Boat and RV show is a big hit; a signal of better economic times? And a random act of kindness is offset by bad form

 * ... RV SHOW: Apparently the big boat and RV sportsman show out at the Kern County Fairgrounds this past weekend was a huge hit, drawing near record crowds and giving local businessmen a reason to smile. Is this an indication that things are getting better? Are folks feeling more confident about making big-ticket purchases? Let's hope so.

 * ... KINDNESS: Marian McBride passes along this random act of kindness. "A few days ago I went to der Wienerschnitzel on Ming Avenue. When I reached the drive-up window the owner was waiting with a big smile.  I thought he was happy to see his most vocal fan of Street Dogs (hot dogs wrapped in bacon and including grilled onions).  Instead, he told me that the customer in front of me had paid for my order.  I asked why and he said she just did a kind thing.  She was driving away (white car), which I didn’t recognize. Perhaps she had seen in her mirror that I am an old lady in an old pickup. Perhaps she heard my old-school ways of thanking people for everything. Those two Street Dogs tasted better than any others ever did. Thank you, unknown lady, for a very sweet, very kind act.

 * ... SPOTTED: Meanwhile, not everyone displays such good form in public. Take this example of bad behavior witnessed by Jolie Brouttier: A woman in the Rite Aid parking lot off Gosford Road leans over the driver's seat, opens the passenger door and tosses out a large to-go box, leaving her lit cigarette on top of the trash. "Seeing me catch her in the act and give her a disgusting stare-down, she proceeds to back up and flip ME off, not paying attention to the other cars behind her, nearly causing a collision. From litter bug to unsafe driver, this woman has a lot of class. NOT!"

* ... ASHBURN: I had a chance the other day to catch up with Roy Ashburn, the former supervisor and state senator who had a very public fall from grace two years ago when he was ticketed with a DUI in Sacramento and later revealed he was gay. Ashburn is now running for his old seat as a First District supervisor, along with several other candidates, and no matter what you think of his politics, it was good seeing him emotionally healthy and happy. This is not an endorsement of his candidacy, but rather an endorsement of the concepts of forgiveness and redemption. Ashburn called his arrest and subsequent "coming out" a blessing in that is allowed him to reorder his life. He has been sober for two years.

* ... AUTHOR: Niko and Sally Livingston dropped me a note about their son, who has just penned his first children's book. The new author is 26-year-old Stuart Livingston, a graduate of Bakersfield High, Bakersfield College, and Cal State Northridge. He co-authored, and co-illustrated a book that’s received the Kirkus Star for remarkable merit from Kirkus Reviews. It’s a children’s graphic novel titled Explorer:  The Mystery Boxes and features Stuart’s story 'The Soldier’s Daughter.'  Writing and illustrating are sideline projects to his full-time job creating storyboards for the cartoon 'Futurama.'" Congrats to this young man.

 * ... OUR HISTORY: In 1896 a Los Angeles company placed regular advertisements in The Californian announcing a cure for "Cancer and Tumors.... No knife or pain. No pay till cured!"

A few examples of really bad behavior in our community and examining the demographics of a changing America

  * ... BAD FORM: Sometimes you just can't avoid the stupidity of your fellow man. As in when Warren Rooney was cycling on Round Mountain Road about four miles east of Gordon's Ferry when he experienced an incident that could have left him in the hospital, or worse. "It was a Saturday afternoon when a vehicle came up behind me going 45-50 mph and the passenger slugged me in the back. I could tell that the vehicle was coming close by the sound and so I was inches from the edge of the pavement and they came up next to me within a foot or so. It was an older American made SUV, possibly a late 1980s or early 1990s Chevy Blazer or Suburban. It had an old red-orange paint job that looked like it might have been done at home. The rear license plate was inside the rear window and had reflective plastic between the license plate and window making it difficult to read." This guy should be easy enough to notice around town.
 

