The high cost of running for office in Bakersfield, Luigi's gets an honor, Wood-Dale Market to open a second location near Seven Oaks and check out some authentic Mexican food at Iguanas off White Lane

 * ... POLITICS: Would you be surprised if I told you it takes $500,000 to run for mayor of Bakersfield? That's what I heard from Kyle Carter, the former home builder who ran a close second to Karen Goh in the recent mayoral election. And it doesn't get much better running for one of our city
council wards; city councilman-elect Bruce Freeman told me it took a cool $150,000 and change to mount his successful campaign for the Ward 5 seat.

 * ... SCAMS: An old scam is making a comeback and it can happen to you if you pay for your gas at the pump using a credit or debit card. Consider this note from my friend Pam Binns, who was a victim recently at a local Fastrip. "They got my debit numbers and pin, transferred money from savings to checking at an ATM then went to two different post offices in LA and used the card- they made- for money orders. Bank won't refund my money for a week. I know it was Fastrip because that was the only place I had to use my pin. And, there was a guy in his tan truck in front of me just sitting there and not pumping gas. He would not move. I had to back out to leave. I'm sure he was waiting to get the skimmer from my machine. That Fastrip has no cameras outside, apparently, so if you see me on a stakeout there, you'll know why."

 * ... TIP GABRIELA: I was saddened to learn of the death of Gabriela Soto, a popular Wasco teacher who was killed in a car crash earlier this week in Shafter. Soto, 40, was seven months pregnant when she died at Kern Medical. Her unborn baby girl also died. Soto was a teacher at Independence High School in Wasco.

 * ... LUIGIS: Hats off to our very own Luigi's Restaurant Delicatessen which was recognized as the California Small Business of the year in 2017. The extended Valpredo and Lemucchi family spent a day in Sacramento to celebrate with state Sen. Andy Vidak, who recognized Luigi's as his Senate District 14's small business of the year.

 * ... WOOD-DALE: It looks like the venerable Wood-Dale Market, by my standards the best butcher shop in town, is in the final phase of negotiating a deal to open a second location in the Grand Island Shopping Center at Ming Avenue and Buena Vista. This is a smart move by the family owned Wood-Dale, and it secures a second location in the Bolthouse Properties' shopping center that also features some of the hottest businesses in town, including Sully's, Wiki's Wine Dive and Grill, Sol y Luna and In-Shape Health Club.

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: Just tried to kill a roach with Axe Body Spray but now his name is Brett and he won't shut up about cross fit."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing."

 * ... FOODIE: A friend treated me to dinner recently at Iguanas, a Mexican restaurant that breaks out of the predictable mold and leaves you both surprised, and delighted. Owned by Sergio Olivares, Iguanas is located on White Lane near Ashe Road and is a showcase for authentic, creative dishes. Try the gorditas as an appetizer.

 * ... ACHIEVER: I chatted with my friend Dave Ewert recently and he brought me up to date on his oldest daughter, Carolyn. A graduate of Centennial High School and later the Naval Academy at Annapolis, she was recently promoted to the rank of lieutenant and is working as a navigator and legal officer on the LCS Independence based in San Diego.

Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco and other California cities make the list of the costliest places to live, but here at home we celebrate the humble margarita, Wood-Dale Market and Juicy Burger

 * ... COSTLIEST CITIES: Would it surprise you that California consistently shows up as one of the costliest places to live in America.?Check out this list from Forbes on the 20 costliest places to

live, starting with the most expensive: Kings County, NY; Marin County; Santa Cruz; San Francisco; Maui; San Luis Obispo; Napa; Monterey, Queens County, NY; Sonoma, San Mateo County; Orange County; Honolulu; Alameda County; New York City; Ventura; Santa Barbara; Los Angeles, El Dorado and San Diego.

* ... TRASH AND THE POST OFFICE: Dan Flores had this to say about the condition of our local post offices: "My recent travels to various city post offices paints a picture of 'we don't care.'
The Stockdale post office should be a gem - and maybe it is after you get past the weeds and trash. This is a public building. Why should it look so shabby and poor? The self image is bad.
The post office on Planz and Larson lane is actually worse. After a time, the  general population might start to believe that this is who we are - just a piece of the great Central Valley SuperGhetto."

 * ... INSECT EXPLOSION: Have you ever seen so many moths, flies, ants and bugs this time of year? We can thank the record wet winter.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I heard you like bad boys, so I brought 11 items to a 10 items or less checkout lane."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Life is short. Summer is shorter. Tan your legs."

