Museum show to feature homeless photos by Felix Adamo

 I have already plugged the upcoming show on homelessness, loss and isolation at the Bakersfield Museum of Art that runs from Dec. 10 through February 21, 2010. Here are two strong photos by Californian photographer Felix Adamo to give you a taste of the show. I think this will be a strong show. The first one is titled simply "1816 18th Street" and the second "Steve and Queenie." Enjoy.

 

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."

Lenore Carter loses her fight with cancer, more local kids return home and CSUB women's tennis

  

* .. DEMOLITION OF OLD THREE-WAY CHEVY: One of the longtime institutions of Bakersfield, the old Three-Way Chevrolet dealership on California Avenue near Highway 99, has been torn down by the bulldozers. The dealership moved to the auto mall and the prime acreage - it's one of the busiest intersections in town - has been put on the market by Grubb and Ellis-ASU Associates. Tom Anchordoquy, a principal in the firm, told me the 12.4-acre site was purchased by local attorney and businessman Tim Lewy in July. He said 10 acres actually front California Avenue with another 2.4 acres on Easton Drive. He said Lewy was "in the preliminary discussion stage with several tenants, while he considers the overall master plan for the property."  In another time this prime piece of property would have been gobbled up and developed immediately, but thanks to scarce capital and a deepening recession it is being turned into another vacant lot in town-at least for the time being.

 * ... MORE KIDS WHO HAVE RETURNED: Thanks to all who are submitting names of youngsters who went away to college, got their degrees and chose to return to make Bakersfield home. The list keeps growing. A few more: Dr. Travis Thurman, a Highland High graduate, went off to Texas A and M, spent some time in Grenada and is now associated with San Joaquin Veterinary Hospital. Another Highland grad is Dr. Kurt Sturz, a pediatric dentist who went to Oregon and came back to establish his own practice. Finally, Rebecca Andrews graduated from Bakersfield High in the year 2000, went on to UC San Diego and earned her master's from Boston University. She's now working as a speech pathologist at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital. I will post yet more names of local kids who returned on Wednesday. Keep those names coming.

 * RIP LENORE CARTER: I was saddened to hear about the death of Lenore Carter, wife of Warren Carter and mother of Ken Carter, president of Watson-Touchstone Realty. Lenore died at home on Thanksgiving in the care of Hoffman Hospice after battling cancer. Warren and Lenore are longtime Bakersfield residents, well known because of their active roles in our community and their ownership of Watson Realty, now known as Watson-Touchstone Realty. The Carters have a home on the coast and were shuttling between here and there after turning over the company to son Ken. In April, Lenore was diagnosed with non-small cell adenocarcinoma in her left lung. Ken told me his mother's cancer was a type of lung cancer and "she never smoked a day in her life." He said the family had gathered together for the end after the long illness and "it was sweet in the end. We were all there." Lenore was just 73. Graveside services will be held Friday in Cayucos and a memorial will be held in Bakersfield on Saturday, December 12 at the Olive Drive Church. She fought a valiant fight. Prayers for the family.

 * ... CAL STATE WOMEN'S TENNIS: Got a nice email from Molly Busacca, one of the owners of Secure Systems, pitching the Cal State women's tennis team for some publicity. She was enthusiastic about coach Dan McCain who was not only a national high school and college champion but also played on the professional circuit. McCain graduated from the University of Michigan, where he played No. 1 on the Wolverines tennis team, and he received a post bachelor's degree from Illinois State, where he served as assistant coach of the women's team. While there, Illinois State won back to back Missouri Valley Conference titles. Check out the Roadrunners' website here for a schedule of the upcoming season. My younger daughter played all four years varsity tennis at Stockdale High School and one of her fellow Mustangs, Julie Hutton, is a scholarship player at CSUB. It's a team worth following.

 

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.

McCarthy: Obama stimulus plan failed to create jobs; jobless rate soars in Kern County

 Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) checks in from Capitol Hill with his weekend report. In his words:

 "I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving with their loved ones, and if you venture out to the stores on Friday, I hope you are able to find what you were looking for at a good price. As we all give thanks this week, I am thankful for my family, our veterans, those who defend our country in uniform, and for our amazing community. 

"On Monday, I had a very productive meeting with some of our local veterans to discuss the growing number of troops returning home with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).  We talked about different methods to educate as well as to provide services to help out veterans deal with PTSD and TBI.  Later, I met with local farmers to further discuss how we can turn the water pumps back on to nourish our local economy.  I also spoke with Ralph Bailey as well as visited KERO and KGET to discuss the terrible ramifications of Speaker Pelosi’s government takeover of healthcare, and the need for policies that spend less and create more jobs. 

 "Regarding Afghanistan, the media reported the President is expected to announce next Tuesday his plan to deploy an additional 35,000 troops.  The President has finally made his decision and says that he intends “to finish the job.” I hope General McChrystal will be allowed to testify before Congress to ensure our troops have the resources they need. 

 "Last Friday, California’s October unemployment numbers were released - California was at 12.5%, an alarming 2% more than the national average.  In February, the White House predicted the 22^nd district would grow over 8,000 jobs because of the stimulus.  It’s November and Kern County has a 14.5% unemployment rate, and our small businesses and families are struggling.  It’s clear that the bailouts have not worked. While the President has indicated he plans to host a jobs summit next week, I hope he finally embraces the ideas my colleagues and I proposed in January focusing on small businesses to fuel the economic engine that creates over seventy percent of all American jobs

As Christmas nears and everyone’s schedule gets a little bit busier, I hope we can all get a chance to help those less fortunate and support our troops.  Our local Marine Corps Reserve Training Center is collecting “Toys for Tots” for disadvantaged children - check their website for more information:  

http://www.kerntoysfortots.org.  You can also visit my website to find other opportunities to support our troops during this holiday season under the Spot Light section at http://kevinmccarthy.house.gov/

Enjoy those big games this weekend! We are going to push back the Fox News Sunday interview to another weekend. I will let you know when it is set.  And last, I hope some of you will come by and say hello at the annual Lake Isabella Christmas Parade this Saturday.

Lou and Sheryl and Macy's Thanksgiving Parade and 18 friends ...

  Longtime Bakersfield residents Lou and Sheryl Barbich are spending this Thanksgiving in New York City along with "eighteen of their closest friends," according to Sheryl. Here are a couple pictures of the lucky couple in the area where the balloons are being prepared for tomorrow's parade.

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."