Bakersfield Californian tapes pilot for new video streaming sports program

The Bakersfield Californian's video division is taping a new pilot program for local sports. Hosted by sports reporter Mike Griffith, this shoot featured longtime outdoor's columnist Steve Merlo and Gene Thome, owner of Bear Mountain Sports. They covered new gun laws, gun and ammunition control and popular new weapons. Stay tuned. Much more to come.

Who would have thought that the tiny (and sometimes adorable) Dachshund is the most aggressive dog breed? And downtown Bakersfield gets ready for another First Friday

 * ... DOGS: Pit bulls and Rottweilers end up on most people's lists of vicious or dangerous dogs, but as it turns out they don't even rank in the top five. The most aggressive breed? According to a study by the University of Pennsylvania, that would be the humble Dachshund.  Researchers from Penn surveyed some 6,000 dog owners to determine just what breed was the most aggressive. "The number one aggressive breed out of the 33 dogs surveyed? The Dachshund. Yes – the wiener dog," it was reported. "The study found that one in five dachshunds have bitten or tried to bite strangers, and a similar number have attacked other dogs; one in 12 have snapped at their owners." Following the Dachshund are the Chihuahua, Beagle, Jack Russell Terrier and the Australian Cattle Dog. Who knew?

* ... FIRST FRIDAY: There's an interesting new art opening for First Friday over at The Foundry on 19th Street. The exhibition by a group of artists will focus on portraits of the legends of the Bakersfield Sound: Merle Haggard, Bill Woods, Red Simpson, Bonnie Owens, Billy Mize, Cousin Herb Henson, Buck Owens, Tommy Collins, Jean Shepard, Wynn Stewart, Fuzzy Owen, Ferlin Husky and Lewis Talley. Meanwhile, next door at The Metro Galleries the work of Tina Bluefield and Moira Fain will be presented in another can't miss show.

 * ... BAD FORM: Darlene Platnick witnessed two cases of really bad form during our recent heat wave, and both cases involved small dogs. First, she was in the Costco parking lot on Rosedale Highway when she spotted a small brown dog locked in a white van, "panting profusely and standing up at the window. I didn't know who to call. Then we went to WinCo at Coffee and Hageman and outside was another little black dog, tied up in the sun where there was no shade. I didn't sleep well thinking about those things. People need to be brought up short when they do things like that."

 * ... CRIME: Dina Ronquillo, the niece for former Fresno City Councilman Dan Ronquillo, stopped by the ATM off Chester Avenue just north of Brundage Lane to get some cash before heading to work when a woman confronted her and tried to take her money. The would-be robber picked on the wrong person, and a feisty Ronquillo fended off her off. But the incident is a warning to all of us to be aware of our surroundings.

 * ... BLACKBOARD: Roger Williams called me to share a few memories of the old Blackboard honky tonk, made famous by the late Buck Owens and others who created the unique Bakersfield Sound. Williams told me the Blackboard was a favorite haunt of the Hells Angeles motorcycle club in the 1950s and 1960s when they would arrive in town for the March Meet drag races out at Famoso Speedway. "There must have been 150 of them at the bar,"he said. He noted that his uncle, Lawrence Williams, also briefly played piano with Buck Owens and his band.

 * ... LOCATION: And Anthony Kane writes that he believes the original Blackboard (not the one that was located near the Kern County Museum) was located in the spot where the old Floyd's store occupied.

  * ... EAST HIGH: Rick Van Horne is looking for help to solve a mystery over at East High School. Said Rick: "I was contacted by ESPN Magazine writer Steve Wulf because he is doing a piece on Johnny Callison (East High grad) who was the MVP of the 1964 MLB All-Star game. He was wanting to know about a mural at East High of Johnny Callison…. I told him there wasn’t currently a mural of Callison anywhere at the school. What I would like to know from your readers that went to East High, if there ever was a mural of Johnny at the school that has since been painted over or was in a building that is no longer here at East."

