RIP Nadene Steinert, celebrating the new cul de sacs downtown and when is enough plastic surgery enough?

* … RIP: I was sad to hear of the passing of Adala "Nadene" Steinert, one of the truly gracious members of our community. Nadene was 92 when she died. She is survived by her husband of 71
years, Marvin Steinert, a local businessman who has been so generous to many worthy organizations in town.

* … CUL DE SACS: Not everyone may agree on the widening of 24th Street downtown, but Westchester residents could not be happier with the new cul de sacs being installed on the "tree streets" (Pine, Spruce etc). This weekend, I spotted no fewer than 10 small children playing in the middle of Pine Street near 24th Street now that the street has become a dead-end.

 * … TREES: A reader, who asked not to be named, had a terrific suggestion for the Tree Foundation of Kern to encourage "tree literacy." Said the reader: "I have long thought an interesting series of articles could be written about the trees in Bakersfield. Perhaps a contest of sorts. Each month, you or the Foundation could pick a kind of tree (Redwood, Sycamore, Beech, etc.) and ask people to nominate outstanding examples of that tree. Size, conformity, beauty in location, etc. could be judged and you could do a photo essay, pick outstanding examples, give a plaque to mount by 'the best example,' etc. It would encourage people to plant and admire trees and be a positive story about something nice in Bakersfield."

* … OSCARS: Apropos of nothing, but how surreal did Kim Novak and Goldie Hawn look at the Academy Awards? When is enough plastic surgery enough? (photo by the Associated Press)

* … CEMETERY: Lillie Rose wrote to recall the old Chinese cemetery off Terrace way. "My parent's friends, Bob and Molly Hawthorne, lived in a house that sat rather far back on a lot near where Baldwin Road meets Terrace Way. The Chinese cemetery was almost in their backyard. I was born in Bakersfield in 1943, and as soon as I could walk I was in their yard and fascinated by the cemetery.  It was a lovely place back then. Both the Hawthornes and my parents impressed upon me that it was a place to be treated with the utmost respect. I was sad when the graves were relocated and houses on what had once been holy ground."

 * … TUNNELS: And yet another reader, Kevin Schmidt, suggested making our underground tunnels a tourist attraction. "As an amateur historian, it is with fascination that I read your stories about the underground tunnels in downtown Bakersfield.  It reminded me of my visit to Seattle.  My favorite part of the city was the 'underground city tour' that took you literally underground in old Seattle to visit some of the business and speakeasy's that existed in those times. The city went 'up' while the existing businesses stayed put, with the streets above them. It is one of Seattle's most popular tourist attractions.
Perhaps some enterprising individual can reopen and explore the tunnels under Bakersfield, bring it back to its old mysteries, culture and history to become a unique Bakersfield attraction."

Marvin and Nadene Steinert are honored by the Kern Community Foundation with the Spirit of Philanthrophy award, and what is the etiquette about bringing pizza on a small airplane

 * ... LITTER: Carol Knapp is so fed up with litter that she tried to track down the person who dumped a pile of papers in the Big Lots parking lot. Among the trash was a student's paper from Longfellow School, so Carol tried - unsuccessfully - to contact Principal Mario Castro to reach the offending parent.  "I feel if parents are slobs then their children will be the same. Schools need to teach the children as early as the first grade that littering is wrong."

* ... STEINERTS: Hats off to the Kern Community Foundation which recently recognized Marvin and Nadene Steinert with the group's "Spirit of Philanthropy" Award. The Steinerts are among our community's most generous benefactors, and they recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. The event was held at the Bakersfield Museum of Art. (file photo of the Steinerts)

 * ... PADRE: One of the social events of the year was held last weekend at The Padre Hotel, where Imbide Wine and Spirits partnered with the Bakersfield North Rotary Foundation to raise money for charities. There were more than 20 winemakers present and I am told it was a "who's who" of Bakersfield who showed up to support the event. Hats off to Tami and David Dobbs over at Imbibe for helping make this event a success.

* ... ROAD TRIP: Notes from a road trip I took recently. The Phoenix to Bakersfield U.S. Airways flight is always a spectacle (you almost always run into someone you know), but these days it is full of oil field contractors headed to Kern County for work. As one Canadian contractor told me this week: "I feel like Bakersfield is my second home I am here so much."

