A veterinarian gives props to a local animal rescue group and remembering Tooey's Steak House in lower La Cresta in the Northeast

 * … PETS: The way some people treat their pets, like disposable diapers, is beyond disheartening, but every once in a while we hear something that gives us hope. Over at the City of Bakersfield Animal Care Center, veterinarian Robert Duquette sent me this note: "We are always appreciative of the many rescues that help us rehome our furry friends but The Kern Project recently adopted 37 animals in one day. These pets were then transferred to shelters in Marin County that have a shortage of adoptable shelter animals (obviously our long term goal!).  This was organized locally by Tammy Folino who works with Grace Stauffer from Novato. We are also very extremely grateful to Cori Mincher, Jeff Cross and Bill Murray from the Double Tree Hotel for making a substantial donation of towels and linens that can be used for bedding. Our shelter is always in need of any bedding donation and their single contribution almost doubled our stock!"

 * … DINING: Last week I mentioned some of the new restaurants that have sprung up downtown over the last few years. A reader chastised me for not mentioning The Mark, a stunning eatery on 19th Street. Said the writer: "They have a great atmosphere food and a full bar music on weekends. The food is fresh and great quality." I could not agree more.

 * … BURGER: And on the subject of food, I am shameless in my devotion to the Hudson burger at Muertos downtown (who doesn't like a fresh burger with egg and bacon on top?) A friend told me that Bill Lee's and Mexicali downtown also make a good burger. What is your favorite burger in town?

 * … HONOR FLIGHT: Hats off to KERN radio host Ralph Bailey, who raised more than $10,000 on his Monday show to help fund the Honor Flight program. Bailey accompanied some of the veterans back to Washington, D.C., and promptly returned the favor by asking his listeners to support the program. Among those who chipped in were Rep. Kevin McCarthy, state Sen. Jean Fuller and state Rep. Shannon Grove.

 * … TOOEY'S: Margaret Lemucchi solved the puzzle about a long-gone restaurant in La Cresta: "Tooey's steak house was the restaurant where the Tam O'Shanter restaurant sits now. It had a stainless steel half-circle counter where the broiler is now located plus several tables. Jack and Hazel Ewing operated a Scottish/golf-themed bar next door called The Shillelagh. The Ewings acquired Tooey's and then operated the bar and restaurant for many years as Ewing's Tam O'Shanter. Timothy and I bought the business from the Ewings in 1971, called it Lemucchi's Tam O'Shanter, then bought the building, and then expanded the bar to the south where the second bar, stage, and dance floor are now.  Manny Mendez became the proprietor in 1988 and calls the establishment Manny's Tam O'Shanter. "

 * … MEMORIES: Added reader Connie Allen Frasch: "You brought back memories for me. I  grew up in La Cresta just blocks from Tooey's steak house in the 1940s, a small cafe with a counter and stools. I always wanted to go there and have one of Mr. Tooey's famous hamburgers but my dad said it was too expensive!"

Your Sunday-Monday Bakersfield Observed: A downtown restaurant burns and vagrants are suspected, and meanwhile restaurants across town are opening in defiance of the pandemic crackdown

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent any other company or publication.

 * ... TINA-MARIE'S: It seemed like the whole town was grieving after a suspicious fire roared through Tina Marie's Downtown Cafe, engulfing the northeast corner of 20th and Chester in smoke and flames and leaving in ruin yet another local restaurant that was already dealing with the pandemic. These

pictures, taken by the owner of Tina Marie's and posted on her Facebook page, show the efforts that Bakersfield firemen put out trying to control the blaze. The fire broke out around 2 a.m. Saturday and then yet again around noon, leading investigators to believe that vagrants or the homeless may have had a hand in the two fires. To be sure, the homeless and vagrant problem downtown remains out of control, and restaurants and businesses like Tina Marie's are left to contend with vandalism and theft on their own, all the while trying to stay in business during the pandemic. When do you think our city leaders will wake up and deal with the downtown homeless problem in a serious manner? Its nice when they send condolences, but we are well beyond that point.

