Bakersfield Magazine • 28-3 • Sizzlin' Singles

Knuckle Bustin’ Time Modern-Day Dorothy Flappers & Speakeasies: Easy Summertime Home Repair Don’ts ...with Ruby Sneakers Our Town in the ‘20s Clambake Recipes VOL. 28 NO. 3

YOUR CITY. YOUR LIFE. YOUR MAGAZINE.

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Telling it Like it is

Sizzlin’ Singles 15

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Hot Locations to Meet & Greet

Christina Perez & Sacha Lincoln Two of this year’s Sizzlin’ Singles

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SUMMER 2011

Stephen Boyle & Nancy Oehler PA R T N E R S

I N

P H I L A N T H R O P Y

SOU ND ADV IC E FROM TRUS TE D ADV I S ORS

A

ttorneys Stephen Boyle and Nancy Oehler have combined more than 50 years of experience, each focusing their practice on estate planning, tax planning and trust administration. Both have provided clients with the guidance and professional expertise one would expect when making plans for the future. And together, they serve as dedicated board members at Kern Community Foundation.

So it is not surprising both Steve and Nancy agree that educating their peers and their clients as to the many benefits of Kern Community Foundation is a given.“In my role,” says Steve, a partner at the law firm of Clifford and Brown,“I get to help people do what they really want to do; I can help them to carry out their wishes, which often leads to a gift that can benefit the community.”

“Many clients have already made a commitment to give to a certain charitable interest before I begin working on their estate plan,” explains Nancy, a partner in the law firm of Klein, DeNatale, Goldner, LLP. “Many are tax-motivated, and have been advised by their CPA or financial planner on donations. But leaving a lasting legacy may have never crossed their mind.”

“…you’re making a gift with the intention that it will be forever.”

—Stephen Boyle

Steve explains to clients that the charitable gifts people make throughout their life have been important to the day-to-day operations of those recipient organizations.“But the gifts you leave at the time of your death can be placed away in a permanent fund that can help endow that charity. That’s the real benefit to giving

through Kern Community Foundation; you’re making a gift with the intention that it will be forever,” he explains.

“I strongly encourage any of my peers or those who do advise clients on such matters to consider using the Kern Community Foundation as a tool to building a legacy,” Nancy adds.“Because the Foundation manages endowments, the intent is to grow the money so that the legacies can grow and continue in perpetuity.”

And while their clients often ask about starting their own foundation, working through Kern Community Foundation provides an easy alternative with simple gift planning, grant-making and investment solutions. Additionally,“utilizing Kern Community Foundation is a huge advantage to clients because setting-up a private foundation is very expensive and very time-consuming,” Nancy points out.

Stephen Boyle and Nancy Oehler encourage others who advise clients in reaching their financial and philanthropic goals to learn more about the advantages of establishing a charitable fund at Kern Community Foundation. Established in 1999, the Foundation helps local donors practice smarter giving to achieve greater impact from their philanthropy. The organization holds individual, family and corporate funds valued at approximately $14 million, and offers a variety of giving options including scholarships and nonprofit endowments. The Foundation also accepts a wide range of assets, such as: cash, appreciated securities, real estate, life insurance, IRAs, partnership interests and bequests.

Fo r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , c a l l 6 6 1 . 3 2 5 . 5 3 4 6 o r v i s i t w w w. k e r n f o u n d a t i o n . o r g

4 Bakersfield Magazine

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 5

6 Bakersfield Magazine

The Litigators.

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Whether you’re a large corporation, small business, or an individual, put our law firm to work for you.

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DREAM HOMES 201 1

Try The Nines Restaurant for lunch.

Over 20 items to choose from for under $10.00

Contents

F E AT U R E S

We pick what’s hot in fashion and décor Stuff We Like.....................20 A Bakersfield gal and her must-haves Can’t Live Without.............23

—INTRODUCING— The New Happy Hour Happy Hour Specials from 11am to 7pm

Dream Homes Looking to achieve a stress-free move?

Get Started Early..............53 Take an architectural tour of Bakersfield

DISCOVERING OLD WORLD CHARMS Flappers, speakeasies, vaudeville...oh my!

BAKERSFIELD & THE ROARING ‘20S

32

55

It’s amazing what a little greenery can do Not-So-Secret Gardens........59 We’ve all had ‘em, so let’s laugh about ‘em Do-It-Yourself Don’ts...........63

Meet the folks who are ready to mingle.

They’re outspoken, witty, opinionated, and have a lot to say...

The how-tos of novice house painting

SUCCESS THE FIRST TIME

67

The right questions to ask before you buy Home Inspections............71

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No need to put a ring on it! Who’d we find?

SIZZLIN’ SINGLES!

41

Perfect local places for your meet cutes Where’s the Love..............48

Turn a bathroom into a beautiful room Home & Garden...............75 Culinary perfection and charity combine!

Signature Chefs.............111 Confidence comes with the stroke of a brush Nonprofit Spotlight...........115

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Building lasting relationships through great customer service since 1913. www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 9

v

DREAM HOMES 201 1

Contents

D E PA R T M E N T S Living in the shadows of “hammer envy” Letter from the Editor............15 The whos, whats, and wheres of our county Kern Facts............................17

Don’t be baa-shful—sample this Greek dish Quick Bites...........................94 Hey, Gidget! It’s Beach Blanket Bako time Entertaining the Bakersfield Way...95

Listen up, fellas! Casual can also be stylish The Bakersfield Look..............29

LaQuette Milner

Who’s up for “molto fresh” Italian food?

This talented dancer is off to see the Wiz

CITIZEN KERN

31

A Kernville trio that has brewed success Risktakers............................35

WHAT’S COOKIN’

99

Gold medals mean big business for wineries Life is a Cabernet................ 101 Yum! You might need a spoon for this one Bottoms Up........................ 103

What to watch for in workplace romances Human Resources..................50

Orange you glad you discovered this place?

A fun Q&A with our resident plant expert

GARDENING WITH MRS. P

87

The fingernails are a window to your health Looking Good, Feelin’ Good.....89 10 Bakersfield Magazine

GREAT GETAWAYS

117

Our shutterbugs captured all the action Party Chatter...................... 126 Fire beware. The Neptunes are on the job Bakersfield’s Sound.............. 130

OCT. 21-23 Auto Club Famoso Raceway Bakersfield, California

• Nostalgia Drag Racing • Cacklefest® • Giant Vendor Midway • Huge Swap Meet ...and more the Reunions are produced by and benefit the

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call or go online for more information

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 11

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTIONS

Home Improvement Profiles...68

The NEW Xerox ColorCube 9300

HOME & GARDEN RESOURCES

Home & Garden.................74

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Kern Health Resource Guide....92

Religious Schools & Worship Services Directory Worship Directory..............92

The Dining Guide The Dining Guide.............104

COMMUNITY PARTNERS Community Partners.........109

Shoppers Bazaar..............120

MEDICAL PROFILES Medical Profiles................122

Education Directory...........123

everafters...

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Weddings......................125 Coming October 2011

Achievers • Corporate Relo

Bakersfield After Hours

If your child gets sick, it can turn her world upside down.

MOM! Leading edge pediatric care is here.

At the new Children’s Medical Center at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, Kern County kids can get state-of-the-art pediatric care close to home. We provide a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for newborns and preemies. We have specially trained pediatricians on site 24/7, along with compassionate nurses and staff to care for kids. This summer, we’ll open the only Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for infants, youngsters and older children in the area.

So, whether it’s simple or more serious, with Memorial’s new Children’s Medical Center…

It’s Ok. We’re always thinking about you.

PEDIATRIC RESOURCE GUIDE For a free 16-page guide on kids’ health and wellness, call: 1.877.854.4BMH (4264).

PERSONALIZED E-NEWSLETTER Free & Customized for you!

Go to: www.ItsOkBakersfield.org/everylife-matters/your-health/. Select “Every Life Matters” from the menu. Then, click on “Your Health” in the drop down list to request your free subscription.

Memorial Physician Referral & Resource Line 1.877.854.4BMH Become a fan on Facebook Health Information Library: Access our free health information library at www.ItsOkBakersfield.org. or www.BakersfieldMemorial.org. You’ll find hundreds of health topics of interest to read about.

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www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 13

REMEMBERING

DONNA LOUISE CORUM FOUNDER . VISIONARY . FRIEND

Vol. 28 No. 3

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Healthcare providers in our plans are members of the quality GEMCare physician network. Our participating hospitals include Kern County's leading facilities – Mercy and Memorial Hospitals, all part of Catholic Healthcare West, the eighth largest hospital system in the nation.

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Dream Homes 2011

Publisher Les Corum Executive Editor Mike Corum Assistant Editor Anika Henrikson Garden Editor Lynn Pitts Wine & Food Editor Mike Stepanovich Creative Director Chuck Barnes Graphic Artist Laura Turner Systems/Production Ryan Turner Director of Sales/Marketing Mark Corum Sales & Marketing Genevieve Cinecoe, Lisa Corum Douglas “Dale” Heflin Photography/Editorial Assistant Isabel Alvarez Staff Writer Kali Campbell Contributing Writers Tracie Grimes, Jason Gutierrez David Nigel Lloyd Matthew Martz John May, Robin Paggi Tom Xavier Accounting/Human Resources Melissa Galvan Distribution/Circulation Brigit Ayers Cover Photo Solorzano Photography Bakersfield Magazine, Inc. 1601 New Stine Road, Suite 200 Bakersfield, CA 93309

Office (661) 834-4126 Fax (661) 834-5495 Email: marketing@bakersfieldmagazine.net website: bakersfieldmagazine.net Bakersfield Magazine is published bi-monthly by Bakersfield Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. ©Copyright 2011 by Bakersfield Magazine, Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher of Bakersfield Magazine is strictly prohibited.

Bakersfield Magazine, Inc. is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, artwork or photographs, even if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. The opinions expressed in Bakersfield Magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of Bakersfield Magazine management or owner. Bakersfield Magazine, Inc. assumes no responsibility or liability for claims made by advertisers.

Subscription rate is $14.95 for 1 year, $21.95 for 2 years.

Secure PayPal Gift Subscriptions BakersfieldMagazine.net

Letter from the Editor

Living in the Shadows of “Hammer Envy”

TIME

COM

R IT Y PA

UN

M

FIELD MAG RS

INE AZ

BAKE

Me: Mornin’, Chuck. Have a good weekend?

Chuck: (in a long Southern drawl) Yuuup.

Me: Do anything exciting this weekend?

Chuck: Nooope. Built a deck off the back of the house...was bored, had a couple hours to kill. ...Man, talk about “hammer envy.”

So, what does this have to do with the August issue? A lot!

Once again, we are pleased to present our annual Dream Homes edition, and whether you’re still looking for a “home” or have already found your “dream,” we have something for everyone, from the first-time house painter to “questions to ask a home inspector.” We’ve also included profiles on some of Bakersfield’s best home builders and a humorous piece that we had our AList members help with: “Mishaps” (page 63). There’s also a special section of home improvement professionals (in case you’re like me and suffer from...well, you know).

And, of course, this is also our annual Sizzlin’ Singles issue—packed with successful, fun-loving, community-minded singles. Remember, this isn’t a hook-up, these guys and gals are single by choice... and loving it! The fun starts on page 41.

We also have all our regular features, including a special story in our Community Partners section on the upcoming March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction. If you’re a foodie and like supporting a good cause, this is the event for you (and be sure to sign up for our A-List as we have tickets to give away!).

My wife wants to redo the kitchen floor. As soon as the soil samples come back, I’ll be all over it. Hey Chuck, you busy next weekend?

ER

TOOL

TN

I’m a pretty handy guy around the house. I can fix things...really, I can. And I have the tools to prove it! But it usually takes an act of congress to get me motivated. Why? Because I’m so unexplainably anal-retentive. I don’t mean to be, I just have my mom’s sensibilities. For her, any “project,” no matter how small, must be done perfect. And to do so, I’ve learned, will require a long, drawn-out, usually painful, potentially embarrassing ordeal. What can go wrong will go wrong.

Can you say “Murphy”?

Maybe this trait comes from the way I grew up. Around our house, Dad was lovingly referred to as the “Doctor.” Not the medical kind—the kind that are too smart for their own good, seemingly not capable of doing simple repairs without getting into a situation. A “jump in with both feet/take no prisoners kind of guy.”

Dad lives by these two simple rules: 1) If it moves and shouldn’t, use duct tape. 2) If it doesn’t move and should, use WD40. Anything that can’t be remedied with this advice isn’t broken.

No doubt you’ve heard the expression “measure twice, cut once,” Well, Dad made that one better. His philosophy: “who needs a ruler? Keep cutting until it fits.” Of course, Mom banned saws from the house soon after they were married.

My way is more methodical...like planning the invasion of a foreign country.

Measure three times (cause it’s a charm), make detailed notes, sit back and think about it, measure again, check the house blueprints for any potential hazards and any excuse not to proceed (“sorry honey, this isn’t a load-bearing wall. In my professional opinion, we can’t hang that picture there. Much too dangerous”), try to find said notes, measure again, discover that the saw blade is too dull, run to the store and “guess” at which one I need, come back, measure yet again, check the internet for suggestions and last-minute EPA warnings...you get the idea.

I’m not the weekend warrior type like our creative director Chuck Barnes, who comes bouncing in most Monday mornings telling tales of the awesome weekend projects he’s tackled.

Mike Corum comments@bakersfieldmagazine.net www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 15

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16 Bakersfield Magazine

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Kern Facts

People • Places • Events

HIS

& Hers

IN STEP WITH:

Pete & Mona Pankey

This husband and wife are partners in business (Key Cold Storage) and in life. But even after four decades together, the spark between them is electric.

What was the first thing you thought when you met your future spouse for the first time?

Mona: He was a client of the law firm where I worked. I thought he was cute—always in a coat and tie but no shoes. Guess I found the bare feet thing intriguing.

Pete: What is this cute girl doing by going to a farm auction with me?

What is the funniest thing that happened while you two were dating?

Mona: He picked me up early on a Saturday morning for our first date and took me to a farm equipment auction; then we had to drive to Fallbrook to pick up a truck for hauling their purchases; then, instead of a nice dinner out that evening, he showed up at my apartment with two steaks for me to cook.

Pete: Mona’s boss sent us to deliver legal papers a block away.

The elevator broke and delayed our return. Her boss would not believe our excuse.

What is the craziest thing your spouse has ever done for you?

Mona: Not for me, but to me. He stuck a hose through the bathroom window and poured cold water all over me in the shower.

Surprise! A really nice thing he did for me was my Christmas present a few years ago: three nights with spa services at Bacarra Resort with my friend (not with him). He knew we’d appreciate it much more than he would.

Pete: She said yes!

What is your spouse’s biggest phobia?

Mona: Elevators. He always wants to take the stairs.

Pete: Snakes!

Who’s the first one to admit when they’re wrong?

Mona: I think it varies depending on the circumstances. In 40 years of marriage, we’ve both been there plenty of times.

Pete: Me. The problem is that I find it difficult to get accurate information from my wife.

What is your spouse most passionate about and why?

Mona: Freedom. The ideals of the US Constitution. He believes in less government and people being productive.

Pete: Our children and their families.

What’s your favorite thing to do in Bakersfield and why?

Mona: This is a tough one.

What I love about Bakersfield is the people. So many people are willing to get involved and help others. Being with friends and, most of all, being with my grandchildren.

Pete: The Chamber of Commerce Governmental Review Committee. Every Friday meeting to discuss government policies. I enjoy the people and how it relates to our Constitution.

What is your least favorite thing about your spouse (a pet peeve if you will) and most favorite thing?

Mona: Least favorite—He is

pedantic. He demands to have all the information about every subject I bring up.

Most favorite—He believes in me. He has always encouraged and supported me to grow and be independent.

Pete: Least favorite—The clutter (flowers and knick-knacks).

She insists we need to decorate our home. Most favorite—Her willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve a goal.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 17

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Kern Facts

T

HERE AREN’T MANY OF US that can say we know our immediate neighbors well, let alone the people down the street, but a local campaign is aiming to change that attitude...especially when it comes to those in our community with special needs.

It’s called Meet Your Neighbors and, while only a few years old, the campaign has already been recognized with a Beautiful Bakersfield Award for its civic work.

The mission is to “understand, in“It’s really a clude, accept, and value the abilities collaborative effort,” and contributions of our special neighexplained Project bors with disabilities,” and that inLeader Michael volves teaming up with organizations Henstra. “It’s a way in the community already serving the for us to network, special needs folks in our area (like get together, and Kern Regional Center, Rotary Clubs strengthen the of Bakersfield, and H.E.A.R.T.S Conpresence of people nection) and turning a spotlight on the with disabilities in more than 22 percent of Kern County Kern County.” residents over the age of five that have some sort of disability.

The campaign allows the public to interact with and learn about people with all types of disabilities in Kern County and includes a variety of activities, events, and seminars.

If you’d like more information on the campaign or would like to know how you can get involved, visit MYNKern.org or come out to the Kick-Off Event at Central Park at Mill Creek in downtown Bakersfield on October 1 this year.

AND A

ER SO LITERAL. OVIE WAS NEV erson of INNER AND A M and Jennifer Sand n ow Br y m ra Je ovies durWhen owners r started playing m Ba e in W d an t an the staff, Valentien Restaur n themselves and tai ter en to d ow cr ree years ing the late dinner tch the flick. So, th ca to nd ou ar ng Movies guests began to ha Cinema Saturdays. d rte sta n ow Br d end of the ago, Sanderson an ded at the south en sp su en re sc ndown. are shown on a each Saturday at su is e tim ow Sh . tio with the outside dining pa ial item that ties in ec sp a re atu fe ten d shark The menu will of kfast at Tiffany's an ea Br r fo s m ite t as ng a full movie, like breakf ther you are enjoyi he W . ws Ja of g e Valentien with the screenin be sure to check th t, er ss de d an ne a reservadinner, or just wi playing and make is ie ov m at wh t website to find ou until August 30. rdays will continue tu Sa a m ne Ci n. tio

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18 Bakersfield Magazine

MOVIE!

In & Around B•Town Sources: Kern County Recycling Guide; web.minorleaguebaseball.com; sequoia.national-park. com; bmtstars.com; Historic Chronology of Kern County; www.wrh.noaa.gov/hnx/bflmain.php

By the Numbers 13.32

54

200 800 1867

Locations in Bakersfield that offer buy back and CRV (California Refund Value) recycling Current and former major league players who got their start with the Bakersfield Blaze

Miles of hiking trails in surrounding mountains of Sequoia National Forest The year of the first election in Kern County (it took place in Kelso Creek)

Acres in the Kern National Wildlife Refuge at the time of its dedication in October, 1961

A

©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/RUDISILL

10,600

THE INCHES OF RAIN BAKERSFIELD RECEIVED IN 1998, making it the wettest year on record (so far)

LIST EXTRA

Missing Something?

Did You Win?

L

ATE SUMMER IS A TIME WHEN MOST OF US are trying to steer clear of the kitchen. Turning on the oven is a last resort for August dining, so what if we could offer you a $100 gift card to a fabulous local restaurant? You’d jump at the chance, right? Well, if you’re an A-Lister, you’ve got a chance to win a $100 gift card to El Portal Mexican Restaurant.* Just look for your name below and if you spot it, email us as fast as you can! If you’re not an A-List Member, visit bakersfieldmagazine.net to sign up today. It’s free and easy!

Amberly Haney Marty Gahan

Pam Blacklock Mandy Wolfe Ronnie Oates Patty Toone Leslie McLaren

Steve Cade Ronessa Biddle Art Byrom Mitual Patel Lisa Forry

*contest eligibility for A-List members only who have not won a prize in the past three months.

Get Your City Delivered Every Issue Look for the subscription card in this issue or log on to our website.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net/subscribe www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 19

Kern Facts Turquoise Multicolor Stone Pendant, $378 Don Lucas 1730 Oak St. (661) 323-9457 Anita One Piece, $88 Bra Shoppe, Inc. 600 Coffee Rd., #W (661) 835-8120

USA Soccer Jersey, $70 Xtreme Soccer 600 Coffee Rd., #U (661) 836-1116

stuff we like

Jannuzzi Onesie, $30-32 Baby Me 9919 Hageman Rd., #200 (661) 588-2775

20 Bakersfield Magazine

Become B-Town Famous!

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Mickey & Minnie Jim Shore Collection, $20.95 The Gift Box 1430 17th St. (661) 633-1011

Allure VX Dress, $590 Maria’s Collection Bridal Shop 17 H St. (661) 634-0522

Handmade Applique Pillow, $48 Junebugs 167 H St. (661) 864-7503

People • Places • Events

Americaning March K

band IP SOUSA’S era OHN PHIL p O e Scribner played at th very E .

4 190 ovember 2, for e u tr House on N t ust have “bea ight. n local heart m that e, and blue” the red, whit

J

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HE DEFUNCT MCKITTRICK HOTEL may not offer room service anymore, but the downstairs café and bar is bustling. Not only is the place serving PHOTOS COURTESY ANNIE & MIKE MOORE up home-cooked flavors, but the unique décor brings in tourists from all over to this sleepy little oil patch.

Annie and Mike Moore are the owners of what has become more commonly known as the Penny Bar. When Annie asked Mike to glue her penny collection to the bar, he did just that. After one month, the bar top was covered.

“He thought he was finished,” laughed Annie as she recalled her response. “I asked you to cover the bar.”

Annie said the idea to cover the place in pennies was planned for 15 years before they bought the building in 1998.

These days, the bar has seen such famous patrons as Huell Howser and anchors from The Today Show, who gave the bar national exposure, and the tourists are still coming in to be dazzled by all the copper Lincolns. The locals, however, come in for the chicken fried steak and Annie’s famous rib eyes.

When a regular requested country singer J. Parsons perform at his birthday celebration, Parsons wound up loving the venue so much that he wrote a song about Annie and the Penny Bar. The Moores nearly sold the bar a few years ago but found that it had become their home and their customers had become their friends—they couldn’t give it up.

The Moores plan to stay with the bar as long as they can. Annie has even lovingly nicknamed it “Christmas Island” because it reminds her of the Island of Misfit Toys. So many different types of people can come in and feel at home.

It seems that after seeing “all the little greasy spoons from Canada to Mexico,” Annie and Mike Moore found a place to lay their pennies—45 minutes from Bakersfield in McKittrick, California.

heritageschools.us 2401 Bernard Street • 661-871-4545

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 21

Kern Facts You Can’t Win If You Don’t Enter

I

T’S BEEN HIGHLY PUBLICIZED that we love to give stuff away— concert tickets, VIP event tickets, gift certificates...the list goes on and on.

And so does our list of winners!

n

Benny Parla

Cori Kitchen

We’ve had so many winners this issue that we can’t fit them all here.

So check our website (bakersfieldmagazine.net) for a complete list of happy Bakersfield Magazine winners!

r y Edith Carte

Mar

A-List Contest Winner Benny Parlan

Stuff We Like Jolene Forzetting $50 Gift Certificate—Goldcraft Golf Santa Barbara Wine Fest Tickets Colleen Sherman Jasmine Barajas $50 Gift Certificate—Calypso Nicole Irvine Deborah Zollinger Cori Kitchen $50 Gift Certificate—Classy Knits and Yarns Katie Lozano Donna Fenton Beckie Diltz $50 Gift Certificate—Bakersfield Optical Biggest Baddest BBQ Tickets Rita Morales Karen Roberts $50 Gift Certificate—Olcott’s Nakei Kemp Litzalla Bonellie—Yoakum Rebecca Lewis $50 Gift Certificate—Essentiels Mary Edith Carter Jennie Stuart Jessica Arredando $50 Gift Certificate—Forever Diamonds

Get on the A-List for your chance to win

BakersfieldMagazine.net

Guess W here! (or who?)

We would like to give you a Grand Welcome by presenting you with a We l c o m e P a c k o f M a p s , C i v i c Information, Special Newcomer Directories, Community Event Calendars, Gift Coupons, Theater Tickets and much more!

All FREE by calling

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www.welcometobakersfield.org email: martinezs@bak.rr.com 22 Bakersfield Magazine

AT, FOR OTCHA! IT SEEMS TH E, we’ve TIM ONLY THE SECOND with our s der u rea been able to outsmart yo ter of you bet aks Pop Quiz picture. That spe us countless ted bes e u’v than us, of course, since yo when we realize we’ve times, but it’s still good fun e can claim the prize this stumped you. Sadly, no on have $30 in Russo’s go-around. However, we s for the winner of this Books gift certificate you want to win, tell us issue’s Pop Quiz, so if e. where we took this pictur e whimsical bicycle Last issue’s answer: Th pus. sculpture on the CSUB cam

G

o

Katie Lozan

TOP

10

People Places •B•Town Events In &• Around

Can’t Live Without

1 My Toyota Sienna

I wouldn’t trade this car even for a Lamborghini. I got a ton of laughs from all my friends and family but seriously, it’s the best thing in my life.

Nobody rocks a mini van like me!

9

A ponytail holder

Shrimp tacos from Los Aguacates

My hair is very long and it’s very hot outside.

Patsy Cohen

CEO, Cohen Household

6

Spray tan from EuroTan

I do not have 30 minutes to lie in a tanning bed so this 2-minute process is the best!

Body Xchange Sports Club

When they see my minivan pull up, they have saltine crackers, water, and a highchair at the table before we even get to the door. I love that place—it’s the only truly family-friendly restaurant we have found in Bakersfield.

8

Beverly’s Craft Store

It’s a one-stop shop for me, which I can’t live without. It is way too hard to go to more than one store with the kids.

4

I do a 9 a.m. class every day and my kids cry every time I make them leave the kid care! My one-year-old just brought me my gym shoes this morning at 6:30.

I took it as “get your butt to the gym, Mom.”

The Bible

It’s not that I study it daily, but just last week I couldn’t figure something out and opened the Bible, “went to Church,” and boom—the answer was right there.

2

3

10

This philanthropic gal and CEO of the Cohen Household tells us what she’s just gotta have in her life.

5 Pro7ein

It’s very hard to eat enough protein a day without this supplement because my diet consist of animal cookies and Goldfish crackers.

The Wild

When it’s too hot or too cold outside, this is a great place to take your kids to let them run and jump out their energy. I could not have made it through the winter without this place!