 * ... PIZZA, REALLY? And speaking of airline travel, is it really necessary to bring an entire, freshly cooked pizza on the plane with you? What is the etiquette about sitting down in a cramped plane and gobbling down an entire pizza while the aroma fills the plane?

 * ... PRESS: Expect to see a major story on Bakersfield and our economy soon in the The Wall Street Journal. The paper is sending one of its veteran San Francisco-based reporters to Bakersfield to report on our oil boom and local economy.  Be looking for this piece in the weeks to come.

 * ... SERVICE: You can add the Kleenerz laundry to the list of local companies that go out of their way to provide terrific customer service. Hard to beat the smiles and efficiency at the company's Brundage Lane office.

 * ... TURKEYS: Hats off to the students and staff at Independence High School who are joining forces with Living Grace Church to provide turkeys and non-perishable food items for the needy this Saturday. Donations will be accepted from 10 a.m. to noon in the high school parking lot to benefit a local ministry, the Flood, and Independence families. Call (661) 428-7265 for details.

Marv Steinert checks in and time to share Ysabel Forker's guacamole recipe

 * ... MARV: It was good to catch up with Marvin Steinert at my downtown Rotary Club meeting last week. He was there with his longtime wife Nadine, and son Greg. If you remember, last year Marv suddenly and unexpectedly came down with "temporal arteritis," a condition that blinded him virtually overnight. A man of deep spirituality and faith, Marv dealt with his blindness and continued his generosity to the community that he so loves, writing a check for $50,000 to Memorial Hospital's drive to create a children's medical center. Good to have you back, Marv.

* ... BOOZE CHECK: Local advertising agency owner Marlene Heise got a chuckle when she ordered a box of wine that was delivered by United Parcel Service. On the box was a warning reading: "Adult signature required.... Do not deliver to an intoxicated person." Say what? So are UPS drivers now going to be administering field sobriety checks?

 * ... SPOTTED: An early morning cyclist said several hundred Muslims gathered at Yokuts Park Friday morning, presumably to mark the end of Ramadan. I suppose it's a good thing that it went virtually unnoticed, particularly in this climate of hair-trigger tempers,  talk of burning Korans and the ninth anniversary of September 11.

* ... WEEKEND: Another beautiful weekend in town. Perfect weather, almost fall-like in the morning, and every neighborhood festooned with American flags remembering the sacrifices of so many on the ninth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center buildings. Huge crowds enjoyed the annual Village Fest as well as the Greek Festival on Truxtun Avenue. It was also nice to see a large group from Cal State Bakersfield spending their Saturday cleaning up trash along the river and bike trail on Truxtun Extension as part of the Day of Giving Back.

* ... WEATHER BIRD: Reader Fred Cierley wrote to recall working as head usher at the California Theater while he was in high school in the 1950s. "On the west side of Chester Avenue between 19th and 20th street, on the top of one of the buildings was a very large neon sign that was called the weather bird. When it rained, he stayed in his house, but when the weather was clear and sunny, he would come out and stand under the sun. I think it was taken down in the 1960s when I was in the service. Does anyone remember it?"

 * ... YSABEL'S RECIPE: Several readers have asked for Ysabel Forker's guacamole recipe that was featured in a recent Bakersfieldism, so here it is, But first some background on Ms. Forker: she taught Spanish at Bakersfield College for decades and kindly gave out the recipe to hundreds of students through the years. One reader described her as "a large-boned woman with coal black hair and a dark complexion... a presence in the community and in the local and statewide Republican party... She was born in 1892, probably in Bakersfield. She, her brother, Wilfred, and her sister, Alma (Trowbridge), were prominent figures in Bakersfield for decades. Ysabel Forker graduated from Kern County Union High School, probably in 1911, and from UC Berkeley in 1915. As best I can determine, she began teaching college Spanish in Bakersfield in 1915 or 1916. I don't know when she retired, but she was still there in 1961. She died in 1980." Her recipe (serves eight to ten): one can of "Ortega" chiles, two green onions, one-half clove garlic, one lemon, two teaspoons of olive oil, two large avocados,  salt and pepper.

 Now, split open chiles, remove seeds and veins, then chop fine. Chop green onions very fine. Mash garlic in small quantity of salt. Mash avocado meat, then mix well with chopped chiles, onions, garlic and while mixing add lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Beat mixture well, cover and place in cool place until ready to use. Note: The can of Ortega chiles would be the four-ounce size.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You know you're from  Bakersfield "if you think stop signs are just a suggestion."

