More scams about town, the dismal lack of landscaping around the Westside Parkway, the quest for the best hamburger and will Aldi stores come to Bakersfield?

 * ... SCAM: Jenifer Pitcher is an intelligent young professional who is aware of the world around her, yet even some of the smartest among us are susceptible to scams. Last month, a group of gardeners

knocked on her door and offered to mulch her garden, at a cost of $8 a bag. After they put five bags down, she agreed they could do the rest of her garden. "About 30 minutes later I come outside as they were finishing up and they had a pile of bags they 'used.' The guy counted the bags… 88 bags! At $8 a bag? I was furious.  I told him, 'there is no way in hell you used that much.' We argued for a while, he was VERY pushy, and eventually I ended up writing him a check for $400. That was $400 I was NOT planning on spending that day. I also kind of got a little worried since now they know where I live so if I didn’t pay them anything, I was worried they would come back.  I had a horrible feeling about the whole transaction, so I immediately called my bank and stopped the check. I went to go run some errands, still didn’t feel right, went home and checked my bank account online. The $30 stop check fee was posted, as was the $400 check to Ernesto Vides. But the check number wasn’t right. I went to my bank (Kern Schools Federal Credit Union). I was frustrated to tears at this point.  Apparently, they went straight to the bank with my check at the same time I was calling to stop the check. They had altered the check number so that it went through. The manager at the Kern Schools on Coffee and Olive was so fantastic and worked so well with me, and I was able to get my money back.  It was a horrible experience. And I’m usually pretty skeptical of people in general, and the fact that I went against my gut was the worst part."

 * ... WESTSIDE PARKWAY: Well that didn't take long. The landscaping of the (relatively) new Westside Parkway between Truxtun Avenue and Coffee Road is so full of weeds it now resembles Highway 58.

 * ... FOODIE: I was asked the other day what happened to my hunt for the best burger in town. Well, it's still on (why quit now?) but if I were to decide today, it would be the Hudson burger at downtown's Muertos Kitchen and Lounge followed closely by the Sonny burger at Mexicali.

 * ... SPOTTED: I spotted this on Twitter: "Imagine being naked in a room full of people who speak a different language and everyone wants to touch you. That is the life of a dog."

 * ... ALDI: If you haven't heard of Aldi food stores, you will soon. The Los Angeles Times reports that the German-owned company plans 45 stores in Southern California. Aldi stores are about the same size as Fresh and Easy but are focused even more on deep discounts. You have to pay 25 cents for a shopping cart (you get the quarter back when you return it, which prevents thefts) and many of the specialty items are featured on palates on the floor to reduce stocking fees. No word yet on if Aldi is headed to Bakersfield, but sounds like a perfect fit for our market.

* ... BAD FORM: I don't normally like to run anonymous comments, but this one from a "concerned citizen" is worthy of airing: "To the person that dropped off the light colored pitbull on Country Club Drive on the morning of Friday, June 5: Shame, shame on you. She was a new mom, and ran all over the neighborhood, probably looking for her puppies. She cried all night, and a neighbor had to call animal control to come and get her. She was probably euthanized. You probably kept the puppies to sell, and dumped the mom when you were finished using her for your benefit. I will pray that this sweet dog will haunt your memories every single day."

House Speaker John Boehner spends some time in Bakersfield at The Padre Hotel, local musicians passing through town will play for cancer patients and the lack of landscaping along the Westside Parkway

 * … KINDNESS: Two talented musicians will make an appearance in town this week, but it is what they will do before their concert that should be noted. Tom Scott and wife Hannah Alkire will be playing as part of Rick Kreiser's "Guitar Masters" series (Thursday evening at the American Sound Recording Studios) but at the request of Kreiser, agreed to play for cancer patients over at Mercy Hospital.

Hannah, herself a cancer survivor, told Kreiser she would be honored to play: "One of my personal goals 'if I got picked to survive' the cancer journey was to bring our music back into those oncology rooms and try to help others with their journey. Over the years we have played in numerous oncology centers, and even did a series of benefits to help one of our local oncology units be built. So, it's huge to me and to us."As Kreiser said: "These are the kinds of things that make all the work involved in doing these shows with such high-quality folks so worthwhile."

 * … BOEHNER: It looks like House Speaker John Boehner slipped in and out of Bakersfield this weekend, apparently here to support Valley Republicans. Nobody has confirmed it, but Padre guests say the House Speaker was spotted in the lobby. It's hard to go unnoticed when you are accompanied by a squad of Secret Service agents who surrounded The Padre Hotel at midday Saturday along with five Bakersfield police cruisers and a California Highway Patrol vehicle.

* … WESTSIDE: Have you driven on the Westside Parkway recently? You won't find a bigger fan of the freeway than me, but the lack of landscaping has given it all the allure of Highway 58. If we are going to allow it go to weeds, can't we at least mow the weeds now and then?