7

Diet Dr. Pepper

This stuff is like candy to me!

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 23

Kern Facts

The Force

W

E ALL GET BY WITH a little help from our friends. So what do you do when you want to visit a different country where you have no friends? Easy—just use “the force.” No, not that force.

Here in Kern, we have a local chapter of Friendship Force International, a nonprofit organization “set up to provide the opportunity to build friendships across the boundaries of geography, culture, and language that can keep us apart.”

It’s a network of more than 350 clubs around the world.

Get the pleasure of soaking up a whole lot of culture for a little scratch!

This August, the local club is orchestrating an event that encourages grandparents and grandchildren to host grandparents and grandchildren from Germany, Japan, and Ukraine. As Sandra Larson, President of Friendship Force of Kern County, explained,

this was a chance to get children interested in Friendship Force.

“We want to make sure that the younger generation gets involved in the organization so they learn the benefits of international relationships,” she said.

If you’re interested in joining Friendship Force, the good news is that there is a lot of payoff for a little bit of work.

Once a year, all requests to be a host family or to travel abroad will be coordinated through the Friendship Force International office and dates, times, etc. will be mutually agreed upon. Then you get the pleasure of soaking up a whole lot of culture for a little scratch.

Visit ffkern.org for more information!

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K

Source: Historic y Chronology of Kern Count

L

AST ISSUE, WE TOLD YOU ABOUT The Italians of Kern County, a book that chronicles the history of Italian families in our county. We also told you it was only available online. Since we went to press, the book became available at Russo’s! If you want to read up on all that’s Italiano, head on over to our favorite local bookstore.

YTRISTA ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/IMAGESB

IS-SERIES HIGH VOLUME MAILING SYSTEMS There can only be one “Alpha” Mail. And this is it.

T ERN WAS THE FIRS ize an org COUNTY to ty-based Cowbelle un co a men Association so that wo ing ch ran could support local re the t, in 1948. Prior to tha d state were only national an . ns Cowbelle Associatio

People • Places • Events

Local

expressions “I became a poet out of knowing that I could,” says Jerrell Trulove, “as arrogant as that may sound.”

“I became a poet out of knowing that I could,” says Jerrell Trulove, “as arrogant as that may sound.” He was 21. It was 2007 and he had just attended his first open mic event in his hometown of Norman, Oklahoma. “When I got home that night, I immediately wrote my first poem.”

A few years later, he was the feature poet at the same event. “I received a standing ovation. That’s when I knew that my work was more than just an idea. I was good at it.”

With a mathematics degree from the University of Oklahoma, Trulove moved to Bakersfield in 2010.

By day he is an oil field operator assistant for Halliburton. Between 8:00 p.m. and 12 a.m. on every second Saturday, however, you can find him downtown flexing his poetic muscles at the DMC on 18th Street at O. “Being in the atmosphere of an open mic is like nothing you’ve ever experienced,” he says.

“One of the underlying themes of my poems is love and relationships,” explains Trulove, adding that his baby daughter Madisyn is his world. “Right now, I’m working on several different poems.” One of them, “The Belly of the Beast,” evokes a vision of cultural collapse and his readiness to deal with it. ...if the beast comes for me, he better mean war I have guns and ammunition stored Trulove is part of the spoken word movement for which a poem printed is only an approximation. ...whenever I hear the beast on the radio singing on one accord and I see the beast on shelves in stores, seeping through my people’s pores

I look within myself and demand more The pulse is not metrical. It is felt in the dramatic repetition of the ‘or’ sound.

there’s no time to mourn I can see the dark clouds from the upcoming storm that’s when I sound the horn and recruit anyone with a need to be reborn because choosing between life and death is not a decision that should leave you torn...

He looks forward to seeing how the piece stands up in performance. “When someone comes up to you after you’ve

By David Nigel Lloyd

performed and says that they were holding back tears because of what you’ve said on stage, it’s a feeling that can’t be paralleled.”

Poetry today is often accused of being the rarified pursuit of academics who know all the rules and the history. There is often a lot of deep thinking going on in so-called academic poetry. Sometimes, not much else.

On the other hand, spoken word (which came from hip hop, rap, and Jamaican dub) is accused of being proud to break rules it never knew in the first place. Especially the one that says you can’t put sex and obscenities in poetry. This, its detractors say, is to be ignorant of Miller, Rabelaise, Chaucer, Aristophanes and many other great writers [aka: Dead White Men] of the past 4,000 years.

Jerrell Trulove won’t get drawn into the Battle of the Poetry Divide, however. “Spoken word is primarily a black art form,” he explains. His mentors and heroes came from HBO’s highly popular Def Poetry Jam and the open mic scene of Norman. Def Poetry’s Black Ice and Daniel Beaty both produce work with powerful imagery, sharp insight, and righteousness. Jerrell Trulove has his work cut out for him.

“I know,” he laughs. “When they leave the stage you know exactly what they wanted you to know and feel.”

Trulove intends to be an engineer for Halliburton by October. Other plans include “translating” his poetry into print for a book and performing at Da Poetry Lounge in LA “as soon as time and opportunity will allow.”

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 25

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26 Bakersfield Magazine

Kern Facts HISTORY

TIDBIT

The Rescue of Lindsey B. Hicks part two

J

UST BEFORE MIDNIGHT ON DECEMBER 22, 1906, Lindsey B. Hicks was rescued after having been buried nearly 16 days under thousands of tons of earth by the caving in of the great shaft of the Edison Electric Company. This occurred at EEC’s power generating plant in Kern River Canyon about seventeen miles north of Bakersfield. This is part two of his story.

“The news spread quickly that one or more of the [trapped miners] was alive, but it was not until December 11 that definite communication was established between the buried miner and the men who now were keyed to rescue him.

On [that day], a sterilized gas pipe was driven down beside the rail of the tram to where Hicks lay.

Hicks broke his four-day PHOTO CREDIT: NY TIMES fast with milk and broth poured down the pipe... Hicks was an unknown man, without a relative, but the news of his peril and the heroic work for his rescue was telegraphed twice a day to every section of the United States.

“A tunnel was started in the shoulder of the mountain a little below and 96 feet distant from where the buried miner lay. The

the tram in four places and haul the buried man [out from] under the car.

“After 16 days of toil and care, Hicks was still beneath the car. At 11 o’clock at night, someone phoned to the engine house that Hicks was out, and Foreman Arthur Nagle sprang to the tower and turned the old fire bell loose. The crowd of thousands on the street went frantic. Newspapermen at this end of the line got in touch with the watchers at the tunnel. Society women in the residence districts were beating tin pans, out in the Kern River oil fields the great steam whistles were sounding a symphony of joy that floated into Bakersfield like the rushing of a wind in the pine trees. Dell Gamble, custodian of the town clock, was making the big bell in the tower peal off as many hours as Hicks had lain in his living tomb.

“It was a full quarter of an hour after the wild demonstration began before Hicks was out in the tunnel, and at least five minutes more before the word was shouted down from the mountain side to the man at the phone by the river and by him transmitted to Bakersfield.

“Hicks buried alive with heroic men risk-

...The Great Steam Whistles Were Sounding A Symphony Of Joy That Floated Into Bakersfield Like The Rushing Of A Wind In The Pine Trees... mouth of the new tunnel was roughly 700 feet above the river bed, and on the face of a precipice so steep that scaffolding had to be built.

“The miners worked in frequent shifts, and pick handles never cooled. The last five days the tension was extreme.

“Finally, when the tunnel was done, and the foreman of the rescue shift had shaken hands with Hicks and passed him a plug of tobacco, it was necessary to saw the rails of

ing their own lives to save him was an object of national interest. [After] Hicks’ rescue, he dropped back to his old place and importance. He was a mucker, no different from any other mucker, no better nor more interesting than any other man that may be carrying a hod or sweeping up the litter on the streets.”

Source: History of Kern County, California by Wallace M. Morgan. Historic Record Company, Los Angles, California, 1914.

Skilled Hands

Good Moves I

N 1994, TINA BARTEL WAS A POLICE OFFICER with the LAPD and sustained a back injury that left her partially paralyzed on her right side.

Bartel lives for working with her body, but suddenly couldn’t do any of the things she loved, especially karate. It wasn’t until December 1, 2008 that she stepped back into the dojo. At 61 years old, she is now a black belt in several different martial arts.

The daughter of a rodeo cowboy, Bartel grew up in Bakersfield enjoying the freedom of riding horses. It is that spirit of movement that has taken her many different directions in life.

Her study of martial arts has served to channel all that energy and physical discipline she learned coming from a long line of working stock women. When she graduated from North High in 1967 she packed her bags and

“The more advanced you get, the more humble you must learn to be.” headed for the City of Angels.

She lived everywhere from Hollywood to Santa Monica and Venice Beach, where her interest in martial arts began.

Bartel was living in Santa Monica and dancing with a modern dance company called Synapse. In the early morning, while dancing alone in the sand, she noticed she was being watched.

Later, she found out her spectator was a friend of a friend and he asked her what martial arts she studied. None, she said.

They realized the similarities in her dance form and karate and he soon had her convinced to take karate classes.

She would continue training and competing in martial arts her en-

tire time in LA until her injury.

Bartel moved back to Bakersfield in 2008 and found solidarity at Bakersfield Budo. She started slowly and began to recover movement. Here is where she fell in love with the art of Iaido, a martial art focusing on Japanese swordsmanship. “After my first lesson, I was hooked,” she said.

While many would say it’s surprising that a 61-year-old, nonJapanese woman is proficient in martial arts. Her response is, “why not?”

But it’s really Bartel’s complete immersion and total dedication that sets her apart. Her focus is undeniable as she describes the deep respect she holds for the dojo and her sensei. It is her dedication that has driven her to earn a Shodan (first degree) black belt in Kenpo Karate, a brown belt in Aikido, and Shodan black belt in Eshin-ryu Iaido. Bartel will soon be testing for her second degree black belt in Kenpo Karate.

Kata is the demonstration of forms that competitors display with the Iaido swords. Bartel was shocked when she entered a competition and her Kata earned her a first place trophy. “I was just going there to have fun!”

While she has tested very well and done well in several competitions, she says that just isn’t why she does it. When she was training in the ‘70s, she wouldn’t test for ranking and it was the bane of her teachers who begged her to.

“I don’t need a belt to tell me how good I’m training,” said Bartel. She added, laughing, “my teachers would all look at me and say ‘oh my god, how macho.’ ” For Bartel, martial arts are about training and discipline and she finds peace in that. “You’re doing it because you love to do it.” She doesn’t need to be told she is good, she needs to believe

Black Belt Martial Artist

Tina Bartel

she has trained as well as she can for herself. Her respect for martial arts is unquestionable and Bartel has found in Iaido the very serenity in physical movement that she thought was lost when she was injured so many years ago. While she jokes that she and

the older members of the Bakersfield Budo community are all going to get their cortisone shots together, she doesn’t plan on quitting anytime soon. While Bartel has become proficient in the martial arts she studies, she will always consider herself a student.

“The more advanced you get, the more humble you must learn to be.”

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 27

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28 Bakersfield Magazine

3001 Sillect Avenue | Bakersfield, CA 93308

We’re here to help.

Derek Vaughn, 29 Occupation: Sales/Marketing at Johnston Farms, Budding Entrepreneur Are you a Bakersfield Native? Yes. Is there a style product that you absolutely can’t live without?

Enjoy hair wax.

Do you think Bakersfield has a particular style?

I think that Bakersfield has its own style—definitely a shorts and flipflops kind of town.

Describe your personal style.

I would have to say Classic American.

How long does it usually take you to get ready in the morning?

I’m rolling out of bed, showering, and heading out the door in about 30 minutes...unless my girlfriend is getting ready at the same time. Then it’s about an hour or so in which I have several wardrobe changes and end up wearing what I chose in the first place.

What are your favorite places to shop in Bakersfield?

In Your Wildest Dreams, the computer at my office, my grandpa’s closet, various thrift stores around town.

What are you wearing?

The shirt is H&M, the undershirt is Ben Sherman, jeans are Levis, shoes are Clarks desert boots, the watch is Movado, and the sunglasses are RayBan Wayfarers.

Is there a celebrity or person in your life that you get your style from?

What not to wear—anything that may appear on Jersey Shore; What to wear— the classic looks of Steve McQueen and Paul Newman. All the pictures you see of them are so timeless.

Does your style change when you are not at work?

I leave the boots on the farm.

How do you personalize your ‘business’ look?

My work is a casual environment, but for business functions, I like to wear a well-tailored suit with or without a tie depending on the occasion.

I really think that every guy who needs to dress up every once in a while should find a good tailor and get on their good side.

FASHION TIP:

Find a good tailor and try to get on “their good side” Are you a bargain hound?

I can’t say no to J. Crew sale emails.

What mistakes do you think women make when they dress?

One thing a lot of women should know is that they should leave something to the imagination. Don’t let it all hang out.

What is your favorite item of clothing?

A really good fitting pair of jeans.

What is the biggest fashion mistake you have made?

Zebra print spandex! Wait, did I just admit to that? Give me a break...

I was in an ‘80s cover band.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 29

30 Bakersfield Magazine

CITIZEN KERN

Personal Stats: Name: LaQuette Milner Age: 31 Birthplace: Fontana, CA Title: Dancer; playwright; teacher; creator of Da’ Hip-Hop Wizzard of Oz

Dancing to the beat of a different drum

How she got started: The theater truly was a calling for Milner, who showed an affinity for dancing at age two. Her mother enrolled her in many dance classes but the young Milner fell in love with tap, enjoying the fact that she was able to make her own beats. As a teen, she won a best actress award for her performance as Dorothy from The Wiz—an award that covered the entire Inland Empire. She graduated high school and was accepted into the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. Shortly after, she was given her own part in Nickelodeon’s Rugrats touring production.

Her heroes: Milner is adamant that she wouldn’t be where she is today without God’s help. But for her, Michael Jackson is a real inspiration. “For what he brought to the industry...the idea of dancing in a music video— he was so unpredictable,” she said. His dedication to his craft left an impression on Milner, who added, “He was an entertainer.”

‘‘

Milner

You have to deal with a lot of “no’s” but it’s worth it to interact with the greats.

Her favorite part of the industry: “This industry is really a personality test,” Milner explained, laughing. “You have to explore a lot of yourself and make sure it’s something you want to do in order to be your best.” You have to deal with a lot of “no’s” but it’s worth it to interact with the greats. While auditioning for Chaka Khan, Khan referred to Milner as “ ‘such a blessing.’ And even then, I didn’t make it on stage,” she quipped.

‘‘

Career highlights: Before Milner’s Da’ HipHop Wizzard of Oz was showing in Beverly Hills and Hollywood, she was working on her own dancing credentials, performing choreography in front of Beyonce; being on-hold to be a back-up dancer for Missy Elliot; and even dancing for a scene in Beauty Shop. But it’s the positive feedback that Da’ Hip-Hop Wizzard of Oz, which she not only created, but wrote the music for, is garnering that has her on cloud nine.

meet

LaQuette

PHOTOS COURTESY OF VIACOM (RUGRATS); JEN KEYS (BEYONCÉ); ANGELA GEORGE (KHAN)

!

What she’d still like to accomplish: Though she runs her nonprofit dance studio, LQ’s Performing Arts Center, and wants to keep providing a space for children and families to dance, Milner wants to continue taking the Wizzard around the country. She’s gotten Converse to sponsor the show and provide ruby-covered sneakers. There is talk of making the show into a TV movie. This dynamo wears so many hats, she’s also looking into writing additional shows and finishing a second B.A.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 31

PHOTO COURTESY OF KERN COUNTY MUSEUM PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS BREWER

Danish Milk Products Delivery Man

The fabulous Pastime Theatre

BAKERSFIELD and hills was inevitable. And as automobiles became more common, so did road travel and the world’s first motel was opened in Bakersfield. But there are a few areas where we sparkled like the sequins on a flapper’s gown.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KERN COUNTY MUSEUM

32 Bakersfield Magazine

whole block. Known from Los Angeles to New York, “Theater Row” was our own little Broadway here in the Valley.

When couples weren’t prac-

Theater

The Roaring ‘20s have often been called the ultimate age of entertainment. Vaudeville and silent films were all the rage. Weekend hotspots included the Hippodrome, California Theater, the Pastime Theatre, the Nile, and so many more. The 1920s brought us even more theaters: the Elite, the Rex, and the C&S also known as

Chester Avenue looking north from 17th Street, circa 1925.

the Come and Smell (though let’s not ask why). Even the Bakersfield Community Theater began in 1927 and is still running today.

Chester Avenue alone boasted

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS BREWER

t

HE ROARING ‘20S changed the face of the bustling little oil and farming city known as Bakersfield.

Early fires and flooding had taken down most of the first structures (built in the late 1800s), leaving room to redesign many of the streets of downtown. Bakersfield rebuilt, as she always does. But she did so in the midst of some huge milestones for our country and our state.

Our sporting events garnered national attention. Aviation took hold and the world’s first countyowned airport was born. Prohibition brought on notoriety here as bootlegging in the farmlands

& THE ROARING

The Cuneo brothers hawking the big shows in their Wigwam Theater on Sumner Street.

six theaters and was known as “Theater Row.” It was the centerpiece for an entertainment district that was littered with

ticing the Charleston, a date night in 1923 may have taken you to the Bakersfield Theater to see the comic opera, H.M.S.

The 20s were considered the ultimate age of enlightment theaters, movie houses, and vaudeville. Bright, blinking marquee lights lit up the night sky. It was said the 500 lights on the exterior of the Bakersfield Opera House (which later became the Nile) illuminated the

Pinafore, a story about a “Lass That Loved a Sailor.” Or perhaps it was 1929 and you and your squeeze “pack hip” with a full house at the Hippodrome to see Fox Films’ very first alltalking, feature length farce, The

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHRIS BREWER

The ever popular Rex Theater

‘20s

1919 Cotton Festival princesses

Ghost Talks starring the lovely Helen Twelvetree and Charles Eaton. The ‘20s were made for going out and about in style and Bakersfield was no exception.

state football titles. The team was the pride of the city and according to an article from The Bakersfield Californian at the time, “the powerful Bakersfield gridmachines were feared throughGolden Age of out the entire West.” While the Football world experienced sports’ goldBetween 1920 and 1923, the en age (cheering on the likes of Bakersfield High School Drillers Babe Ruth, Walter Hagen, and brought home four consecutive

Bobby Jones), these leatherheads brought about what has been called Bakersfield’s own “golden age” of sports.

becoming more and more important. Kern County was at the heart of it thanks to the amount of land we had. The Kern County Airport was the very first A New Airport county-owned airport in the It’s a bird! It’s a plane! Actu- world. By 1927, it spanned 160 ally it is a plane. The ‘20s were acres and three commercial a decade when aviation was

Slangsomething 920s ha 1 r e h t O d y! An was “cool”...rather, one would favebucalolleusddecade. s t o T y s t o H ’t say something slang from this

*

her swingin’ ‘20s, one didn ck out some ot In the Roaring he C ” s. e e n k ers — expletive “the bee’s Horsefeath / Cat’s meow in to “shucks” g s — something ak s a ou m ne ro ja er a tsy — cool, pleasin — p t s e t’ Ca All w w” Hotsy-to eo m s e e t’s re c ca ag e y la th gl e t’s on o ha I str sh cool, terrific, e.g. “T And how — Iron one’s expletive akin ck? — Kiss now — e e h m c c oo u r str o re sa e le th sh Ca App — go to — speakeasy r? te la or to “shucks” Juice joint n e up d d se o es o m , prude w , ed y us n nf a co — rundy — prig ’t take G n . o rs D Balled up M g, in n’t do anything e on the sed — no kiss nickels — Do Bank’s clo “Now you’r d” se clo ’s nk ba e th Now you’ve got it, e.g. “Sorry buddy, trolley!” — rl stupid gi ry r fie e or h d de is u loo g t-b Fire extin Bearcat — ho now you’re right! g the police ms — chatter u g ’s e e n on o e lam — fleein er t ap th ch — n Bea O ; , te ol da co g dumb, borin s — something d — drunk; also Flat tire — a Bee’s knee Spifflicate g s” ra ee le, kn s ck e’ pi be ll, e pi th embalmed, fried to a.k.a. drag, oilcan, terrific, e.g. “That’s ing canned, corked, go t ge , — od go n o ng hi le et ossified, owled, m Get a wigg Berries — so the hat, jazzed, lit, l !” ho es co rri al be — e r th ed, scrooched, te t’s tered, potted, prim Giggle wa as pleasing, e.g. “Tha pl r a prude Gin mill — ba Bluenose — tanked, zozzled of ss cla l — back seat cia so engagement ring e — th — ff u ie c is d o n ggle buggy b a o u H tr Bo S r ca ng zli — a gas-guz eheads tic liaisons Hayburner “boobs,” or knuckl of a car, for roman ed , ck ol ki co — ng tti e ge v — ji e — That’s funny Hip to the Bum’s rush You slay m ment trendy out of an establish me a cigarette” ive “G — e m tt Bu www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 33

Prohibition

PHOTO COURTESY OF KERN COUNTY MUSEUM

Moonshine, hooch, white liquor, white lighting, home brew, and mountain dew. Whatever you call it, it was a statement of defiance against the addition of the 18th Amendment, which began with the halt on all sales of hard liquor June 1,

their customers in Los Angeles.

Possibly one of the most wellknown of the valley bootleggers was Thomas Wrinkle, whose deadly shootout with Federal Prohibition Officers, including Bakersfield-based agent Maurice Tice, was front page news.

Prohibition also brought about the term “revenuers.” Revenuers were the Prohibition agents that enforced the anti-booze laws, and were so nicknamed for the revenue they brought in for the local government in fines. A 1928 article in the Californian announced that the City of Bakersfield collected $22,275 in fines for illegal possession, sale,

Jackie Coogan, early vaudeville child actor, kept them coming back for more.

its doors in 1926 and was completed at a cost of $450,000. It was shortly followed by the historic Padre Hotel which opened April 28, 1928. The Padre cost a whopping $800,000 to build and outfit with all the luxuries it became known for.

A Californian article published on the day the Padre opened called the hotel, “a regally appointed palace dediPHOTO COURTESY OF KERN COUNTY LIBRARY

airlines ran daily flights to Los Angeles. The Kern County Airport even hosted three schools of aviation for pilots to become licensed. And, in 1928, the mail express carrier made its very first delivery from Kern County, forever changing the speed of mail in and out of Bakersfield.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KERN COUNTY LIBRARY

the Roaring ‘20s

One of Bakersfield’s early supermarkets, Golden Rule Market, featured fresh and cured meats.

and transportation of liquor in 1927. That’s a whole lot of hooch!

Hotel, Motel

The completion of the Kern Canyon Highway and the paving of the road from Bakersfield to the Grapevine brought about PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS BREWER

1919. On January 17, 1920, all bars and saloons across the nation were closed. It inspired the “business” of backwoods booze to be made right here in Kern County. More specifically, it was made mostly in the inconspicuous mining town of

Redlick’s Department Store was a favorite shopping destination in early Bakersfield.

Boron. Muroc Dry Lake was the perfect hiding place for the series of underground stills that the bootleggers used to supply 34 Bakersfield Magazine

a new form of automobile tourism and created the opportunity to open new hotels here in Bakersfield. El Tejon Hotel opened

The Kern County Library, early 1920s.

cated to comfort and pleasure.”

It was a romantic ode to the history of California and considered a milestone in the city’s progress. The Padre’s décor and interior design was poured over and praised again and again in the papers and was referred to as “the finest hotel west of the Rockies.” The Spanish Renaissance style building brought visitors from all over and changed the Bakersfield skyline forever.

The next year, 1929, marked the completion of the Bakers-

field Inn. It was a triumph of hostelry in Kern County and inspired a truly American style of travel lodging. The Bakersfield Inn was not only the world’s largest, but the world’s first motel. The owners are even credited with creating the word “motel.” Garnering attention nation-wide, the Bakersfield Inn was a landmark in Bakersfield. The memory of the motel is forever preserved in the “Bakersfield” archway that now resides on Buck Owens Blvd. The sign was actually built as a walkway between the two towers of the Inn and extended across Union Ave. The 1920s were pivotal to the growth of Bakersfield. Our accomplishments that decade shined a bright spotlight on all that was good about this area and brought us national attention. Residents and guests were basking under the bright lights of countless theaters and, with bootlegged liquor, it seemed like the good times would never end. Of course, there were a few curves around the bend, but we recovered. After all, the ‘20s brought us the age of entertainment, rebellion, and progress and Bakersfield was a part of it all. If we as a city could get through that, we could get through anything. Even if it meant doing the Charleston to dance our troubles away. v

R I S K T A K E R S

Play. Eat. Drink.

A

(Repeat)

t any given moment on a typical “dog day afternoon” of August, thousands of Kern County residents are ready to relax, unwind, and crack open a cold one.

And in this era of designer coffees, smart phones, and imported water, many Golden Empire beer aficionados are looking for something that will do more than just quench their thirst. They’re looking for something flavorful; something they can relish.

That’s the promise of the Kern River Brewing Company, a fast-growing microbrewery and restaurant (aka, a “brewpub”) in Kernville that’s offering visitors to this quaint hamlet on the Kern River a place to “Play, Eat, Drink, Repeat.”

“People really want to treat themselves when they’re sitting down to have a beer,” says Eric Giddens, who opened Kern River Brewing Company in 2006 along with his wife, Rebecca, and Kyle Smith, resident brew master. “Most people coming through our doors have had a very active day. Our local customers have put in a full day at work and the tourists have just spent the day hiking, white-water rafting, skiing, kayaking— just about any outdoor activity you can think of—and they’re

By Tracie Grimes

ready for relaxation and enjoyment. They aren’t looking for something they can just slam down; they want a beer they can savor. Our brews and fresh, simple ‘pub-style’ food fit the bill.

We fit a real need up here.”

Kernville was the perfect spot to open a comfortable >>

Risktakers Eric Giddens (Ph.D., president) and Kyle Smith (master of brewing) of the fabulous Kern River Brewing Company.

PHOTOS COURTESY KERN RIVER BREWING CO.

“Knowing what your risks are, which risks are worth taking, and what you might lose is the key to success in business and in life.” –Eric Giddens www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 35

place where locals and visitors could feel at home, sit, and sip flavorful brews, agrees Smith.

