Men behaving badly, regulators behaving badly and Steve Annis lands on his feet

 * ...STREET BUZZ: I heard that Steve Annis, the chief financial officer of the now defunct San Joaquin Bank, has been hired in the same post at Valley Republic Bank. Annis is the latest of a long string of San Joaquin employees to land on their feet following San Joaquin's seizure by the FDIC  last October 16. He is a talented banker with many years of experience, including a long stint at American National Bank.

 * ... FED BONUSES: Speaking of banks, I saw the Associated Press reported that our government handed out millions of dollars in bonuses to federal regulators whose agencies ignored the warning signs that our financial system was on the verge of a meltdown. Said the AP: "The bonuses ... are the latest evidence of the government's false sense of security during the go-go days of the financial boom. Just as bank executives got bonuses despite taking on dangerous amounts of risk, regulators got taxpayer-funded bonuses for doing 'superior' working monitoring the banks." And so it goes.

 * ... MEN BEHAVING BADLY: There's a sociological experiment of sorts going on over at the newly renovated Padre Hotel involving hygiene and men behaving badly. It started when I overheard a group of women at the bar pointing to a young man who had failed to wash his hands after using the men's restroom. How did they know? Turns out, the hotel has a common wash space outside the restrooms that men and women share and this guy had bypassed the wash station and headed straight to the bar. You've been warned, gents.

* ... LOVE STORY: I received a wonderful email from Michael Edgerle, who was eager to tell me about his own love story and return to Bakersfield. Turns out Michael did all his early schooling in one city block: Eissler Elementary, Chipman Junior High and Highland High School, class of 1990. He went on to Evangel University, a Christian college in Missouri where he spent four winters learning to scrape ice off his car windows. He returned to Bakersfield and met Tiffany Shick at his church. She grew up in McFarland, graduated from Garces Memorial High School and was attending Azusa Pacific University. She eventually worked for Catholic Healthcare West and he worked at Dole Fresh Fruit before the company left town. He now works at Adventist Health (San Joaquin Hospital) and she stays at home with their three children.
 "I had no idea what would be in store for me career wise coming back to Bakersfield... (but) now we're back in the Northeast part of town (City in the Hills), still attending Canyon Hills church where Tiffany and I met, and busy raising our kids in this great community of ours. And doing it all in our hometown where we have four generations on either side of our family. It is a true blessing."

 * ... ANOTHER RETURNS: Bill and Avon Wonderly wrote to tell me about her daughter, Sally Wonderly, who also graduated from Garces Memorial High School, went to UCLA to pursue her dream of becoming and doctor and has now returned after many years. "Sally and her husband of 15 years, Jeff Nalesnik, and their three boys (our grandchildren) have moved back home to Bako!!!  Sally Wonderly Nalesnik is an OB/GYN at Advanced Women's Health Center, while Jeff is a Urologist for Kaiser Permanente. Their three active boys are students at St. Francis School (third generation)....it is a dream come true for us...Bakersfield has been a wonderful place to live and now Sally's family is finding this to be true as well.  Thank you for letting us share our happiness and welcome them home to Bakersfield."

  
* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You know you're from Bakersfield when "Anywhere that takes longer than a ten-minute drive is way too far."

Oxy finds huge new oil reserves in Bakersfield and the story of an incredible bike journey

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 * ... OXY HITS IT BIG:  The latest issue of Forbes magazine says that Occidental Petroleum, which it calls the "untrendiest of the big oil companies," is proving that the days "easy oil" are not yet over. Forbes says Oxy's announcement of a big new oil reserve near Bakersfield last year is turning out to be "the biggest onshore oil discovery" in the country in the last three decades. It apparently may have as much as 1 billion barrels of oil, all relatively easy to extract. All this of course is good news for our local economy and the oil companies that provide so many jobs and capital for investment. Said Forbes: "That the gusher is situated in a hydrocarbon basin that has been picked over for 100 years validates Oxy President Steven Chazen and Chief Executive Ray R. Irani: the best place to find new oil is in old oilfields." (click here to read the full story)

* ...  BIKE TREK: Reader Kimberly Thompson shared an inspiring story about her son Jacob and two of his adventure-loving friends. Turns out that the threesome completed an epic 3 1/2 year bike ride that began in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, and ended in Ushuaia, Argentina, in Tierra del Fuego. She said that's a distance of some 34,000 kilometers (roughly 20,400 miles) that took them through 14 countries, arriving last in Argentina on January 10. (check out his website here) Jacob graduated from Centennial High School in 2000 and UC Santa Cruz in 2005 with an MA in Education. He currently works as an independent studies teacher in Taft for the Kern County Superintendent of Schools as he "contemplates his next adventure." Check out their website at www.ridethespine.com for some videos of this truly epic adventure.

 * ... RABOBANK: Had a chance the other day to meet Anker Fanoe, the new regional president of Rabobank. Fanoe replaced Michael Olague, who ended up in a similar position with Bank of the Sierra. Fanoe's wife and children are in Sacramento trying to sell their house and he's anxious to get them to the south valley. His first impression of Bakersfield: the people could not be nicer or more welcoming. I met him at the Rabobank Arena during a reception for sponsors of the upcoming Tour of California, a pro cycling race that will end its Stage Five with a sprint up the Panorama bluffs near Bakersfield College on May 20. The Dutch-based bank has long sponsored a pro cycling team and is one of the supporters of the California tour. It will be a good show.

* ... COMING HOME: Always nice to hear when folks make it back to town after establishing themselves elsewhere, and the latest to return comes via Daniel Klingenberger of the employment law group of Dowling, Aaron and Keeler. He told me that Micah Nilsson and Cheryl (Smith) Nilsson recently returned after being gone well over a decade. Micah is working at the law firm while Cheryl is taking care of their three boys. This couple has quite a resume, having lived in Idaho, Chile, San Luis Obispo, Utah, Hawaii, San Diego, Davis and Monterey. They met at Chipman Junior High and both graduated from Highland High where Cheryl was senior class president and Micah served on the student government association board. After a circuitous path, Cheryl graduated from Cal Poly SLO and Micah from Brigham Young University-Hawaii. They are happy to be back home raising their family.

