Local plastic surgeon Dr. John Lang dies and the Museum of Art looks for art donations

* ... MARRIAGE LAWSUIT: It turns out that Kristin Perry, one of the lead plaintiffs in the marriage lawsuit being played out in federal court, is the state director of First 5 California. If you remember, Perry and her partner are among those trying to overturn Proposition 8, which affirmed that  marriage in California is defined as a union between a man and a woman. (read one account of her testimony here) The local angle is that Perry grew up in Bakersfield and testified on growing up gay in the conservative Central Valley. She now lives with her partner, Sandra Stier, in Berkeley. First 5 was a voter initiative to improve the lives of young children in California via funding from a tax on tobacco.

 * ... LOCAL SURGEON DIES: I was saddened to hear that Dr. John Lang, a well-known plastic surgeon, died of a heart attack in Hawaii a few days ago. I didn't know Dr. Lang but friends tell me he was a skilled surgeon and a wonderful person. Debbie Hanson, his longtime office manager, said Dr. Lang and his wife Dione were in Hawaii for a niece's wedding and enjoyed "just a super, fabulous week" with family and friends. He died last Monday, January 18th,  the day the couple was to return home. They have one daughter, Kristyn, who is 30. Dr. Lang was 64. A mutual friend told me Dr. Lang  was originally from Pittsburgh and was an enthusiastic Steelers fan. According to his website biography, he earned his undergraduate degree from Iona College and a medical degree from Georgetown University. He later did his residency in plastic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. His office was on 21st Street in Westchester. Keep his family in your thoughts and I will share details of his services when they are made public.

* ... ONE VOTE FOR B-TOWN: Edna Clark Hunton wrote me that she was born and raised in Wasco but routinely refers to Bakersfield as 'B-town.' "On the weekends when someone would ask what you were doing, the normal answer would be 'going to B-town.' Even now when I am in Bakersfield and filling out a form and they ask where you live (city) I always put B-town and then my zip. It is a lot quicker and everyone knows what B-town stands for. Love your column." Thanks for the feedback and the nice note, Edna.

 * ... BAKO OR BAKERSFIELD: One of my colleagues here at The Californian is Steve Swenson, a longtime court reporter who is well known for sharing his opinions with anyone who cares to listen. Swenson has lived in Bakersfield for years and he simply hates the idea of using the term "Bako" as shorthand for Bakersfield. He told me it's "disrespectful, smacks of outsiders trying to nickname Bakersfield and is the equivalent of calling San Francisco 'Frisco,' which residents of San Francisco universally hate." What do you really think Steve?

 * ... ART A GO-GO: You have to admire the folks over at the Bakersfield Museum of Art. Not only do they know how to bring quality art shows here, but they also are shrewd marketers. Their latest pitch is something called Art a Go-Go in which they are asking people to donate "no longer wanted" art pieces for a sale in March. Beth Pandol, museum marketing director, said it can be "anything from really nice paintings, sculpture to prints and posters. Just no junk." I suppose that rules out all those velvet Elvis and dogs playing poker pictures in my garage. The art is strictly a donation - no consignment. But the donors do get a tax deduction. The general public sale will be on March 20 and a pre-sale gala cocktail party will be held March 18 at $50 a person or $60 at the door. Knowing the small but influential art community in this town,  my guess is this will a big success.

Amgen Tour of California ... coming to Bakersfield May 20th!

The promise and threat of the Padre Hotel and a Bakersfield company lands a big stimulus contract

* ... THE PADRE: I meandered into the Padre Hotel the other night and happened to meet Brett Miller, one of the partner owners. Miller was busy with last minute details preparing for the opening but was kind enough to show me around. The main lobby interior, with its long oak bar with multiple flat screen TVs overhead, will leave you breathless. These guys have done a remarkable job with the old place. There are four different restaurants and they all should be open sometime next month. Now with that said, as much as everyone is cheering the continued revival of downtown, the Padre reopening is making some people nervous. They might not say it on the record, but other local downtown restaurants are worrying that the Padre's eateries could hurt their own businesses, which thrive off the emerging arts scene. The question is whether a successful Padre will serve as a tide that lifts all boats, or a tsunami that will sink others. All that depends, of course, on the Padre restaurants following through with good food, service and pricing, and none of that is a given. Just ask anyone in the food business.

