The eighth annual Latination art show kicks off First Friday, thieves target a fancy new cooler and Colin Kaepernick ups the ante in his anti-police campaign

 * ... LATINATION: It wasn't that long ago when the biggest thing going downtown was the occasional street fair featuring kettle corn and classic cars. But thanks to the vision of a handful of creative people who live and work downtown, Bakersfield now has a wildly popular First Friday that is at the same time whimsical, intelligent and fun. This Friday is perhaps the biggest of the year because it features Latination, an annual art show celebrating our west coast culture in oil, canvas and sculpture. This is the eighth year of Latination, the brain child of Don Martin, owner of Metro Galleries on 19th Street. Martin had some 150 entries and the winner will be announced at Metro Friday evening. Things will get under way around 5 p.m. Friday and won't end until the crowds disperse.

 * ... YETI COOLERS: Can you guess what is one of the hottest items for thieves today? According to The Wall Street Journal, it is the Yeti cooler, an expensive, bear resistant cooler that has been targeted by thieves across the country. A standard sized Yeti goes for around $400 and some models top $1,200. They are so prized that some folks are referring to the Yeti as the "Redneck Rolex."

 * ... KAEPERNICK: Colin Kaepernick has upped the ante in his very public protest against what he calls institutional racism among police. First he refused to stand for the national anthem (that prompted fans across the country to burn his jersey) and now he was spotted wearing socks depicting a pig wearing a patrolman's hat. What is it they say about karma?

* ... JOHN BROCK: Congratulations to Joe MacIlvaine, the retiring president of Paramount Farming who will be the recipient of the John Brock award this year. The award goes to prominent local business people who have displayed leadership and support of the business school out at Cal State Bakersfield. He will receive the award next Thursday during a dinner at Seven Oaks Country Club.


* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Letting someone in your life is like turning off the antivirus, downloading a file from the internet, installing it and hoping it is not a virus."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Dating in middle age is a bit like Terminal 5 at Heathrow. Too much baggage to handle."

 * ... PETROLEUM WIVES: The Association of Petroleum Wives (AP W) is having a reception Friday,  September 9, for new and past members who want to be involved with this philanthropic group. The organization is open to spouses of folks who work in the oil and gas industry. The reception starts at 6 p.m. at The Petroleum Club. Call (661) 301-0907 or (661) 241-3507 for tickets and reservations.

* ... BAD FORM: When I lamented spotting a profane bumper sticker the other day, Ken Schmitz joined in my lament about the state of civil discourse.  "I read your item in Bakersfield Observe" about the *UCK TRUMP" bumper sticker. I spotted the same sentiment, this time on a gray pickup with four inch letters in the rear window. Welcome to the intolerant and low class world of progressive politics in America."

The eighth annual Latination art show kicks of First Friday, thieves target a fancy new cooler and Colin Kaepernick ups the ante in his anti-police campaign

 * ... LATINATION: It wasn't that long ago when the biggest thing going downtown was the occasional street fair featuring kettle corn and classic cars. But thanks to the vision of a handful of creative people who live and work downtown, Bakersfield now has a wildly popular First Friday that is at the same time whimsical, intelligent and fun. This Friday is perhaps the biggest of the year because it features Latination, an annual art show celebrating our west coast culture in oil, canvas and sculpture. This is the eighth year of Latination, the brain child of Don Martin, owner of Metro Galleries on 19th Street. Martin had some 150 entries and the winner will be announced at Metro Friday evening. Things will get under way around 5 p.m. Friday and won't end until the crowds disperse.

 * ... YETI COOLERS: Can you guess what is one of the hottest items for thieves today? According to The Wall Street Journal, it is the Yeti cooler, an expensive, bear resistant cooler that has been targeted by thieves across the country. A standard sized Yeti goes for around $400 and some models top $1,200. They are so prized that some folks are referring to the Yeti as the "Redneck Rolex."

 * ... KAEPERNICK: Colin Kaepernick has upped the ante in his very public protest against what he calls institutional racism among police. First he refused to stand for the national anthem (that prompted fans across the country to burn his jersey) and now he was spotted wearing socks depicting a pig wearing a patrolman's hat. What is it they say about karma?

* ... JOHN BROCK: Congratulations to Joe MacIlvaine, the retiring president of Paramount Farming who will be the recipient of the John Brock award this year. The award goes to prominent local business people who have displayed leadership and support of the business school out at Cal State Bakersfield. He will receive the award next Thursday during a dinner at Seven Oaks Country Club.


* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Letting someone in your life is like turning off the antivirus, downloading a file from the internet, installing it and hoping it is not a virus."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Dating in middle age is a bit like Terminal 5 at Heathrow. Too much baggage to handle."

 * ... PETROLEUM WIVES: The Association of Petroleum Wives (AP W) is having a reception Friday,  September 9, for new and past members who want to be involved with this philanthropic group. The organization is open to spouses of folks who work in the oil and gas industry. The reception starts at 6 p.m. at The Petroleum Club. Call (661) 301-0907 or (661) 241-3507 for tickets and reservations.

* ... BAD FORM: When I lamented spotting a profane bumper sticker the other day, Ken Schmitz joined in my lament about the state of civil discourse.  "I read your item in Bakersfield Observe" about the *UCK TRUMP" bumper sticker. I spotted the same sentiment, this time on a gray pickup with four inch letters in the rear window. Welcome to the intolerant and low class world of progressive politics in America."

Anti fracking measures in Colorado fail to make the fall ballot, a candid conversation with Bako's mayoral candidates and a local woman's reaction to the Colin Kaepernick controversy

 * ... FRACKING NOTES: There is good news for the oil and gas industry out of Colorado. According to The Wall Street Journal, two measures to allow communities in Colorado to bad

hydraulic fracturing have failed to make the fall ballot. The Journal says this is "the most high profile defeat to date for groups aiming to curtail the drilling practice." Despite this, the anti fracking groups are not going away, and we can expect more such measures on future ballots.

* ... ELECTION: Did you realize the November general election is just two months away? Forget Trump and Clinton for a minute and focus locally, where there are plenty of lively races (and tax hiking propositions) on the ballot. I am intrigued by the contest to replace Harvey Hall as mayor, a largely ceremonial job that has come down to a runoff between two strong candidates: former home builder Kyle Carter and non-profit CEO Karen Goh. Yet, even at this late date, the personal stories of Goh and Carter remain somewhat a mystery. So this Friday I will be chatting with both of them when I fill in as host of the Ralph Bailey show on KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM. Goh will come on at 4 p.m. and Carter at 5 p.m. Tune in, and call in with your questions.

 * ... KAEPERNICK: What did you think of the decision by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick not to stand during the playing of the national anthem as a way to protest racism? Judging by the reactions on social media, Kaepernick's stunt backfired turned into a black eye for the franchise, which enjoys a large and loyal following in Kern County. I had to chuckle when one of my friends, Pam Gleim Binns, took to Facebook to post a video of her burning Kaepernick's No. 7 jersey in the backyard of her Bakersfield home.

* ... SEQUOIA: The downtown location of Sequoia Sandwich Co. is about to undergo a major expansion. That's the word from Jeff Simpson, one of the owners who told me the popular deli has taken over the space to the east (once home to Moseley Design) where a new central kitchen will be housed along with a whole new series of "to go" items, including salads, sandwiches and desserts. Simpson hopes the new "to go" counter relieves some of the stress from the restaurant next door, which enjoys a huge weekday crowd thanks to jurors and bailiffs from the nearby courthouse.

 * ... MEMORIES: From Karene Williams comes this memory of an old market in east Bakersfield. "Way back in the 1950s and 1960s there was a little local market owned by the Fraley family. I believe it was actually named Fraley’s Market. I do not recall the exact location but his home was on Monterey just east of Baker."

  * ... MORE MEMORIES: And finally, Becky Whitehead wrote to answer another reader's question about the whistle at the old Santa Fe rail yard. "The whistle in the Santa Fe yard blew at noon for the workers to go to 'beans' and at 12:20 p.m. to return to work. It blew again at 3 p.m. to signal end of shift.  I grew up on California Avenue across from the railroad."

New museum director struggles with logo for Pioneer Village and CSUB President Horace Mitchell and wife Barbara celebrate 50 years of marriage

 * ... MUSEUM: Zoot Velasco was hired as a "change agent" for the Kern County Museum (now

Pioneer Village) and as the new CEO he has certainly come in with enough energy and new ideas to fill a room. But judging by the two proposed new logos to brand Kern Pioneer Village, Velasco lacks an eye for graphic design. It would be charitable to describe both as uninspiring, clunky and amateurish, so let's hope the museum's board of directors (can you hear me Beth Pandol?) steps in to help Zoot find a logo that lives up to the museum's promise.

