Rep. Kevin McCarthy highlights the 23rd Congressional District 2015 Merit Award winners

 Rep. Kevin McCarthy, House Majority Leader, gives us his weekly view from Capitol Hill. In his words:

 "As the school year begins to wind down and graduation season approaches, I wanted to highlight a number of the exceptional high school student leaders we have in our community. Each year, I honor

these students with the 23rd Congressional District of California 2015 Merit Award created created to recognize outstanding high school students who have demonstrated exemplary school citizenship, volunteerism, community service, involvement in extracurricular activities, leadership skills and have earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Our high school principals were invited to select one outstanding graduating senior per school to receive the 23rd Congressional District of California 2015 Merit Award.



This week I was able to personally recognize these individuals and celebrate their accomplishments. Below are the names of each student:


Miss Olivia Espinoza - Bakersfield Christian High School

 Miss Alexandra Vaughan – Bakersfield High School

 Mr. Timothy Andersen – Centennial High School

 Miss Adriana Alcala – East Bakersfield High School

Miss Ebony Turner – Foothill High School

Mr. Robert Norris – Frontier High School

Mr. John Soper – Garces Memorial High School

Mr. Douglas Johnston – Highland High School

 Miss Amrit Dhillon – Independence High School

Mr. David Mackey – Kern Valley High School

Miss Bailey Slayton – Liberty High School

Miss Kaylee Dunham – Maricopa High School

 Miss Jennifer Hernandez – North High School

Miss Breanna Ramos – Ridgeview High School

Miss Po Tsui – Stockdale High School

Mr. Phuc Nguyen Ngo – Taft Union High School

 Mr. Kasey Brockelsby – Tehachapi High School

 Miss Diana Hurtado – West High School

Miss Laura Koemmpel – Porterville High School

Miss Sarah Vehrs – Granite Hills High School

Mr. Raymundo Lopez – Harmony Magnet Academy

Miss Sabrina Mahal – Monache High School

Miss Josefina Lopez – Strathmore High School

Miss Stephanie De La Melena – Lancaster High School

Miss Darlene Mendoza – Desert Christian High School

Miss Melody Mendez – Quartz Hill High School

Mr. Austin Leonardo – Rosamond High School

Miss Monica Gonzalez – Mojave High School

Miss Erica Tyson – Desert High School

Miss Ellyse Adamczyk – California City High School

Miss Joelle Steichen – Sherman E. Burroughs High School

Mr. Keith Core – Boron High School


Each student was also asked to select a teacher that inspired them and here are the educators they chose to recognize. We thank the teachers in our community that work so hard for our children.


Mr. Frank Thiessen - Bakersfield Christian High School

 Ms. Clair Richards – Bakersfield High School

 Mr. Ryan Coleman – Centennial High School

 Mr. Brad Sanders– East Bakersfield High School

Mr. Wade Tavorn – Foothill High School

Ms. Nicole Nelson – Frontier High School

Mrs. Cheryl Rhodes – Garces Memorial High School

Mr. Geoffrey Ruud – Highland High School

 Mrs. Kip Glazer – Independence High School

Mrs. Erin Woodward – Kern Valley High School

Mrs. Leandrea Slayton – Liberty High School

Mrs. Debbie Myers – Maricopa High School

 Ms. Natalie Ryan – North High School

Mrs. Marlys Brimmer – Ridgeview High School

Mrs. Denise Sande – Stockdale High School

Mrs. Sarah Hamblin – Taft Union High School

 Mr. James Henderson – Tehachapi High School

 Mrs. Angela Jenkins – West High School

Mrs. Linda Shearer – Porterville High School

Mr. Rich Lambie – Granite Hills High School

Mr. Jeromy Blackwell – Harmony Magnet Academy

Mr. Grant Wagner – Monache High School

Mr. Ben Nelson – Strathmore High School

Mr. Thomas Shepardson – Lancaster High School

Mr. Devin Thomas – Desert Christian High School

Mr. Jeff Culver – Quartz Hill High School

Mr. Caleb Schroeder – Rosamond High School

Mrs. Maysha Dawson – Mojave High School

Mrs. Debbie Lewis – Desert High School

Mr. Shane Moore – California City High School

Mr. Chris Ostermann – Sherman E. Burroughs High School

Living in a rail town: What is it about your neighborhood that makes it home? The quiet street, the shade, the neighbors or is it the sounds of freight cars coupling

