Giving thanks to all the guardian angles who steer and support us and another Thanksgiving Day Pie Run goes down at Hart Park

 * ... GIVING THANKS: How do you define happiness, and how often do you give thanks to the people in your life who bring a smile to your face? If you are like me, I have always believed that

happiness is a personal choice, so I don't spend a lot of time longing to live on the coast or in a sexier zip code. Kern County is home, and it would be unfortunate to go about life believing that geography or a change of scenery are the keys to happiness. So here's to all the people in my life, all you guardian angels (and you know who you are), who make Bakersfield such a special place to call home.

 * ... PIE RUN: I spent Thanksgiving morning in the hills overlooking Hart Park watching the sun come up, a speculator scene framed by a vibrant canvas of yellows and reds from the forest of trees below. I was among the 300 or so folks who attended the annual Pie Run, which coordinator John Rous says is the best deal in town. Said Rous: "There is no course, really no beginning and no end, no cost and no rules. Just run or walk at your own pace." Rous ran through 300 cups of coffee in an hour as runners feasted on several dozen pies, cakes, doughnuts, muffins and cookies. (photo courtesty of Margaret Scrivano Patteson)

* ... TRAFFIC DEATHS: The number of deaths from traffic accidents in the United States has spiked sharply this year, and experts believe smartphones may be a big cause of it. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says traffic deaths jumped more than 8 percent the first half of this year, a big increase after leveling off in recent years. Should we be surprised by this? Probably not, considering the number of people I see in traffic glancing down on their cell phones and they weave across the road.

 * ... DROUGHT: Keep your eye on a new $1 billion desalination plan that is opening next month in Carlsbad, a project expected to supply up to 10 percent of San Diego County's water supply. I have often wondered why California, in the midst of a record drought, is not investing more in these types of facilities. Experts often say they don't pencil out economically, but the Carlsbad facility is a private venture so someone is betting that desalination is a good bet.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I’m amazing in bed. I have the ability to stay there all day."

 * ... GOOD FORM: Hats off to the folks over at the CARE Foundation which just distributed $36,125 in grants from money raised through Village Fest. Among those organizations that received grants were Optimal Hospice Foundation, CASA of Kern County, Henrietta Weill Institute, Kern Partnership for Children and Families, Kelly's Therapeutic Riders, League of Dreams, Bakersfield Police Activities League, and the Boys and Girls Club of Kern County.

 * ... MORE GOOD FORM: Deanna Haulman sends this shoutout to some folks who volunteered to clean up one of our parks: "Last Saturday it was nice to see employees from the local Coke company cleaning up at Hart Park  Love seeing local companies taking time out of their weekend to help the community."

Looking for a technological solution to texting while driving, celebrating the renovation of an iconic Bakersfield men's store and enjoying some fresh fish at one of our outstanding local eateries

 * … TEXTING: I read with interest a piece in The New York Times about a Colorado man's efforts to build a device that blocks incoming and outgoing texts for motorists. We are not there yet, but experts say the technological obstacles will eventually be overcome. Said The Times: "People know they shouldn’t text and drive. Overwhelmingly, they tell pollsters that doing so is unacceptable and

dangerous, and yet they do it anyway. They can’t resist. So safety advocates and public officials have called for a technological solution that does an end run around free will and prevents people from texting in the first place." The next time you are at a red light, take a look around you and you will likely see folks casually texting away.

 * … MILLER: I am not sure what to make of the story of the Bakersfield man who was sentenced to six years of hard labor in North Korea after being found guilty of conducting "hostile acts" against the government. According to North Korea, Matthew Todd Miller arrived on a tourist visa, tore up his U.S. passport and asked for asylum. In at least one interview with Western media, he did not deny asking for asylum but he is now apparently rethinking his actions.

* … H. WALKER'S: Kudos to Tracy Walker Kiser and her crew over at H. Walker's Men's Clothing on K Street downtown who have totally renovated the popular men's store, bringing in new cabinetry and furniture, carpeting and a bright, inviting coat of paint.

