A new pilates studio opens in downtown Bakersfield and The Bakersfield Californian Foundation announces grant recipients

 * ... PILATES: A new business devoted to pilates has opened up on 21st Street in a stunning loft building that formerly housed the "Little White Dress." It's called "Poise Pilates and Barre" and is the brainchild of partners Christine Travis and Callie Spitzer. The 30-year-old Travis, a Garces High and later Santa Clara University graduate, and 27-year-old Spitzer, who graduated from Liberty High and later Cal State Long Beach, have known each other for years and decided to invest in a beautiful, state of the art pilates studio. It's good to see two young entrepreneurs bucking the economic downturn by putting their capital at risk while offering a healthy lifestyle service to our community. They offer individual or group classes and my guess is Poise Pilates and Barre will be a hit. The business is planning a June 7 open house and ribbon cutting. (photos by Rebecca Rossini)

 * ... RETORT: Paula Robertson has worked for Stockdale High School for 22 years and was shocked when she saw herself mentioned (not by name) as the driver of a school van who was texting on her pink phone at a traffic light. "Yes I was on my phone but only to check the time because this particular van does not have a clock," she said. "I know better than to text while driving." Another reader, Riley Parker, spotted her on Stockdale Highway and thought he saw her texting. "I am 55 years old and I know better," Paula said. "I want to set the record straight."

* ...  ONLY IN OILDALE: Workers in the Oildale branch of the Chase bank were evacuated Thursday when a suspicious package was found. They were allowed to return when the package was found to contain an old pair of women's panties and a book on Barack Obama.

 * ... OVERHEARD: A woman walking into a local Starbucks on a recent morning: "I hope today isn't a repeat of yesterday. I was hit up three times for money and the last guy told me he was just released from Corcoran!"

* ... GIVING: I consider myself lucky to work for a family whose mission is to give back to our community, and recently The Bakersfield Californian Foundation gave out a new round of grants to deserving organizations. Among the recipients are The Cat People, Marley's Mutts, CALM, Pet Food Pantry, Kern County Library, Bags4Kids, BARC and the Friendship House. Those grants ranged from $1,700 to $6,500. The Foundation also donated $15,000 to Ready to Start; $15,000 to Lightwave Education; $9,800 to MARE (for the Summer Literacy program partnering with Migrant Student Outreach); $9,025 for the Boys and Girls Club summer reading program; and $4,000 for First Book. Add to that were miscellaneous donations of $20,000 to the Kern County Nut Festival; $5,000 to AngelDogs; $5,000 to the Henrietta Weill Memorial Child Guidance Clinic Stable Skills program; $3,200 to the College Dream Fund; $1,000 sponsorship to the Buena Vista Museum's Spectacular World of Science event; and $17,252 to the Kern Historical Society, for their historical plaques. That's some $125,000 that will do an awful lot of good around town.

* ...  ERA OF THE WINGER: Darrell Winger wrote to note the success of his children in the annual math field day competition in which son Zachary Winger won the 8th grade triathlon games.
"This marked the third year in a row for Zachary to win his event," he said. "This also meant that for the fifth year in a row a Winger family member has won the triathlon games at the competition. Zachary's older brother Alex won the competition three years in a row as well. A very proud family accomplishment!"

Obesity rates skyrocket along with the percentage of young people with diabetes or pre diabetes

* ... DIABETES: The next time you are out and about take a look around; chances are you will see a lot of people who are morbidly obese. And now comes more proof that we are losing the battle for sensible eating and exercise in our country. According to the Centers for Disease Control, diabetes and pre-diabetes among young people have jumped from 9 percent in the year 2000 to a full 23 percent in 2008. If you have Home Box Office (HBO), make sure you tune into the multi part series "Weight of the Nation," a scary look into how obesity leads to premature deaths across all socioeconomic levels.

