Bakersfield Observed puts a spotlight on old memories about town, from the Golden Crust Bakersfield to the companies that stamped the sidewalks around downtown

 * ... ODDS AND ENDS: I am visiting friends out of town and will devote this blog to sharing some of the odds and ends that readers send my way, most of them heavy on the history of the town we call home. Enjoy.

* ... BARBECUE: Elsie Petty weighed in on the best barbecue in town with this missive: "The best old locally owned BBQ restaurant was the Hickory House on 18th Street, across from Bill Lee's. It was owned by the Bill Lee family and was very good and not too expensive. Sad day when they closed and tore down the building. I am not sure when it closed."

 * ...SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Finding out your ex got fat is like finding 20 bucks in your pocket. Not life changing but definitely puts a smile on your face."

 * ... MORE TWITTER: "Someday, once humans are extinct, I hope whatever species rules Earth makes chicken nuggets in the shape of us like we did for dinosaurs."

 * ... GOOD FORM: Don Summers submitted this example of really good form: "Richard, I travel on Highway 65, Porterville Highway, weekdays and for the last month or so I have noticed a gentleman who travels up and down the highway picking up litter. He doesn't discriminate one side or other, far north or south, or in between. One person trying to make a difference."

 * ... MEMORIES: Navy veteran Gene Bonas reached out to share his memories of growing up on our east side, where the Golden Crust Bakery filled the streets with the sweet aroma of fresh bread. "One of my most cherished memories had to do with our kitchen when I was quite young. Because I was the last of nine kids, my mom cooked and baked each day of the week, Monday through Friday.  On Mondays it was bread; Tuesdays cakes; Wednesday cookies; Thursdays pies; and Fridays mom baked breads, rolls and muffins.  here were so many delicious smells coming from our kitchen that they were  magnets for friends of my five brothers and three sisters. Saturdays were shopping days where my mom and I would walk to the market on the corner of Kentucky and Kern Streets. I can't remember the name of the market but maybe one of your readers can. Shopping was an experience because my mom would visit with neighbors on the west side of Kern Street going to market, and talk with neighbors on the east side of Kern Street coming home. All the while I was pushing a cart loaded with two 50 pound sacks of flour and sugar plus groceries. By the time I got home, I was pooped! But, my mom made me return the borrowed cart to the market."

 * ... HISTORY: Last week I mentioned the names of the companies that left their logos stamped in our downtown sidewalks. It struck a chord with my friend Bailey Abbott, who dropped me this note: "You mentioned Fairchild, Gilmore and Wilton. That curb stamp, which can be found on (900 – 1000 block) 18^th Street, north and south sides, and possibly elsewhere is neigh on to 100 years old. In 1922 Fairchild, Gilmore and Wilton was purchased by Griffith Company out of Los Angeles. Griffith Company, License No. 88, has maintained an office in Bakersfield since at least the early 1930s. In 2002 Griffith Company celebrated 100 years of building California. My meager 36 years of continuous employment with the Griffith Company Red Trucks in town was just a bit part over their last 114 years in business. And no the city no longer allows those concrete stamps to speak to the history of Bakersfield."

Get ready for an explosion of political graffiti around town, Michael Congdon celebrates a year at Mission Bank and looking to our sidewalks for a bit of history

 * ... ELECTIONS: Like California wild flowers on the Grapevine, political signs are starting to pop

up around town as we enter the closing stretch before the November elections. The first to appear are simple red and blue signs endorsing the city council candidacy of Andrae Gonzales, who is trying to unseat Ward 2 incumbent Terry Maxwell. In a matter of days the entire town will be sprinkled with this political graffiti as we head toward an important national and local election.

  * ... WATER: Looking for some summer reading that is both relevant and eye opening? Consider "The Big Thirst," a book looking at the challenges and opportunities of water by author Charles Fisherman. As noted in a review: "In 2008, Atlanta came within ninety days of running entirely out of clean water. California is in a desperate battle to hold off a water catastrophe. And in the last five years Australia nearly ran out of water—and had to scramble to reinvent the country’s entire water system. But as dramatic as the challenges are, the deeper truth Fishman reveals is that there is no good reason for us to be overtaken by a global water crisis. We have more than enough water. We just don’t think about it, or use it, smartly."

 * ... MISSION: A (very) belated congratulations to Michael Congdon, who is celebrating one year at Mission Bank as its chief credit officer. Michael and I were in the same Leadership Bakersfield class some time ago and I lost track of him when he moved to Modesto to work for Wells Fargo. Is he glad to be back? "It's terrific," he told me. "I read your blog and know how you feel about trash and litter, and trust me we are better here than some other parts of California. It's good to be home."