 * … FOODIE BEST BET: Nice to see La Costa Mariscos enjoying record crowds in its new digs over at the Ice House near the Garces Circle. I stopped by for my favorite La Costa meal: the whole huachinango (red snapper) grilled fish, a can't miss dish at this iconic Bakersfield eatery.

 * … BUSINESS: Charlie Powell wrote to comment on a story of a California company, Firefly Space Systems, moving from Hawthorne to Cedar Park, Texas. "The article … is just one of many examples of the poor business climate in California pushing companies to a friendlier environment. I can tell you with confidence that Cedar Park is great place to have a business, and to live. Oh yes, my son Matt (a former Bakersfield resident), just happens to be the mayor of Cedar Park."

 * … RYE: I have to agree with this note from reader William Elliot: "The city of Bakersfield show have a campaign against planting winter rye this season. We need to save out water not our lawns."

* … PORSCHE: Do you own a Porsche or - like some of us - dream of it one day? If so put the weekend of Oct. 4-5 on your calendar. On that Saturday the Porsche Club of Bakersfield will be showing off their cars at Stramler Park from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Entry includes lunch. Then on Sunday, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., the club will hold a autocross at Minter Field in Shafter with all proceeds benefiting MARE.

 * … HARVEST: The annual Harvest for Hope event, sponsored by Catholic Charities, is set for Saturday, Oct. 4, over at the Kern County Fairgrounds. This event benefits the need in the Kern/Inyo area. There will be chef's tastings from local caterers and restaurants along with a silent and live auction. Tickets are $100 and sponsorships are available. Call Beverly Camp at (661) 319-6049.

Two Bakersfield quarterbacks square off in the USC-Fresno State game, the rash of horrific drunk driving accidents continue and the ride sharing service Uber comes to town

 * … ACCIDENT: The madness of reckless and drunken driving continues, with the latest incident claiming two lives on Rosedale Highway and Verdugo Lane. In that case, early Saturday morning, police with 29-year-old Dontrell Collins was speeding going west on Rosedale when he slammed into a compact white car, causing it to burst into flames. Two passengers were killed and a third was

hospitalized with burns. These kind of tragedies are all too common, and in fact some folks in the Southwest have taken to calling Ming Avenue "blood alley" because of the high number of accidents involving alcohol or simply reckless driving.

 * … HOMETOWN BOYS: How fun was it to watch the USC-Fresno State game this weekend featuring two outstanding quarterbacks from Bakersfield? Cody Kessler, the former Centennial High standout, led the Trojans to victory but former Driller Brian Burrell represented the Bulldogs well in the loss. Two more young men in a long line of great local athletes.

 * … ROLE MODEL: Hats off to Katie Arriaga, a young mother who spent last weekend picking up trash and litter in the Riverlakes area. Katie took along her three daughters - 10-year-old Briony and 7-year-old twins Brevony and Bregan - to give them a lesson in community service. Thanks to Katie's proud mother, Bobbie McWhorter, for passing this along.

* … BAD FORM: Steve McCalley spotted someone driving an ATT Prius the other day, going 35 mph while texting. "Clearly the massage hasn't been received by the cell phone providers," he said.

 * … UBER: Über, the San Francisco-based ride sharing service that compete directly with local taxi cabs, is now servicing the Bakersfield area. Uber is wildly popular among consumers because no cash is exchanged (the transaction is completed via a cell phone app) and Uber is much cheaper than conventional taxis. To use the service, download the Uber app and when ready for a car, simply use the app to have one pick you up wherever you are.

* … DMV: Ruth Fee wrote to share how government bureaucracy: "I was heartened by your experience with an 'appointment' with DMV and I hoped I would have the same quick result. I needed a California ID and not knowing about appointments, I first waited in line for two hours, presented my paperwork and was told I needed my marriage certificate. I had not been told that when I called the DMV initially. A little more savvy, I made an appointment via internet and arrived with the required certificate. I was told by the clerk that I needed a 'certificated' marriage document. I was more than a little miffed as that was not specified by the first clerk. I was then given a number to call in California to get the required form and told to make another appointment. I called that number and was told I needed to call a number in the county I had been married in. (  didn't see the point as my husband was deceased.)  Calling the San Francisco number, I was given yet another number to call.
Rather than doing something uncivil, I threw up my hands and decided to try another day. To be continued - or not."