 * ... SINGLES: There has been a rash of stories recently on our nation's changing demographics, including statistics that show that fully half of all adults are unmarried and most of them are living alone. And now comes a website devoted to the single life called "QuirkyAlone." The website says it is devoted to people who "enjoy being single (but is not opposed to being in a relationship) and prefer being single to dating for the sake of dating. It’s a mindset. Quirkyalone is not anti-love. It is pro-love. It is not anti-dating. It is anti-compulsory dating."

* ... DRIVERS: Nancy Barnett read my earlier post about an unlicensed driver, who had no insurance, caused an accident and then just drove off before police arrived. She added this:  "At the checkpoints the Bakersfield Police Department hold, if you are driving without a license but you can call someone to come get your car and drive you home, they let you go.  Do the police actually think that person won't get behind the wheel and do this again? It's even more amazing how many people don't keep the registration up to date on their cars!  If it was you or me and our tags were 6 months out of date, we'd be pulled over in a heartbeat and ticketed!"



 * ... HEALTH FACTS: Researchers now believe that adopting a diet of fish and other foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids will help your memory as you age. In fact, The Wall Street Journal says some doctors are recommending we eat fish three times a week. And there is this: other research shows that men who are at least six feet tall have a much lower risk of developing heart failure than shorter men. So count yourself lucky if you're tall and enjoy that tilapia a few times a week.


* ... WEILL: One of my favorite and worth-while nonprofit fund raisers is coming up next month when The Weill Child Guidance Foundation will hold its annual wine tasting at the historic Guild House Friday, March 23, from 5:30 p.m. 8 p.m. This is always an interesting evening and a chance to taste some good wines and munch on hors d'oeuvres while touring the beautiful Guild House. The cost is $75 per person. Call Toni Ross at (661) 322-1021, ext. 186 for reservations. Proceeds benefit the Henrietta Weill Memorial Child Guidance Clinic, which has provided mental health services for Kern County children and families for 66 years.

 * ... OUR HISTORY: Did you know that John Philip Sousa and his "Sousa's Peerless Band" performed in Bakersfield's Armory Hall on February 26, 1896? The cost for reserved seats? Just $1.

Dewar's attracts protesters, and supporters. Not the counter protester on the left

 The "shame on" union protesters are out in front of the new Dewar's ice cream shop. This photo, apparently taken by an unknown photographer and posted on Facebook and subsequently widely distributed, catches the action. Note the counter protester and his sign to the left.

Dreaming of water in the Kern River this summer and taking stock of the supervisor races

* ... SUMMER DREAMS: Remember last summer when a good snow pack helped keep the Kern River flowing through town? There were paddle boarders, kayakers and canoeists up and down the river from Beach Park to the Park at RiverWalk. But don't expect the same thing this year, particularly if we don't get more rain and snow in the mountains. One friend in the water business predicted "we'll have periods of water in the river but it won't be deep enough to paddle board." Keep your fingers crossed for some rain and snow.

* ... SUPERVISOR: Leticia Perez, the former staffer for state Sen. Michael Rubio, has just turned in 3,132 signatures to the Kern County Election's office to get on the ballot for the Fifth District Supervisor race. Rubio told me last week Perez is busy walking the district and he predicted she would defeat her primary rival, Supervisor Karen Goh, who is running for a full term. Perez supporter Linda Fiddler said the signatures "were all collected by friends, relatives and neighbors who have turned out every Saturday and some Sundays since the beginning of the year to visit voters at their doors. Those volunteers rock!"

 * .... ASHBURN: Speaking of county supervisors, former supervisor and state senator Roy Ashburn is back running for his old First District seat after a drunk driving incident that could have ruined his career. Ashburn will be my guest Monday on Californian Radio on Kern 1180 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Tune it to hear Ashburn lay out his priorities and thoughts, including how forgiving he thinks voters will be after his  DUI arrest and revelation that he is gay.

* ... TRASH: From my inbox comes this story on how one man deals with bags of trash dumped on his property. "A friend that has property in the country has trash left along side his road.. When that happens he looks in the bags and usually finds a discarded envelope with an address on it. He then writes a nice note telling the owner that they must have lost this bag and delivers it to their house along with all the trash.  A good way to get it back to the rightful owners!"

