American cyclists more likely to die in bike crashes, Temblor Brewing Co. opens its doors to the public and good news for the Boys and Girls Club of Kern County

 * ... CLCLING: There are few better forms of exercise than cycling - the benefits to the

cardiovascular system are well known - but there is a dark downside to the explosion of recreational cyclists on our roads. I have chronicled numerous cycling accidents in this blog, and almost invariably they involve inexperienced or "beginning" cyclists riding beyond their talent level. Surprising? Not really according to The New York Times, which reports that "per kilometer and per trip cycled, American bicyclists are twice as likely to get killed as German cyclists and over three times as likely as Dutch cyclists." Why? American motorists are largely intolerant of cyclists, bike lanes here are rare and often inadequate and American riders are simply going too fast or not paying attention.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "The first 80 years of adulthood are always the toughest."

* ... TEMBLOR: I stopped by the new Temblor Brewing Co. to see what all the buzz was about in the community. This new local craft brewery is located in a cavernous building off Buck Owens Boulevard and is run by founders Thomas Maxwell and Don Bynum, two 30-somethings living the dream of owning their own brewery. (Maxwell is the son of local restaurateur and city councilman Terry Maxwell and Bynum the son of local developer Greg Bynum). Maxwell told me there are about 30 local investors and on the Sunday I visited, the place was busy with folks tasting Temblor's line of craft beers and enjoying entrees from the kitchen. Temblor is undergoing a soft opening with the official "grand opening" set for mid October.

 * ... RESCUE DOGS: Last week I wrote about a new thrift store that has opened to benefit the HALT (Helping Animals Live Tomorrow) rescue organization. Liz Keogh wrote to remind me that some 40 years ago, the Kern Humane Society opened its own thrift shop (aka "The Antique Store" as one client at a clinic referred to it). It is located at 2111 Brundage Lane, and the proceeds from the sales are used to fund their much-needed and successful programs for spay/neuter and limited medical assistance vouchers. Good luck to both these worthy organizations.

 * ... GOOD FORM: Jason Cohen is a financial adviser who spends hours volunteering as the president of the Boy and Girls Club of Kern County. He is understandably proud of this organization,  which was named the best Boys and Girls Club in the nation recently in several categories, and he shot me a note to remind me of all the good it does. In his words: "The Boys and Girls Clubs of Kern County now has 535 incredible employees who day in and day out work tirelessly to give our 8,000 kids a day tools to be productive and caring citizens. We started this school year with 62 sites making us the largest club in California. All really amazing facts we should be proud of as residents."

 * ... NORIEGA: Longtime business attorney Rob Noriega is joining the Young Wooldridge law firm in its business law department. Noriega, who serves as legal counsel for TBC Media, has been carrying on the practice of his late father, Joe Noriega, since his retirement 20 years ago.
"I did so with a wonderful partner, Eric Bradshaw, for many years. After Eric left the firm to join the Kern County Superior Court in 2009, I became interested in joining a larger law practice. A few months ago, I was approached by the Young Wooldridge firm about joining the firm’s Business Law Department and we appeared to match up well from the beginning. I was attracted to the firm’s long history in this community, the firm’s culture, and its excellent reputation in some core areas of legal practice."

Bako Bits: rudeness is in the eye of the beholder and Randy Martin will appear on Californian Radio to discuss Convenant Community Services

 * ... BAD FORM: On Friday I passed along a reader's complaint about a middle aged woman who interrupted a speech at the opening of the Southwest Baseball season because her car was blocked. The woman in question came forward, asked for anonymity and submitted this retort: "I'm the woman who interrupted the speeches at the Southwest Little League opening ceremonies March 5 to ask that the person who had blocked me in kindly move his/her vehicle. I had already called the number listed on the back window of the Chevy Silverado, left messages and waited to no avail. I knew I'd have no hope of getting an announcement to the crowd once the ball games started. I apologized and asked the emcee for help. I did not interrupt multiple times. I thanked him, apologized again and left. The entire episode lasted less than one minute — tops.  My patience, or lack thereof, isn't the issue here. The true discourtesy and bad form was on the part of the many, many parents who chose to park blocking other cars without even leaving a note including their cell number. What if someone had had an emergency? And whatever happened to 'do unto others?' Rude!"

 * ... TREES: Had a chance to stop by the Friday night fund raiser for the Tree Foundation of Kern and it proved to be a huge success. Among those I spotted at the gala, held at The Metro Galleries, were supervisor candidate Harley Pinson and wife Cindy, artist Art Sherwyn and wife Cheryl, John and Ginger Moorhouse, Melissa Iger, Rick Peace and West Rotary president Ricki Foster, Ward 2 city council candidate Ron Fraze and wife Shelly, Clinica Sierra Vista CEO Steve Schilling, former Kern School superintendent Larry Reider and wife  Sandy, water district manager and former Tree Foundation president Harry Starkey and many others.