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "You don’t know heartbreak until you see the waiter coming to your table with food but then take a sharp turn to a different table."

 *  ... FOODIE: Bill Lee's is known for many things - an expansive menu as well as its potent Mai Tais - but did you know they also feature an excellent club sandwich? Not exactly Chinese food but I can highly recommend it.

 * ... SIDEWALKS: I am a sucker for local history and living downtown, I have plenty of time to enjoy the historic buildings and relics and reminders of the past. Old sidewalks also hold clues to our history, and I wonder if anyone remembers the people who worked at the companies that left their names and logos stamped in our sidewalks. Among some of the names imprinted on old sidewalks: Federal Construction, Joe Brown of Bakersfield, Ted Alter Cement Contractor, Larsen and Rawlings of Bakersfield, A. Klingenberg, Meyer and Stoll and Fairchild, Gilmore Wilton.

 * ... MEMORIES: A friend was lamenting the demise of many of the old locally owned barbecue restaurants in town and said this: "For years the best barbecue in town was The Barbecue King on Union Avenue a few blocks from California on the east side of the street."

 

Mini fiberglass trucks painted by local artists will appear throughout town courtesy of the Bakersfield Museum of Art, and country crooner Sam Outlaw is coming back to town

 * ... CONSTRUCTION ZONE: A frustrated reader wrote pleading to Caltrans to speed up the work being done on the junction of northbound Highway 99 and eastbound Highway 58, a nightmare for "local motorists who have endured a year of construction. "I have had two screws in my tires, several close calls and a few scares with semis when I take that road to work," she said. "When will it be finished?"

* ... TRUCKS: Hats off to the Bakersfield Museum of Art for its upcoming show featuring miniature fiberglass pickup trucks customized in paint by local artists. The trucks will be part of "Driven By Art" show that will run from Sept. 19 to Oct. 2 and later - and I love this idea - a dozen of them may be permanently installed on the Westside Parkway. Look the trucks on display around town, including one at The Marketplace in the southwest.

 * ... OVERHEARD: A customer at the downtown Sequoia Sandwich Co. is overheard telling a friend: "Why is it I need a photo ID to pick up a radio station giveaway but not to vote?"

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Son, someday you will meet a very special woman and make her incoherent with rage."

 * ... MORE TWITTER: "When my stylist is washing my hair and then tries to talk to me, I press my finger to her lips and say 'shh, let's not ruin this with words.'"

 * ... OUTLAW: Here's a must-see event for your calendar: On Friday, Sept. 9, the rising country singer Sam Outlaw returns to Bakersfield for a one-night show at Temblor Brewing Co. Outlaw (and yes, that is his real name) has appeared twice in Bakersfield to great fanfare and he and his band are returning after a long European tour. Outlaw is appearing courtesy of Passing Through Productions, which earlier this week showcased the New Orleans band The Iguanas at Temblor.

  * ... GOOD FORM: Shawna Haddad runs the successful Muertos Kitchen and Lounge downtown, and she knows something about good service and good form. "Thank you to the woman who thought she cut me off at the Starbucks 24th Street drive through for paying for my order. It was a complete and lovely surprise! However, it was not necessary. Please call me at Muertos (661) 324-2557. I would like to return the favor and treat you for your kindness. Thank you again for being so thoughtful."

 * ... FOUNDATION: The Bakersfield Californian Foundation is accepting applications for its fall grand cycle, offering three separate awards in the amounts of $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000. There is no specific focus for this cycle but the Foundation is interesting in capital and stand alone project, not operating costs. For more information go to www.bakersfieldcalifornianfoundation.org.

Rodriguez and Associates drop off $200,000 at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital to support the Grossman Burn Unit, get ready for The Iguanas at Temblor Brewing Co. and the ongoing debate over climate change

 * ... RODRIGUEZ: Hats off to local plaintiff's attorney Daniel Rodriguez and his team over at Rodriguez and Associates for donating $200,000 to Bakersfield Memorial Hospital and its expanding services. The gift will support the opening of the Neuro ICU and the establishment of the S.A. Camp Companies Burn Unit at the Grossman Burn Center, both of which will bring advanced technology and outstanding patient care to the people of Kern County.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I’ve enjoyed giving presentations at work a lot more since I started communicating exclusively through interpretive dance."

 * ... IGUANAS: One of the hottest musical venues in town these days is the Temblor Brewing Co. off Merle Haggard Drive. The popular brew pub has been blowing up since opening its doors to musical acts, and Monday night the brassy New Orleans sound of the Iguanas will be appearing on the Temblor stage with its big sound. If you see just one concert this summer, this should be your top pick. Doors open at 6 p.m. and tickets are just $25.

