Another Bakersfield Pie Run is in the books, a local bicycle rider takes a nasty spill and Cafe Med serves up some delicious morsels while catering

* ... PIE RUN: Here's to John Rous and his team of volunteers for another successful Thanksgiving Pie Run at Hart Park. It looked like a record crowd in the 400 to 500 range who gathered at sunrise to get in a brisk and chilly morning hike or run to start the holiday. There was plenty of food, and each

year Sid Fulce and his wife Karen take the leftover pies (up to 70 at a time) to the Bakersfield Homeless Shelter. Soundman Pete Wonderly, wearing a Cossack fur cap to ward off the chill, served as emcee while Fluce tended to a roaring fire that welcomed the runners back to the starting line. Among those I spotted were Marcia Giumarra (one of the organizers), Mark and Betsy Ramsey and son Miles, Rob and Sally Baker and their three daughters (Katie, Sarah and Maggie), Hillary Haenes and Patrick Wells, Pam Binns, (Bakersfield Track Club president) Margaret Scrivano Patteson, Jim and Kelly Damien, Pete Elieff, Andrea Ames, Sam and Lauren Benham and daughter Nora, Mike Toland, David Rous, Bill Elrich, Rogers and Esther Brandon and Herb and Sue Benham along with grandson Andrew.

* ... THANKSGIVING: I spotted this on my friend David Jenson's Facebook page: "A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store but she couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked a stock boy, 'Do these turkeys get any bigger?' The stock boy replied, 'No ma'am, they're dead.'

 * ... SICK BAY: Wishing a speedy recovery to my friend Jason Barnes who was involved in a nasty bicycle accident the other day. Barnes was doing a mid-day ride with a small group when he accidentally overlapped another rider's wheel, forcing him to the pavement. He broke five ribs and has a fractured clavicle but is expected to fully recover.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "The sole purpose of a child’s middle name, is so he can tell when he’s really in trouble."

 * ... SPOTTED DOWNTOWN: A new business downtown is called "Herban Legend." Think about that one for a moment.

* ... GOLDEN SPIKE: 'Bunny" Giraud Haaberfelde, Bakersfield High class of 1945, wrote to say she remembers the old Golden Spike Cafe located at 1510 F Street. Said Haberfelde: "Hi Richard, in reference to the cafe, if I remember correctly it was next to the railroad track and had pretty good food. We’re talking around 1949. Many Thanks for your column that continually contains many wonderful old and happy memories of my beloved hometown." Thank you Bunny!

 * ... CAFE MED: Hats off to Meir Brown and his crew over at Cafe Med who knocked it out of the park while catering a recent fund raiser to support CSUB wrestling. Brown's spread included an assortment of fresh pizzas, pastas and seafood that were so good I had to take some home in a plastic to-go box.

 * ... HOLIDAY HOME TOUR: It's that time of year again for the popular 27th Annual Chez Noel Holiday Home Tour. This annual event, a major fund raiser for the Assistance League of Bakersfield, is set for Friday and Saturday December 2 and 3. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased from the Bargain Box Thrift Store at 1924 Q Street, Christine’s in the Stockdale Fashion Plaza, Kern Travel at 3501 Mall View Road,  Sugar Daddy at Stockdale Village and Victoria’s at the The Marketplace.

It's Thanksgiving, can we spend a few days without the post election vitriol? And celebrating the annual Pie Run and remembering the old Golden Spike Cafe on F Street

 * ... GIVING THANKS: I hope we can all spend the next few days giving thanks to the blessings in our lives. There has been poison in the air ever since the election, and I for one am weary of the vitriol and insults that have worked their way into our everyday conversations and our musings on

social media platforms like Facebook. So I am calling for a truce. How about this for starters? Let's spend the next few days thinking about the things that bring us joy: the new grandchild, the children coming home for Thanksgiving, a morning run in the crisp fall air, wet puppy kisses, that new job, that new love (or even an old one), the memory of someone special who is no longer here. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