 * … TRAINS: When people share what they love about their neighborhood, it rarely comes down to the size of the homes or the expensive cars parked outside. It's usually the small things that matter most - the kindness of the neighbors, that tall sycamore in the back yard, the quiet street. For me, it's the

distinctive sound of freight cars coupling at night or the soft wail of a train's whistle as it passes through town that are part of my nightly ritual. While I recognize the dangers of living in an area with heavy rail traffic, these nightly ballads have become the comforting soundtrack of my own neighborhood, and I would have it no other way.

 * … SPOTTED: On Twitter this popped up: "The best way to get a man to do something is to suggest he’s too old for it."

 * … CRIME: Living in a gated community may give you a greater sense of security, but it's not a guarantee you won't be a victim of crime. Earlier this week at The Greens in Seven Oaks, a gated adult community, someone kicked in the front door of a local residence and made off with jewelry and prescription drugs.

 * … MAZE CUP: Remember when I mentioned the upcoming Maze Cup, the tennis tournament featuring some of the best juniors in the state? It is being hosted at Stockdale Country Club and is set for May 16-17 and is absolutely free. If you are interested in a Friday dinner, the cost is $25, but the tournament itself is free to the public.

 * … OVERHEARD: A spunky and engaging Starbucks barista downtown responds to a customer's request with this friendly retort: "Gotcha dude."

* … HIKE: I am not a gambling man, but if I were I would wager that 10-year-old Waverly Reifka will never have to deal with diabetes or weight issues. The fourth grader, an A student at Ronald Reagan Elementary, recently completed a 16-mile hike with her parents on the Mill Creek Trail, a tough jaunt even for experienced hikers. Said proud father Dan Reifka of yet another long hike they took: "We woke up at 5 a.m., and we got home at midnight without dinner." Reifka said they were hiking with the Southern Sierra Hiking Club and "we thank you Leah,  Erin Clerico and Stephen Black and Tony Sarzotti the organizer."

 * … MEMORIES: Ronal Reynier's memory about an old theater that had a Spanish motif interior brought this response from Susan Seaman: "Mr Reynier's memory sounds like the old Granada Theatre located on Kentucky Street. It closed in the 1980s. It was remodeled in the 1950s, which may have done away with the trellises."

 * … OR WAS THAT THE REX? But Rhonda Brady added this: "Your reader Ronal Reynier may be remembering the Rex Theatre on 19th Street just east of Woolworths. My father worked there for a short time when I was very young but I was never inside so don't know if it had a Spanish motif." Yet another reader left me a voice mail speculating the old theater could have been the Rialto.

Home security cameras catch a young woman stealing a package at a Northwest Bakersfield home, some good form around town and get ready for the Maze Cup to return to Stockdale Country Club

 * … THEFT: Whoever snatched the package off Earl Absher's front porch may have messed with the wrong man. Absher, a retried Fresno police officer, was smart enough to install security cameras on the porch of his Northwest Bakersfield home and they recorded the young brunette who calmly walked up his sidewalk and snatched the box that contained a new briefcase. The video also clearly shows a
late model blue, or black, Chevrolet Suburban that dropped the woman off. Absher has posted four videos of the theft on a Facebook page called "Bakersfield Dirtbag." Check it out and if you recognize the woman, contact Earl.

* … GOOD FORM: There are good and honest people in this town, as this story from Steve Hollick testifies. "Richard, I went to Target in Rosedale. As I was loading my truck, I reached for my brand new iPhone and realized I didn't have it! I ran back into the store and retraced every step. Needless to say, it was gone. I was extremely upset with myself. A security guard was by the door and in a moment of desperation I just asked him if anyone turned it in. He gave me a big smile and said yes. I was stunned! I about hugged that guy! I want to thank the person who found and turned it in! God Bless him or her! I'm so glad that there are honest people in this town!"

