McFarland High School, featured in the Kevin Costner film of the same name, also boasts a legendary wrestling coach, and Guy Fieri lines up local restaurants to feature on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

 * … WRESTLING: The storied McFarland High School cross country runners are getting some well deserved attention with the release of the Kevin Costner movie chronicling their success, but Mike Stricker reminded me the school also boasts another hometown hero. Said Stricker: "With all the attention the McFarland cross country team and coach Jim White are getting and how great this is,

McFarland has another coaching hero. Wrestling coach Ed Levenson is closing out 40 years of coaching the world's oldest sport, 38 years as the head coach at McFarland High, two years as an assistant coach at West Torrance High and two years as an assistant coach at Reghetti High."

 * … FOODIE: The eclectic (and quite tasty) downtown eatery called Muertos will be featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on Friday, March 13. The eatery, located in the Wall Street Alley, is among a number of local restaurants to be featured on the show. Others include Mama Roomba, Salty's BBQ and Catering, Pyrennes Cafe and KC Steakhouse.

 * … MUSIC FESTIVAL: Kevin Cornelius took me to task for questioning the price of tickets to the upcoming big music festival being put on by local attorney George Martin. He said: "Give me a break Richard!  Mr. George Martin has got a handle on this music festival thing. When George is behind an event he goes all out, because that's who he is. It does not matter that it's Steppenwolf, Chubby Checkers and tickets are $130 each or preferred seating $425 each. If George can bring world leaders from around the globe right here to little 'ol Bakersfield year after year with sell crowds every year don't you think he can pull off this music festival gig? This thing is a piece of cake for him, it's in his blood. He never disappoints and always has an ace up his sleeve. George, I'll see you there!"

 * … HELL'S ANGELS: And another reader, Robert Clements, reacted with surprise to a recent post about the Hell's Angels doing good deeds around town. "Really?" he wrote. "Riding Harley's with the Hells Angels and collecting toys  they get drunk makes them real? Fifty Shades of John Gotti passing out turkeys. I served 35 years in law enforcement in this state, including dealing with them at the annual  Hollester Fourth of July Run. I have witnessed their carnage and criminal  acts on innoncent Harley riders like you. Not a pretty picture for sure. If you want to see the real  Hells Angels park your precious Harley in front of their club on 19th Street overnight, then call BPD to report it stolen. Better yet call the Monguls to get it back."

 * … SPEEDING: High on my list of pet peeves are drivers who speed and run red lights. Gail Glende agrees and left this note: "Each weekday morning when I leave the McMurtrey pool, I pass Franklin Elementary School on Truxtun Avenue. Kudos to the police that stand as a flock on the corner of Pine and Truxtun catching speeders unwilling to follow the 25 mph sign for one short block in front of the school in the morning. We all need to be reminded that children are precious and we should remember to slow down. It just takes a few seconds longer to obey the law." That said, she did note a police service technician truck (#5542) blowing past a large yellow school bus from Bakersfield Christian High at 7:40 a.m. "I don't usually notice other drivers, but it seemed sad that they most of all, could not drive slow enough to protect our children."

The rash of accidents and speeding-related deaths around Bakersfield raises new questions about obtaining a driver's license, and kudos to Henley's Photo shop

 * … SAFETY: The rash of speeding-related accidents around town - the last one on Saturday

when a 54-year-old man was killed on Gosford Road - has folks talking about road safety. Stephen A. Montgomery offered his view: "One thing that should happen is make greater restrictions on who is granted a driver's license. In the industrialized world the U.S. states appear to have the easiest path to getting a drivers' license requiring little beyond an easy test and a quick drive to get one. Most countries serious about driver safety require the applicant to actually show they have the skills and attitude to properly and safely operate a motor vehicle."

* … HENLEY'S: Glenn Porter reached out to me to praise the customer service at Henley's Photos, which recently changed hands. "Our family has done business with Henley's for years, but recently had the experience of working with the new owner, Jimmy Bunting, and was absolutely awed by the number of positive changes he has made to what was already great.  He brings together extensive knowledge with film photography utilizing cameras that are well over 100 years old, melds that superior knowledge of digital photography and videography and caps it all off with brand new, state-of- the-art printing technology. They even have classes to help you learn to use the features your camera has so that you can take professional looking photographs.   The store is currently undergoing a major rehab, but even now you will be greeted by friendly, knowledgable photo experts, which is a refreshing change from what you get at with the kiosk approach at drugs or membership stores. Congratulations to the new owners of Henley's for making a great store even better."