 * ... PUSHBACK: The statewide effort to "push back" against Gov. Newsom's pandemic crackdown is well under way, and it is an open secret that restaurants across Bakersfield are seating customers inside in defiance. To be sure, restaurants enjoy wide support among rank and file citizens, but that could turn on a dime if eateries let down their guard and become super spreader events. One by one, local restaurants are opening up and as one friend said about one prominent local restaurant: "I went there for pickup and the place was packed... inside... and not a mask in sight." My advice for restaurant owners: follow your heart but if you must open up, observe protocol like masks and social distancing, or risk losing the support you have.

 * ... COVID SHUTDOWN: Well here's a restaurant owner who is not happy with either Gov. Gavin Newsom or the Porterville City Council.

 * ... FINSTER FARMS: Enjoy this scene of the owner of Finster Farms tending to his garden while his daughters tag along for the ride.

 * ... MEMORIES: Lewis Jones posted this picture of a class from McKinley School back in the day. Said Lewis: "A flashback in time. This is a photo of my kindergarten class of September 23, 1944, at McKinley School. The school was located in Bakersfield, Ca. on 10th street between N St and O St. The teacher was Mrs/Ms Main. I am pictured in the 2nd Row, 4th from the left. Are any of my classmates out there."

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And then there is this, a classic shot of Chester looking toward Truxtun and the old Beale Clock tower, thanks to the Art Moore and the Facebook group Kern County History Fans.

Bakersfield ranks high on a list of cities with high poverty rates, but good deeds abound

 * ... POVERTY: The U.S. Census says Bakersfield ranks No. 4 on the list of metropolitan areas with the highest rates of poverty in the country. Ranking first was the McAllen, Texas, area with 33.4 percent of residents living below the poverty line, followed by Fresno at 26.8 percent, El Paso at 24.3 percent and then Bakersfield at 21.2 percent.

 * ... FAMILY AFFAIR: You may have read about the exciting end to the Garces-Highland football game last Friday, where Highland’s last minute drive for the winning touchdown was halted by an intercepted pass by Garces to end the game. The back story is that Highland was led by their quarterback, Ryan O’Leary, who had a terrific game but threw the doomed interception to Garces’ Mark Stinson. As can only happen in small town America under Friday night lights, O’Leary’s dad is John O’Leary, owner of O’Leary’s Office Products. Young Stinson is the son of Ben Stinson, owner of Stinson’s Office Products. What are the odds? The younger lads are class acts, and their dads are friendly competitors.

* ... SALLY SHOPPER: My recent post on the old "Sally the Shopper" program at Brock's department store caught the attention of reader Warren Pechin. "My mother, Marguerite Pechin, was one of the two original Sally the Shoppers along with a woman named Rose Nathan. They worked for Marie Smith who started the program and went on to run the Golden Empire Gleaners." This was around 1967, he said, and his mother is still going strong at 92.

 * ... LENDING HAND: Linda Sheffield was in front of the Target store on Rosedale Highway when she witnessed a good deed that she wanted to share. "I saw an elderly, bent lady with a cane stopped by those pesky yellow, bumpy things recently installed in front of the entrance, not sure how to navigate them. She looked as if she would surely fall. I was thinking I would go park and come back to help her, when a young man emerged from the passenger side of a small black car in front of me and offer his arm in assistance. What a blessing it was to observe kindness in action! I checked to see who was driving the car as I went by and it was another young man - not someone's mother who told him to help. I wanted to share this because I was so blessed by it, but also to help counteract all of those tacky things (and I see plenty of those, too) that show up in your column. Thanks for the interesting tidbits that you share with us."

* ... MEMORY: Reader Nancy Schilly says you have been around Bakersfield for a while if you "remember Wayne's Dairy on North Chester Avenue. It was across the street from the original Kern County Fairgrounds. Wayne's had a very good restaurant in front of the dairy. Growing up we drove in from Shafter and ate there a lot. They made their own donuts and you could watch them being made. They made them all by hand. They made all their own ice cream too. We also ate at Tiny's restaurant on the corning of 18th and Chester. You could get a chubby steak dinner for $5. Those were the times."