Smith, a Kernville native, saw firsthand how the Kern Valley area would easily swell from a population of 15,000 to between 20,000 and 40,000 on the weekends. It was the perfect place for an establishment offering simple yet tasty food, entertainment, and brews that couldn’t be found anywhere else.

“I spent a lot of time traveling and visiting brewpubs and I just knew that Kernville needed a small brewpub,” Smith adds.

He believed there was a bright future for a brewpub in Kernville, and having spent the past 10 years experimenting with different flavors and developing his own unique style of brewing, he found he had a passion for brewing and a love of craft beer. He began thinking about turning his hobby into a business, but was leery of leaving his job with the Forest Service. “I knew that once I gave up my job there was no going back.”

A chance meeting started the three entrepreneurs on their path to success.

“We were friends with Kyle’s dad, Bill, and one night we were sitting around talking,” Giddens explains, “and we happened to mention that we were thinking about moving up to Kernville and possibly opening a restaurant or something, when he said, ‘Oh, you’ve gotta meet my son Kyle. He lives in Kernville and he makes great beer.’ ” The Giddens, who were living in San Diego at the time, thought “Why not?”

“Rebecca and I were looking to start the next chapter in our life,” Giddens, who holds a Ph.D. in Oceanography from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, explains. “I was working in my field and Rebecca had decided to ‘retire’ from kayaking competitions [Rebecca is a 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist; 2002 World Champion; a National Champion many times over; and a US Team member].

Rebecca had done a lot of training up in Kernville and we really loved the area, so we started investigating ways that would allow us to move there and financially support ourselves.”

So the Giddens, who knew nothing about beer except the fact that they liked to consume it, went up to Kernville to sit with Smith and try a few of his brews. “Bill was right,” Giddens exclaims, recalling the relaxing evening they spent sampling Smith's handiwork. “Kyle knew how to brew great beer!”

***NEWSFLASH*** Kern River Brewing just won a gold medal at the San Diego International Beer Festival for their Just Outstanding IPA! It was then the trio knew they had hit on their recipe for success.

They would open a brewpub. It was a gamble, but the trio found each had qualities that complimented the other: Smith had a gift for brewing great craft beer; the Giddens knew how to tackle the intricacies of running a business. It was a stout dream, but it was a risk they felt was worth taking.

Raising the seed money they needed to get started was their first challenge, and the three partners had to get creative with financing.

“We financed the brewery through a combination of an SBA Loan, the sale of our house in San Diego, and the owner of the property carrying paper on the building,” Giddens explains. “We had a lot of debt and were starting a restaurant/brewery from scratch—it was pretty nerve-racking. I remember doing some work in QuickBooks one 36 Bakersfield Magazine

PHOTOS COURTESY KERN RIVER BREWING CO.

Risktakers­

(Above) Checking the progress of a brew. (Right) Rebecca Giddens (brown shirt) offers up KRBC samples at Village Fest.

day and seeing all the numbers in red. I thought, “Wow. If everyone cashes their checks today we are going to be in trouble!”

They looked for ways to save money and quickly saw that one way was to act as their own general contractors. This proved to be not only good for the bottom line, but an introduction to the community resembling something along the lines of an old-fashioned barn-raising.

“We were on site doing a lot of the work ourselves and noticed that a lot of locals would come by and want to hang around...chat... have a beer. We loved it, but we made a rule that if you want to hang out for more than five minutes, you have to do some work,” Giddens laughs. “It was great! People kept coming by, helping us. We could already see we were fitting a real need in the community. People just wanted a place ‘where everybody knows your name.’ ” Construction was completed, the new equipment was installed, and it was time to dip their toes in the water. A “soft” opening was held for the community, with KRBC offering free beer and food to anybody who helped hammer a nail or run a calk line.

“It turned out to be a great way to test the ‘waters,’ ” Giddens recalls. “We had a huge crowd that night and were able to work out a few kinks. It was great that we could mess up and people would still come back for more.”

With the soft opening under their belts and the kinks worked out, it was time to jump in the pool. The butterflies in Gidden’s stomach felt more like pterodactyls.

“We had been so focused on opening the doors that it didn’t really dawn on us until the last minute that after the doors were open we would have to actually run the place,” he says.

Gidden’s “cold feet” experience soon gave way to a sigh of relief because practically from the moment they flipped the sign on the door to “OPEN,” business was booming. Just six months after they opened they had to expand.

Five years later, KRBC is still a hoppin’ place. The restaurant is now serving an average of 2,000 patrons a week and they’ve been brewing at capacity (and they’ve had to expand their brewing capacity) since they opened.

Smith's array of craft beer is probably the biggest source of KRBC’s need for expansion. The popularity of his special recipes for English-style malts, imperial stouts, ale aged in bourbon barrels, Belgium-style wheat beers, and seasonal brews has grown by

leaps and bounds. And Smith's craft beers have made quite a splash not only in Kernville, but in Southern California as well. Specialty brews (all with names that have a local flair) such as Isabella Blonde, Sequoia Red, Class V Stout, and Just Outstanding IPA can not only be found on tap at KRBC, but in specialty liquor stores across Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties.

Each launching of a new brew gathers such a following that growth continues at an amazing rate, Giddens says. “We’ve definitely found our niche when it comes to brewing craft beer,” he adds, noting that they’re starting to see people from San Diego who’ve driven up just to sample KRBC fare. “That’s quite a testament; people driving that windy road all the way from San Diego just to check us out.”

Word-of-mouth advertising has always been the main tool in KRBC’s marketing belt, and they haven’t needed to spend big bucks on advertising. “Our theory is to make everyone who comes in feel welcome, and then hopefully they will tell a friend—or even a stranger,” Giddens explains, adding that they have tapped into Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail to promote their “beer and schwag.”

“We’ve actually gotten busier each year, even in these times of recession,” he notes.

While they’ve enjoyed their growth and success, Giddens is quick to point out that they didn’t get into this business just for money.

“We’ve asked ourselves on more than one occasion, ‘Do we keep trying to grow?’ After all, this whole business started out because we wanted a lifestyle change, so how much of our living do we want to give up?” Giddens points out. “One of the really cool parts of it [owning/operating the Kern River Brewing Company] is that it’s not a corporate thing. It’s family. A lot of our employees have been with

The fine selection of beers (with creative names!) brewed at Kern River Brewing Co.

us since we opened. Kyle, his wife Michelle, their daughter Emma [13]– they’re our family. This is what Rebecca and I were looking for as we decided on a lifestyle change. And now our daughter, Maggie [born in June], will have a huge extended family to grow up with. For all the headaches we’ve endured and have yet to endure, we really have built a place where everybody knows your name.”

Knowing what your risks are, which risks are worth taking, and what you might lose is the key to success in business and in life, Giddens emphasizes. “Sure, our risks were financial, but we looked at what was really important to us and realized that the reward of living our chosen lifestyle was worth the risk of losing a few dollars.” v

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8

“I

have complete confidence in the Bank’s leadership.”

Tom Berry, dds Sole practitioner, Dr. Tom Berry, has served the dental needs of his clients for 24 years.

He leads a staff of eight while providing general dentistry and orthodontic services for his patients, many of whom have been patients since he first opened his doors. Dr. Berry values these relationships, just as he values the relationships he has at Valley Republic Bank. “I have known several of the officers at Valley Republic Bank for a number of years,” says Dr. Berry. “When they opened VRB, I had so much confidence in their talent and expertise in banking, I had no hesitation in moving my business to Valley Republic.

Their level of service proved as vital as the Bank’s expertise.”

5000 California Ave, Suite 110, Bakersfield, CA 93309 | 661.371.2000 valleyrepublicbank.com 38 Bakersfield Magazine

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 39

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QUALITY CARE CLOSE TO HOME 40 Bakersfield Magazine

Sizzlin’ Singles Craziest thing on your Bucket List:

To be a father one day in the not-so-near future. Two of me on this planet; things could get a little crazy.

If we gave you $100 to spend on a date, how would you spend it?

I would put together a scavenger hunt with notes and gifts that would ultimately lead to me.

Best part of being single:

I don’t have to share my German Chocolate Cake with anyone else.

The best prank you’ve ever pulled is:

I loved pranking my stepmom.

I put baby powder in her hair dryer once, and when she turned it on it went all over her and her bathroom.

They’re successful, fun-loving, community-minded, and single because they choose to be. They’re outspoken, witty, opinionated, and have a lot to say...

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 41

Sizzlin’ Singles

THE BACHELORS WILSON ROSE, 28

Occupation: Oilfield Operator/Search and Rescue Diver. Favorite ice cream: Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food. Covers all the bases. Craziest thing on Bucket List: Skin diving in Panama. Personal motto: “Sounds wild...let’s try it.” Best gift you’ve received: My parents gave me my first surfboard when I was 13.

Song to “bust a move” to: I’m not very good at “busting a move.” Best piece of advice you’ve received: “Try everything once but don’t eat the yellow snow!”

Thank you, Pop.

EGAN GOST, 38

JOHN BARKER, 41

TYSON AARON BAGLEY, 25

Occupation: Construction/Youth Baseball Coach. Hidden talent: I can do a mean Michael Jackson, as well as sing some Johnny Cash. What couldn’t we pay you to eat?

Rattlesnake. They say it tastes like chicken but it was the nastiest thing I have ever tried in my life. Never again. Song to “bust a move” to: “Here Comes the Hotstepper”

by Ini Kamoze. Best gift you’ve ever received: My first baseball glove.

Occupation: Managing General Partner and Chief Operating Officer. Best part of being single: Being able to leave the toilet seat up 24/7. Craziest thing on Bucket List: Be in two places at once. If we gave you $100 to spend on a date: Bath & Body Works gift basket for her and dinner.

Personal motto: Get busy living or get busy dying.

42 Bakersfield Magazine

Occupation: Manager, Vons Marketplace & Owner of Pacific Surplus. Hidden talent: I’m a virtual Map Quest. Best prank pulled: We tattooed a friend with permanent ink after he passed out at a party. What is your DVR set to record? Pawn Stars, The Office, The History Channel. Trade places with anyone? Hugh Hefner. It’s obvious. Craziest thing on Bucket List: To kite surf the bore tide in Alaska.

MICHAEL PARENT, 41

TRAVIS THURMAN, 31

Occupation: Veterinarian. Craziest thing on Bucket List: Heliskiing in Alaska. iPad, Kindle, or good ol’ book? I’d take a Louis L’Amour western book over the others for sure! Favorite YouTube video? The “fruit cake lady” rules. Current Facebook status? Don’t have a Facebook page. I know... I know. Trade places with anyone? Elvis. I want to be the King for a day.

Occupation: Attorney. Favorite YouTube video: What the hell is YouTube?

Best-kept secret in Bakersfield: The burgers at Champs BBQ. Craziest thing on Bucket List: I want to ride a bull. If we gave you $100 to spend on a date: I would use it for beer and gas. And drive to the mountains for a sunset on my tailgate.

These sharp-dressed men are smart, funny, and willing to help out a good cause. Not only have they shared a lot about themselves with us, but they’ll be strutting their stuff onstage at this year’s Boots and Bachelors Auction. Visit our website for more bachelors and the complete questionnaires!

PATRICK PIANEZZA, 30

LARRY L. FIELDS, 52

Occupation: Attorney. iPad, Kindle, or good ol’ book? Old-fashioned book guy. And I take paper with my news. Favorite YouTube video: I get all my YouTube from Tosh.0. Best prank pulled: I bet Ralph Bailey on a boxing match that, unbeknownst to him, was prerecorded. I doubled the bet right before his guy lost. Best piece of advice you’ve ever received: Stay in school, because you got nothin’ else going for ya.

BRANDON RANDAZZO, 36

Occupation: Promotions Director/ DJ. Favorite YouTube video: “Bear jump off a trampoline” is a classic! If we gave you $100 to spend on a date: I’d tell her she has her choice of two items off the dollar menu while I pocket the other $98. Kidding! Song to “bust a move” to: Heavy D “Now That We Found Love” is one of my favorites.

Occupation: Manager of Service Excellence at SJCH. Best part of being single: The TV remote is all mine! What couldn’t we pay you to eat? Horseradish. Craziest thing on Bucket List: I want to dive the Great Barrier Reef. Hidden talent: I’m a gourmet cook. If we gave you $100 to spend on a date: I would put together a scavenger hunt with notes and gifts that would ultimately lead to me.

HENK GRIFFIN, 35 DON-PAUL KEITH, 32

Occupation: Deputy Sheriff. Current Facebook status: Do not iron clothes without wearing clothes. What is your DVR set to record? I’m all about Netflix. Best part of being single: You can argue with yourself, but in the end you know you are always right. Trade places with anyone? My grandfather.

I really want to see what heaven is like. Or maybe Justin Bieber—not sure on that one. Ha!

MICHAEL THURMAN, 30

Occupation: Orthodontist. What couldn’t we pay you to eat? I’ll eat anything. Favorite YouTube video: “David after dentist.” Craziest thing on Bucket List: Base jumping. Personal motto: Don’t dream your life, live your dream. What is the best gift you’ve ever received? Roundtrip plane ticket to Europe.

PHOTOS BY SOLORZANO PHOTOGRAPHY

Occupation: Farmer. Song to “bust a move” to: I don’t “bust” enough “moves” to have a favorite genre. Trade places with anyone? I wouldn’t mind being Zorro. He is a good horseman, knows his way around sharp objects, is not afraid of confrontations, he’s mysterious, and the ladies like him...a lot. iPad, Kindle, or good ol’ book? Still the book. If the cliches about people toting iPads or Kindles subside, I may very well get one.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 43

Sizzlin’ Singles

THE BACHELORETTES CHRISTINA PEREZ, 37

Occupation: College Admissions Advisor.

Best piece of advice you’ve ever received: “Go to college and get a degree!”

Thanks, Mom and Dad! If we gave you $100 to spend on a date: Sushi if I’m going out for the date. However, if my date is someone I’m really interested in, I would rather enjoy a more intimate setting at home with a bottle wine, pita bread, and hummus from Café Med!

AMBER LAWRENCE, 55

CATALINA MANZANO, 39

GEORGIA MANNING, 38

Occupation: Registered Nurse. Best piece of advice you’ve ever received: “Well behaved women rarely make history.” Favorite ice cream: Vanilla, because you can add just about anything to it and it’s still good. Hidden talent: I’m exploring one right now...belly dancing. Best-kept secret in Bakersfield: It must still be a secret because I don’t know it.

Occupation: Administrative Assistant. Best part of being single: I don’t have to share my German Chocolate Cake with anyone else. Best prank pulled:...the one for which I was never caught. Hidden talent? I’m sure I do...if I can just remember where I hid it. Favorite ice cream? Chocolate.

Why? You want to know why a woman prefers chocolate? Really? Bestkept secret in Bakersfield: Bakersfield has secrets? I’m all ears!

44 Bakersfield Magazine

Occupation: Attorney. Hidden talent: I have a pretty good golf game. What couldn’t we pay you to eat? Uni. Trade places with anyone? Princess Katherine. She’s beautiful, smart, powerful, has the capacity to effect change in this world, she has a great wardrobe, and she is married to Wills! Craziest thing on Bucket List: To live in a cottage in Italy for a period of time long enough to grow a garden and write a book.

ARIANNE NEWMAN, 32

ALICIA LOCKHART, 24

Occupation: Financial Analyst. iPad, Kindle, or good ol’ book?

Regular book! I drop my Blackberry at least twice a day. An iPad or Kindle wouldn’t stand a chance.

Song to “bust a move” to: Saltn-Pepa “Push It.” It’s catchy, everybody knows the chorus, and you cannot ignore the fabulous ‘90s dance moves. Best-kept secret in Bakersfield: I am a huge Plumberry’s fan—any place that offers cheesy garlic bread as a side is awesome in my book.

Occupation: Teacher. What couldn’t we pay you to eat? Frogs and snakes are two things nobody could pay me to eat, probably because I am scared of both. Best-kept secret in Bakersfield: The Nines Restaurant at the Marriott. Favorite YouTube video: One of my many favorites would have to be “Charlie bit my finger” because it reminds me of something my nephews would have done at that age. Current Facebook status: “Oh, what a night!!!”

This year’s group of bachelorettes is top-drawer! They’re all successful, intelligent women who have put their careers, friends, and family at the top of their impressive to-do lists. While they might be looking for romance, they want more than just someone to “put a ring on it.”

JESSICA ISIDORO, 24

CAROLINE E. THOMPSON, 50

Occupation: Senior Account Executive. Craziest thing on Bucket List: To stand on the stage at the Crystal Palace and sing with a band. Personal motto: “What he don’t know, won’t hurt me.” If we gave you $100 to spend on a date: Put it toward a full day of fun. There is so much in Kern County! Gas to drive to Lake Isabella, CALM, movies, it all goes into the kitty to have fun.

LAURA SMITH, 42 ALANNA ROLOW, 29

Occupation: Program Manager. Bestkept secret in Bakersfield: Pappy’s Coffee Shop. I love it there. Favorite YouTube video: Anything with babies laughing. They get me every time! Trade places with anyone? Wouldn’t trade with a soul. What is your DVR set to record? Pretty much every cooking show possible and the show Swamp People.

Hidden talent: Pro sprinkler fixer.

Occupation: Ophthalmology Technician.

Trade places with anyone? Angelina Jolie. She is my favorite bad girl who doesn’t have many fears. Favorite ice cream: Rocky Road—the gooey marshmallows and nuts.

Hidden talents: Yes, and I keep them hidden.

What couldn’t we pay you to eat? Squid.

Occupation: Patient Care Technician. Craziest thing on Bucket List: Zip lining. That would be crazy fun! I love adrenaline rushes. What couldn’t we pay you to eat? Marshmallows! Yuck! Best prank pulled: My best friend and I were mad for a while and to get her to talk to me again, I said I was pregnant. Hidden talent: Don’t know yet. It’s well hidden.

PHOTOS BY SOLORZANO PHOTOGRAPHY

SACHA LINCOLN, 28

Occupation: Area Document Controller. What couldn’t we pay you to eat?

Mushrooms! The thought of purposely putting a fungus in my mouth just doesn’t sound appetizing! Best gift you’ve ever received: An inflatable boyfriend. One year for Christmas, my mom put ‘George, the incredible growing boyfriend’ in my stocking...definitely a memorable gift. Favorite YouTube video: “Jessica’s Daily Affirmation.” If you need a pick-me-up, this is a must-see!

It’s adorable and silly and yet still inspiring after watching it countless times!

ALICE HUANG, 36

Occupation: Information Specialist. Favorite YouTube video: The “Sneezing Baby Panda.” What couldn’t we pay you to eat? Snake meat. Best piece of advice you’ve received: Go with your heart and trust your instincts.

Best-kept secret in Bakersfield: Miyoshi’s fresh wasabi. Best prank pulled: If I shared it with you then I won’t be able to pull the prank again.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 45

Sizzlin’ Singles

THE REAL DEAL Our cup runneth over with awesome singles this year so, as you can imagine, we had a lot of amazing answers to find a place for. They found a home here. And check out our website for even more singles fun.

If you could trade places with anyone (living or dead), who would it be and why?

Princess Diana. I admire her philanthropic work and she had a special gift – the ability to touch others’ hearts. And, of course, so I can say I’m a princess. –Alice Huang No one! They would end up with my stuff! –Amber Lawrence

General Ulysses S. Grant. By his own admission, he got all the best cigars.

–Larry L. Fields

What is the best gift you’ve ever received?

Craziest thing on your Bucket List:

I love bucket lists! The craziest and the most random item on my list is to see the Maverick Waves in Half Moon Bay. The waves are only super huge during late January to early March, and I have not yet been able to catch this wonder.

–Kory Izard When I grow up, I would really like to do the Lewis & Clark trail. I don’t think I can do what those men did, but following in their footsteps would be an honorable experience. Cape Buffalo in Tanzania, Peacock Bass in Brazil, and Black Marlin on the Great Barrier Reef are also on that list somewhere.

–Henk Griffin

Every year at Christmas, my brother and I get the Italian National Team’s track suit from our grandparents.

It’s become a tradition and it’s pretty awesome.

–Patrick Pianezza A girl I was dating dressed up in a Playboy Bunny outfit and surprised me on Easter.

–Egan Gost My brother got me a complete car detail for Christmas last year; it felt like I got a brand new car!

–Alanna Rolow

iPad, Kindle, or good ol’ book?

Definitely Kindle, because I don’t have one. I dropped so many clues to both of my sons this last Christmas.

–Billie Sue Records iPad is too awesome, although I kick it old school with a good book from time to time.

–Brandon Randazzo None. After college, I don’t think I can handle reading unless it’s Sports Illustrated or MLB news.

–Tyson Aaron Bagley

What couldn’t we pay you to eat?

Craziest thing on my Bucket List?

I’d like to zip-line through the rainforest in Costa Rica.

–Arianne Newman 46 Bakersfield Magazine

Tofu. –Michael Parent Kimchi, a dish consisting of fermented cabbage and various other vegetables –Wilson Rose Pay me to eat? I’ll quit my day job! –Andrea Martinez

Want more “singlespeak”?

Find more singles and all the Q&As at

BakersfieldMagazine.net

If we gave you $100 to spend on a date, how would you spend it?

On her, duh! I would take her to dinner. Depending on how dinner went (if it was bad, then I would end the date) then I would take her to a casual bar where we could continue to get to know each other.

–Justin Hodges

Picnic, bowling, and, to ensure all funds were spent, a jazz bar.

–Dicky Mulyana

The best prank you’ve ever pulled is: I’ve pulled many!

But if I explained them, people would find out it was me.

–Laura Smith I loved pranking my stepmom.

I put baby powder in her hair dryer once, and when she turned it on it went all over her and her bathroom. I ruined her hair dryer and my dad grounded me, but seeing her covered in baby powder was so worth it.

–Alicia Lockhart Too gross to even discuss.

–Travis Thurman

What is your DVR set to record?

Obsessed and House.

–Jessica Isidoro No DVR. I figure it will keep me sucked in for hours of viewing when I’d rather be with people I enjoy interacting with.

–Christina Perez

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.

–Michael Thurman

What’s your favorite song to “bust a move” to?

“The Cupid Shuffle.”

Everyone can do this dance and everyone always has fun doing it! Cuttin’ a rug is my cure-all. If I’m not at work or at home, I’m on the dance floor... or dancing around my apartment with high-heels on (just to feel glamorous!).

–Sacha Lincoln “The Right Stuff” by New Kids on the Block. (Shh...don’t tell).

–Caroline E. Thompson “Yeah” by Usher. Anything that has a good beat works for me.

–Don-Paul Keith

PHOTOS BY SOLORZANO PHOTOGRAPHY

You couldn’t pay me to eat...

Any sort of insect!

–Georgia Manning www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 47

Sizzlin’ Singles

WHERE’S THE LOVE?

We all know Bakersfield is a big “little” city with friendly faces everywhere. But if you’re single, get ready to mingle because here are 15 hot places to discover a new friend...and maybe even a little romance.

FARMERS’ MARKETS

DAVID MONNIAUX (CONCERTS PHOTO), ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM JASMINE(FARMERS MARKET),MANGOSTOCK (VOLUNTEERING), STICKYTOFFEEPUDDING (ART MUSEUM), ANDRESR (VOLLEYBALL), IKPGFOTO (BOWLING), SCOVOPHOTO (DOG PARK), YANLEV (RUNNERS), MARJE (BIKE PATH), LISE GAGNE (DAGNEY’S), LISAFX (SEMI-PRO), WEBPHOTOGRAPHEER (IMBIBE), DIGITALPROSHOTS (ROCKWELL’S)

Pick fresh produce and new friends. There are a number of seasonal markets this time of year, but hit up Golden State Mall from 8 a.m. to Noon on Saturdays year round. kernfarmersmarkets.com

BOWL-O-RAMA

VOLUNTEERING

Working together to help other people feels great. Meet a wide variety of local folks and fellow philanthropists at places like the Bakersfield Homeless Center while paying it forward ...and getting digits?

1600 E. Truxtun Ave., 322-9199

DOG PARKS

Roll ‘em in the dark. Extreme Bowling at AMF Southwest (3610 Wible Road, 834-2695) & Westchester (1819 30th Street, 324-4966), Fridays and Saturdays, 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Cosmic Bowling at Regency Bowling Center (818 Real Road, 325-6428), Fridays and Saturdays, 9:30-11:30 p.m. and Sundays 9 p.m.-12 a.m.

Fido can fetch the ball and you can fetch a date at these primo parks with leash-free zones.

Try Centennial Park, Wilson Park, Kroll Dog Park, or University Park. bakersfieldparks.us

DAGNY’S

SEMI-PRO SPORTS

With live music Wednesday and Saturday nights, you’ll have an excuse to linger and mingle over a socially-responsible cup of (local) Covenant coffee, tea, or any fine beverage while meeting artsy locals.

1600 20th St., 634-0806. dagnyscoffee.com

48 Bakersfield Magazine

Shake giant foam hands with a new friend and meet fans of all ages at Condors (bakersfieldcondors.com), Jam (nba.com/ dleague/bakersfield), and Blaze (web.minorleaguebaseball.com) games. Pick your sport and cheer hard.

BAKERSFIELD MUSEUM OF ART

Break the ice by asking to borrow a brush at one of numerous art classes offered.

Or take advantage of “third Fridays” when admission to the museum is free.

1930 R St., 323-7219

HASH HOUSE HARRIERS

Join these “drinkers with a running problem” every Monday at 6:30 p.m. for group runs that require working together to stay on the trail and finish all the PBR. Call 633-3597 for location of next run. bhhh.org

IMBIBE ON FUN

Sip and swirl with fellow singles at Friday Flight wine tastings.

Learn something new about vino with a new type of wine tasted each week.

4140 Truxtun Ave. imbibewine.com

DOWNTOWN

Discover new people as you explore eateries, art, music, and fun on First Fridays (Downtown Arts District: 19th and 20th streets, 6 to 8 p.m.) or check out the revitalized Mill Creek area on Third Thursdays. bakersfielddba.net. 325-5892

BIKE PATH

VOLLEYBALL LESSONS

Bump, set, and spike with sand volleyball classes at the Kern River Parkway. Perfect your game with an experienced coach...oh, and work on your volleyball skills, too. Classes are in May, Mondays & Thursdays, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

CONCERTS

BY THE FOUNTAIN

Kern River Parkway Trail is a 32-mile long paved pathway alongside the river crawlin’ with local folks and amenities. Grab a bike or your running shoes and look for fellow outdoor enthusiasts. bakersfieldcity.us/recreation/ kern_river_parkway.htm

Local bands take center stage every Thursday from 7-9 p.m. at The Marketplace from June through August.