 * ... MORE TRASH: Yet another reader, Gerhard Schmidt, wonders why whoever dumped the mattress simply didn't look in the telephone book for a number to call (661-326-3114) to have large items hauled away free. "Details are  in the green pages of the phone book. Of course the people who do those things might not be able to read your blog or the phone book."

 * ... AIRLINES: The Dutch airline KLM is experimenting with a system that allows passengers to pick their seats by viewing the backgrounds of other passengers using the social networking websites Facebook and LinkedIn. Here's how it works: you can voluntarily link your seat assignment to your Facebook page so other passengers can view your background in case they might want to sit next to you. Sounds a little much to me but let's see if it works.

McCarthy: High gas prices point to need to exploit our natural resources, so where is the Obama administration?

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield and House Majority Whip, gives us his weekly view from Capitol Hill. In his words:

 "As we are seeing here in Bakersfield, the price for a gallon of gas is getting dangerously close to $5. This is not good news for families who are continuing to struggle to make ends meet. In fact, an article in the Wall Street Journal last week explored the potential that a sharp spike in gas prices could derail any recovery in our economy. We cannot allow this to happen. There are a number of reasons that oil prices fluctuate, but chief among them lately is the situation in the Middle East. Iran has cut supplies to Europe, and that has a global impact.
 "Reducing our dependence on oil from highly unstable regions in the Middle East, many of which are run by dictators that oppose our country and our ideals, is critical. We have legislation that remains stalled in the Senate that would boost America’s energy production, including opening up leases for oil production off the coasts of Virginia and the Gulf of Mexico, as well as a small percentage of land in Alaska. We’re also continuing to push for approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline, which could provide tens of thousands of American jobs and help boost our domestic energy infrastructure. I continue to support an all-of-the-above energy approach, and that approach includes traditional energy. We only have to drive through Kern County to see how important it is.

 "We are also a powerhouse when it comes to agriculture – and water is the lifeblood of this industry. We’re looking at another dry year. The snowpack is far below normal, and on Wednesday, the California Department of Water Resources announced that it will reduce the water allocation for State Water Project contractors by 10 percent. Our community has stored water well and can survive a dry year – but we cannot ignore the fact that environmental overregulation severely exacerbates the impacts of naturally dry weather. We need a stable, reliable water supply. California’s man-made drought has a solution, and that includes the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley Water Reliability Act. This bill passed out of the Natural Resources Committee last week and would increase water allocations throughout the Valley by approximately 1.4 million acre-feet. That’s enough to irrigate over 460,000 acres of farmland or provide water to over one million families for one year.

  "This legislation gets our priorities right by putting our families, farmers, and ranchers above a tiny fish. Protecting our environment and ecosystems is important, and this legislation continues to do so while putting families first. This legislation will increase water supplies, create jobs and help ensure that our community can remain one of the top agricultural producers in the nation. This bill is expected to be debated on the House floor soon, and I will be voting for it so we can finally address the causes of California’s man-made drought that has contributed to too much fallowed land and unemployment in our communities.

Cafe Med customers using iPads to order wine and the Wind Wolves Preserve gets some recognition

 * ... CAFE MED: It was bound to happen, and now comes word from Meir Brown that Cafe Med has converted to an iPad wine list. That's right, the popular Stockdale Highway eatery is now offering iPads so customers can select wines, make notes or even connect to the winemaker's website to learn more about what they are ordering. "They can even email the information and selections to themselves or their friends, all from their seat in the restaurant," Brown told me. "We are the first in Bakersfield to have these and are very excited about it! We look forward to feedback from our customers." 

* ... UNWED MOTHERS: My earlier post about the large number of children being born out of wedlock drew this response from reader Phyllis Smith.  "In regard to your piece about unwed mothers, I feel the press never lets up on announcing the celebrities who are pregnant, but unmarried.  No one seems to care and young people see this as being ‘just part of life.' I always remember how Ingrid Bergman was sent out of the country and her career was nearly destroyed because she was unmarried at the time of one of her pregnancies. Now it seems to be accepted more and more. How sad!"