 * ... RANDOM FOOD THOUGHTS: The most underrated hamburger in town can be found at Juicy Burger; if there a better margarita than the one sold at Mexicali downtown, somebody needs to tell me about it; and word on the street is that the best butcher shop in town - Wood-Dale Market over on Stine Road - may be looking for a second location.

 * ... WIND WOLVES: The Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce nailed it by giving its Chairman's Award during the Beautiful Bakersfield Awards to the Wildlands Conservancy and its spectacular Wind Wolves Preserve. If you haven't visited this 93,000 acre treasure, you need to do so.

 * ... CONSTRUCTION: I would avoid California Avenue between Oak and South H streets this week until city work crews finish repaving that stretch in front of Bakersfield High School. Expect the roadwork to continue for at least another month.

 * ... BAD FORM: Nancy Bryant shared this bit of bad form: "This morning my husband was T-boned by a Dodge pickup while riding his bicycle through the Graces traffic circle. Yes, he was wearing a helmet, neon green cycling shirt, and following the rules of the road. The pickup driver decided to blow through the yield sign after the slightest of hesitation, and plowed into my husband.   My husband said the driver didn't look before he pulled into traffic, and he was unable to stop. He only saw my husband after he bounced off the drivers side of the truck. Luckily, BPD was flagged down, and reports taken.  He just suffered some scrapes, and the bike almost totaled.  I would like to thank the driver of the Dodge truck for stopping.  Now, my question is, what was so important that he had to blow the yield sign?  Clear day, no other traffic, and obviously distracted.  You could have killed or maimed my husband because of your inattention.  I hope next time, you are not distracted, and you pay attention to the rules of the road.  The life you save may be your own."

Austin sets an example of how to keep its downtown clean, Carol Ferguson retires at KBAK TV, more retail closings and Stockdale Principal Ramon Hendrix gets a promotion

 * ... RETAIL: If you don't think this is a tough time for retailers as they try to compete with online

shopping, check out this list of companies and the number of stores they have been forced to close:
Sears and Kmart 150 stores; JC Penny 138 stores, Macy’s 68 stores Abercrombie and Fitch 60 stores, Guess 60 stores, Crocs 160 stores, American Apparel 110 stores, Payless 400 stores, RadioShack 552 stores, Staples 70 stores and CVS 70 stores.

* ... ADIOS: One of our most prominent and longest serving local TV reporters, Carol Ferguson, has retired from KBAK after a distinguished career. Ferguson spent 25 of her 37-year career with KBAK and served as a role model for dozens of young reporters who used Bakersfield as a stepping stone to move on to larger markets. Prior to working in local TV, she also worked as the news director at KERN-AM as well as news director and anchor at KKXX.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Which vitamins work best for fighting a cold or the urge to hit my ex boyfriend with my car?"

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Surround yourself with tacos, not negativity."

 * ... TRASH: Mayor Karen Goh's recent litter survey that seemed to downplay our trash problem prompted a flurry of emails, virtually all of them reflecting comments like the one from this reader: "Thanks for keeping this trash issue alive... (Mayor Goh's) results were laughable. It brought to mind another survey a while back that failed miserably: homeless population. Their count determined the homeless numbers had dropped by 50 percent.  But buried in their information was the comment they’d reduced the census taking hours from a 24-hour day to only 12. Duh!"

* ... DOWNTOWN: And speaking of trash I spent a few days in Austin recently and had the opportunity to see how a progressive city takes on litter. Historic downtown Austin is beautiful, but like Bakersfield it has a serious homeless problem. So how does it handle trash? There is a group called the Downtown Austin Alliance (a more focused, ambitious and strategic version of our Downtown Business Association) in which dozens of red shirted workers with push carts loaded with cleaning liquids go block by block picking up trash. I witnessed workers picking up litter as small as cigarette butts and on the day after Memorial Day one worker was busy cleaning up sidewalk vomit and urine on the side of a high rise - seriously. The idea? Downtown is the Austin's welcome mat to the world and it deserves to look as clean as possible. Is there a cost to it? Certainly. But this is a city that takes its welcome mat seriously.

 * ... RAMON: Congratulations to longtime Stockdale High School principal Ramon Hendrix, who is moving on to become the superintendent of the Greenfield Union school district. Hendrix led Stockdale with a steady hand, and while my daughter was there I witnessed his deep commitment to the students and their parents. Stockdale's loss is Greenfield's gain.