* ... ART DEALS: If you're an art lover and believe in supporting the local arts you will enjoy "Art A Go-Go" over at the Bakersfield Museum of Art this Saturday. Here's the deal: local collectors have been donating art to the museum, which it in turn will sell to support local programs. Museum marketing director Beth Pandol says there are some terrific pieces for sale, some at bargain prices. This is a free event at the museum, and hats off to chair Cynthia Icardo and her crew for pulling all this together. Said Beth Pandol: "We have an amazing amount of art that has been donated. It's been a big surprise to see how much has come in. There's something for every taste and style. Paintings, prints, posters and lots of just nice, empty frames.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: This one comes from longtime journalist and Californian colleague Evan Jones: You know you're from Bakersfield "if your funeral is followed by a car wash." Ouch!

A local connection to the Oscars, more kids come home to roost and others are off to college

 * ... OSCAR CONNECTION: How many of you knew there was a strong Bakersfield connection to the Academy Awards? That's the word from Dennis Thelen, a partner at the LeBeau-Thelen law firm, who told me one of the winners of the "Best Original Song" Oscar used to call Bakersfield home. The song is titled "The Weary Kind"and is from the movie "Crazy Heart" featuring Best Actor winner Jeff Bridges. Ryan Bingham and T. Bone Burnette shared the Oscar for the song, and it turns out Bingham lived here for eight years before his family moved back to Texas and New Mexico. "Some will remember him as a very talented AYSO soccer player and Southwest Little League baseball player before he got interested in the guitar," Thelen said. Thanks for sharing, Dennis.

 * ... ANOTHER COMES HOME: I enjoyed a nice email exchange with reader Marie Parks who wanted to share the story of her son Jim Parks, yet another local product who went to college out of town, worked elsewhere but chose to return to our community. Jim graduated in 1989 from North High School, was an All Area varsity basketball player and a member of the National Honor Society. He graduated from Long Beach State (CSU Long Beach), worked in San Diego, married but decided to come back  home. His wife, Melanie, is from Tehachapi and the couple just had their first child, a daughter named Mahaila. By the way, father Jim Parks coached at CSUB in the 1980s and this week will be inducted into the California Community College Coaches Association Men's Basketball Hall of Fame. As Marie said: "I am proud of both of my boys!"

 * ... COLLEGE BOUND: Reader Lisa Bell let me know that her daughter, Allison Bell, a senior at Centennial High School, is headed for Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, this summer. Also, local Wells Fargo commercial banking vice president Michael Congdon (and his wife Lanette) report that daughter Lacey, also a Centennial senior, will be attending Baylor University. Congratulations to both these young women being accepted to these outstanding schools.

  * ... GET WELL EDDIE: I heard that local businessman Eddie Paine suffered a mild heart attack earlier this week. Eddie checked himself into Mercy Southwest Hospital after experiencing what seemed like indigestion and promptly received a heart stent. He's doing well and under doctor's orders to lighten up on the stress. Always easier said than done. Eddie is a longtime Bakersfield resident and his wife Maria is head of human resources over at Jim Burke Ford. Daughter Rachel is at Stanford University. Get well,  Eddie. 

 * ... THE BUZZ: It was disheartening to hear that our unemployment rate had jumped to 17.1 percent, a pretty clear signal that this long recession is far from over. There is no better barometer about the health of our economy than the number of folks out of work, and the release of this new number was like a dagger to the  heart. Once you factor in those who are considered under-employed or have simply stopped looking for work, our jobless rate is well north of 20 percent. Think about that: one in every five people in Kern County is either out of work or earning too little to make ends meet.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISMS: You know you're from Bakersfield when "One of your friends owns a house on a spot where you had field parties in high school.

A Driller-Gaucho cabal and celebrating the renewal of old downtown Bakersfield

 * ... DRILLER-GAUCHO CABAL: I received a long, thoughtful and witty email the other day from Daniel Ketchell, who was eager to weigh in on the "brain drain" of local young people who leave Bakersfield and never come back. Daniel is a graduate of Bakersfield High and UC Santa Barbara and the son of Marsha and Gary Ketchell. Marsha is a former teacher at McAuliffe Elementary and now principal at Berkshire Elementary. One of my daughters was blessed to have Marsha as a teacher at McAuliffe; she's truly one of our community's outstanding educators. Daniel says though he now lives in Sacramento - he's just 25 - he may return one day. "I haven't thought about it too much but I'd love to end up in Bakersfield at some point. I hope that as the city grows (and it's obvious from your blog it is growing up every day), more and more people my age will feel the same way and come home to help Bakersfield keep moving on up. Also, while we're at it, two other former Drillers are hiding up here in Sacramento and are not on your list. It's my duty to rat them out. Jon Bertran-Harris (BHS 2002, UCSB 2007) and Ben Tragish (BHS 2005, UCSB 2009) That's right a Driller-Gaucho cabal."

 * ... DOWNTOWN RENAISSANCE: It was another successful First Friday in the downtown arts district, the latest in the rebirth of the central business district. If you gave up on downtown years ago, it's time to give it another look. The opening of the Padre Hotel and newer upscale restaurants like Enso sushi bar on 19th Street have joined longtime venues like Uricchios Trattoria, theWall Street Alley and the new arts galleries to give the area a new charm. Among those folks I spotted out and about were Lou and Sheryl Barbich, Mel and Darci Atkinson, Bruce and Jane Haupt with daughter Alyse, Michelle Mize, Barbara Reid, Joe and Mimi Audelo, Lisette Stinson and Kim Jessup, David Gordon, Scott Garrison, Jan Bans, Wendy Wayne and Gene Tackett, Bill and Sharon Thomas, John and Ginger Moorhouse, Joan and Bernie Herman, Dr. Javier and Laurie Bustamante, Lance and Jan St. Pierre, David Coffey, Jim Scott and Bart and Napier Hill.