* ... SMALL WORLD: Chelby Cooke, the Bakersfield Christian High School tennis phenom who is headed to Santa Clara University, will be in good hands once she lands there. According to local Realtor John Mackessy, the university's women's tennis coach is Ben Cabell. "His grandfather, John Mackessy, was a long time member, past president, and respected 'Nooner' of the Bakersfield Racquet Club and probably responsible for Ben's first tennis racquet. His mother is Alison Mackessy Cabell, an East High, Bakersfield College and Stanford alum. Our family is very proud of Ben and he is thrilled to have Chelby on his squad." (Californian photo)

 * ... THE BUZZ: Political observers are wondering just how wounded the Karen Goh campaign is after the latest dustup over her using Monsignor Craig Harrison's endorsement on her campaign literature. The "endorsement" was explained away as a mistake but it triggered a firestorm of controversy that simply can't help Goh's campaign for 5th District Supervisor. Meanwhile, opponents Leticia Perez and Tim Tarver are smartly staying away from the issue. (file photo of Karen Goh)

 * ... OVERHEARD: A middle aged man telling a friend, "Now that the Lakers and Clippers are out of the playoffs, all I can look forward to is USC football in September."


 * ... BAD FORM: Another example of questionable behavior comes compliments of reader Riley Parker. "At about 1:45 today (Monday) I was west bound on Stockdale Highway at Coffee Road, stopped at the signal. In the lane to my left was a large van with the logo of Kern High School District on the door. There were about seven or eight passengers on board. The blond driver, a female old enough to know better, was so busy texting on her pink phone that she almost sat through the signal. She continued texting until she was well past the intersection. This person should be removed from her position of responsibility for a van load of special needs students. It’s nice that they have a four digit number displayed on the rear door."

 * ... SPOTTED: A bicyclist stops on the street behind the Petroleum Club and relieves himself on the sidewalk as cars pass by in the middle of the day. Really?

 * ... DID YOU KNOW? From the New York Times: Did you know that doctors are now telling people to avoid brushing your teeth immediately after a meal? The reason: Acid left from a soft drink or a meal will erode the enamel, and brushing will accelerate that. Always wait at least 30 minutes after a meal to brush.

Bakersfield College athletics gets big boost with fund raiser at the Campbell home, and another lesson in bad form

* ... BC ATHLETICS: Hard to beat the spring-like weather we enjoyed this weekend, and it proved to be a perfect setting for the annual fundraiser for Bakersfield College athletics at the beautiful home of Joe and Jana Campbell near Bakersfield Country Club.  Gino Valpredo and his crew from Luigi's provided the steak dinner (Big Mike Ariey was helping on the grill). I chatted with Gerry Collis and football coach Jeff Chudy there and left impressed with the wide and deep community support Bakersfield College enjoys. Among those I spotted were Tom and Cindy Anspach, Chad Manning, Vernon and Janis Varner,  newlyweds Michael and Jan Tivnon, Steve and Terri Haupt, Kevin and Tess Antongiovanni, Carl Bowser, Patti Houchin, Jack and Byron Campbell, Bruce and Jane Haupt with daughter Elyse, Steve Holloway and so many more.

* ... BAD FORM: Today's lesson on bad behavior comes from Brian Foster, a businessman who works on Patton Avenue. He found what appeared to be a dead cat in front of his business and called Kern County Animal Control, who responded promptly by sending a truck out several hours later.  "The officer got out of the truck, inspected the situation, got back in the truck and drove off. I assumed he would be back later to do the 30 second job. The next morning, the mess was still there. Wednesday morning came to work and it was still there. I called KC Animal Control and informed them of what I witnessed on Monday and the dispatcher commented, 'I hate when they do that.'" Foster eventually cleaned up the mess himself. "My wife and I are animal lovers, rescue our share of strays and find them homes. I know that Animal Control is taxed and stretched thin but this came down to sheer laziness and disregard. Jeers on the KC Animal Control worker!"

  * ... DONATION: Hats off to the law firm of Chain, Cohn and Stiles for its $200,000 donation to the Grossman Burn Center at San Joaquin Hospital. Managing partner David Cohn told me he is impressed "with this world class burn center right here in Bakersfield. They do so much good and now victims don't have to go out of town to get first class care."

 * ... CAL RADIO: State Sen. Michael Rubio is proposing putting a limit on the percentage of out of state students allowed in the University of California system. It's no secret that universities are catering to out of state students who pay much higher tuition, and in California the percentage of non-resident students is skyrocketing. Rubio will be my guest of Californian Radio KERN 1180 on Monday. Later in the hour we will talk about the obesity epidemic with Dr. Raj Patel of Preferred Family Physicians. Join me at 9 a.m. when we discuss his proposal. (Los Angeles Times photo of the Berkeley campus.)

