A proud family of five generations of UC graduates and Roscoe rescues a mannequin foot

 * ... CAL BEARS: Robert Hargreaves wrote to weigh in on the old Cal Drinking Song, saying the lyrics referred to the town of Lakeport, not Newport. Hargreaves should know, given his family's history with Berkeley and the UC system. "My grandfather got his BS and MS from Berkeley in the early 1900s," he said. "Both my parents graduated from Berkeley back in the 1930s, back when Berkeley was still an ag school. I graduated from UC Davis with a BS in agricultural education and a doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. My brother Bruce graduated from UC Santa Barbara and then went to New York for his PhD. My son Leo graduated from UC Irvine. My granddaughter, Cassie Horn, is enrolled at UC Irvine. Five generations of UC attendees."

 * ... RENEGADE: From a reader: "Did you know that Renegade public address announcer Carl Bryan, spotter Chuck Cunningham and spotter Norm Ranalo have been together for over 25 years doing home games at Memorial Stadium? They will be back again in September."

 * ... ROSCO:  Roscoe Rolnik of Guarantee Shoe Center knows something about feet, so it stands to reason he was there to help a mannequin foot make it through TSA security at Meadows Field. Seems that Suzanne Bryan had checked into her flight to Minneapolis for a national knitting convention when she discovered she had forgotten her demonstration mannequin foot. Her husband, Carl Bryan, rushed to the airport with the foot, worried about what he would say to the TSA agents, when he spotted his good friend Roscoe going through security. "He agreed to take our foot through security as part of his carry on luggage," Carl said. "A true miracle. He has probably handled more mannequin feet than anyone else in town."

 * ... TRIATHLON: North High graduate Suzanne Filkins finished the Nyiad New York City Triathlon recently, all in honor of her dear friend Vikki Kastner Harrison who lost her battle with lymphoma five years ago. Suzanne graduated from Long Beach State University and now lives and works in New York City. Her parents are Dr. Mylon and Patricia Filkins. The triathlon benefitted the Lymphoma and Leukemia Cancer Society. Suzanne raised over $2,000 for this worthy cause.

 * ... BUCK OWENS: Lee Ann Enns, who works at Buck Owens Production Co., wrote to set the record straight about the old Buck Owens Celebrity Golf Tournament that drew so many big names to town. "Buck Owens only had the golf tournament for four years, 1971-1974. There was a two year hiatus (1975-1976). Then Buck put on the Buck Owens Rodeo Days for eight years. James Brolin did participate in the golf tournament one or two years, however."

 * ... DID YOU KNOW? Did you know that the city of Bakersfield has an iPhone app for reporting graffiti? Just choose the type of surface the graffiti was on, let your built-in GPS report the location, and attach a photo.

Readers take a leisurely trip down memory lane, remembering a simpler time in Bakersfield

 * ... GO BEARS: Jon Crawford, a proud alum of Cal Berkeley, said he lives south of Valley Plaza where his neighborhood is frequented by three or four ice cream trucks. One of them, he said, plays the hold "Cal Drinking Song" that he sang at football games while at Berkeley in the 1950s. The lyrics start like this: "Oh we had a little party down at Newport - there was Harry, there was Mary, there was Grace. We had a little party down at Newport, and they had to carry Harry from the place." Crawford said he believes the song dates to 1939 and may have been picked up by other schools. It is now part of the song list of the Berkeley Marching Band and is regularly played at games. "Every so often, an ice cream truck comes down my street and plays a wonderful tune that reminds me of some good times at Berkeley."

 * ... GOLF: Don Adams wrote to recall the old Buck Owens Celebrity Golf Tournament that featured so many Hollywood celebs. Adams said Buck discontinued the event when he learned that part of the money raised for the American Cancer Society left the county. "Buck loved Bakersfield and wanted all the money to be distributed locally and withheld the funds from his last tournament in an effort to make that happen," he said. After that, and a dispute with the Cancer Society, Adams said Buck no longer put on the tournament. "Our own George Culver also held an annual golf tournament for several years, featuring many baseball and football celebritries: Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Jack Youngblood ... All the money raised went to local youth baseball."

 * ... EAST SIDE: More memories from growing up on Bakersfield's east side back when it was the place to be. Wrote Steve Richardson: "My family has a rich east side history. "My grand parents Lyle and Erma Richardson owned a radio shop on Baker in the 1930s where the Tejon theater sits now. When I was a kid we went to the golf course by the airpark on Union. We went to Shakey's after Bakersfield College football in the 1960s and 1970s. The town of Arvin was named after my uncle Arvin Richardson in 1914. He started the Niles Street water district back in the 1950s. Arvin has one living daughter and one niece who will be 94 this month. My dad was born in 1933."