Saying goodbye to a tough year, and thanking those who made a difference

  

* ... LOOKING BACK: I don't know anyone who wants to get older, but it's a measure of how tough a year it has been that just about everyone is eager to get 2009 behind them. Businesses struggled, thousands of local people lost their jobs and others suffered personal, emotional and physical setbacks. Recessions are odd things; it is much too easy to focus on how bad things are. But it is also time when we all reorder our priorities and focus on the things and the people that matter. I've been inspired by so many local people who have chosen to stay optimistic and plod forward, setting an example for us all. Some of those who lifted my spirits this year:
 - Local businessman Marvin Steinert, already one of our community's most generous benefactors, who had to deal with a rare illness that left him blind literally overnight. Marv responded by focusing on his faith and continuing to support our local non-profits, including writing a $50,000 check to the new children's medical center at Memorial Hospital.
 - Local community activist Wendy Wayne, who continues to show an indomitable spirit in the face of her own fight with cancer. Wendy does more for our community in a year than most of us do in a lifetime.
 - Judi McCarthy, who almost single handily kept the Kern Community Foundation going through a tumultuous year and whose sole goal is  to provide resources to help others.
 - Horace Mitchell, president of Cal State Bakersfield, who has laid out a clear vision for the university and guided it through a most difficult period. He has taken the heat for state budget cuts, but his vision has been unwavering.
 - Don Martin, the owner of Metro Galleries downtown, who kept all our spirits high by helping revive the downtown art scene through sheer will power and clever marketing.
 - All the service clubs in our community - Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions etc - whose only reason for existing is to build up our community.
 - Bernie Herman, executive director of the Bakersfield Museum of Art, and his talented staff who brought our community a level of fine arts that we have never seen and in turn made us all better.
 - Watson-Touchstone Realtor Mary Christenson and all her colleagues who somehow  managed to stay upbeat in the face of a dismal housing market.
 - We lost so many good people this year - John Petrini (last December), Shirley Ann Fiddler, Janice Jay, Lenore Carter, Donna Corum, Stan Simrin, Alton Saceaux, just to name a few - let's keep their memories alive. Their lives all enriched our community.

 * ... A FOUNDATION GROWS: Barry Rosenfeld, a former president of Bakersfield West Rotary, wrote to tell me about the success of the West Rotary Foundation. Most Rotary clubs have foundations and their generosity to local non-profits and charities is well known. Barry, who incidentally started the famous Cioppino feed fund raiser when he was president in 1993, is understandably proud of his foundation's growth. In his words:

  "When I became president of the Foundation on January 1, 2004 our balance was $140,000. Today we have more than doubled the corpus-we now have over $300,000! During this time, we have donated over $300,000, mostly to youth programs in Kern County (we have made a few other contributions, including a donation to the Rotary Polio Plus program). I share this with you, because the success we have had can mostly be attributed to the members and spouses of Bakersfield West Rotary as well as the other eight Foundation board members."

  
* .... BAKO OR BAKERSFIELD? Reader Virginia Smith writes in: "From a native of the East Coast:  Boston has learned to accept 'Bean Town'  Natives of Maryland much prefer 'Balto' to the soubriquet recently given to Baltimore by the NY Times:  'Crabcake Corners.'  And Alabamians were distraught by the name used for their largest city during the violence of the civil rights movement in the 1960s:  'Bombingham.'  Be happy with 'Bako;'  it could be much worse. Remember Johnny Carson?"
 Yet another reader, John Strand of Lake Isabella, hates the term "Bako" and offered me this advice: "Bako instead  of Bakersfield is like using Bean-O instead of Beene. Maybe this thing will die a natural death." Thanks John, but some of my dearest friends have called me "Bean-O" for years, and you can too. I won't take offense.

