Gov. Brown signs into law a Rubio-sponsored bill to speed renewable energy projects, and a reunion at East High

 * ... GREEN LAW: Gov. Jerry Brown signed into a law Thursday that expedites the process fore reviewing and issuing permits for renewable energy projects within the Department of Fish and Game. The sponsor of the bill, state Sen. Michael Rubio, was on hand to witness Brown sign the bill during a brief ceremony in Fresno. He called it "critical" legislation to speed the permitting process. Meanwhile, Rubio is busy raising money for his run in the newly created 21st Congressional District, where Republican Fresno farmer David Valadao - a state Assemblyman - is also running. This should be a spirited race and one worth following. (file photo below of Michael Rubio)

 * ... HAPPY TRAILS: A large group of KBAK 29 employees gathered at the Prairie Fire bar at The Padre Hotel recently to celebrate the retirement of longtime employee Nancy Clarke. She retired after 32 years at KBAK and - as her coworkers told her - hardly looks 32 herself. She kept FCC reports for KBAK and directed and purchased programming for both KBAK and KBFX.

* ... EAST HIGH: East Bakersfield High School is looking for alumni to participate in video interviews about their time at the school. Karen Roney says it's all part of gearing up for the school's 75th anniversary. "If you have memories to share about experiences and/or favorite teachers please call Rick Van Horne at EBHS (661) 871-7221 to schedule an appointment time. Video interviews will be done on Monday, October 3 from 9 am until 3:30 pm in the Administration building.

 * ... SPOTTED: Able bodied, 30-something blonde, dressed to the nines and driving a shiny black BMW, pulls into a handicapped parking space at The Marketplace. When confronted by another woman, the blonde curtly responds "I'll only be a minute" and then flips the woman off. Such class.

 * ... MEMORY LANE: Another walk down memory lane, thanks to Victoria Brewer Sexton. She recalled the retailer Harold Brewer Women's Wear, Inc., located on the corner of F and 28th streets. (One reader had identified it as Harold Brown's) "Rosemary's occupies that building now and has for many years. Harold Brewer was my father and he started his specialty clothing business in 1954 and closed the doors in 1967.... I also have fond memories of the Carnation Company with its ice cream soda shop in front on Union Avenue. The Union Avenue Plunge was a treat for me, and that was a high tower we jumped off. The Terrace Drive-in was a high school memory."

* ... GOOD SERVICE: Reader Joe House added these thoughts about good service around town: "Bright House Networks. When I call I get someone from Bakersfield not India, and if they can`t take care of it over the phone they will send a service tech out quickly even on weekends. Also Memorial Hospital gave my wife the best of care."

A little post-election analysis, a First Friday and more reports of bad manners over Halloween

* .. ELECTION NOTES: Ever wonder what good could have come if Meg Whitman had used that $140 million she spent on her failed campaign for governor to instead fund charities? ... Now that Michael Rubio is heading to Sacramento and the State Senate, all eyes will be on who Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will appoint to fill Rubio's county supervisor seat. Former assemblywoman Nicole Parra is in the mix, as is Garden Pathways director Karen Goh. And a source told me not to rule out Wendy Wayne, the former First Five Commission chairwoman who would be a popular pick. ... The race between Rep. Jim Costa and Republican challenger Andy Vidak in the 20th Congressional district is too close to call, but it's curious how many  farmers turned on Costa so vehemently this year. Several told me it wasn't about water - Costa has long fought for valley water rights - but rather the perception that Costa had sold out to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Obama agenda.

 * ... OLD BAKERSFIELD: Received a thoughtful note from reader Gene Bonas who recalled growing up in a Bakersfield that was a much more simple place years ago. "I was born and raised in Bakersfield and, with the exception of the six years I spent serving our country in the United States Navy, I've lived here all my life. At that time it was an exciting excursion to shop downtown at Brock's, Vest Drugs, Kress, or Sears Roebuck and Company. To eat at the counter in Woolworth's or the 'elegant' dining on the second floor of Brock's was pure heaven. Sometimes, if we chose not to walk, we rode the bus to attend The Californian or Nile Theatres. Most of the time, though, we spent our 16 cents to watch the Saturday matinee at the Granada Theatre. This was at a time when east Bakersfield was a thriving community. What made it such a treat was going into Mother's Bakery and buying a dozen glazed donuts (George always gave me a baker's dozen), buying a milkshake at Hall's Drive-In, having lunch at the Knotty Pine Cafe and playing the juke box from your table, or Snider's to see and drool over the latest in bicycles. Saba's was and continues to be the place for quality clothing.  I honestly believe I grew up in the best of times."