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Even young people have memories of "old" Bakersfield. From 23-year old Jolie Brouttier: You may be from Bakersfield if you "remember driving down Ming (Between Gosford and Old River) smelling only dust from the dirt field rather than Tahoe Joe's steak dinner."

Stinson's merges with O'Leary's Office Products, Flame Broiler opens a new location and the new Movie Studio Grill is advertising for employees

Wednesday, March 14, 2018


Welcome to Bakersfield Observed, now online only. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this such a special place. We value your feedback. Email your news and notes to rsbeene@yahoo.com. 

* ... STINSON'S: Another big move by furniture and office supplies company Stinson's: they have taken over rival O'Leary's office supplies in a merger that will combine the two most prominent locally owned players serving Kern County. Ben Stinson III told me he expects the merger to bring the same

level of customer service - and competitive pricing - to the newly merged company. O'Leary's founder John O'Leary will stay with the new company for at least three years, working in business development and making sure the transition is smooth.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Instead of calling it the John, I’m going to start calling my bathroom the 'Jim.' That way I can say I go to the Jim every morning."

* ... FLAME BROILER: A sixth location of the popular rice bowl restaurant Flame Boiler is being built in the Artisan Square shopping center off Allen Road. Known as a venue for healthy eating, Flame Broiler now has more than 180 franchise locations in California, Arizona, Florida, Nevada and Oklahoma.

* ... SYMPHONY: Reader Gerhard Schmidt wrote to talk about audience protocol at local symphony events. "The audience attending the performances of the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra tries very hard to demonstrate their appreciation by applauding after each movement or segment of a piece.  On Saturday, the 10th, the last piece instead of the typical 3 to 4 movements, had 13 shorter segments. The flow was very much disrupted by the thirteen times applause interruptions, once even before a segment was completed. The conductor had to turn around and hold up his hand, indicating STOP. Actually, proper form at symphonic concerts calls for applause only at the end of the composition."

* ... MOVIE THEATER: Bakersfield is about to get its newest - and some might say riskiest -- entry into the local movie theater scene. It's called the Studio Movie Grill and it is now hiring employees for the latest location at Rosedale and Calloway Drive, just a few doors down from the 5 Guys burger restaurant. The theater will offer a robust menu and in-studio dining. The company has been wildly successful in other cities. Will it fly here?

 * ... DENNIS MILLER: Ain't this the truth from comedian Dennis Miller:

* ... MEMORIES: Enjoy this old photo of the original Hall of Records downtown, and its replacement.

The homeless are rousted out of their camps along the Kern River but then promptly overwhelm the Garces Circle, the old Tam 'O Shanter restaurant in up for sale and the curse of graffiti and vandalism throughout our town

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent any other company or publication.

 * ... BIKE TRAIL TRASH: It was good to see some movement, however small it was, to destroy some of the homeless camps that have cropped up along the Kern River Parkway bike path. Hundreds of homeless live in the dry riverbed,  primarily between Beach Park and Manor but also west of there all the out to the Park at Riverwalk. The city's homeless task force occasionally moves in to remove the camps - after posting warnings to give the homeless time to move - and invariably the homeless return, often

leaving a bigger mess than they did previously. But the move to enforce no camping ordinances is all we have, and it is good to see it being enforced. These signs went up last week, warning "residents" that they were about to be disrupted. Its a good start but if the past is a pattern, the vagrants will return to their camps within days of being ousted.