 * ... GOOD FORM: Here's yet another example of how some local companies feel it is important to give back to our community. Some 150 Grimmway Farms employees are volunteering to help restore the Greenfield Baseball Park this weekend. They will be sanding and repainting backstops, bleachers and dugouts, restrooms and storage facilities They will be joined by 25 Greenfield Baseball Association volunteers. The local little league, adult intramural teams and others will benefit from a refurbished baseball field and facilities to enhance their recreation activities.

* ... CSUB WRESTLING: The CSUB wrestling program is a civic treasure, and its success well documented. But (like litter) it doesn't happen without public support. That's why I purchased a $100 ticket in hopes of winning an Infiniti QX30 to support the program, which lives year by year via the generosity of all of us. Only 1,000 tickets will be sold and the drawing will be held on June 29. Call (661) 654-2343 for more information, or mail a check paid to CSUB Wrestling to 9001 Stockdale Highway, 8 GYM, Bakersfield, 93311.

Expedia ranks the most annoying things about flying (seat kickers, crying children, arm rest hogs etc), Stinson's celebrates its anniversary by giving away $70,000 and lamenting our trash filled streets

 * ... FLYING ETIQUETTE: Would you pay extra for a seat on an airplane in a designated "quiet zone?" It turns out a lot of folks would, anything to get away from pesky young children to seat mates who talk too much. That is one of the conclusions of Expedia's annual survey of plane travel, which

ranked the most annoying things about flying. The top things that bug us about flying include rear seat kickers, inattentive parents, aromatic (smelly or overly perfumed) passengers, the audio insensitive, the boozer, the chatty Cathy, the queue jumper, the seat back guy and finally the arm rest hog.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "How to get a woman mad in two easy steps: Take a picture of her and don't show it to her."

 * ... VAN KOPP: Welcome back to town 29-year-old Samuel Van Kopp, the Bakersfield High graduate who went on to West Point only to be gravely injured in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan in 2012. Van Kopp was a platoon leader when a suicide bomber approached and blew himself up, killing two soldiers and leaving Van Kopp with serious brain trauma. My interview with him, in which he questioned the politically driven rules of engagement for troops on the ground, is posted on Kernradio.com. Van Kopp has finished his first year of law school at Georgetown and his working this summer at the law firm of Klein Denatale and Goldner.

 * ... FOODIE: The new QwikCafe on 18th Street, brought to you by the owners of Sequoia Sandwich Co., is off to a good start and is starting to expand its offerings. A few of my favorites: a new "protein box" featuring hardboiled eggs, roast turkey, gouda or brie cheese, humus, veggies and grapes, or the "lite lunch premium" with half a roast turkey sandwich with a beet or kale-quinoa salad. Two of the more popular new offerings include the beef dip on baguette and a tuna melt panini.

 * ... GOOD FORM: Hats off to Stinson Stationers, the long-time office and furniture retailer that is celebrating 70 years in business. And in true Stinson's style, owner Ben Stinson III says the company will give away $70,000 in merchandise to needy local non-profits. To apply, go to Stinsons.com and click on the non-profit link. Applications are due June 15.

 * ... MORE GOOD FORM: And here is some more good form compliments of reader Denise Watson: "One of the best things about shopping at the new Grocery Outlet Store on Brimhall is the veteran parking spot…nothing is better than seeing the surprise and pride on the face of a veteran when they pull into the parking lot and see that there is a parking spot reserved especially for them.  Even better when another customer notices them and says, 'Thank you for your service.' Pride, gratitude, appreciation and honor in the parking lot of a grocery store – now that is fantastic!"

 * ... TRASH: I was driving through the littered streets of downtown Bakersfield on Sunday when I thought about the "trash survey" that Mayor Karen Goh conducted in which she scored us between 1 and 2, ratings that assume our community is only slightly littered. I am all for the aspirational, but our city is a mess, and a casual drive through town reveals a culture that views our streets as its personal trash cans. How about a public campaign to take pride in our community?

