The final word on the old O'Hare house near Beale Park and readers rant about trash along the road, texting while driving and motorcycle lane splitters

 * ... TEXTING: David Moren dropped me a note to add his voice to the debate over folks texting while driving. "All day long you can see people driving in and out of the Superior Court parking lot at 1215 Truxtun... while talking and texting on their phones. I have often wondered why BPD does not station an officer in plain clothes there and start collecting revenue for our city. Make the fine $1,000 per infraction and the city will have a surplus of money in a week's time."

* ... TRASH: Patty Orsburn witnessed a good deed on Rosedale Highway recently that she wanted to pass along. There, on the east side of the highway near the old PGE facility, was a woman picking up trash. "I then realized the vast amounts of trash that were all mixed in with the weeds and realized what a daunting task she had taken on and on such a hot day! I wished there hadn't been so much traffic and that I didn't have so little time so as to be able to pull over and help her or at least bring her some water to show that I appreciated her effort to clean up Bakersfield."

* ... SMALL WORLD: Christine Nichols was on an Alaskan cruise in May when she ran across a tour guide who once called Bakersfield home. "We were on a bus tour of Mount McKinley when we learned our guide was from Bakersfield of all places," she told me. "She is a retired teacher named Karla Gallaghan and her maiden name was Karla Stormount. She was just a wonderful guide and says she has family here. What a small world!"

 * ... CAL RADIO: Join me on Californian Radio KERN 1180 Monday when I will be chatting with Bruce Jay, the president and CEO of Valley Republic Bank, which was recently cited as one of the safest banks in America. We'll also be talking with Jeff Konya, Athletics Director at CSUB, for an update on Cal State athletics.

* ... LANE SPLITTERS: A reader's complaint about motorcyclists splitting lanes (legal in California) this commentary from Stephen Montgomery. "If traffic is stalled at some long stoplight and there is room to avoid, among other things, whacking anyone's side mirror I'll slide through it. As far as those who resent bikers splitting lanes I pointed out that if done safely, it's legal. And, importantly, this practice doesn't cause the cage driver any delay. Furthermore every motorcycle on the road is one less car taking up space on an already overcrowded road. My message to those resenting the freedom gained by two wheels is you don't have a real complaint so get over it!"


 * ... O'HARE HOUSE: My thanks to reader Nancy Thomas, who provided me with the complete history of the old "House On the Hill" on Dracena Street near Beale Park. It turns out the house, which became a home for priests after the 1952 earthquake, was owned by the family of Nancy's best friend, Judy O'Hare Newman, granddaughter of James and Sara O'Hare. "Judy is currently residing in Morro Bay, with her husband Terry Newman (son of former Bakersfield College football coach, Ray Newman)," she said. The history of the house: "The house on O'Hare Hill was owned by James and Sara O'Hare. The O'Hares were  a pioneering farm family in Kern County, establishing the family farm in 1869. The original land grant was signed by President Grant.  Jim O'Hare's father, Peter O'Hare, was a member of the Kern County Board of Supervisors (Third District) at the time of President McKinley's death. The O'Hare family also owned the Jewel Dairy. They raised  seven children in that house: Mary Katherine (Franey), Pauline (Pascoe), Teresa (Lacques), James Michael (married Katherine lnez Rea), Josephine (Lugar), Colleen (Catzin) and Margaret Ann (Hislop). James Michael (Bud) was a member of the Future Farmers Association and sold pigs he raised to MGM.  They appeared in the original film 'Little Abner.' Sara O'Hare's sister was Mae Saunders, believed by the family to have been the first woman reporter for the Bakersfield Californian. Mary K. Shell was a cub reporter when Mae was a lead reporter. Jim and Sara were the grandparents of 48 grandchildren, many of whom still live in Kern County.  One of their great grandchildren, Bear Pascoe, is currently playing football with the New York Giants."

Bakersfield's Valley Republic Bank makes the list of the top "safe banks" in the country and readers recall the old "haunted house" that was used as a priest rectory after the 1952 earthquakes

 * ... SAFE BANKS: Hats off to the folks over at Valley Republic Bank, which has made a list of the 359 safest banks in America. This is all according to MSN.Com which used a financial analysis called The Texas Ratio to determine which banks are truly the safest. Said the story: "The Texas Ratio was developed by a financial wizard at RBC Capital Markets named Gerard Cassidy, who used it to correctly predict bank failures in Texas during the 1980s recession, and again in New England during the recession of the early 1990s." Valley Republic is the only locally based bank to make the list. Valley Republic was founded in 2008. Bruce Jay currently serves as its president and chief executive officer.