The Bakersfield Racquet Club struggles to survive and will Andy Vidak agree to an on air debate with Leticia Perez in the 16th State Senate District runoff?

 * ... THE BUZZ: It looks like the Bakersfield Racquet Club may be in financial trouble again. Members are telling me that money is so tight a purge of the staff is under way and members are being urged to sign up 100 new members to save the club. The storied tennis center, located on Pine Street off Truxtun, has been suffering from declining membership for years. Over a year ago a move by some
board members to revamp the club to widen its appeal was rejected by a core group of older members, leading to a lot of bad blood among long-time members and supporters. The issue: how does a club built around tennis (unfortunately not a growth sport) stay relevant and expand its audience? Stay tuned.

 * ... STATE SENATE: Kern County Supervisor Leticia Perez says she is ready to debate Republican Andy Vidak in their runoff for the 16th State Senate District. No word yet if Vidak will take Perez up on her offer to appear together on First Look with Scott Cox. Vidak narrowly missed winning the seat outright and the two are now headed for a July runoff. Perez, a Democrat, is positioning herself as a centrist who can work with the Democratic majority to get things done.

* ... BAD FORM: "How this for bad form?" wrote reader Car Nicita. "Yesterday my wife Beverly and I were taking our dogs for a walk in Challenger Park when we found someone had dumped an old dried up full size Christmas tree along Harris Road. The tree still had a stand attached! Wonder where they were keeping it until they decided June was the time to dispose of their tree?"

* ... ACHIEVER: Hats off to Ashley Langeliers, a Liberty High School graduate who went on to earn a degree from CSUB. On May 31, she received her PhD in clinical psychology from Alliant International University in Fresno. She currently works as the clinical manager at the Center for Autism and Related Disorders in Fresno. Her parents are Marcy and Joel Brust.

 * ... CHAMBER: Congratulations to all the people and organizations who were recognized in this past weekend's Beautiful Bakersfield awards sponsored by the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce. The awards are an excellent way to recognize people who contribute to the betterment of our community, even if the annual banquet is a televised snooze fest in dire need of a makeover.

 * ... BLACKBOARD: I received a call from Helen McCutheon, a loyal reader, who wondered where the original Blackboard honky tonk was located. The Blackboard, of course, was home to the birth of the Bakersfield Sound and enjoyed its hey day in the early 1950s. Its Chester Avenue location was razed in 2001 to make room for the expansion of the Kern County Museum. McCutcheon was a youngster but remembers when the blackboard may have been located farther south on Chester Avenue near a series of 35 to 40 small cabins, the original location before it was moved near the museum. Can anyone pinpoint where the original Blackboard stood? (historic photo of The Blackboard)

California ranks dead last on a list of business friendly states (no surprise there) and Bakersfield ranks high on another list as a city friendly to financial officers

 * ... TOP STATES: It is no secret that California is a tough place to do business. High taxes, zealous environmental regulations and the high cost of living all tend to push California down the list of states that are friendly to business. But dead last? That's where California ranks in a recent survey of the best states to do business in, based on taxation and regulation, the quality of the workforce and the living environment. The best states, according to Chiefexecutive.net, were Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Indiana and Arizona. New York ranked 49th and our Golden State dead last.

 * ... FINANCE: I happened on yet another list, this one ranking cities across the country that have experienced the most growth in financial sector jobs. Bakersfield, it turns out, turned up No. 3 on the list of medium-sized cities with a strong financial sector. The study noted the hot energy sector as one reason for Bakersfield's lofty position. Only Ann Arbor, MI, and Green Bay, WI, did better than Bakersfield.

* ... OVERHEARD: Asking jury panel members if they had ever been victims of a crime, Kern County Superior Court Judge John Brownlee shared this story of a hapless victim: "I had one person who had two steaks stolen off the grill. While inside the house calling the police to report it, they came back and stole the grill."

