Bako Bits: Recognizing more top scholars and the Petroleum Club is tapped to cater a Sarah Palin event

 ... COLLEGE BOUND: Yet another local youngster headed for college.
This comes from Kim Albers, Garden Pathways director, who said daughter Kristin has committed to Georgetown University. The senior at Bakersfield Christian High School was admitted to the School of Foreign Service for the fall.  Kirsten, a Ford Dream Builder, has served in both Kenya and China.  She hopes to pursue an international career striving to make the world a better place, her mom said. 

 ... PETRO CLUB: The staff of the Petroleum Club was selected to help cater an event at West Hills College featuring former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. According to club operations manager Lili Marsh, ´ápparently the reputation of the Petroleum Club precedes them.´ 'She said 19 staff memebers took the 100 mile trek to Lemoore on Sunday to serve the event.

 ... AWARD: Nice to hear that Kevin Crosby, a special education teacher at Independence High, has received a prestigious award from the Environmental Protection Agency. Kevin is a Falcon Autistic Solar Team advisor and won the Presidential Environmental Youth Award. An EPA official will be in Bakersfield May 19 to present the award and Kevin will fly to Washington, D.C. in June to accept it at a ceremony. He is a CSUB graduate with a masters from Chapman University.

 ... LOVE STORY: Reader Carl Kroll sent me a nice note to recall how he met the love of his life while stationed at Minter Field. ''I  was a captain in the Air Force flying missions in England and was stationed at Minter. I was from New York but I met and married the love of my life here, Venita Cassidy Kroll, and remained here to work and raise our family. I am now 89 years old and have fond memories of Bakersfield then.''


 .... MEMORIES: And some of those memories from Kroll are the watering holes in Bakersfield during World War II: Good Friends, El Adobe, Uptown Club, French Village and the Bakersfeld In. All had bands playing Sentimental Journey, Iĺl Be Seeing you in all  the Familiar Places and those great old tune, he said.

A blood drive for David Price and lots of memories of old Bako and Oklahoma Roy's Grocery Store

 * ... VERN WALCK: Bakersfield lost another legend recently with the death of Vern Walck, who served as an equipment manager and trainer for more than 40 years. Walck started in Bakersfield at Foothill High  School, moved on to East High and then worked for the San Francisco Giants AA team in Texas. He later worked at Cal Berkeley, Taft College, Bakersfield College and USC, where he was  part of four Rose Bowl championships. He  returned to North High where he retired in 2005. Dave Rangel, equipment manager at Stockdale High, said Walck was a role model for the 16 equipment managers at local high schools. "He told me a good equipment manager was the first one on the job and the last to leave," Rangel said. "He was a mentor to all of us." Walck passed away on April 26.

 * ... TAKE FLIGHT: Reader Doug Winston wrote to say he enjoyed some of my earlier posts on the old airfields that existed around town.  "I don’t recall you writing about the Rio Bravo airport that is now long gone built by the Rio Bravo Resort. I’ll never forget seeing local, living legend Janice Brown (now Sullivan) flying a six seat Beechcraft A36 out of there one day in 1986. She is known for piloting the first solar powered airplane back in the early 1980s out at Edward’s Air Force Base’s Dryden Research Center. She is also rather petite. I could see passengers in the plane as it took off but no pilot due to her stature. One of those memories of days past. Janice did my flight review last year and is still as active as ever on the aviation scene. Bakersfield has many notable women pilots including our local examiner Donna Webster and many instructors such as Dee Bloom at Kern Charter at Bakersfield Municipal Airport (L45). This is a really good time for folks to get their pilot’s licenses because many excellent instructors and planes are in good supply."