 * ... FIRST COUPLE: Congratulations to CSUB President Horace Mitchell and his wife Barbara who are celebrating their 50th year wedding anniversary. Mitchell became CSUB's fourth president in July 2004.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Common Sense isn’t a gift. It’s punishment, because you have to deal with everyone who doesn’t have it."

 * ... MEMORIES: Superior Court Judge Thomas Clark dropped me a note to recall some memories when he was a boy. Said Clark: "Your mention of crawdad fishing in the canals brought back memories. As a boy I fished many a crawdad out of the irrigation canal that abutted our property (near Brundage and N Street). All the canals were teeming with crawdads in those days. I think they are long gone now---probably as a result of mosquito abatement spraying."

 * ... GOOD FORM: Here's a big shout out to Joe Rivera, a Bakersfield High graduate who just achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. He is a member of Troop 125, which is the troop associated with St. Francis Parish. Said his proud mother Katie Rivera: "His Eagle Scout project was to paint address curbs for the senior citizens of the Kern City neighborhood, to make it easier for emergency vehicles like police, fire and ambulance to find their homes in the case of emergency. Joe and the great boys from Troop 125 (and his two younger sisters) painted 227 address curbs, a project which spanned about two months."  Joe is now a freshman at Bakersfield College.

 * ... SPOTTED: An older red Ford SUV is spotted around town with a bumper sticker that reads: "*UCK TRUMP" under what appears to be the symbol of the United Farm Workers. Do we really have to share our foul personal sentiments with everyone else?

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: This nugget comes from reader Bill Upshaw: "You would be an old timer if you remember the Santa Fe Rail Road whistle that was sounded each week day at noon and again at (I think) 12:20 p.m. This whistle was located at the rail road round house at California Avenue and Oak Streets and could be heard all over town."

 

Moms rejoice as kids go back to school, Lois Henry gets some well deserved kudos and more on those old sidewalks about our community

 * ... SCHOOL DAYS: So just how happy were all the moms to see their kids go back to school last week? Apparently ecstatic, as evidenced at the Broken Yolk Cafe across the street from Stockdale High

School. I was told the place was packed on the first day of school as celebrating moms consumed three cases of champagne after dropping off their kids.

 * ... COLLEGE DAYS: In a few short years many of those same mothers will be tearful when they drop those same little darlings off to college, a right of passage that is in full swing right now. So there is to all those friends of mine who have shared that final tearful embrace while leaving their kids at places like Arizona, Baylor, Berkeley and UCLA. You have earned the right to be proud.

* ... LOIS HENRY: Kevin Cornelius dropped me this note about my former colleague Lois Henry: "(She) is the Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes when it comes to covering or uncovering a story the public should  know about. Take for instance her article in the newspaper on August 17,  'Kern High School District has some explaining to do'....  Briefly put KHSD police officer Chief Joe Lopeteguy was fixing to get railroaded when he wasn't even on the train. Seems KHSD were trying to get Lopeteguy to take the rap because they got caught up in there own quicksand. All I can say is when this gal digs into a story she leaves no stone unturned. I have advice for all you public agencies... when Lois Henry comes knocking on your front door, run out the back!"

* ... MEMORIES: Don Ambriz added this to the discussion of old markets in east Bakersfield. "My grandmother lived near the corner of Kentucky and Kern streets - right across the street from Mayfair Market. During the 1950s, my cousin and I would buy 10 cents worth of liver from the meat counter and would go craw-dad fishing in the Lake Street canal."

* ... GOOD FORM: Here is a shout out to a group of people who rarely get recognized, our postal carriers. Thanks to Madeline Parra for passing this along: "Just wanted to share how great of a mail carrier we have. In the 28 years I have worked at Brown Armstrong I’ve never had a problem with mail delivery, and all because of Rosemary. Boy did I find out different when she went out on leave!
Rosemary Baca Arauza is a 30-year postal employee who delivers to the 4200 Truxtun Extension area where I work. About a month ago, Rosemary went out on leave and the mail delivery has been hit and miss. We are lucky to get our mail by 5 p.m. and there have been some days where we have not received our mail at all. When I called the Stockdale post office to complain, the supervisor said Rosemary has such a high-standard and she’s been doing it for so long that nobody can touch her.  I want to give a big shout out to Rosemary for going over and beyond.  I was aware Rosemary was good and always had a smile on her pretty face, but I had no idea she was in the elite class until she went out on leave and I had something to compare to. Hurry back Rosemary!"