* ... GARCES GALA: The folks over at Garces Memorial High School are preparing for the Garces Gala this Saturday, the Catholic school's annual black tie fund raiser featuring cocktails, hors d' oeuvres, live and silent auctions, dinner and dancing. This is a huge event for the private school and special events coordinator Desiree Adams tells me it will be "new and improved" from previous years. The theme this year is "Polynesian Paradise." My older daughter is a proud Garces grad and I've attended a number of these galas. The highlight for me is the annual auctioning of a sweet puppy at the end of the evening when the crowd is "loosened up" and the wallets come open. Tickets are $125 each and it all starts at 5 p.m.

 * ... CIOPPINO: Speaking of fund raisers I attended the annual Cioppino Feed at Garces Memorial High School Saturday night. This is one of my favorite charities, not only because of what it benefits but also because of its sheer unique character. More than 500 folks dined on fresh steamed clams, salad and cioppino fish stew. Sponsored by the Bakersfield West Rotary Foundation, this annual event has supported a number of well deserving charities. Hats off to the many West Rotarians who made this happen, including Mike Rubiy, David Gay, Rick Kreiser, John Falgatter, Jim Darling and so many others.

 

 

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Reader Esther Brandon spottted a Bakersfieldism and submitted it: You know you're from Bakersfield when you "drive by an estate sale at a mobile home park."

Housing prices still heading south and four from Bakersfield named All-American in skeet shooting

* .. HOUSING BLUES: The long feared "double dip" in housing prices is now taking hold in as many as one in five major housing markets. That's the word from Zillow, the national real estate sales and data provider. Our own market here in Bakersfield remains slow, and local Realtors tell me there isn't a lot of inventory on the market. We are still working through thousands of foreclosures, and there are more to come. Zillow identified the top five cities to find a "bargain" for a house because of depressed prices. They are Naples, Fla., Cape Cod, Mass., Charleston, S.C., Merced, CA. (one house that sold for $337,000 five years ago just sold for $80,000) and Chicago. (read the Zillow and ABC report here) Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal referred to the pending flood of new foreclosures as "shadow inventory" and said there were enough homes expected to hit the market to last about 10 months based on average sales rates. It said the worst hit areas are California (naturally), Arizona, Florida and Nevada.

 * ... TRAVELING HOPWOODS: Reader Dale Hopwood wrote to remind me that Bakersfield was known as "Quakersfield" after the 1952 earthquake that devastated our once historic downtown. But he really wanted to talk about his children, some of whom moved away but came back home to live and work. His son, Ken Hopwood, is a North High graduate who was living in the Southland but moved back to work as a software engineer for Prosoft. Ken 's wife, Becky Coats, is working with the reading class at Endeavour Elementary. Meanwhile daughter Dana Villicano is teaching science at Fruitvale Junior High and another son, George Hopwood, is working at UC Santa Barbara in the special projects office. Finally, the last of the traveling Hopwoods is his daughter Sara Holm, a geologist living in the mountains of northern New Mexico.

 * ... SKEET HONORS: Kudos to four Bakersfield skeet shooters who have been named to the 2010 All-American Teams by the National Skeet Shooting Association. This is really unusual to have so many from one club make the All-American squads, and it's a credit to the programs and facilities at the Kern County Gun Club located near the Lake Buena Vista Recreation Area. Ben Wagoner, the 45-year-old owner of Air Control Services heating and air conditioning, was named to the Rookie First Team while Brian Foley was named to both the Open Honorable Mention team and the Junior First Team. Foley graduated from Ridgeview High and is now a freshman at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo. Also named All-Americans were sisters Emily and Rachel Shuford, a senior and sophomore at Bakersfield High respectively. Rachel made the Sub-Junior First Team and Emily the Junior Honorable Mention Team. 

 (Above picture left to right Emily Shuford, Brian Foley, Brooke Shuford and Rachel Shuford. Lower picture is Ben Wagoner with Brian Foley)


 * ... B-TOWN JUST FINE: Reader Dave Collins, who works at the local collection agency Commercial Trade, dropped me a nice personal note and ended it by saying "... by the way, I think 'Bako' is just fine along with B-town and Bake-in-the-field." Add him to the list who think 'Bako' is not an insult.


* ... BAKERSFIELDISMS: You know you are from Bakersfield when ...  "You know a swamp cooler is not a happy hour drink" and "You know Trouts and we're not talking about the fish."

Remembering Sister Kay O'Brien and the surprising choice for a new Kern Foundation president

* ... REMEMBERING SISTER KAY: I was saddened to hear that Sister Kay O'Brien, the last member of a religious order to serve as principal of Garces Memorial High School, died last week. Sister Kay was a member of the Sisters of the Tacoma Dominican Order and served as principal for seven years, from 1971 through 1978. No doubt there are many in our community who fondly remember her tenure at Garces. She was responsible for hiring many of the school's former and current staff members, including V. Robert Garcia, who eventually returned as principal for three years before dying two years ago. Also hired by Sister Kay were John and Vince Fanucchi, Mike Phillips, Janie Reiland and Lela Steiber. After Garces she served as principal at St. Ann Catholic School in Ridgecrest and then as principal at St. Aloysius Catholic School in Tulare.

 * ... THE REEP GIRLS: I ran into local artist and educator Susan Reep the other day and she updated me on her three daughters, each of whom swore she would never return to Bakersfield after college, but of course did. Her youngest, Kimberly Smith, graduated from Cal State Northridge, lived on the coast but "made her way back to good ole Bako and opened Kern Train Your Brain, a neuro feedback business." Middle daughter Karen married Steve Davies and both taught school in Bakersfield but left for Colorado because Steve "found it easier to breathe there." Finally, oldest daughter Jennifer was dead set against returning but husband Matt Constantine wanted to live here. He is head of the Department of Public Health and Jennifer is a reading specialist at Endeavor Elementary.