 * .... MINTER: Sentimental Journey is one of only five flying B-17s left in the world, and the fully restored Flying Fortress will be at Minter Field over the Memorial Day weekend. This Saturday, the Air Museum will hold a deep pit beef dinner in the evening, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., at the museum hanger. Tickets are $20 per person and proceeds will benefit the museum's operation and projects.

 * ... SHOPLIFTING: Will Winn writes that he dropped into a dollar store recently and was welcomed by a security guard.  "The store manager said the shoplifting had become so bad they had to take extreme measures! At the 99 cents store!  This seems to be going on all over town, including a convenience store in the south where the owner was forced to defend himslf and killed two alleged shoplifting thieves."

Tour of California hits Bakersfield for a Stage 5 time trial, and Gov. Brown gets some advice on our ballooning state debt

* .... TOUR: The Tour of California cycling race rolled through town Thursday, exposing our community to a worldwide audience in the millions. I received a message from a friend who was viewing the Tour in a sports bar in Washington, D.C., and got another call from a friend who was viewing it in Pittsburgh. This is the second time the Tour has come through Bakersfield, and it is much more than a bike race. It has evolved into a social event, much like George Martin's Bakersfield Business Conferences in years past. And hats off to Sam Ames, the manager at Action Sports, who put on a spectacular hospitality tent featuring food, wine, beer and of course water for a hot day. Sam personally thanked volunteers Jim Cretoll and Keith Barnden for their help.

 * ... PENSIONS: William J. Bennett, the former Education Secretary, has some advice for Gov. Jerry Brown on how to deal with the state's $16 billion deficit: watch how they did it in Wisconsin. "Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker closed a large budget hole without raising taxes or cutting education but by going straight to one of the roots of the problem - public employee unions," Bennett wrote. "Until California addresses comprehensive pension reform, the state will continue to sink deeper into debt." Brown's answer? A ballot initiative to raise taxes while pension reform remains off the table.

 * ... OVERHEARD: A middled aged woman who lives near Panorama Drive talking to a friend: "I wish this (Tour of California) bike race came to town every year. The city always does such a nice job sprucing up the area!"


* ... WORLD VIEW: Here are some news items from across the world recently: an Iranian rapper fears for his life after two clerics issue a fatwah  justifying his murder; Lady Gaga may be forced to cancel a concert in Jakarta because of complaints from Islamic groups; and a former Colombian justice minister narrowly escapes death in a car bombing in Bogota. Makes one feel good about being an American, doesn't it?

* ... HIGH ACHIEVER: Hats off to David Partida, a graduate of Bakersfield Christian High School and then Notre Dame, who will receive his law degree from Columbia Law School this month. His father, Armando, works for American National Insurance Company here in Bakersfield.

 * ... PEPPERDINE BOUND: Another remarkable local student is Demitria Doubenmier, a Bakersfield High School graduate who has worked for Sequoia Sandwich Co. for the past three years. She graduated from Bakersfield College this spring with a 4.0 GPA and is headed to Pepperdine University on a full ride scholarship in the fall. Sequoia manager Valerie Damron told me she was raised by an amazing grandmother "and is such a testimony of hard work and resilience paying off. She has worked for me for three years and has never missed a day of work or been late once while taking a full load at Bakersfield College."

Bakersfield rolls out the red carpet for the Amgen Tour of California and remembering Suzanne Rivera, local cyclist who died on Mother's Day

 * ... AMGEN: Get ready for a day to remember Thursday when the Amgen Tour of California cycling race comes to town. Organizers are expecting as many as 30,000 people to view the race, which features some of the top pro cyclists in the world. The 18-mile time trial course starts on the bluffs across from Bakersfield College, follows Alfred Harrell Highway out to Hart Park and returns up the steep grade back to Panorama. It promises to be a spectacular event and if you have never witnessed a pro bike race, this is your chance to see some of the world's finest athletes in action. It's absolutely free, it starts at 1 p.m. and should by over shortly after 4 p.m. And, let's not forget to thank our city for agreeing to put water in the Kern River for the day to help put our community in its best light.

 * ... RIP SUZANNE: Friends and family are mourning the death of Suzanne Rivera, the 47-year-old mother of two who died in a nasty crash during a women's road cycling race near Mariposa. Like any sport cycling has its share of inflated egos and posturing, but Suzanne always had a smile on her face and never had a bad word for anyone. She crashed into a support van on a steep descent on Mother's Day, but she died doing something she loved. (Californian photo of Suzanne with coach Danny Kaukola)

* ... HIGH ACHIEVER: Among the many notable kids graduating from high school is Cristobal Trujillo, a Ridgeview graduate who is headed to Yale on a full-ride scholarship. Michelle Beck, one of his former teachers, told me Cristobal came to this country speaking no English but eventually mastered the language and qualified for the GATE program. That's an accomplishment that should make us all proud.