* ... SPOTTED: Craig Holland spotted this seasonal oddity at Brimhall and Jewetta roads: "A large red SUV with two snowboards, complete with boots, attached to the rack on the roof.  In July in Bakersfield?"

 * ... MESZAROS: Rob Meszaros, head of communications for Cal State Bakersfield, is leaving the campus to take a similar position with the Kern County Superintendent of Schools. His last day at CSUB will be Aug. 23 and he'll start his new position a few days later.

* ... HAUNTED HOUSE: My earlier post about an imposing old home near Beale Park brought a flood of responses from folks who remember it as a rectory for priests at St. Francis Church while a new church was being built. Steve Merlo grew up across the street from "the house on the hill" on Dracena Street. "When the new church was built and the priests moved out, the old three or four story house remained empty and became a fun house for most of the kids on our bloom.... The house's silhouette was so tall, gloomy and frightening to look at that on one ever ventured there after dark." (file photo of the original St. Francis Church)

 * ... HOUSE: Another reader, Sharon Henderson, grew up on Cypress Street and also remembers the "O'Hare house... As a child I dreamed of being able to live there. I loved that house and passed by it on my way to and from St. Francis school, Beale Park, my best friend's house, and finally, BHS.  After the 1952 earthquake destroyed the lovely St. Francis church downtown, the O'Hare family donated that house to the parish and it was used as the rectory for many years. (I attended St. Francis with Judy O'Hare, her younger sister, Inez, and brother, Mike.)  I have memories of walking to that house from school with my class each December, standing on the sidewalk in front, and singing Christmas carols to the priests."

* ... MORE HOUSE: Lynne Brooks Woodward recalls a slumber party in 1958 when she and her friends went to the house for a late night "exploring mission... I remember climbing inside a window and seeing an old grand piano at the foot of a stairway. The house was otherwise empty. We had heard it used to be a home for the nuns or priests from St. Francis. Anyway- we got spooked and ran back to our party site. What a fun memory to recall!"

  * ... JUDGE CLARK: Superior Court Judge Thomas S. Clark went to grade school at St. Francis and remembers that a classmate, Mike O'Hare, lived in the house with his mother and sister. "I don't remember the details as far as how long they lived there or what his mother's name was... might have been something other than O'Hare."

* ... QUAKE: One more memory of the horrible 1952 Bakersfield earthquake, this one from local Realtor and world champion skeet shooter Ken Barnes. "During the August quake my parents had friends from Oklahoma visiting and their son and I were both 13 years old at the time.  We were sitting in an aisle seat at the California theater between 18th and 19th streets that afternoon a little after 3 p.m. when the quake hit.  After going through the morning quake in July I knew exactly what was happening, and I yelled for him to run up the aisle and out into the middle of Chester Avenue. All around us was dust and debris from falling bricks and store frontages that had collapsed. Next door the roof of Lerner's dress shop caved in and killed a woman.  It was hours before we finally caught a bus back to Oildale and my very worried parents.  It was really, really scary."

More memories of the devastating 1952 Kern County earthquakes, and lamenting about those motorcycle lane splitters

* ... QUAKES: Christy McGuire was just an infant when the 1952 earthquake hit but she has a vivid memory of that day. She was living in Taft where her father, Tom Gross, was a young exploration geologist working for Standard Oil (now Chevron).  "I have a vivid memory of dad quickly coming into my room to take me out of my crib, calmly saying there was an earthquake, and carrying me into the living room to stand in a doorway with my mom. In looking back at the dates of the quakes, I was amazed to realize I was less than a year old, my birthday being in October 1951. Christy grew up with a love of geology, and remembers her father "dancing excitedly into the house, when we had later moved to Bakersfield, with Scientific American's iconic cover story on plate tectonics in his hands.  It was like he was carrying the Holy Grail, and it felt more momentous to me than experiencing the earthquakes themselves!"