 * ... BROCKS:  The old Brock's department store downtown received some more reader love when Doris Wofle wrote to recall an encounter with John Brock Sr. She had moved to Alaska in 1972 and returned for a visit when she bought a pair of shoes. "Upon returning home to Anchorage, I found that the shoes did not fit. So, I put them away until my next trip to Bakersfield.  One of the first things I did was go to Brock's and I took my shoes and receipt with me. The man who waited on me refused to let me return the shoes as it had been several months since I bought them. All of a sudden, Mr. Brock was standing there beside me. He asked how long I had lived in Alaska and I think he told me he was born in Alaska.  He immediately told the young man to do the paper work to return the shoes and wished me a happy day.  Boy,  do I miss Brock's!"

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From Marlene Morales, head of marketing at Chain, Cohn, Stiles law firm: "You know you're a Bakersfield old timer if you remember Larson's Dairy. They actually delivered the best chocolate and whole milk to your door on a weekly basis. Or you could visit the store on Wible Road, drive through and place your order. Better yet, actually see the cows on the premises."

A local Marine pays the ultimate sacrifice and a new spotlight on public pensions

 * ... ULTIMATE SACRIFICE: I was saddened to read of the death of Marine Sgt. Adan Gonzales, the latest Kern County resident to die in the line of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. Adan was a regular at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church and leaves behind a wife and young children. He was killed Aug. 7 in combat in Helmand province. He was just 28 years old. Adan's death and the quiet dignity in which he served stands in stark contrast to the behavior of our elected representatives back home, many of whom spend far too much time engaged in petty bickering while so many young men and women put their lives at risk overseas. Keep the family of Sgt. Gonzales in your thoughts.

 * ... PENSIONS: Did you read that the retired administrator of the city of Vernon receives a lifetime pension of $500,000 a year? That's right, and it is all perfectly legal. No one begrudges our public employees of a pension, but sweetheart deals like this one - done to buy peace with our public labor unions - has led to abuse of the system. According to The Los Angeles Times, CalPERS is now reviewing and reducing some top pensions, a long overdue exercise triggered by the scandal in the city of Bell.

 * ... GOLF TOURNEY: Steve Urner remembers the Buck Owens Celebrity Golf Tournament when so many Hollywood names came to town. Said Steve: "Jane Sears was asking if anyone remembered the Buck Owens Celebrity Golf Tournament. I sure do. I was working at KAFY Radio at the time in 1976 when several of us volunteered to help out with the tournament at the Bakersfield Country Club. I was running ice to various holes in a golf cart. I remembered seeing John Wayne standing next to Mayor Don Hart, both the same height! Max Baer hit a golf ball farther than I’ve ever seen one hit! And while I was making my rounds, a 7-year-old kid with a head full of hair jumped in my golf cart and with his parents permission, rode around with me on my errands. He begged me to let him drive the cart. I did, and I’m sure that was the high point of his trip. He didn’t want to go home when it was all over, but his dad carried him off thanking me for watching him. His dad was James Brolin, and that kid was Josh Brolin.... I’m sure Josh owns a few golf carts by now... Fun times."

 * .... TAFT COLLEGE: Big news out at Taft College where the school is getting ready to break ground on the 24,000 square foot "transition to independent living."  Sheri Horn Bunk, head of the Taft College Foundation, told me this will the the only "living and teaching facility" in a two-year college program for people with autism and intellectual disabilities. Since 1997, she said 95 percent of the graduates are all employed and 86 percent are living independently." These are impressive statistics for an innovative program.

 * ... FRAUD: Yet more stories of credit card fraud, this one coming from Eileen Sanchez who discovered a $10,000 charge made in Florida. "The charge was a truck accessory and it was not mine," she said. At the same time, my mother-in-law's credit card was compromised as well. Just though you would find it interesting that this type of fraud is rampant and Florida seems to be the hot spot."

.* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You know you're a Bakersfield old timer if "you remember the Carnation Ice Cream processing plant and soda fountain on South Union Avenue. As a school kid we were taken on field trips on hot Bakersfield summer days and treated to a tour of the coolest place in town and a cone thrown in for good measure. It was my mother's favorite place to have a hot fudge sundae as well." Thanks to Rhonda MacGillivray-Brady of Tehachapi for that nugget.