 * ... SCRIVNER FUND RAISER: The first event at the new Padre was a fund raiser for Zack Scrivner, the Republican city councilman who is running for county supervisor. I'm told the Padre was a huge hit as the supporters gathered on the main lobby floor, munched hors d'ouerves and gazed at the tiled lobby and new trimmings. One of those attending was Don Martin, owner of Metro Galleries, who was particularly  impressed with the Padre lighting. "Lights embedded in floors shine up on the columns that have been restored," he said. "All the furniture is custom made for the hotel, along with the art and wallpaper." All the local Republican big-wigs (and others) were there, including Rep. Kevin McCarthy and former Congressman Bill Thomas, as well as Assemblywoman Jean Fuller. Also attending were Karen Dewalt, Jan Bans, Jacquie Sullivan and David Couch among others. (photo courtesy of Don Martin)

 * ... STIMULUS MONEY: A Bakersfield-based company has landed a $1.6 million contract to fund emergency drought relief  for affected agricultural areas of California. That's the word from the Bureau of Reclamation (part of the Department of Interior) who said Western Oilfields Supply Co. of Bakersfield would supply pumps, valves, flow meters and piping to "increase the flexibility of limited water supplies for helping maintain production of trees and vines." The contract comes from the American recovery and Reinvestment Act, part of President Obama's overall stimulus package.

 * ... GO BLUE: Another Wolverine from the University of Michigan wrote to pledge his allegiance to Ann Arbor. George Granger said he grew up in Michigan, graduated from the university in 1953 and from the university law school in 1957. He came to Kern County in 1960 and has practiced law here - and in Delano - for 50 years. Well done, George.


 * ... B-TOWN NOT BAKO: Karene R. Williams sent me an email saying she lived in Bakersfield from 1955 to 1973 and was in the first graduating class from South High School. She now lives in Lake Isabella. Her family has always referred to Bakersfield as "B-town," not Bako.

Mark your calendars: Padre Hotel art to be shown in February

 Thought I would share a sneak peek of what you can expect at the next First Friday downtown celebration, set for February 5. At the Surface Gallery, local photographer Felix Adamo will show off some of his pictures of the Padre Hotel over the years. Here are two. Great stuff.

Mike Olague lands at Bank of the Sierra, Pat Collins buys HP Sears and Memorial thanks its donors

  

 * ... A BIT OF HISTORY: I received a nice note from John Pryor, an insurance and risk management consultant who also serves as historian for Stockdale Country Club, which will celebrate its 85 birthday next month. I had written earlier about Lloyd Tevis and the club's origins (see that post here) and John added some context. Consider:

 - Lloyd Tevis was the first CEO of Wells Fargo Bank (in San Francisco) in 1872.
 - Stockdale is named after a friend of the Tevis family, Sir Edmund Stockdale, who became Lord Mayor of London.
 - Mrs. William Tevis, the former Mabella Pacheco (called Mabel) was the daughter of California's first Hispanic governor, Romualdo Pacheco.
 - Many local streets are named after those in Stockdale's history, including Tevis Drive (and school), Carr Avenue, Pacheco Street, Hesketh Street, Haggin Oaks and of course Stockdale Highway.
 - Mrs. Tevis purchased exotic trees during her world travels, most of which are still viable and visible at the clubhouse and on the golf course. Notable are two Italian cypress trees at the entry to the clubhouse and the Monkey Puzzle tree next to the 18th green.
 My thanks to John for sharing some of this rich history.

 * ... BAKO OR BAKERSFIELD: Mike Griffith, a longtime sports writer at The Californian, shared with me the story of how Bakersfield came to be known as "Bako" among some local hockey players. According to Mike, it was around 1994 when he was covering the old Bakersfield Fog hockey team (forerunner to the Condors) and some Canadian players took to using "Bako" to refer to their new hometown. "Seems to fit," Mike told me. "After all hockey is all about nicknames for just about everybody and every city."