 * … SPOTTED: I spotted this gem on Twitter: "Guys are like bears. If you lay very still they’ll paw at you a bit then give up and go look for food."

 * … MEA CULPA: I made an error earlier this week in writing about a home on Elm Street that had been taken over by squatters. The home, as it turns out, was not near 24th Street but instead is located closer to the Golden State Freeway. It is owned by a finance company and was not purchased by the city as part of the 24th Street Widening project. Squatters has become a problem throughout town, particularly when homes are in foreclosure or have been purchased by a governmnental authority as part of road projects.

 * … MAZE CUP: The Maze Cup, a tennis tournament featuring some of the top juniors from Northern and Southern California, is coming back to Stockdale Country Club this year. It is set for May 16-17 and trust me, this is one tournament you don't want to miss. Some of the past participants include Lindsay Davenport, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Michael Chang and Bob Bryan. The cost to attend is $25 and reservations are required. Call (661) 834-1113.

 * … OLPH: If you are in the mood for one of the best steaks in town (and face it, who isn't?) consider the annual Our Lady of Perpetual Help spring barbecue on the Parish grounds, 124 Columbus Street this Thursday. This is the famous Harris Ranch New York steak or chicken with all the local trimmings for just $25. Gates open at 5 p.m. with dinner served from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the church or school offices, at the event or by calling (661) 872-1543. Take out available as well as complimentary valet parking.

* … MEMORIES: Ronal Reynier had nice things to about the special section in The Californian this weekend called 'Birth of a City.' Reynier said it "brought back many fond and sad memories of my 78 years in this great city. It brought back memories of a theater I had forgotten about; but I require help
of one memory. I don't know if it is a dream or real. I seem to remember a theater that had a "Spanish" motif interior with trellises down the sides. Maybe some reader can enlighten me if it was real or just in my mind. If it is a dream, it was beautiful."

Squatters move into homes on the north side of 24th Street as the widening project moves ahead, and which breed of dogs barks the most? The Beagle and Bassett Hound are the worst offenders

 * … SQUATTERS: The proposed widening of 24th Street downtown has led to a mess as squatters take over vacant homes on the north side. Just this weekend, Bakersfield police busted up a family of squatters on one house near Elm Street, apparently finding stolen guns and drugs in the process.

Neighbors tell me as soon as one house is purchased by the city and vacated, homeless and gang members move it to make the place their own. "I must say it truly took at the neighbors rallying together" and contacting Bakersfield police to get action on the Elm Street home, one homeowner told me.

* … DOGS: We have all have had neighbors with dogs who bark and yelp throughout the day, and night, but did you ever wonder what breeds were the worst offenders? According to a recent survey, the top five breeds who bark incessantly include the Maltese, the Keeshond, the Jack Russell Terrier, the Bassett Hound, and worst offender of them all, the Beagle.

 * … GOOD FORM: Ruth Fee wrote to thank some folks who work on 18th Street for coming to her aid when she took a nasty fall on a public sidewalk. "They quickly brought first aid, offering help and concern for my welfare. A special thanks to a visiting physician who despite my protestations refused to leave my side until my daughter arrived, and assured her I was in good hands. Scrapes, aches and a little rocky but otherwise all is well."

 * … BAD FORM: Steve Barnes wonders who "signed off on the lane striping on Highway 58 from Cottonwood Road to Highway 99. I drove it westbound last night at 5:30, and you literally cannot see the lanes when they shift left or right. You are driving along in the No. 1 fast lane and all of a sudden you are in the No. 2 lane. I came home from 99 to 58 east at 6:15 p.m., and you could see at least every third or forth car in the westbound lanes crossing over into the next lane unknowingly!"

 * … ACHIEVER: Greg and Mary Hanel are understandably proud of their children. Greg Hanel, former Stockdale High 2010 senior class president, is commissioning in the United States Air Force as a second lieutenant and graduating from The Ohio State University with a BS in Theoretical Mathematics in May. He will report to Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, to begin pilot training. His sister Alyson, Stockdale High Class of 2009, will also graduate in May from Kansas State University with an MS in Geology  She and her husband Trent McCaw will reside in Henderson, Nevada.

