A Driller turns 101, more trash on our city streets and be ready for the National Day of Giving coming in two weeks

 * … DRILLER: Richard Diffee dropped me a note to say that Bakersfield High graduate Ross Thornton just celebrated his 101st birthday. "He played for the Drillers in 1931 … and a couple of his teammates were Romain Clerou and Homer Beaty. He also played two years as center for the Renegades. If any of his teammates from 1931 read this, give him a call as he would love to hear from you. "

 * … TRASH: Mary Helen Barro wrote to say she was appalled on reading about the two women who were throwing trash out of their SUV downtown.  "I only wish the witnesses had snapped a photo with their cell phone, or noted their license plate number and turned it over to authorities. Years ago when I lived in Studio City (San Fernando Valley), new tenants moved into our neighborhood, and they trashed the area around their property. There was traffic in and out at all hours. Our Neighborhood Watch group began writing down all the license plates of their visitors.  After a couple of weeks, we held a news conference and announced that we had given all license plate numbers to authorities.  The offending neighbors moved out within a month.  I strongly believe that we need to take similar actions here in Bakersfield, when trashy neighbors and drivers litter our town. By the way, kudos to the lady who threw the dirty diaper back into the car.  These trashy people won't stop until their trash is thrown right back at them, or until they get a hefty fine for littering our streets.  Along with the fine should go 20 hours of community service picking up trash "

* … SPOTTED: While driving west on Highway 58, Scott McArthur sighted "an adult doe (deer) bound across 58 in front of oncoming traffic and wait in the median in order to cross. I thought I was back in Michigan."

 * … GIVING: Make sure you look for the 2013 Charity Giving Guide that will be inserted into The Bakersfield Californian this Sunday. Produced by the Kern Community Foundation, it provides a practical way to research local non profits while offering testimonials on personal giving. And remember that coming up on Tuesday, Dec. 3, is the national "day of giving."

  * … TURKEY:  Independence High School is once again teaming up with Living Grace Church to hold its second annual Turkey Drop on Saturday Nov. 23, at the high school from noon to 2 pm.
Said Chuck Beatty: "Please join us by dropping off a frozen turkey or other non-perishable items.  Last year, we were able to donate 120 complete dinners to the FLOOD Ministries and to needy Independence families. Independence High School is located at 8001 Old River Road. Any questions, please call Kelly Hardin at (661) 834-8001

 * … BAD FORM: Stephen Montgomery called out whoever tagged a sign in front of a community garden in our community. "Amber Beeson and her volunteers have put their hearts and souls into making the 4th and Eye community garden a success so it was with some frustration that I spotted the damage some street mutt did to one of their signs. Makes you want to dope-slap someone. This tag has been successfully removed with slight damage to that garden decal."

Former House Ways and Means Committee chairman Bill Thomas to appear on First Look to talk what is going on in Washington, and Bakersfield rallies around the St. Vincent de Paul homeless center

* ... THOMAS: The ongoing stalemate in Washington that has shut down the government has left the country dismayed and plunged the popularity of Congress to an all-time low. What got us to the point, and why has Congress seemingly lost the ability to cooperate to get things done? Those are some of the questions I will be addressing with former House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas when he appears as my guest on First Look with Scott Cox. The show will air at 9 a.m. Tuesday on KERN NewsTalk 1180 and will be broadcast live on bakersfield.com.

 * ... HOMELESS: Bakersfield loves to rally around a good cause, and last week it was the St. Vincent de Paul homeless center that benefitted from our community's generosity. More than 800 people showed up last Thursday to dine on Gary Icardo-cooked steaks to raise money for the Baker Street center, a turnout that came as a pleasant surprise to event chairwoman Deborah Leary. "It was a perfect night and we were all thrilled," she said. The center serves breakfast and lunch for the homeless, as well as providing showers and other essentials.

 * ... BIRTHDAY: Hank Pfister, longtime tennis pro at Stockdale Country Club, celebrated his 60 birthday this weekend in typical Pfister style. He convinced a group of 32 cyclists to ride into the Sequoias for a grueling, 106-mile ride. In exchange for his family providing food at rest stops, each rider wrote checks to support Links for Life.

* ... GIRLS' FUND: If you run a nonprofit and your focus is on educating local women and girls, The Women's and Girls' Fund is planning a new round of funding in 2014 for the right programs. The fund is a leadership initiative of the Kern Community Foundation and expects to award at least $25,000 to local nonprofit charitable organizations in 2014. The focus should be on literacy, educational attainment, dropout prevention, high school graduation, college prep or job skills training. The deadline for applications is Nov. 6. For more information go to www.kernfoundation.org.

 * ... CSUB: Make sure to mark your calendar for this Thursday, October 17, when Cal State Bakersfield will put on a tri tip fund raiser for the men's soccer team. The event will run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Lengthwise Brewing Company on Schirra Court. Former House Ways and Means Committee chairman Bill Thomas will help run a live auction to support the college soccer program.

* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Reader Marsha Wiswall says you may be a Bakersfield old timer if you remember the drug stores run by Jules Reufener, who she described as "a most kind and unselfish man." She said Ruefener owned the drug store on the southeast corner of Baker and Sumner streets and also the one inside the Green Frog on Alta Vista. (He later had stores in Arvin, Lamont and Fresno.) "Each Halloween Jules was as happy as the revelers as he handed out Fleer double wrapped bubble gum. Inside were coveted cartoon strips. We would have contests who could blow the biggest bubbles."