Oil magnate T. Boone Pickens predicts that the price of oil could jump to $100 a barrel by the end of 2016, and trying to decode the puzzle over residential water rates

 * … OIL PRICES: Oil producers have sharply curtailed drilling as the price of crude has plummeted, but it may not last for long. At least that is the opinion of oil magnate T. Boone Pickens, who predicted this week that oil prices would rebound to around $100 a barrel by the end of 2016. At the same time
Pickens, president of BP Capital, said the idea of "peak oil"—the point when oil production goes into an irreversible decline—shouldn't be dismissed considering the boom in domestic production. Crude oil is now selling at around $50 a barrel.

 * … ISRAEL: Keep an eye on the strained relations between the Obama administration and the state of Israel. The feud between President Obama and Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu is personal and bitter, but should it affect our relationship with the only active democracy in the Middle East and our longtime ally? Former Florida governor and likely presidential contender Jeb Bush put it this way: "This is no way to treat an ally. Conducting the foreign policy of a great nation requires maturity and a strategic sense of America’s long-term interests. This is no time for schoolyard antics.”

* … WATER: Understanding how local water rates are established is like learning Sanskrit (where is Lois Henry when you need her?) so I submit this humbly. I live downtown, alone in a small house with no pool and xeriscape landscaping, and my most recent flat rate service water bill from California Watrer Service came to $90.56. Meanwhile, a married friend who lives in Laurelglen with a full lawn and pool paid a metered rate of just $13.19 for the same period. In a time of drought, either I am paying too much or someone else too little.

* … FOODIE BEST BET: Uricchio's Trattoria has a tasty new happy hour appetizer that is worth your attention. It's a plate of lightly fried clams, with tarter sauce, all for $6. Make sure you call ahead and ask if it is available that day.

* … WOMEN: Congratulations to four outstanding local women who are being honored as "Women with a Heart for Bakersfield" by Garden Pathways. They include Irma Cervantes, multicultural communications manager at Bright House Networks; Nancy Chaffin, vice president, administration and operations, The Bakersfield Californian; Dr. Naina Patel, mind and body medicine department head, Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center; and Wendy Porter, executive director, Wounded Heroes Fund. They will be honored at Garden Pathway's High Tea on Wednesday, May 13, at Seven Oaks Country Club.

 * … MEMORIES: Randy Martin wrote to ask if anyone remembers the old Sandstone store on Truxtun Avenue that was a locally owned version of a Home Depot. "It had everything that the big box stores have and more," he said. "There was a train car out front that served breakfast and lunch. Another interesting item was a cross-section of a giant sequoia. It had tags on it that documented the tree through history. I remember one of the rings was when Columbus landed. I wonder where that tree went?"

Canyon Hills Assembly of God takes over the Golden State Mall and promises a total rehabilitation, not a homeless shelter, while out in the Southwest Grand Island at Serven Oaks gets some added security

 * … MONTGOMERY WARD: It's amazing how quickly rumors circulate in this age of social media and instant messaging. Yesterday, rumors were flying that the old Golden State Mall on F Street was about to be turned into a homeless center run by its new owner, Canyon Hills Assembly of God. Facebook and message groups buzzed with concern, particularly among homeowners in the Riviera Westchester and downtown area who were worried about an even greater influx of homeless patrons in their neighborhoods. So I tracked down Canyon Hills Pastor Wendell Vinson and met him for coffee at the Village Grill to get the truth. A homeless center? Not true, Vinson told me. Instead, Vinson said the church plans a $3 million rehabilitation to turn the 165,000 square foot mall into a multi-use "hub for church revitalization… We are a church but we are neighborhood friendly. We will create a bright spot in this historic location to serve our community." Plans are early, but Vinson said he could envision a pre school, a church affiliated with Canyon Hills, community meeting rooms and perhaps a food court. The church is also negotiating with an international disaster relief organization to assume some 30,000 square feet. Vinson noted he lives in the area and would settle for nothing less than an "irresistable environment" much like what the church has created at its Auburn Street campus in the northeast. The building, he noted, "is a complete mess" but he promised a total rehab job to create a "vibrant, beautiful and useful addition" to downtown.