* .... MORE EARTHQUAKE: Another memory of the 1952 earthquakes, this one from Harry Love. "I was an eight year old, living in Los Angeles (Westchester, by the airport). I remember waking up as my bed was hitting the wall. I thought my sister was shaking it to get her little brother upset (her usual ploy). I starting living in Bakersfield in 1967 and still remember the other ones that hit here. In 1970, my wife of one year and from Minnesota, experienced her first earthquake."

 * ... SPOTTED: A younger woman driving a black BMW is busy texting on her cell phone as she blows through a red light at Brimhall and Calloway, narrowly missing a white SUV that wisely slowed to allow her to pass.


* ... PR GROUP: Marlene Morales is head of communications for the law firm of Chain, Cohn, Stiles and dropped me a note to tell me about a group of local executives (most of them in public relations) that meet quarterly to discuss issues in our community. "Not only are they leaders in the community, they participate in many non-profit organizations to raise money for Kern County," she said. "Members of the PR group include: Susan Hersberger, Jarrod McNaughton, Amber Chiang, Marlene Morales, Rob Meszaros, Carla Musser, Darlene Mohlke, Steve Gabbitas, Michele Bresso, Barry Zoeller, Colleen Dillaway, Brent Rush, Beth Pandol, Cal Rossi, Rob Duchow, Selena Ingram, Gina Hayden, Jim Varley, Katie Harlan Allen, Leslie Golich, Rhonda Smiley and Susie Geiger. "

* ... LANE SPLITTERS:  How do you feel about motorcycle riders who ride between the car lanes, a maneuver that is perfectly legal (at least in California) if executed correctly? Reader Phyllis Smith was recently stopped at a double left turn with a motorcyclist rode up next to her. "He hit my side mirror forcing it backwards.  He pushed the mirror back into position and took off doing his left turn, again between the two car lanes. When I got home I checked the mirror and the paint was chipped off where he hit it. I have never understood why they have this privilege of driving between the lanes."

 * ... MEMORY: Reader Wyatt Ross is looking for a little help from old timers who remember an old house on Myrtle Street. "Around 1961, at about the age of 4, I would walk with my very young Aunt Molly and Uncle Todd from 308 Cypress to Beale Park for a day of swim and play. Walking on Palm, we could look north on Myrtle and see what I remember as a huge, weathered old mansion, sitting ominously on a raised lot, at least 15 feet higher than the surrounding grade. To me, it was the 'House on Haunted Hill' from the 1959 Vincent Price movie.  I clearly recall covering my eyes as we walked by it!  Ironically, 15 years later I would live across the street from the still-elevated vacant lot, which still had remnants of the red brick foundation.  It was soon thereafter excavated and subdivided with several new homes. Any old timers out there recall the history of that place?   Seems I've heard it may have housed nuns or orphans at times........or am I confusing it with Sinaloa?"

A woman recalls the horrific 1952 Bakersfield earthquakes and the Colorado shootings revive the issue of gun control in our society

 * ... EARTHQUAKES: The stories on the anniversary of the devastating 1952 Bakersfield earthquakes triggered this response from a reader: "People say that as an infant you may remember traumatic experiences. In August 1952 I was 18 months old. We lived just west of Kern Medical Center on Flower Street. When the earthquake hit I was in my crib in the living room. My mother and sister were piano players and we had a low top piano in the living room also. I, to this day, can vividly remember the piano bouncing two to three feet off the floor and moving past my crib which was moving the other way across the room. My sister, 9 years old, and her girlfriend were on the front porch and were thrown out into the front yard. I am sure there are others with lasting memories but this is one I can truly say was a memory that I have not forgot." (photo courtesy of The Bakersfield Californian)

 * ... SHOOTING: The horrific shooting at the Colorado theater that killed so many innocent moviegoers has renewed the debate over gun control. Would outlawing assault rifles prevent a recurrence of these tragedies? What about limiting the amount of ammunition that can be bought at one time on the internet? We will talk gun control on Californian Radio KERN 1180 on Monday at 9 a.m. We will also be talking to a vice president of Campbell's Soup company which recently paid $1.5 billion for locally owned Bolthouse Farms. Join us for the discussion.

