A new audit slams the University of California system for favoring foreign and out of state students because they pay higher tuitions, Mayor Harvey Hall shows more class and no, Trader Joe's is not shutting down

* ... UC SYSTEM: A new report sharply criticized the University of California system for favoring foreign and out of state students over California residents simply because they pay more in tuition.

This probably shouldn't come as any surprise, but the audit was the harshest criticism yet for the UC system that has long been under attack for admitting more out of state students as a way to balance its budget. It recommended, among other things, a cap on foreign and out of state students as well as stricter entrance requirements. How many outstanding, high achieving California students do you know who have been forced to out out of state simply because the UC System needs more money?

 * ... HARVEY HALL: Among the reasons I will miss Harvey Hall as mayor is the way he welcomes, embraces and appreciates all voices in our community. Among those voices is the local Sikh community, which is significant and growing, and which will hold its annual parade and celebration later this month. Hall is now appearing on public affairs spots on local television promoting the event, and we can only hope his successor is equally as welcoming to all diverse elements who share this place we call home.

 * ... APRIL FOOLS: What was the Yahoo! news site thinking by allowing someone to post an April Fools story saying Trader Joe's was shutting all of its 500 stores across the country? The story, posted Thursday the day before April 1, went viral on social media before it was exposed for just what it was, a premature bad joke.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I think the only way I’ll ever be motivated to go to the gym is if I’m in prison."

 * ... OVERHEARD: "The only thing worse than smokers are the smokers who dump their ashtrays into a parking lot."

 * ... SHARP SHOOTER: Frontier High school junior Remington DeWitt has done it again, earning yet another accolade in the sport of skeet shooting. DeWitt, daughter of Stuart and Kourtney DeWitt, has been named to the Zone 7 All Area Ladies team that will compete in the regional shoot next month in Phoenix. Not bad for a 16 year old.

 * ... MEMORIES: John Strand from Lake Isabella says you might a Bakersfield old-timer "if you remember Marge Stiles (Styles?).  She was the weather lady at KERO-TV when studios were in the El Tejon Hotel downtown. Even though her monochrome graphics consisted of a grease marker and some Plexiglas, and there were no weather satellites, her forecasts were surprisingly accurate."

California floats a plan to offer retirement plans to workers who don't have access to them, and a trip back South reveals a near litter free environment

 * ... CALIFORNIA: California has always been a trend setter for the nation (and you may disagree if this is a good thing in some cases) but I was encouraged to read about a move to provide essentially a 401 (k) retirement plan for private sector workers who otherwise don't have access to them. It

would work like this: workers would be signed up automatically and have 2 percent to 5 percent of their salaries invested in the plan, unless of course the employee decides otherwise. This sounds like a solid plan to provide all Californian workers a vehicle to save for their retirement.

* ... SOUTHBOUND: I spent a week connecting with old friends in Savannah and attending a wedding of a special friend. The city is stunning, the people are friendly and the food and restaurants in the historic district are without peer. But what impressed me most was the cleanliness of the downtown and its focus on remaining litter free. And the interstates? They were equally clean, thanks in part to the state's use of prison labor to police the roadsides.

 * ... BAD FORM: Kly Horsley encountered this bit of bad form while walking with his dog the other day and encountered two angry boxers. "The dogs were leashed but out of control. If the owner would of lost control my dog would probably be dead. As she was pulling her dogs away she said they don't get walked much. As they walk away she says sorry."

 * ... PRIUS: There was this observation from reader Greg Laskowski: "Observed recently while driving on Coffee Road an individual smoking while driving a Prius. What’s wrong with this picture?"

 * ... SPOTTED: Meanwhile Mike Stricker attended the NCAA Wrestling Tournament in New York recently and spotted a familiar face: former KGET weatherman John Elliott holding court on a New York station and "still crazy as ever."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Don’t worry about the grass on the other side. It’s not your grass."