 * …SPOTTED: Zach Martin, son of Covenant Coffee founder Randy Martin, posted this: "Trying my hardest to #live like Jesus. Woke up this morning and turned #water into #coffee … #biblestudy #crossroads #hopeinacup.

 * … SECURITY: I noticed that the entrances to the Grand Island neighborhood at Seven Oaks are getting an additional layer of security. Spike strips, the kind that prevent a car from entering the wrong way, are being installed at all of the gates. Entering through the exit gates is a dangerous practice as well as a security concern, and the traffic control spikes are being installed to prevent this from happening.

 * … RAFTING: The cancellation of the season for rafting on the Kern River because of the drought prompted this note from Diane Hopkins over at tghe MARE Riding Center. "I was so sad to read about River's End rafting trips being cancelled for this year.  Darron Nilsson has always been very generous to MARE Riding Center with their fundraising rafting trips. They were always a highlight of our summer fun. We are hoping next year will be a better year for River's End."

* … SCAMS: I heard from another reader who received one of those threatening calls from someone claiming to be with the Internal Revenue Service demanding money. This is an old scam and my advice: hang up the phone. If the IRS has a problem with you, they will do it in writing and in a way you can easily verify.

* … MEA CULPA: I forgot to mention that a group of students from West High School helped pitch in to make the West Rotary Cioppino Feed a success. Said Jodie Hare from West High: "I loved the fact that you both attended and mentioned Bakersfield West Rotary’s annual Cioppino feed; it is a wonderful event that serves a great cause. However, I feel obliged to remind you that Centennial was not the only school there that night; in fact, West High School’s Interact club provided the bulk of servers for Cioppino - and has done so for over fifteen years."

California Gov. Jerry Brown defends hydraulic fracking on Meet the Press, checking up on the Meals on Wheels program and another successful Cioppino Feed by West Rotary

 * … FRACKING: Gov. Jerry Brown launched a no nonsense defense of hydraulic fracturing on Meet the Press Sunday, dismissing host Chuck Todd's concerns that the practice uses too much water and could be dangerous. Brown noted California oil companies have been fracking for decades, safely, and that the practice does not use excessive amounts of water. He also reminded Todd that California
imports 70 percent of its annual oil consumption, and banning fracking would hardly make a dent in consumption but force the state to import yet more oil on rail cars.

* … MEALS ON WHEELS: I stopped by the Rasmussen Senior Center last week to check on the remarkable Meals on Wheels program run by the North of the River Parks and Recreation District. Five days a week the program feeds 255 homebound seniors and another 150 show up daily for lunch. The program is so popular that there is a waiting list. It's hard to overstate how important this program is for so many seniors who live alone and don't have the means to provide for themselves. Hats off to some of the NOR executives involved in the program, including Lisa Plank, Diane Hooper and Mishelle Ulrich.

 * … CIOPPINO: I would not have wanted to be anywhere else this past Saturday evening than at Monsignor Leddy Hall in La Cresta, where I joined a few hundred other folks at the annual Cioppino Feed. West Rotary has cracked the code on a successful fund raiser: feed the crowd with steamed clams, salad and cioppino (a fish stew), keep it simple with wine and a silent and live auction and send everyone home happy and smiling. A special thanks to our server Alyson Amestoy and her group of Centennial High School volunteers who worked the room to keep everyone fed. The club expects to make some $80,000 which it will dole out to deserving charities.

 * … BAD FORM: Shame on whoever decided to dump an old jacuzzi off Round Mountain Road at the foot of someone's driveway. Think about it: it likely took three or four strong young men to lift the 500-plus pound piece of plumbing into the back of a pickup, but instead of taking it to the dump, they unceremoniously left it on the side of the road.