 * ... THE TRASH OF OUR TOWN: And in the midst of our homeless crisis our city continues to operate as the personal toilet bowl of so many of those who live among us. The Garces Circle is a prime example of a place that has become a favorite campaign ground for the homeless. There are few other eyesores as visible as under the Garces Circle underpass where literally dozens of vagrants gather. This past weekend reader Steve Loftus passed the circle on his way to the Kern County Museum and he sent this email to Mayor Karen Goh: "This afternoon after attending the opening of the Bakersfield Sound exhibit at the Kern County museum, I had to misfortune of driving south on Chester Avenue to the Garces Circle. The sites of the vagrants and mentally ill and the litter and the destruction is absolutely unbelievable. Recently, the councilman whose district the circle is in was beside himself because there is more grant money coming to the city to clean up this area. Why is grant money needed? Why isn't law enforcement and code enforcement taking action using existing city ordinances and laws? What an absolute disgrace for anyone attending this event coming from out of townand driving to the beautiful museum and seeing this wonderful exhibit but having to drive the Garces Circle which is basically become Bakersfield's skid row with everyone in city government looking at it every single day and taking no action. Why is no action being taken against the people that are vandalizing the park property within the Garces Circle? If I drove my car onto the lawn there's no doubt in my mind the Bakersfield Police would issue me a citation. Today when I drove by there was somebody raking all of the bark out of the bushes at the circle and yet there's no law enforcement contact with that person. Are the lawless vagrants in Bakersfield not subject to existing laws and city ordinances? Why isn't the city enforcing ordinances and state law? This should be done even without the for coming grant." To her credit, Goh responded to Loftus and told him the city was working with Caltrans on some fencing at the circle that could help resolve the issue. (photos by Steve Loftus)

 * ... THE SHAME: Meanwhile, I snapped these pictures during a leisurely stroll downtown on Sunday morning. Just another example of out of control crime, graffiti and vandalism that has beset Ward 2 on the watch Councilman Andre Gonzales.

 * ... OVERHEARD: Everyone has two lives; the second one begins when you realize you only have one.

 * ... A PIECE OF HISTORY: A piece of local history went up for sale last week when the old Tam 'O Shanter restaurant went on the market. A mainstay of the La Cresta area and east Bakersfield back in the day, the Tam 'O Shanter on Alta Vista was once one of Bakersfield's fanciest restaurants and drew a virtual who's who of Bakersfield. Contact Mikaela Cadena of the Bernal Real Estate Team

(c) 661-201-3807

 * ... TOMMY'S PIZZA: The hottest new restaurant in town is Tommy's Pizza, operating out of Imbibe Wine and Spirits and the brain child of Thomas Benham, son of California columnist Herb Benham and his wife, former city councilwoman and Dignity Health executive Sue Benham. A classically trained chef at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Benham is focusing on homemade crust and custom pizza that have no equals about town. With virtually no advertising (he doesn't yet have a business phone number or website) Tommy's Pizza has already won the hearts of local diners in the two short weeks he has been open.

 * ... MEMORIES: Another terrific post from Art Moore at the Kern County History Fans where these "then and now" shot were posted showing Chester Avenue looking south toward the clock tower before it was destroyed after the 1952 earthquake.

Bobcats are spotted on the bike trail in southwest Bakersfield, outdoors columnist Steve Merlo dies and sharing some memories of old Bakersfield

 * ... BOBCATS: There have been more bobcat sightings out on the bike trail to the west of town, the latest coming earlier this week when my friend Jason Barnes was cycling out toward Enos Lane.

Barnes managed to snap a handful of pictures of the young cat as he rode past. The bobcat seems undisturbed by Barnes on his bike and simply sauntered alongside the path as Barnes rode past, cell phone camera in hand. The drought has pushed bobcats and other wildlife closer to the neighborhoods in the southwest, but there have been no indications that they pose a threat to anyone.

 * ... CYCLISTS: And speaking of cyclists, Bakersfield has always had a robust cycling community but there has been a noticeable spike in the number of cycling "commuters" on our streets, particularly in the downtown area where millennials on fixed gear bikes share the road with the more serious recreational cyclists. If you are driving, make sure you are alert and "share the road" with these folks.

 * ... STEVE MERLO: I was saddened to learn that outdoors columnist Steve Merlo died of an apparent heart attack. Merlo was an avid outdoorsman, and I appreciated how he wrote about the hunting and shooting sports in ways that made them accessible to folks who never owned a weapon. He was a strong advocate of the 2nd Amendment, a proponent of the environment and a level head when it came to how the shooting sports can play a healthy role in our society.

 * ... OVERHEARD: A commuter who lives on the east side of town but works off Truxtun is telling a colleague: "I just won't go through California and Oak at rush hour anymore. I am thinking of taking Rosedale to Mohawk ... that is how bad it has gotten."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK:" I’ll call it a smartphone the day I yell 'Where’s my phone' and it yells 'Down here! In the couch cushions!'