* ... HITCHING POSTS: Harold Tyner wrote to say he and wife Elaine have one of the old, classic hitching posts erected in his front yard. "I have owned and ridden horses for several years," he wrote. "Hal Wygant's daughter Laurie is married to our son Steven Holcomb. Hal had acquired one of the original hitching posts  that was once in front of the court house.  He offered it to us, and it is now in our front yard, waiting for any would be rider and horse to tie up! " (file photo of hitching posts)

 * ... SPOTTED:  Longtime reader Terry Andrews shared this bit of bad form when he was eating breakfast at the Knotty Pine Cafe. "It was a delicious breakfast (but) there was a man facing us, with three ladies at his table, and he flossed over his plate for 10 minutes after the meal. Ugh!:"

* ... OVERHEARD: A young woman is telling her friend about running into group of city firemen at a downtown woman's boutique. "So we are there talking and in walk a dozen of these young firemen who are inspecting the building and asking questions about the crawl space. They were so nice and polite and these guys were hot! Every woman in the place just stood there in a trance! It was quite a show!"

* ... PAINTER: My post last week on Rich Johnson's crew who painted by downtown home brought this note from reader Karen Kandarian. "Richard Johnson has been doing my painting for at least 25 years.  Richard has a vast knowledge of all the current colors and products on the market.  He is always right on in helping make decisions.  He is fair, honest, trustworthy and reliable.  He always finishes the job and does it well. He is a true professional.  As you stated, he gets all his work by word of mouth. What better recommendation can a person receive than to have so many satisfied customers giving you a referral?  He’s the best in my book."
                               

Three men on classic motorcycles visit all the Bakersfield cities in the country on epic summer adventure

 * ... BAKERSFIELD: Think you had a good summer? Check out the adventure that three Bakersfield men experienced when they set off on motorcycles to visit every city named Bakersfield in the United States: one in Texas, another in Missouri and one in Vermont. It started as an idea between friends Ryan Smith and Jorge Gonzalez, owners of vintage BMW bikes called “airheads," and eventually included Californian photographer Felix Adamo, himself a longtime motorcycle enthusiast.  The trip also included a stop in Cincinnati at the Bakersfield themed restaurant 'Bakersfield OTR.' The entire round trip was 6,500 miles and took 22 days to complete. Said Adamo: "In all we traveled through 18 states, averaging about 350 miles a day. While we did stay with some family, friends and a couple of hotels along the way, a majority of the time we camped at various sites along the way. Everything we needed was packed on our motorcycles." Adamo is planning on an photography exhibition of the trip in the near future. (photos courtesy of Felix Adamo)

 * .... BANKRUPTCIES: The list of California cities in or nearing bankruptcy continues to grow, with Stockton, San Bernardino and Mammoth Lakes leading the way.  And according to Los Angeles Times columnist George Skelton, Tehachapi is among a new list of cities that are signaling they are in trouble. Skelton said Tehachapi and seven other cities - Arvin, El Monte, Fairfield, Grover Beach, Lancaster, Monrovia and Riverbank - had told potential bond buyers that they are in serious trouble.


* ... TRASH: Regular readers of this blog know how I feel about litter, and my post the other day about the piñata party that left Jastro Park a mess triggered this response from Rosalyn Malamma, a teacher at Standard Middle School. "In my sixth grade classroom at Standard Middle School, the last ten minutes are devoted to cleaning the room. While we have a great custodial staff, my students need to learn to clean up after themselves.  Have a gread day and keep writing!"

 * ... HITCHING POSTS: Remember those old hitching posts that used to be so common around town? Deputy city fire chief Tim Lynch tells them there are two across the street from Fire Station No. 2 on East 21st Street just west of Pyrenees Bakery.

* ... MOTTO: City councilwoman Jacquie Sullivan gave me a call to promote the eighth annual fund raiser to promote "In God We Trust" as our national motto. The event will be held Thursday, July 26, at the Marriott Hotel downtown. Call Tina Miller at (661) 325-7601 for reservations.