* … DOWNTOWN: The deadline is fast approaching for grant applications focused on improving downtown Bakersfield. The Bakersfield Californian (family) Foundation will accept applications up until April 3 for projects devoted to beautifying, or improving, the downtown area. Go to www.bakersfieldcalifornianfoundation.org for details.

* … KINDNESS: Teri Snow Gamblin was riding on the back of a motorcycle near Sierra Summit recently when she was thrown from the bike onto the highway. Her companion was not injured but she suffered some serious cuts and found herself bleeding in an area with no cell phone service. The 61-year-old woman shared what happened next. "A young boy maybe 10 cautiously approached, and I asked  him for help. He said they had heard the crash, his mom was coming and that she was a nurse.  I was taken into their cabin where she cleaned the wounds and bandaged my hand until I could get a ride to the hospital. Mom said they came to the cabin for the weekend, so she could help her son with his homework. She kept me warm and even cut one of her t shirts to bandage my hand with. Her son and his dog went down to the highway and flagged down the car that was taking me to the  hospital… As mom helped me into the vehicle she took my head into her hands and kissed my forehead and wished me well. In the shock of it all I didn’t get her name,  however she is a Kaiser nurse working behind San Joaquin hospital. Richard it would be greatly appreciated if you could share this story and hopefully someone that knows this beautiful, kind person can let her know how much I truly appreciated the kindness she and her son bestowed on a total stranger."

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House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy: The EPA uses suspect science to punish the Central Valley for on clean air standards

 Rep. Kevin McCarthy, House Majority Leader, gives us his weekly view from Capitol Hill.

 "There is a troubling trend occurring within the agencies that make up the executive branch where legislating and creating law has overtaken the original charter to execute the laws that Congress writes

and passes. In the House, we are committed to reforming our government to make it efficient, effective, and accountable. This week, accountability took center stage as we passed two bills that establish greater accountability within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

 "Perhaps the greatest example of this is its latest proposal to regulate activity in our community.
 "Throughout the Central Valley we know all too well that the EPA wields too much power over how we live and how we do business.  We know that exhaust and pollution from our big city neighbors like San Francisco and Los Angeles gets blown in and trapped because of our topography. But we also have that topography (and soil) to thank for the richest land to grow food in America.

 "But an unfortunate result is that our air is notoriously worse than other parts of the country.

 "Our community is a community of doers and problem solvers. When we are faced with an issue, we work together to do what it takes to solve it. That is why as we are faced with poor air quality, we are doing whatever we humanly can to clean the air up. We want to make sure our community is healthy and that our children are safe when they go out for recess or out to play with their friends.
 "Not surprising, our community’s resilience and commitment has yielded positive results. Our air IS getting better. In fact, last year was the cleanest on record.

  "Despite our progress --- despite the fact our air problems often originate elsewhere --- and despite pushing our technology to its current limit --- the EPA wants to issue even more stringent ozone regulations. The EPA says “science” demands they do more and more and more.

  "But to echo Bakersfield Californian columnist, Lois Henry there is a very reasonable question:  “What science?” The EPA is trying to impose more regulations based on conclusions that no one can check.

 "That bears repeating. The EPA wants to harm businesses and hurt our economy with rules based on studies that they won’t let anyone else see. Not the public --- not independent scientists --- not even the United States Congress.  If this sounds outrageous --- it’s because it is. It’s called “secret science.” and it’s wrong.
 "If the EPA or most any agency is going to propose a rule --- the people have every right to know why. By hiding the science they use from public view and independent analysis --- the EPA is asking us to trust them.

  "They are asking us to trust them even while they propose costly carbon and ozone rules on our economy and attempt to regulate puddles as if they were navigable waterways. They continue to grab for more power while the people see fewer benefits and more costs.