 * ... BAD FORM: Denise Russell was following a green Toyota Prius on Oswell Street the other day when "the passenger threw out five paper plates out of the window. I guess they figure they are doing good for the air, but heck with the ground. Unbelievable!"

  * ... PETS: I always try to make room for local fund raisers in this space, but this is one is really something special. Over the past few years several groups have organized to help confront our problem of stray dogs and carts, and one of them is the Friends of the Kern County Animal Shelters Foundation. This group, which does so much good in our community, is putting on a unique and clever fund raiser this Saturday, June 8, at the downtown Women's Club. Called Applause for Paws, it is a dinner and comedy show to raise money to help strays. In addition, local artists have painted works for the event that will be auctioned. Doors open at 6 p.m. It is $30 to get in or $50 for a couple.

 * ... OLD TIMER: And finally this nugget from regular contributor Bow Porter: "In response to the retired educator whose new neighbor asked if he 'used to be somebody'....Don't I just love it when some young squirt looks at one of my pictures of 40 years ago, and 40 pounds ago, and says 'Did this use to be you?'"

McCarthy: Eight local Kern County students gain acceptance to the U.S. service academies

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

 "This week, I was honored to speak at Washington Middle School's graduation where I addressed students seated in the same seats I sat in over 30 years ago.  The world, however, is very different today than it was back in 1979 – and it will continue to change faster than ever before for this new generation

of leaders.

"Thirty-four years ago, there was no internet or iPhone. We lived in a world with two Germanys and a fear of the Soviet Union.  But while many things have changed a great deal, our values remain constant. Passed on from generation to generation, our values are more than our guiding principles, they are our history. I shared with the graduating students the importance of upholding their values as they enter this important time in their lives, of continuing their education and always trying to learn more. But perhaps most importantly, all of our students must know the importance of their individuality.  It is this individuality which is at the core of the American spirit.

 "While my generation was walking around listening to “walkmans,” today an entire generation listens to music on their touch-screen iPods. And it is because of the vision of an individual named Steve Jobs, who had the passion and desire to make his dreams of using technology to transform our daily lives into reality. Individuality leads a person to think outside the box, go against the odds, and find the inner strength to keep working towards a goal despite struggles and failures along the way. This is how great things are achieved.

 "This week in Bakersfield I was also given the opportunity to meet several of our students who I believe represent this fighting spirit of individuality and perseverance through hardship. I was honored to nominate these individuals to attend our U.S. Service Academies, and I am proud of each of them for their decision to serve our nation. I know that with our future in their hands, America will continue to be great.

·         Bryan Bumgarner - Highland High School (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy)

·         Andrew Daughtery - Centennial High School (U.S. Air Force Academy)

·         Daniel Villarreal - Burroughs High School (U.S. Air Force Academy)

·         Cameron Green - Quartz Hill High School/New Mexico Military Institute (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy)

·         Clark Cali - Mission College Preparatory Catholic High School (U.S. Military Academy)

·         Aidan Farrell - Paso Robles High School (U.S. Naval Academy)

·         Jibraun Asaad - Quartz Hill High School (U.S. Air Force Academy)

·         Natrelle Demison - Bakersfield High School/U.S. Air Force Preparatory Academy (U.S. Air Force Academy)

 

Is Bakersfield headed for a new real estate bubble? And Texas leads the country with the most cities that are best for jobs

 * ... HOUSING: Is Bakersfield's housing market headed for yet another bubble? That's the warning from Gary Crabtree, a respected appraiser and a thoughtful analyst of our local real estate market. Crabtree shared a story from HousingWire that noted in markets like Bakersfield that have never "fully unwound" from the last bubble, "rapidly increasing price levels are a potential cause forconcern." Added Fitch Ratings: "The supply is also artificially low, as recent regulations have limited the pace of foreclosure sales and the large percentage of underwater borrowers continues to hope for future price increases to be able to sell their homes at a profit?" Sounds like Bakersfield. Stay tuned.