 * ... FIRST FRIDAY: Time for another First Friday and it looks like the weather will cooperate. A lot of downtown businesses will remain open through the early evening, including Ellie Jay's Children's Boutique, Kuka's Folk Art, Dagny's Coffee, Art Express, the Bakersfield Art Association Art Center, the Spotlight Cafe and of course the Fox Theater. Over at Metro Galleries on 19th Street,  former Disney animator Mike Tracy's intriguing work (the show is called Monsters and Gods) continues to be displayed. At the Padre Hotel you can take in hand painted pottery by local artists and celebrities.And don't forget our downtown eateries that always need our support: Uricchio's Trattoria, Mexicali and Mama Roomba, among others.

 
* ... ADULT LITERACY: Another example of the generosity of our community comes from Donna Hylton, head of the Kern Adult Literacy Council. She reported that the Read to Succeed Brunch raised over $20,000 for the council. "It really is a miracle in this economy," she said. "All proceeds go to the 3,500 students at 56 sites around Kern County. If everyone gives a little bit it really makes a big difference."

 * ... BAD FORM: More reports of bad form on Halloween. This comes from Evan Jones: "A group of pre-teen boys came to my door Halloween night and got a little rowdy. I heard 'BAM, BAM, BAM! DING-DONG! DING-DONG! GIVE US YOUR CANDY!' Whatever happened to 'trick or treat?"

 * ... TASTE OF HOME: Never too early to get tickets to the annual "Taste of Home" cooking show that will be held Tuesday, November 16, at Rabobank Theater. This is a popular event that sold out last year. Tickets are $13 each and doors open at 3 p.m. Call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You know you're from Bakersfield if "you grew up in a family that dined at a Basque restaurant every Saturday during your childhood."

 

Busy weekend in old B-town with the Business Conference and other activities

* ... WEEKEND: Could not have asked for better weather for the return of the Bakersfield Business Conference, held under the big white tent out at Cal State Bakersfield. By all measures it was a huge success and no matter your politics, you have to tip your hat to local attorney George Martin, his son Brandon and all the others who worked hard to bring such big name news makers to town. Thanks to the Business Conference, the downtown Padre Hotel enjoyed its first fully booked weekend since its reopening, and restaurants across town were all doing a brisk business. The Padre also benefited from hosting the 20th reunion of the class of 1990 of Garces Memorial High School. At Uricchio's Trattoria downtown, the wait was a full hour and a half on Saturday night.

 * ... FORECLOSURES: The housing market, still sputtering as it works through a virtual tsunami of foreclosures, may be in for yet more trouble with Bank of America's decision to freeze evictions and some foreclosures because of questions over mistakes in handling the paperwork. As one local Realtor told me: "Foreclosed homes make up almost half my sales, and if you take that away, what will be left?" The hard truth is the market will never fully recover until we work through the thousands of foreclosures working their way through the system. Stay tuned for more developments on this story as the politicians weigh in to micro manage the process.

 * ... SPOTTED: This from a friend who was driving down Highway 178 last week: "I was in the left lane and I saw what appeared to be a woman on her knees in the back of a rather large SUV in the center lane just ahead of me. All of a sudden the back window rolls down and out the window at a pretty incredible speed a dirty diaper flung out... catching and sticking to the windshield of another SUV that was following the culprit, obviously following a little too closely. Ewww. Gag. This is an anonymous report. Could be my windshield next time!"

 * ... BIRTHDAY RIDE: Hank Pfister, the long-time tennis pro at Stockdale Country Club, celebrated his 57th birthday with a hundred-mile bike ride to Panorama Heights. Pfister and 19 other locals climbed more than 10,000 feet in the ride that took six and a half hours. During a long pro tennis career, Pfister was once ranked as high as 19th in the world on the ATP Tour.

 * ... OPEN HOUSE: Gordon Westhoff, a fellow gym rat who also happens to be director of admissions at Garces Memorial High School, reminded me that the annual Garces Open House for prospective students will be held Saturday, October 17 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.Garces has a long tradition of serving our community and has always provided a quality education.