Catholic Online's Michael Galloway resorts to name calling and racial epithets as he is grilled by KBAK TV's Kurt Rivera, and our local housing market remains red hot for sellers

 * ... CATHOLIC ONLINE: There are few things as entertaining as watching the subject of a local investigation squirm, lose his cool and resort to name calling when pressed to answer a simple question. The latest case of bad form involved Michael Galloway, a local entrepreneur who apparently has built a pretty good business through his for-profit website Catholic.org. (Don't confuse Catholic.org with being the official arm of the church) The business has been the subject of numerous investigations and fines, and last week KBAK's Kurt Rivera followed up on a complaint that the company had withheld payment to a contractor. Galloway turned ugly when Rivera pressed him for answers. "You're an angry little Hispanic man. Geraldo. Isn't your name Geraldo? Is your name Geraldo? You're dressed like a pinhead. You are a pinhead," Galloway said while being filmed. Rivera didn't back off and Galloway ended the interview with yet another racial slur: "Goodbye little man. Go eat some tacos.'" Really Michael?  Seems not even a website with the name of Catholic.org can buy one class. (photo courtesy of KBAK TV)

* ... TIGHT MARKET: Christine Zimmerman is a local Chevron employee who has been house hunting in one of the tightest real estate markets in recent memory. Unfortunately, the supply of homes is near an all time low, and what she is encountering is all too common. "Yesterday, we found 'the house:' price, location, amenities, aesthetics, the entire package. It was newly advertised, and we were enthusiastic. I contacted the local real estate company whose ad we found first thing this morning, using their online form to request a showing... The second email from the company explained to me that the property had been 'contingent' since April as a short sale, agreed to between seller and buyer pending bank approval." Christine wondered if this was ethical, but experts told me in this case, it is. Short sales take months, and backup offers are discouraged, so they homes remain listed in case the deal falls through. Gary Belter of Coldwell Banker told me reasonably priced homes are "going in a heartbeat" via multiple offers. "It's a crazy market and there just isn't enough inventory," he said, "and the process of a short sale can really drag out the process." In the meantime, good luck to Christine and her husband in their search for a new home.

 * ... BAD FORM: A pox on the family who left Jastro Park littered with candy wrappers, used paper plates and gift wrapping paper after holding a piñata party Saturday. The broken piñata and other assorted pieces of trash were left exactly where they fell onto the grass. Is it really too much to ask parents to clean up after their children?

 * ... GOOD FORM: Meanwhile for every example of bad behavior someone, somewhere is trying to do the right thing. Just two blocks from Jastro Park and the piñata party, a woman walking her dog casually picks up discarded cups and trash as she makes her afternoon rounds.

* ... PAINTING: Hats off to Rich Johnson and his crew of meticulous painters for giving my 1909 downtown bungalow a fresh coat of paint that makes the old place look nearly new. Old homes are like relationships; they need a lot of love and care to keep fresh, and Johnson is an expert in breathing new life into houses that have seen better days. Johnson came to me via word of mouth and local recommendations. Give him a call as (661) 706-1077 if you're in the market for an expert painter.

 * ... COMPOSER: Congratulations to Coral Rose ("Coco") Chapman, the 6-year-old daughter of KEDC director Richard Chapman who just also happens to be a terrific young piano composer. Her original composition was among a handful chosen from over 500 statewide entries. Earlier this month, she performed her piece at the Composers Today Symposium in San Diego (held during the annual convention of the Music Teachers Association of California).  She attends Harmony Road Music School in Bakersfield.

Californian Radio (KERN 1180) to look at Bakersfield's pension costs with City Manager Alan Tandy, and Derek Benham hits another home run in selling his wine company

* ... CITY FINANCES: Three California cities - Mammoth Lakes, Stockton and now San Bernardino - are headed to bankruptcy court thanks to the effects of the long recession and bloated pension costs. Is Bakersfield facing a similar threat and what are the prospects for our city in the longer term? I'll be chatting with City Manager Alan Tandy Monday on Californian Radio KERN 1180 to review the state of our municipal finances. Join us at 9:15 a.m. and call in your questions at (661) 842-5376.

* ... PINOT: Former Bakersfield resident Derek Benham has done it again, building a private label wine company into a national powerhouse and selling it for a nice profit. That's the word from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat that said Benham has sold his Mark West pinot noir brand for $160 million to beverage giant Constellation Brands. "The deal, one of the largest local wine label sales in recent history, marks the second time wine entrepreneur Derek Benham has built a small Sonoma County wine brand into a national powerhouse and sold it," the paper said.  "In 2001, Benham and his brother, Courtney Benham, sold their Blackstone merlot wine brand for $140 million to a partnership created by Constellation and BRL Hardy. The transaction includes the Mark West trademark and inventories of wines from three California appellations: California, Russian River and Santa Lucia. Grapes from the Russian River appellation make up a small fraction, less than 1 percent, of the pinot noir produced by Mark West."