 * ... SIDEWALKS: William Dean wrote with a personal story behind some of those old stamped sidewalks about town. In his words: "My name is William Dean and I was reading your blog about the old sidewalks in town and the contractors that poured the cement and also paved the roads as they went along. My grandfather and my uncle were two of these. They owned a company named Dean and Stroble cement contracting. And from the early 1900s to just about the time of the depression they paved and built many of the old roads and sidewalks in Bakersfield, a lot around Baker Street and also in Oildale. They had 10 model T trucks and about 40 mules plus some big cement mixers that they moved down the street as they went. I don't know how many of the mixers they had but I know of one for sure because I have an old picture of the mixer. My grandfather and my uncle are standing next to it with there work crew. I think it was taken in the area around Baker Street around 1920. My grandfather's name was Fred Thomas Dean and my uncle's name was Vance Stroble."

Moms rejoice askids go back to school, Lois Henry gets some well deserved kudos and more on those old sidewalks about our community

 * ... SCHOOL DAYS: So just how happy were all the moms to see their kids go back to school last week? Apparently ecstatic, as evidenced at the Broken Yolk Cafe across the street from Stockdale High

School. I was told the place was packed on the first day of school as celebrating moms consumed three cases of champagne after dropping off their kids.

 * ... COLLEGE DAYS: In a few short years many of those same mothers will be tearful when they drop those same little darlings off to college, a right of passage that is in full swing right now. So there is to all those friends of mine who have shared that final tearful embrace while leaving their kids at places like Arizona, Baylor, Berkeley and UCLA. You have earned the right to be proud.

* ... LOIS HENRY: Kevin Cornelius dropped me this note about my former colleague Lois Henry: "(She) is the Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes when it comes to covering or uncovering a story the public should  know about. Take for instance her article in the newspaper on August 17,  'Kern High School District has some explaining to do'....  Briefly put KHSD police officer Chief Joe Lopeteguy was fixing to get railroaded when he wasn't even on the train. Seems KHSD were trying to get Lopeteguy to take the rap because they got caught up in there own quicksand. All I can say is when this gal digs into a story she leaves no stone unturned. I have advice for all you public agencies... when Lois Henry comes knocking on your front door, run out the back!"

* ... MEMORIES: Don Ambriz added this to the discussion of old markets in east Bakersfield. "My grandmother lived near the corner of Kentucky and Kern streets - right across the street from Mayfair Market. During the 1950s, my cousin and I would buy 10 cents worth of liver from the meat counter and would go craw-dad fishing in the Lake Street canal."

* ... GOOD FORM: Here is a shout out to a group of people who rarely get recognized, our postal carriers. Thanks to Madeline Parra for passing this along: "Just wanted to share how great of a mail carrier we have. In the 28 years I have worked at Brown Armstrong I’ve never had a problem with mail delivery, and all because of Rosemary. Boy did I find out different when she went out on leave!
Rosemary Baca Arauza is a 30-year postal employee who delivers to the 4200 Truxtun Extension area where I work. About a month ago, Rosemary went out on leave and the mail delivery has been hit and miss. We are lucky to get our mail by 5 p.m. and there have been some days where we have not received our mail at all. When I called the Stockdale post office to complain, the supervisor said Rosemary has such a high-standard and she’s been doing it for so long that nobody can touch her.  I want to give a big shout out to Rosemary for going over and beyond.  I was aware Rosemary was good and always had a smile on her pretty face, but I had no idea she was in the elite class until she went out on leave and I had something to compare to. Hurry back Rosemary!"

 * ... SIDEWALKS: William Dean wrote with a personal story behind some of those old stamped sidewalks about town. In his words: "My name is William Dean and I was reading your blog about the old sidewalks in town and the contractors that poured the cement and also paved the roads as they went along. My grandfather and my uncle were two of these. They owned a company named Dean and Stroble cement contracting. And from the early 1900s to just about the time of the depression they paved and built many of the old roads and sidewalks in Bakersfield, a lot around Baker Street and also in Oildale. They had 10 model T trucks and about 40 mules plus some big cement mixers that they moved down the street as they went. I don't know how many of the mixers they had but I know of one for sure because I have an old picture of the mixer. My grandfather and my uncle are standing next to it with there work crew. I think it was taken in the area around Baker Street around 1920. My grandfather's name was Fred Thomas Dean and my uncle's name was Vance Stroble."

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."