 "This House wants government accountability. We want transparency --- just like this Administration continues to promise. And we want to stop unnecessary secrecy in government.
 "That is why the House passed H.R. 1030, the Secret Science Reform Act which opens up the science behind regulations to the American public. Our community and country needs more accountability from its government, which can start by ending this type of unnecessary secrecy.

Along with basketball, March Madness brings a spike in vasectomies and TV upgrades and three big local events in May will compete for our wallets

 * … MARCH MADNESS: It turns out that our obsession with the NCAA Basketball Tournament has to do with a lot more than simply college basketball. According to researchers, doctors report up to

a 50 percent rise in the number of vasectomies during the NCAA tournament, presumably so the men can spend their recovery in front of the big screen TV. Further, 27 percent of respondents to a 2014 survey say they watch games at work, and 12 percent would upgrade to HDTV if their favorite team made it to the Sweet Sixteen.

 * … MORE MADNESS: And speaking of March Madness, few households are more excited about the tournament than the home of Grimmay Farms counsel Jeff Green and his wife, District Attorney Lisa Green. Consider this: their son Matthew Green graduated from UC Irvine, brother Andrew graduated from UCLA and sister Rebecca from Indiana University. Jeff, meanwhile, is an alum of San Diego State. All four schools -San Diego State, UC Irvine, Indiana and UCLA - are represented in the tournament. Only Fresno State, Lisa's alma mater, failed to make the Big Dance.

* … EVENTS: Three big events are on a collision course for competing for our attention (and dollars) in late May. It is all starting on Saturday, May 23, when George Martin's huge rock and country show will feature over 30 acts at the Kern County Museum, all for a price tag of $130 a ticket. On the same day, the Bakersfield Craft Beer Festival will be at the CSUB Amphitheater, hosted by Imbibe Wine and Moo Creamery. And then, just a few days later, the Eagles will be appearing at Rabobank Arena, and you can bet tickets won't be cheap for that. Those are three popular events that will make a serious dent in your wallet, and how effectively they cannabalize each other will determine how successful they are.

 * … SPOTTED: A young mother holding the hands of her two very young daughters jaywalking across a busy south Chester, forcing two cars to veer into oncoming traffic to avoid running over them.

* … STARBUCKS: So what do you think of the Starbucks campaign to spark a conversation about race by writing provocotive messages on our coffee cups? As a frend told me: "Can I just have a cup of coffee please? I don't need a morning conversation on race with my local barista."

* … GOOD FORM: Don't you love it when people surprise and delight you? From Sheila Blackburn: "I read your column regularly and know that you often pass on a thank you to good samaritans in our community. I would like to publicly thank the kind gentleman who came to my elderly mother's aid following a mishap on Manor Street on Saturday morning, making sure she was okay, getting her car to the side of the road, and delivering her safely to my home  We didn't get his name, but we wanted to publicly thank him for his kindness. My mother couldn't stop talking about that 'nice man.' We are very grateful to him. The world needs more people like this thoughtful, caring gentleman."

The private story behind the life of the latest victim of a hit and run, Monty Byrom set to appear at Temple Beth El, and Nordstrom Rack gets ready to open its first Bakersfield location

 * … RIP SHORTY: Every death is accompanied by a personal story and most of them go unnoticed by the public. Joe Sacco wanted me to know that the death of 66-year-old Lauren "Shorty" Bristol was not one of them. Bristol was killed in a hit and run incident at Calloway Road and Palm Drive a few days ago, the latest pedestrian death in a long line of tragedies locally.  "The

gentleman killed was the longest tenured employee at our family business Sierra International Machinery. We used to be Sierra Bag and over any years we transformed into recycling and machinery. The loss has rocked our company and family. He was a man of the highest integrity, he mentored me an my brother and many others. He was loved by all and we at Sierra are in a state of shock. He was a great husband , father and grandfather who loved his family the way we all should love our families. I wanted you to know that this man wasn't just a random man killed but a beloved employee and family man."