 * ... BAKO SEASON: In the debate over whether "Bako" is an appropriate nickname for our town, longtime local sports photographer John Harte reminded me that his parents live in Grover Beach, a popular destination for those of us in the Central Valley. "Over the years I've heard service industry employees say 'the Bakos are coming.' I've also heard a few refer to summertime as 'Bako season.' Never offended me. I got a kick out of it."

 * ... THE BUZZ: More than a few folks were surprised by the choice of an outsider as the new president and CEO of the Kern Community Foundation. Floridian Jeffrey Pickering  is the new president, and he certainly brings with him sound credentials and experience in foundation work. But there were a number of local, well connected candidates who already intimately know the local scene and the players and could hit the ground running. Still, we can be certain that acting CEO Judi McCarthy directed a deliberate, thorough, thoughtful search, so I don't have any doubt that Pickering will succeed. We should all wish him luck.

 * ... RED CROSS: Speaking of jobs, I heard from my friend Scott Garrison that Lorraine Castro was no longer CEO of the Kern County Red Cross office. Apparently she is now working at Turning Point. Garrison is a member of the Kern Red Cross Board of Directors and said it is searching for a replacement.

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Bako, better than "Toad Suck" Arkansas ...

 * ... BAKO SALARIES RISING: It was nice to see that Bakersfield made the list of cities where salaries are rising the fastest. This comes despite our high unemployment (north of 15 percent by most measures) and lower demographics. The survey by Forbes (read the story here) says our success can be attributed to the oil and gas industry and the need for engineers, of which there are plenty in Bakersfield and Kern County. One excerpt from the piece:

 "In fact, soaring unemployment rates did little to deter leading contenders from the top ranks. The second-best metropolitan area, Bakersfield, Calif., has an unemployment rate of 14.5 percent. However, the lucrative engineering profession has a strong presence there, along with the oil and gas extraction industries. These niches have provided a nice cushion for employees, particularly highly skilled workers and recent college grads with degrees in engineering."

 * ... DOWNTOWN CLEANUP: We take it for granted now, but it's a pleasure to see the clean up and revitalization of parts of central Bakersfield. I've lived here long enough to remember when this part of town was a scary mess, but the area (most of it anyway) is now a tribute to revitalization and renewal. I'm speaking of the zone from Truxtun to California Avenue and from N Street to S Street, including the Rabobank Arena and convention center, the new Maya theaters, the ice rink and McMurtrey Aquatic  Center, the Convention snd Visitors Bureau, Amtrak Station, Marriott Hotel and the one that started it all, the Beale Library.  There are still some pockets to go, but it's a big improvement. Now if the core "downtown" business district area can continue its progress, we'll be in even better shape. Kudos to all involved.

 * ... FRESNO BULLDOG COMES HOME: I heard from the parents of Allison Brandt Oliver,  who graduated from West High and Cal State University Fresno with a degree in construction management, that she returned to Bakersfield to work with her father Bob, building custom homes with Brandt Homes.

 * ... BAKO OR BAKERSFIELD? Reader Caroline O. Reid weighs in on the debate over the use of the  term Bako to describe our city. She doesn't like it, and agrees with contributor Sharon Milton that it's an insult. In her words: "I agree with Sharon. It's a little too 'text messagee' for newsprint. I've also thought it unprofessional and insulting. You asked. You got!"

 On the other hand, Patti Imes wrote to say Bako is "just fine" with Patti and  her girl friends and they have been using it for years. She added: "Just keep in mind that us girls did not actually make up the term Bako. I'm sure we must have picked it up along the way from the good ole' boys, ie. Cousin Herb, Merle Haggard, Buck, etc. as in 'Good ol' Bako'. You might mention that it's better than living in Toad Suck, Arkansas."

 * ... THE BUZZ:  I heard that Keith Erickson, one of the great players for the UCLA championship basketball teams and later the Los Angeles Lakers, will give the keynote address at the annual Bakersfield Prayer Breakfast on January 28 at 6:45 a.m.  Erickson played for the the legendary Bruin coach John Wooden when UCLA won the NCAA title in 1964 and 1965. He is now a motivational speaker.

Macey Kibbee's recovery and RIP Shirley Ann Fiddler

 * ... MACEY KIBBEE'S RECOVERY: I've been following the slow recovery of Macey Kibbee, one of our local girls who was gravely injured when she was hit by a car while jogging in Long Beach. (read the previous post here). Macey, who graduated from Stockdale High two years ago, is a sophomore at Long Beach State. The accident, which happened around dusk several weeks ago, has left her with brain injuries but the family says there is reason for optimism. To check out her progress, go to the family blogsite here. Since the accident, a steady stream of friends and well wishers have visited her at Long Beach Memorial. The details of exactly what caused the accident are not clear, and the emphasis now is on her recovery. Her long term prognosis remains uncertain, but she is talking and has regained movement of her body since coming out of a drug-induced coma. Keep Macey and the Kibbee family in your thoughts.

 * ... AND THE KIDS COME HOME: The tragedy of Macey is a cautionary reminder for all the families and children on the move this Christmas. College holiday breaks began this week for most schools, and the local kids will be arriving for their annual pilgrimages to Luigi's, Woolgrower's, the 24th Street Cafe, Uricchios and all their  favorite haunts. Hats off to so many of our local retailers who have opened their payrolls to hire some of these kids part-time over the holidays. It keeps them busy, out of trouble and provides them with a few bucks to take back to school. Let's hope this holiday is a safe one for everyone traveling and on the road.

 * ... THE CLARKS OF BAKERSFIELD: Matt Clark, one of the young lawyers at Chainlaw, reminded me that both he and his wife Molly are among the growing list of folks who went away to school and then returned. Matt went to Garces Memorial, graduated from Loyola Marymount and then McGeorge law school. Molly went to Bakersfield High and earned her B.A. from Cal State Bakersfield. They lived in Sacramento before deciding to head home. Michael Clark, Matt's father, was a North High grad who went off to UCLA and Stanford, only to return with his wife, Norleen Clark, who graduated from BHS and then went onto San Diego State. Finally, Matt's sister is Amanda Meszaros (Clark), a BHS Driller who went off to Rutgers and Sacramento State who has since returned to Bakersfield as a special education teacher in the Panama Buena Vista School District. As if that were not enough, Matt added that his "good buddy Jeff Giumarra" went to BHS and then to Claremont McKenna College, returning to work for his family business. Lastly, Matt said another of his friends is Chris Ruppel, a West High graduate who graduated from New Mexico State but is back in town. That's quite a list. My thanks to Matt for submitting it to BakersfieldObserved. 

