Coyotes are attacking and dining on abandoned dogs off Breckenridge Road, Terry Maxwell takes over The Mark restaurant as general manager, and I will interview Ralph Bailey on the Sinatra legacy

 * ... ANIMAL ABUSE: It is distressing enough that some people feel it's perfectly okay to dump pets on the side of the road once they tire of them. But Terrie Stoler says something horrific

is happening off Breckenridge Road when pets are abandoned there. "This has been an ongoing problem on our road for many years. Yesterday we witnessed the end of the lives for several abandoned dogs on our road. We had seen them for several days and then in broad daylight watched as a coyote killed and ate them! Is this what people that drop off unwanted pets are expecting? They would suffer less if they just shot them! To gain insight as to the hell that these abandoned pets go through please order my book,  'Rudy, the Throwaway Mutt' from Amazon. Rudy made it and found a better life but most are either run over or eaten by coyotes!"

 * ... MAXWELL: Terry Maxwell, the Ward 2 city councilman and long-time owner of TL Maxwell's Restaurant and Bar, has taken on new responsibilities as the general manager of The Mark restaurant downtown. Maxwell told me he has known the owners of The Mark for years and was eager to take on job. "I want to improve on what is already a good thing," he said. Among his early plans: revamp the lunch and dinner menus and introduce some enticing new specials. His own eatery, Maxwell's, will remain open as he spends more time just a few blocks away at The Mark on 19th Street.

 * ... SINATRA: Did you know that this week marks the 17th anniversary of the death of Frank Sinatra, arguably one of the greatest singer and entertainers this country has ever produced? And is there a bigger Sinatra fan in town than KERN radio host Ralph Bailey? If Ralph isn't singing along with Frank during his show, he is sharing fascinating tidbits of Sinatra's legendary life. On Thursday at 5 p.m., I will turn the tables on Ralph and interview him on his own show (KERN  96.1 FM.) about his deep obsession with Sinatra. Tune in and call in with your questions as we delve into Ralph's fascination with this American icon.

* ... SPOTTED: On a friend's Twitter feed: "Whenever I see a couple’s names carved into a tree, I can’t help but wonder why all these people are bringing knives on a date."

 * ... TEXTING: Greg Banks was driving on Stockade Highway recently when he "looked over and noticed an 80-plus year old woman texting on her cell phone as she was trying to maneuver her vehicle while driving about 20 mph and holding up traffic behind her. At the next stop light, she pulled up along side my vehicle still texting. I honked, she looked up, and I did the 'shame on you' gesture. She was so embarrassed she hung her head! I guess the temptation to text can occur at any age."

 * .. FOX THEATER: Peter Parson reminded me that the new FLICS season will start this September at the historic Fox Theater. Part of the show will be a documentary featuring the history of the Fox. "The film includes several shots of the original interior the walls of which were painted to look like an avenida in Old Mexico with balconies, ivy etc. leading to the stage. I believe the new interior was done in the early 1950s fortunately just prior to the onset of the Uglification Project  which destroyed historical architectural details of Brock's, Penney's, Sears, etc. (they missed The Californian) and replaced them with facades of stucco, plastic and worse materials.  For a mere $6 the public can see it for themselves or $50 will get a season pass for up to 17 excellent foreign films. By far the best entertainment deal in town!"

The final word on the old O'Hare house near Beale Park and readers rant about trash along the road, texting while driving and motorcycle lane splitters

 * ... TEXTING: David Moren dropped me a note to add his voice to the debate over folks texting while driving. "All day long you can see people driving in and out of the Superior Court parking lot at 1215 Truxtun... while talking and texting on their phones. I have often wondered why BPD does not station an officer in plain clothes there and start collecting revenue for our city. Make the fine $1,000 per infraction and the city will have a surplus of money in a week's time."

* ... TRASH: Patty Orsburn witnessed a good deed on Rosedale Highway recently that she wanted to pass along. There, on the east side of the highway near the old PGE facility, was a woman picking up trash. "I then realized the vast amounts of trash that were all mixed in with the weeds and realized what a daunting task she had taken on and on such a hot day! I wished there hadn't been so much traffic and that I didn't have so little time so as to be able to pull over and help her or at least bring her some water to show that I appreciated her effort to clean up Bakersfield."

* ... SMALL WORLD: Christine Nichols was on an Alaskan cruise in May when she ran across a tour guide who once called Bakersfield home. "We were on a bus tour of Mount McKinley when we learned our guide was from Bakersfield of all places," she told me. "She is a retired teacher named Karla Gallaghan and her maiden name was Karla Stormount. She was just a wonderful guide and says she has family here. What a small world!"

 * ... CAL RADIO: Join me on Californian Radio KERN 1180 Monday when I will be chatting with Bruce Jay, the president and CEO of Valley Republic Bank, which was recently cited as one of the safest banks in America. We'll also be talking with Jeff Konya, Athletics Director at CSUB, for an update on Cal State athletics.

* ... LANE SPLITTERS: A reader's complaint about motorcyclists splitting lanes (legal in California) this commentary from Stephen Montgomery. "If traffic is stalled at some long stoplight and there is room to avoid, among other things, whacking anyone's side mirror I'll slide through it. As far as those who resent bikers splitting lanes I pointed out that if done safely, it's legal. And, importantly, this practice doesn't cause the cage driver any delay. Furthermore every motorcycle on the road is one less car taking up space on an already overcrowded road. My message to those resenting the freedom gained by two wheels is you don't have a real complaint so get over it!"


 * ... O'HARE HOUSE: My thanks to reader Nancy Thomas, who provided me with the complete history of the old "House On the Hill" on Dracena Street near Beale Park. It turns out the house, which became a home for priests after the 1952 earthquake, was owned by the family of Nancy's best friend, Judy O'Hare Newman, granddaughter of James and Sara O'Hare. "Judy is currently residing in Morro Bay, with her husband Terry Newman (son of former Bakersfield College football coach, Ray Newman)," she said. The history of the house: "The house on O'Hare Hill was owned by James and Sara O'Hare. The O'Hares were  a pioneering farm family in Kern County, establishing the family farm in 1869. The original land grant was signed by President Grant.  Jim O'Hare's father, Peter O'Hare, was a member of the Kern County Board of Supervisors (Third District) at the time of President McKinley's death. The O'Hare family also owned the Jewel Dairy. They raised  seven children in that house: Mary Katherine (Franey), Pauline (Pascoe), Teresa (Lacques), James Michael (married Katherine lnez Rea), Josephine (Lugar), Colleen (Catzin) and Margaret Ann (Hislop). James Michael (Bud) was a member of the Future Farmers Association and sold pigs he raised to MGM.  They appeared in the original film 'Little Abner.' Sara O'Hare's sister was Mae Saunders, believed by the family to have been the first woman reporter for the Bakersfield Californian. Mary K. Shell was a cub reporter when Mae was a lead reporter. Jim and Sara were the grandparents of 48 grandchildren, many of whom still live in Kern County.  One of their great grandchildren, Bear Pascoe, is currently playing football with the New York Giants."