The race for Kern County District Attorney starts to pick up some steam, Grimmway Farms awards 65 college scholarships and Dee Whitley gets a school named in her honor

 * ... DISTRICT ATTORNEY: The election for District Attorney is over a year away but that is not stopping the candidates from organizing early. I dropped by an event for Assistant DA Scott Spielman at the downtown home of deputy DA Gina Pearl, where a nice crowd turned out to meet and greet and support Spielman's candidacy. Among those I spotted were former Bakersfield police chiefs Bill Rector and Greg Williamson, city councilmen Andrae Gonzales, Bob Smith and Chris

Parlier, attorney Tim Osborn, deputy DAs Kim Richardson and Mike Yraceburn, Linda Sullenger, Dave Dmohowski, Ted Pierce, and Dave and Kym Plivelich. The only other announced candidate in the race, supervising deputy DA Cynthia Zimmer, is also off to a fast start and has picked up endorsements from the Kern County Law Enforcement Association and the police officers associations from Bakersfield, Ridgecrest and Delano.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I always thought a bachelor's degree was awarded when you could make a five course meal out of only condiments from your fridge."

 * ... GRIMMWAY: Hats off to the folks over at Grimmway Farms who awarded 65 college scholarships at its annual company picnic. President and CEO Jeff Huckaby said the scholarships, awarded since 2005, are based on scholastic achievement and provide support to students attending two- and four-year colleges and universities – and are renewable for four years. This year’s recipients will attend a variety of schools, including UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UCLA, UC Irvine, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and the University of Oregon. The annual picnic is quite a show, feeding more than 10,000 employees and family members at the Kern County Fair Grounds.

 * ... RIP SHAUNA: The wife of longtime KBAK sports anchor Greg Kerr lost her battle with cancer last week. Shauna Clay Kerr was in hospice when she finally passed away after a long struggle with the disease. Kerr delivered a beautiful and heartfelt tribute to his late wife on ESPN Bakersfield 1230 AM/98.1 FM, available and the KERNRADIO.COM website. “There is no playbook for this,” Kerr said. “And, quite frankly, it sucks but I know how much more it would suck if I didn’t have Jesus Christ in my life. That doesn’t mean that I’m not reminded of her hundreds of times a day.” A memorial service in her honor will be held June 10 at New Life Church at White Lane and Stine. Keep Greg and his family in your thoughts.

* ... FOODIE: The Padre Hotel is mixing up its menu again, seemingly always experimenting with what works and what falls flat. Two bar offerings I can highly recommend: the steak and blue salad, light and crisp for a summer day, and the hearty grilled cheese with (optional) bacon and egg.

 * ... RECALL: Michael C. Stock is a Californian fed up with taxes, and he had this rant: "It is time to clean house in Sacramento, beginning with an initiative recalling our illustrious and incompetent governor. His recent approval of gas tax and vehicle registration increases that he boldly declared, were a fee and not a tax... I have word from a competent Sacramento senator that the millions of dollars in gas taxes already collected have been funneled into the general fund rather than used for that which it was intended (road infrastructure improvement)... If it's BROWN, flush it. If it is disguised as our governor, RECALL IT! I am a avid reader and strong advocate of your informative column."

 * ... GOOD FORM: Congratulations to Delores S. Whitley, the longtime educator and principal who attended the ground breaking for a new elementary school named in her honor. The Delores S. Whitley Elementary School will be located at the corner of Wible and McKee roads. I got to know Whitley, a tireless and dedicated educator, when she was principal of Christa McAuliffe Elementary School where my own daughters attended.

Five Guys tops In-N-Out as the nation's most popular burger, the Bynum family breathes new life into an industrial area and Bill Thomas masters the art of a short speech

 * ... BLVD: You have to hand it to local developer Greg Bynum and his sons - Don and David - for spearheading the re-development of an area of town that could have fallen into disrepair. The area off

Buck Owens Boulevard was once home to Costco, Home Base and other big box retailers, but after being purchased by the elder Bynum it is now home to a bustling and growing entertainment complex. It now consists of Don Bynum's Temblor Brewing Co., Rush Sports (one of David's projects), Bakersfield Karting, the DMV court and soon BLVD, the new entertainment center (coordinated by David Bynum,) that will feature a restaurant, three bars, a bowling alley, laser tag, billiards and bocce ball, a ropes course and meeting center.

 * ... STERLING SILVER: The Bakersfield College Foundation held a dinner this week to celebrate the passage of Measure J, which will provide the college with some $500 million in capital improvements. The Sterling Silver dinner honored former House Ways and Means Committee chairman Bill Thomas, former Mayor Harvey Hall and others who worked to win passage of the measure, which won a remarkable 65 percent of the vote. My take away from the dinner: both Thomas and Hall are masters at giving short, concise and thoughtful remarks. Through the years, they have learned no one is disappointed in a short speech.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Nothing is better when 'the one that got away' becomes "whew so glad I dodged that bullet!'"