 * ... RIP SHIRLEY FIDDLER: I was saddened to hear about the death of Shirley Ann Fiddler, a longtime Bakersfield resident and wife of retired oil engineer Claude Fiddler. Shirley was active in the community and a regular guest at the downtown Rotary Club where Claude served as president. (They were married in 1955) I am always impressed by breadth of experience and travel seen in the obituaries of folks in the oil industry, and Shirley's did not disappoint. Working for Chevron, the Fiddlers lived everywhere from Hong Kong to Madagascar, Perth, Australia, Paris and Taft before ending up in Bakersfield where both Shirley and Claude threw themselves into the community. Services will be held Thursday, Dec. 17 at Greenlawn Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, the family requested donations to the local SPCA.
 

 

Stockdale Highway construction mess cleared up and Stinson's says thanks to its customers

 * ... THE MESS THAT IS STOCKDALE HIGHWAY: If you live in Bakersfield, I don't need  to tell you what a mess Stockdale Highway has become with the long overdue repaving and widening. The stretch from Highway 99 to California Avenue is a particular problem, and after getting caught in that mess several weeks ago, I have simply avoided it. And apparently so have a lot of other people. The businesses along that popular stretch of Stockdale Highway have felt the drop in business, which is the last thing they need in a recession. So it was nice to hear from Barry Goldner, a principal in the Klein DeNatale Goldner law firm, that the city relented and reopened most of the lanes at the appeal of local businesses. Said Goldner:

  "The problem was particularly acute at Stockdale Fashion Plaza. The irony is that the City was spending stimulus funds to improve the roads, and choking out (albeit inadvertently) the businesses that would ultimately benefit from the road improvements. At the urging of the businesses in Stockdale Fashion Plaza, the City opened up Stockdale Highway to six lanes. Now, traffic flow is restored. Stockdale Fashion Plaza is back and the roads are clear--six lanes of traffic."

  So if you're like me and have been avoiding that part of town, feel confident you can return to Cafe Med, Christine's, the Gourmet Shop, Houston Jewelers, the Outback Steakhouse and other businesses at the Stockdale Fashion Plaza without spending 30 minutes staring at your knuckles in traffic. Thanks to Barry Goldner for the tip.

 * STINSON'S THANKS ITS CUSTOMERS: I had the chance to stop by the annual customer appreciation lunch put on by Stinson Stationers at the company's 60,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution facility in East Bakersfield. Company president Ben Stinson does this every year, treating more than 600 customers to a barbeque lunch with dozens of free door prizes. The locally owned company, founded in 1947, has succeeded and held off the big box stores through a steady mantra of over the top customer service, Bakersfield style. Hats off to Ben and his crew at Stinson's.

  * ... UNIVERSITY OF PACIFIC SENDS TWO HOME: Local residents Tom and Sherry Sharp alerted me that their daughter Taryn, who graduated from Centennial High in 2000, is now back home working as a pharmacist at Sav-On Drug inside Albertson's on Coffee Road and Olive Drive. Taryn swam all four years at Cal State Bakersfield, graduated with honors and then went to the pharmacy program at the University of  Pacific in Stockton. She married Jeffrey Jolliff in 2004. He graduated from Garces Memorial and also from the pharmacy program at UOP in Stockton. He is now a pharmacist at Kern Medical Center. His parents are Terry and Eloise Jolliff of Joliff Enterprises, a long time custom home builder in Bakersfield. 

 * ... RIDGEVIEW KID RETURNS: Yet another proud mom, Victoria Martinez-Tate, tells me her daughter Alexis Olivas is back in town. Alexis graduated from Ridgeview High School, went to Bakersfield College for two years and then transferred to the University of California Santa Barbara where she earned a B.A. in history and a B.S. in biology. She worked both in northern and southern California and is now employed by Grimmway Farms as a qualify control laboratory manager. 

                       

Central Valley, Noriega Hotel get some positive ink and more kids come home to roost

* ... A TOAST TO THE CENTRAL VALLEY: It's always nice to see the Central Valley get some positive reviews from time to time, particularly given the bad rap we have with our neighbors to the north and south of us. The Valley has often been called the "other California" because we always take a back seat to our sexier neighbors in SoCal (LA, San Diego) and NorCal (San Francisco), even if those of us who live here recognize what wonderful communities we have. So it was nice to get some recognition from "Californiality," one of my favorite blogs written by Mark Lorier.  (read the entire thing here). A couple excerpts:


"While agriculture is king, this Valley has great cities like Sacramento, Fresno, Bakersfield, Modesto, Stockton, Redding, Visalia and a hundred great towns. High rise buildings, wealth, luxurious shopping, museums, art galleries, wineries, live theaters, concerts, professional sports, world-class dining and refined culture are all here.  It's a gigantic society with all of the amenities.

  "I hear older residents lamenting about how young people leave the Central Valley after receiving degrees from local universities.  Many of these young folks are lured away by great offers elsewhere, and why not?  They're smart, ambitious, talented young Californians with a high-quality California college education.  Anyone would want them! 
 "What these young folks may not know is that, with the way things are headed in this era, California's Central Valley will grow in importance and stature as humanity moves into a tumultuous future."