* ... PIE RUN: The annual Thanksgiving Pie Run, one of my absolute favorite things about living here, is back on for this Thursday at Hart Park. Thirty-five years ago John Rous and a couple of

running buddies decided to do a run on Thanksgiving morning, followed by a slice of homemade pie, and since then it has grown into one of our town's signature events. The idea is attractively simple: bring a pie, donuts or cookies and gather at Hart Park and then head out for a walk/run/or hike at the crack of dawn. Return and reward yourself with some breakfast treats. It's free of course and all it requires is an early wakeup and the will to join a couple hundred of others in a Thanksgiving tradition. The walk/run starts at the crack of dawn, so get there early.

 * ... GOLDEN SPIKE CAFE: Nobody really leaves Bakersfield without taking a piece of the town with them. That enduring theme was reinforced the other day when I struck up a conversation with a stranger and his son at the bar in the Padre Hotel. It turned out Robert Williams, a lawyer, and his son Ryan had driven up from Mission Viejo to take in the Sturgil Simpson concert at the Fox Theater. Williams expressed an unrestrained love for his hometown, and told me he regularly returns so his son can share in the quirkiness and warmth of Bakersfield. Williams grew up in Oildale and first attended Roosevelt Elementary and later Franklin Elementary, and then Golden Valley Junior High School. The family left Bakersfield in 1955 to move to Los Angeles. He told me his parents, Otis and Dell Williams, ran the Golden Spike Cafe at 1510 F Street. Anybody remember the Golden Spike?

* ... WRESTLING: I dropped by the home of Kevin and Tuesdy Small last week to attend a fund raising event for the storied Cal State Bakersfield wrestling program. One thing cannot be disputed: the folks who support our wrestling program (Coyote Club and others) are organized, energetic and they simply don't quit. Some 200 supporters turned out to get an update on the wrestling program and open their wallets to make sure the sport is properly funded and continues for years to come.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I hate it when I forget my password and don't answer my secret questions right. It's like I don't even know me."

 * ... SAFETY PINS: My earlier post about folks wearing those anti-hate safety pins triggered this response from Chris Padham: "So it's come to this? If I'm not wearing a safety pin I could be considered a unsafe person to talk or sit next to? Seems like assumptions are being made if a pin isn't worn. And if you always sit next to someone who shares your views and won't challenge your beliefs how can you grow and expand your horizons or understand the hows and whys of opposite views?"

Some wise thoughts as our nation struggles to understand the election, the Padre Hotel rolls out an extended Happy Hour and here come the kids home for Thanksgiving

* ... ELECTION: There have been some terrific essays about the election of Donald Trump and the vitriol and reactions that have swept the nation since. One of the best, in my view, was penned by Charles Einstein, who summed it up this way: "We are entering a time of great uncertainty.

Institutions so enduring as to seem identical to reality itself may lose their legitimacy and dissolve. It may seem that the world is falling apart... For many, that process started on election night, when Trump’s victory provoked incredulity, shock, even vertigo. 'I can’t believe this is happening!' At such moments, it is a normal response to find someone to blame, as if identifying fault could restore the lost normality, and to lash out in anger. Hate and blame are convenient ways of making meaning out of a bewildering situation. Anyone who disputes the blame narrative may receive more hostility than the opponents themselves, as in wartime when pacifists are more reviled than the enemy." It is well worth your read. Google his name and enjoy.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Call your dad now and ask him what the wifi password is so he has time to find the little paper it's written on before Thanksgiving."

 * ... HAPPY HOUR: The Padre Hotel downtown has extended its happy hour and is now offering half price deals on wine and other specials on beer and mixed drinks. The happy hour now runs from 2 p..m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

 * ... THANKSGIVING: This is my favorite time of year, and one reason is the flood of young people who will come home to reconnect with family and friends over Thanksgiving. Expect to see these college kids (or recent graduates) at all their familiar haunts: Luigi's, Pyrenees, Woolgrower's, Noriega Hotel, Uricchio's Trattoria and Cafe Med, just to name a few.