 * … HISTORY: Navy veteran Gene M. Bonas asked me to remind everyone that Tuesday will mark the 69th anniversary of the Japanese surrender of World War II aboard the USS Missouri.

 * … NOTE: I received a beautifully written letter, in cursive, from a woman who wanted to be known only as "Grandma." She only wanted to thank several women who came to her aid when she took a tumble. In her words: "I found that day there are some good caring people in Bakersfield. That's one of the reasons my late husband and I moved here. I have never seen any other town where people come to your aid like in Bakersfield."

Friday Bako Bits: Another telephone scam, this one from crooks claiming to have a local doctor's daughter in the trunk of a car and demanding a king's ransom… will this stuff ever end?

 * … SCAMS: A local physician shared yet another telephone scam that I simply must share with you. He was at his office when he received a telephone call from someone warning, "we have your

daughter in the trunk of our car." At that point, the doctor heard a young woman crying and screaming for help. The caller then said: "We are from the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico and we will kill her now unless you agree to send us some money. Are you willing to send us money now or we kill her? Do not call for help or she will be immediately killed." Wisely, the doctor was speed dialing his daughter on another phone and, thank goodness, his daughter answered and he knew she was safe. At that, the caller hung up. Police told the physician that another local couple fell for the scam and sent money. The FBI is apparently investigating. Will these telephone scams ever end?

 * … DOG TAGS: Here is a reminder to all of us that we need to make certain are pets where ID tags. From Gladys Lawrence: "Please, please have him wear a tag with a telephone number where you can be contacted in the event that he accidently gets away. On Aug. 22 a neighbor came to my door attempting to find the owner of a small white Chihuahua mix dog (white with brown ears and spots) as he had been hit by a vehicle. They were attempting to pick him up and to take him to a veterinarian without success. Finally animal control was called to pick up the injured dog. We later found out that he had to be put down due to severe injuries. If the family that owned this dog is reading this, I want them to know that we were able to comfort him and give him some love until animal control arrived. A special thanks to the young man responding for animal control. Your patience and gentleness with the injured dog was wonderful."

 * … LITERACY: Bakersfield ranks dead last in a survey of the 77 U.S. cities with populations greater than 250,000. Based on a number of things including bookstores, educational attainment and other factors, the survey was conducted by Central Connecticut State University. Washington, D.C., was first in literacy, followed by Seattle, Minneapolis and Atlanta.

 * … FOODIE BEST BET: La Costa Mariscos has moved into its swanky new digs in the Ice House, and it is worth checking out. Many loyal La Costa customers worried the move would sacrifice the intimacy of the old location near Central Park, but the new place is brightly decorated and offers the same excellent food and service.

* … TEXTING: This bit about a distracted driver comes from Mike Glinzak: "I was northbound Friday about 9 a.m. on Calloway north of Stockdale when I got behind a slow moving Frito-Lay delivery truck (the kind that delivers to the local stores, not a semi) in the center lane with its left turn signal flashing.  After passing a couple of streets and the Westside Parkway where the truck could have turned left, I pulled over to the right one lane and we both were stopped at the next traffic signal.  Maybe the driver was so inattentive because I watched him fool with his cell phone IN HIS LAP, apparently trying to keep it below window level so the cops wouldn't see. But that big glass door by the right passenger shows all!  I tried calling the local Frito-Lay distributor about one hr later, but the phone only led to voice mail hell. Apparently they weren't too concerned about the safe driving of their driver, because they never called me back. "

 * … GOOD FORM: Susan Willis and her car were blocked in at a local gas station while police investigated an accident, until a driver of a local Pepsi delivery truck came to the rescue. "He stopped and directed traffic until I could leave the lot," she said. "John Morales (the driver's name) was so polite and helpful. I had almost forgotten about manners since everyone is always in a hurry."