 * ...MEMORIES: Here’s a follow-up on Loren Stroppe’s memories of Ewing’s Stockdale Inn, compliments of Cheryl Saki: "After the Ewings failed to renew the lease on the site with the owner of Tenneco Oil, the building was purchased by a group of local businessmen. It was cut in half and moved to California and Oak at the site of the Santa Fe Railroad Roundhouse. The building was remodeled to resemble a train station with a vintage Pullman car sitting on the tracks in front. An authentic red caboose was located inside for additional seating for diners. The restaurant was named the Iron Horse and it was decorated with artifacts from closed train stations throughout the state. Milton Huggs of Milt’s Coffee Shop was the owner of the Iron Horse. Milt eventually sold the restaurant and the property was turned into the the strip mall that currently occupies the corner of California and Oak. I am honored to say that Milt is my dad and I am so proud of his creative genius that has enhanced and enriched the restaurant scene in Bakersfield for the past 50 plus years."

* ... MORE MEMORIES: And finally, John Pryor adds this memory when "all development west of Oak Street was limited to cattle grazing land of Kern County Land Company. My uncle, dentist C. E. (Doc) Pryor lived on the west side of Oak, north of Brundage. He had horses corralled behind his home... My parents belonged to Stockdale Country Club at the time (with something like $22 per month for dues).  o get there, we had to drive through all open fields between Oak and Fairway except for one little frame building. The sign said Shell -- not global Shell Oil but rather local Joe Shell's 'oil patch.' That was in the 1930s and 40s. Even in the 1950s when I played on the Bakersfield College golf team (Jack Frost was coach) this was evident. The surroundings of Stockdale were all open fields for cattle grazing."

Short takes around town.: another restaurant to open downtown, Claire ties the knot and prayers for a local man at UCLA Medical Center

* ... DOWNTOWN REVIVAL: Saw on Facebook a posting by local artist Barbara Reid heralding the pending opening of a new sushi bar downtown on 19th Street , the same spot where Xander's and Benjamin's restaurants made a go of it. Barbara says the place is being opened by Yuri and Phil Chang, the folks who own Toro Sushi Bar and Grille over at the Marketplace. Toro is a class act and a second location downtown (apparently it will be called simply "O") would be a boost to the emerging downtown art and restaurant scene. Barbara, whose art graces the wall of Toro, said she was treated to some menu ideas for the new restaurant and had this to say:

 "They were all unique and yet displayed (with) what I have come to expect and appreciate as the artistry and flair of the sushi chefs at Toro. Beautiful presentation and wonderful mix of flavors. The offerings included sushi, tempura, stir-fry and salads. The opener was a serving bowl of skewered baby scallops, the tinest I have ever seen, in a spicy/sweet sauce with hints of citrus, tomato, cilantro. It was superb."

 * ... PRAYERS FOR A YOUNG MAN: Please keep Curtis Hartman in your thoughts and prayers. Curtis is the 35-year-old son of Linda Hartman, the executive director of the BARC (Bakersfield Association of Retarded Citizens) Foundation. Curtis just  underwent a double lung transplant at UCLA Medical Center and is recovering, but it will be long climb back. Curtis and Linda have a wide and supportive family. Linda's sister is Nancy Chaffin, Californian vice president of Human Resources and one of the founders of the local campaign to curb drunken driving that was recently recognized with a statewide award.

 * ... CLAIRE TIES THE KNOT: Congratulations to Claire Porter, the always gracious co-owner of Uricchio's Trattoria over off 17th Street, who got married a couple weeks ago to Mark Elieff, a physical therapist at San  Joaquin Hospital. Claire and Mark slipped off  quietly to wed in Las Vegas and then headed to New York for  their honeymoon, where they saw Bruce Springsteen at Giants Stadium. And speaking of Uricchio's, I was there the other night and had a chance to meet Mike Ariey, a local businessman who did a stint in the National Football League, playing for both the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants. He's also a graduate of Garces Memorial High School and San Diego State and represents the long line of local men and women who have represented Bakersfield in professional sports.