The debate over immunizations and H1N1 and Memorial Hospital says thanks to its donors

  

* ... THE DEBATE OVER IMMUNIZATIONS: I'm intrigued by the number of people locally who are questioning the idea of immunizations in general and the new swine flu vaccine in particular. There has long been an emerging movement that has linked vaccines with autism and other ill effects, and it has a strong following in our community. And now some folks are even linking the onset of swine flu with valley fever. One of those questioning the need for immunizations is Dr. Courtland Keith, a local chiropractor who seems to reflect the general cynicism about drug companies and the potential ill effects of vaccines. I asked Keith (his practice is Keith Chiropractic over on New Stine Road) for some detail and he agreed to provide it, all with the caveat that he is not a medical doctor but does have some strong opinions on this topic. (Click here for a piece he  recommended) In his words:

  "If a new born infant has an under developed immune system at birth and depends upon the mother's breast milk to build that immune system, then why introduce an antigen to that system to try and create an immune response? What if just one of these known toxic substances is found in the vaccination (which most are found in every shot) that is being injected into the child is present? Thimerisol (mercury), aluminum, formaldehyde, squalene, ethylene glycerol and animal tissue/ DNA. Most of these products are used in every vaccination and are used as preservative for long self life and label adjuvants."
 "I also struggle with the American Medical Assn. and the government's position regarding vaccinations and the link to autism. What is the largest environmental, social, nutritional change that has occurred in the past 20 years that has created 1 in 100 children born to have autism? Their answer? We don't have a clue but we know without a shadow of doubt that it couldn't possibly by vaccinations? Then what has changed in the past 20 years? Your ability to diagnose and classify more accurately? Then why is there very little, if any adults over the age of 40 that have Autism?"

  The other side has equally compelling arguments, most of them presented in an interesting article in Wired magazine. (read the entire piece here) Some excerpts:

  "Consider: In certain parts of the US, vaccination rates have dropped so low that occurrences of some children’s diseases are approaching pre-vaccine levels for the first time ever. And the number of people who choose not to vaccinate their children (so-called philosophical exemptions are available in about 20 states, including Pennsylvania, Texas, and much of the West) continues to rise.
 "... That may not sound like much, but a recent study by the Los Angeles Times indicates that the impact can be devastating. The Times found that even though only about 2 percent of California’s kindergartners are unvaccinated (10,000 kids, or about twice the number as in 1997), they tend to be clustered, disproportionately increasing the risk of an outbreak of such largely eradicated diseases as measles, mumps, and pertussis (whooping cough). The clustering means almost 10 percent of elementary schools statewide may already be at risk.

 One thing for sure is this debate is not going away. Stay tuned.


  * ... MEMORIAL FOUNDATION SAYS THANKS: The Memorial Hospital Foundation held its annual meeting at Luigi's restaurant this week and used the time to say thanks to so many who are helping the hospital grow. Memorial President Jon Van Boening provided an update on the drive to create a Children's Medical Center and gave special thanks to Marvin Steinert, the Bakersfield businessman who cut a check for $50,000 to help the effort. Marv, who is now blind because of the onset of an illness, was there with his wife Nadine and son Gary Steinert of Fresno. Also singled out for recognition were Gary McElmurry and Tim Tunget from the local Costco warehouse stores, who presented a check for $110,000 to the Foundation. Lots of local folks were there, including Steve and Pat Loyd, Steve Clifford, Tom Smith, Tracy and Brian Walker, Greg Bynum, Mike Ansolabehere and Patti and Don Houchin among others.

 (pictured in the photo from left to right are Jon Van Boening, Memorial chief development officer Sue Benham, Foundation board member Mike Ansolabehere, Costco's Tim Tunget and Gary McElmurry and Memorial's Janelle Capra.)

* ... SHORT TAKES AROUND TOWN: Congratulations to Dr. Thomas H. Stewart, a local dentist who practices over off San Dimas Street and who has been elected head of the California Dental Association. ....Elsewhere, it's hard to believe it's been a full month since San Joaquin Bank was officially shuttered in a joint FDIC and state Department of Financial Institutions operation. The bank was closed on October 16 and at the same time taken over by Citizens Business Bank out of Southern California... And finally remember that this Saturday night is "Wine Fest," the annual gala put on by the Junior League of Bakersfield out at the Kern County Fairgrounds. Tickets are $60 and you can pick them up at H. Walker's men's store on 17th Street or at Imbibe Wine and Spirits Merchant on Truxtun Extension. It runs from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Short takes around town: The generosity of Marv Steinert and a rescue dog finds a home in Bako