* ... NORIEGA HOTEL GETS SOME INK:  It was also nice to see the Noriega Hotel and the Central Valley get some ink in The New York Times recently. The Times did a roundup of Central Valley eateries and chose Noriega's for its Basque cuisine. (read the entire post here) Said the Times:


  "The history of the southern San Joaquin Valley can be read in its food. Old Town Bakersfield is home to a handful of Basque restaurants, a legacy of sheepherders who moved to the valley in the late 1890s, after years of working for others. According to Nancy Zubiri, author of “A Travel Guide to Basque America,” 95 percent of the sheep in Kern County are now owned by people of Basque descent. Farther north, in Hanford, Portuguese dairy farmers still make Old World-style cheese. Recent Laotian immigrants operate Thai and Vietnamese restaurants in Visalia."

 * ... A COUPLE MAKES BAKO HOME: Wayne Kress, a principal over at the commercial real estate firm CB Richard Ellis, added his newlywed neighbors to the list of kids who have come home, Chris Travis and Christina Beechinor Travis. He said Chris graduated from the University of Arizona and now works in sales for Lightspeed Systems and Christina earned her degree from Santa Clara University and now works for Aera Energy.

 * ...BULLDOG COMES HOME: Proud mom Mary Santomen, who works at Golden Valley High School, emailed me about her son Samuel Blue. He studied engineering at Bakersfield College for two years, went on to graduate from Fresno State and is now back home working for Meyer Civil Engineering Company, which had a role in the Mill Creek project development.

* ... HEAVY DOSE OF CONSERVATISM: Local attorney George Martin isn't breaking any new ground with his lineup for the next Bakersfield Business Conference, now set for next October 9. Former Bush administration White House player Karl Rove has joined the lineup, along with Dick and Lynne Cheney, Barbara Bush, Mitt Romney and event keynoter Sarah Palin. Martin is following a predictable path here, assembling a lineup that looks a lot like Fox News but one that is guaranteed to be a hit with Bako's rock hard conservative audience. The real key will be the venue, and that hasn't been determined. Martin has always provided an incredible outdoor setting for the business conference, in the past turning the Cal State campus into a lush green setting looking like the infield grounds at the Churchill Downs. He wants to land the Park at Riverwalk, but it's not yet a done deal.

Valley tries to lure the young and talented back home, and remembering Lenore Carter

 *... LURING YOUNG TALENT BACK HOME:  I've spent a lot of time chronicling many of the local kids who have decided to return home, so I was curious to read about an organized effort in Fresno aimed at reversing the brain drain. (read the entire post here) The Fresno effort is aimed at taking advantage of a tough economy to lure back departed talent and to take advantage of the energy and creativity of these young workers. From a story in the Fresno Bee:

 "Though unemployment rates are high in the Valley, employers here say they still need educated professionals in many fields. The recession, along with family ties, may provide an incentive for some who left to return.
Along with new ideas, so-called boomerangs "also come back with a renewed interest and passion for the area," said Mike Dozier, chief operations officer of the Office of Community and Economic Development at California State University, Fresno.
 "The challenge has long been figuring out how to lure these former Valley residents -- especially those between the ages of 28 and 38 -- away from their big cities, vibrant life and higher-paying jobs."

 There is certainly evidence that a lot of local kids have made the decision that Bakersfield is a good place to live and work, although many others have opted to leave and never return, often citing the diversity of jobs and opportunities that only larger cities can provide. But the Fresno effort is interesting and worth following, and perhaps something we should consider here.

 * ... SOME DUKIES RETURN TO BAKO: Locally the list of kids who have come home grows longer every day. The latest to contact me was Ami Shugart who was a valedictorian from Bakersfield High School in 1996 and cum laude from Duke University in 2000, having "spent a good portion of the latter four years camping on mud-saturated pizza boxes in a cheap, soggy tent as a Cameron Crazy in Krzyzewskiville." (If you need this explained, you don't follow college basketball.)  Ami later attended law school, decided it wasn't for her and came home to raise her boys, now 4 and 2 years old. And she reminded me that her friend, local dentist Dr. Benjamin Lin, graduated with her at Duke in 2000. A graduate of Highland High, he apparently attended dental school in Pennsylvania.

 * ... AND THERE ARE MORE: Carol Formanek sent  me an email telling me about her son, Arin Formanek, a 2003 graduate of Stockdale High School who graduated from UC Santa Barbara. He is now working at Vintage Production CA LLC, which is a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Corp. And speaking of Stockdale High, two more Mustang grads, siblings Tim and Toria Gooding, are back in town. Tim went to Point Loma Nazarene in San Diego and is now a financial analyst for Vintage Petroleum in Bakersfield and Toria graduated from Vanguard University and is working on her credential and substitute teaching in the Panama Buena Vista School District. Welcome home to Arin, Tim and Toria.

 * ... REMEMBERING LENORE  CARTER: Received a wonderful email from Art Sherwyn, the local artist, art teacher and former tennis coach at Stockdale High School who was remembering the life of Lenore Carter, who died last week. Lenore was the wife of Warren Carter and mother of Ken Carter, president of Watson Realty. She died Thanksgiving afternoon after battling cancer. Said Art:

 "I coached both of their sons, Doug and Ken, in basketball and football at McFarland High School in the 1970s. I was only in my 20s and their support and friendship was very well received, and welcome at a time when I was young and searching. They were outstanding role models for me to learn from; they were some of the most caring, compassionate and giving people I have ever been involved with, and their greatness as people provided me with a view that has enhanced my own life."


 What a wonderful tribute to Lenore, who will be buried Friday in Cayucos, her home away from home. A local memorial will be held at Olive Drive Church on Saturday, December 12.

More kids decide to call Bakersfield home, the obesity epidemic and the museum puts the spotlight on homelessness and despair

 * ... FROM NIAGARA TO BAKO: I received a nice email from Michele Magyar, who added her son Zak Brown to the growing list of local kids who went off to college and chose to return to Bakersfield. Zak graduated from Garces Memorial, went to Bakersfield College for two years and then transferred to Niagara University on a partial swimming scholarship. Niagara, a Division 1 school, is 15 minutes outside of Niagara Falls and 30 minutes from Buffalo, N.Y.  His mother added: "He was fortunate enough to have Greg Gallion (CEO Houchin Blood Bank) as a business mentor and did an internship in the marketing department of Kern Schools Federal Credit Union the summer before he graduated from college."  Zak is now the Senior Marketing Officer/Insurance Specialist for the credit union at the administrative offices on Ming Avenue.