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "If I cancel Comcast, I’ll have enough money to retire in five months."

 * ... WALKING TOUR: If you are a history buff, you might want to join a walking tour of historic downtown Bakersfield this Saturday. The tour is free and will be led by Bakersfield High teacher Ken Hooper, starting at the Woolworth's building at 10 a.m. and ending around 12:30 p.m.

 * ... TRASH: I read in the Californian the story about the annual "Community Appearance Survey" in which Mayor Karen Goh, Cathy Butler and others drove around town and rated areas on the appearance of trash. On a scale of one to four, with one being "no litter" four being "extremely littered," they gave Bakersfield a rating of 1.6. Really? What kind of blinders were the mayor and Cathy Butler wearing that prevented them from seeing the litter the rest of us see?

 * ... CSUB: Congratulations to the nearly 2,000 undergraduates and 450 master's degree candidates who will be graduating from CSUB this year. This is the largest graduating class in the history of the local university.

 * ... BURGER WARS: Has our beloved In-N-Out burger lost its crown as the world's best hamburger? That is the word from a recent Harris Poll that found, for the first time ever, In-N-Out has been toppled in a poll of the country's best burger. The new winner? The signature burger from Five Guys, a Virginia based company that is making inroads in the West. Five Guys has outlets in Valencia and Visalia and is planning on opening its first Bakersfield location on Calloway Drive.

 * ... MEMORIES: According to the Kern County of Old Facebook page, the building housing downtown's Tiki-Ko cocktail bar was originally built to house the Windsor Hotel.

Renovation of Griffith Field at Bakersfield High School moves toward completion, it's college "move out" day for students and watch those dirty grocery cart handles

 * ... DRILLER PRIDE: The new stadium, track and football field at Bakersfield High School is finally coming together, and it looks spectacular. Next time you are on California Avenue headed

west glance to your right to check out the new digs, all worthy of Driller Pride for the new season. The vintage 1923 stadium upgrade includes moving the visitor stands behind the track; new concessions, ticket booths and restrooms for the home and visitor sides; the addition of two (2) “mini-Griffiths” that will attach to the current stadium that will expand seating and provide additional room for a new weight room and trainers facility;  replacing the locker and shower areas with modern plumbing and facilities; replacing the watering and drainage systems in the stadium and Morrow Field to ensure fields get evenly watered and properly drained when rain occurs; redoing the field and the track; and enhancing curbs, gutters and parking.

 * ... GRADUATES: Congratulations to all those high school seniors out there, and especially the ones who have settled on a college to continue their journey. They're headed off to places like the University of Arizona, Baylor University, Cal Berkeley, Loyola Marymount and closer to home CSUB and Bakersfield College. This is also the time when parents are trudging off to colleges to move their children out of the dorms for the summer. Said one friend: "I got more than 15,000 steps on my Fitbit going up and down six flights of stairs. My knee hurts."

 * ... WELCOME HOME: Congratulations to a special couple - Bakersfield High School dean of instruction Tamara Clark and her city firefighter captain husband A.J. Clark - for bringing home their third son Ben from Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Ben was born with a congenital heart defect but underwent successful open heart surgery while just a few days old. They were grateful for not only the care at CHLA, but also at Memorial Hospital (where the defect was detected) and the Ronald McDonald House at CHLA. 

* ... HAND SANITIZERS: Next time you ignore the hand sanitizer at the grocery store, consider this as reported in The New York Times: "Grocery carts can be particularly risky points of transmission. Someone grabbing chicken or meat can leak the juices onto a cart and their hands and then continue to push the cart around, transmitting pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli onto the handle. The next person who handles the cart, or the next child who sits in the top of the wagon, can then pick up the bugs."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Being cremated is my last hope for a smoking hot body."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "That awkward moment when you’re checking yourself out in the window of a car and then realize there’s someone inside."

 * ... GOOD FORM: Hats off to the two ladies who spent Mother's day morning walking the park at the Panorama bluffs picking up trash. By the way, I was the guy on the bike who waved hello.