 * ... HOPPER: As if legacy media didn't have enough challenges, now comes the "Hopper" that threatens to to disrupt the television business model. The "Hopper" is a device offered by Dish Network that allows people to completely avoid commercials. Viewers can already fast forward through commercials, but the "Hopper" does it automatically and the viewer sees nothing but a momentary blank screen and no commercial. As the Wall Street Journal noted: "The notion that viewers won't see even a whirr of fast forwarded ads threatens billions of dollars in broadcast television advertising-and risks the ire of the networks."

 * ... BABY NAMES: The Social Security Administration has released the most popular baby names for 2011. According to USA Today, the top name for girls were Sophia, Isabella, Emma, Olivia, Ava, Emily, Abigail, Madison, Mia and Chloe. For boys: Jacob, Mason, William, Jayden, Noah, Michael, Ethan, Alexander, Aiden and Daniel.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Donna Pacheco wonders if anyone else remembers Hart Park in the 1950s when it featured boat racing, the miniature train, a roller coaster and a merry-go-round. Donna worked at a food stand selling hot dogs and drinks.

New details on the death of Bakersfield cyclist Suzanne Rivera in Turlock ...

 Suzanne Rivera, the Bakersfield cyclist killed in a nasty crash during a women's stage race in Mariposa County, apparently hit a support van when she came around a corner in a group. Kerry Ryan, owner of Action Sports, noted she simply may have been on the wrong side of the group of riders and unable to avoid the van, which had stopped to help another cyclist. Read more of the Bakersfield Californian's coverage.

Kern Wheelmen statement on death of Bakersfield cyclist Suzanne Rivera

 The following statement is from the Kern Wheelman website regarding the death Sunday of local cyclist Suzanne Rivera. (photo by Chris Rigby)

 "It is with the heaviest of hearts that I write to you this sad news. Today, we lost a teammate, training partner, and friend. Suzanne Rivera passed away as a result of a crash at the Mariposa Women’s Stage Race. Suzanne was an amazing athlete, who could run marathons in under three hours, after a running injury she decided to take up cycling, naturally she picked the sport up quickly and excelled at it. She loved riding and trained hard here in Bakersfield with many of us. She belonged to my team B4T9, which is based out of Santa Barbara but has a 3 person Bakersfield contingent as well. Apart from being an amazing athlete, she was a loving mother and wife, and was a fun, kind-hearted and spirited woman. She was so nice, always so happy and so encouraging to everyone she was around.

The Mariposa stage race, is a four stage race, where the first race was a 10 mile time trial, the second was a 6 mile hill climb with 2100’ of climbing followed in the afternoon by a 40 mile circuit race with a lot of hills, and Sunday was a 48 mile road race with long descents and more hill climbing. However, Suzanne is an amazing hill climber and she went into the final race in second position. She was so happy this weekend working with the team and enjoyed the competitive aspect of racing.

...I’m sending this note out as a courtesy to those that know her and have had the great opportunity to ride with her. We as a community, team, and as individuals are heartbroken, devastated and sad beyond words that could be written at the loss of Suzanne. Our thoughts and prayers are with Suzanne, her family and friends on this most anguishing day and for the difficult days they face ahead.

I, personally, and all of the team, want to express our gratitude to the nurses, racers and friends who gave their all on site to administer every life saving measure possible. Everyone was courageous in their effort.
Thank you for your support, prayers and thoughts for the family and friends of Suzanne at this difficult time. Details of services will be posted at a later date.

With great sadness,
Lori O’Lin, B4T9 Team, sponsors and supporters.

Bakersfield cyclist Suzanne Rivera dies in a road race in Mariposa County

 Suzanne Rivera, a local runner and cyclist from Bakersfield, died Sunday during a woman's cycling race in Mariposa County. Suzanne was a long-time runner who took up cycling after an injury and quickly became a contender.
 Details are sketchy but she apparently crash during a long decent. Efforts to revive her on the scene were not successful. She leaves behind a husband and two children.