* … BEST BETS: One of this weekend's best bets will happen Sunday at the Bell Tower Club when local rock and blues singer Monty Byrom and his band will be appearing to benefit Temple Beth El. It is a 2 p.m. show and the cost is $25 a ticket. On Saturday night, the Bakersfield West Rotary will holds its annual Cioppino Feed at Monsignor Leddy Hall at Garces Memorial High School, a can't miss even here in the charity fund raising season.

 * … NORDSTROM: The next big retailer to open at The Shops at River Walk will be Nordstrom Rack, which opens its doors on Thursday, March 26. Get ready for another mob scene as Bakersfield welcomes a new retailer, and it no doubt will test a parking lot that is already jammed with the opening of Sprouts Farmers Market and BevMo!

 * … BURTON: I had a chance to catch up with Kevin Burton, who runs the foundation over at San Joaquin Community Hospital and has been eyeing a run for mayor if Harvey Hall chooses not to seek reelection. Burton said he is definitely interested, has been overwhelmed with the amount of support her has garnered, and will decide only after consulting his family and friends.

 * … FITNESS: And don't forget about the 6th Annual Bakersfield Health and Fitness Expo set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Rabobank Theater. This is a free event and will feature dozens of vendors focusing on healthy living.

 * … SCAM: Are you ready for another telephone scam targeting the elderly? Consider this from Norma Jackson. "The newest scam comes from an e-mail I received this morning from the 'Attorney General Office of South Carolina. They told me I was now going to be arrested regarding a lawsuit which is filed on my name and gave me a case file number. The first big tip off was the horrible grammar. They were also going to 'update this thing to your employer place and we are sure you will get terminated from your job with the immediate effect' [sic].  It provided a number for me to call; they also [very nicely] provided me with an Attorney Retainer Agreement for me to retain The Bennett Law Firm to represent me. I called the South Carolina Attorney General's Office and spoke with a Winifred there, who told me it was a fraud and I wasn't the first one.  She gave me the number for consumer affairs to report it.  On calling them I spoke with Matt in the fraud division, who knew about scam.  He gave me the website for internet crimes and also phone number for Federal Trade Commission, which I did call.

* …ACHIEVER: More on the good news front: Congratulations to Alicia Sandoval Gilliam, an alumni of East Bakersfield High school class of 1994, for  being honored by the National Association of Social Worker (San Jose Unit) last week. Alicia is the city of Sunnyvale's Youth, Family and Resources Coordinator. Thanks to her proud mother, Vickie Gilley, for sharing this.

House Speaker John Boehner spends some time in Bakersfield at The Padre Hotel, local musicians passing through town will play for cancer patients and the lack of landscaping along the Westside Parkway

 * … KINDNESS: Two talented musicians will make an appearance in town this week, but it is what they will do before their concert that should be noted. Tom Scott and wife Hannah Alkire will be playing as part of Rick Kreiser's "Guitar Masters" series (Thursday evening at the American Sound Recording Studios) but at the request of Kreiser, agreed to play for cancer patients over at Mercy Hospital.

Hannah, herself a cancer survivor, told Kreiser she would be honored to play: "One of my personal goals 'if I got picked to survive' the cancer journey was to bring our music back into those oncology rooms and try to help others with their journey. Over the years we have played in numerous oncology centers, and even did a series of benefits to help one of our local oncology units be built. So, it's huge to me and to us."As Kreiser said: "These are the kinds of things that make all the work involved in doing these shows with such high-quality folks so worthwhile."

 * … BOEHNER: It looks like House Speaker John Boehner slipped in and out of Bakersfield this weekend, apparently here to support Valley Republicans. Nobody has confirmed it, but Padre guests say the House Speaker was spotted in the lobby. It's hard to go unnoticed when you are accompanied by a squad of Secret Service agents who surrounded The Padre Hotel at midday Saturday along with five Bakersfield police cruisers and a California Highway Patrol vehicle.