* ... CSUB: The CSUB Alumni Association will hold its fall mixer at The Padre Hotel on October 21 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Prospect Lounge. The new "Runnertini" martini - it is made with blueberry and lemondrop to signify school colors - will be unveiled. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at csub.edu/alumni.

 * ... PROUD DAD: This from reader Gregg Hazle on his daughter, West High graduate Stacy Jo Craig. "She has been in the Air Force for 23 years and received her promotion to Lieutenant Colonel on Oct. 4 in Huntsville, Alabama. She has served in Desert Storm and in England, Turkey, Spain, Baghdad and many other postings. We are proud of our gal."

 * ... HAPPY JACKS: Reader Betty Hylton wrote in response to my earlier post on Happy Jack's Pie 'n Burger restaurant. "The original owner who founded Happy Jack's was Jack Boltz and it opened in the early 1960s. I don't remember the exact year. He was the purchasing agent at Union Oil Co. on F Street and left to start his own business. He must have sold the business to the Rosales family. So Happy Jack's has been at the location at least 45 years or more. I enjoy your Bakersfield Observed column." Thanks for the kind words, and the correction, Betty.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM:  You know you're a Bakersfield old-timer if you remember what KERO-TV was before it was channel 23. (Channel 10)

Bakersfield among top five "risky cities" for foreclosures and more on those burglaries across town

 

* ... RISKY CITIES: Bakersfield made another list of dubious distinction this week by being included among the nation's  "riskiest cities for homeowners." This latest bit of bad news came via Forbes.com (read the entire piece here) which compiled a list of the top cities where homeowners are facing foreclosure. In those top ten cities, an average of 7 percent of all loans are at least 90 days delinquent, "considerably more than the 4.4 percent average delinquency rate across the county's 100 biggest metros." Bakersfield was the fifth riskiest city with 8.55 percent of all loans at least 90 days overdue. The top four were Las Vegas, Riverside, Stockton and Modesto. Meanwhile, this comes as we learn from RealtyTrac that the number of U.S. homes taken back by banks through foreclosure hit a record high in the second quarter, up 38 percent from the same period last year.


 * ... BURGLARIES: My post earlier this week about a rash of burglaries downtown triggered several responses via Facebook and private emails. One friend who was vacationing said her investment rental downtown was broken into this week, and another reader who lives off White Lane in the Southwest said there had been a number of burglaries and thefts in her neighborhood. These crimes are so numerous that it's unreasonable to expect the police to follow up and investigate each one, so it's up to us to protect ourselves-through neighborhood watch groups, alarms and keeping an eye out for each other.


 * ...  BAD FORM: Is it too much to expect folks clean up after themselves? A friend who participates in a morning workout "boot camp" at Yokuts Park says the place is a mess, particularly down by the river where it's littered with old soda cans and bottles, fast food wrappers and even used diapers. That's right, used diapers. And two days ago I'm driving behind a faded older van when a passenger casually tosses a soda cup out the window. Good grief.

* ... GOOD NEWS: Nice to know that not every business is suffering in this economy. Over at the relatively new Bakersfield Veterinary Hospital, owner Dr. Paul Ulrich said his business is up year over year and he is thinking about adding two new vets to his six-doctor staff. "We're doing terrific," he told me. "It's a different experience because we're a large practice but we're doing quite well." The clinic, located near the corner of Harris and Gosford roads, looks like a small hospital and is open 24 hours a day. It is equipped with kennels, services for small and large pets and even has a 'pet library.' Last year, it won a prestigious award for its design.

 * ... SKEET ACES: The shotgun sports like skeet, trap and sporting clays are clearly niche sports, but locally they have attracted an impressive group of shooters. The California State Teams were announced recently and the Kern County Gun Club was well represented. Brian Foley, a sophomore at Lindenwood University in Missouri, made the Open First Team and the Ladies First Team had three youngsters from Bakersfield: sisters Rachel and Emily Shuford and Elizabeth Key. A third Shuford sister, Brooke, made the Ladies Second Team. Other local kids making teams included siblings Jenna, Dominic, Darin and Josh Bouni. A slew of others from Bakersfield were honored, including Ben Wagoner, Cherie Miles, Wayne Cagle and Wes Reece. (Shown below are Emily Shuford, Brian Foley, Brooke Shuford and Rachel Shuford)

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From reader Patsy Sadler: "You know you're a Bakersfield old timer if you remember when the Union Avenue Plunge bus would pick you up in your neighborhood and take you all day for 25 cents."