What a flash from the past it was to see the 'Bakersfieldism' in the paper this morning.  I use to go bowling with my father when I was young (in the mid 1950s). The bowling alley in question was The Bakersfield Bowling Academy across from the Rice Bowl. There was the other alley on East 19th (or 18th, I still get those confused) just east of Union called San Joaquin Bowling. Thanks also to readers Tony Bernal, Dave Wilkerson, Craig Holland, and Vicki Philips for also identifying these two old bowling centers.

Let's hear your voice: if you want water in the Kern River, time to speak out

 Make sure you check out Lois Henry's column in today's Californian regarding an important hearing coming up March 10. This is a rare chance to let public officials know how much we all want water in our river year round. It's good for our ambiance, good for the community and the right thing to do.

Random shots of the Kern River through Bakersfield, thanks to Don Martin

Monday run along the Kern River, with water

 Don Martin, owner of the Metro Galleries art studio downtown, shot this photo on his daily run down by the Kern River. Amazing how big a difference a little water makes.

Local banker Ray Dezember is honored and Tejon Ranch is featured in a Super Bowl advertisement

 
* ... TEJON SUPER BOWL: Barry Zoeller, vice president of corporate communications out at Tejon Ranch, tells me the ranch will serve as a backdrop in a Super Bowl commercial this Sunday. The spot will feature an elephant, a black panther, a laughing hyena and a great backdrop of Tejon Ranch, likely doubling for the plains of Africa. Said Barry: "This is the second time Tejon Ranch has been featured in a Super Bowl commercial. In fact the 2000 'Herding Cats' commercial for EDS routinely makes the list as one of the top 10 Super Bowl commercials in the history of the big game." So be looking for a bit of the ranch during the game. (photos below are of the 2000 EDS commercial)

 

 

 * ... A TRIBUTE TO RAY: Local planning consultant Dave Dmohowski tipped me to yet another tribute bestowed on Ray Dezember, the longtime retired local banker turned philanthropist affectionately known by his friends as "Mr. Bakersfield." Ray and his wife Joan have been involved with or supported about every civic and non-profit effort in town, but I've always known he had a special place in his heart for his beloved Whittier College. It should come as no surprise that Ray has been a huge supporter of the school, and recently was among five individuals who were cited as "remarkable trustees." Both Ray and Joan graduated from Whittier, where Ray served as student body president and captain of the Whittier Poets football team. He has served on its Board of Trustees since 1970, chaired a $70 million capital campaign and was awarded a distinguished service medal from the school faculty. Just another example of the generosity of this amazing couple.

 * ... FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY: Sherry Kelley, vice president  of the Friends of the Kern County Library, reminded me that the organization's annual used book sale will be held March 10-13 at the Beale Library. All funds go to the Kern County library branches for programs and circulating material. The group is always looking for books and audio video material for its sales. It will be spring soon, so it's time to throw out those hard covers and donate to this worthy cause.

 * ... BAKO OR BAKERSWEED: Jamie Butow, a work colleague who recently moved here from Visalia, had this to say about Bakersfield's many nicknames. "My cousin is flying out here today and texted me with a question while 'roasting' in Phoenix. She referred to Bakersfield as Bako. She lives and owns a hair salon in a very small Colorado town so I asked her where she heard the term. She said my brother (who lives in  L.A.) calls it that, and a client of hers who used to live here calls it Bako or Bakersweed. Sounds like we're known as Bako all over!"

 * ... THE BUZZ: If you want to see water in our river, don't forget to clip out, sign and mail the coupon in The Californian urging the State Water Resources Control Board to rule in favor of the city's bid to run unappropriated water down the historic Kern River. There are few things that would make a more positive impact on our community, and it could be done without harming farmers. So if you have not already done so, find the coupon, sign it and mail it in. It has to be received by next Tuesday, so do it today, or drop it off at the Californian Monday morning and we will handle it from there.