 * ... DOG PLAQUE: And finally there was this from James M. Stuart: "I always thought the 'Lucky and Friends' was the best dog plaque at Riverwalk Park (mainly because it was the only one and Lucky is my dog), but now I have to say that there is one that is much better... located on a bench, it reads: 'Lucas: For my beloved friend and constant companion, my little dog. I will love you always-  Anita.' I don't recall ever meeting Anita or Lucas but am appreciative of how much a pet can mean to someone."

Mosquitoes, snakes and other critters are flourishing after the heavy winter rains, Bruce Freeman picks up more endorsements in the Ward 5 race and remembering the mountain lion of the Oak Street towers

* ... MOSQUITOES: When was the last time you had to deal with mosquitoes in Bakersfield? It's likely been a while, but the tiny pests are back - along with any number of bugs and critters - thanks

to our record winter rains. My friend Harry Starkey, manager of the West Kern Water District, said we all can expect an explosion of bugs, snakes and other assorted insects and small animals thanks to the massive plant growth that provides a fresh source of food for all kinds of bugs and animals.

* ... FREEMAN: The endorsements for Bruce Freeman in the Ward 5 City Council race are piling up. The former Castle and Cooke CEO has won support from homebuilder Matt Towery, Supervisor Zack Scrivner, Mercy Hospital president Bruce Peters, Taft businessman Bruce Hampton, former assemblywoman Shannon Grove and the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee. Meanwhile, his primary opponent Ryan Nance counts the Bakersfield Police Officers Association among those who have endorsed him.

 * ... NEW BUSINESS: Congratulations to Katie and Nick Panici who have opened a salon and boutique named Campici at the corner of 19th and F streets in the old Green Thumb space. Some 200 people showed up for an open house last Sunday. Katie is the daughter of Clayton Camp of Kern Machinery.

 * ... PARISH BBQ: Make sure you calendar Thursday, May 25, for a new barbecue to raise money for the youth ministry at the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish. Master griller Gary Icardo and Deborah Leary are joining Monsignor Perry Kavookjian to host the event, featuring the traditional Icardo Harris Ranch New York steak or teriyaki chicken along with Casa Munoz beans, Pyrenees rolls, Dewar's ice cream and salad. Tickets are $30 and available at the church office or at the door. Doors open at 5 p.m.

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Teach your kids about taxes. Eat 30 percent of their ice cream."

 * ... MYSTERY: There was a lot of feedback on folks remembering the mountain lion that once lived in the penthouse of the high rise at Oak and 21st streets. This one, from Allyson Livesay, puts the mystery to rest. "I work for Mr. James R. Smeed, and Mrs. Claire J. Smeed, owners of the Oak Park Tower.  Mr. Smeed owned 'Marusa'  the mountain lion referred to in the article. So there you go!
The name was 'Marusa' pronounced 'Marusha.' He a photo hanging in his office; himself sitting at the desk, with the mountion lion  sitting next to his desk with its paws on the desk.  Mr. Smeed is an avid animal lover and  supports several wildlife causes. He was tickled to see the article in the paper."

  * ... MOUNTAIN LION: And Ty Bryson added this: "My grandather managed the Oak Park Tower early on when it was initially owned by Gene 'Old Man' Reed and later his son Bud Reed. My grandparents lived in a modest caretaker home situated in the northeast corner of the property. At that time, the building was managed and marketed as luxury apartments. The Reeds lived in the penthouse. Pretty swanky digs for Bakersfield at the time. I spent many a weekend and summer roaming the property as a child, when I visited my grandparents. It had a great swimming pool and spa that provided great fun during the hot summers...The Reed family sold the building to J. R. Smeed who converted the apartments into spaces that were marketed for business uses, but continued to maintain the penthouse as his family's personal residence. J.R. had a pet mountain lion that he kept up there in the penthouse. She was known for walking on the thin railing that enclosed the top of the building. That was often a traffic stopper for Oak Street travelers... I remember going up to the penthouse and playing with Marusa many times, but one time in particular stands out. I was a young boy and was very impressed with the big cat. We were all outside on the penthouse patio area and I was playing with Marusa. However, when the group moved indoors, Marusa wasn't quite done playing with me and she firmly grabbed my skinny little wrist in her jaws and pulled me back, away from the door.  It scared me and Mr. Smeed had to intervene. No harm done, but I can still see my wrist in that lion's mouth! Marusa, more than a few times, made the long plunge to earth from that penthouse and went roaming into Westchester and the surrounding area. Those instances made quite a stir."