 * ... GOOD FORM: Here's a tidbit that will make you feel good about our local Boy Scouts, compliments of Ron Lommen: "A follow up on the veteran’s day parade. For the last three years, the Boy Scout Troop 188 out of east Bakersfield meets at the American Legion at 6 am on veteran’s day to help serve breakfast to the veterans.  We than stay until the parade is complete, and sweep the trash from the sidewalks and business fronts along the entire route, we are the unsung final group to walk
the parade route.  The Boy Scouts spend their entire day off from school donating their time to the veterans and the city. Just letting folks know that a there are good kids out there trying to help
keep the city clean and support our veterans without any fanfare."

 * ... TRASH: And speaking of trash, Bob Moses passed this along: "I was at Riverwalk last Sunday and the park was spotless even though the Brews and Bacon event took place the day before. I complimented the park worker about the cleanliness and he said BARC had cleaned it. Let's have them out after all the parades, it will be good for everyone."

* ... MEA CULPA: Ellen Cypher was among a dozen folks who wrote (some more politely than others) about an error I made in explaining the "safety pin" campaign. In her words: "I feel compelled to correct your misconception that wearing a safety pin is 'a show of solidarity against our president elect.'  In fact, it is an anti-hate message. It lets others know you are a safe person to talk to or sit next to--that you won't attack them or discriminate against them. Even Trump supporters can wear a safety pin if they do not subscribe to the rhetoric of xenophobia."

A tale of two cities: celebrating the success of the first Bakersfield Marathon and lamenting the trash left behind after the annual Veterans Day parade

 * ... MARATHON: Kudos to the organizers of the first Bakersfield Marathon that succeeded on levels far beyond the athletic endeavor for almost 2,000 participants. From elite runners to folks

doing their first 5K, this was an all inclusive event that filled our streets with good cheer on a near perfect November morning. Across town, from the southwest to Panorama Drive, neighbors met on the street, coffee mugs in hand and dogs in tow, to watch the runners pass. When was the last time an event like this brought so many of us together?

 * ... VETERANS DAY: I wish the same could be said for the annual Veterans Day parade, but shame on those parade goers who thought it was okay to leave their cups, soiled napkins and fast food wrappers along the parade route. Here's a thought: next year let's hire folks (the homeless?) to walk the route with empty trash bags to encourage people not to litter.

* ... TRUMP: If you start noticing people wearing safety pins on their shirts or blouses, there is a reason. The idea: people who have felt insulted or maligned by Donald Trump are being urged to wear a safety pin as a show of solidarity against our president elect.

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

 * ... NEXT GENERATION: When I moved to Bakersfield more than two decades ago the community leaders included people like Jim Burke, Ray Dezember, Wendy Wayne, John Petrini and Eric Matlock, all tremendous people who have since died. I was thinking of them recently when a group of Bakersfield's "next generation of community leaders" gathered for dinner to support Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Foundation’s Miracle Society. These young philanthropists include Lindsay and Nick Ashley, Gianna and Ken Beurmann, Stacie and Clayton Campbell, Antone Chicca, Jen and Dan Clifford,  Lauren and Jeremy Helper, Elizabeth and Jeff Holz, Jill and Morgan Houchin, Jen and Dawson Li, Nicole and Jacob Panero, Lara and Michael Riccomini, Anna and Austin Smith, Victoria and John Trichell, Jennie and Beau Woodward and Briana and Dominic Zaninovich. Miracle Society donations this year enabled the purchase of a motorized gurney to transport patients who arrive at Memorial Hospital via air ambulance.

 * ... HARBOR FREIGHT: When did the Walgreen's on White Lane become Harbor Freight tools?