* ... THE GENEROSITY OF MARV: How would you react if  you awoke virtually blind? One day you are healthy and productive and the next you're facing total darkness. If you're like me, you'd likely spend far too much time wallowing in self pity and asking "why me?" Which is why the story of Marvin Steinert is so amazing. Marv is the local businessman who is suffering from an illness known as "temporal arteritis," a rare condition that causes inflammation of the blood vessels to the head, and it has left him blind. (read the previous post here) But instead of withdrawing, Marv is spending his time keeping in touch with the community and having family members read him the newspaper and other publications. Marv is a longtime active member of the downtown Rotary Club, and when his son read him a club bulletin about Memorial Hospital's drive to build a 60-bed children's hospital, he responded by writing a check for $50,000 to support the effort. (read the full Memorial story here) Marv apparently wants the money to go to the new PICU (pediatric intensive care unit) which is all part of the big drive by Memorial CEO Jon Van Boening to give our community a children's hospital so our ill kids don't have to be sent north to Fresno or south to Los Angeles. Folks who know  Marv are not surprised by his generosity, but given his own health challenges, this gesture is simply awe inspiring.

 * ... BART HILL'S GRACIOUS EXIT: At last week's downtown Rotary meeting Bart Hill, former CEO of San Joaquin Bank, took the floor microphone and made a gracious speech thanking the community for the support all these years. Bart was accompanied by his wife, North Carolina-born interior designer Napier, and pulled no punches in talking about the demise of San Joaquin and the last-ditch efforts by board members to save it. He had only nice things to say about Citizens Business Bank, which took over San Joaquin in a state and FDIC operation on Friday, October 16. Bart said he plans to stay in the community and will likely look for work after taking some personal time off. Bart has served on a number of nonprofit boards around town, including the Tree Foundation of Kern and the downtown Rotary, and he will continue to serve as a director on my board at The Californian. He received a standing ovation.

 * ... GOING FROM BAD TO WORSE: The latest report from the Great Valley Center held no surprises, but it's a depressing read nonetheless. According to a story in the Visalia Times-Delta newspaper (read the story here), the Valley Center says indicators like poverty, foreclosures and joblessness are up, and they aren't likely to get better anytime soon. "We think the timetable for economic recovery in the Central Valley is going to be slower than the rest of the state," said Amy Moffat, the center's director of research. "Overall, poverty and unemployment are high. There is a deficit of good jobs while the general population and those seeking jobs continue to grow." Kern County's grim statistics speak for themselves: a dreadfully low percentage of college educated adults, a staggeringly high adult illiteracy rate (nearing 25 percent for the entire county) and one of the highest high school dropout rates in the state. So dig in, it's going to be a long slow crawl back to what we once viewed as normal.

 *  ... RESCUE DOG FINDS HOME: The problem with abandoned and abused pets in our community has been well documented and is tragic beyond words. How many times have you cringed watching the stray dog meandering lost through traffic on Ming Avenue or Chester on your way home? So I was happy to read on Facebook that Jim Pappe, a software specialist at Lightspeed Systems downtown, rescued an abandoned dog while on his way home Friday. Jim is a bicycle commuter and found the dog tied to a fence off the bike path. In his words:

 "He is very gentle, attentive, well-kept. No collar nor tags, just a leash. When I first saw him, he was tied up as if someone was coming back for him after their run. When I came back 4 hours later, it was dark and apparent something was amiss. I posted on Craigslist to see if someone just forgot to pick him up. I'm hoping not..."

 When Jim went back to check on the dog at 9 p.m. Friday, he found him huddled and afraid. He finally had to coax him out and spent some time just sitting with him before untying him and taking him home. Early Sunday Jim told me the dog had warmed to his wife Debbie and their children, spent a quiet and restful night and took a nice walk around the  park near his Southwest Bakersfield home. Now that's a happy ending.

Bako Bits: foreclosures move to higher end homes and an update on community treasure Marv Steinert

 * ... MORE SCARY HOUSING NEWS: I'd love to share some good news on the housing front but the truth is our country and are community remain mired in a nasty mess that will likely linger on for a good time to come. More evidence of that came from the Wall Street Journal that reported that an increasing number of foreclosures are now coming in the high end market. Up to this point, the lion's share of foreclosures have been coming in the entry level market, where many folks got in way over their heads thanks to aggressive lending and "creative financing." Yet now we learn the high end accounted for 30 percent of the foreclosures in June, up from 16 percent when all this started three years ago. You can read the full Journal report here but this is disturbing data on any level. Some of these foreclosures involve so called "exotic mortgages" like interest only vehicles, which are virtually impossible to refinance once the property is less worth than the loan. Add to that folks losing their jobs at all levels, and we have a problem. From the Journal story:

 "The report shows that foreclosures, after declining earlier this year, began to accelerate in the late spring and that more expensive homes have more recently accounted for a growing share of all foreclosures. "The slope of that curve in recent months is much sharper than it was recently," said Stan Humphries, chief economist for Zillow. Rising foreclosures among more-expensive homes could create added pressure for a housing market that has shown signs of stabilizing in recent months as sales of lower-priced homes pick up."