 * ... GOOD FORM: And finally, Neil Walker reminded me of the goodness that exists in our community with this post: "Throughout my career, college and military days, I’ve spent considerable time away from my hometown of Bakersfield. I’ve always come home and even coaxed my new bride in 1979 to relocate from her beloved southern California ... couldn’t budge her out of here now! Like many others who have written with similar experiences, I discovered three missing credit cards along with my VA card. I backtracked everywhere I’d been over the prior week (and) no luck. Then I stopped by Costco on Rosedale and inquired with supervisor Tom. He and manager Tim checked the safe room and emerged displaying all four of my missing cards. What a relief not to have to cancel three credit cards and visit the VA for a duplicate card. Again, a wonderful but unidentified Bakersfield resident found my cards and turned them in. Many thanks to Costco and especially to the good citizen ... I hope you’re reading this. "

Remembering Ray Dezember, and what does proper etiquette look like on social media when the world is in chaos?

 * ... RAY DEZEMBER: I attended the memorial service for Ray Dezember at St. John's Lutheran

Church the other day, and the best line of the service came from his son in law who speculated on Ray's reaction on entering heaven: "I knew it! It looks just like Bakersfield!"

 * ... SOCIAL MEDIA: I am no expert on social media etiquette, and it is easy to take things out of context, but on a day when Islamic terrorists kill scores in Brussels it seems inappropriate to ask for prayers on Facebook because you are remodeling your kitchen.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I’m gonna have to get new pets, I’m running out of passwords."

 * ... BAD FORM: At the downtown Sequoia Sandwich Shop during a crowded lunch, two men leave their table full of soiled napkins, sandwich baskets, crumbs and cups. Is it asking too much of folks to police their eating area so they next people can sit down to a clean table?

 * .,.. CSU BAKERSFIELD: Local Realtor Michael Richert was at Disneyland when CSU Bakersfield battled Oklahoma in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Said Richert: "With my family at Disneyland, I found The ESPN Zone in Downtown Disney had the game on and the place full of NCAA March Madness Fans! It was fun to represent, (Yep, I was the only one there from Bakersfield). It was pretty cool being the only person clapping in a room that had 400 people sitting and eating and drinking. My only question was why did the team need to fly back so soon and then I remembered where they were. Why stay? Proud of Bakersfield!"

 * ... GOOD FORM: This community is full of folks who come together to make this a better place to live, and among them are the neighbors of the South Oswell Neighborhood organization, which recently removed their 1,000th piece of graffiti. Said David Collins: "Hopefully our volunteers can be an encouragement to other areas of Bakersfield and Kern County. Our lifetime cleanup totals are as follows: 1,219.6 volunteer hours, 1,098.90 bags of litter picked up, 274 'flash' cleanups, 1,000 pieces of graffiti removed, 2,232 e-alerts and notices, 20 major cleanups and 340 weeks of cleanup coverage.‎"

 * ... MORE GOOD FORM:  And there was this from Beverly Hayden: "Last Wednesday a group of friends and myself enjoyed a very good lunch at the Broken Yolk Restaurant. We get together once a month, our connection is that we are either past or current volunteers at The Guild House. There were six of us and as we were getting ready to pay for our lunch the gentleman sitting across from us said he wanted to buy our lunch for us. We protested because there were so many of us. This sweet man insisted and we thanked him for his kind gesture. We did not get his name. His act of kindness made the rest of the day brighter."

 * ... WOMAN'S CLUB: Congratulations to the Woman's Club of Bakersfield that is celebrating its 120th anniversary next week. The club was incorporate in 1896, helped fund and promote the first library in Kern County and was involved in women's suffrage and saving the Beale Clock Tower.

Holy Week is upon us, the generosity of Jim and Beverly Camp and another successful Cioppino Feed by West Rotary

 * ... HOLY WEEK: Holy Week is upon us, and it seems a relevant time to thank our blessings and the recognize the good around us. Let's start today with some good news:

 * ... JIM CAMP: Communities are enriched in many ways, through civic engagement, wise and sober political leadership, volunteerism and charity. We all can contribute and we all can make a difference, and when we do, those who come after us will inherit a better world. Jim and Beverly Camp are among those who exhibit this spirit of engagement and generosity, and last week they donated $1 million to Memorial Hospital to help fund an eight-bed unit for the new Grossman Burn Center. Camp, owner of S.A. Camp Co., recalled the humble origins of his family and the guiding principle of giving back that has been handed down from his parents and grand parents.