It’s the perfect spot to meet locals and the mood helps you segue nicely into a first date. 9000 Ming Ave. themarketplacebakersfield.com

LUNCH AT LUIGI’S

ROCKWELL’S TROUT’S

With a new backyard bar and seating, it’s a local’s paradise.

Grab a drink and any of the classic Italian dishes on the menu and catch up with an old friend (man, they look good!).

725 E. 19 St., 322-0926. shopluigis.com

& THE BLACKBOARD STAGES

You won’t step on his or her toes learning to move on the dance floor. Country line dancing lessons are Tuesday-Friday at 6:30 p.m. Live music and karaoke every night of the week!

805 N. Chester, 399-6700. troutsblackboard.com

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World Famous Crystal Palace Get your tickets early to join the fun at the 11th Annual Boots & Bachelors Auction benefiting the Bakersfield Homeless Center. The evening will feature 18 of Bakersfield’s most eligible bachelors, great food, a no-host bar and a fabulous live and silent auction! So come on and join us at this year’s Boots & Bachelor Auction!

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kernbachelors.com • facebook.com/bakersfieldbachelorauction www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 49

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HUMAN RESOURCES ❖

If you’re free, single, and love scorned mate will sabotage a forto mingle, you might be tempted mer lover’s work or professional to do your mingling at work. If so, reputation.” you’re not alone. In its 2011 anI can’t stop loving you. Emnual office romance survey, Caployers probably disdain their reerBuilder reported that 40 peremployees’ pursuit of romance at cent of the 3,900 respondents had work most because of the threat dated someone at work sometime of sexual harassment lawsuits. during their career and one-in-ten Asking a coworker out on a date reported dating a coworker in the is not sexual harassment; howevlast year. “It’s natural to find love er, pursuing someone who does at work,” said Rachel Beck of not want to be pursued could

By Robin Paggi the Associated Press. “It’s where be. The court case of Birschtein people spend most of their time.” It might be nat- v New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. illusural, but employees should know that employ- trates this point nicely. A male employee (George ers still tend to frown upon workplace romances Bonilla) asked a female coworker (Michelle for reasons that are summed up appropriately Birschtein) for a date several times. While trying enough by the following love song titles: to woo Birschtein, Bonilla described in detail his You were always on my mind. “Simply put, sexual fantasies about her, which inspired her to love detracts from work performance and can get complain to her supervisor. Bonilla was told to in the way of sound business,” say the folks at stop asking Birschtein for dates, and he did. IneHarmony, the online dating site. Indeed, USA stead, he drove by her work station five or more Today reported that an employee at a software times a day and just stared at her, which led to a company admitted that when he first got roman- sexual harassment lawsuit. tically involved with a coworker, “We would inIf you can’t help falling in love with a costant message probably about half the day.” worker, consider taking the following bits of Loving, touching, squeezing. Public displays advice: of affection might be fun for those involved in a *Find out if your company has a policy on workplace romance, but a survey conducted by dating coworkers. You might be asked to sign the work-life consulting firm Workplace Options a “love contract” stating that the relationship is found that PDAs are a real turnoff for some of consensual, in which case you should consider the couple’s coworkers. Forty-four percent of the whether your love interest is “contract-wor623 respondents said they had observed acts of thy.” Additionally, your company might have a romantic affection at work, and more than a third policy against supervisors dating subordinates. of those respondents said it affected their work or *Don’t abuse company time and resources made them uncomfortable. by emailing, texting, or Tweeting cutesy or What’s love got to do with it? Enamored co- sexual messages. workers might think that their romance is no*No public displays of affection. Said Jubody’s business but their own; however, that is dith Sills in her article Love at Work, “If you an unrealistic perspective according to Roberta must have an office romance, don’t have it at Chinskey Matuson, a Monster.com contribut- the office.” ing writer. “Your romance may color everyone’s *Realize that your romance is going to affect judgment with regard to promotions, projects, how your coworkers view you and employteam building, and responsibilities. The relation- ment decisions made about you: “Of course ship could make it more difficult for your depart- she got the raise. Look who she’s dating.” ment—and depending on your position, your *Consider asking for a transfer if a breakup company—to operate effectively.” occurs so as not to affect your or your coworkLove stinks. Although 30 percent of Career- ers’ work performance.

Builder’s survey respondents said their romance *If your offer of a date is declined, stop led to marriage, many more workplace romanc- asking. es led to broken hearts instead. According to As the saying goes, “Love makes everything Rachel Beck, “It’s hard to focus on your work lovely.” Maybe so, but love at work is risky if you have to see your former mate each day. business and not to be entered into lightly.

That can affect productivity and morale—yours and that of your coworkers, who may sense the Contact Robin Paggi MA, SPHR-CA, CPLP at animosity between you. There’s also a risk that a KDG HR Solutions. (661) 328-5267

©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/NICKS/GRAMPER/KRUS/JERRYHAT/ISERG/AKURTZ/MANTONATURE

Dream Homes There’s nothing like coming home to a house you love.

Whether you’ve already purchased your abode or are still looking, this section is for you. It’s about helping you turn what’s in between those four walls into the sanctuary you’ve always wanted.

Because we all know how important the right house is.

The right house becomes a home.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 51

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Dream Homes

GET STARTED EARLY:

Stress-Free

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o you’ve just purchased your dream home.

Maybe it’s your first house; maybe you’re moving into something bigger and better.

But chances are, once you take a look at how much stuff there is to move, you’ve briefly considered one of two options: burning your old stuff and starting new or attempting a minimalist lifestyle with just the basics.

Pulling out hair, weeping, and the sudden urge to chuck a television out the window are all symptoms of moving stress (consult your doctor if these symptoms persist). But local moves can run smoothly if you just have an efficient plan.

First and foremost, start packing early!

“Almost everyone has more stuff than they think they do, and almost no one leaves enough time to pack it,” says Movers-edge.com. It usually takes about a

month to pack a whole house, so start in rooms with things that aren’t used frequently, like the attic or garage. Pack a few boxes a day and you’ll be surprised at how much you’ve packed at the end of the month.

Prioritize your boxes while packing.

Create an “open me first” box for each room and clearly label it as such. Use stickers to color-coordinate boxes from each room so you can easily distinguish where they should go in the new house.

You really don’t want to open a box of underwear in the kitchen.

You should keep things together. Your entertainment center is already a twisted web of confusion, so put cords and electronic accessories in baggies and tape them to the box of their matching component.

Also attach a photo of how the cords were set up to make re-installation easier. Keep light bulbs with lamps and when disassembling any furniture, place all the nuts and bolts in a bag and label it. Designate a small box in which to put all those little parts so you know just where to look when assembling in your new home.

As only Mr T. could phrase it, we pity the fools who have to move in the summer, especially in Bakersfield. You may not have a choice of the time of year you are moving, but you can pick the time of week. U-haul.com suggests: “move on a weekday when banks, utilities, and government offices are open.” There will also be more street parking available for trucks.

Consider your basic needs for the first day or two. There is nothing worse than having to put your bed together when you are exhausted, so set them up right away when they arrive. Also, bring a bag or box with your everyday essentials, like toothbrushes for the family, deodorant, a change of clothes for everyone, bottled water, non-perishable food, etc.

When it comes to loading the rental truck, make sure beds and large pieces of furniture are secured to the wall of the moving truck. Then load boxes. Any large, top-heavy items should be laid horizontally. Be sure to cover furniture with blankets and use couch cushions as padding. Use every bit of space available, even for a cross-town move. Loading a truck is like playing a real-life game of Tetris. Arrange boxes to fit flush with other items until you finish. And plants and fragile items can be placed in cars.

Doesn’t sound so bad, right? Moving always seems like a hassle, but by having an organized plan in front of you, you’ll find it’s not that rough.

The hardest part is actually finding people to help you move. But that’s an entirely different article.

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MOVING TIPS

AN ORGANIZED PLAN MAKES ANY MOVE GO A LOT SMOOTHER.

Dream Homes

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 53

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5425924-11Su-Product-MAG-4C.indd Bakersfield Magazine

1

5/26/11 3:20 PM

THE DETAILS:

Discovering Old World Charms

M

y significant other and I agreed on a pact during this last weekend to both strengthen our relationship and our health.

The starting point of our “pact” involved setting our alarm clock to go off a full 30 minutes earlier in our morning. Monday morning, we crawled out of bed and traipsed through our accustomed ritual of my coffee brewing and her hair drying. We commuted together as usual to our jobs in downtown Bakersfield a mere half an hour earlier than we had the week before. We parked on one of the lettered side streets in the neighborhood north of the Mercy Hospital complex and south of the old Westchester area and laced up our walking shoes. We continued our pact.

“Come on,” she said.

We walked.

At the intersection of the first numbered street, we turned and headed east into the sunrise.

I said, “I don’t think I got to finish my coffee.”

She replied, “And my hair is still wet. Come on. Don’t be walking like some old relic.”

We ambled along the neighborhood sidewalk weathered from decades of intense summer sun and the penetrating dampness of winter fog. I read the name of the stamp of a long forgotten construction contractor embedded in the concrete.

I pointed down and said, ‘Look, here’s the name of the...”

She interrupted, “Look at that house; all those colors,” and pointed to an interesting multi-colored gabled house across and half of a block away. “Let’s go.” >>

Dream Homes Story and photos by John May

An early morning walk turns into a step back in time for this couple.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 55

THE DETAILS:

Discovering Old World Charms

We hustled over and then stood on the concrete walk out front. We gawked for a moment at the second story attic vent and the pendant under the roof eve above the front porch.

The front of the house was blended with three different colors of paint—sky blue, mauve, and a pastel shade of white—and the morning sun illuminated all three.

She said, “Isn’t that the most interesting little extra touch?”

I examined the pendant and then said, “I can’t imagine how many small pieces of wood went into making that.”

“And that little blue window she has...sets off the entire porch,” she said.

“Doesn’t it?”

I might have grumbled about “all of that painting.”

She remarked, “But, wouldn’t it be great honey, to come home and pull up in front of this house?”

I glanced up again.

She added, “Wouldn’t it?”

“Well, thank goodness they’ve managed to keep the aluminum siding crew off their property. I suppose playing with paint might have been...”

“Don’t be staring at her,” she said and we launched into our morning walk again.

We hadn’t hiked far when we arrived in front of another house that seemed stouter than its neighbors.

“I love this home, too. But, he could be from someplace else.”

“Like where?”

“He looks like he belongs back home in Dallas,” she said. “Doesn’t he?”

She continued, “The top of his roof needs the weathervane put back though.”

56 Bakersfield Magazine

I looked up and envisioned myself with a weathervane in one hand and a bag of tools in the other rolling off of the steep circular roof and hitting the ground below with a thud.

“Let’s keep on moving,” she said.

We traversed around half a dozen city blocks. She pointed out other examples of craftsmanship. We arrived at a corner in the shade of a large brick building.

She said, “Does it feel as though someone is watching us?”

I looked up and down the street. She looked straight up and pointed.

We both strained to look overhead.

Stretched out from the brick and mounted to the underside of the roof overhang a pair of eyes gazed down on us.

“What does it look like to you, honey?”

She replied, “Don’t you see it? That’s a kitten sitting on top of the board looking

over the edge down on us.”

“No,” I said, “that’s an owl.”

“I’m sure that is a kitten if only we could get up there to see.”

“I’d rather not,” I said. Then I thought, that’s not worth climbing up a ladder— those must be kitten eyes.

We crossed the numbered street and pressed on.

After half an hour, we found our car and drove to our downtown day jobs.

I realized that just before lunch that Monday morning at work, I was still alert.

Next morning, we parked at a spot near the sidewalk stamped Larsen & Rawlings Bakersfield in the concrete. We dodged a stream of water that splashed across the walk from a pair of lawn sprinklers.

We walked to the corner and turned away from the sunrise. The early morning sun warmed our shoulders. We passed under a low hanging street tree and discovered another design to gawk at. We stopped across the wide paved avenue.

Our new home featured twin triangles—one covered the porch, the other rested on a front room. A smaller triangle formed the peak. Centered within two of the triangles was a pair of half crescentshaped wooden vent openings with radial patterns. A turret wall accented the front right and was finished with a cupola. A black horse and carriage weathervane topped the cupola of this home.

She said, “Look how beautiful the artwork is on him. What a beautiful home.”

I counted five colors of paint.

She added, “You know?”

I envisioned the house as it was being finished. A craftsman stood ankle deep firmly on the ground in a carpet of sawdust and wood shavings. He trimmed a length of weatherboard balanced between a pair of sawhorses. A carpenter fitted the

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wood gingerbread siding and tapped them into place with his hammer. Another man shimmed the windows into place.

She asked, “How large are the rooms do you think?”

“You can sort of tell by—I don’t rightly know how you can tell without going inside.”

She said, “I wonder just how many mornings the sun has peered through those corner windows.”

We paused for a moment longer then she said, “Let’s go find another one.”

She looked back.

“How I would have loved to have lived in that room.”

We ambled on for a few blocks. A bright yellow house gained our attention.

She said, “I love that porch. I really love the steps. Reminds me of our porch when I was a little girl.”

I added, “My best friend back home in Chicago had a front porch that looked like that. We played Monopoly every evening, for one entire summer. It was so hot that year, I remember.”

“When I was a girl we would line a bunch of chairs up on our porch and maybe five of us would pass a secret around and see if it was the same when it got to the last person. >>

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www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 57

THE DETAILS:

Old World Charms

“And what else I like about all those steps,” she continued, “is that the ‘baits’ can’t get in the house.”

“Baits?”

“You know—worms. That’s what they were called back home in Texas. Daddy fished a lot and he and the boys called them ‘baits.’ ” I realized that in the mid afternoon of that second day at the office, I was still alert. I thought about ‘baits’ and tall ladders.

On the third morning, we picked up our walk where we had left off. We avoided more sprinklers and headed toward the old Westchester neighborhood.

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In the shade of a mature pepper tree on a lettered side street we found a modest home. I pictured myself caring for this house.

I could deal with the step ladder heights to work on this roof.

She said, “She looks like such a happy place to live.”

“Come on,” she said, “this home is too perfect. I think I want to live here.”

I matched her stride along one of the heavily traveled numbered streets. We circled the entire neighborhood.

We arrived at a cross street and allowed a car to pass. I leaned against a light standard to rest, looked down the wide street and noticed the simple beauty of the home that was situated on the corner.

Rays of sunshine radiated from the threshold of the attic vent above a second story window. The rays might have been constructed from leftover slats of wood. The carpenter from so long ago could have easily hammered in a rectangular shaped screen, descended his ladder, and called it a day.

Instead, he took a moment to gather an armful of lumber and make a few cuts with his beloved crosscut saw. That carpenter shaped a signature element of charm which afforded this house a touch of uniqueness.

I suppose that climbing a tall ladder with a can of paint and splashing a little turquoise color on the trim might be kind of fun.

She tapped the back of my leg, “Wake up, honey, and stop staring. We’ve got to keep walking. Come on.”

Dream Homes

Dream Homes

FOR THE LOVE OF IT:

Not-So-

Secret

Gardens

F

or many homeowners, a yard is merely a buffer between themselves and their neighbors. A wide expanse of lawn, a few trees and shrubs, and maybe some annuals for color, along with a few hours of maintenance each week will generally keep your landscape comparable to the rest of the neighborhood.

For a gardener, however, a yard is like a canvas upon which to continually paint from nature’s ever-expanding palette. And for the visitor, nothing is more welcoming than to be invited through the garden gate into the magical world of plants.

“A garden adds interest and color to a yard,” said Rob Rephan, spokesperson for Green Thumb Garden Club of Bakersfield.

“It also adds structure to the house and your eye is drawn to it when you drive down the street. It adds to the ‘look at me’ value. A well-designed garden makes people look at your house for all the right reasons.”

The club started with 16 members in 1995 and now boasts more than 100 mem-

Garden of Don & Marilyn Williams

bers. The club has two plant sales during the year; one held in conjunction with the Bakersfield College Garden Fest in the spring and the other is held in the fall.

The club also hosts an annual garden tour, featuring local gardens. The gardens feature unique plants and landscaped design.

Funds raised from the tour help support the club’s activities.

The group meets on the third Saturday of the month at the Church of the Brethren (located at Palm and A). The monthly meetings start at 9:30 a.m. and feature speakers who have expertise in various areas of gardening.

People garden for many reasons. Some enjoy the sun-kissed flavor of homegrown vegetables; others enjoy the beauty of

The one thing that gardeners share is a passion for the wonders of nature

Rob Rephan, Green Thumb Garden Club of Bakersfield

flowers. Some gardens specialize in specific species, such as roses, succulents, or bonsai; while others are all-inclusive and fill their gardens with every plant available. The one thing that gardeners share is a passion for the wonders of nature.

Though many people claim to have a brown thumb, Rephan claims that anyone can learn to garden; all it takes is the desire to learn. It’s not necessary to have a degree in horticulture or landscape design to have

blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah a beautiful garden. It’s not even necessary to have a yard.

“Someone told me there are 83,000 homes in Bakersfield,” Rephan explained.

“That means there are 83,000 yards in Bakersfield and all of them have some space where you can garden. Even if you live in an apartment and only have a patio, you can still garden in containers.”

There are some basics to having a successful garden, and though it’s possible to learn through trial and error, it’s just as easy to ask an experienced gardener.

Chances are, there’s one in the neighborhood. Advice from a neighboring gardener can be especially beneficial since they are likely dealing with the same climate and soils found in your own yard. >>

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 59

FOR THE LOVE OF IT:

A Family Tradition Since 1948

Even within the city limits, there are different types of soils and climate zones.

If you can’t find a neighbor who gardens, you may want to join the Green Thumb Garden Club. Members have varying levels of garden experience and nearly two-thirds of them show up at the monthly meetings.

If you have a question about anything that pertains to gardening, someone at the club will likely have the answer.

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Bakersfield’s gardeners are more fortunate than their counterparts in other climate zones. We can plant and harvest from season to season and local gardens can be filled with color year-round. Rephan said it’s simply a matter of selecting the right plants, placing them in the proper location; then watering and fertilizing as needed.

“Everything needs fertilizing here because we water so much,” he added.

Knowing what to plant and where to plant may require a bit of research, but creating a garden will expand your living space and encourage you and your family to spend more time outdoors. A back garden offers the opportunity to create a private sanctuary that expresses your own style and personality. A front garden welcomes visitors to your home and when one person improves their landscape, it often starts a trend for the neighborhood which creates a lot of curb appeal.

Curb appeal has never been more important than in today’s marketplace. A well-maintained exterior lets people know you care about your

Not-So-Secret Gardens property, and a tastefully landscaped yard adds to the appeal and value of your home.

After all, a garden brings new life into the yard, creating habitats for birds, butterflies, and beneficial insects. If you want to attract specific species of wildlife to the garden, you’ll need to incorporate certain plant varieties into your garden. For instance, if you’d like to attract Monarch butterflies, consider planting milkweed.

It has been nearly 20 years since Don Williams began planning his amazing garden. When he and his wife Marilyn first moved into their home, their backyard was like so many others: a large nondescript expanse of grass just waiting to be mowed.

“I mowed it once and said that’s enough of that,” recalled Williams. He immediately pulled out some graph paper and started working on a new garden plan.

Gary Crabtree

The amount of time and money you invest in your landscape is a personal decision that should reflect your personality and lifestyle, but Gary Crabtree, president of Affiliated Appraisers, cautions people to not overdo.

“Your landscape should at least conform to the rest of the neighborhood,” said Crabtree. “A better landscape will increase the marketability of your property and help it sell faster [if you are planning to sell, that is].”

A well-landscaped yard increases the appeal of a property, but he says assigning a specific value to the landscape is difficult. People who spend a signifi-

CURB APPEAL

The Williamses’ Garden

Rephan recalled the first time caterpillars feasted upon his passionflower, chewing it back to the stems. “Those caterpillars eventually turned into beautiful butterflies and the plant revived after a couple of months.”

He said he enjoyed seeing the butterflies so much that he let it become a part of the garden’s annual lifecycle.

The success of a garden begins in the planning stage and you can build upon that plan as each season passes.

Judy Hendricks-Domingos’ Garden

Green Thumb Garden Club Member Judy Hendricks-Domingos’ Garden

The Williamses are active Green Thumb Garden Club members and participate in the club’s outreach activities, including maintaining landscaped areas at the Kern County Museum and the garden located at the 23rd24th Street couplet, and the scholarship program for Bakersfield College students.

“We have made our yard a part of our living space,” he said. “We are out there every day.”

The Williamses live on a cul-de-sac >>

Judy Hendricks-Domingos’ Garden

is where the value of the landscape comes in. cant amount of money adding elaborate pools, waterfalls, and decorative lighting should realize that they won’t recapture their investment upon resale. Elaborate landscapes that become overbuilt for a neighborhood will regress in value toward the neighborhood norm.

As for the living elements of a landscape, Crabtree explained, “lenders are not real crazy about having appraisers assign huge amounts to landscaping. If the property is foreclosed and the water is removed, you have blight. When water is removed in this climate, everything is gone in two months.”

Buying a home is an emotional investment and curb appeal is where the value (of the landscape) comes in. “I’ve seen where people fall in love with a house and the landscaping and are willing to pay the upper end of the value range,” added Crabtree, “but you need to realize that this is more of an emotional investment than a financial one. Do it for your own personal enjoyment.”

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 61

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The Williamses’ Garden

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so their backyard is large and oddly shaped.

The garden is divided into different “outdoor rooms.” Each is a defined space with its own focal point and purpose. One room focuses on cactus while another features an aviary for Don’s Diamond Doves.

The family pool is in a separate area.

Williams also built a greenhouse and keeps more than a thousand specimens of succulents from around the world. The “rooms” are linked together by brickwork.

“In this climate, you can have plants blooming even in the winter,” said Williams.

“Our yard never goes brown and dormant.”

Surprisingly, Williams said garden maintenance is not a challenge. “If you plant the right types of things, fertilize correctly, and don’t overwater, you can cut out most of the weeds.”

Like Rephan, Williams claims the trick to gardening is planting plants in the right environment and he credits wife Marilyn with knowing where things should be planted.

Williams said they spray for spurge like everyone else, but the task of weeding is simply a matter of pulling the occasional intruder during their daily walks through the garden.

Though the garden began out of Williams’ distaste for lawn mowing, grass hasn’t completely disappeared from the couple’s landscape. It has simply been reduced to a more manageable quantity. He added that it now takes about 20 minutes to mow and trim both front and back yards.

Though gardening is only one of the Williamses many interests—he also collects and restores old cars and she volunteers at the Guild House—they warn, “When you become interested in gardening, it can become an obsession. You’re constantly learning and reading about the topic, and when you travel you’re always looking to visit other gardens. It becomes a big part of your life.”

Dream Homes

Dream Homes DO-IT-YOURSELF DON’TS:

Home Repair Mishaps

W

Fixture Fail There are many reasons to call an electrician. If you’re planning to install a massive, ornate light fixture in your living room, you can assume it’s one of those times. Unless, of course, you’re Norm and Susan Dale. Susan has always been a big fan of old craftsman-style homes. So while today’s wiring might be straightforward enough for someone to install a new overhead light on their own, the wiring that was available in the Dales’ 1915 home left a lot to be desired...and no instructions.

“I saw this particular light fixture at an antique shop and had to have it,” Susan explained. “We’re pretty handy around the house, so I thought it would be a breeze to install.”

On the contrary. The Dales quickly realized they’d need some rewiring done. That realization came only after they’d made an attempt to hook up the antique fixture to the antique wiring.

“So we broke down and had an electrician come out to redo the wiring to the house,” Norm continued, laughing. “But we wanted the pleasure of installing the >>

©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/VIORIKA

e are a country (and a city) of do-it-yourselfers. We enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that comes from completing a task. We imagine there’s no job too big or too complicated for us to handle, especially when it comes to home repair.

Remodel a kitchen? No problem. Install track lighting? In a heartbeat. Lay down a hardwood floor? Cakewalk.

But our stubbornness and desire to “do it ourselves” tends to get us in over our heads from time to time, like when we take on a project that usually calls for the seasoned hands of a professional (there’s a reason they’re called “certified electricians”).

While there are wonderful occasions when we tackle what the home repair gods send our way, more often than not, we end up kowtowing to the contractors who graciously come in to clean up our messes. Let’s face it—we can’t all be Bob Vilas. So we asked our A-List members to send us some of their most hilarious home improvement stories...you know, because we were too embarrassed to share our own.

Some projects are just simply beyond our ability or experience.

Know when to say “pro!” www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 63

ter an unsuccessful day, we were forced to call the electrician back.”

When the electrician climbed his ladder, he discovered something that would have the Dales shaking their heads for years to come. After all that trouble, they had simply not screwed the lightbulbs in far enough.

“I couldn’t believe it!” Norm said. “But the electrician was a good sport about it. He said that type of problem happens more often than anyone would think.”

The Linoleum Cutters For Whitney and Rick Bolinger, their first home was going to be their haven.

They spent a long time saving for the home and furnishing it just right. They put in a lot of man hours transforming the yard into paradise. But there was one thing that always drove them crazy about their home.

“The linoleum in the kitchen was a hideous shade of cream that showed everything that had ever touched it,” Whitney explained. “I swear I scrubbed it every day just so it looked clean.”

“We loved everything else about the house so we figured that once we saved up again, we could have the floor redone,” Rick elaborated. “Then I got the idea that we could just install the new linoleum ourselves. Whitney found a pattern she liked and I did some research.”

What the Bolingers didn’t count on was how many things could go wrong. After all, most people assume laying linoleum is 64 Bakersfield Magazine

pretty straightforward. But sheet linoleum shrinks in length and expands in width as soon as it hits the latex glue meant to hold it down. In all his research, Rick never really processed that tidbit.

“We didn’t leave room on the ends when we laid it down, so we noticed that as the linoleum settled, there were going to be gaps by cabinets,” he added.