* … SPOTTED: Painted on a car on Olive Drive was this message: "Just divorced … end of an error."

* … GOOD FORM: Jenny Waguespack wrote to extend contratulations to Jose Santos, a social studies teacher at St. Francis School for his work and dedication for the 2015 National History Day. "It  really paid off with multiple 'outstanding performanc'" awards for the junior high students. While many schools have long participated, this was only the second year for St. Francis, and Mr. Santos serves as mentor and coach for all of the participants from our school."

 * … CLEANUP: This anonymous note appeared in my in-box: "A super BIG THANK YOU to all those involved in improving the Mt. Vernon median between Columbus and University Avenue.  New cement, trees and bushes were added to make the drive to Bakersfield College more appealing."

 * … ACHIEVER: Peter and Karren Bloom wrote to rightfully brag a bit about their daughter, Emily Bloom, who will graduate from Bakersfield High School in May. "She has had to endure enormous tragedy these past few years," they wrote. "This has never deterred her from putting her best foot forward academically and socially. She has been accepted to Texas AM University (she was also accepted into Colorado School of Mines which offered her a Merit Scholarship), which is her No. 1 choice for college. She will be studying petroleum engineering. She has been a role model for all those around her - young and old!   I would also like to give a 'shout out' to the incredible staff at Bakersfield High School. They are dedicated to turning out intelligent and productive kids every year. Sometimes, I feel, BHS gets no respect. But, you should know this: my daughter has received the best public school education Kern County has to offer. GO AGGIES!"

The Westside Parkway will have a minimalist, 'hard scape' landscaping virtually devoid of greenery, and Barry Goldner drops out of supporting the Southwest neighbors trying to bring down a wall

 * ... WESTSIDE PARKWAY: Don't expect anything special in terms of landscaping on the new Westside Parkway. That's the word from city public works director Raul Rojas, who said Caltrans has changed (read that greatly pared down) its landscaping requirements due to budget constraints. Rojas said the Westside project will have "more of a hard scape," minimalist design as opposed to a more attractive, and expensive, look that was originally envisioned. He said worries about the Westside landscaping were "valid concerns" and the city has been looking at alternative funding issues. Stay tuned.

 * ... PARKWAY: And speaking of the Westside Parkway, wouldn't it be grand if the city would sponsor a day (or a few hours) when the public could walk or ride their bikes on it before the August 2 opening? Envision a sea of families and people, running, walking or biking to christen an open parkway devoid of cars and trucks.  (Bakersfield Californian photo)

 * ... WALL DISPUTE: The folks trying to restore a walking path between Amberton and Stockdale Estates got some bad news recently when attorney Barry Goldner decided he could not longer represent them. If you remember, Goldner had offered to represent the group pro bono, but he apparently had a change of heart. Why? Goldner declined to tell me, but speculation is someone put some pressure on Goldner to back off. Goldner is a partner in the law firm of Klein DeNatale and Goldner. (file photo of Barry Goldner)

 * ... BAD FORM: Ray Riley witnessed a bit of bad form recently while having breakfast at the 24th Street Cafe. Said Riley: "Across the aisle from our booth, were a couple in their mid 30s, certainly old enough to be able to tell the difference between a restaurant and a bar. The woman was talking extremely loud, laughing, and lacing her conversation heavily with 'F bombs,' completely unaware or uncaring of the presence of children in nearby booths. It has become apparent that some people have no consideration or manners towards anyone else... it's what I want and it's all about me!"

 * ... MEMORIES: More memories of our town when it was a smaller, quieter burg. From reader Bob Tackett: "I remember in 1960 about two weeks after meeting my wife (engaged after 12 days, married 53 years this November) my parents were going to Sequoia. Janet and I drove through Bakersfield and stopped at Stan's to eat. (We lived in Pomona at the time). Then in 1967 we moved to Bakersfield to start a business (United Auto Wrecking). My first memories of that restaurant (Senor Jose's) is that after moving to Bakersfield, my brother and I and our wives went to have dinner at that location. At the time it was a steak house called King Arthurs. We were so incensed at the price ($34) for the four of us, that we never returned. After King Arthurs it became Senor Jose's. I don't recall if we ever ate there. My brother, Dwight became the owner of A-1 Battery in 1979."

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From retired Kern County Superior Court Judge Frank Hoover: on the old Bakersfield Open golf tournament.  "I caddied for my dad, Francis W. (Frank) Hoover, at both of them. He was the low amateur both years. I don't remember his scores but those few left who do remember his skills as a golfer won't be surprised at my memory that on the last day in the 1961 Bakersfield Open, he shot a 67 and hit all 18 greens. He played in the US Amateur at Pebble Beach that same year (a young kid named Nicklaus won). Thanks for the memories."