 * ... CSU BAKERSFIELD: How fun was it to watch CSU Bakersfield fare so well in the NCAA Tournament? They performed admirably in their loss to Oklahoma, but performing on a national stage in front of a huge audience only elevated the team, the campus and our community. Hats off to Coach Rod Barnes and his Roadrunners for a memorable year. CSUB alum Rep. Kevin McCarthy was at the game and had this to say: "March madness is one of the biggest sporting events of the year. While the team that cuts down the nets will likely be a national college basketball powerhouse, the tournament exposes smaller schools to millions of fans. And today, millions of fans saw a CSUB program on the rise. And like countless examples in our community, they did it with heart. That is more than enough reason to celebrate."

 * ... CIOPPINO FEED: West Rotary did it again, putting on a Cioppino Feed to a several hundred clam and fish stew loving folks at Monsignor Leddy Hall up at Garces Memorial High School Saturday night. The club and its foundation raise upwards of $150,000 every year and promptly find ways to donate the money to deserving local charities.

* ... TRASH: It was good to see city work crews cleaning up literally mountains of old clothes, trash, abandoned shopping carts and debris out of the dry Kern River bed that has become home to homeless encampments. It's a dirty, but necessary task that happens a few times a year along the bike trail and the river bed. Homeless camps, once confined to the area near Manor Street, now extend all the way west to CSU Bakersfield.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "If you want to be remembered after you die, borrow money from everyone you know."

 * ... GRIFFITH FIELD: Lisa Krch, communications director over at the Kern High School District, corrected me on the renovation of Griffith Field by saying the plan to install artificial turf changed last year with the State Senate passed a bill banning artificial turns until studies on potential health risks are completed. "While it was part of the original stadium project, the Kern High School District has changed plans for the project to now include a sod play field," she said. "The project also includes infrastructure (e.g. curbing, irrigation, etc.) to accommodate an artificial turf field should artificial turf fields become a viable option in the future."

House Majority Leader McCarthy expresses CSUB pride over CSU Bakersfield's appearance in the NCAA Tournament

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

" Big effort by our Runners. We went dancing.
 "This afternoon I had the joy the attend the CSUB vs. Oklahoma first round NCAA Men’s basketball tournament game. Ever since that thrilling buzzer-beater to win the WAC championship, our community was brimming with excitement and pride. And when the brackets were posted and family pools printed, you couldn’t help but think, are we this year’s Cinderella?
 "There have only been a handful of 15 seeds that have beaten a 2 seed. But why not us?!
 "On paper this prospect likely seemed as too great a mismatch. But if your from our community you know there is always more than meets the eye – primarily, our heart.
 "That heart full of resilience was on display in Oklahoma City this afternoon. After the hot start, Oklahoma showed why they are a top seed. But each time CSUB was on the ropes, they fought back and put the game in striking distance. No matter how hard the Sooners tried, they just couldn’t shake our Roadrunners.
 "As I watched from the stands during the final seconds I was overcome with pride. I was proud to be one of the many blue-shirted CSUB fans in the arena. I was proud to be a CSUB alumni. And I was proud of our team and our coaches for the poise they showed in front of the entire country.
 "March madness is one of the biggest sporting events of the year. While the team that cuts down the nets will likely be a national college basketball powerhouse, the tournament exposes smaller schools to millions of fans. And today, millions of fans saw a CSUB program on the rise. And like countless examples in our community, they did it with heart.
 "That is more than enough reason to celebrate.