The nation celebrates the 70th anniversary of D-Day, old warbirds are headed to the Minter Field Air Museum and more bad form about town

* … DDAY: It's amazing to think we are celebrating the 70th anniversary of day Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy. Each day we lose more members of the Greatest Generation, that time when so many men and women gave everything so that the we could enjoy freedom. If you haven't paid a visit to Normandy and the solemn military cemeteries there, it is worth putting on your bucket list.
Locally, it's great to see so many aging veterans take the Honor Flights back to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials to these brave men and women. Today, we remember.

 * … MINTER FIELD: Speaking of remembering, put Saturday, June 14, on your calendar for a special air show and display out at the Minter Field (Shafter) Air Museum. There will be an airplane fly-in in memory of the late T-6 Warlock pilot Al Goss, vintage planes and race planes. The museum has also invited local car clubs and military vehicles to the event. It runs from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children. Pancake breakfast is another $5.

* … BAD FORM: A middle aged is behind the wheel of a late model Acura westbound on Truxtun extension doing 30 mph and weaving all over the road at lunch hour. His sin? Texting while driving.

* …MEMORIAL: I goofed in inferring that Mercy Hospital was the only local hospital to have Vein Finder devices. Turns out that Memorial Hospital also has three such devices, including two in the Lauren Small Children's Medical Center.

 * … FUND: Kudos to the Women's and Girls' Fund which has reached its goal of having a $1 million endowment. The fund, part of the larger Kern Community Foundation, awards grants to improve the lives of Kern County women and children. It was started in May 2005 by Judi McCarthy and a handful of friends and grew to $300,000 within two years.

 * … TINY'S: The renovation of the old bank building on the northeast corner of 18th and Chester is continuing, but did the building ever house a restaurant called Tiny's? Walt Berry has worked in the Sill Building across the street for 50 years and says he remembers Tiny's being located on the southeast corner, not the northeast. "Some of my friends keep telling me Tiny’s Restaurant was on that corner, but I have a picture of that intersection from November 1940 which clearly shows Tiny’s was on the south east corner. I also remember my father parking in front of Tiny’s in October 1949 on the southeast Corner. Can you or someone in your organization tell me if Tiny’s was ever on the northeast corner?"

Leticia Perez turns her back on the supervisor job and throws her hat in the ring for the 16th state Senate district seat. Meanwhile we are all still absorbing the odd story of her husband, Fernando Jara

 * ... PEREZ: As predicted 5th District Supervisor Leticia Perez, who has been in office less than three months, is running for the open 16th state Senate seat abandoned by her former mentor Michael Rubio. Aside from her willingness to abandon a job she was just elected to, it should be interesting to watch her square off against Fran Florez, recognizing that there is no love lost between these two camps. And, add to all this the odd, made-for-TV movie storyline of Leticia's husband Fernando Jara, a self described former street thug who converted to Islam, learned Arabic and claimed to have worked with the CIA before coming home to devote his life to helping men with addictions. That's enough content for a 13-part series on HBO, but that's his story and he's sticking to it. Who needs fiction when you have stories like this? Stay tuned.

 * ... TEXTING: Did you know that fully 70 percent of all Americans between the ages of 16 and 64 say they have talked or texted on their cell phones while driving? That is an alarming statistic but The New York Times says the problem is getting worse, not better. Thirty percent admit to texting while driving in the past 30 days. Said Ileana Arias of the Centers for Disease Control: "If anything, it seems to be getting worse." (photo courtesy of The New York Times)

 * ... SPOTTED: Two fathers get in a good old fashioned brawl at the BASA softball fields Monday during the Centennial High School junior varsity tournament, embarrassing not only themselves but also their daughters on the field.