 * ...  ONE COMES HOME TO TEACH: I also heard from Jenell Mahoney who told me proudly about her daughter, Amanda (Mahoney) Isaac, who graduated from Centennial High in 1998, went on to Chico State and is now teaching elementary and middle school vocal music for the Norris School District. Her other daughter Megan is now married and living in Perth, Australia, but is hoping to move to back to Bakersfield with husband Ben next year. As Jenell says, "then we'll have another bird back in the nest!"


 * ... HOW FAT ARE WE? Read with interest the Californian story this week showing just how out of shape Kern County school children are compared to state averages. Only 24 percent of fifth graders and 31 percent of seventh graders passed all six areas of a state physical fitness test that is less than demanding. This is our collective shame as we pump our children full of fast food and set them up for a lifetime of disabilities, obesity and Type 2 diabetes. The obesity epidemic is alive and well locally, thanks in part to fast food that is priced more cheaply than nutritious foods and parents who don't do enough to instill good eating habits in their children. Surely we can all do better than this.


* ... ANOTHER FIRST FRIDAY: It's time for another "First Friday" in the downtown arts district. Don Martin, owner of Metro Galleries and one of the guiding forces behind the revival of the arts downtown, told me this Friday will  kick off a "Concert in the Alley." Each month a different band or solo performer will stage a concert in the Wall Street Alley. This Friday, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., will feature Joel Jacobs and his band. (Bakotopia magazine is one of the concert sponsors) In addition, Metro Galleries will be kicking off Abstract Impressions, contemporary paintings by New Orleans artist Karoon, local artist Johnny Ramos and modern pottery by Dan Slayton. There will be live music, hors d'oeuvres and a no host wine bar by the new Enso Japanese Restaurant. Of course Metro Galleries is just part of the downtown scene. There will also be live music at Dagny's, a wine tasting and appetizers at Little White Dress, art on the streets and horse drawn carriage rides.

 * ... HOBOS TO STREET PEOPLE: Given the economic funk and record unemployment we are all living with, could there be a better time for an art exhibit on homelessness, loss and isolation? That's the theme of a show coming to the Bakersfield Museum of Art that appears - at least in my view - as one of the most promising exhibits ever at the museum. It's called "Hobos to Street People" (click here for the full lineup) and it features photographs by Felix Adamo, paintings by Pat Berger, sculptures by Joe Brubaker and art by James C. McMillan. This is really powerful stuff and I urge you all to consider taking in all five of these exhibits. The show will run from Dec. 10 to Feb. 21, 2010, and will feature the works of 30 artists "working over the last 75 years to document the tragedy of homelessness."

The Padre makes a comeback, more kids coming home and the Foundation launches a CEO search

  

* ... THE MAGNIFICENT PADRE: For those of us who work downtown, bringing the old Padre Hotel back to its glory days has always been a dream. Old timers recall a time when the Padre was the belle of the ball, a magnificent and elegant venue that was virtually unrivaled in our community. Now that it is being renovated, we're all hoping for a return to the glory days. The other day I got a peek inside as workers were finishing up the lobby. It is stunning. The walls are a deep crimson with hints of maroon, silver-tinned high ceilings, rich dark wood with a long bar at the back. The developers and new head of catering Steve Uricchio promise the Padre will have a grand opening at the end of the year. It looks like it will be worth waiting for.

 * ... COMING HOME AND GIVING THANKS: Some more names came my way of local kids who went off to school and eventually decided to call Bakersfield home.  Dr. Mark Schamblin graduated from Highland High School and went on to Pepperdine, St. Louis University and UC Irvine and is now a sports medicine orthopedist with Southern California Orthopedic Institute. Also graduating from Highland was Dr. Jill Schamblin Petrini, a Cal State Fresno bulldog who is now a speech pathologist at Laurelglen Elementary. And finally there is Dr. James Cusator, yet another Highland grad, who went on to Temple University in Pennsylvania and is now a radiologist with Quest Imaging. My thanks to local resident Jean Schamblin for passing along this information.

 * ... FOUNDATION SEARCH: It looks like the Kern Community Foundation hopes to have a new CEO identified in early January. At least that's the word from Judi McCarthy, acting CEO and a founding organizer. McCarthy has been playing that role (all unpaid as a volunteer)  since things didn't work out with former CEO Fred Drew. Nobody is talking  about the circumstances under which Drew left the job. The Foundation Board has now "reopened the search" and is working with a professional search firm with a specialty in community foundations. I am told the candidates include people who live both here and outside the community but there is no "inside" preferred candidate. This is an important job for a Foundation that is playing an increasingly important role in our community. In the last 10 years, it has handed out $5.5 million in grants. If an offer is made in January, the new CEO will be coming on board in February depending on if there is a move involved. More on this as it develops.

 * ... OLIVIA GARCIA RECOGNIZED: I couldn't be prouder of my colleague Olivia Garcia, the Californian's vice president of content, who has been honored as one of the "Luminarias of HOPE" for 2010. The Luminarias are women that represent the spirit of Latina leadership in their communities by guiding positive change toward parity for all. They will be honored at HOPE's 20th Anniversary Dinner along with Spirit of Hope Honoree U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios and Ray of HOPE Honoree Alliance for a Better Community. In addition to Olivia, the Luminarias are: Nellie Andrade, Past President of MANA de San Diego, Teresa Alvarado, Co-Founder of Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley, and Ofelia Valdez-Yeager, Co-Chair of Latina Women's Forum of Riverside County. Olivia is married to Julio Garcia, a sheriff's deputy, and they have four boys: Diego, Mateo, Joaquin and Cruz.