 * ... MEMORIAL GIVES THANKS: Memorial Hospital rolled out the red carpet to showcase the completion of donor signage and to honor those donors to its Capital Campaign. Nancy Carr, director of the Capital Campaign and widow of the late Larry Carr, chief development officer Sue Benham and hospital CEO Jon Van Boening had special words of thanks to all those who supported the hospital's expansion. Among those attending were David and Catherine Gay with daughter Emily, Joey and Christy Porter, Don and Sherrie McMurtrey, Pete and Mona Pankey, Hal Aaron, Dr. Hans Einstein and daughter Evie, BMH Foundation chair Pat Osborn, Tom Alexander, Cynthia Lake, Tom Smith, Bob and Mary Beck, Bart and Napier Hill, Dr. Bruce and Rosemary Swinyer, Dr. Madhu and Dr. Rabinder Bhogal, Dr. Kamalnuth and Lilly Iyer, Harvey and Lavonne Hall,  and Dr. Robert and Shirley Marshall.

 

* ... THE BUZZ: Michael Olague, formerly head of the regional Rabobank office, has landed at the Bank of the Sierra as a senior vice president and area manager of the Bakersfield area. Olague is a longtime and well respected local banker who previously worked with Bank of America and the now defunct San Joaquin Bank. He is one of several local bankers who found themselves out of work in the tumultuous banking crisis of 2009. He is a graduate of Cal State Bakersfield and the University of Virginia graduate banking school and currently serves on the board of Mid State Development and the Kern Community Foundation, as well as the advisory board for the CSUB Business School. Always good to see people like Olague landing on their feet. Lastly, I heard from former Kern Economic Development Corporation head Patrick Collins that he is now the owner of H. P. Sears credit company. Collins was brought in to run the family owned company. founded in 1928, and has now become its owner.

McCarthy: Oil severance tax will hurt businesses, and Congress needs to move quickly to create jobs

  

 Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) submits his weekly roundup to BakersfieldObserved. In his words:

 "The tragedy in Haiti has shocked the world, but brought out the best in nations as we work together for one common goal: to save lives.   As the situation evolves I’ll continue to update my website with information from the State Department. 
  

 "At home we also have problems, national unemployment remains steady at 10% (California is even higher), a number that is double what it was in 2008, To help change this trajectory, Congress needs to focus on jobs.

 "Last week in Sacramento, another oil severance tax was proposed.  This tax will hurt businesses in Kern County, cost jobs, and increase our reliance on foreign oil.  With 12.3% unemployment in California, this is the last kind of tax the state needs.  Unfortunately, DC is learning all the wrong lessons from California.  This is why my colleagues and I are focused on solutions that are a part of a no cost jobs plan.   Look for a column next week that will lay out this plan.

 "An essential part of any plan to improve our business climate is cutting harmful government regulation – last year it is estimated that over 100 new burdensome regulations were established by the Obama Administration.  During a time of economic downturn it does not make sense to impose new regulations that hamper job creation. 

  "Another example of regulations hurting our local industries is found in our state's water situation.  Farm communities are experiencing unemployment rates as high as 40%.  Democrats continue to block efforts to get water to the valley, keeping needed water from our farms and hurting job creation. We need to find solutions that bring water to our farms. But a long-term fix is essential, including a peripheral canal that will bring needed water to our local communities. On Monday Jan. 25, I will be in Fresno for a hearing on our water crisis, and I hope the Administration officials who were invited attend and provide answers on why they are blocking potential solutions, including the Two Gates project they’ve reportedly shelved.

 "In the health care reform debate, there continues to be a divide among Democrats. Both House and Senate Democrats continue to meet in secret to negotiate the final version of the bill. When then Senator Obama was campaigning, he promised Americans transparency. Instead, all Americans have seen are closed door deals.  My colleagues and I are fighting back.  We want the transparency America was promised.  We are asking all members of Congress to sign a discharge petition (needing 218 signatures) forcing a vote on a bipartisan resolution requiring the health care reform negotiations be open to the public and media.

 "At the end of the week I introduced a new bill (H.R. 4449) to increase states’ online voter registration services. In an era of unprecedented technology, it is important that the systems we use to elect our officials stay up-to-date.

  "As usual, I am home in Bakersfield for the weekend, but this weekend is extra special because my mom is getting married!"