 * ... AMGEN TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT: It appears that the announcement of the host cities for the 2010 Amgen Tour of California will be made on Thursday, October 22. At least that's the word from Don Cohen, manager of the Bakersfield Convention and Visitors Bureau. The Amgen Tour is the biggest bicycle race in the country (read the previous post here) and would likely feature such heavy hitters as Lance Armstrong and Levi Leipheimer, as well as a host of European cycling stars. Bakersfield has made a strong pitch to host one leg of the event, either the ending of a race day or the beginning of one. This would be a huge plus for our town, not only in terms of tourism and revenue but also in terms of putting Bakersfield on the map. Stay tuned.

Teagarden in as president at Karpe and what to do about all those scofflaws with expired tags on the road

 * ... TEAGARDEN IN AT KARPE: It looks like Tom Teagarden is the new president over at Karpe Real Estate Center, succeeding Ray Karpe who abruptly resigned last week. Teagarden is a longtime Karpe employee and local product who has worked with the family company for years. He told me that he had been out of town and wasn't even aware that Ray Karpe had resigned, and when he returned Bob Karpe (Ray's father) offered him the job. (In an earlier post I erred in saying Bob Karpe founded the firm. It was actually his father, Elmer) Nobody is going public on the rift between Ray and his father. Ray says only there was a difference of opinion on the company's strategic direction. Teagarden was born in Bakersfield, graduated from Garces Memorial High and later UC Santa Barbara. He moved to Virginia where he worked, moved back and began working at Karpe in 1989. He's been married for 35 years to Susan and they have three grown boys, Thomas, Adan and Matthew. Here's wishing him and the company success.

 * ... THE SCOFFLAWS WITH EXPIRED TAGS: I hit a nerve with an earlier post on all the cars driving around town with expired license tags. My email inbox was filled with responses, including one from Bakersfield resident Gary Denny who said this had been a pet peeve of his for years. His words:

 "At times, I have seen three or four vehicles at one location with expired tags. A couple of years ago I tried to find an agency to call or report this information to: CHP, city police, sheriff's department, Department of Motor Vehicles... none of these agencies were responsible... an individual has no way to report these vehicles. How many millions of dollars is the state missing from expired tags?"

 Yet another correspondent (who asked me not to use her name) speculated those driving around with expired tags are the same people who regularly fail to pay library fines or their student loans, and then are shocked when it negatively impacts their credit. "This is a blase attitude that I have noticed for all the years we have been living here," she said.

 * ... A DOWNTOWN RENAISSANCE? I had a nice chat the other day with Cathy Butler, head of the Downtown Business Association (DBA), who was absolutely giddy over what is happening downtown. She was raving about the new restaurant Victor Victoria's over on 19th Street, located in the same spot that once hosted Kosmo's and Goose Loonies. She also mentioned the new "O" sushi restaurant (owned by the same folks who run Toro sushi over at the marketplace; read the previous post here) and of course she's excited about the opening of the newly renovated Padre Hotel in six weeks or so. Bringing downtown Bakersfield back to life is a block by block project. The old central business district has come a long way and has an equally long way to go, but these developments are worth celebrating..

 * ... PCL MAKES A DONATION: I mentioned earlier the generosity of industrial services company PCL donating $10,000 to the Golden Empire Gleaners. Here's a picture of the check presentation, never a real compelling picture but these folks deserve some recognition. From left to right are Jim Blom, Todd Yepez, John Kerchinski (PCL president locally), Pam Fiorini, Pam Lindaman, Renee Massey and Ronald Eaves.

The campaign to unseat Assemblyman Rudy Salas will top $1 million, new businesses grow out of the local farmer's markets and Imbibe Wine and Spirits offers Spanish cava at a bargain price

Friday, October 19, 2018

 Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this such a special to live. Send your news tips to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... MENDES VERSUS SALAS: If you want to know how important the Democratic and

Republicans parties view the race for Assembly district 32, follow the money. Challenger Justin Mendes, a Republican who spent just $40,000 in the primary, expects to spend north of $1 million in his race to unseat Rep. Rudy Salas. Mendes says he expects Salas to spend twice that much.