* … WESTSIDE: Have you driven on the Westside Parkway recently? You won't find a bigger fan of the freeway than me, but the lack of landscaping has given it all the allure of Highway 58. If we are going to allow it go to weeds, can't we at least mow the weeds now and then?

* … SPOTTED: Painted on a car on Olive Drive was this message: "Just divorced … end of an error."

* … GOOD FORM: Jenny Waguespack wrote to extend contratulations to Jose Santos, a social studies teacher at St. Francis School for his work and dedication for the 2015 National History Day. "It  really paid off with multiple 'outstanding performanc'" awards for the junior high students. While many schools have long participated, this was only the second year for St. Francis, and Mr. Santos serves as mentor and coach for all of the participants from our school."

 * … CLEANUP: This anonymous note appeared in my in-box: "A super BIG THANK YOU to all those involved in improving the Mt. Vernon median between Columbus and University Avenue.  New cement, trees and bushes were added to make the drive to Bakersfield College more appealing."

 * … ACHIEVER: Peter and Karren Bloom wrote to rightfully brag a bit about their daughter, Emily Bloom, who will graduate from Bakersfield High School in May. "She has had to endure enormous tragedy these past few years," they wrote. "This has never deterred her from putting her best foot forward academically and socially. She has been accepted to Texas AM University (she was also accepted into Colorado School of Mines which offered her a Merit Scholarship), which is her No. 1 choice for college. She will be studying petroleum engineering. She has been a role model for all those around her - young and old!   I would also like to give a 'shout out' to the incredible staff at Bakersfield High School. They are dedicated to turning out intelligent and productive kids every year. Sometimes, I feel, BHS gets no respect. But, you should know this: my daughter has received the best public school education Kern County has to offer. GO AGGIES!"

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy: President Obama faces a defining moment on Iran. Will he show real U.S. leadership or will he make the world an even more dangerous place?

 House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy gives us his weekly view from Capitol Hill. In his words:


"At the end of the month, the Obama administration will run into a deadline to reach an agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran on the limits of its nuclear program. The majority of Americans and their representatives in Congress are clear on their requirements for this deal: at no point in time should Iran

be able to build a nuclear bomb. But as reports of an emerging deal indicate, this injunction on an Iranian nuclear bomb may only last for ten years. That is simply unacceptable.

 "Iran’s active state sponsorship of terrorism has isolated them from the free world. This isolation creates a sense of obscurity for many Americans who were not old enough to remember the Iranian hostage crisis from 1979 to 1981 or who view seemingly sporadic terrorist attacks in the Middle East as simply part of the region. But within this public isolation, Iran has operated through terrorist proxy groups to exert their will and fuel sectarian conflict in the Middle East. This active engagement in terrorism has killed potentially thousands of Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan and destabilized the region.

  "United States and other world leaders have responded to Iranian aggression by issuing tough sanctions on their ability to take part in the global economy. As the sanctions were intended to do, the Iranian economy began to crumble, creating unrest with the Iranian people living in economic distress. This has forced Iran to the negotiating table to end their pursuit of a nuclear weapon and reassess their support for terrorism.

  "With Iran at the table, President Obama faces a defining opportunity to reassert America’s leadership in the world and to close the book on Iran’s malevolent hegemony. But as reports indicate, he is failing to rise to the occasion. He and his Administration have even forgotten that it is the economic pressure from sanctions that even brought Iran to the negotiating table.

 "Iranian leaders have been involved in efforts that have killed Americans and innocent women and children. Should a void of leadership arise in the Middle East, they will look to fill it—as they have already started to. If the Administration grants Iran global legitimacy and eases economic pressure but fails to force Iran to surrender their intention to build a nuclear bomb and support of terrorism, the world will never be the same. Iran’s influence will only increase, and a race within the region to match the Iranian nuclear capacity would almost surely occur. This is not the world order that President Ronald Reagan commanded through American leadership and it is certainly not one Republicans in Congress will stand for. America must lead because when we do not lead, the world becomes unsafe.