 

Race for 2nd District Supervisor heats up, more love for the SPCA and a shout out to Wolverine fans

 * ... SHORT TAKES: Ran into former Supervisor Steve Perez at the 24th Street Starbucks and he briefed me on his campaign for the 2nd District County Supervisor seat being vacated by Don Maben. Perez said his campaign is going well and that "there is a lot of concern" out there about the state of the economy and government in general. Perez is out there pressing the flesh, making calls and getting ready for the June election. Zack Scrivner and Mary Beth Garrison are also seeking the seat...
    - It was interesting to watch former Bakersfield Congressman Bill Thomas back in action yesterday grilling the nation's top bankers as a member of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. The New York Times referred to Thomas as the "cantankerous former congressman" from California and his rapier-like intelligence was on full display during the session that was featured live on CNBC.
 - I found interesting to read that one of the plaintiffs in the gay marriage case before federal court, Kristin Perry,  grew up in Bakersfield. Both the San Francisco Chronicle and San Jose Mercury have noted how Perry had to hide her true feelings during her upbringing in the conservative Central Valley. Growing up conflicted about your sexual identity is hard enough, and I'd love to hear more about Perry's experience here. Perry and her partner now live in Berkeley.

 * ... SPCA FUND RAISER: I dropped by the local SPCA on Gibson Street again the other day (donating some hard cover books for its spring book sale) and was asked to pass along some information on an important fund raiser next month. I am always impressed by the dedication of the staff there, and it's nothing short of heart breaking to see the hundreds of unwanted dogs and cats awaiting adoption. While I was there one young woman brought in a sweet black female lab she found in her Rosedale neighborhood, and I wondered if she was lost or simply discarded by someone who lost his job. So if you are looking for a good cause to support, consider attending "Furry Paws and Foggy Nights" from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Petroleum Club on Friday, February 19. It's $85 per person (you must RSVP by February 12) and includes dining, music and silent and live auctions. The SPCA is looking for sponsors and folks to donate auction items, so consider helping this worthy cause. Want to help? Call Chuck Nordstrom at 323-8353, extension 10.

 * ... HAIL! TO THE VICTORS: Just when I thought I'd heard the last from local Ohio State Buckeye transplants came two notes from local residents Daniel A. Nichols and Mark Smith, arguing  it was time to hear from Ohio State arch rival Michigan Wolverine fans. "Most of my father's family is from either Ohio or Michigan, so it usually splits up the family for the Big Game," said Nichols. "I bleed Maize and Blue (University of Michigan colors) and I am sure there are a lot more Wolverine fans out here in Bakersfield. I hope some decide to speak up for the cause. Go Blue!" Smitty (as he asked to be called) agreed, adding he grew up 10 miles from Ann Arbor and learned from a young age to support the Wolverines. "Enough with the Buckeyes already! How about finding out about some displaced Wolverines located to beautiful downtown Bakersfield!" Out of loyalty to my own daughter who is a sophomore at Michigan, here's to the Wolverines.

 * ... THE BUZZ: Mike Allen, who left the Spanish radio group after 30 years recently, has landed at crosstown rival American General Media to spearhead a new drive to grow the Hispanic radio audience. Allen, a fixture on the local radio scene, lost out in a management shuffle and later resigned. His new position will put him in direct competition with his old employer, Lotus Broadcasting. Rogers Brandon, president of AGM, said Allen would serve as Director of Business Development for the group's Hispanic stations in both Bakersfield and Santa Maria. That means he will oversee sales for KEBT-FM La Caliente, Bakersfield's premier Hispanic station, and all special events for both KEBT-FM and KRQK-FM La Ley, the Central Coast's leading Latino radio station. Allen had been general manager at the station for over 30 years prior to his departure.

Local church tries to return to earthquake devastated Haiti to provide assistance

 A local church group that spent 10 days in Haiti building a medical clinic is trying to return to provide assistance after the devastating earthquake. The problem: they have a short window to get there and are looking for use of a private jet. Evan Evans, manager of a local Allstate Insurance office, told me that a small group from the Olive Knolls Church of the Nazarene was trying to return to help. He said one church member, emergency room Dr. James Rosburgh, was off the next 10 days and could devote that time to helping in the recovery. "We're looking for someone with a corporate jet to get us there. We have to do it within 10 days so our ER doctor can get back to work" at Mercy Hospital. Members of the church spent 10 days in Haiti last November, building a clinic. Evans said the one-way flight is 2,700 miles. "Our group already has our passports and shots, so we are ready to go." If you are interested in helping, call church Pastor Rob Songer at 661-345-4770.