Thanksgiving: a time for reflection, smiles and giving thanks for what really matters

  

 * ... GIVING THANKS: This is the time of year when Bakersfield is at its best: our short fall and the changing of the leaves brightens our parks, the days are crisp and we've yet to enter Bako's "nuclear winter" when the days are marked by gray skies, fog and bitter cold. And  it's also the time when  families gather for Thanksgiving and all the college kids come home and bring smiles to our lives. I spent some time this week with young Sam Brandon, son of dear friends and now a junior at University of Colorado at Boulder. (He is the son of Esther and Rogers Brandon) Sam was full of confidence and college swagger and was eager to reunite with his pals who are spread out across the country. I am always amazed at how quickly these kids grow up after a just few years away. Wednesday night, on the eve of  Thanksgiving, you can expect the annual pilgrimage of these kids (particularly those who graduated from Garces Memorial and Bakersfield High School) to Woolgrower's and on Friday and Saturday, you'll see them all reconnecting at Luigi's restaurant.


* ... THANKSGIVING PIE RUN: One of the great Bakersfield traditions is the annual Thanksgiving morning "Pie Run." At the crack of dawn every Thanksgiving hundreds of local runners, cyclists and walkers (with their dogs of course) show up at Hart Park for a chilly morning jog in the hills overlooking the park. Everyone brings a dessert (usually a pie but also doughnuts, coffee cakes etc) which are all eaten after the folks descend from the hills. Retired insurance manager John Rous, himself a veteran of many bike rides and a few marathons, is credited with being one of the founders of the event. John's son is David Rous, a principal in Glinn and Giordano Physical Therapy and himself an accomplished competitive cyclist. The Pie Run is a terrific way to start the holiday, see old friends, kids home from college and yes - all those beloved pets. Starts at 6 a.m. at Hart Park. Look for the bonfire.

 * ... I GIVE THANKS: There is a lot of be thankful for this time of year, even with a deepening recession, record high unemployment and stress at many levels. My top five list goes like this:
  1) I am thankful to have a job, and to work for an employer who provides top flight health insurance that has kept my family healthy.
  2) I am thankful for the unconditional love and support of close friends in a time of great tension.
  3)  I am thankful for my two daughters who - despite being knuckleheads from time to time - make me proud every day.
  4) I am thankful to live in a community with so many good people who inspire me every day, people like Dan Hay at Jim Burke Ford who forever has a smile and dismisses this recession as "merely a test."
 5) And I am thankful to live in a country and a community that show such great resilience and generosity in the face of historic challenges.

* ... SEASONAL GIVING: I came across a wonderful website that allows you to search and pick and choose your favorite charity from literally tens of thousands of non-profits. It is called "Just Give" and can be found at www.justgive.org. Go to the website, put in a local zip code and up pops hundreds of Bakersfield non-profits with an explanation of what they do and who they serve. The website allows for credit card transactions, making giving in the holidays all that much easier.

 * ... MEA CULPA: I committed an error the other day in talking about Dustin Kilpatrick, one of the local kids who went to USC and came home to Bakersfield to work. Dustin's parents, Dave and Danielle Kilpatrick, both graduated from USC as did his brother Daniel. I implied the parents graduated from Garces, which is in error.

Yet more local kids who came home to Bako and Mercy Hospital prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary

 * ... A FEW MORE WHO CAME HOME: I received some nice followup emails from folks reminding me of yet more local kids who went away to college but decided to come home to Bakersfield. This is an ongoing debate in our community as we struggle to provide the kinds of rich and diverse job opportunities that attract young people. Darlyn Baker, co-owner of Interim HealthCare, put on her proud mother hat to tell me her son Bryon graduated from Dartmouth College in 1996 and returned to join the family business. Her daughter, Heather, attended Cal State Bakersfield and graduated from UC Riverside (PhD in statistics), worked in San Diego and is now a stay at home mom here in town. Heather's husband, Kevin Crosby, is another local product who got his master's degree from Chapman University in Orange County and is now teaching at the Sunset school in Lamont. All three are Highland High graduates. And finally, there is Dustin Kilpatrick, son of independent oil consultant Dave Kilpatrick and wife Danielle, who is working at a local engineering firm after graduating from USC. Dustin comes from a USC family. His parents are Trojans as is his brother Daniel.

 * ... CSUB GIVES UCLA A RUN: What a thrill is was to see the Cal State men's basketball team take on UCLA at Pauley Pavilion on regional television Friday night (Fox Sports West). As expected they lost, but not before giving the Bruins a run in the first half. CSUB's move to Division 1 athletic status has not come without opposition, but it's hard to deny that this kind of exposure helps by putting the school on a national stage.

 * ... JUNIOR LEAGUE FUND RAISER: Had a chance to stop by "Wine Fest"Saturday night, the big Junior League fund raiser held each year at the Kern County Fairgrounds. This was another sold out evening, some 750 tickets and featuring 22 wineries and 18 local restaurants along with a silent auction. Tracy Walker Kiser, owner of H. Walker's men's clothing and a Junior League officer, told me the group raises about $100,000 each that it passes along to local charities. Other Junior League officers working the room included Katie Kirschenmann, Penny Rafferty, Lydia Rowles and Melissa Grayhek among others.

* ... MERCY CELEBRATES A BIRTHDAY:  I heard from Stephanie Weber that Mercy Hospital is preparing for its 100th anniversary next February 19th. Stephanie is executive director of the Friends of Mercy Foundation and says the year-long celebration will feature stories about the hospital's role in our community. In her words:

 "It was on that date in 1910 that four Sisters of Mercy from the Los Angeles order boarded a train and traveled to Bakersfield to take over the administration of the St. Clair Hospital; a private residence that had been converted to a 25-bed hospital.  The four sisters were hesitant to come, but when they got here they were warmly welcomed by the pastor of St. Francis Church and several parishioners.  They quickly became immersed in the community and it was a wealthy parishioner that gave them $41,000 to construct what would become a new hospital, named Mercy Hospital – on the site where our current Truxtun campus currently resides.  And, the Sisters of Mercy also started the school at St. Francis that same year, so Mercy and St. Francis School both turn 100 in 2010."