* ... BAD FORM: Stephen Montgomery was driving to Santa Maria on State Route 166 last week when he found himself being tailgated by a black Chrysler. "After riding my bumper for a few miles the driver passed me. I was surprised to see his vanity plate that read CHIP 2 with a small CHP logo on the left side. This guy, apparently one of California's finest driving his private car, later had pulled over with his left wheels almost touching the side line on the highway. He had his door wide open extending well into the driving lane but closed it when I got close but not before I had pulled over the center line to avoid it. Soon he was back on my tail before passing me again and disappearing. Oh yeah, I was not dragging my feet. In a 55 zone I was moving at 64 mph.  What an example!"

 * ... FIRST LOOK: Make sure you tune into bakersfield.com on your computer or iPad tomorrow for First Look with Scott Cox. Cox will be talking to Sheriff Donny Youngblood at 8 a.m. and Californian columnist Lois Henry will be on at 9 a.m., all from the Dignity Health studios inside The Bakersfield Californian. Watch it live or hear it on NewsTalk 1180 KERN from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.

* ... LITTER: If you want to pitch it to help pick up litter along the Freeway 99 on and off ramps, contact Tom Burch over at Henley's Photo. The sheer volume of trash in our community is overwhelming, but it's nice to see some folks try to tackle it. Burch said the group meets every Wednesday to pick up trash along Highway 99 (178 is coming soon). Go to the Keep Bakersfield Beautiful website to find out where to show up. If you want to contact Burch directly, do so at
tburch@henleysphoto.com

Volunteers take on the enormous problem of trash in our community, while First Look with Scott Cox kicks off on bakersfield.com and NewsTalk 1180 KERN

  * ... LITTER: Interesting tidbits from the local campaign to clean up our community. The group, called "Litter: It's Beneath Us," estimates that the U.S. spends more than $11.5 billion each year for litter clean ups. In addition, 36 percent of business development officials say that litter impacts a decision on whether to locate to a community. And, fully 85 percent of littler is the result of individual attitudes. Somehow that does not surprise me.

 * ... VOLUNTEERS: Kudos to the group of retired citizens who are working with CalTrans to pick up trash along the Freeway 99 off and on ramps. These folks are volunteering their time to pick up trash discarded by others, and we all owe them a pat on the back.

 * ... MORE LITTER: And finally this, from the Bryan Kelly of Trader Joe's: "This is so totally awful... going west on 178 (what used to be a pleasant drive when litter was not so abundant) behind a pick-up loaded with household items, table, chairs, bookshelf etc... strapped in were two white plastic garbage bags. One had to assume these had been used for packing, as nobody would move garbage but a hole was ripped open in one and the contents were blowing to the four winds. When an empty toilet paper roll hit my windshield, I decided to at least pass and give the driver a dirty look. As I reached the bed of the truck a rat sticks his head out and obviously doesn't like the wind so he dives back leaving his tail to blow for a few seconds. They were at least driving away from our house."

* ... FIRST LOOK: A new, local three-hour radio and video newscast kicks off Monday morning, the first of its kind in the nation pairing the local newspaper with the leading news talk radio group. It's called First Look with Scott Cox and it will be produced from a new radio and TV studio built in the middle of The Bakersfield Californian newsroom. You can hear it on NewsTalk 1180  KERN or view in on your computer or iPad on bakersfield.com. The studio is named for Dignity Health, the leading medial provider in Kern County. The show will feature news, weather, entertainment and analysis from The Californian's staff of editors and reporters. House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy will be the first guest on First Look at 7:30 a.m.

 * ... SPOTTED: On 34th Street across from Bakersfield Memorial Hospital an ambulance approaches with sirens blaring. Traffic is pulled over but a young couple, pushing a toddler in a stroller and mom carrying a newborn, are stranded on the center median. Undaunted, they decide to make a run for it, crossing 30th Street in front of the ambulance, laughing with relief as they catch their breath safely on the other side.