 * ... BIKE RACKS: Have you noticed the appearance of colorful new bicycle racks popping up around town? Manufactured out of sturdy steel and in the shape of a road bike, the racks are the work of the city of Bakersfield and Bike Bakersfield to promote active transportation and active lifestyles. Bike Bakersfield director Adam Kahler said 29 racks have been placed around town, all funded via the Bakersfield Californian Foundation and public grants and funding.

* ... FEEDBACK: My piece on an anti fossil fuel activist drew this note from reader Harry Love: "In today's column you placed the words global warming in quotes. That is an indication that you find it to be questionable at to being true. Ninety-eight percent of scientists who study the
climate find that climate change caused by human activity is true. First, the correct term is climate change. Second, using your logic, if you had to use the word evolution in a column, you would have to place quotes around it. Some people believe it to be a hoax." Thanks for your note, Harry, and you might be surprised to learn that I do indeed believe in global warming, or climate change as you call it. What we might disagree on is its cause, and how societies respond to it.

 * ... TRAVEL TIP: Sharing this travel tip from Michael Horne and Ann Marie Duquette: "We just got back from a three week whirlwind road trip that took us to Yellowstone, Little Big Horn, Mount Rushmore and Mesa Verde to name a few of the 15 sites visited. We took a day of rest in Pueblo, Colorado, and discovered a must see site: The Center for American Values which is along the River Walk.  This Center honors and has pictures of those veterans that have received the Medal of Honor from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and Iraq/Afghanistan. It was a moving, awesome and very inspiring visit. If anyone ever stops  or drives through Pueblo, Colorado, we urge them to stop there for a short visit."

 

Teenage hip hop artist calls for an end to the use of fossil fuels, and the candidates for Ward 2 City Council will square off Wednesday on the Ralph Bailey Show

 * ... FOSSIL FUELS: Idealism is a terrific concept, except when it runs headlong into reality. So consider for a moment Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, a 16-year-old Colorado hip hop and "global warming" activist who is leading a nationwide effort to ban the use of all fossil fuels by the year 2026. The problem with snappy sloganeering is that it often ignores the harsh light of reality. As noted the Heritage Foundaiton's DailySignal: "It’s fairly common knowledge that Americans use coal and natural gas to power homes,  vehicles, businesses, schools, and hospitals. In fact, the United States gets 81 percent of all its energy from oil, coal, and natural gas. What’s less known is that conventional fuels go beyond providing energy for Americans. Petroleum and natural gas are used to make thousands of everyday items—aspirin, toothpaste, sunglasses, shoes, tires, shag rugs, and tennis balls, to name a few... Americans not only would face significant lifestyle changes, many would lose their entire livelihoods. It’s not just the American way of life that would be lost, either—fossil fuels have raised people around the world out of poverty and into healthier, richer lives."

 * ... HOME: What do you do when you have family in town for a long, hot, Bakersfield weekend? First I nestled them into our iconic old Padre Hotel, the restored grand dame of downtown Bakersfield where the service is crisp and food is excellent. Then dinner at Uricchio's Trattoria, where it seems literally everyone knows your name, a long relaxed Saturday lunch at Luigi's Delicatessen, where the hustle of the staff turns chaos into order, a quick run by the Bakersfield Racquet Club to show off that even humble towns have world-class sports facilities, and a finally a casual Sunday breakfast at 24th Street Cafe. That is a lineup that not even 110 degrees can put a damper on.

 * ... CAFE MED: And speaking of local eateries, my friend Juan tells me I simply must try Cafe Med's house hamburger served on a pita roll at lunch. In deference to Juan, it's on my bucket list.

 * ... MAYA: Word on the street is the construction in the parking lot of the Maya Theaters will house a food court, including a China Bistro, a yogurt shop and other eateries yet to be named.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "The breast exam was going well until I realized I was there for a job interview."

 * ... RADIO: There are few more important local races this election year than the fight for the Ward 2 City Council seat, where incumbent Terry Maxwell faces a stiff challengs from Andrae Gonzales. This is sure to be one of the hottest races in town, and on Wednesday I will talk to both candidates when I fill in as host on the Ralph Bailey Show on KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM. Maxwell will come on at 3 p.m. and Gonzales at 4 p.m. I will also be chatting with Monsignor Craig Harrison to get his take on the virulent state of the American political conversation, and also with assistant CSUB professor Jeanine DiCesaris Kraybill to get her take on the presidential sweepstakes. The show runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

 

 * ... GOOD FORM: Lowana Towes submitted this simple act of kindness. "While listening to the Fruitvale Junior High kids singing Christmas carols at Glenwood Gardens an elderly resident began crying. One of the students left the group and walked to the back of the room and gave the lady a big hug. The lady stopped crying and said 'I really needed that.' The girl walked back to the group and continued singing. What a wonderful thing for her to do."