Bako Bits: Gridlock in Washington, Sacramento frustrates voters and the demise of the old, folded paper map

 * ... GRIDLOCK: Frustrating to watch the Sunday news shows and hear the finger pointing and name calling from our nation's leaders. It's not much better in our own California legislature where dysfunction seems to rule. Meanwhile voters like Dale Hopwood express disillusionment over proposed laws that would regulate things like what kind of sheets can be used on hotel beds. Said Hopwood: "Your comments about the useless laws mentioned by (Assemblywoman) Shannon Grove just goes to strengthen my belief that we need to return to a part time Legislature. Too often our legslators want to be judged on the quantity of laws introduced, not the quality or need."

 * .... SIDEWALKS: Bill Dean spotted my earlier post on dating our sidewalks by the contractor stamps and said he was the grand son of Fred Dean of Dean and Stroble, one of the familiar names stamped on the sidewalks in the older parts of our community. "The business was lost in the depression and my uncle and grand father never recovered from the loss," he said. Dean and Stroble was just one of the many contractors who built sidewalks around town in the early 1900s.

 * ... OLD SCHOOL: It was over lunch with my 21-year-old college senior daughter and her friend when they began talking about the old folded, paper maps of their childhoods. With GPS now available in cars and smart phones, will these college students may be the last generation to even be familiar with paper maps?

 * ... MARATHON: Jeff Johnson wrote to mention that his daughter, local attorney Amy Barks, ran her first full marathon in the recent San Francisco Marathon. She turned in an impressive time of four hours and 25 minutes. Amy's friend, Jennifer Neil, also ran, as did her triplet 6 year olds in the Munchin Marathon, an equally impressive 100 yards.

 * ... VET CENTER: Bakersfield College is opening a Veteran Information Center for student veterans in an effort to help those coming back from combat and entering the education system. J.R. Browning startied the BC Vets Club last year and the college has been supportive of his efforts. Said his wife Nicole Browning: "My husband has been placed in the role of fund raising for future events at the Veteran Information Center and we hope to help this grow and inspire more veterans to go to school."

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Jane Sears wrote to ask if anyone remembers the celebrity golf tournament at Bakersfield Country Club back in the 1960s which featured the likes of Tennessee Ernie Ford, Charlie Pride, Joseph Campenella, Max Bauer Jr. (Jethro from the Beverly Hillbillies), Telly Savalas and our own Buck Owens. Apparently John Wayne was there early to help raise the flag.

McCarthy: House produced 10 bills to help job creation and Senate refuses to act

 House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) gives us his weekly view form Capitol Hill. In his words:

 "As our local and national economy continue to struggle, it is clear that to revitalize our nation’s economic growth, we must continue to work to limit the size and scope of government.
 "The debate over raising the debt ceiling has concluded for now, and while the end result wasn’t perfect, we prevented tax increases and the focus now is to continue to cut government spending. We will not stop and much more work remains, and every chance we have to reduce the size and scope of our bloated federal government, we must take advantage of. This includes supporting a Balanced Budget Amendment. The terms of the debt deal require Congress to hold an up-or-down vote on legislation that would make it a Constitutional requirement for the federal government to pass a balanced budget every year. I believe a Balanced Budget Amendment is imperative if we’re serious about our nation’s future, and I promise I will fight to get it passed in the House.
 "Improving our business climate requires further reining in Washington’s out-of-control spending, but it also means addressing the tax and regulatory burdens on our small business owners. The economic data show low consumer confidence and start-ups at their lowest point in over a decade. On top of all this, the Dow Jones Industrial plunged over 500 points Thursday on global economic fears.
To date, my colleagues and I have passed ten bills that could create millions of American jobs, lower energy  "costs and eliminate regulations. They are:
1. H.R. 872 - the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act.
2. H.R. 910 - the Energy Tax Prevention Act.
3. H.R. 2018 - the Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act

4. H.J.Res. 37 - a Resolution of disapproval regarding the FCC’s regulation of the Internet and broadband industry practices
5. H.R. 1230 - Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act
6. H.R. 1229, Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act
7. H.R. 1231, Reversing President Obama’s Offshore Moratorium Act
8. H.R. 2021, the Jobs and Energy Permitting Act
9. H.R. 1938, the North American-Made Energy Security Act

10. H.Con.Res. 34 - a Resolution establishing the budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2012 and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2013 through 2021

 "The Senate has refused to act on any of these. I know that government does not create jobs – the private sector does – but these pieces of legislation can undoubtedly promote job creation.