 * … ST. FRANCIS: It's that time of year again and St. Francis Parish School will be hosting its Pot of Gold celebration to raise money for St. Vincent De Paul and Mercy without Borders. All week the students have been collecting donation and are hoping to top the $2,000 they raised last year.
The celebration will be held on Monday, March 17, from 7:50 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. at St. Francis Parish School. The children and staff (along with Monsignor Craig Harrison) will be performing the Irish Jig.

 * … MEMORIES: One of my regular contributors, Elinor Grant, submitted this memory of old Bakersfield: "I have fond memories of the meat market at 23rd and L streets. My grandmother and I would take the street car up town and walk over to the market. Among other things she would purchase a pound of wieners, the good old fashioned kind.On the ride back to our neighborhood she would open up the package and we would each eat a wiener. And does anyone remember the Japanese fish market in the same general area?"

 * … SALAD BOWL: Ilona Wilson of Sacramento sent me this note: "I was wondering if you could help and give me the address for the Old Salad Bowl Restaurant that used to be on Chester Avenue in the 1960s?  Is it still there or was building torn down? What store or restaurant is there today?  Was thinking of stopping by on our next trip to Los Angeles." Can anyone help the Wilsons?

Has Gosford road become our version of the German autobahn? And who posts pictures of themselves smoking pot, posing with guns and flashing gang signs? Youthful indiscretion or just plain stupid?

 * … GOSFORD: The recent accident on Gosford Road that took a Rohnert Park man's life was beyond senseless, especially if it's true that a 22-year-old man was speeding and he caused it to happen. Betsy Gosling was in the Town and Country Shopping Center at the time.. "I saw

the most horrendous collision I have ever seen. I heard the fire truck siren coming, several women standing on the northbound sidewalk, one appeared to be very emotionally upset. There were two cars in the northbound lanes, completely destroyed, one upside down… As I  attempted to maneuver through the debris across the southbound lanes, I prayed for God to  have  mercy. My prayers are for all those  families involved, especially the family of the man who was killed," she said. "What is it going to take to stop this reckless driving? My daughter describes Gosford, going south, as the 'autobaun' Bakersfield Police at that intersection issuing tickets might help. Possibly  the victims would consider donating those cars to the CHP and place them on the high school grounds for the kids to see what happens when you speed on city streets and run red lights... SLOW DOWN and live." Witnesses said the Civic was speeding, but the investigation is continuing and police have yet to bring charges. (Bakersfield Californian photo)

 * … WRECK: When horrific accidents like this happen, people will often search social media sites like Facebook to learn more about the people involved. And sure enough, it wasn't long before people were sharing links to a Facebook page of a young man with the same name as the driver of the white Honda Civic. Who knows if it is the same person, but this is a lesson in what many people think is appropriate to post for all the world to see. This particular Facebook page owner posted pictures of himself flashing gang signs, posing with weapons, presumably smoking pot, and with cash and drug paraphernalia strewn about a countertop. Whoever owns this account - and I stress there is no certainty it is the same person involved in the accident - should grow up and take these photos down. Youthful indiscretion aside, it's simply bad form.

 * … JURY DUTY: Steve Robinson was sitting in jury duty recently and had plenty of time to think about the process of what he called an inefficient system. "All of us dread the inevitable summons, but the most agonizing component of jury duty is not the task itself, but having to waste a day observing a part of our civic duty that can be streamlined.  Reporting time is 7:30 a.m. but the earliest you get called to action is 9 a.m. You then sit in a room for two more hours before you enjoy a two hour lunch. After lunch, you sit for two more hours and are then sent home at 4 p.m.  If you get called to a courtroom, you then sit for the better part of an hour listening to juror instructions. Wouldn't it be a better use of time to use the 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. time period to read jury instructions to an already captive audience in the juror room so the judge could just call the prospective jurors into his chambers and get down to business?  On the other hand, is it too much to ask for courtrooms to organize themselves in a way so they are prepared to call prospective jurors first thing in the morning rather than make hundreds of people wait an entire day to see if they are called to duty?