* … HOUSING AUTHORITY: The Housing Authority of Kern County is celebrating its 75th year in existence, and it is looking for input from local folks. The authority's past is a living memory of our county, from the historic Sunset Migrant Camp to the housing provided during World War II. The authority is planning a luncheon with an historical exhibit on Thursday, May 21, at Hodel's. If you have a memory or photo you want to share, call (661) 631-8500 extension 2002.

McCarthy: House passes bill to streamline the Veterans Affairs department and to support and rebuild America's infrastructure

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy gives us his weekly view from Capitol Hill. In his words:

 "This week within the past two days, the House moved in quick succession to pass the first two appropriations bills for fiscal year 2016.

 "First, the House passed the Fiscal Year 2016 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs funding bill.

 "This bill will accomplish a lot, but one of its most important functions is increasing reform in the VA by modernizing electronic health records for veterans and tackling the disability claims. The lack of proper health records and continued disability claims backlog have remained problems for years now, even as the House has called for reform multiple times. Taking more steps to resolve these issues is a start to bringing the VA into the 21st century.

 "Finally, this bill will also renovate military facilities and help streamline the building process and fight back against mismanagement and delays that have already wasted the taxpayers millions of dollars.

 "Second, the House passed the Fiscal Year 2016 Energy and Water appropriations bill which provides necessary resources for America’s infrastructure, including our electric grid, nuclear stockpiles, and critical water projects.

 "As California endures the worst drought in a century, the Bureau of Reclamation continues to drag its feet on feasibility studies for new water storage projects. This bill will force the Bureau of Reclamation to finally make a decision on these studies that have been stuck in the bureaucracy for upward of five to ten years. When completed, the projects could increase our water storage capacity by 1 to 1.5 million acre-feet, which is almost the same amount of water estimated to be saved by Governor Brown’s rationing mandate. Frankly, it’s inexcusable that these projects have waited so long for approval.

 "This bill also addresses important safety and water storage projects in Kern County and Tulare County. It includes close to $50 million for the important Lake Isabella Dam Safety Modification Project and directs the Army Corps of Engineers to move quickly on the dam enlargement project at Success Lake.

"This positive work was a team effort from members of the California delegation. Amendments from Representative David Valadao, Tom McClintock, and Doug LaMalfa took measurable steps to restore sanity to the mismanagement of California water. Our drought is a crisis that cannot be ignored or passed off as an incentive to simply ration more.

Today's callous idiot award goes to the driver of a white pickup who ran over a mother duck and her ducklings crossing Truxtun extension at the lake, and more on our long drought

 * … BAD FORM:  What happened on Truxtun Extension the other day is not only bad form, but also extremely bad karma for the driver of a white pickup truck. Consider this: anyone who commutes on Truxtun knows about the ducks that occasionally cross the road to the medical offices on the other side. Most times, folks slow down, stop and enjoy the parade of a mother duck and her

ducklings waddling across the road. But recently, a driver in a white pickup was not so courteous, got impatient, hit the gas and ran over at least one of the baby ducks and its mother, shocking the other drivers and sparking an outcry on social media. Witnesses are calling for the driver's head which, all things considered, seems a reasonable punishment given the callousness of the act. As one person said: "If you told your boss you were late for work because you stopped for ducks crossing the road, who wouldn't understand that?"

 * … NY TIMES: Ronal Reynier shared his thoughts about a New York Times' food review covering Bakersfield. "His conclusion about Bakersfield was that we are a land of 'oil derricks, low-riders and truck stops with Punjabi food.' We have not had 'oil derricks' for 50 years. We do have pumping units that produce 90 percent of the oil in California. I checked all three truck stops and found no Punjabi restaurants. The only stop he must have made was at Buck Owens Crystal Palace for a few drinks for lunch. We do have 13 'Indian' restaurants. I can only guess he is calling them 'Punjabi.' This is a small total of the 1,818 restaurants in town."