* ... TEXTING: Here is one person's testimony about the dangers of texting while driving. A reader, who asked to remain anonymous, said her husband was following a mini van in the Northwest when it suddenly veered off the road and slammed into a tree. He stopped and went to the driver's side to find a woman in an apparent daze. "She told my husband that she had been texting. Seeing that she was clearly horrified and upset and not wanting to make her feel even worse, (although he rightly could), he told her that everything was going to be okay, that no one was hurt except a tree and her van, but that he truly hoped she learned a lesson from it, as that tree could have just as easily been his family going for a walk. She then began to cry even harder realizing this horrifying truth and said she knew she should not have been doing it. The police and her husband were called and my husband left. I wanted to share this with you so that we can once again remind readers to please not text and drive, facebook and drive, or do anything else on their phones while driving! Thankfully this situation was not horribly tragic, (except of course for the tree) but it certainly could have been."

A new pilates studio opens in downtown Bakersfield and The Bakersfield Californian Foundation announces grant recipients

 * ... PILATES: A new business devoted to pilates has opened up on 21st Street in a stunning loft building that formerly housed the "Little White Dress." It's called "Poise Pilates and Barre" and is the brainchild of partners Christine Travis and Callie Spitzer. The 30-year-old Travis, a Garces High and later Santa Clara University graduate, and 27-year-old Spitzer, who graduated from Liberty High and later Cal State Long Beach, have known each other for years and decided to invest in a beautiful, state of the art pilates studio. It's good to see two young entrepreneurs bucking the economic downturn by putting their capital at risk while offering a healthy lifestyle service to our community. They offer individual or group classes and my guess is Poise Pilates and Barre will be a hit. The business is planning a June 7 open house and ribbon cutting. (photos by Rebecca Rossini)

 * ... RETORT: Paula Robertson has worked for Stockdale High School for 22 years and was shocked when she saw herself mentioned (not by name) as the driver of a school van who was texting on her pink phone at a traffic light. "Yes I was on my phone but only to check the time because this particular van does not have a clock," she said. "I know better than to text while driving." Another reader, Riley Parker, spotted her on Stockdale Highway and thought he saw her texting. "I am 55 years old and I know better," Paula said. "I want to set the record straight."

* ...  ONLY IN OILDALE: Workers in the Oildale branch of the Chase bank were evacuated Thursday when a suspicious package was found. They were allowed to return when the package was found to contain an old pair of women's panties and a book on Barack Obama.

 * ... OVERHEARD: A woman walking into a local Starbucks on a recent morning: "I hope today isn't a repeat of yesterday. I was hit up three times for money and the last guy told me he was just released from Corcoran!"

* ... GIVING: I consider myself lucky to work for a family whose mission is to give back to our community, and recently The Bakersfield Californian Foundation gave out a new round of grants to deserving organizations. Among the recipients are The Cat People, Marley's Mutts, CALM, Pet Food Pantry, Kern County Library, Bags4Kids, BARC and the Friendship House. Those grants ranged from $1,700 to $6,500. The Foundation also donated $15,000 to Ready to Start; $15,000 to Lightwave Education; $9,800 to MARE (for the Summer Literacy program partnering with Migrant Student Outreach); $9,025 for the Boys and Girls Club summer reading program; and $4,000 for First Book. Add to that were miscellaneous donations of $20,000 to the Kern County Nut Festival; $5,000 to AngelDogs; $5,000 to the Henrietta Weill Memorial Child Guidance Clinic Stable Skills program; $3,200 to the College Dream Fund; $1,000 sponsorship to the Buena Vista Museum's Spectacular World of Science event; and $17,252 to the Kern Historical Society, for their historical plaques. That's some $125,000 that will do an awful lot of good around town.

* ...  ERA OF THE WINGER: Darrell Winger wrote to note the success of his children in the annual math field day competition in which son Zachary Winger won the 8th grade triathlon games.
"This marked the third year in a row for Zachary to win his event," he said. "This also meant that for the fifth year in a row a Winger family member has won the triathlon games at the competition. Zachary's older brother Alex won the competition three years in a row as well. A very proud family accomplishment!"