CSU Bakersfield seeks to emulate the success of Gonzaga, Butler and others, Griffith Field gets a renovation and looking for wildflowers in Kern County

 * ... BIG DANCE: CSU Bakersfield's appearance in the NCAA Tournament will give the university some priceless national exposure, and there are plenty of examples of the tournament putting smaller schools on the map.
Gonzaga, a small Jesuit school in Spokane, Wash., is primarily known for its "giant killer" status in college basketball, as is Butler University, another small school in Indianapolis that has created a national brand via the Big Dance. Like CSUB, these are regional schools that have gained national prominence via excelling in one sport: basketball. And with that exposure comes recruits, alumni pride that evolves into alumni giving, and out of area students seeking to live on a campus with a rich winning tradition.

* ... WILDFLOWERS: There are pockets of Kern County where the wild flowers are spectacular this year. Consider this note from Jon Crawford: "Highway 58 up the grade from McKittrick to Carrisa Plains is at its peak of Gold Fields, Fiddlenecks, Lupines, etc. – just beautiful and then to top it all off, are the multitude of solar farms. The contrast of God’s beautiful creations to man’s eyesores are too apparent to avoid."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy a huge house and cry in any room you like."

 * ... GRIFFITH FIELD: It's bitter sweet to watch the demotion and renovation of Griffith Field, Bakersfield High School's legendary venue for decades of Driller football. The main grandstand will remain, but pretty much everything else of the stadium is being leveled to make way for a new track and artificial turf.

 * ... RAY DEZEMBER: A memorial service the Ray December will be held on Monday at 10 a.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church off Buena Vista. This will no doubt be a standing room only affair for a man who meant so much to this community and exemplified the concept of "servant leadership." If you expect to get a seat, I would advise arriving early.

* ... FOODIE: My recommendation of the week goes to Match Point Grill, the aptly named sandwich shop that operates at The Bakersfield Racquet Club. I stopped by the Pine Street diner to catch some of the incredible tennis being played at The Bakersfield Open, and wandered into the sandwich shop for a tuna sandwich and iced tea. It's a homestyle diner with a limited menu surrounded by tennis action. BRC, meanwhile, is looking as good as it ever has. If you haven't been in a while, check it out.

CSU Bakersfield, a blue collar team with its eye on the prize, heads to the NCAA tournament and Bakersfield loses a local titan with the passing of Ray Dezember

 * ... CSU BAKERSFIELD: I had the chance to sit down with Coach Rod Barnes to chat about the Roadrunners heading to Oklahoma City to play in the NCAA Tournament. After beating New Mexico State to win the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) tournament, Bakersfield goes into the game again the University of Oklahoma a 14.5 point underdog. The key to Bakersfield's success: Barnes

looks for hungry, blue collar players with something to prove, players who never give up and players believe in themselves and their teammates. Fifteen years ago Barnes took Ole Miss to the Sweet Sixteen, but it is this Bakersfield team that has won his heart. "We (his family) made a commitment to come here, to live and to build this program," he said. "We (the team) never talk about losing. We don't do that." One thing for sure: at 1 p.m. Friday everyone in town will be glued to the TV or radio when Bakersfield squares off against Oklahoma.

* ... RIP RAY: It's almost a cliche to refer to someone as "Mr. Bakersfield," but it was never an exaggeration when the term applied to Ray Dezember, the former banker and philanthropist who died Monday evening. I met Ray when I moved here in 1994 and he was on the Board of Directors of The Bakersfield Californian. He was unfailingly supportive and wise, and I was smart enough to take him up on his offer to have a weekly breakfast where he shared with me his knowledge of business and his love for this community. The philanthropy of Ray and wife Joan was impressive and widespread, but their giving was always done quietly and without fanfare. Deeply religious, Ray epitomized a life of servant leadership.

 * ... BOWLING ALLEY: No fewer than two dozen readers weighed in a reader's question about the name of the old bowling alley that once existed on the east side. And clearly there is still come confusion between two old businesses; the Bakersfield Bowling Academy and the San Joaquin Bowling Alley.  Said Richard Cardiel: "I believe the bowling alley was the Bakersfield Bowling Academy. It was located next to 7-Up Bottling, which was at the corner of 18th and Sonora Street kitty corner from the old Bakersfield Sandstone store yard. Also located in the same area was a pedestrian underpass under (Highway 99) now Union Avenue. The underpass was either on  the south side of 18th or 17th street. It was used by kids who lived on the west side of Highway 99 to get to Fremont School."

