Bako Bits: hot new art shows highlight Friday downtown, the downtown Rotary Club awards $40,000 in grants and a reader recalls the glory days of the Bakersfield Racquet Club

* … DOWNTOWN: Not sure about you but I plan to spend this Friday downtown for the first First Friday of Spring. Among the attractions, both Uricchio's Trattoria and the Wall Street  Cafe have

new appetizers, The Padre has revamped its menu, Chef's Noodle bar is always a good choice and in my opinion, Muertos has the best burger in town. Over at The Metro Galleries on 19th Street, a new show titled "Echoes and Whispers-Listening to Nature" showcases the creative passion of artist Linda Brown. Ceramic works by Mark Ahlstrand will also be on display.

* … SPELLING: Dave Kettler told me a story that I simply must share. He was in the drive through lane at a downtown eatery recently when he saw a sign in the window saying, 'Thank you for your contentious business.' (Obviously they meant to thank the patrons for 'continuous' business.) When he came to the window, with his tongue planted firmly in cheek, he said 'Your prices are too high, the wait was ridiculous, the food cold and yes, you're welcome!'"

 * … GRANTS: Hats off to the Rotary Club of Bakersfield (the downtown club) whose foundation just awarded more than $40,000 in grants to local non-profit organizations. Among those receiving money were the Boys and Girls Club, Garden Pathways, Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra, BARC, Friends of Mercy Foundation, Greater Bakersfield Chamber Vision 2020, Boy Scouts of America, Golden Empire Gleaners, Buena Vista Museum of Natural History and the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

  * … ART: Thursday morning members of the Bakersfield Museum of Art's Blue Ribbon Committee toured the art and sculpture-filled Bakersfield Country Club home of Milt and Betty Younger and were treated to a surprise gift for one of the visiting members. At the end of the tour, Betty surprised them by giving a framed watercolor she painted in 1965 of the Oleander home of W.B. Camp home to committee member Karrie Kirschenmann Camp, who is married to W.B.'s grandson, Clayton. Betty recalled sitting on the curb when she painted it almost 50 years ago. She said she had entered it in the Kern County fair and took first place.

* … MEMORIES: This memory courtesy of reader Michael Perry: "The recent USTA tennis matches at Bakersfield Racquet Club reminded me that my grandfather, Earl Cook, one of the founding members of BRC, once hosted the Ozzie and Harriet Nelson family (including David and Ricky) at his home on Baldwin Road during a tennis tournament at BRC in the early 1950's. Ozzie and Harriet were a tennis family before they were the perfect TV family. Lake and Edith Lovelace often joined Earl and Eva ['Feathers' and 'Mimi' Cook for a spirited game of bridge on Baldwin. Lake, the real founder of the Bakersfield Racquet Club, allowed me to take my first swimming lessons there even though I was way too short. (He proved it by measuring the depth of the pool with his cane and showing me even the shallow end was over my head!) My teacher was Tommy Gallon. I kid you not! "

Bakersfield College appeals the punishment for its football program, and local folks wonder if someone will have to pay the price for it

 * ... ALARM SYSTEMS: Here is an important tip about home alarm systems in the city of Bakersfield, compliments of reader Gary Crabtree. "Saturday evening we returned from dinner about 6:30 to find our alarm activated and a message from our alarm company on our answering machine that our front door had been breached." he wrote. "We found nothing missing. A call to the alarm company indicated that they
had called the police. At 9:30 p.m. an officer arrived at our front door. He indicated that he just got the call from dispatch. We were told that if we didn’t renew our alarm permit with the city every year for $30 they may or may not respond.  So a warning, if you expect BPD to respond to your alarm system, better cough up $30 a year to the city."

 * ... THE BUZZ: It's good to see Bakersfield College appealing the punishing sanctions against its football program, but folks are wondering if someone will be sacrificed because of the harsh penalties. If BC Athletic Director Ryan Beckwith is fired over all this, it won't be because he has lost the support of the BC Helmet Club. Paul Pavletich, president of the booster club, made it clear on First Look with Scott Cox that the club supports Beckwith and would not agree with his dismissal. Stay tuned as this story unfolds.

* ... ACHIEVER: Another local Bakersfield product has gone on to make quite a name for himself in the healthcare industry. Dr. Jason Dinger has been identified as one of the top 300 most influential people in U.S. health care, according to a recent survey by ModernHealthcare.com. Dinger graduated from Bakersfield Christian High School and went on to Vanderbilt University in Nashville. He is currently CEO of Mission Point Health Partners in Nashville. His father, Steven Dinger, is president of BCHS and his mother Nancy is a social worker at Koinonia Family Services.

 * ... GIVING: Yet another example of the generosity of our local Rotary clubs. The Waterman Foundation of the Rotary Club of Bakersfield (the downtown club) has awarded nearly $40,000 in capital improvement grants to nine local non profits. Among the recipients were the Alliance Against Family Violence, the Bakersfield Music Theater, the Buena Vista Museum, the Boys and Girls Club, CASA, the Golden Empire Gleaners, the Kern County Museum, MARE and San Joaquin Community Hospital.

 * ... HOSPICE: If you are looking for a way to support a good cause and enjoy a nice glass of wine, mark this Thursday, May 23, on your calendar. That's the date of the "Optimal Cares Wine Tasting and Concert" set for the Bakersfield Museum of Art at 5:30 p.m. It is a fund raiser for the Optimal Hospice Foundation. Tickets are $75 each and can be purchased by calling Cherie Shoemake at (661) 716-8000.

  * ... MEMORIES: Brian Landis said his 85-year old grandmother, Elizabeth "Bette" Crume, wanted to share this memory about when everyone would leave their back doors open so Wayne's Dairy could deliver fresh milk to your refrigerator while you were either sleeping or away from home. She is, thank you, a faithful reader of The Bakersfield Californian and said she enjoys reading Herb Benham's column but worries for his kids. "She wanted to be sure to let you know that she thinks John Arthur is a smart-ass!" Brian said. I will make sure both Herb and John get the message, Brian.