 * ... HALL OF FAME: Kudos to Andrea Zander Norman who is being inducted into the Northern California Tennis Hall of Fame at Stanford University. Andrea is the daughter of Phil and MaryLee Zander and grew up on the tennis courts at the Bakersfield Racquet Club.  Not only did Andrea win the Valley Doubles title with Karin Blom, but she also worked at the Racquet Club flipping hamburgers for Gerry Karr. Thanks to old friend Ginnie Eschner for sharing this bit of good news.

 * ... OLYMPICS: A fund raiser to help send the family of local wrestler Jake Varner to the London Olympics will be held at the SkyBar Lounge on Rosedale Highway next week. The event is being put on by the Coyote Club Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 4208 Rosedale Highway.

* ... SPOTTED: Reader Ginny Espinoza spotted this touching scene recently involving a young hand and his dog on a hot Bakersfield day; "A young man walking with his little dog suddenly bent down to feel his doggie's feet - then put his hand on the sidewalk cement - and continued his walk with his dog in his arms! Regardless what anyone says – I love your column and look forward to reading it!"

 * ... ACHIEVER: Laurie Barnes, a graduate of Bakersfield Christian High School, is spending the summer in southern France as an exchange student. She will be a junior at Hillsdale College in Michigan, where her sister Katie graduated from. Katie went on to attend George Mason University School of Law in Virginia and is preparing for the bar exam. The girls are the daughters for Brad and Julie Barnes.

The proposal for a tree lined Westchester Parkway picks up support downtown, and homeowners join the trend to downsize their homes and lives

 * ... 24th STREET: An alternative proposal to widen 24th Street by converting it into a "Westchester Parkway" with a green belt in the center seems to be picking up some strong support among downtown residents. There are certainly people who prefer the "no build" option, but commercial real estate broker Wayne Kress' "Westchester Parkway" option is gaining supporters. The idea: work with the city to achieve the widening but in doing so create a beautiful gateway into our community with a more landscaped option.

 * ... RADIO: Mark Salvaggio is a retired city councilman who has remained active in local political circles and never shies away from a strong opinion. He will be my guest on Monday, at 9 a.m. on Californian Radio KERN 1180. We'll discuss public employee pensions, the governor's budget  and the local political scene. Join us by calling in questions at (661) 842-5376.

* ... WENDY: I attended the celebration of life Saturday for the late Wendy Wayne, an event that packed the downtown Fox Theater with friends, family members and well wishes. It was amazing how many people flew in from out of town to give their last respects to this amazing woman. Wendy's oldest son, Larkin Tacket, gave a moving, sometimes funny tribute to his mother that had everyone dabbing their eyes with tissue paper.

 * ... GOING SMALL: I read with interest the Sunday column by Opinion Page Editor Robert Price who extolled the virtues of "going small" when his family sold its Stockdale Estates home and moved to a much smaller home downtown. The economy is pushing many of us in that direction, but others like the Prices are doing it as a lifestyle change. Fortune magazine picked up on this recently saying "millions of people are finding that having less makes them happier. Spending less and saving more is kind of like sushi: You have to be made to try it, but then you may find you love it."

* ... REUNION: Reba Mullen's family held its 16th Bulter-Williams family reunion recently, attracting more than 60 relatives from at least six states. "I would like to give kudos to our local businesses and merchants who were very generous, gracious and supportive. Among them were Wendy Zielsdorf at the Bakersfield Convention and Visitor's Bureau for a goodie bag full of Bakersfield branded pens and bumper stickers, the folks at My Husband's Nuts and to the people at Coconut Joe's for the good food and service. And, let's not forget about Dewar's and its famous chews."

 * .... SCAM: Heads up on a possible telephone scam. JoAnn Williams wrote that she received four calls in just one week, all from people with heavy Indian accents telling her she had a computer virus. "I know there is no virus. I refuse to speak with anyone I can not understand, so I never continue the call. I know there has been notice of this scam before, but so many phone calls in such a short period of time worries me."

 * ... POEMS: Esther Dougherty sent me a copy of "Search," a series of poems by local waste management executive Skeet Varner. Some of the poems deal with Varner's love for and support of the sport of wrestling, and others deal with topics like aging.