 * … PLEIN AIR: If you want to see some absolutely stunning paintings by California's top plein air artists, head over to Metro Galleries on 19th Street where a new exhibit has opened featuring more than 55 works. The show is part of the inaugural Kern County Plein Air Festival launched by the Arts Council of Kern. All the works in the show have been created over the past two weeks. Some of the artists in the exhibit include Bryan Mark Taylor, Anton Pavlenko,  Paul Kratter and  Bako's own Keith Wicks.

* … WATER: Dwayne Ardis had this interesting take on our drought. "As we all know, we in California have a water problem. I have an idea that might help curb our thirst for water. What happened when we were asked to cut back on our electricity usage? We got tax credits for putting in solar panels and insulation.  What happened when we were asked to not burn wood in our fireplaces?  We got a rebate for installing gas burning fireplaces. How about the water companies and California provide us with a tax credit and rebate for putting in artificial turf in our yards? That would reduce our water consumption and we could enjoy a weed free green lawn year round."

* … SMALL WORLD: This from Julie and Sunny Kapoor: "While moving our son, Nigel, into The Ohio State University last fall, Sunny and I happened upon this little gem, Bakersfield (tacos, tequila, whiskey), in Columbus, Ohio. We had to go inside and check it out. It was the middle of a Friday afternoon and it was hopping. We spoke to our waitress about the origins of the owner and she told us the owners were from Cincinnati but they loved the 'Bakersfield' sound and themed the place around Buck Owens. They have karaoke (of course they do!) on the weekends with lots of Owens, Haggard and Cash requests."

 * … ACTIS: Kudos to the students over at Actist Junior High School who recently raised more than $2,400 for the March of Dimes. Said reader Cathy Palla: "The inspiration for the DIMES WAR, came from teacher whose friend had a preemie baby. The week of fundraising had classrooms challenging each other to see who could raise the most money. These kids had a great time ,collecting money for a charity, that is so important to our entire community. OH… and most of the money came in as DIMES!"

Can a bad person be a strong leader? Or is a moral compass necessary for leadership? David Brooks explores it all …

 * … GOODNESS AND POWER: David Brooks is a talented essayist with The New York Times, and he recently posed this question: Can you be a bad person but be a strong leader? His question was

triggered by a recent poll that found 60 percent of independent voters believe Hillary Clinton has strong leadership qualities, yet 61 percent also view her as dishonest and not trustworthy. Brooks conceded that politics is a sharp elbow game, and he did not opine on Hillary herself, but said this:"It is a paradox of politics that people who set out obsessively to succeed in it usually end up sabotaging themselves. They treat each relationship as a transaction and don't generate loyalty. They lose any honest internal voice. After a while they can't accurately perceive themselves or their situation. Sooner or later their Watergate will come."

* … SPOTTED: On a friend's Facebook page was this nugget: "I changed my password everywhere to 'incorrect.' That way when I forget it, it always reminds me, 'Your password is incorrect.'

 * … GOOD FORM: Patricia Chandler gave a shout out to the staff at the recent Western Nationals Hot Rod show. "I just wanted to give five stars to the event staff at the fairgrounds.  Bathrooms were spotless and there wasn't so much as a napkin on the ground the entire weekend. Of course it may be that we hot rodders are exceptionally clean people, but it was uplifting to see people performing a rather thankless job with such pride.  Wish we could hire them for city parks."

 * … BAD FORM: We all love the Westside Parkway, but we don't love the weeds growing in the bark. Said Gary Crabtree:  "I was reflecting on your comments on the Westside Parkway yesterday when I happened on the artist’s renderings of the parkway versus what we actually received was the Westside 'Barkway' and now morphing into the Westside 'Weedway.'"

 * … FUND RAISER: Hats off to Donna Hylton, former executive drector of the Kern Literacy Council, for helping raise $75,000 at the Stockdale Christian School Band Gala. The money will help pay for a band trip to Carnegie Hall. Said Hylton: "There was not one expense for the night--- all the expenses were donated or underwritten by someone. I just wanted to thank the community, parents and Stockdale Christian staff for this wonderful opportunity to help these young musicians."