 * ... MORE BOWLING:  Others, including Frank Alvarez, remembered the venue as being the  San Joaquin Bowling Alley "and the proprietor was Joe Karam. I can remember that this is where the professional bowler Don Glover used to bowl." And Dave "Doc" Rangel, retired athletic trainer at Stockade High School, agreed: "The bowling alley that Mary Durham was thinking of was San Joaquin Bowl. It was a Brunswick bowling alley. The other bowling alley on 18th, across from the Rice Bowl, was called, The Bakersfield Bowling Academy."

 * ... MORE BOWLING: Lastly, there was this memory from Barbara Kilbreth Pederson: "The bowling alley mentioned in your column today, I believe to be San Joaquin Bowling Alley. My brother (Bill Kilbreth) was the manager there for a while. As an old timer, I have seen many changes in Bakersfield. Been here over 70 years, so lot of water under the bridge. I have always said that Bakersfield has the worst weather ( hot or foggy) but the greatest people in the world live here.  Go East High Blades!"

Cal State Bakersfield heads to the NCAA Big Dance and Bill Walton to appear in Bakersfield to promote Bike Bakersfield

 * ... RUNNERS: Congrats to Coach Rod Barnes and his CSUB Roadrunners who are headed for an historic first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. But remember: all of this could not have happened without

the vision of President Horace Mitchell and many alumni and local business people who raised the money to get CSUB elevated to Division 1 status six years ago. It was not wildly popular at the time, but the idea was always simple: put CSUB on the national radar and add value to that Bakersfield diploma, thereby attracting more out of area students and athletes.

 * ... CIOPPINO: This is a community that boasts a wealth of terrific fund raisers but few are as fun, and unique, as the annual Cioppino Feed. Golf tournaments are a dime a dozen in this town, but the annual West Rotary Cioppinio Feed is truly a one of a kind event. Featured is a tasty cioppino (fish and shrimp stew) along with salad, bread, wine and all the steamed clams you can eat. This year's event is Saturday, March 19, at Monsignor Leddy Hall at Garces Memorial High School. The cost is $100 a ticket and proceeds - usually around $100,000 - go to local charities.

* ... SMOKERS: Paul Forster agrees that smokers should stop throwing cigarette butts out their car windows, but he offered this interesting twist: "For many years, if I am not mistaken, no one has been able to buy a new vehicle that has an ashtray in it, (nor a cigarette lighter). Just saying."

 * ... GRATITUDE: Martha Ingle found something good in a terrible incident involving her daughter in law: "Our family is very grateful for the quick work of city employees and several BPD officers. Our daughter-in-law was attacked yesterday afternoon. Jorge and his co-worker of truck 4233 stopped the attack, called police and ambulance and stayed with her until the responders arrived.  Quick work by the police officers resulted in the arrest of the attacker. We wanted to publicly thank all involved for their bravery and kindness during a very frightening situation."

* ... WALTON: And speaking of sports, and legends, I have purchased my ticket to see Bill Walton when he comes to town April 21 to support Bike Bakersfield. The famous UCLA center and pro basketball player credits cycling with returning him to fitness after years of surgeries and physical ailments. "My bike is my gym, and my church and my wheelchair," he said. Walton will appear at the Gardens at Mill Creek at 6 p.m. For tickets and sponsorship information call (661) 321-9247.

 * ... MEMORIES: So who out there can help Mary Durham answer this question: "Richard, our birthday buddies gathered at Casa Munoz for Taco Tuesday and the discussion came up that the restaurant at one time was Sambo's and the 7-UP Bottling Company was down the street on 18th but none of us could remember the name of the bowling alley next to it. Could you help us?"