 * ... BLOOD DRIVE: There is an effort under  way to honor former Bakersfield resident David Price III with a blood drive. Price, if you remember, is the former head of the county resource management agency who has undergone four major surgeries in seven weeks because of a spinal condition. His recovery at the  University of Virginia medical center has been touch and go. His wife, Liz, suggested that family and friends could donate blood to honor Dave. "She promised to share the news with him which would bring a smile and maybe a tear to his face," said Carola Enriquez, community development director at Houchin Community Blood Bank. Kern County Public Services will hold a drive on Wednesday, May 11, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at 2700 M Street. You can call Stephanie Wood at (661) 862-8677 to participate or stop in at the blood bank at 5901 Truxtun Avenue to donate in Dave's honor. Be sure to mention his name of Fund 418 so Houchin can get word of donations to his family. To make an appointment at the blood bank, call (661) 322-6415.

 * ... GO NAVY: Not too many kids have the grades, discipline and will to get into a service academy, and it's even rarer for two sisters to attend the same academy. But that's the case with Kristen Ewert, who will be joining big sister Carolyn and the United States Naval Academy in July. Proud father Dave Ewert told me his Centennial High graduate "will be majoring in engineering and playing volleyball for the Midshipmen. Go Navy!" 

* ... OLPH BBQ: The annual Our Lady of Perpetual Help Spring BBQ is coming up Thursday, May 5 on the church campus on Columbus Street. Gary and Adam Icardo and their crew will be serving Harris Ranch New York steaks and chicken, along with the traditional favorites like Woolgrower's salad, French rolls from Pyrenees Bakery, Fred's BBQ beans and Dewar's ice cream. Proceeds will assist Monsignor Michael Braun in making upgrades to the 60-year-old facility. Tickets are $25 and are available at church and school offices, (661) 327-7741 or at the door.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From reader Paul Miller: You know you're a Bakersfield old timer if you remember, as a youngster, "sitting on the railroad tracks along Edison Highway, east of Mount Vernon, where a wagon with three or four bales of hay sat in front of Oklahoma Roy's Grocery and Fruit Stand and listening to The Maddox  Brothers and Rose, picking and singing."

 

Housing values drop for sixth consecutive month, and bidding farewell to Gordon Johnson and Gaylen Young

* ... HOUSING: More sober news on the  housing front showing new home construction is nearing all-time lows and more than half of existing mortgages are now under water. The lack of new construction is good news for sellers, who no longer have to compete with new homes on the market, but terrible for the overall economy in the loss of jobs. Gary Crabtree, a local appraiser and one of the foremost experts on housing, told me on SmartTalk 1230 Californian Radio that a home should no longer be considered an investment where the asset always rises in value. "It's an emotional decision," he said, noting that the average house has lost value each of the last six months. My take: I love the idea of walking into my 100-year-old bungalow knowing I own it and don't have to answer to a landlord, and am cognizant that its value can go down, as well as up.

 * ... PADRE: From my mailbag: Reader Ginny Espinoza wrote to say she too heard the false report that Padre Hotel was going out business and is glad it isn't true. "We went to the Padre to celebrate our 45th anniversary, our first time at their restaurant. We had a wonderful time! The food was absolutely first class, our waiter (Pedro) was outstanding and we just happened to visit on Wednesday when bottles of wine were half price!" She later heard the rumor that the Padre was going out of business (it started with a brief on "Kern's Past" in The Californian noting that the hotel went out of business a half century ago) and was thrilled to hear it was not true. "Thanks for correcting the record!"
 

 * ... PERMENTER: Marlene Morales, head of marketing over at Chain, Cohn and Stiles law office, ran into legendary Foothill Coach Ned Permenter the other day. "I never realized how long he and Bob Ezell coached together," she told me. "They coached together for 37 years of varsity football, and that might be a record for two coaches at the same high school! Ned stated that you will never find a more loyal and dedicated guy than Bob Ezell, and he was so blessed to have him all that time. What is even more amazing is the fact, he never missed one day of school during his entire career at Foothill. Coach Permenter is a legend himself too."
 
 * ... RIP GORDON: Was sorry to hear of the death of Gordon Johnson, a retired orthodontist who truly was one of our community's kind souls. I met Gordon more than a decade ago when I joined the downtown Rotary Club, where he never missed a meeting. Always engaging and smiling, he was one of the first to welcome me into the club and always had a kind word to say. Condolences to his family.