 * … ACHIEVER: Local veterinarian Cliff Van Kopp. (his son, Sam Van Kopp, is the outstanding young man who recovered from a near fatal injury in Afghanistan) shared this bit of news about Kirsten Scott, daughter of veterinarian Kathy Lehnhard. She is a 2001 graduate of Bakersfield High School and later went on to UC Davis where she was the school's "Woman Graduate of the Year." Then, off to Cambridge University in England and later into the PhD program at Harvard. Recently, he said, "she was awarded her PhD in public health policy. Oh, by the way, she has spent the last nine months in Africa with (husband) John working for the Rwandan Ministry of Health while finishing her dissertation. Kirsten applied to medical schools and was accepted by Harvard, Boston University and Tufts. She will attend Harvard this fall." Interestingly, Kirsten ran in the ill fated Boston Marathon two years ago, finishing a minute or two before the bombs went off. She ran in the marathon again this year, and is now headed back to Rwanda. Not that is what I call a local achiever. And oh, by the way, her brother Gavid Woody, also a Driller, graduated in the top 2 percent of his class from West Point. He left the Army as a captain and later earned and MBA from Stanford.

Welcome to a new century of air travel, a world of cramped seats, canceled flights, angry passengers and flight attendants caught in the middle of it all

 * … AIR TRAVEL: I got a glimpse at the future of air travel and trust me, it's not pretty. On a flight from Denver to Chicago last week, I boarded a beautiful spanking new United Boeing 737 800/900, richly

trimmed with leather seats and adorned with soft blue lights. The problem: the seats were so cramped only a would-be dwarf king like Peter Dinklage from Game of Thrones could possibly find them the least bit accomodating. A flight attendant told me that United squeezed four to five extra rows of seats into the new version of the aircraft. "Please write United," she told me. "This is going to be a nightmare and we are going to take all the heat."

 * … MORE UNITED: And it doesn't stop there. On the way home, I learned passengers on a United flight from Chicago to Denver suffered a nightmarish indignity. The flight was supposed to leave Chicago at 7:30 a.m. but because of mechanical issues the passengers were loaded and off loaded three different times until the flight was finally canceled at 5:30 p.m., a full 10 hours late. "People were furious," a flight attendant told me. "One guy was throwing F bombs and two families headed to Hawaii for vacation missed all their connections." And once United finally canceled the flight, everyone had to go to customer service to rebook their own flights. Welcome to commerical air travel in the 21st century.

 * … OVERHEARD: A waitress at a coffee shop is overheard telling a customer about some advice she received as a child from her great grand mother. "She always told me that men were like shoes," she said. "You have to find the exact right size. But also, remember that just because you put black polish on a brown shoe,  it will always be a brown shoe." Sounds like good advice to me.

 * … BAD FORM: Since when did spitting in public become acceptable? A middle aged woman told me the story of driving down Chester Avenue when a woman pushing a stroller let out a huge wad right in front of her car as she passed by. Then, later the same day, another woman accompanied by her small children did the exact same thing on Columbus. "In full public I am telling you," she said. "This was no small thing. The wads were so big they were clearly visible from inside my car. It was disgusting."

* … SCAMS: If it's a new day, it must be time for a new telephone scam. Kristin Moore has received more than six calls from a strongly accented woman claiming to be from Delta Air Lines.
"She stated that she was from Delta promoting their new reservation center 'here in Bakersfield '…  They offered me two free round trip tickets within the U.S. I said great, and I was then put through to her supervisor who then went through the whole line … she asked me if I was married I said no (I am married) and then asked me about my significant other. I said I did not have one, so she then told me that they would call back. The free tickets are couples only. I questioned the legitimacy of the call then CLICK. So weird. Not sure what they were going for. The ladies actually got really mad when I challenged them. Delta Air Lines….. Sure!"

  * … JAZZ: And don't forget the 29th annual Bakersfield Jazz Festival is coming up May 8-9 out at the CSUB amphitheather. This is always a terrific two days of jazz that benefits some worthy CSUB scholarships. And trust me: you don't have to be a jazz aficiando to appreciate the talented musicians and singers that will appear on stage.



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