  * ... SMALL BUSINESS: Did you know that our local farmer's markets also serve as business incubators? That's right, a number of local brick and mortar businesses started off as vendors at the Brimhall and Haggin Oaks farmers market, according to Jaclyn Allen, who runs the markets. Allen knows this all too well because she too started off selling nut products in the local markets, and now has branched out and is the owner of Hens Roost, the popular vegan and vegetarian restaurant on G Street. Allen said two nearby businesses, Rig City Coffee and Better Bowls, also started off at the farmer's markets before deciding to sign and lease and take it indoors.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Life is like a box of chocolates; an emotional chick can destroy one in under five minutes."

 * ... INDIAN CUISINE: Are you ready for a new entry into the Indian restaurant scene? It's about to happen with the opening of Viceroy, a new eatery on Stockdale Highway devoted to Indian cuisine.

 * ... SPANISH CAVA: My tip for the upcoming holidays: if you are looking for a good Spanish cava to entertain guests, consider the Campo Viejo cava available at Imbibe Wine and Spirits for just $10 a bottle when you buy six bottles of wine or champagne. Cheaper than its French counterparts but a solid bubbly.

* ... MEMORIES: You know you are a Bakersfield old timer if you remember when College Center opened in August o 1960 off Columbus. Photo courtesy of the Kern County of Old Facebook page.

Bako Bits: Ashburn says he will step down from state board if he wins election to county supervisor, and a little history quiz courtesy of Mary Kay Shell

 * ... ASHBURN: Roy Ashburn has had a change of heart about remaining on a state board if he is successful in his race to serve as 1st District county supervisor again. Ashburn told me Tuesday that - if elected - he will step down from the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, an appointed position that earns him $129,000 a year. "I want to clear that up," he told me. "There has been some misunderstanding and I want people to know where I stand."

* ... MEXICALI:  Here's a trivia quiz for all your Bakersfield old timers. Before it became known as Mexicali, the downtown restaurant operated under the name Herb King's. Before it was Herb King's, what was it known as? The answer from former mayor Mary Kay Shell: "It was called the Drink-o-Link Drive In before Herb King took it over. Maybe Drinkolink was all one word. I can't remember!" (staff photo of Mary Kay Shell)

 * ... TRAIN: More reader input on the miniature train that used to ferry passengers at Hart Park. Leslie Torrigiana said it was her grandfather, J.M. Van Cleave, who built the train. "I don't know the year. My mother has told us many a fun family story that can't be repeated in the paper about train passengers. My mother and her siblings were at Hart Park the day the train took its first trip around the track.  There were many spectators as the train pulled away that day. The train took riders across a wooden bridge and through a dark tunnel. My grampa went every weekend to service the train and his family rode for free."

 * ... SPOTTED: A woman walking three small girls to Standard School is spotted wearing pajamas, a robe and slippers. Said Linda Welch: "I think some people carry casual Friday just a little too far."

 * ... CALORIES: Some interesting (and alarming) statistics on how Americans consume calories from The New York Times' Jane E. Brody. Brody noted that Americans are consuming billions of calories unwittingly and often between meals. For example, a Double Gulp 64-ounce cup of soda at a 7-Eleven has a full 800 calories, and some bagels now pack up to 600 calories. At one New York restaurant, a personal size pizza contained 2,100 calories, the amount "the average woman needs in a day." Is it any wonder we are a "full size" nation?

 * ... TAFT COLLEGE:  Sheri Horn Bunk, now executive director of the Taft College Foundation, tipped me off to a grand opening reception this Friday of the school's new Campus Art Gallery.  On display will be the works of two established artists, entitled 'Women Working' which will include watercolors by Nancy Dawson and sculpture by Betty Younger. It's open to the public and begins at 5 p.m. Bunk says there will be music and poetry readings and a "special dramatic surprise."

 * ... WHO KNEW?: Courtesy of the Kern Economic Development Corporation: "The statue of Father Garces on the Garces Circle was commissioned in 1939 by the Works Project Administration of the Great Depression. He was sculpted out of limestone by John Palo Kangas, who also did a sculpture of our beloved Colonel Baker."