 * ... GOODBYE GAYLEN: We lost another good soul when former KGET anchor Gaylen Young was killed in a Utah traffic accident. Turns out Gaylen was in town and at the downtown Post Office just two days before his death, chatting up the postal workers as he always did. He had moved to Utah but was still doing work for local companies at the time of his death. Gaylen endeared himself to audiences with his  upbeat attitude and his constant cheer leading for local businesses.


* ... OLD TIMER: Realtor Patsy Sadler wrote to say you know you're from Bakersfield "if you were in the first four-year graduating class at Foothill High School."

More kids select their colleges, Chancellor Oil celebrates an anniversary and pulling for a recovery for David Price

 * ... COLLEGE BOUND: Alexis Bailey, who is 12th in her class at Liberty High School, is heading to Dominican University in San Rafael on an academic scholarship. Proud mother Lynn Bailey told me her daughter was awarded a merit scholarship along with the Luther G. Smith Scholarship to allow her to attend Dominican, where she will major in international business. She hopes to work overseas and plans on earning her MBA as well. Alexis has an unweighted GPA of 3.9 and a weighted GPA of 4.88, impressive on any level. "Thanks for letting me 'sound her horn' as my dad used to say," her mother wrote.

 * ... ANNIVERSARY: Hats off to Chancellor Oil Tool Inc. that is celebrating its 50th anniversary in business. The company was incorporated in 1960 and in 1980 was purchased by the Townsend family. Tom and Mitch Townsend are the current owners. There are 28 employees involved in the manufacturing of Liner Hanger Tools and other products for oil production. Currently, some 30 percent of Chancellor's business is international. Helen Bown, office manager, noted that "we came from humble beginnings benefiting and learning from the ups and downs of the past... Our growth has been at a controlled 15 to 20 percent a year and a promising future lies ahead for Chancellor."

 * ... SMARTTALK1230: Gary Crabtree is a local appraiser and may be one of the leading authorities in town on the local housing market. He's a straight shooter and tells it like it is, which is why he will be my guest on Californian Radio on SmartTalk1230 on Tuesday at 10 a.m. We'll be talking about the local market, when we might see signs of a recovery and  what went wrong.

 * ... SICK BAY: David Price III, the former head of the county resource management agency, continues to struggle after a series of operations in Virginia. Price retired from the county and moved back to Tennessee but has since undergone four operations in seven weeks. He's currently at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville. His family is asking for our thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.

 

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: This nugget comes from reader Al Gutierrez: "You can claim a real Bakersfield old timer moniker when you recall having attended Fremont School during the mid 1940s when it was located at the southeast corner of Highway 99 (now Union Avenue) and Eureka Street. If you lived west of '99' you had to use an under-ground, east/west tunnel in order to get to and from school. Fremont School was re-located to Texas Street (SE) during 1954, probably another consequence of the 1952 earthquake. A motel now occupies the old Fremont School properties, just south of Casa Munoz."

 * ... WHO KNEW?  Cal State Bakersfield’s six residence halls are named after places in J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings,” such as Rivendell, Entwood and Numenor.

McCarthy: bill would revoke the EPA's mindless attempt to penalize the Valley because of our unique conditions

 Majority Whip Rep. Kevin  McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) gives us his weekly view from Capitol Hill.

 "I have often found in government that the best solution to a problem is the most common-sense approach. That’s why I’ve proposed two bills in Congress that would inject common-sense into some of Washington’s
regulations that are adversely affecting us here at home.

  "Washington’s problem with over regulation means that all of us in Kern County are pitching in to pay a $29 million fine for violating an air standard that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) already revoked. EPA replaced this standard, known as the 1-Hour Ozone Standard, in 2005 with the current standard, known as the 8-Hour Ozone Standard. However, a federal court subsequently reinstated the penalties of the 1-hour standard, meaning that we're paying a fine for the old standard while also working to comply with the current standard.
 "And now EPA is trying to move the goal posts by proposing to tighten this standard so much it could end up banning cars, trucks, tractors and new businesses in the Valley. This regulation fails to take into account our unique topography, weather and natural ozone levels, which Valley residents have no control over. My bill repeals the 1-Hour Ozone standard and fine, as well as prevents EPA from implementing any changes to the current 8-hour standard for five years until a Local Advisory Committee can report to Congress on compliance feasibility. It’s just common-sense to have one reasonable air standard to comply with so we can all breathe easier.