“I assumed we could just cut strips and lay them down to have the linoleum look flush with the cabinet, but that looked awful,” Whitney laughed. “Some of them settled differently and some were still too big.”

So after a few months of living with their do-it-yourself floor, the Bolingers had someone come in and perform damage control.

“By that time, some of the ends that didn’t sit flush were curling up,” Whitney said. “It looked like we had a linoleum ocean in the kitchen.”

A Simple Fence Job It sounds easy. You stick some two-byfours in the ground, in a line, an equal distance apart, and the next thing you know, you’ve got a fence. But fencing can be tricky (especially the kind with swords).

Still, Tom Edmonds thought he could

it down,” Edmonds explained. “Only then did we find out that it was sitting two inches short of the top of the fence.”

So Edmonds cut a block of wood to fit in that space and shimmied it into place. Job well done, yes. But that would not be the end of his fence troubles. Soon after, he replaced another post and this time put in a steel post...and he put it in good. He did such a good job, that when it came time to replace the entire fence, the contractors couldn’t even get the post out. The company actually left one of Edmonds’ posts in the ground near the gate part of the fence since it was in so solidly, it would be better than anything they could do.

“There’s a reason we call ourselves ‘Dumb and Dumber Construction,’ ” Edmonds said with a laugh.

“Ron is a retired dean and I’m a retired cop but every time we do a construction job we have some grief.”

And isn’t that always the way?

Carpet Woes “I just bought my first house three months ago in Tyner Ranch,” explained Tomeka Powell. “It was a HUD house so I had to do so many repairs, paint, carpet, Taking old flooring up can reveal other repairs that need to be made first.

handle replacing a fence post. After all, he’s a handy guy.

He even had the help of his longtime friend, Ron, when it came time to put the post in the ground.

He just didn’t have the foresight to check and see if there was an established riser on which to rest the new fence post.

“We put in the new post and I cemented

©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/DUCKYCARDS

©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/SEANWARREN

fixture ourselves, so we told him just to update the wiring, and we’d do the rest.”

“When we finally got everything connected and replaced all the light bulbs, nothing worked,” Susan said. “We tried reconnecting the wires...still nothing. Af-

Home Repair Mishaps

©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/GALAMOMENTS

DO-IT-YOURSELF DON’TS:

©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/MARINAGOLD

Plumbing jobs can be some of the most frustrating because they have to be done 100% right every time!

“When you’re a novice, you really don’t know what you’re getting into,” Mettler said with a laugh.

“We just really liked the look of a particular bathtub.”

The bathtub happened to be a pedestal bathtub with a faucet in the middle.

“We ordered the tub and while waiting the five weeks for delivery, we completed demolition down to the bare studs,” Mettler explained. “It was at this point that we discovered the potential problem of the plumbing not being in the right place for the center-faucet tub.” But, ever the optimist, Mettler assumed they could perhaps run some additional piping to reroute the plumbing. But that wasn’t going to work—not unless they wanted the bathroom to look horrible and create potential plumbing problems.

“It was as we were getting ready to put in a new tile floor that we realized the concrete slab needed to be jack-hammered and the plumbing pipes moved to accommodate the center tub faucet,” she said.

Plan the connections out before the new fixture is delivered.

A Throne fit for a King Jeff Smith considers himself a handy guy. His wife, Jen, thought the same thing. He’s replaced windows and built a dog house. He’s painted rooms and installed a ceiling fan. So who could have guessed he’d meet a job he couldn’t tackle? All he had to do was replace a toilet seat. To this day, however, Jeff maintains his innocence.

“I asked Jeff to replace the toilet seat one weekend,” Jen explained. “For someone who’s replaced windows before, it seemed like a no-brainer.”

Never underestimate the pride of a man.

“Apparently, unable to loosen the screws connecting the seat to the toilet, Jeff tried to use a hammer and chisel to pop the seat off,” Jen said. Which, naturally, would have been our next move, too.

During this process, a large section of toilet bowl is chipped off. Somehow, a bit of superglue found its way (magically) >> ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/NORTHLIGHTIMAGES

and get appliances.” But that’s not Powell’s story. She had an experience months earlier that so prepared her for the trials of home improvements that she learned to just hire a professional to do the work.

“I joined the Board of Directors for the Bakersfield Community Theatre in hopes of changing the world,” she said excitedly.

“My first real project: a complete box office remodel with an $800 shoestring budget. We’re talking removing old carpet and ceramic tile, cement patching to the sub floor, and paint in a 900 square foot space.

All of which I was certain could be done within a little over a week for the opening night of a youth production, which brings in some of the theatre’s biggest audiences.”

Talk about pressure.

“I watched HGTV religiously. If those people could do it in three days, of course I could do it in over a week, right? Wrong!”

One of the biggest problems was the floor. “Carpet [is often] a cover-up for previous mishaps. After pulling up the carpet, I realized the old vinyl tile underneath was still stuck—I mean really stuck to the floor. Blow torch wouldn’t work, chemical treatment a definite no-go. The only choice was manual labor.”

So Powell attacked the floor with a tile scraper to remove roughly 300 square feet of vinyl tile. It took two long days and nights, but she got it up. Then came time for pouring a floating cement floor...but that’s another story.

“So it was kind of a surprise at that point.

You budget out cost and time and this was definitely not expected.”

Thankfully, they were able to get a professional in there to chip away at the concrete and reroute the piping properly...and just in time for the tub to arrive.

“Sometimes you don’t know that you don’t know how to do something,” Mettler said chuckling.

She and her son were able to do the actual installation of the tub themselves, so there was a sense of completion.

“We were all exhausted but so proud of our work.”

The Bathtub of Horrors Lila Mettler was happy to help her son remodel the master bathroom in his home.

She was happy to start and happy when the job was done, but her emotions in between were far from content. www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 65

Home Repair Mishaps

to the affected area and the repair was made and a new seat put on.

No one was the wiser...for about 25 minutes. Jen tried to use the toilet and found that the entire seat and lid came off in her hand. Not to mention, a large piece of porcelain cracked from the base and made its way to the floor.

“I was accused of breaking the toilet at that point,” Jen said, laughing. “But I really couldn’t be happier because Jeff agreed to buy a brand new toilet [which was professionally-installed] to replace the one I broke. So a job that should have taken 15 minutes took an entire day.”

Might we suggest keeping a close eye on a man with a hammer in the future?

©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/AWAKEDEYE

Window Pain Cameron and Kate Long thought it would be a nice idea to repaint the windowsills on their house to give it a fresh look.

“Little did I know a simple coat of paint would wind up costing us so much,” Cameron joked.

After sanding down the wooden sills and then applying primer, the Longs were ready to paint. Now, most people know that you

shouldn’t paint the window pane and then allow it to sit in the sill, that is, unless you want a lot of extra work and expense.

Thankfully, the Longs knew this. This was their first house and they had never attempted a project like this in the past but they felt confident they could handle anything thrown at them.

Even if what’s thrown at them is a cat.

At some point, Cameron had fashioned a ruler to hold up the first window pane while it dried. Unfortunately, it was a window their frisky feline enjoyed using as a door.

“The cat must have jumped up onto the windowsill and dove through the open window, knocking the ruler away and allowing the window to close,” Kate explained. “We know it was the cat because the paint dried with orange fur stuck to it.”

But how did it have time to dry?

“It was the first window we attempted to do, located in a room we hardly go in, and we must have just been on the other side of the house making too much noise when the window closed,” Cameron said. “We didn’t find out until the next day when we tried to pry the window open and wound up shattering the glass with the crowbar.” The window was later replaced (by a professional).

Talk about an expensive coat of paint.

Dream Homes

66 Bakersfield Magazine

Dream Homes SUCCESS THE FIRST TIME:

House Painting

HOW-TOs ©IST

the paint won’t dry too quickly, and follow safely behind in the shade of the house.

Allow the primer to sit overnight to dry completely.

When you are ready to lay the first coat of paint, make sure you mix all the cans of paint together in a separate container for even color, as custom paints tend to vary slightly from can to can. Use the same kind of paint that is already on your home, hopefully a latex or alkydbase, for the best adhesion.

TAKE YOUR TIME AND PREPARE.

©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/LISAFX

I

f the time has come to give your house a facelift by way of a new coat of paint, then you’ve probably already realized there is a lot more to an exterior paint job than a brush and a can.

Here are some things to consider before you take on the job...or determine that the yellow pages are your best option.

The recommended climate for exterior painting is above 50 degrees and dry. Here in Bakersfield, the prime time to paint is late spring. Not only should you start painting during this time of year, but you want to make sure the job is complete before it gets too hot. It might seem like a small window, but you can do it.

Plan your project in advance. An article in the New York Times geared toward novice house painters said, “schedule one full day to clean the house exterior with a pressure washer.” Then wait a week. “[At that point,] you will need at least one day to scrape, sand, caulk, and prime the worn spots. At least one full day after that, you can start painting.”

Before you buy your paint, estimate the amount necessary for your house.

TLC’s How Stuff Works says to keep in mind that, “narrow lap siding, shingles or shakes, masonry, or stucco exterior walls can take 10 to 50 percent more paint than smooth, flat walls.” To find out how much paint you will need, multiply the perimeter of the house by the height, and divide by the square foot coverage specified on the can, then get one extra gallon just in case.

Start by giving your house a thorough cleaning. Washing, scrubbing, scraping, blasting, and sanding are all things that may be necessary to get rid of any peeling paint, mildew, and caked-on dirt.

Before priming the house, remove any fixtures, like lights, address numbers, and down spouts so you can get behind them evenly and paint them separately before re-mounting them. As you prime, heed the number one painters’ rule: follow the sun.

Work around the corner from the sun so

OCKP

HOTO

.COM /

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In Bakersfield, the siding of your house could be any variation of styles and materials. Make sure you know the best method of application. Brushes work fine on early morning wood, An but pads, rollers, and paint sprayers work best on stucco. walk turns into a Begin with the highest parts of the back in time house step using an extension ladder. Start with thefor trimthis and then do the couple.siding to minimize ladder time. Work downward in horizontal sections to get an even layer.

Let the first coat dry sufficiently before applying the second coat—this may take anywhere from 2 to 24 hours (drying times vary so read the paint’s instructions for the best results).

New paint is one of the simplest and most dramatic ways to freshen up the facade of your home. If you feel that the project is right up your alley and just what your home needs, hop to it. Just take your time and prepare, prepare, prepare.

Editor’s Note: If you’re living in a home or buying a home that hasn’t been painted since 1978, the year lead-based paint was taken off the market, your job just got more complicated. Please consult a professional on how to remove the previous paint.

Dream Homes

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 67

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J. Noble Binns Plumbing is a locally-owned company that aims to solve all of your plumbing problems, whether it is with our expert design/build team, efficiently completing the remodel of your dream kitchen or bath, or getting our service technicians to your home quickly. Since 1955, our focus has been on commercial/residential service and repair as well as new construction. Our goal is to provide quality plumbing at a fair price using the latest technology and the most efficient methods of installation.

Tired of battling a weed-infested yard? Dreaming of lush, green grass? Dale Edwards, the “Sultan of Sod,” can grant your wish.

Homeowners, if your lawn is more than 10 to 15 years old, it’s time to pull it out and start out fresh–for a lot less than you would imagine. Choose from three turf varieties, including the velvety Tifgreen Hybrid Bermuda; the cool season Triathalawn Tall Fescue; or the heat and drought tolerant “El Toro” Zoysia. Old River Sod, offering the finest turf grasses to California for more than 30 years.

3529 Pegasus Drive 661.615.6101 | www.binnsplumbing.com

8728 Taft Hwy. 661.397.7611 | www.oldriversod.com

PACIFIC SHORE STONES

Lic.# 867069

SUPERIOR ROOFING

Lic.# 867069

Factory Direct to You.

We Have Your Solutions!

Pacific Shore Stones is a processor, importer, and wholesaler of exotic natural stones. The company offers granite, marble, travertine, slate, and a number of other stones in slabs to meet your needs. As one of the few distributors in the U.S. with its own factories overseas, we have complete control over the processing of stone blocks into polished, resined slabs. Each center maintains a large inventory of over 120 colors to support fabricators, consumers, and designers in selecting the right stones for their projects.

Do you need to update your home? Superior Roofing has your solution! Offering energy-efficient roofs, tubular skylights, blownin attic insulation, and solar-powered attic vents, this local roofing company can meet your needs in a timely manner with honesty, likeability, dependability, and great customer service. They also offer variety. In addition to providing environmentally-friendly roofing options and protective roofing systems, Superior Roofing is now selling and installing premium energy-saving windows and HVAC units.

3730 Buck Owens Blvd.

661.335.0160 | www.pacshore.net

182 Quantico Avenue, #3 661.703.8736 www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 69

GOLDEN EMPIRE ROOFING

Lic.#590329

Commercial & Residential Roofing Specialists Golden Empire Roofing is a family-owned business in Bakersfield.

The company originated in 2000 and the owner has more than 25 years of experience. Golden Empire Roofing’s specialties lie in residential and commercial re-roofing, as well as in property management companies, realty companies, bank-owned properties, and professional problem solving. So, if you need a satisfaction guaranteed roof over your family’s head, Golden Empire Roofing is the roofing company for you. Whether you need a new roof or a repair, we will be there.

800 Webster Street 661.325.0540

HUDSON TILE, INC.

Lic.# 806638

Experience That Counts.

After 24 years in business, you can bet the staff at Hudson Tile, Inc. knows a thing or two about home improvement. After all, they are experts when it comes to laying tile and granite, not to mention putting down tile for swimming pools. During those two decades, they have continually placed customer satisfaction as a top priority and the staff prides itself on offering quality work, dependability, and professionalism.

With Hudson Tile, Inc.’s current warranty programs, now’s the time to lay some tile and granite.

1801 Art Street 661.589.5803 70 Bakersfield Magazine

Dream Homes HOME INSPECTIONS:

What You Need To Know

I

By Matthew Martz

t’s a buyers market right now. If you’re looking to move into a new home, or move into your first home, it’s high time you got looking. There are some big decisions to make when it comes to buying a home but it’s such an exciting time that you might overlook some very important aspects of the home-buying process.

After all, last thing that you want to buy is a money pit (of course, if you are Tom Hanks and Shelley Long, that’s a moot point).

You don’t want to move into your new home and spend time and money making unforeseen repairs so your first step should always be to have a prospective home inspected before you get too serious.

You want to find a home inspector that is proficient enough to give you an accurate picture of the property, so you can decide if you are going to move forward with the purchase.

Still, many buyers will spend countless hours, days, and sometimes months looking for just the right home, but then choose a home inspector solely based on price, or not at all.

“It’s protection on your investment,” says Butch Boynton of NuHoms, Inc. “Unless a buyer gets a good inspector that really tears the house apart, you could be buying a real can of worms.”

Sure, from the street, the house looks lovely, but it can be riddled with hidden problems, and many new and experienced home buyers are paying the price—in dollars and mental aggravation—for botched home inspections.

Dry rot, corroded pipes, a broken air conditioning unit, or faulty electrical wiring can be dangerous and potentially end up costing thousands to repair or bring up to code.

But the most serious problems can be under the house or in the attic, places that sometimes are overlooked. Joists holding up the floor may have clear signs of deterioration caused by bugs, or perhaps wooden beams will have to be replaced to keep the house from collapsing.>>

Butch Boynton (kneeling) and his son Chris, of NuHoms, Inc., take a close look at foundation issues.

“Unless a buyer gets a good inspector that really tears the house apart, you could be buying a real can of worms.”

—Butch Boynton, NuHoms, Inc. www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 71

HOME INSPECTIONS:

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Boynton, who has worked in the real estate industry since 1965 and has been inspecting homes for the past 18 years, says that with all of the short sales and foreclosures in today’s market, it’s even more important that buyers get a thorough home inspection.

“If someone is losing their house to foreclosure or a short sale, they probably haven’t been making the necessary repairs.”

He also says that professional inspections of new homes are equally as im-

has professional affiliations,” adds Boynton, “such as the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), or the California Real Estate Inspection Association (CREIA).”

According to the National Association of Home Inspectors, there are no licensing standards or regulations for home inspectors in 21 states and the District of Columbia.

While most buyers may be aware of inspections, they should make their offer to purchase conditional on a home inspection. What they may not realize is that in California anyone can print business cards and call himself or herself a home inspector. There is no minimum education requirement, work experience, or training to set up shop as a professional inspector. These people come from all walks of life.

“When you do enough business you know who’s reputable and who’s not, but it is always a good practice to supply the buyer with two or three names and let them select the person.”

—Scott Tobias

portant, spotting potential problems early, while they are still easy to correct.

With the newer homes sitting for longer than normal periods of time, Boynton has noted more problems, in particular with plumbing and homes not being finalized.

So how does a buyer go about hiring and inspecting an inspector?

Picking a reputable inspector is important and Scott Tobias of Prudential Tobias, Realtors® and President-Elect of the Bakersfield Association of Realtors says, “When you do enough business you know who’s reputable and who’s not, but it is always a good practice to supply the buyer with two or three names and let them select the person.”

“Be sure that the inspector you choose 72 Bakersfield Magazine

However, to qualify for a certification, all inspectors must meet minimum requirements, including the completion of an approved education program, and pass a test inspection.

“Just because the person has a certificate doesn’t make things foolproof,” says Boynton, “so make sure you talk to a couple of people that the inspector has done business with.”

More importantly, a buyer needs to

Scott Tobias of Prudential Tobias, Realtors® and PresidentElect of the Bakersfield Association of Realtors.

make sure the inspector they choose follows and abides by the Standards of Practice for Home Inspections established by the State of California Legislature in 1990, requiring inspectors—licensed and

©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/TINGBERG

Once a buyer has the results, they have several options, ranging from walking away from the purchase or asking the seller to fix the problems, to reducing the purchase price, or receiving a cash credit at closing to fix the problems themselves.

“When we get a report from the inspector, we go through it with the buyer and they decide what they can live with and what they cannot,” says Tobias. “We always go back to the seller with a repair list to see what they are willing to repair.”

non-licensed—to follow the California Business and Professions Code.

That is why the training, experience, and professional judgment of an inspector are critical—a buyer is relying on his or her opinion and judgment.

Even so, a good inspector cannot see

Buyers should be involved in the entire inspection process.

“If you are there, you can see what the inspector sees, and have things explained to you.

By walking around with the inspector and asking questions, you should feel more confident and comfortable with what he’s telling you.”

—Butch Boynton through walls or tear into those walls and look for things. But a qualified inspector is trained to spot the warning signs of a problem or potential problem.

“Also, when you are interviewing potential inspectors, find out if they have errors and omissions insurance,”

says Boynton. “A responsible, professional inspector is going to carry E & O insurance.”

Yet, in the end, homebuyers need to have a realistic expectation of what a home inspector — even the best inspector — can do for them. There’s nothing a buyer can do to guarantee the inspector will spot all the visible problems.

A home inspection is not a guarantee or warranty of condition. It’s an opinion. Still, it is the best thing a potential buyer can do to prevent expensive surprises.

Tobias suggests that an inspection is done early in the buying process, before the appraisal, and Boynton recommends that buyers be involved in the entire inspection process.

“If you are there, you can see what the inspector sees, and have things explained to you,” Boynton says. “By walking around with the inspector and asking questions, you should feel more confident and comfortable with what he’s telling you.”

A typical inspection lasts two to three hours and cost around $300 for a 2,000 square foot home. After the inspection is complete, buyers will receive a written report of the findings from the home inspector, usually within five to seven days.

Is it a major or minor issue?

Get a professional opinion before you buy.

The bottom line is this: buying a house is probably the biggest purchase that most people will ever make.

Given what’s at stake, you want to be sure you’re not buying a lemon.

Dream Homes

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 73

home & Garden resources

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74 Bakersfield Magazine

CALL Today:

325-9023

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

HOME & GARDEN

BY TOM XAVIER

Luxurious Looks at Home

IS YOUR BATHROOM LOOKING A BIT OUT OF DATE? IS IT IN DIRE NEED OF A DECORATIVE SPRUCE-UP BUT YOU’RE LACKING THE NECESSARY TIME AND MONEY TO GIVE IT A COMPLETE OVERHAUL? Fear not. It’s amazing how just a few quick changes can improve the overall look of a bathroom. With these tips, you can have a bathroom that you love!

HINT OF HOTEL LUXURY When you enter a luxury hotel room, don’t you check out the bathroom first? Instead of waiting for your next vacation to enjoy hotel comforts, add simple amenities to your own bath, concentrating on the shower area.

QUICK COLOR UPDATE Little touches of color are an easy way to update your bathroom’s look in a matter of hours.

To dress up white cabinets use inexpensive glass knobs and pulls in a color that matches the rest of your bath.

For some extra color and fun on those walls, frame a series of postcards.

ADD ACCESSORIES

To start, a curved shower rod can make you feel like you

Just like in fashion, it is often the accessories that pull a

have an oversized, lavish shower without adding any square

look together to make a “wow” statement. You can quickly

footage. Plus, it’s an affordable solution that provides nearly

decorate your bathroom with easy-to-install accessories,

eight inches of elbow room while adding terrific style and

such as robe hooks, paper holders, towel bars, towel rings,

visual appeal.

and shelves. There is a wide variety of styles and finishes to

It’s quite likely that it has been a long time since you last replaced your shower curtain—if ever. Brightly-colored novelty curtains can be fun for the family and help stimulate your mind

match or coordinate with your faucets to make a dramatic effect, not to mention adding a bit of organization.

Other accessories, like wire soap baskets, can even be at-

in the early mornings (well, it would be more engaging

tached to the wall, making an attempt to grab slip-

than your dingy grey one, at least). Shower curtains

pery soap bars an annoyance of the past and give

can come in reserved, classy styles, too, and in con-

you more room on your counters. >>

junction with a modern set of curtain hooks, you can really bring your shower into the 21st century.

©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/MKUCOVA

Freshen up “ho-hum” bathrooms by adding a bit of color.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 75

HOME & GARDEN RESOURCES

Just Johnson’s can create your dreams in quality custom cabinets, dry bars and furniture. With your satisfaction as our goal, our diverse staff will use today’s technology to work glass, wood, plastic, and other materials into the project you desire. Give us a call or stop by for your FREE estimate today.

Empowering Veterans and the Disabled to lead normal lives.

Just Johnson’s Millworks Local Manufacturer of Custom Millworks 2301 Perseus Court, Bakersfield, CA

661-392-0200 • www.JustJohnsons.com

©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/CHRISELWELL

Candles can add class to the bathroom

Candles can add class to a bathroom, whether or not you actually intend to light them. Color-coordinating accessories with your bathroom creates a sense of order and the illusion of a complete overhaul. Any beauty products that detract from the color scheme should be put into a storage unit.

SASSY STORAGE TIPS Leave the cabinet doors off the vanity to store towels and make a bold design statement.

Scour antiques shops and flea markets for old bath accessories and storage possibilities.

ADDED COMFORT Consider bringing in a piece of furniture, such as a chest of drawers or armoire. Furniture adds instant character and is a nice contrast to sleek bath surfaces.

Outfit a chest or bureau with pipes and fixtures to create a distinctive vanity.

Add rugs and other items normally found in other areas of the house for a softer, lived-in look. To reinforce this look, strategically place accessories on your vanity to draw attention away from the other plumbing fixtures.

UPDATE WITH MIRRORS Using mirrors to make a room feel larger may be one of the oldest tricks in the book, but it certainly works!

Hang a mirror above the tub to make a tight area feel more spacious. You can even frame stock mirrors with simple molding from a home-improvement store, and paint it to match the other trim in the room.

Each of these simple projects can be accomplished with very little time or expense, but your enjoyment of your new bath will be immeasurable! So take a step into your bathroom and see what little changes can be made to make a big impact.

76 Bakersfield Magazine

n

Gail Malouf

Broker Associate Coldwell Banker Preferred, REALTORS®

t How long have you been in the business?

I received my salesperson license in 1977 and my broker’s license in 1986. I have been in this profession on a full time basis since 1977.

t What services does your company offer?

Having been in this profession since 1977, my experience and longevity is definitely at the top of the list for services. I bring my experience not only as a Broker Associate with Coldwell Banker Preferred, but having been the 2010 President of the Bakersfield Association of Realtors and being in the leadership role in many different aspects, I can also bring the knowledge of leadership and involvement in our community and our real estate industry.

t What education and special training do you have?

I have received my GRI (Graduate Realtors Institute), CRS (Certified Residential Specialist), and CRP (Certified Relocation Professional) designations through the California Association of Realtors, National Association of Realtors, and Employee Relocation Council. The knowledge and expertise that I learned in each of these courses in order to get the designations has brought me to a more professional and knowledgeable level of our profession.

t What outside interests do you have?

I love to travel and experience other cultures throughout the world.

However, I am always happy to get back to the United States, and it gives me a renewed appreciation of our wonderful country.

t What do you want people to know about you?

I have worked for Coldwell Banker Preferred for 26 of the 34 years I have been in Real Estate Sales. Although I am a Broker, I appreciate working with and for the top real estate company in Bakersfield. The experience and dedication of our Brokers/ Owners has only enhanced my business over the years. I am a full time REALTOR® that will work the entire transaction in a professional and knowledgeable manner.

1820 Westwind Dr., Bakersfield, CA

661.334.2100

gailmalouf.com gmalouf@cbbakersfield.com

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 77

Signature Properties Mary Christenson

RealtorÂŽ

Luxury Homes & Estates 30 years of Service to both Buyers & Sellers License #00818891

(661) 301-MARY

See 50 Photo Visual Tours of each property listing at:

301-6279 www.MaryCrealtor.com

2205 Norwich Way $1,250,000

This elegant and gorgeous home makes everyday living feel like a 5-star resort vacation! A grand marble entry foyer features a sweeping staircase bridging upper bedroom wings & separates the formal living and formal dining areas. Step into the grand great room, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the huge lake and 3 fairways of the golf course! Bathed in natural light, this beautifully updated Dovichi-built home is designed for entertaining, with a show-stopper white double-island kitchen with stunning black granite counters AND granite floors, with two cooktops, dual ovens, walk-in pantry, and large dining nook with desk/china hutch. Private guest suite and office/den is downstairs, with three bedrooms up. Upstairs is an elegant and luxurious master suite retreat with adjoining private office. The third level game room has tons of storage! Two two-car garages connect with a central storage room, workbench area, air conditioning, and carpet. Security system, Elan sound system. Pool, spa, bbq.