 * ... JOBS: What are the best cities for jobs in this economy? According to Forbes, the business-friendly state of Texas placed four cities in the top ten: Fort Worth (4), Houston (5), Dallas (6), and Austin (10). Others making the list included San Francisco, Salt Lake City, San Jose, Charlotte and Denver.

 * ... RODEWALD: Our community lost one of its great characters with the passing of longtime TV personality Don Rodewald. One reader, Joe Stormont, shared a memory of Rodewald's afternoon show, also known as Matinee. One feature was called Dialing for Dollars. "Don had a rotating bin with the telephone white pages cut into little strips. Don would spin the bin, then open it up and draw out a piece of the phone book. Count up or down a pre selected number of names from the top or bottom, and call that phone number... If the person who answered knew the 'count and the amount,' they would win the money. The prize amount started at $23 and increased by a few dollars each time he didn't have a winner. Sometimes the jackpot reached over $100."

 * ... OVERHEARD: A prominent local educator, recently retired, is telling a friend about moving into The Greens, the popular 55-plus gated community at Seven Oaks. "We love it," he said. "But the first day we were there a new neighbor came up to me and said, 'Didn't you used to be somebody?' I guess that says it all!"

 * ... AIRPARK: Reader James Irwin dropped me a note to ask about the airport that once existed on the Panorama Bluffs. That landing strip, James, was called La Cresta airfield and was located between Bakersfield College and where Greenlawn Mortuary Cemetery now stands. It was built duringWorld War 11 and planes took off over the Panorama Bluffs. The place has quite a storied history, and it was there when a young Mary K. Shell (a former mayor and supervisor) met her future husband, Joe.

 * ... KCUHS: Bill Deaver of Mojave remembers the two-headed calf that resided in a science room at the old Kern County Union High School. "I remember that two-headed calf," he said. "My grandparents, Henry Mack Sr. and educator Addie Mack, lived on Chester Lane, and we frequently drove by 'KC,' as my mom, former Californian East Kern correspondent Marion Mack, an alumnus, called it! This was in the 1940s and later."

Local baseball standout Jarret Martin to take the mound this week against the Bakersfield Blaze, and embracing the serenity of the Bakersfield National Cemetery

* ... MEMORIAL DAY: Hundreds of people visited the new national cemetery outside of Arvin on this Memorial Day weekend, a beautiful setting that has grown in popularity as more people discover this peaceful final resting place for those who served our nation. If you have not been there, it
is worth spending some time to enjoy the California oaks in the rolling hills. The cemetery is located off Bear Mountain Boulevard.

 * ... MARTIN: Jarret Martin, a Centennial High graduate who was originally drafted by the Baltimore Orioles out of high school, is scheduled to be on the mound with the Cucamonga Quakes (a Los Angeles Dodgers affiliated team) against the Bakersfield Blaze this Thursday. His proud mother, local writer Dana Martin, also reminded me that the coaches have learned that Jarret is a scratch golfer and has been hitting the links with former big leaguers Charlie Hough, Matt Herges and Jose Vizcaino. (photo courtesy of Martin's Facebook page)

* ... AMGEN: Do you remember when the Amgen pro cycling race came to town and the city spruced up the area around Bakersfield College? Judy Henderson does, and she wishes it would return. "I miss the Amgen Race... In short time, tumble weeds were removed and ground up, trash and weeds disappeared. Center dividers were planted and wood chips were spread over dirt areas where many spectators would gather. The areas of Manor Drive, Panorama Drive and Alfred Harrell Highway looked like an All America City. Now, tumble weeds abound, weeds grow in the center divider and the streets. Trash litters roadways and weeds grow among the wood chips.  Even the  Panorama rain drain is clogged.  I miss the Amgen Race."