 * ... HELMETS: It was a wonderful weekend to get outside and the bike trails and parks were full of families and recreational cyclists. That said, I am always amazed by the number of families - and their children - who ride bikes without a helmet. As a paramedic once told me: "You know what we call people who ride without helmets? Organ donors."

* ... COVENANT: Randy Martin is the chief "inspiration officer" for Covenant Community Services, a local nonprofit that is devoted to helping former and current foster children transition to adulthood. The organization fills an important void in our community by counseling and providing training and jobs for these youth. Martin will be my guest Monday on Californian Radio KERN 1180 starting at 9 a.m. Tune in to hear about this important work.

* ... PETROLEUM WIVES: The Association of Petroleum Wives is an active group in our community, and each year they raise thousands of dollars for a local charity. This year, according to Kacie Hathaway, the group is raising money for the Brain Injury Association of America with its annual charity bunco night at Stockdale Country Club on March 22. Any woman whose husband works in the petroleum industry who wants to join should email the group's membership char, Deb Carrieri, at dcarrieri@att.net.

 * ... REBUTTAL: Frank Hamon wrote to respond to my earlier post about a woman at a Christian school being rude after a fifth grade girls basketball game. "My wife teaches at a Christian school and also happens to coach our daughters fifth grade basketball team.  I also have taught at this Christian school and want your readers to know that not all families that attend Christian schools are Christians themselves.  I know that we have a great basketball team and I hope that none of our parents would do such a thing.  This includes me."

 * ... SPOTTED: Two young men in an older model pickup truck, headed west on Stockdale Highway near Chipotle and Cafe Med,  sharing a bong at a traffic light.

* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: John Strand from Lake Isabella says you may be a Bakersfield old timer if you remember "the monkeys in the large cage at Canady's Nursery in Pumpkin Center. One monkey in particular, Bruce, had a powerful pitching arm." Unfortunately, sometimes he was pitching fecal matter at innocent bystanders.

A few examples of really bad behavior in our community and examining the demographics of a changing America

  * ... BAD FORM: Sometimes you just can't avoid the stupidity of your fellow man. As in when Warren Rooney was cycling on Round Mountain Road about four miles east of Gordon's Ferry when he experienced an incident that could have left him in the hospital, or worse. "It was a Saturday afternoon when a vehicle came up behind me going 45-50 mph and the passenger slugged me in the back. I could tell that the vehicle was coming close by the sound and so I was inches from the edge of the pavement and they came up next to me within a foot or so. It was an older American made SUV, possibly a late 1980s or early 1990s Chevy Blazer or Suburban. It had an old red-orange paint job that looked like it might have been done at home. The rear license plate was inside the rear window and had reflective plastic between the license plate and window making it difficult to read." This guy should be easy enough to notice around town.
 

 * ... SINGLES: There has been a rash of stories recently on our nation's changing demographics, including statistics that show that fully half of all adults are unmarried and most of them are living alone. And now comes a website devoted to the single life called "QuirkyAlone." The website says it is devoted to people who "enjoy being single (but is not opposed to being in a relationship) and prefer being single to dating for the sake of dating. It’s a mindset. Quirkyalone is not anti-love. It is pro-love. It is not anti-dating. It is anti-compulsory dating."

* ... DRIVERS: Nancy Barnett read my earlier post about an unlicensed driver, who had no insurance, caused an accident and then just drove off before police arrived. She added this:  "At the checkpoints the Bakersfield Police Department hold, if you are driving without a license but you can call someone to come get your car and drive you home, they let you go.  Do the police actually think that person won't get behind the wheel and do this again? It's even more amazing how many people don't keep the registration up to date on their cars!  If it was you or me and our tags were 6 months out of date, we'd be pulled over in a heartbeat and ticketed!"



 * ... HEALTH FACTS: Researchers now believe that adopting a diet of fish and other foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids will help your memory as you age. In fact, The Wall Street Journal says some doctors are recommending we eat fish three times a week. And there is this: other research shows that men who are at least six feet tall have a much lower risk of developing heart failure than shorter men. So count yourself lucky if you're tall and enjoy that tilapia a few times a week.


* ... WEILL: One of my favorite and worth-while nonprofit fund raisers is coming up next month when The Weill Child Guidance Foundation will hold its annual wine tasting at the historic Guild House Friday, March 23, from 5:30 p.m. 8 p.m. This is always an interesting evening and a chance to taste some good wines and munch on hors d'oeuvres while touring the beautiful Guild House. The cost is $75 per person. Call Toni Ross at (661) 322-1021, ext. 186 for reservations. Proceeds benefit the Henrietta Weill Memorial Child Guidance Clinic, which has provided mental health services for Kern County children and families for 66 years.

 * ... OUR HISTORY: Did you know that John Philip Sousa and his "Sousa's Peerless Band" performed in Bakersfield's Armory Hall on February 26, 1896? The cost for reserved seats? Just $1.