Many more amenities–must see!

78 Bakersfield Magazine

Signature Service

14001 Yokuts Lane $1,715,000

GORGEOUS FRENCH TUDOR DREAM HOME ON THE KERN RIVER! Double-gated privacy, spectacular views, nestled on 1.76 acres. Custom, one owner, designed for entertaining! Winding paths lined with roses lead to entry courtyard, arched bridge over lovely pool, spa! Dramatic 2-story entry, marble, hardwood floors, tons of windows! Grand living & dining, great room w/ornate bar, luxurious master! Big open living spaces! 5 bdrms + office, two bonus turret rooms, guest apartment over garage w/kitchen area.

4000 Country Club Drive $1,450,000

BAKERSFIELD COUNTRY CLUB! 1.79 acre resort designed for grand-scale entertaining! Dramatic price reduction! Beautifully updated over last 3 yrs.

Magnificent resort-style grounds by Charlie Harwell–tennis court, multi-level pool, outdoor kitchen, Japanese gardens. 5 bdrms, office/library, game room, great room. Hardwood, marble floors, 2 large wetbars, 3 fireplaces. Luxurious master suite w/balcony, exquisite bath! www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 79

661-654-1600

www.PrudentialTobias.com Lic.#00577493

80 Bakersfield Magazine

Strength of The Rock

11407 Covent Gardens Dr. Bakersfield, CA 93311 $570,000

15601 Manon Dr. Bakersfield, CA 93314 $425,000

Beauty on the golf course. Gorgeous Grand Island Estate with upgrades galore and priced to sell. 4 full bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 3,475 sq. ft. on a gargantuan 11,853 sq. ft. lot. This home boasts formal living with picture perfect views, formal dining, breakfast area, breakfast bar, separate family room with beautiful fireplace & built-in entertainment center. Dream kitchen w/stainless steel appliances, island, large pantry & granite countertops. Relax next to the in-ground pool overlooking golf course.

Outstanding Harvest Creek equestrian estate w/beautifully maintained grounds & a home reminiscent of a Sunset Magazine cover, featuring hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, charming living room w/rock fireplace, 3 spacious bedrooms, formal dining or office, a huge family/game room & kitchen with Viking range overlooking a sunny breakfast nook. There is an outdoor pavilion with grapevine covered lattice and built-in BBQ, tropical pool and spa with cascading rock waterfall, and horse corrals.

12301 Parkerhill Dr. Bakersfield, CA 93311 $417,500

6300 De La Guerra Terr.

Bakersfield, CA 93306 $724,999

Gorgeous Windermere home. Move in ready, two story home features 1 bedroom on first floor and 3 bedrooms on second floor. Separate living and family rooms and beautiful kitchen with granite countertops and stainless appliances. With over 3,200 sq. ft., this home is sure to impress.

Custom Rio Bravo Home w/a 3rd fairway view out the back & fabulous view of the Southern Sierra Mountain Range in front.

This home boasts beautiful modern architecture. The huge master bedroom & 2 additional bedrooms are spacious. The covered patio w/large pool and kitchen/BBQ area are perfect for entertaining.

Large great room w/fireplace & beautiful wood ceiling has a sunken bar & adjacent wine room. Oversized 3-car garage.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 81 Lic.#00577493 661-654-1600 | www.PrudentialTobias.com

Bart & Tracey Tip

ton

5351 Olive Drive, Suite 100 • Bakersfield, CA Did you know we donate at least 5% of our earned commissions to the charity of our client’s choice?

Ask us about this.

82 Bakersfield Magazine

DRE LIC #01869731

Bart Tipton

Bakersfield Phone: 661-706-9401 Central Coast Phone: 805-202-8662 bart@mymajesticproperties.com

Tracey Tipton

DRE LIC #01869729

Bakersfield Phone: 661-333-2301 Central Coast Phone: 805-202-8662 tracey@mymajesticproperties.com 6921 Hallelujah

$459,000

Country living with all of the amenities of a newer custom home.

Secluded behind the automatic wrought-iron gates, this extraordinary home features 3 suite-sized bedrooms, a chef’s kitchen complemented

by Viking range/oven and granite countertops. Travertine and Brazilian cherry flooring. Use your imagination to fill the large bonus room with your favorite games/hobbies/ entertainment center. Bring your animals also, this property has enough room to accommodate them all.

15701 Traditions Ct.

$699,950

Builders own home in Legacy....5,457 square feet extensive use of wrought iron and travertine throughout. Solid cherry wood cabinets, central vac, intercom, s/s appliances, and crown molding. Bedroom closets have built in cabinetry. Entertainer’s delight with beach entry 100,000 gallon pool, 1.2ac, regulation tennis/volleyball sport court. Guest house includes full kitchen, custom 7-man steam room, and surround sound speakers. Owner is offering 5,000 allowance for new paint and carpet.

17419 Saddle Mountain

$799,000

Imagine coming in from the wind-swept slopes of Tahoe to your warm, cuddly dream cabin. That’s what it feels like entering this beautiful place in the prestigious subdivision of Silverado Estates. Don’t whip out your checkbooks yet, I haven’t mentioned the 2,400+ square feet man’s man shop to store all of your toys, cars, and RVs. This custom-built home includes a chef’s kitchen, monster bonus room, Venetian plastered walls, and an incredible use of exposed wood beams bracing the enormous ceilings.

18680 Amos

$690,000

This custom home is AMAZING. With 4.25 acres of landscaped yard, relax and enjoy the peaceful serenity you are entitled to. 4,100 square feet of living space includes 4BR and 4BA. Great use of hardwood flooring and Spanish style tiles throughout. Landscaping is irrigated with ag water (big+). Finished basement is a great place to entertain friends or double as a theater room or game room.

Each bedroom has its own veranda with views of this estate.

6612 Iron Oak

$1,150,000

Magnificent home that has all the features you demand. The elegance is apparent as soon as you step onto the estate. Located in Iron Oak Estates and built for the builder, this residence includes a custom wine room, open kitchen fit for a chef, game room, executive office, six car garage with RV parking. Enjoy the best of both worlds with the formal living and diving rooms in addition to the park-like atmosphere in your backyard. This is the gem of one of Bakersfield’s finest neighborhoods. www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 83

When you think of Luxury Homes...think Majestic Properties

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Castle & Cooke Castle & Cooke is Bakersfield’s premier developer of master planned, lifestyle enhancing communities that promote privacy, friendship, active living, and family values

The Villas at Seven Oaks reflect California’s rich Spanish heritage.

They say everyone needs a dream. If you dream of a quality home that fits your lifestyle perfectly, then Castle & Cooke has just the place for you. With a variety of Castle & Cooke communities to choose from there are a full range of options for every buyer’s budget.

For over 25 years, Castle & Cooke California, Inc. has been transforming life in Bakersfield with the concept of Friendly Neighborhood Design™ —five key principles that have always set Castle & Cooke communities apart. Master Planning that fosters open space and a connection to nature; Uniquely-designed homes with authentic architectural detail and livable floor plans; Creative Site Planning that engenders “community” through recreational facilities and natural gathering places; Inspired Landscape Design that results in beautiful streetscapes and manicured greenbelts; and a dedication to Green Building practices that has earned Castle & Cooke the title of “Energy Effi-

cient Builder of the Year” from the Home Builders Association of Kern County.

Castle & Cooke practically invented the concept of master planning and whatever you desire in your new home, you’ll find it in a Castle & Cooke community. Topping the list is The Villas at Seven Oaks.

Nestled on the first fairway of Seven Oaks Country Club, this exclusive gated community of 29 homes is the last that will be built on the golf course. The classic Spanish architecture of these beautiful homes captures the romance of early California.

Many feature arched windows, Mexican tile, wrought iron accents, low maintenance stucco exteriors, and warm earthtone colors. The Villas at Seven Oaks presents the unparalleled opportunity of a refined yet casual country club lifestyle in a home that reflects your unique personality, taste and style. Homes in The Villas start in the high $400,000s.

Home buyers who prefer an active lifestyle to yard work will find University Park

the perfect blend of convenience, recreation, and low maintenance homes. With easy access to The Marketplace, CSUB, and The Shops at Riverwalk, University Park is in the center of everything. But with its stunning homes, park-like setting, meandering landscaped walkways, and resort-style swimming pool, many residents are quite content to enjoy their quiet, gated privacy. Homes in University Park start in the low $200,000s.

At Village Green, one of Castle & Cooke’s newest gated communities, families enjoy a child-friendly environment. A grassy central park is filled with picnic tables, playground, a lushly landscaped beach-entry pool, and a children’s water spray park.

Streets are even designed to be safer by controlling traffic flow. And of course the homes are pure Castle & Cooke, featuring comfortable floor plans and classic architecture. Homes in Village Green start in the low $200,000s.

When it comes to affordable quality, nothing can beat Liberty at Silver Creek.

Liberty homes feature the quality construction and attention to detail for which Castle & Cooke is famous at a price that makes them easily accessible. Combined with outstanding parks and recreational amenities it’s a community you will be proud to call home. Homes in Liberty start in the mid $100,000s.

And finally, Brighton Parks is Bakersfield’s premier gated active adult community. The theme here is “Life in Full Bloom,” and it’s easy to see why with a multitude of parks; beautiful low-maintenance homes; and a central clubhouse full of game rooms, exercise equipment, a magnificent pool and spa, barbeque stations, and organized resident activities.

Homes in Brighton Parks start in the low $200,000s.

With everything these communities have to offer, it’s no wonder that Castle & Cooke has come to represent what is best about life in Bakersfield.

10000 Stockdale Highway, Suite 300, Bakersfield | 661.664.6039 | www.CastleCookeHomes.com

84 Bakersfield Magazine

Dream Homes

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

John Balfanz Homes Experience Your Dream In A John Balfanz Home

John Balfanz Spanish Style Home, one of the many exterior architectural elevations. Design your custom exterior when you design your home!

Now is the time to look to John Balfanz Homes for your dream home.

John Balfanz Homes custom process takes the worry out of building a new home.

Our 21-plus years of experience as a custom home builder allows you to trust our design and quality. Every interaction, every phase of the process—from design and construction, to the close of escrow, to your move in—will be efficient and stress-free.

We have developed a unique client process to keep you involved and informed of the progress every step of the way. This process combines the highest level of personal service with the use of our proprietary software that we designed. It is a wonderful experience designing and building the home of your dreams. We are building all over Bakersfield and would be thrilled to have the chance to build the home where your memories will be made.

We want you to come and see what we are doing differently at John Balfanz Homes.

Because with over 20 custom homes un-

der construction right now, we must be doing something different, right? We invite you to see for yourself why over 50 families will choose John Balfanz Homes as their builder this year.

It’s an easy choice when you see we’re building beautiful homes in beautiful Bakersfield neighborhoods.

See why over 50 families will choose John Balfanz Homes as their builder this year.

We are currently building in our area’s premier neighborhoods including Brighton Estates, The Estates at Northwood Ranch, and Monterey Ranch, just to name a few.

With homes starting at $330,000, you can move into the home you’ve always dreamed of with a minimal down payment and an excellent, easily affordable monthly payment.

And as we have continued to grow and build over the past few years, there are John Balfanz homes in amazing neighborhoods that are ready to move into today. Yet

we are always ready to take on custom build for you and your family, because that’s what we do best.

John Balfanz Homes is starting homes with you in mind. With a large inventory of available homes, you are able to choose the floor plan that works best for you and your family. Depending on the stage of construction, you can choose your interior amenities and color selections. Or, we would love to build a home from the ground up just for you. Our experienced sales and design team will work with you to make the custom structural and design changes to make the home perfect for you.

And that’s because right now is the perfect time to buy or build a home.

Prices are great and interest rates have never been better. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to build the home you have always wanted in the neighborhood you could see yourself living in forever.

Now is the time, this is the place...John Balfanz Homes.

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Dream Homes

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 85

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One of the many custom homes built by Delfino Homes, this home is located in Seven Oaks Country Club on the golf course.

With 19 years of experience in Bakersfield, land developer and home builder George Delfino is no stranger to hard work.

His philosophy has always been to put the needs and desires of his homeowners first.

It’s this philosophy that has allowed him to both grow and adapt in a tough industry such as homebuilding.

In addition to the Delfino philosophy, Delfino Land Company, Inc., doing business as Delfino Homes, George and his team can offer something that most other builders cannot—the ability to create home sites where most builders would not attempt due to lack of knowledge and expertise. That’s where the developer’s background comes into play. There are many details that go into creating a home site that is not part of an existing subdivision. The building pad placement, the utilities to the property, and water to serve these home sites are just part of it.

“We’ve done ground-up builds in vineyards, on farm sites, and even in the

foothills,” Delfino said. “We can create a building pad that will accommodate the homeowner’s wishes.” An insurmountable road block for other builders is often a welcomed challenge to George.

“We have been building custom homes for over 13 years at Delfino Homes. We can build from a 1,300 square foot entry level to over 8,500 square foot semi-custom, to complete full custom. We also do complete remodels from extensive tear downs to updating an existing home.” Delfino homes also does outdoor BBQ and kitchen areas— it’s all in an effort to give the most options to his customers.

Home buyers have a large variety of plans to choose from, as well. “We have over 100 copyrighted plans of various designs and sizes to choose from or we can develop a plan specifically for the buyer, inhouse. There’s no middle man.”

Every step of the process is overseen by his efficient team. “Everything is handled by us, we’re a well-oiled machine. Everything

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Dream Homes

is maintainable that way.” Not only does it mean less hassle for the buyer, but having that small team allows the company to shift gears according to home trends. Nothing, from the design plans to contracts, leaves their hands, which is comforting for many families looking to build a home for the first time. “You can always reach me or someone on my team,” he added.

Delfino Homes has earned a reputation that has served them well during the present and past challenging market conditions.

The company has continued to attract the home buyer through past, satisfied buyers.

His past buyers have recommended Delfino Homes without reservations due to their experience during the construction of their first, and sometimes, second homes.

It appears to come down to a simple statement, George Delfino and Delfino Homes care about their clients and they take pride in each home they construct.

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GARDENING WITH MRS. P

By Lynn Pitts

& Other Pearls of Wisdom t’s that time of year again, late summer, when Mrs. P answers your garden questions. The daylight hours may be growing shorter, but they’re not growing cooler. So, crank up the old AC, pour yourself a tall iced tea, and relax inside while I solve your outside problems.

Question: How can I control the Bermuda grass that continually creeps into my front flower bed? I’m really desperate and will try anything short of a blowtorch. Help!

Answer: The blowtorch was, actually, going to be my first option. Option 2 is total war and the enemy is one tough turf. What you’ve got is Common Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) and was the original grass seed spread in many home yards in Bakersfield. It was a cheap, good, drought-tolerant lawn for large, sunny areas. The bad news is that Common Bermuda grass will invade shrub plantings and flower beds by seed and spreading, iron-like roots. Remember, Common Bermuda is the culprit, not Hybrid Bermuda grass which does not self sow or spread. Here’s my solution, which while drastic, will solve the problem. It’s worked for me. Mark off the flower bed with edgers sunk into the ground. I’ve used those black eco edgers which click together and are pounded into the ground. Next, dig out and dispose of any plants remaining in the bed. Seriously, don’t even think of transplanting because they’re contaminated with “The Enemy.” Give the flower bed a thorough spray of weed and grass killer. Spread a good quality weed cloth over the area, one that says it will last at least 7 to 10 years.

Anchor with U-pins or pegs. Cover the area with a minimum of four inches of crushed rock.

Top with flagstone pavers or larger river rocks. Group lightweight resin containers in large and medium sizes; fill with a mix of perennial colorful shrubs and annuals.

Voilà! No more weeding! To avoid hand-watering, set up a drip-irrigation system attached to one or more of your underground sprinkler heads.

Question: I want to feature the color chartreuse in my garden. What do you suggest?

Answer: Did you know that chartreuse refers to the color of a liqueur made by the monks of Chartreux in France? The lustrous rich yellow-green comes from a composition of the herbs and spices used; balm, hyssop, angelica leaves, cinnamon bark, mace, and saffron. After a 10day infusion in distilled alcohol and sugar, the liqueur is ready to be imbibed. But I digress. The color chartreuse in the garden became popular a few years ago when the retro look crossed over to the outdoors. Paired with rich, deep blues or purples, chartreuse-colored plants pep up a garden. You can’t beat the zing of the zinnia ‘Envy’ for a spectacular annual flower. I plant the >>

PHOTOS BY FIRST LIGHT (CHOISYA TERNATA), BIDGEE (BERMUDA), ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/GRADTS (WOMAN)

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 87

Gardening with Mrs. P

seeds every year and think their color improves if they’re grown in an area with afternoon shade. Because zinnias love hot weather, it may not be too late to plant the seeds now and they should come up quickly and bloom until November. Nicotiana ‘Lime Green’ with starry flowers is a good harmonizer with hot pinks. For a perennial with enormous pop, the bright chartreuse colored leaves of Mexican Orange Blossom takes the prize. The botanical name is Choisya ternata. The variety I grow is called ‘Sundance’ and is grown commercially by Monrovia. Fragrant orange blossom-like flowers bloom in early summer, but the chartreuse leaves provide year-round color.

Mexican Orange Blossom will eventually grow 5- to 6-feet tall and wide in partial to full sun. I’m also a big sucker for Coleus. Even though they can’t take a lot of sun, they need warm temps. Coleuses are one big retro color show in a pot. Flintstone Heaven! Chartreuse, purple, orange, salmon, green, red, and brown colors...and that’s on only one leaf!

Question: I have an area where azaleas and camellias grow well but want a flowering evergreen shrub that has lots of fragrance. What do you suggest?

too many zucchini?

gift them away! steamed, and baked zucchini. One of my favorite ways to use zucchini as well as other end-of-summer veggies is “Green Minestrone, Genoa Style.” Even in the days when Genoese sailors were discovering the outposts of the world, this delicate version of minestrone was the original soup prepared for the sailors on their return. Served with basil-flavored pesto sauce, this soup captures the similarities between the sunny Ligurian countryside and our Bakersfield climate, gardens, and tastes in food.

Invite friends and family to share this bounty and as they leave, gift them with festive bags of extra zucchini.

Question: What’s your favorite nursery?

Answer: I get that question often. It’s impossible to answer because I adore all sorts of plant places. If I can’t specify a “favorite” nursery, I can tell you what attributes I appreciate in a nursery. Number one: the plants have to be healthy. They should look robust, well-watered, well-shaped (not leggy), and not root-bound. And, please, no snails slithering around the pot! Sticking up for the “SeQuestion: Jokes aside, what can I do with my nior Set,” easily accessible bathrooms help. Resident dogs and cats soon-to-be-bumper crop of zucchini? add charm and keep my non-gardening pals occupied while I shop.

Answer: Deep breath time as I try not to fall Being offered cold water on a hot day or warm cider on a cold day off my chair laughing. Too many zucchini? Quel gets an extra star. The fun, for me, is in the hunt. North, south, surprise, how could that ever happen? Mrs. P is east, west, and central Kern County have diverse nurseries, large thinking you broke her Cardinal Rule: never plant more than and tiny. Check them out by ‘Googling’ the California Associaone zucchini plant. That said, over the years, I’ve made zuction of Nurseries and check out its map of retail nurseries. Finally, chini pickles, relish, bread, and even cake. I’ve sautéed, fried, there are the turnoffs; sloppy conditions and rude staff head the list.

While I prefer to shop locally, I’m not against ordering unusual plants from catalogs, especially if the nurseries are tyle Minestrone, Genoa S situated in the Western United States. A 4 quarts of water recent discovery is a company called cken parts 1 lb. each ham and bony chi “Annies Annuals and Perennials.” on ¼ lb. sliced prosciutto or bac They’re located in Richmond, Calisliced celery 1 cup diced potato • 1 cup fornia, just north of us. You’re in for nch pieces 8 small zucchini, sliced in ½-i a visual treat if you order their catalog 1 ½ cup sliced leeks (1-888-266-4370) or visit their webns ½ lb. Italian (Romano) bea site (anniesannuals.com). They carry (cut in 2- to 3-inch lengths) Puyas, my latest BFF plant! I’d tell i) ½ lb. salad macaroni (ditalin you more but I’ve run out of thyme. v 1 lb. peas, shelled e bag cab 3 to 4 cups shredded white Lynn Pitts, better known as Mrs. P., is pepper 2 tsp. coarse salt and ground a native Californian, master gardener Pesto sauce in four counties including Kern, a garden writer, and professional botanical o tw r me Cover and sim artist. She has been featured on “The utto and bring to a boil. sci pro , and n, oes tat cke po chi , ck to a boil, add sto Combine water, ham ing Br .

Art of Gardening,” on PBS, and has nes bo and at green stock, discard me conducted flower workshops throughcelery, zucchini, leeks, add hours. Strain and reserve and er cov ve mo minutes. Re e minutes fiv ok Co out California for botanical gardens e. bag cab and cover, and simmer for ten peas mer five minutes. Stir in and arboretums. ce. sau to pes in on spo beans, and macaroni. Sim p into bowls and sou dle La te. tas to per more. Salt and pep 88 Bakersfield Magazine

PHOTOS BY MIYA (DAPHNE), STUART HALLIDAY (ZUCCHINI), ZIRGUEZI (NURSERY), ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/LAURI PATTERSON(SOUP), TODD BATES (BAGS)

Answer: It’s almost un-American not to have a Daphne odora! Winter Daphne has all of the above qualities as long as it does not get mid-day sun. The seductive scent of its winter flowering nosegay clusters at the end of its branches will simply amaze you and make your friends pea-green with envy.

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NAILS: a good reflection of your health

A Guide to Health & Beauty

©ISTO CKPHOTO .COM/D O

MENICO

GELERM

O

NOW, YOU COULD GO TO A PALM READER AND DISCOVER INTIMATE DETAILS ABOUT YOUR “FUTURE” FROM THE CREASES IN YOUR HAND, BUT REAL INDICATIONS OF YOUR LIFE AND HEALTH CAN BE FOUND A LITTLE FURTHER DOWN YOUR FINGERS. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, nail problems make up about 10 percent of all dermatological conditions, and “nails often reflect our general state of health.” So before you pay a visit to Madame Irina, check out your digits for these tell tale signs of deeper health issues and deficiencies and practice a few new tricks for keeping your nails healthy and beautiful.

There are several nail conditions that can signal the existence of health issues. Things to look out for are yellowing of the nails, pitting, and clubbing (and not the kind you want to be on the list for). They can suggest such issues as respiratory and cardiovascular problems as well as liver disease.

Dark-colored bands across the tips of the nails are a common sign of aging and yet can also suggest heart failure or malnutrition.

While the nails are a very good indicator of disease, nutritional deficiency is most often the culprit behind nail changes. Taking vitamins on a regular basis can help to combat these effects.

Naildoctors.com suggests taking a Dolomite supplement to restore the body’s

balance of calcium and silica which good nail health depends on. If you have weak, brittle nails, Reader’s Digest’s Stealth Health recommends taking 300 micrograms of the B vitamin biotin four to six times a day for nails that are “as strong as a horse’s hooves.” The Mayo Clinic also recommend taking biotin and suggests a simpler 2.5 milligrams daily.

Along with vitamins, regular maintenance is essential to keeping nails looking and feeling healthy and doesn’t necessarily require weekly visits to the nail salon. Then again, it’s always nice to treat your nails to a spa day.

Nothing like a fresh coat of paint to have your nails shining like new. Plus, during a manicure, most nail salons include a hand massage, which is good for your stress level and circulation.

Nutritional deficiency is most often the culprit behind nail changes.

Taking vitamins on a regular basis can help to combat these effects.

A good place to start caring for nails is the matrix (and, no, Keanu won’t be there). The matrix is the part of the nail below the cuticle where cells develop—cells that will eventually grow into nail. Any damage done here can produce a deformed nail or no nail at all. Be careful of any activity that could damage the matrix. >> www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 89

It is important to moisturize the nail ...just like your skin.

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90 Bakersfield Magazine

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The American Academy of Dermatology also suggests keeping nails as healthy as possible by keeping nails clean and dry, which prevents bacteria from getting under the nail.

Nail biting and cutting your cuticles put the nails at higher risk for infection. Cuticles can be gently pushed back, but according to Discovery Health, they serve to protect your nail by keeping foreign substances out.

Next stop, the nail bed. Nails can’t naturally hold their own moisture so they need to be moisturized often with lotions or oils. Lemon juice or olive oil, even petroleum jelly, are great for dry nails. Avoid letting drying detergents and cleaners

sit on the hands by wearing gloves when using them. After using these types of harsh chemicals or even nail polish remover, it is important to moisturize the nail just like your skin. Now, it may sound like a contradiction, but too much moisture can be just as damaging so it’s important not to over expose nails to water (where bacteria can grow) without drying them thoroughly.

The ends of your nails are just as important and the Mayo Clinic recommends to trim and file nails regularly. Trim nails straight across and file down thickened areas. Best done after soaking nails, use sharp manicure scissors or clippers and an emery board to smooth nail edges. A good technique to keep in mind is to file from the corner to the center of the tip in one direction as back and forth filing can break the nail or make it weak.

So, it doesn’t take a psychic to see that you are not at peak physical condition...or if you’re not getting enough vitamins and minerals. Inspecting your nails regularly and reporting any suspicious changes to your doctor will have you feeling like a clairvoyant yourself. Your nails might be trying to tell you to make an appointment with either your physician or your manicurist, so listen to your ten new friends.

Oh, and try not to bite them anymore! v

Famous watches, designer sunglasses, & Bakersfield Magazine have a lot in common.

Someone is always trying to sell you a knock-off.

For subscription & advertising information 661-834-4126 • BakersfieldMagazine.net

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 91

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food

Switch on the burner, grease up the skillet, or spark up the coals, it’s time to get eating. It’s not hard to eat a meal fit for a king—we’ve done the research for you. Whether you’re searching for juicy new recipes to thrill dinner guests with or looking for a new, exciting place to dine out with family, our Food Section has all the spice and flavor you’ll need.