A new downtown infill project of luxury apartments heads toward the final stretch, remembering the remarkable Betty Leonor and new guidelines for giving blood

* ... PROGRESS: A new project to bring semi-luxury apartments downtown looks like it is entering

the final stretch. Siding has gone up on the new 17th Place, a 44-unit complex that sits between N and O streets off 17th, just a block from the Rico Bowl. The project, targeted to millennials with apartments in the 1,200 square foot range, is the brainchild of Ward 4 city councilman Bob Smith and his son, Austin Smith. It will be an important test in the concept of urban 'infilling' for Bakersfield and, if successful, will undoubtedly spark more investment downtown.

 * ... ROSEDALE: And speaking of progress, road crews are busy trying to complete the widening of Rosedale Highway between Highway 99 and Coffee Road. New asphalt and striping has been completed west to Mohawk and the center dividers are now in well past that.

* ... GOOD FORM: This was a scene at Dewar's downtown the other day when a reader and her brother were enjoying some sodas at the bar. "A film crew was present at one end of the counter. We were at the opposite end when a nice man came over to us and asked if he could hide behind us while the film crew was there. He picked up his 'to go' order and disappeared. When we attempted to pay for the sodas we were told the gentleman paid our bill. That has never happened to either of us before and we will never forget his kind act. As we were leaving my brother commented, 'Why do you suppose he did that?' I smiled and said, 'because we are old and he felt sorry for us!'"

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "If women think all men are the same, then why do they worry so much about picking the right one?"

 * ... OVERHEARD: At the Bakersfield Racquet Club a man is telling a partner: "I gave blood yesterday and now they ask if your current gender is the once you were born with. A real sign of the times I suppose."

 * ... BETTY: It was a year ago that cancer claimed the life of Betty Leonor, an incredible talent and artist who did some of her best work while living and working in Bakersfield. A native of the Dominican Republic, Leonor landed in Bakersfield almost by mistake (she followed her husband here) but immediately attracted a large following for her stunning series of oil paintings, many self portraits. Leonor died of liver cancer at the age of 44, but her legacy lives on via her paintings that hang on walls throughout our town.

 * ... TRIBUTE: I posed the question earlier about legacies, and how we believe we will be remembered when we are gone. Most of us will never be famous, or well known beyond our immediate circles, but that doesn't determine the impact we live. Consider this note from John Moore of Moore Farms/White Wolf Potato, who wrote to note the passing of his secretary and bookkeeper Margaret Morrison. "Margaret passed away at age 85 one week before the end of our potato harvest earlier this month. It would have been the finish of her 60th season working for our business. She was a dedicated employee who worked with four generations of Moore's. A Canadian by birth, she began working for my grandfather in 1956 and finished her career working with my children. She was the mainstay of our office for many years and she witnessed many changes in the way we do business. From the days of adding machines, hand typewriters, and landlines to today's world of cellphones, computers and accounting programs, she saw it all. Margaret never had children of her own thus dedicated her life to the success of our business and the well being of all her associates here. Her passing marks the end of an era. Her longevity was matched only by her loyalty. Such people are rare and hard to find and she will be greatly missed!"

Keep an eye on those tax raising proposals on the November ballot, Kyle Carter picks up an important endorsement and the Bako Sweet mini seedless watermelon shows up on the streets of New York City

 * ... TAXES: Here's yet another reason to pay attention to what your local government is doing these days: despite the defeat of the proposed library tax in June, more proposes to raise your taxes are headed to the November ballot. Bakersfield College is pushing one measure to improve its facilities, and other groups (public safety unions and Sheriff Donny Youngblood) tried unsuccessfully to increase the sales tax

to fund public safety and transportation projects. For taxpayers, this looks like death from a thousand small cuts as politicians use the ballot box to push vital decisions back to the voters. I found this response from former city councilman Mark Salvaggio noteworthy: "There is an old idiom: You never let a serious crisis go to waste.  In this vein, our county government needs to make some structural budget cuts to remain solvent.  If it is not done now during this budget crisis, it will never happen; it will be government as usual. Now is the time to cut back on dozens of unfilled public safety positions that are still funded but have little hope of being filled in the future.  These funds are used to pay for expensive overtime for the rank and file in these departments, the hiring of temporary employees to complement the current permanent employees, i.e., the Probation Department and who knows what else... The Kern Community College District Board of Trustees just voted to put a $503 million dollar bond on the ballot in November.  If passed, this will add another tax on our property tax bills which already have numerous bond taxes on them.  For example, this college district currently has 3 other outstanding bonds on the property tax rolls along with 1 maybe 2 for the Kern High School District as well as dozens of elementary school district bonds throughout Kern County."