* ... AWARD: Sunset magazine has singled out the Wildlands Conservancy for the "Best Education Program" in running the Wind Wolves Preserve in Kern County. The magazine said the preserve, which covers 95,000 access where the San Joaquin Valley meets the Transverse Ranges, boasts an excellent educational program for both families and students who come from families who live below the poverty line. (photo courtesy of Sunset magazine)

 * ...  BAD FORM: Steve Montgomery spotted my piece about a local businessman finding a diaper on his doorstep and added this: "To add insult to injury some jerk dumped a mattress in the alley behind my house Sunday morning while I was in church.  Of course the holiday made me wait until today to report the nasty thing."

 * ... OVERHEARD: A young professional woman complaining about her recent car accident. "So this car runs a red light and it hits me. The driver has no license and no car insurance and she leaves before the police get there. Just drives off! How many more people are out there like this?"

 * ... GAS PRICES: So are we ready for $4 a gallon gas? How about $5 a gallon, which is what many experts are predicting by the summer? How will prices this high affect your life?

 * ... FULLER BRUSH: How many of you remember the Fuller Brush salesmen who used to make calls at your home? I had no idea the company was still around until I read in the Wall Street Journal that the company has just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company still employs 180 full-time people and some 10,000 independent contractors.

Eye on First Friday: a tribute to our emerging downtown arts district

 The renaissance of the downtown Bakersfield arts scene continues and finds a new voice with "Eye on First Friday," a video blog by former TV talents Lisa Kimble Edmonston and Don Martin. Martin is the brainchild and creative genius behind First Friday, the monthly celebration of the arts. Enjoy

Time to support the Cal State Bakersfield Runner baseball team, and remembering when "Ray Ray" the ice cream man roamed the city streets

 * ... BASEBALL: If it's almost spring it must be time for baseball, and there's no better place to take in some big time college baseball than Hardt Field out at CSUB. Now that we're competing in Division 1, the Runners will be taking on teams like UNLV, Southern Cal, North Carolina State, New Mexico State, Fresno State, Nebraska and the University of Washington. And this after taking on Kansas State and winning two out of three. CSUB Athletic Director Jeff Konya has also announced a plan to raise funds to improve Hardt Field. If you haven't taken in a game, give it a try. This is a team worth supporting.

 * ... MEMORIES: From my mailbag comes this note from  a reader named Dena, who wonders if anyone who grew up in South Bakersfield remembers the "Ray-Ray" ice cream truck that used to roam the neighborhood. "In his pristine little white truck with freezer attached, very clean,..., Ray-ray was always a very dapper gentleman always wearing a clean white shirt, little bow tie and black shiny shoes. He was so kind to all of us neighborhood children and my mother relied on his summer rounds every day, keeping my 'ice cream money' in a special Ray-Ray jar."


 * ... OVERHEARD: Only in Bakersfield "will I drive out of my way just to get a look at a new gas station (Sully's Chevron market at Buena Vista Road and Ming Avenue)."

 * ... SPOTTED: Former Bakersfield City Fire Chief Ron Fraze, along with wife Shelly, at the outdoor Prairie Fire grill at The Padre Hotel this weekend meeting with friends and supporters and talking politics. Fraze has submitted papers to run for the Ward One seat on the City Council to replace the retiring Sue Benham.


 * ... ART: Looking for some good, affordable art for your home? If so, make sure you swing by the Bakersfield Museum of Art when it offers quality, previously owned art for sale. These are works that have been donated to the museum. The event will be held Thursday, March 8, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets for Art A Go-Go are $50 before the event and $60 at the door. Call (661) 323-7219 for more details.

 * ... OPEN HOUSE: The Independent Living Center, which helps folks with disabilities live independently and with dignity, is holding an open house this Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. There will be food, a silent auction, a boutique and even Plinko to honor everyone who has helped support this organization. The event will be held at 5251 Office Park Drive.