 * … TUNNELS:  Yet another reader remembers the tunnels that snake under downtown Bakersfield. Said Ronal Reynier: "I remember seeing the entrance to one when years ago they tore down the old 'REX' theater. What I most remember is the painted billboard that was exposed on the wall next to it.
I do not recall the name of the establishment. but it advertised a 'Free lunch, with a 5 cent (10 cent?) beer.' I have no idea when it was painted, but have wondered about it for years. I believe that
the Bakersfield Californian took photos of it at the time. I have wondered what type of lunch you received with that beer. It had a drawing of a sandwich on a plate with pickles, I believe. It was faded but quite a work of art. Was it done for free beer?"

Terry Phillips edges closer to running for Congress and fans of Bear Pascoe give him a shout out

* ... POLITICS: It looks like longtime broadcaster Terry Phillips is getting closer to deciding to run for Congress in the 23rd District against House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy. A press release said friends are gathering signatures to nominate him and he has created an exploratory committee. Phillips worked for Valley Public Radio and was a former news correspondent for CBS News. On a side note, Phillips spoke to the downtown Rotary Club in 2008 and created a stir when he declined to participate in the flag salute during the Pledge of Allegiance. His explanation - that as an American he can choose to opt out - fell flat with the Rotary crowd. "Can you imagine doing that before a group of conservative Rotarians?" one Rotary member told me. "It was a nightmare. We've never had so many complaints about a speaker." VPR later apologized to the club and Phillips was fired in 2011. We'll see how this plays in the election if he decides to run. Phillips is not a member of any political party and is registered as "decline to state."

 * ... BEAR PASCOE: Dina Ligari dropped me a note to remind me that Kern County was represented when the New York Giants beat the San Francisco 49ers. "The Giant win ...  brings up the issue that I have not read in this paper of the long generational connection to Bakersfield and Kern County of New York Giants No. 86, McKenna 'Bear' Pascoe. .. Bear’s parents Sean and Julie Pascoe were married in Bakersfield and lived much of their newly wed life here before eventually raising their kids on the family lease outside Woody. The Pascoe contingency in this town is very strong. In fact we were surprised there were no Richter scale reports from Sunday right after Bear’s first pro touchdown. The family was whooping and hollering from Bakersfield to Kazakhstan. Needless to say we are all so very proud and love Bear for all his accomplishments…..but will be glad when the Super Bowl is in the bag, cause the calves need to be branded. Life goes on. Go Big Blue!" Pascoe went to high school in Porterville and played for Fresno State before being drafted by the 49ers and later traded to the Giants.

* ... SPOTTED: A reader spotted this bit of bad form in front of Stockdale High School around 2 p.m. recently. "At least eight cars parked in the 'no parking' zone in front of Stockdale High School on Buena Vista Road. One lady double parked on Buena Vista forcing the traffic in the right hand lane to come to a complete stop."

 * ... WALMART: Reader Frances Quiroz shared this experience while shopping at the Walmart at East Hills.  "I was shocked when a Walmart employee who was working on 'the floor' was unable to help me because she did not speak English. Are you kidding me? I think anyone who gets paid with American money should at least know the language."

 * ... PETS AND SPEEDING: Kristen Bellue lives in one of downtown's charming homes on 21st Street and is pleading with commuters to recognize the 35 mph speed limit. Last week she came home to find her cat dead in the street. As she tried to retrieve the cat, drivers refused to slow and "some disgusting person hit my cat again. He flew through the air and landed in front of my neighbor's house. The sound was horrendous and as you can imagine I was hysterical!" Downtown is one of those areas where there are many indoor-outdoor cats, and Kristen is pleading with drivers to observe the speed limit. "I have even witnessed people passing down the center lane of 21st Street to pass the drivers that are going the speed limit."

 * ... ON THE MOVE: Bryan Burrow has joined the Kern Community Foundation as director of non-profit outreach. Burrow earned his MBA from CSUB, where he was a 2010 Alumnus of the Year,  worked for the Bank of America and is a member of the Rotary Club  of Bakersfield. He will report to Foundation President and CEO Jeff Pickering.