 * ... GOOD FORM: And finally there was this note from Mark Schaefer: "As a proud father of a student and husband of a teacher there, I have to say the annual Veterans Day celebration at Veterans Elementary School in the Norris School District was another wonderful event. Since opening in 2006, they have stayed true to the school's name during the week of Veterans Day. Monday night was another packed event with thank you letters to veterans written and read by students, patriotic singing, a guest speaker, and a flag planting ceremony by all the families in attendance. Nearly 1,000 attended this celebration, and made me proud of our school and community yet again! I can't wait to do it again next year."

Wrestling with the meaning of the election of Donald Trump, Terry Maxwell gets hung by the noose of the 24th Street widening project and RIP to the mainstream media

* ... TRUMP: My take on the election of Donald Trump comes down to this: all of us, especially the pollsters and the media, underestimated two important factors... the deep personal unpopularity of Hillary Clinton, and

more importantly the widespread feeling that Washington (our government) isn't working for a wide swath of America. Casting this as a rural versus urban vote is only partially true, and it overlooks a deep and serious anxiety in this country that the ruling elite (so to speak) operate under a different set of rules than the rest of us. Clinton, more so than President Obama, represented the idea that those in power can get away with conduct and behavior that would land others in jail. Dismissing rural and "fly over" voters as uninformed boobs seems to miss an important message that half the country does not want business as usual. Trump did not create this widespread national anxiety; instead he rode it and exploited it while offering an (albeit jarring) alternative. The fact that so many voters overlooked his well documented flaws speaks volumes about the level of distrust of the political establishment. (Below: a map circulating on social media)

 * ... LOCAL ELECTIONS: Locally, I was surprised to see the local school bond measures pass (they were all well funded), Ward 2 City Councilman Terry Maxwell was hung by the noose of his opposition to the 24th Street widening project, and Congressman David Valadao fought off Democrat Emilio Huerta in a particularly nasty slugfest that won my award for the most dishonest campaign of the season. Karen Goh looks headed to a squeaker of a win over Kyle Carter in the mayor's race, and Jeffrey Tkac sent Harold Hanson into forced political retirement in the Ward 5 council race.

* ... ENERGY: Trump's election will be good news for the oil and gas sector, and we can expect a dramatic rollback of environmental regulations that have been the hallmark of the Obama presidency. Expect the Keystone Pipeline to be built and for regulators to have a friendlier attitude toward both coal and hydraulic fracturing.

 * ... MAINSTREAD MEDIA: And finally, RIP to the mainstream media, the traditional "gatekeepers" of political thought who were violently repudiated in this election. Will we ever be able to trust the polls again?

* ... ELECTION HUMOR: From Twitter: On election day "I saw the line where they were giving out stickers and wound up getting a damn flu shot."

 * ... STEAKS: One of the best cooks in town, Mike Ariey of Big Mike's Ragin' BBQ, is serving up a 16-ounce New York steak lunch at The Mark every Friday. The steak comes with cowboy potatoes, chili beans, green salad and corn bread. Lunch is served in the out door patio next door (called The Park at The Mark on 19th Street) and is open from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. And if a steak isn't your think, try the garlic chicken or excellent slow cooked baby back ribs, my personal favorite.

* ... OLD BARS: Here's a puzzler some of you readers may be able to answer. Karen R. Williams wrote: "Many years ago, the family of two of my school friends owned a bar that I believe was located in the alley behind the Haberfelde Building. It was called Potts Back Door. My friends were Gloria and Steve Potts. I was wondering if this is the location of one of the bars that have been in the news recently. It sure brings back memories from the late 1950s." Anybody remember this place and what occupies the space today?

Adios to Harvey Hall, Bakersfield's longest serving mayor, get ready for the first Bakersfield Marathon and dealing with our litter problem around town

 * ... ELECTION: You know the sad thing about waking up with a new president-elect? There will be no honeymoon for the new president with the American public, and the vitriol and ill feelings that

have marked this campaign (thanks to two flawed candidates) will continue. I miss the days when a new presidency was met with a sense of hope, forgiveness and compromise.