 "I will not let up for one minute on my efforts to reduce spending and promote a business climate for job creation. I look forward to hearing from many of you on what we can do better. This week my daughter Meghan celebrated her 15th birthday and my son Connor is talking to me about colleges. My kids are growing up so fast, and I am determined to make sure that I leave them and all Americans a country full of endless opportunities.

Kern supervisors appear ready to strike down medical marijuana sales and remembering the Chinese school boycott of 1920

* ... POT LAWS: The Kern County Board of Supervisors seems poised to outlaw the sale of medicinal marijuana, despite the fact that some 20,000 local citizens have joined the cooperatives. Sheriff Donny Youngblood calls the law a sham, saying virtually anyone can qualify for a pot ID card and adding that the storefronts attract crime and other bad elements. Others, like local attorney Phil Ganong, argue that thousands of people suffering from illness and pain are benefiting from being able to legally purchase pot. What is your view? On Friday, I will be discussing the issue on Californian Radio SmartTalk 1230 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Call in at (661) 631-1230 to share your view.

* ... BAD BILLS: Got a chuckle out of a press release from the office of state Assemblywoman Shannon Grove, who pointed out some examples of government-run-amok bills introduced in the Legislature. One example: Senate Bill 432 "requires hotels to use fitted bottom sheets and not flat sheets so housekeepers won’t need to fold in corners." Said Rep. Grove: "Can’t hotels serve their patrons without state legislators telling them what they can and can’t put on their beds?" Could not agree more. (File photo of Shannon Grove)

* ... LOCAL HISTORY: The story of Bakersfield's Chinese community is a fascinating one, which is why I enjoyed reading Gilbert Gia's history of the Chinese boycott of local schools in 1910. It seems that 40 Chinese students were assigned to a special "Oriental class" at the Hawthorne School (24th and P streets). Chinese parents rebelled, arguing that their children would not learn English fast enough in a segregated classroom. One of the leaders of the boycott was Sing Lee, a respected wealthy businessman and laundry owner who died in 1922 at the age of 107. The boycott eventually failed but the local Chinese population had made its voice heard.

* ... COLLEGE COSTS:With the cost of a California college education steadily rising, a growing number of students are looking abroad for bargains at equally prestigious universities. According to Forbes, the cost of tuition at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, alma mater of Britain's Prince William and wife Kate, is $21,650. Likewise, tuition and fees at McGill Universty in Canada is $17,400. Compare that to public universities like the University of Michigan, which charges out of state students more than $40,000 a year in tuition alone, and going abroad starts to look like a real bargain.

* ... FRAUD: My mailbox is brimming with stories of credit card fraud. This one from reader Rhonda MacGillivray-Brady explaining how her husband's personal and business American Express cards were compromised. "He learned this by a phone call from the card company asking if he was in Canada as one of his cards have been used four times that day, once at a gas station for $100. Two days later, the second card was also used in Canada. I don't know what is going on or hwere these criminals obtained both of his card numbers, but at least American Express is keeping an eye out."

* ... SPOTTED: Young woman driving a green Toyota Camry down Rosedale Highway in the morning commute, shaving her chin with a razor.

* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You may be a Bakersfield old timer if you had a charge account at Brock's department store "because each generation did ... you qualified because your parents paid their bills and Mr. Brock believed that you would too." Thanks to Riley Parker for that gem.

College grads facing a tough job market and why now might be the best time to get in the housing market

 * ... COLLEGE GRADS: With the national unemployment rate stalled north of 9 percent (and much higher locally) it's a bad time to be graduating from college and looking for work. But it appears some majors are doing better than others. According to Reuters, kids graduating with degrees in accounting, finance, economics, marketing, human resources or information technology have the best chances of finding work in a tough economy. The worst chances: students with degrees in the liberal arts (English, literature, communications etc). And for those who do find work, Reuters said the entry level salaries are now $10,000 less than they were just two years ago.

 * .. MORTGAGE RATES: Even though the prices of some homes may sink further over the next six months, there's a convincing argument to buy now. Why? Mortgage rates only have one way to go, and that is up. Mona Marimow, senior vice president for LendingTree, a loan comparison website, told USA Today that consumers "might look back on this period six months from now and regret it if they didn't take action." Nobody is more aware of this than local Realtors, who say these rock bottom mortgage rates along with slumping prices make it an ideal time to jump into the market.