©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/MARTINH70

©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/SHYMAN

We’ve got reviews, recipes, entertaining tips, and more! This is the place to explore local eateries that have good food and good service, find out which ones cater to your budget and your taste buds, and get culinary inspiration to bring back to your own kitchen. Sumptuous, mouth-watering meals await you whatever your mood— grab your apron and peruse these pages for your favorite recipe.

Bon Appétit.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 93

QUICK BITES WITH LOCAL FLAVOR

get your Greek on NOTHING SAYS “OPA!” QUITE LIKE PASTICCIO, AND THE GREEK FOODIES AT GOOSE LOONIES HAVE GIVEN US A SECRET RECIPE FOR THIS DELECTABLE DISH TO PASS ON TO YOU, OUR AWESOME READERS. GIVE THIS RECIPE A TRY THE NEXT TIME YOU’RE CRAVING A RICH, TRADITIONAL GREEK MEAL. When it comes down to it, pasticcio is not unlike lasagna, except, of course, for that deliciously-Grecian addition of lamb. Bakersfield is an area that has long been known for its love of lamb dishes, so there’s no reason to be baa-shful when it comes to pasticcio. n

GOOSE LOONIES

PASTICCIO ~Ingredients~

dente ow-shaped); cooked al 1 package pasta (holl d pe onions; chop 1 lb. ground lamb • 2 bell pepper; chopped 1 • d 3 cloves garlic; choppe opped atoes; drained and ch 1 can (8oz.) whole tom . basil 1 tsp. oregano • 1 tsp namon cin . tsp 1 • 1 tsp. allspice

~Bechamel Topping~

. flour • 2 cups milk 4 tbsp. butter • 4 tbsp parmesan cheese 1/2 cup of kefalotiri or 1/2 tsp. white pepper 3 eggs 1/2 tsp. nutmeg • 2-

94 Bakersfield Magazine

ping.

Start by preparing the top m a paste. d mix in the flour to for an an cep sau a in r tte Melt the bu until mixture thickdium, stirring constantly me at at he d an lk mi Add the stir until melted. rmesan or kefaloteri and ens. When thick, add pa filling. prepare pasta and meat While topping is cooling, k! but firm. Do not overcoo Cook pasta until tender and garlic. Add the chopped onions, peppers the th wi at me the wn Bro atoes. taste, and the drained tom spices, salt and pepper to l before you add in mixture is completely coo g pin top u yo re su ke Ma In a baking stirred in, mix in spices. are gs eg the er Aft gs. the beaten eg cooked lamb mixthe cooked pasta. Add the lf ha th wi er lay a ke ma dish, ping. Bake sta and the bechamel top pa ing ain rem the th wi ture. Then top nutes or until brown. at 350 degrees for 45 mi

CUISINE: foodies rejoice!

ENTERTAINING THE BAKERSFIELD WAY

beach blanket Bako

By Tom Xavier

WHEN YOU THINK OF SUMMER, WHAT’S THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND? FOR ME, IT’S THE BEACH. SAND-COATED FEET, ICY DRINKS, AND SPLASHING AROUND IN THE SURF—WHO DOESN’T ENJOY THAT?

And since retro-themed parties are such big hits these days, it’s high time (or should I say high tide) that we brought the ‘60s beach feel to Bako for an amazing summer bash.

And what is quintessential summer party fare? If you said clambake, you’re right. If you said something else, just pretend you said clambake.

Sure, the East Coast is well-known for its amazing clambakes, but here on the California coast, we do things differently....better.

First and foremost, while you won’t be able to just pack up all your family and friends and haul them all to the beach for a traditional clambake, you can transform your kitchen or dining room into a beach with a few easy decorations (see below).

Secondly, those of us in Bakersfield aren’t going to be able to just walk out in our backyards and dig a sandpit in which we could steam some clams. Never fear, though, because you can still create the same steaming effect in your own kitchen.

Finally, Bakersfield isn’t known for its lobster population. So while East Coast clambakes may include that particular crustacean, we can cut the cost but not the taste by reworking a classic clambake recipe and preparing some spicy shrimp to go with!

The only special equipment you need to complete the cooking is a stockpot. These are available in a variety of sizes and some come with a steamer rack and basket.

So just how do you create a ‘60s beach atmosphere? I like to start by thinking of centerpieces. Turn a table into a beach landscape by decorating with brightly-colored pails filled with sand and sea shells. Place votive candles on top of the sand, or tie lobster-shaped, helium-filled balloons to the pail handles. Use nautical-themed paper plates and napkins, including anchor or lobster

decorations. You could even throw a large fishing net on the table and glue on plastic sea creatures, such as starfish and crabs. Use shell napkin holders. Roll up beach towels and tuck them in a big basket. Then, finish decorating with beach balls and maybe a big umbrella, opened up and tucked behind the table (if you’re not superstitious, that is).

Furthermore, besides the food for your clambake, you will want to have a good supply of bibs on hand, lots and lots of napkins, and a good supply of pre-moistened towelettes. Seafood is delicious but it can be messy.

Outside, place large blow-up palm trees by your front door or even tiki torches that line the walkway to your home.

Now, on to the menu.

Preparing a stove clambake is a breeze. One-stop cooking, so to speak, since most of it is done in one pot.

The accompanying dips are a no brainer. For example, prepare melted butter, cocktail sauce, and lemon wedges. >>

CUISINE: have a summer bash! www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 95

CUISINE : have a summer bash!

Kitchen Clambake 1 1/2 lbs. kielbasa 3 cups chopped yellow onions 2 cups chopped leeks, well-cleaned (white parts only) 1/4 cup good olive oil 1 1/2 lbs. small potatoes (red or white) 1 tbsp. kosher salt 1/2 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper 24 littleneck clams, scrubbed 24 steamer clams, scrubbed 2 lbs. mussels, cleaned and de-bearded 2 cups good dry white wine Slice the kielbasa diagonally into 1-inch thick slices. Set aside. Sauté the onions and leeks in the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed 16- to 20-quart stockpot over medium heat for 15 minutes, until the onions start to brown.

Layer the ingredients on top of the onions in the stockpot in this order: first the potatoes, salt, and pepper; then the kielbasa, little neck clams, steamer clams, and mussels. Pour in the white wine. Cover the pot tightly and cook over medium-high heat until steam just begins to escape from the lid, about 15 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and cook another 15 minutes.

The clambake should be done. Test to be sure the potatoes are tender and the clams and mussels are open. With large slotted spoons, remove the seafood, potatoes, and sausages to a large bowl. Season the broth in the pot to taste, and ladle over the seafood.

Corn on the Cob Un-shucked corn cobs (one for each person) Butter • Salt • Pepper • Tin foil Shuck the corn. You’ll be wrapping each corn cob up in tin foil, so tear off as many squares as cobs. Set each cob in the middle of its foil square and then rub with butter. Dust with salt and pepper. Wrap each cob up and place on a barbeque. Cook approximately 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until corn is tender.

And if you’re looking for a great beach drink to wash all this down with, I suggest some beer. However, if you’re not one to enjoy a good ale, try this cocktail for some fun in the sun.

Jack Daniel’s Lynchburg Lemonade 1 part Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey 1 part sweet and sour mix 1 part triple sec 4 parts lemon lime soda Mix all liquids. Add ice and stir. Garnish with lemon slices and cherries.

This can be made in advance and put in a large glass container so your guests can help themselves. For an added flare serve the cocktails in canning jars.

96 Bakersfield Magazine

Spicy Beer-Steamed Shrimp 1 (12-ounce) bottled or canned beer • 2 tbsp. crab boil • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 1 lb. tiger prawns with shell • 3 oz. Old Bay Seasoning • 1 (12 oz.) jar cocktail sauce In the base pot of a steamer, combine the beer, crab boil, and garlic and bring to a simmer. Put the steamer basket in place and carefully toss all your shrimp into the basket. It’s important you don’t submerge shrimp, so remove some liquid if necessary. Season the shrimp with Old Bay seasoning and cover.

Steam shrimp until pink. Eat by removing shells as you go and dipping in cocktail sauce.

There’s Mexican food and then there’s

“The Foods of Mexico”

Featuring Central California Coast Wines

Lunch and Dinner 7 Days a Week Sunday Brunch Food “To Go” Cocktail Lounge Catering Chefs Table (by advance reservation) Winemaker Dinners and Special Events

The Definitive Classic Molded Lime Jell-o Salad 1-1/2 cups boiling water • 1 pkg. (8-serving size) lime gelatin 1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained 1 cup cottage cheese • 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened 1 cup whipping cream • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts • 1 cup miniature marshmallows Stir boiling water into gelatin in a large bowl for at least two minutes until completely dissolved. Stir in the pineapple and juice. Refrigerate about an hour and 15 minutes or until it reaches the consistency of unbeaten egg whites.

Whip the cream. Stir the cottage cheese into cream cheese in a separate bowl until well blended. Gently fold in the whipped cream until smooth. Beat into slightly thickened gelatin with a wire whisk until well blended. Stir in walnuts and marshmallows. Pour into a 6-cup mold sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Refrigerate four hours or until firm. Unmold. Surround with lettuce leaves.

The menu couldn’t be simpler—all that’s left to do is invite your guests. Might I suggest having them wear their swimsuits? You’ll be channeling Gidget before you know it. n

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www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 97

Architect’s Rendering, The Cancer Center at San Joaquin Community Hospital

Where Hope Begins The Cancer Center at San Joaquin Community Hospital (SJCH) brings a revolutionary, state-of-the-art, hospital-based program to Kern County residents faced with a cancer diagnosis.

The only facility of its kind locally, The Cancer Center at SJCH will offer a comprehensive option in cancer diagnosis and treatment, all under one roof, another first for SJCH. Become a part of this vital new center — by giving of your time or with a financial donation. For more information, call the SJCH Foundation at 661-869-6570.

E-mail: SJCHfoundation@ah.org. On the web: www.SJCHgiving.org.

Healing Follows

98 Bakersfield Magazine

WHAT’S COOKIN’

pasta anyone?

ONE OF THE GREAT LUNCH SPECIALS IN BAKERSFIELD IS AT A SMALL, FAMILY-OWNED RESTAURANT IN NORTHEAST BAKERSFIELD IN AN OLD SHOPPING CENTER ACROSS FROM BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE.

By Mike Stepanovich

It’s the angel hair pasta with freshly diced tomatoes, garlic, fresh

What makes these lunch specials, well, special, is the freshness of the

basil, Parmesan, and olive oil at L.A. Pizza Veloz. For a scant $5.99, you

ingredients. Owner Carlos Delgado insists on fresh, top-quality ingre-

get a lunch that is so fresh, so flavorful, you’d think it was a bargain at

dients. The sauces (marinara, meat sauce, pesto, Alfredo) are made

twice the price (in fact, many other restaurants do charge twice that for

from scratch using only fresh ingredients, including the tomatoes and

a similar lunch). If that isn’t enough, it also comes with a salad—your

basil. They’re simply scrumptious. “The sauces are prepared fresh every

choice of dressing—and a soft roll cut in half, buttered and toasted. The

day,” Delgado said.

rolls are baked fresh daily at Pizza Veloz and are soft and delicious. For

Another great lunch special is the large, three-topping pizza for

an extra $1.25, I get the angel hair with Italian sausage, which makes

$9.99. Normally, Pizza Veloz’s pizzas are $16.99 for large, so that’s quite

for a splendid meal. The menu says “add chicken for $1.25,” but I prefer

a deal. It will feed three people easily.

sausage. The angel hair pasta is one of my favorite lunches.

With so many pizza places to choose from, what makes Pizza Veloz’s

That’s not the only lunch deal at Pizza Veloz, as it’s known by folks

pizza worth seeking out? Let’s start with the crust; like the sauces, it’s

who frequent the place. Also for $5.99 you can get spaghetti marinara,

prepared daily from scratch, using Italian semolina flour. It’s then spun

spaghetti with olive oil and garlic, penne pasta with your choice of

thin, with the edges slightly raised. The crust is excellent; on many piz-

sauce, and fettuccini Alfredo.

zas, I often don’t eat the edge of the crust, but I do at Pizza Veloz. It just

For an extra buck—$6.99—you can have spaghetti with meat-

tastes great. And—I know, I’m sounding like a broken record—the

balls, meat sauce, sausage, chicken, or cheese; lasagna; tortellini; and

freshly made sauce makes a difference, as do the quality of the toppings.

cheese or beef ravioli. I also enjoy the spaghetti. I go back and forth

So, what’s the story on this quiet place that consistently produces >>

between meatballs and sausage because the sauce has a wonderful aroma that just beckons you to taste it, and when you do, it’s heaven.

CUISINE: a bite of heaven www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 99

CUISINE: a bite of heaven Cream store was also there. The market closed in the

not how they come at Pizza Veloz. You get the full

mid-1980s, and no one seems to remember when

pie, bottom and top crust, stuffed with various in-

Swensen’s left.

gredients (the supreme, for example, has pepperoni,

When Delgado found the place, it had been vacant

mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, and ground beef

about a year, he said, adding that the previous tenant

swimming in mozzarella cheese) and served with a

had been a Chinese restaurant. He opened that same

cup of marinara sauce to spread over it. It’s cut into

year, keeping the name of his original Los Angeles

wedges, like a pizza. And I’m telling you, it’s incredibly

restaurant.

good! As much as I like the lunch specials, this is my

He also maintained his formula of freshly made

favorite item on the menu.

sauces, quality ingredients, and good service. His

The concept, Delgado said, stems from his native El

servers, brother and sister Jose and Karen, along with

Salvador and one of it traditional dishes, the pupusa,

Delgado’s daughter Stephanie, take good care of pa-

a corn tortilla typically stuffed with cheese and pork.

trons with a quiet, friendly demeanor.

Delgado recognized that a quality restaurant with reasonable prices across the street from Bakersfield

“I thought I’d do an Italian twist on the El Salvadoran pupusa,” Delgado said. “Why not do an Italian pupusa?”

College had a better than even chance of success. And

Rather than corn, he uses wheat flour for the crust.

he was right: it’s common to see BC students, fac-

“I bake it slowly so it’s completely cooked inside and

ulty, and staff in Pizza Veloz during lunch. The walls

crispy on the outside,” he said. His servers caution that

sport BC paraphernalia, including a football helmet,

it takes a while to cook, so if you’re in a hurry, per-

jerseys, pennants, and other items. He also has East

haps this isn’t the choice for you. But if you have time,

top-notch fare? We can thank Delgado’s visits to Ba-

Bakersfield High and Highland High items that add to

it’s worth the wait. If you’re ordering for two, get the

kersfield to see friends that convinced him Bakersfield

the décor. Interspersed among the college and high

small ($12.99), and you’ll likely take some home. You

was a good place to be.

school decorations are short jars of tall dry spaghetti

Freshly made sauces, quality ingredients, and good service never go out of style.

Originally from El Salvador, Delgado came to this country in 1990, settling first in Los Angeles.

that splay outward, somehow emphasizing the restaurant’s quality focus.

“A lot of people ask me why I have an Italian res-

Delgado also has a creative side. I was visiting with

taurant when I’m a Latino,” he said. “Well, when I first

him one day and Jose, the waiter, sauntered up and

came to Los Angeles I worked in an Italian restaurant.

said, “Tell him about the spaghetti pizza.” Delgado

I learned everything about Italian cooking.”

grinned. “It’s not on the menu,” he said. “We only

He subsequently decided to open a restaurant,

make it for those who know about it.”

which he named L.A. Pizza Veloz. While his restau-

Finding myself suddenly in the know, I ordered

rant was successful, he became less enamored of

one. If you are looking for hearty, this is a pizza for

life in Los Angeles.

you. It’s the same great crust topped with spaghetti,

About that time he began visiting friends in Ba-

fresh tomato meat sauce, basil, and covered with

kersfield. He liked what he saw. He returned a few

mozzarella cheese. It’s a nice blend of flavors, and, as

times, each time gaining a greater appreciation

you might guess, thoroughly filling.

for Bakersfield. “I really liked it here,” he said. “The schools are much better.”

Finally, in 2007, he decided to move to Bakersfield and open a restaurant. He found a vacant spot in the

While the restaurant is certainly Italian, some

can also order medium ($14.99), large ($18.99), or

Latino influences have crept in, like the chili verde

extra large ($21.99). Anything larger than small, and

pizza, or the Mexican pizza. But Delgado’s greatest

I presume you’re feeding an army.

creations, without question, are his calzones.

This gem of a restaurant at 3605 Mount Vernon

old shopping center at Mount Vernon and University

Anyone familiar with typical Italian calzones

Ave. is open daily 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and ac-

avenues. Back in the 1960s, a Mayfair Market was

knows they look like a pizza folded in half, so that

cepts Visa and MasterCard. You can dine in or take out.

the anchor in the small center, and a Swensen’s Ice

the ingredients are stuffed in the folded crust. That’s

Phone is (661) 872-3637. n

100 Bakersfield Magazine

LIFE IS A CABERNET

gold standard

By Mike Stepanovich

SOME YEARS BACK, I WAS TALKING WITH GARY EBERLE, THE GENIAL OWNER OF EBERLE WINERY IN PASO ROBLES, ABOUT WHY HE ENTERS WINE COMPETITIONS. HE TOLD ME: “ONLY FIVE PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE WHO COME INTO OUR TASTING ROOM HAVE EVER HEARD OF ROBERT PARKER [CONSIDERED AMERICA’S PREEMINENT WINE CRITIC]. ONLY TWENTY PERCENT HAVE EVER HEARD OF THE WINE SPECTATOR [WINE MAGAZINE]. BUT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS A GOLD MEDAL.”

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In this recessionary era, how else does one

looking for grape varietals

explain the influx of top-end Napa Valley winer-

that will distinguish them and that are

ies into the competitions? It used to be that you

well suited for their regions. Napa, and

could increase your odds of success in the wine business just by having “Napa” on your label. Not true today.

to a lesser extent Sonoma County, is the benchmark for Cabernet Sauvignon. That, of

First, other California wine regions are excelling, offering great

course, is not to say that other areas can’t or don’t grow good cab-

wines, a good experience, and better prices, witness Sonoma County,

ernet, it’s just that the wine-buying public perceives Napa as the

Paso Robles, Monterey County, Santa Barbara County, Temecula, Si-

standard. So Paso Robles, for example, has turned to Rhone vari-

erra Foothills, Lodi, Madera County, and Lake County, among oth-

etals—Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Viognier—to make a name for

ers. The California wine experience is now virtually unlimited, and

itself, and has been successful. Calaveras County has embraced the

“wine country” can be found from the Oregon to the Mexican borders.

Spanish varietal Tempranillo and is doing a good job with that. >>

Second, a proliferation of varietals new to California has caught consumers’ attention. Wineries in different parts of the state are

WINE: grape sensations www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 101

WINE: grape sensations Santa Barbara County has focused on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Third, wine is a discretionary buy. Despite wine lovers’ insistence that we need wine, the vast majority of consumers don’t, and in recent years that has showed.

To justify prices, wineries need verification that their wines are worth it. How do you do that? Enter a wine competition and win some gold medals.

Across the state, tasting room sales were off 30 percent or more in 2009 (a grim year on many fronts), and vintners told me that while people still visited the tasting rooms, instead of walking out with six-pack carriers or cases, they’d leave with one or two bottles—if that. Sales have improved somewhat, but are nowhere near pre-recession levels. Common wisdom became if you

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were listing wine for $25 or less, you were still selling; above that, likely not.

Recent news reports have said the price point has dipped further, to the $15-

Valley Zinfandel ($36, San Diego). And ZD Wines won gold medals at San Diego for

$20 range, but the good news is that wines in that range and lower are begin-

its 2009 Carneros Pinot Noir ($45) and 2009 Carneros Reserve Chardonnay ($55).

ning to enjoy increased sales.

I have listed the suggested retail prices for these wines, with the parenthetical

This poses a conundrum for high-end wines. They can’t really lower their

note that consumers should be able to find them selling for less in retail outlets.

prices much without sacrificing brand perception, but to justify their prices

How is this possible? It’s due to the three-tier system widely used in the United

they need verification that their wines are worth it. How do you do that? Enter

States since the repeal of Prohibition. Typically, wineries sell their wine to a dis-

a wine competition and win some gold medals. Are all, or even a majority, do-

tributor at what is known as FOB, or “free on board,” a term denoting the transfer

ing it? Nope, but it’s interesting to see that some are.

of goods from seller to buyer. The FOB price is 50 percent of suggested retail. The

To be sure, the wine competitions are suffering the recession’s effects as well:

distributor turns around and sells the wine to a retailer at “wholesale,” or about

entries at competitions where I judge are down across the board. After all, it costs

two-thirds of retail. The retailer is free to sell the wine at whatever price he or she

money to enter competitions—entry fees are typically $75 to $100 per entry.

feels the market will bear, quite often less than suggested retail.

When the recession hit, the first wineries to reduce their entries to competi-

With these wineries’ success, will more high-end wineries enter the com-

tions were the large corporate wineries. The wineries consistently entering com-

petitions? Perhaps a few more will, but I don’t expect a big influx. Books such

petitions remain the smaller wineries for which the results are essentially their

as Julia Flynn Siler’s The House of Mondavi, and James Conway’s Napa have

annual marketing campaign. If you don’t win anything, no one is the wiser; you’re

provided ample testament that Napa has become a playground for the wealthy,

just out your entry fee. Win a gold medal, and your sales reflect it.

with prices to match. I think most high-end wineries will continue to rely on

In the 2011 wine competitions, Napa Valley scion Cakebread Cellars earned

Napa Valley’s cachet to sell their wines. It’s another part of the conundrum be-

gold medals for its classic Napa Valley 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon ($61; all prices

cause while winning gold medals may confirm that $75 or $85 wines are good,

listed are suggested retail, though you should be able to find wines for less at

it also confirms that $5 to $25 wines are good.

retail outlets), and 2008 Napa Valley Merlot ($54) at the recent Pacific Rim Inter-

Consider Rutherford Ranch Wine Co., and Round Hill Winery, both in Napa Val-

national Wine Competition. The Merlot also was named “Best Merlot” at the San

ley, owned by Bakersfield’s Marko Zaninovich family. Their 2008 Cabernet Sauvi-

Diego International Wine Competition.

gnon ($19) and Merlot ($18) won gold medals at San Diego, and 2009 Chardon-

Likewise, St. Supery Vineyard & Winery in Napa Valley has done well at the

nay ($16) and Sauvignon Blanc ($15) won silver medals at Pacific Rim and San

2011 wine competitions. At Pacific Rim, it won four golds for its 2006 Dollarhide

Diego. The 2010 Round Hill “Oak Free” Chardonnay ($12) won gold at Pacific Rim.

Ranch Limited Edition Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($85; it also scored plati-

These wines are consistent medal winners.

num at the Monterey Wine Competition), 2007 Elú Napa Valley Meritage ($65),

And value-priced wines continue to prove you don’t sacrifice quality for price. Bare-

2009 Estate Sauvignon Blanc ($35), and 2009 Virtú White Meritage ($25). The

foot Cellars, Beringer’s Founders Estate, Charles Shaw (yes that Charles Shaw), Fetzer,

2007 Estate Cabernet won gold at Monterey. In fairness, St. Supery has been a

Glen Ellen, flipflop, and Napa Creek have all won multiple gold medals this spring

long-time competition entrant, so it’s good to see them continue in bad times.

for cabernets, pinot noirs, chardonnays, and other varietals selling for $10 or less. n

The historic Charles Krug Winery won gold medals for its 2008 Napa Valley Vintage Selection Cabernet ($69) and 2008 Napa Valley Merlot ($23) at San Diego. Frank Family Vineyards earned gold medals for its 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet ($45) at Pacific Rim and Monterey, 2007 Rutherford Reserve Cabernet ($85) at Pacific Rim and San Diego, 2009 Carneros Pinot Noir ($57.50, Pacific Rim and Monterey), and 2008 Napa 102 Bakersfield Magazine

Mike Stepanovich is an award-winning journalist who has been writing his Life is a Cabernet wine column since 1985, and reviewing restaurants for Bakersfield Magazine since 1997. Stepanovich has taught wine and food pairing classes for many years, and teaches a wine appreciation and history class for Bakersfield College. He began judging wines in 1987, and now judges at major international wine competitions throughout the United States.

A home winemaker, Stepanovich resides with his wife, Carol, in Bakersfield.

memory makers

BOTTOMS UP!

By Jason Gutierrez

“EVEN IF YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TO BAKERSFIELD, CHANCES ARE YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT DEWAR’S.” That’s something I tell my out-of-town friends and in most cases, it’s true. Well-known for mouth-watering taffy chew’s, Dewar’s has been a Bakersfield icon for over a hundred years and shows no signs of losing popularity. Filled each day with patrons of all ages, this candy shop/ice cream parlor is a true community gem. However, George’s Special is the real “to-die-for” delectable treat.

Named after the current owner and grandson of the company founder, George Dewar, George’s Special is a fabulous milkshake consisting of chocolate syrup, Dewar’s vanilla ice cream, walnuts, and three quarters of a fresh banana. Although this is a favorite year-round, summertime sees a spike in orders of this fountain special. Staff members say they make so many in a single day that they frequently lose count.

Having grown up in Bakersfield, I must say there’s nothing like an afternoon visit to Dewar’s. Summer, fall, winter, or spring— sitting at the counter, choosing which flavor of ice cream or ice

ous Dewar’s Fam

George’s Special

yrup Chocolate S • m a re C e pped) Vanilla Ic ts (finely cho u ln a W • a Banan

DEWAR’S Year Established: 1909 QUICK FACTS Located: 1120 Eye Street Happy Hour: Every hour!

milk you’re going to craft into a tasty sundae, shake, or enjoy by the scoop, makes you feel like you’ve just won the sweet-tooth lottery...especially if you’re sampling George’s Special. With a whimsical atmosphere, friendly staff, and the option to take your order home makes Dewar’s a five-star destination in my book.

Make sure you try George’s Special. You’ll be happy you did! n

DRINK: totally cool www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 103

Chalet Basque

The Dining Guide

A restaurant of fine distinction. Unquestionably the most fashionable and exciting French Basque cuisine in our city at reasonable prices. Served family-style, dinners include French bread & butter, soup, pink beans, hot sauce, hors d’oeuvres, vegetables, and french fries, and a variety of entrée choices. For 45 years, locals and visitors alike have savored favorites such as our garlic fried chicken, lamb ,and hand-cut steaks including our filet mignon topped with blackberries and brandy. Kids menu for 10 and under. Our banquet room accommodates up to 180 people, perfect for wedding parties, anniversaries, and retirement dinners. Take-out menu and gift certificates available. Open seven days a week. 200 Oak Street. (661) 327-2915

Jacalito Grill – Downtown Location

In the mood for authentic Mexican dining? There’s no better place than Jacalito Grill.