 * ... UPDATE ON MARV:  Heard the other day that local businessman Marvin (Marv) Steinert continues to battle a condition that has left him virtually blind. A couple months ago Marv came down with something called "temporal arteritis," an inflammation or damage to the blood vessels that supply the head. It apparently has affected his eyesight to the point where he cannot see, but he is hanging tough, taking visitors and staying involved in the community. Marv is one of the most personally generous - and good spirited - businessmen in our community, and he has spread his largess to non-profits across town. Keep him in your thoughts.



 * ... LOCAL KID WINS AWARD: Kudos to Jadon Gauthier, a Bakersfield High School grad and Biola University student, for picking up another award for "Jitensha" (Bicycle), a short film shot on location in Tokyo. (read previous story here) Jadon is a junior down at Biola and the son of Jay Gauthier, a manager at Guardian Guaranty Corp. The film didn't win anything at the Venice Film Festival but did pick up a Crystal Heart Award from the Heartland Film Festival. Jadon says "it nominates us for an opportunity for a $10,000 Vision Award for short film!" He says the movie cast and crew (check out the website here) is waiting to find out if Jitensha will be selected for the prestigious Sundance film festival.

 * ... VIA ARTE A SUCCESS: Stopped by the Via Arte exhibit over at The Marketplace this weekend and was amazed at the crowd and pleasantly impressed with some of the terrific chalk art. This is one of the signature events for the Bakersfield Museum of Art and it wouldn't be a success without folks from the museum like executive director Bernie Herman, Emily Falke and David Gordon, who put in long hours to make this a success. (Photo courtesy of Barbara Reid)

Bako Bits: A kid goes east to school and thoughts for some local folks on the injured reserve list

Cleaning off my desk and checking on folks around town ...

* ... OFF TO FORDHAM: Is there anything better than seeing your children succeed? Duane and Corey Keathley have a lot to be thankful for now that youngest daughter Michele is off to school at Fordham University in the Bronx on a volleyball scholarship. Duane surprised Michele recently by flying to Buffalo, N.Y. to watch Fordham play Seton Hall, Boston College and the University of Buffalo. Michele made the starting rotation as a freshman and - get this - her roommate is Randi Ewing, daughter of former Georgetown and NBA great Patrick Ewing. Meanwhile, sister Kimberly Keathley is thriving as well, now a junior at Point Loma Nazarene down near San Diego. (Michele is on the left with Kim in picture below, courtesy of the Keathleys) Duane is a principal at CB Richard Ellis and is president of the downtown Rotary this year.





* ... ON THE INJURED LIST: Heard that old friend Leonard Bidart, one of the owners of Bidart Brothers Farms and a generous sponsor of local non-profits, took a nasty spill on his bicycle last weekend while coming down Lion's Trail near Caliente. Turns out Leonard broke his jaw in several places and underwent a long surgery at the UCLA Medical Center. He's apparently on the mend but it will be a long road back. Leonard is an avid cyclist and fitness nut and one of the all around good people of our community. Send some positive thoughts his way.

* ... ALSO RECOVERING: Also try to keep Marvin Steinert in your thoughts as well. Marv is one of our city's real treasures, personally generous, active in groups like the Stars Theater and downtown Rotary. Turns out Marv is suffering from a condition known as temporal arteritis, an inflammation or damage to blood vessels that supply the head area. Marv's eyesight has been temporarily adversely affected but he's under good care. (photo of Marv below)



* ... FALL FUND RAISING: If it's fall in Bakersfield you can bet you'll be attending a fund raiser sometime soon. And pity the school and non-profits who must be struggling in this horrible economy when so many folks can't be as generous as they would like. But here are a couple of good causes for you to consider: On Thursday, Oct. 1 Garces Memorial High School will hold its annual Fall BBQ. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the door. Doors open at 5 p.m. Then a week later on Thursday, Oct. 8, Cal State Bakersfield holds its 31st annual Fall BBQ for the athletics program. Tickets are $25 sold before the event and $30 at the door. To order tickets or help with a sponsorship, call 661-654-3473.