* ... FAREWELL: One familiar character I will miss in the months ahead is Mayor Harvey Hall, our longest serving mayor who has brought dignity and decorum to the non-partisan office. Hall made a hard job look easy by keeping it simple; as he told a TV interviewer, his goal was "to facilitate good deeds and recognition." He was always gracious and defined the word 'inclusion' in a world that has become increasingly diverse. Sometimes it is just that simple.

* ... MARATHON: Have you determined where you will be this Sunday when the first Bakersfield Marathon hits the streets? The race will start at Cal State Bakersfield and wind its way through town (Stockdale Highway, California, Oleander, Westchester, up Chester, Columbus and Panorama before hitting the bike trail) and it will be a spectacle to watch. Take the time to research the route and be a part of this grand event.

* ... PAINTED PICKUPS: Have you seen those whimsically painted miniature pickup trucks about town? Juliet Smith wrote to say that her friends, Keri Gless and Katie Werdel, came up with the concept to benefit the Bakersfield Museum of Art. "Not only did they bring together artists, friends and businesses to raise funds to benefit the museum, they can be spotted each week with rags and bottles of 409, cleaning each of the 33 trucks! Their dedication and love of this wonderful project is an inspiration!"

 * ... CANNABIS: William Wood posed this question: "So when recreational pot becomes legal won't that put a whole new spin on the recipe for pot pie?"

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "My kids wanted to know what it's like to be a mom so I woke them up at 2 a.m. to let them know my sock came off."

 * ... TRASH: Steve Green wrote to tell me there is an app called "City Sourced" that can be used to report graffiti and trash. Said Green: "Just go to the city of Bakersfield website for this app that is customized for Bakersfield. Once you have the app on your phone you can open the app, create a service request for everything from potholes, graffiti, landscaping, and illegal dumping amount other issues as well. When creating your request you have the ability to submit a picture and it will also mark the location with the GPS coordinates."

 * ... GRANTS: Congratulations to the winners of several sizable grants from The Bakersfield Californian (family) Foundation. Fall cycle winners included the Kern Literacy Council for its Fighting Illiteracy program, $25,000; the Special Olympics Southern California for $25,000; the
California Recreation Foundation/One Spade Youth Packers’ One Spade Youth Packers Improvement project for $50,000; the Wildlands Conservancy for its San Emigdio Sunset Theater at the Wind Wolves Preserve, $50,000; and the Kern Medical Center Foundation for its Infusion Therapy Clinic for $100,000.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Kurt Seeger posed this question for all you old timers out there: " Who remembers the Let`s Eat sign on Golden State Highway, in front of the old Rancho Bakersfield Motel and restaurant?"

The demise of the "mainstream media," good news for the old Silver Fox and Karen Goh comes in for some criticism

 * ... ELECTION: One of the biggest losers in this election cycle is the mainstream media, however you choose to define it. Thanks to the internet and more sharply social media, this is a world where

everyone is a publisher, further eroding whatever influence and credibility the so-called "mainstream" media (traditional gatekeepers like network and cable television, local TV, newspapers etc) has enjoyed over the years. Increasingly, bloggers and activists who are savvy in social media and new distribution methods are the ones holding the influence in today's elections. It's up to us, the voters, to sift through the tsunami of lies and half truths that often pass as "news" these days.