 "Public access to Federal lands is another area that needs some common-sense. Decades ago, the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service conducted studies on their Wilderness Study Areas and
Inventoried Roadless Areas to determine their suitability for wilderness. The agencies concluded that a combined nearly 43 million acres were not suitable for wilderness. However, Congress never acted
on these recommendations so these lands have been managed under restrictive practices similar to those reserved for wilderness.
 "My bill changes this by releasing these lands for multiple use, meaning more recreational and responsible resource development opportunities. It also reinforces local control and management of these lands. I
believe we need to protect and preserve our natural wonders, but I also believe when lands have been deemed unsuitable for wilderness they shouldn’t be kept under lock and key.

 "This notion of common-sense is even something that is starting to permeate the fiscal culture of Washington. Our Path to Prosperity budget takes a fact-based approach to our fiscal crisis and faces head-on what is driving our out-of-control debt and deficit. In fact, the Path to Prosperity will start to reverse our debt clock while also reforming our vital health and retirement security programs in a way that upholds the integrity of the programs while putting them on a path to sustainability.

 "I will continue to work to keep up the common-sense solutions and welcome any suggestions to that end.

Local TV anchor Gaylen Young dies in Utah car accident

 Gaylen Young, a long-time fixture in the Bakersfield media scene, died in a car accident in Utah. He was 59. Apparently Young was a passenger in an SUV driven by his 16-year-old son when it veered into oncoming traffic and hit another car, throwing Young from the car. Young was an anchor at KGET and more recently wrote a business column for The Californian.

Padre Hotel fights false rumors it is closing and the Cal State baseball team readies to host Kansas State

 * ... ROAD RUNNERS: If you haven't been to Hardt Field to support the Cal State baseball team, now is your chance  to do so. The red hot Road Runners, in only their third year of existence, will play eight games over 11 days at Hardt Field out at the Southwest campus. This includes two games against Kansas State on Monday and  Tuesday followed by UC Irvine. The team is 24-8 going into the Thursday night game and is playing some of the best Division 1 baseball in the country. These kids certainly deserve our support.

 * ... ON THE MOVE: Former Padre Hotel special events director Liz Netherton has joined Freestyle Entertainment, a locally owned company run by brothers Mark and Jared Perry. Liz will be marketing the company to the Central Coast as it expands its operation. She will be living in Shell Beach.

 * ... PADRE: Speaking of the Padre, it is alive and doing well according to owner Brett Miller. But apparently the hotel has been deluged by calls asking if it is going out of business. The reason? It all started after the The Californian ran a story saying it was closing. The story was actually part of a weekly historical feature called "Kern's Past," dated 1961, when then owner Spartacus Miller did announce he was closing the classic landmark property. But of course that was 50 years ago and today, the newly restored Padre is up and running and doing a brisk business.

 * ... COLLEGE GRADS: Laura Camp grew up in Bakersfield, graduated from Southern Methodist University and now lives in Washington, D.C., but keeps up with her hometown by following my blog online. She wrote to share the good news that her younger brother, Donald 'Max' Camp III, as well as three of her cousins are all graduating from college this May. "My cousin McKenzie Camp will be graduating from Eastman University in Rochester (NY) and heading to San Francisco and cousin Katie Camp will be graduating from San Diego State University and coming back to Bakersfield. My cousin Jack Pandol Jr. will be graduating from Washington and Lee University (VA) and brother Max from Southern Methodist University (TX) and am excited to have them both join me in D.C. after graduation. All my cousins, siblings and self included attended Bakersfield Christian High School."