 * ... ENDORSEMENTS: Kyle Carter has picked up an important endorsement in his quest to succeed Harvey Hall as mayor. The country's largest police union, the Kern Law Enforcement Association, said it was supporting Carter because of his commitment to landing new funding for local law enforcement. Meanwhile Carter's opponent, Karen Goh, picked up a less weighty endorsement when she won the support of local attorney Milt Younger, once a kingmaker in local Democratic politics and a longtime voice for liberal causes throughout the region.

 * ... SMALL WORLD: My oldest daughter, a graduate of Garces Memorial High and later UC Berkeley, now lives in Brooklyn but carries a piece of Bakersfield in her heart. So I should not have been surprised when she texted me a picture of a seedless, organic mini watermelon with the brand "Bako Sweet" that she found in a local New York City street market. It turns out the melon she purchased in Brooklyn is from Valpredo Farms here in Kern County, founded by Chester and John Valpredo and carried on by the family to this day. Check out the family's website at www.bakosweet.com.

* ... GOOD FORM: If you already love Trader Joe's, this note from Bonnie Farrer will make you love it even more: "Is Trader Joe's a great store or what? Today I needed a few items there but was not allowed to put my small dog in the grocery cart. I couldn't leave him in the hot car so one of the  clerks stood outside the door with Toby on a leash while I shopped. Bravo to that young man!"

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Stalking is when two people go for a long romantic walk together but only one of them knows about it."

 * ... BAD FORM: Fred Valenzano weighed on our litter habit with this thought: "Your Friday column (7/22) has a slight error in your comments about plastic bags: quite a few smokers STILL throw away cigarette butts like they are nothing! I know and am related to current and ex-smokers who are/were always thoughtful. But I see people everywhere who still treat our world as their personal ashtray. Ugh!"

City of San Diego bans plastic bags in grocery stores, which given our reputation as a litter capital, may not be a bad idea for Bakersfield

 * ... PLASTIC BAGS: So did you see the city of San Diego has banned the use of plastic bags in grocery stores? It is a trend that is picking up momentum throughout the west, and it's likely only a matter of time before a similar ordinance is adopted here. The reasoning: people carelessly discard

plastic bags like they use to throw away cigarette butts, and they are not only unsightly but also terrible for the environment. Given Bakersfield's unwelcome reputation as a litter capital, it would be hard for me to oppose the move here. In San Diego, plastic can still be used to bag produce and to cover your laundry. And speaking of litterers, I chuckled when I spotted this on social media recently: "People who think leaving trash near the trash receptacle is good enough: I'll have the same attitude when I use your bathroom. "

 * ... MORE TRASH: Bailey Abbot and his wife Janice were in Kauai recently, both hiking and driving, and noted "there is virtually no trash to be seen. The difference is not that Kauai is using convict labor, but rather - as you have exhorted us who live in Bakersfield repeatedly, these island residents assume the role of owners and caretakers."

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: If you think there is nothing better than sex, you've never had a cop turn on his lights behind you and then pull over someone else."

  * ... GOOD FORM: John and Teresa McKiearnan wrote to thank two women, in separate cars, "who stopped to help two obviously loss dogs at the corner of Jewetta and Noriega Monday evening and taking them home to try and find their owners."

 * ... BULLDOGS: I drove down to the Tejon Ranch Outlets this past weekend and was pleased to encounter a cheery group of Golden Valley High School students handing out water to thirsty shoppers while trying to raise money for the Bulldog Theater Company to attend the American High School Theater Company in Edinburgh, Scotland. Golden Valley was nominated by CSUB and was one of only 50 schools selected out of more than 2,000 applicants to attend. If you have a few bucks to help these kids, contact Sheila McClure or principal Paul Helman at the school (661) 827-0800.

 * ... MEMORIES: Sue Machado added another long-gone bakery to the list of of things we miss about old Bakersfield. Said Machado: "Another bakery, not too large but nonetheless important, in the east portion of Bakersfield... the LA CRESTA HOUSE OF SWEETS owned and operated by J.D. and Betty Starr.  J.D. moved on to become head baker at Smith’s while Betty also worked for Smith’s in Fikes Market downtown.  I believe J.D. started at Beck’s Bakery in the downtown area in the 1940s.  My uncle and aunt claimed they learned about baking from my mother, the oldest of eight children."