 * ... SALVAGGIO: A good example of this trend is former city councilman Mark Salvaggio, who occasionally takes to the internet to share his political views. His latest: a stinging criticism of mayoral candidate Karen Goh whom he describes as deceptive and calculating. Said Salvaggio: "What do Emilio Huerta, Vince Fong, Tiffany Organ-Bowles, Cory Woodward, Kay Meek, Kyle Carter, and all other local candidates with ballot statements have in common?  They are all, unlike Karen Goh, being open or transparent with the people they want to vote for them. Goh is the only one who does not list her age. She is 60 years old. Why the secrecy over your age Karen?" He goes on: "Karen Goh will not openly talk with the press; she insists on any questions from the media be e-mailed to her first so she can have time to huddle with her campaign consultant, Mark Abernathy, to develop e-mail responses."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "If you ever get caught sleeping on the job… slowly raise your head and say 'in Jesus' name, amen.'"

 * ... SILVER FOX: More great news on the restaurant front: I was thrilled to read in The Californian that Rod and Julie Crawford, owners of Pyrenees Cafe, are buying the old Silver Fox lounge and will try to bring it back to is former glory. The Crawfords' track record at Pyrenees is nothing short of remarkable, and I have little doubt that their new eatery, to be called Silver Fox Starlite Lounge, will become one of the "it" places downtown.

 * ... MARATHON: The inaugural Bakersfield Marathon is set for next week (Sunday, November 13) and while it should be a good show for spectators, but be advised streets will be closed throughout town. It will start at near Cal State Bakersfield in the early morning, head down Stockdale Highway to Oleander, through Westchester, up Chester to Panorama Drive and back down the bike trail. People along the route are already talking Bloody Mary parties to cheer the nearly 2,000 runners when they pass. If you have questions about road closures, call (661) 249-6450 or email directors@activebakersfield.org.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You may be a Bakersfield old timer if you remember the name of the pitcher for the Bakersfield minor league baseball team who got married at home plate at Sam Lynn Park. He later pitched for the Cleveland Indians. The pitcher: Don Mossi.

Every neighborhood needs a dog rescuer, Father Craig Harrison holds mass at his downtown home and Firestone Grill serves up some good eats

 * ... DOG RESCUE: Every neighborhood has one, and in the downtown area it is Kristen Belue, the friend of every stray animal she comes across. I ran into Kristen on a rainy Sunday as she was

cruising the downtown alleys looking for a skittish, stray mutt she hoped to rescue. She had food and water and hoped to lure the stray into her car. And this came just a few weeks after Kristen took in a very pregnant pit bull who quickly gave birth to a litter of adorable pups. "I can't help myself," she told me. "My husband is thinking, 'Who did I marry?'" The world needs more people like Kristen, and I am lucky she is in mine.

 * ... CRAIG HARRISON: Who else but Monsignor Craig Harrison could attract more than 100 people to his personal residence to hold Sunday mass? Harrison, who lives downtown, has been holding Sunday mass in his yard every few months. Neighbors bring lounge chairs (and occasionally a sip of wine), and line up in front of the porch of his 20th Street home in what has become something of a ritual. This weekend with the hint of rain, Harrison squeezed the crowd inside his house to hold mass.

* ... CRIME: I spotted this note on a friend's Facebook page: 'To my fellow Bridge (church) friends with Tahoes. My car was broken into while we were in church this morning and they took our third row of seats from our Tahoe. It was locked - they popped the back window. Spend the money and get the lock for them, wish I had."

• ... CORD CUTTING: Yet more evidence that the millennials ae cutting the cord and finding ways to live without traditional cable TV. As reported in Tech Shift: "Research by Piper Jaffray finds the most popular social platforms for teens (percentage who said they used it at least one time per month) are: Snapchat (80 percent), Instagram (74 percent) and Facebook (60 percent). Meanwhile, the survey also found the most popular daily video services used are Netflix (37 percent), YouTube (26 percent) and cable TV (25 percent).

 * ... FOODIE: I rarely go to the Firestone Grill on California because I make a rule of steering away from the Highway 99 gridlock, but I may have to rethink that after dropping in the other day. Fast, attentive service, an array of big screen TVs suitable for college football and an outstanding Southwestern chicken salad that deserves your attention.