 * ... NEW EATERY: A new restaurant has opened downtown in a building in the center of the arts district. It is called Chef's Choice Noodle Bar and is owned by the same family that owns the Thai Orchid off Brimhall Road and Dr. Nick Hansa, a local pulmonologist. I had a chance to dine there last week and it was excellent, pulling on the flavors that the Thai-born Dr. Hansa and his wife know so well. Locals are hoping the best for this effort. In the past 10 years there has been a revolving door of restaurants and bars at 19th and Eye streets, including Downtown Joe's, Capistrano's and the Do Wop Diner.

 * ... STREETCARS: From my mailbox: Lillian Rea wrote to tell me that she was "the last passenger to ride all the way to the car barn at midnight, February 28, 1942, on old number 17. The conductor was Mark Wade, and my husband. He called me and asked me to come and ride into the barn on his last run. And so it was, that I became the last person to ride on the last street car to run in Bakersfield. Making me a true Bakersfildian." Indeed, I think that qualifies you.

 * ...WHO KNEW? Bolthouse Farms sells nearly a billion pounds of carrots a year under a number of different brand names and supermarket labels. Only Grimmway Farms, a few minutes down the road in Bakersfield, sells more, and just barely. Together, the two companies control more than 80% of the carrot market in the United States. 

Time for some old fashioned story telling and celebrating wildflower season in Kern County

 * ... THE PORCH: Every family has that aunt or uncle who can tell a story and  leave you in stitches with laughter. And now there's a new effort in town to bring back the lost art of story telling, and it will kick off this Thursday, April 21, at the Bakersfield Museum of Art. This is all the bran child of the museum's David Gordon, who is looking for folks who want to tell a true story in front of a live audience. "Stories must relate to the theme and must be in story form – no random thoughts or observations. True stories only (honor system) and no stand-up routines, notes or cards. Strictly the spoken word. Stories can be funny, sad, incredible, poignant - whatever direction your story takes. The time limit is 5 minutes. A panel of judges will rate the stories on a scale of 1-10. First place winner receives a prize. Winners of the first series of story throw-downs (to be held over the next year) will go on to a Story-off and compete for even better prizes!" he said. The throw down will run from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and the cost is $5 per person."

 * ... COFFEE: Had a few readers ask where they could buy Covenant Coffee, roasted by a local organization who uses the profits to help foster children in Kern County. Covenant gets its coffee from Africa, Mexico and other countries but sells it locally. You can order exactly what you want through its website (www.covenantcoffee.org) or visit Covenant's local offices at 1616 29th Street.

 * ... WILDFLOWERS: It's that season again to view our famous wildflowers, and they are out in abundance along the bike path headed west toward Enos Lane. And so is the water. The recharge basin is brimming with wildlife almost the entire way to Enos Lane to Interstate 5, and it's worth a visit. With that said, apparently there was so much rain this year that the high grasses are choking off the wildflowers along the Grapevine, which is always a spectacular sight.

 * ... SPOTTED: Young woman in a new red Ford Mustang, turning west on California Avenue from Oak Street while blissfully texting on her cell phone, nearly running two cars into the oncoming traffic.

 * ... RADIO: There are some amazing things happening in downtown Bakersfield these days: new restaurants, an emerging arts district, a fresh new spirit that brims with confidence. One of the urban pioneers behind this transformation is Don Martin, the owner of the Metro Galleries art boutique on 19th Street. I'll be interviewing Don this Friday at 10 a.m. on "Californian Radio" on SmartTalk1230 about the changes downtown. Can't listen at work? You can download a free application that allows you to listen to the radio on your cell phone. Just Google or search for "Tune In" to download the app.

 * ... ST. FRANCIS: The annual barbeque to support the St. Francis Parish is set for Thursday, April 28, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. This is always a good evening to mingle with Monsignor Craig Harrison and dine on some excellent steaks, fettuccine alfredo, green beans and salad. This is an adult only affair and tickets are $25 each. Contact (661) 327-4734 for tickets or stop by the office at 900 H Street to buy tickets. 

 * ... WHO KNEW? Kern County experienced its own gold rush in 1851 when gold was discovered on the Kern River. One of those who sent teams to mine the gold was John C. Fremont, known as "the Pathfinder."