* ... CREDIT CARD FRAUD: Seems I am not alone in having my credit cards hit with fraudulent charges. One reader, who asked to be identified by her first name Victoria, wrote to say she used her American Express card to pay for a recent cruise on Carnival Cruise Lines last year (she rarely uses the card) and then used her Visa to pay for charges on the ship. "About a week after I got back I started getting fraud charges on both cards out of Florida. I knew it had to have come from Carnival because no one else had both credit card numbers and no one (except Costco) should have my America Express Card number. I called Carnival right away to let them know someone in their company was stealing numbers as it could have only happened through them. I really don’t think they really cared, as they took my number and no one ever called back." Another friend, who works for a local water district, told me he just discovered $450 worth of fraudulent charges from Miami on one of his cards.

 * ... SHERYL CROW: In an earlier post on the Sheryl Crow concert last week I neglected to mention that the singer also singled out visiting "In Your Wildest Dreams," the costume and curiosity shop located across from the Padre Hotel. Reader Charlie Wilmot reminded me that the owner, Dixie Haley Brewer, is a North High graduate who regularly participates in charitable events. "I religiously read your Californian blog and especially enjoy your mention of local people and their  businesses," he said. "The Californian readers should also know that 'In Your Wildest Dreams' is much more than an antique store and they are daily donating to various local charities."

 * ... WHO KNEW?  Did you know that every Friday night during the summer, a free movie is shown in a city park? Sometimes, you can even float in the parks’ pools while enjoying the film.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You know you're a Bakersfield old timer if you remember "drag racing on Buena Vista Road south of the railroad tracks toward Panama Lane."





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24th Street widening still a few years off and Sheryl Crow wows them at the Fox Theater

 * ... 24th STREET: The long-awaited plan to widen 24th Street through downtown is moving along through the environmental process but it still a few years off from breaking ground. That's the word from City Manager Alan Tandy, who said he expected everything to be ready for construction by the end of 2013 or early 2014. The project will run from about the 24th Street Cafe all the way to Sillect Avenue. The street will be widened to handle three lanes in each direction. Meanwhile, Tandy said the project to build an overpass on Truxtun Extension to provide access to the Westside Parkway is slightly behind schedule because of the swollen river this summer. And speaking of the river, Tandy also reiterated the city's pledge to fight to gain control of water rights to keep river flowing in the Kern almost year round, although that is a fight that will be tied up in the courts for years.

 * ... SIDEWALKS: Gilbert Gia is one of our local historians who has amassed an impressive amount of data on the history of Bakersfield and Kern County. He shared with me his history of local sidewalks and street paving, and how you can date the ages of the sidewalks and streets from the contractor stamps. Tge first sidewalks were built in the late 1800s and by the early 1900s streets and sidewalks were being erected downtown and in the old Baker Street business district. Next time you take a stroll, check out the stamps from long-gone contractors like A. Klingenberg (1915), Valley Construction (around 1920), Thompson Brothers (1912), Worswick Street Paving Co. (1916) and Dean and Strobe, among the many others.

 * ... SHERYL CROW: The Sheryl Crow concert at the Fox Theater was a sell out last week, and at 49 years of age the singer certainly knows how to wow a crowd. Crow mentioned the Padre Hotel five times during the show - that elicited a huge smile from Padre owner Brett Miller who was taking in the show along with wife Kelli - and Crow also shared that she took in the antique store across from the hotel.

 * ... FRAUD: Credit card fraud seems to run rampant these days. Just in the past week, three friends have told me about fraudulent purchases showing up on their credit cards. Then, in the span of 72 hours, I had two credit cards and my bank ATM card compromised. Almost all the fraudulent charges were made in central and south Florida, everything from a Winn-Dixie supermarket in Orlando to a $1,230 charge at Men's Warehouse. Banks are adept at spotting these charges but for your own protection, keep an eye on your bank statements.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Eleanor Grant remembers when she attended the Lowell School on H Street, where St. Francis church is now, and the circus train would come to town. The performers and animals would get off the train at the Santa Fe Depot and parade down Truxtun Avenue to their performance location while the teachers and students watched.

 * ... WHO KNEW? Did you know that China Grade, the paved road to the bluffs and Panorama Drive, was originally a trail used by Chinese residents during the 1870s? It is said they used it to get to the Kern River bank in search of watercress.

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