 * ... DRIVERS: Are Bakersfield drivers any more or less angry and impatient than in other communities? One reader, who asked that I withhold her name, has been verbally abused numerous times after picking up her grandsons from school. "I travel north of Gosford Road and I go through the very busy intersection at Ming Avenue," she said. When she finds herself in the right lane at Ming, intending to go straight, drivers behind her invariably get impatient if she doesn't take a right on red. "I am very aware of the glares and impatience of drivers behind me, who apparently think I don't care that they wish to make a right turn. I have even had people honk at me, but I really don't have a choice... I always pull to the as far to my left as I can, because small cars can move past me and make my turn."

 * ... BAD FORM: And speaking of road rage, shame on the driver of a white oil field utility truck who deliberately side swiped - and could have killed - a cyclist on the Granite-Woody Road Saturday. The cyclist was riding on the far right painted line, but apparently that wasn't good enough for the truck driver who came within a few inches of brushing the cyclist and taking him down.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From reader Linda Welch: You may be a Bakersfield old timer if you remember the two headed calf in the "old science building at Kern County Union High School. It was enclosed in a glass case."

Remembering those who sacrificed on this Memorial Day, marking the passing of Janice Redmond and the time when the crazy commute stops to allow geese to cross the road

 * ... RIP JANICE: Our community lost a great citizen last week with the passing of Janice Marie Redmond. Originally from New York, Janice and her husband Stan moved to Bakersfield in 1972
where they raised their nine children. She was active in local Catholic churches and was a beloved figure among her friends. Keep Stan and his family in your thoughts. She was 74.

 * ... GEESE: Linda Nipper is a human resource specialist who was driving east on Truxtun Extension when traffic ground to a halt at Empire Boulevard. What happened next brought a smile to her face. "Wondering what was holding up our lane, I looked far to the right of the front car in our lane and saw what I thought was a very large bird. Then it became clear ... that a family geese was heading north, crossing Truxtun on a red light.  Yup, two very large grown geese and about five waddling

goslings in tow had stopped all four lanes of traffic, in both directions, during the busy morning commute. I think we all enjoyed our commute a little more and appreciated the unexpected sight of a family of geese,  who appeared not at all flustered by the activity of the cars, as they greeted the day crossing safely to the north side of Truxtun, heading to the river bed I expect."

 * ... ACHIEVER: Former Stockdale High grad Phil McGill has now graduated in the top 5 percent of his law school class at the University of San Diego. He is now studying for the bar and will start at Price Waterhouse in San Francisco in October. Said his father Kerry McGill: "That in itself is commendable in that there are so few law jobs available. If you recall, he went to USD on a full scholarship. Another Bako boy makes good!" So true.

* ... CHIPMAN: Best of luck to the kids over at Chipman Jr. High who are heading to Maryland for the national History Day finals. These high achievers have been trying to raise money to help offset the expenses, but they have a ways to go. Their teacher, Mike Hutson, says any kind of financial support is appreciated. Reach him at (661) 631-5210 if you would like to help. The team includes Sadie Armijo, Stevie McNabb, Dylan Pearson, Jake Beardsley and Miguel Vargas

* ... BASEBALL: Dave Packer wrote to tell me about the new Bakersfield Sound collegiate summer baseball team that will kick off its season in June.  "The games will be held at Bakersfield Christian High School and will provide fun and inexpensive family entertainment with extremely high quality wooden bat baseball played by some of the top collegiate players from throughout the United States .  The team is made up of both local and out of area collegiate players and provides the local players an opportunity to return home during the summer to reconnect with their family and friends, My son, Matt, Stockdale High grad, is one of such players as he is coming home from Miami of Ohio and bringing one of his baseball teammates to live with our family during the summer and experience our great town and California."

 * ... MEMORIAL DAY: And finally this thought submitted by a regular correspondent: "Thanksgiving is the day we pause to give thanks for the things we have. Memorial Day is the day we pause to give thanks to those who fought for the things we have."