With three convenient locations, you’ll always discover a reason to drop by for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Let the traditional flavors wow you with each dining experience, whether it be their savory Huevos Rancheros, Chile Verde, Pork Ribs in Salsa Roja, or Enchiladas de Mole. The seafood lover will rejoice at Jacalito Grill where a long list of succulent shrimp and fish dishes await. Everything from Camarones Borrachos (shrimp sauteed in tequila sauce) to their delectable Fish Fajitas. Each of their menu combinations are served with tender rice and beans.

Open Sun-Thu, 11am-9:30pm; Fri-Sat 11am-11pm. 4803 Panama Ln., (661) 8345834; 10618 Hageman Rd., (661) 679-7920; and 900 Truxtun Ave. (661) 325-2535

Jake’s Tex-Mex Cafe

After 25 years still going strong, this Bakersfield icon is “Tex Mex Grub” but geared toward loyal “Bako” patrons. Pit style beef is the king here, but the salad choices, Taco Salad, Salad Lites, and, of course, the Famous Chocolate Cake dominate.

Known as a lunch joint, but Bako finally getting into dinner. Open Mon-Sat 118pm. Closed Sunday. 1710 Oak St. jakestexmex.com (661) 322-6380

Asia Market -Teriyaki Bowl

Asia Market & Teriyaki Bowl carries a wide selection of all Asian foods, including Chinese and Japanese favorites! The best part about our store is that after you have chosen your favorite item, you can either take it home and prepare a meal for yourself, or you can come into our restaurant and have us prepare a delicious meal for you using your selection! We have a full-service store and restaurant, so you can come in for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Join us today for excellent food provided by a friendly staff in a great atmosphere! Hours: 9am-9pm daily. 7701 White Lane. (661) 837-0982

Valentien Restaurant and Wine Bar

French Cuisine Fused With California Freshness Seafood, Poultry, Beef, Exotic Game, Vegetarian. A welcoming environment in the tradition of a neighborhood bistro. Extensive Wine List and Craft Beer Selection. Coffee Program Featuring Siphon Brewers and Sustainable Sourced Beans. We believe in preparing food from scratch with the freshest ingredients available. We source locally and organically as often as possible. Enjoy the bounty of Kern County’s Agriculture!

Open for Lunch: Tue-Fri 11:30am-2:00pm. Open for Dinner: Mon 5:00-8:00pm & Tue-Sat 5:00-9:00pm. All major credit cards are accepted. Reservations recommended but not required. 3310 Truxtun Ave., Ste. 160, 93301 www.valentienrestaurant.com (661) 864-0397

104 Bakersfield Magazine

The Crest Bar & Grill

Caesar’s Italian Delicatessen

A Bakersfield tradition since 1970, Caesar’s Italian Delicatessens have been serving fine Italian food for over 35 years. Our family owned Delis serve quality Sandwiches, Soups, and Salads. We are a full service deli and carry a wide variety of cheeses, meats, and specialty items. We have a large variety of Salads including our famous Pickled Tongue. Pastas are prepared in house using sauces from Nonna’s (grandma’s) Old Italian Recipes. Come in and pick up a tray to take home. Catering is also available for your next event, small office parties, large events & weddings, and includes Party Trays, Pastas, Sandwiches, Tri-Tip Deep Pit Beef, Chicken, or just Appetizers. Ask for a catering menu. 2828 Niles St. (East Bakersfield) (661) 873-0270, or 9500 Brimhall Rd. #304 (Rosedale area) (661) 588-7004

El Portal West

Pappy’s “Down South” BBQ & Catering

We invite you to enjoy our newest Mexican Grill and Cantina, El Portal West. We offer a great selection of appetizers, soups & salads, seafood, and our specialties are chicken, steak and shrimp fajitas. Our full service bar features the best margaritas in town! Happy Hour Mon-Fri 3-7pm (bar only), Lunch specials everyday, 11am-2pm. Fabulous Sunday Brunch, 10am-3pm, reservations accepted. 1100 Calloway Drive. (661) 829-2737

“Real BBQ cooked slow and low.” You don’t have to head too far south to get a taste of amazing, Southern-style BBQ—just head to Pappy’s. With Championship Brisket, tender tri-tip, pulled pork, hot links, chicken, and ribs, there’s a meat for everyone at this local BBQ joint. In addition to flavorful side dishes like sweet potato fries, potato salad, and chili beans, Pappy’s cooks up some killer “pappytizers,” including fried okra and fried pickles (a southern favorite). Plus, every ThursSat, Pappy’s is serving up 14 oz. ribeyes. They also offer catering for your next event, corporate meeting, or social gathering (minimum of 20 people). Call for details. 4725 Panama Ln. D-13. PappysDownSouthBBQ.com. (661) 735-3984

Frugatti’s Italian Wood-Fired Oven

Real Italian by Real Italians! Whether dining in or al fresco on our patio, come in and enjoy our new menu that’s bursting with flavor for lunch, dinner or just dessert. You’ll love our steaks. We use only the highest quality Certified Angus Brand® Beef. You’ll also love our chicken, seafood and pizzas cooked in our imported Italian wood-burning oven. We also offer a wide selection of pasta dishes and other Italian favorites. For dessert try our homemade New York cheesecakes or Tiramisu. Come experience our friendly atmosphere. Hours: Mon-Thu 11am-9:30pm, Friday 11am-10pm, Saturday 11:30am-10pm, Sunday 11:30am-9pm. All major credit cards accepted. 600 Coffee Rd., corner of Truxtun and Coffee. frugattis.com (661) 836-2000

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 105

The Dining Guide

If you are looking for one of Bakersfield’s best-kept secrets, you’ve found it.

Nestled inside the beautiful Bakersfield RV Resort, The Crest Bar and Grill is the perfect place to relax after a long day, or get a quick bite to power you through the rest of your busy day. Our well-trained staff will ensure that your dining visit with us is memorable. Our kitchen proudly serves quality Chicago Stockyard steaks, delicious pastas, classic sandwiches, and crisp salads with homemade dressings.

Tour our new Banquet Facility—it’s media equipped for any presentation desired, catered by The Crest, and has seating for 150 people. Visit us and enjoy what luxury RV living is all about. Hours 7am-9pm daily. Located at 5025 Wible Rd. bakersfieldrvresort.com (661) 833-9998

Benji’s French Basque

The Dining Guide

Benji’s offers something a little different from Bakersfield’s Basque fare. In addition to traditional Basque entrées of lamb, chicken, veal and beef, Benji’s has pan-fried frog legs with garlic lemon sauce, lobster tail, roasted duck, escargots and calf liver.

And the beef isn’t just tri-tip; Benji’s serves a scrumptious filet mignon and New York steak with pepper cognac sauce. All dinners are served with the customary Basque family style set-up. Don’t forget Benji’s specialty soufflés flavored with Grand Marnier, raspberry, chocolate or lemon. Basque family owned and operated for 25 years.

Banquet facilities available. Conveniently located 2 blocks west of Highway 99 at 4001 Rosedale Hwy. Open daily 11:30am-2pm and 5:30-9:30pm except Tuesdays.

Lounge opens 11am. (661) 328-0400

Grandview Asian Cuisine

Bull Shed Bar & Grill

If you’re looking for a great place to hang out, grab a bite to eat, and have a good time, it’s high time you grabbed the bull by the horns...literally! At the locally-owned and operated Bull Shed Bar & Grill, you’ll be able to dig in to great food at great prices, while waiting for your turn to ride “Dolly,” the mechanical bull! Sink your teeth into their Tri-Tip Sandwich, a cowboy roll stuffed with marinated tri-tip, onions, and mayo or test your stomach with the Big Bad Bull Shed Burger—a burger that weighs in at 2.5 pounds and is served with 2.5 pounds of fries. Eat it all in 45 minutes and get it free...plus a Bull Shed shirt! Open Mon-Fri 3pm-2am; Sat & Sun 12pm-2am.

2400 Camino Del Rio. (661) 327-0681

Flame and Skewers

Take a trip to the Far East in this amazing restaurant located on the corner of Ming and Ashe. Try Grandview’s for a delicious variety of Asian cuisine and a relaxing atmosphere. Dine on some of the best Dim Sum Bakersfield has to offer while listening to the gentle splash of a waterfall. Whether you have a craving for fine Asian dining, or desire a place to unwind after work, Grandview Asian Cuisine provides the perfect place to get away. Hours: 10am-9pm daily. Visa, MC, AE, DC. 2217 Ashe Road, Bakersfield. (661) 832-2288

Since opening in February 2006, Flame and Skewers has impressed Bakersfield diners with authentic Mediterranean cuisine. When you want fresh, natural, flavorful food, this is the place to be. Mediterranean cuisine is rooted in the use of fresh and healthy ingredients. Every item boasts this philosophy—from the delicious and tender lamb kabob to the Shawerma, which is marinated and spiced slices of TriTip Beef or Chicken grilled against an open fire. Diners have a variety of options including savory sandwiches, which are topped with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, hommus, and tajini sauce. www.flameandskewers.com. Two locations: 1201 24th St., open Mon-Sat 10:30am-8pm. (661) 325-1500. 5486 California Ave., open Mon-Sat 10:30am-10pm, Sunday 10:30am-7:30pm. (661) 328-0900

Brookside Riverlakes Market & Deli

RedBrick Fire-Roasted Gourmet Pizza

We are your one-stop shop for great, local flavor! Our goal is to offer more grocery items in the market and more variety in the deli for your convenience. From our highquality meat to our breads, everything is fresh and local. Brookside also prepares our own salads and we have a large selection of wines and local products to choose from including Smith’s Bakery goodies to satisfy your sweet tooth. In addition to our Brookside breakfast and lunch menus, we have a catering menu that will help you celebrate any occasion with ease. Deli hours: Mon-Sat 5am-8pm, Sun 6:30am4pm. 4700 Coffee Road. Store: (661) 588-1338, Deli: (661) 588-2329

106 Bakersfield Magazine

For the ultimate gourmet pizza, you’ve just got to head over to RedBrick Pizza. Every pizza is fresh, fabulous, and fire-roasted in just three minutes inside a 1,000-degree brick oven...an old-world Italian tradition. Start your epicurean adventure with a Chinese Chicken or Greek Chopped Salad, made with heart-healthy ingredients.

Then dive into a speciality pizza. They’ve even got gluten-free crust for those on special diets. In the mood for something different? Wrap your mouth around one of their fire-roasted Fhazanis, a savory Italian sandwich topped with chilled greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and house dressing. And don’t forget a bowl of creamy, rich Gelato before you go. Open Mon-Thu 11am-9pm; Fri & Sat 11am-10pm; Sun 11am-9pm. 9500 Brimhall Road, Ste. 301. (661) 829-1010

Camino Real Restaurant & Bar

Mexican Inspired dishes with California love! Camino Real is a breath of fresh air! It has just what you’re looking for in a local restaurant and much more! From the assorted appetizer dishes such as the queso spinach dip, Mexican pizza, & fresh guacamole to the delicious signature entrées with steak, chicken, and various vegetarian options to choose from, we offer a variety of recipes. It’s traditional Mexican dishes infused with what we call California love. Join us for a deliciously prepared margarita or our famous happy day specials daily from 11am-7pm at the bar. Everything is prepared with our freshest ingredients and flavors that can’t be matched! We also offer a lunch buffet and Sunday brunch. Open daily 10am-10pm, bar open till midnight or later. 3500 Truxtun Ave. Caminoed.com. (661) 852-0493

Cactus Valley Mexican Restaurant

With their award-winning salsa, Cactus Valley Mexican Restaurant is the local spot for fine south-of-the-border flavors! Their menu is a diverse mix of traditional Mexican dishes including sizzlin’ Fajitas, which you can order with lobster, shrimp, steak, or chicken; and savory Chile Verde. Taste their San Francisco Bay Enchiladas: surimi and jumbo shrimp sauteed in tomatillo and cilantro sauce stuffed in two flour tortillas, folded and filled with cream cheese! All day breakfast menu includes beef machaca and huevos rancheros. Lunch specials: $4.99 tacos and enchiladas, $7.95 chicken fajitas. Cactus Valley is home to the best margaritas in town and Happy Hour is 4-8pm daily. Open 6am-9pm, lunch 11am-2pm. Located at 4215 Rosedale Hwy, just west of Hwy 99. (661) 633-1948

Lorene’s Ranch House Coffee Shop

Where Everything’s Homemade! If you’re in the mood for an early morning breakfast, lunch, or a casual evening dinner, stop by Lorene’s for a hearty meal you won’t forget. Our extensive menu includes traditional breakfast skillets, country fresh eggs and omelettes, and a large selection of pancakes and waffles. For lunch or dinner try our South-of-the-Border section or one of our charbroiled burgers. We also serve great steaks and numerous seafood entrées. Stop by today for family-friendly dining. Hours: 6am-9:00pm daily, Visa, MC, AE, DC, accepted. Two locations to serve you: 1531 23rd & Eye St. (661) 322-6887 and 6401 Ming Ave. (661) 831-9250

Uricchio’s Trattoria

Now Offering Curb-side To-go Service and free validated parking for lunch guests! Nestled in the heart of Downtown in the historical Haberfelde Building. Steaks, chops, seafood, and classic Italian dishes, complemented by an extensive wine list, have made Uricchio’s a mainstay for over a decade.

Uricchio’s San Francisco style setting is family owned and operated, and the perfect spot for a business lunch, or a romantic dining experience. After your meal save room for the fabulous desserts from LaMousse of Beverly Hills. Hours: Lunch Mon-Fri 11am-2pm, Dinner Mon-Thu 5-9pm, Friday & Saturday 5-10pm.

Reservations recommended, lunch reservations for large groups only. www.uricchios-trattoria.com. 1400 17th St. Downtown. (661) 326-8870

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The Dining Guide

Luigi’s Restaurant & Italian Delicatessen

Enjoy an old world Italian delicatessen since 1910 with over 200 wines to complement your lunch. From sandwiches to Pasta Bolognese, you’re sure to find flavorful choices to make everyone happy! Don’t forget to shop the gourmet delicatessen for unique gift ideas, wine and authentic foods. Restaurant Hours: Tue-Sat 11am-2:30pm, Deli Hours: Tue-Sat 8am-4pm. 725 East 19th Street. shopluigis.com (661) 322-0926

Champs BBQ & Catering

Champs uses only the best ingredients and freshest meats available, using a secret recipe of dry rubs along with apple and citrus woods in our smoker to deliver that award-winning Champs BBQ flavor. We have perfected BBQ’d Tri-Tip, Pit Beef, Pulled Pork, Spare Ribs, Baby Back Ribs, Chicken, Turkey, and Hot Links. Our HUGE salads are a must try. Our salad dressings and BBQ sauce are homemade and the recipes are sought-after daily. Check out our daily specials, including Catfish and Jambalaya, Sliders, Wraps, incredible Burgers, Clam Chowder, and Tri-Tip Chili. Try our food and become a Champs fan for life. Voted Kern County’s best.

WE CATER! 35315 Merle Haggard Rd., Ste. 110. Open Mon-Fri 10:30am-8pm.

Ilovechampsbbq.com. (661) 391-8334

24th Street Café

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With a list of daily specials a mile long, we have been a local favorite for over 20 years and continue bringing Bakersfield the good eats. From our classic homemade soups and comfort foods like meatloaf, to our sandwiches, omelets, and salads, we make everything fresh. Wrap your mouth around the tri-tip pasta with mushrooms, green onions, and a creamy garlic sauce. Or better yet, visit us for breakfast and you won’t forget it! We’ve got banana rum crepes, savory Portobella mushroom omelets, cinnamon apple pancakes, and so much more. But don’t leave without trying our Bloody Mary. It’s good for what ails ‘ya! Open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch, 6am-2:30pm. 1415 24th Street. (661) 323-8801

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The Dining Guide

PARTNERS Bakersfield Magazine is proud to support each of the worthy charities you discover in the following pages.

Café Med

NEW LOWER PRICES! For a cozy, intimate setting and fine dining with a unique atmosphere, Café Med is the place to go. Choose a selection from our extensive menu and your taste buds will surely be satisfied. Start off with an appetizer-perhaps you might try our Grilled Shrimp Cocktail or Hummus with Lamb Meat-a house specialty. Then choose from a variety of entrées including Mediterranean salads, steaks or even pasta. An excellent dish to try is our Fisherman’s Pasta-a mix of shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams & the catch of the day sautéed in a tomato, basil and mushroom cream sauce. Come by Café Med today. Open 7 days a week 11am-close. Live music on Friday & Saturday nights. Reservations accepted.

Visa, MC, AE, DC. 4809 Stockdale Hwy. cafemedrestaurant.com. (661) 834-4433

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Izumo Japanese Restaurant & Sushi

Variety and style is what you can expect at Izumo. Experience our casual atmosphere where you have your choice of dining experiences. Visit us to enjoy the teppan-yaki, sample the sushi bar, or our more conventional order-off-the-menu setting. The teppan-yaki comes one dish at a time as the chef prepares it in front of you - they will amaze and impress with their skill and expertise. Our relaxed dining gives customers a chance to really enjoy our food and friendly service. Hours: Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm, Mon-Sun 5-10pm. Reservations accepted. Visa, MC, AE. 4412 Ming Ave. (661) 398-0608

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Featuring Dove Awardwinning artist and local Christian artists

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The Park at River Walk Saturday, September 10 • 9:30 a.m-12:30 p.m.

Registration opens at 8:30 a.m.

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SPECIAL EVENT MARCH OF DIMES SIGNATURE CHEFS AUCTION SEPTEMBER 29

Signature Chefs Auction Event Chair Brooke Antonioni holds a diaper used for some of the tiniest of premature babies.

THE MARCH OF DIMES does many things well. The organization educates our communities on maternal and prenatal health, initiates campaigns for premature birth prevention, and funds critical neonatal research. One of the reasons Bakersfield Magazine is so happy to continue supporting the March of Dimes is because in addition to all those amazing things, it’s a nonprofit that knows what it takes to put on a proper event.

No doubt you’ve heard of the Signature Chefs Auction. It’s an elegant evening full of culinary creations and philanthropy, and this year’s event marks the fourth year in a row Bakersfield has spent a night savoring masterpieces from local chefs and doing their part to support a great cause. What sets this event apart, however, is the involvement of so many in the community, not just from restaurants and chefs, but business

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owners and area hospitals. This year’s event takes place on September 29 at the Bakersfield Marriott at the Convention Center and excitement is at an all-time high, due in part to something new this year...With a Twist! March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction will be a zero waste, green event.

“I was so excited when I learned that we could host an event in Bakersfield and do it with zero waste,” said Event Chair Brooke Antonioni, CEO of Trans-West Security. “Our great city now has resources that allow us to be environmental stewards and raise money for important causes, like the March of Dimes! Greenshops’ Jennifer Jordan is a consulting sponsor and helping us make green choices along the way.”

“This means that all items are either going to be recycled or composted,” Jordan explained. “There will be no ‘trash’ or items going to the landfill at this

Bell Tower Club This year’s lead chef is John McFee, the executive chef at the Bell Tower Club. McFee was also lead chef >>

Lead Chef John McFee Bell Tower Club

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event. We are working with the Keep Bakersfield Beautiful organization.”

Also, Greenshops partnered with Bakersfield Association for Retarded Citizens (BARC) on a program where they use recycled wood from old fences and other items to make decorative items like planter boxes and frames. These will be the centerpieces. “They look great, coincide with our natural theme, and they highlight the zero waste commitment,” Antonioni said. Throughout the night, guests will also hear green tips and discover ways to support our community and be eco-friendly.

But let’s be honest—one of the biggest highlights of the evening comes from the creative dishes thought up by charitable local chefs and restaurant owners. And judging from this year’s line-up of chefs, who’ve come up with amazing auction packages and inventive hors d’oeuvres, we know the night will be top-notch.

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GreatCauses last year and has once again reached out to the culinary community to assemble a group of truly signature chefs. The March of Dimes is an organization close to McFee’s heart and he has been with the Signature Chefs Auction for the past four years.

McFee enjoys creating dishes that are different and new to the guests. “I’m more of a melting pot,” McFee said as he described his food as true California cuisine. Last year, he prepared a delectable pork tenderloin and he plans to wow the guests again with something new.

The Padre Hotel Padre Hotel Executive Chef Brad Wise is new to the Signature Chefs Auction this year, as well as being new to Bakersfield. He was brought up from San Diego where he was the executive sous chef at the Padre’s sister hotel, Tower 23. He may only be 25, but he’s been in the kitchen since he was 12 and calls his style contemporary American. Wise also has a “passion for rustic Italian,” which we hope he brings to the table at the event. “I’m really up for doing anything in the community, and for a good cause,” explained Wise, who came to the Padre last November. He plans to create something very different for the event; something that the guests haven’t had before.

The Bakersfield Marriott Bakersfield Marriott Executive Chef Ben Cude has been involved with the Signature Chefs Auction for the past two years and is looking forward to being involved again this year. The March of Dimes is an organization that hits very close to home for Chef Cude and his wife. In the past, this Orange County native’s braised short ribs have had Auction guests’ mouths watering and he looks forward to bringing something prepared with local ingredients to the table again this year. Cude makes classic American comfort food with a high-end twist.

He says it is simple food, with good, fresh ingredients, that speaks for itself.

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The Petroleum Club Chef Robert Alimirzaie of the Petroleum Club has been a part of the Signature Chefs Auction since it began here in Bakersfield. He and his culinary team’s goal is that you, “think of our dish even after the event, regardless of whether or not you liked it,” says Alimirzaie.

With a passion for food, Chef Robert loves to create dishes with flavors from all over the world. In years past, he has made corn muffins with chocolate sauce (that were more savory than you’d expect), as well as escargot with herbed butter.

He teased that if you want to know what he’s making this year, you’ll have to come to the event!

Highland Cafe Since the first time Chef Darriel Herron at the Highland Cafe made dinner for his family at the age of nine, he’s loved the kitchen. Highland Cafe is his third restaurant and he has been cooking professionally since 1992. When Herron was asked to take part in the Signature Chef Auction, he said “it was a no-brainer.” He loves to create desserts and sauces and incorporates that in his Southern-style comfort food. Possibilities for the upcoming event include cheesecake pops and mini beef Wellington. Herron makes his food from scratch and made to order, explaining, “do you want it fast, or do you want it good?”

Stockdale Country Club Stockdale Country Club’s Chef Erik Copeland has only been here in Bakersfield four months but is already excited to be involved with the March of Dimes and the Auction.

A Detroit native, Copeland came to Bakersfield for the first time in 1987 to play football for BC. He’s back in town and ready to make something that incorporates his time living and studying cuisine in the Caribbean and Latin America for guests of the event. His cooking style is a Latin fu-

Chef Brad Wise Padre Hotel

Chef Ben Cude Bakersfield Marriott

Chef Robert Alimirzaie Petroleum Club

Chef Darriel Herron Highland Cafe

sion; “there’s heat and there’s sweet,” he says of his food...and his flavors are always fresh and bold. Guests can expect a very seasonal seafood dish from Copeland at this year’s event.

Chef Erik Copeland Stockdale Country Club

This year’s event takes place on September 29 in the Bakersfield Marriott at the Convention Center. Excitement is at an all-time high, due in part to something new. March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction will be a zero waste, green event.

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Bakersfield College This is Bakersfield College Culinary Arts Program’s fourth year with the Signature Chefs Auction.

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Chefs Suzanne Davis and Pat Coyle Bakersfield College

Hourglass Kitchen & Bar At the Hourglass Kitchen & Bar, Chef Paul Hurd is cooking up fine California cuisine. Hurd has been a part of this event since it began here in Bakersfield and has served up such delicious treats as smoked tritip bruschetta and tuna tar tar. He has been in the kitchen since he was 10 and, these days, he likes to keep his food light and fresh. With so many things coming into season in September (the month of the event), he says he will probably know at the last minute what he wants to make.

Until then we can only dream of his tri-tip bruschetta.

In addition to those wonderful chefs, the bakers at Sweet Surrender will be whipping up something sweet for this year’s Signature Chefs Auction. It is the first time this local sweet shop is participating and owner Kim Fiorini is very excited to get involved with the March of Dimes, saying “the organization has earned every bit of the great community support they have in Kern.”

And just as we went to press, Cafe Med confirmed that they are also going to be a part of this fantastic event.

One thing’s for sure, the Signature Chefs Auction is unlike any other event in Bakersfield. Which is one of the biggest reasons Antonioni was eager to join.

“I am so happy to serve as the event chair,” she said. “I am thankful that I had two healthy twin girls, born three weeks early, so my support for this event is a way for me to pay it forward and help others, as I know this is not everyone’s story. The March of Dimes is a wonderful organization and this fabulous event raises such awareness and support for their continued work.”

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Chef Paul Hurd Hourglass Kitchen & Bar

most enduring and well-known organizations. Classically Italian through and through, Valpredo began working with food as a small child and learned from his family of cooks. At this year’s event, he is toying with the idea of savory tenderloin, but we will have to wait to find out what the hometown favorite has in store.

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Luigi’s At the suggestion of some of Luigi’s best customers, Gino Valpredo became involved with the Signature Chefs Auction. This is his first year with the event and, while heading up one of Bakersfield’s oldest and most-loved restaurants, he’s excited to work with one of the country’s

Chefs Pat Coyle and Suzanne Davis are always excited to show their students the importance of being a part of the local community and so they give back any way they can.

Educating the cooks in a wide range of techniques and styles allows the chefs to prepare food from all different styles and regions. Past events have seen the BC chefs prepare such dishes as white gazpacho and shrimp cioppino. With the possibility of a duck and andouille sausage gumbo this year, guests are sure to be in for a mouthwatering treat.

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SPOTLIGHT BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS ARTFEST

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“These youngsters leave an impression. Their artwork reflects their personalities—it shows their struggles and their successes.” –Ricki Foster

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cal home,” she explained. But as the attention grew, so did the need for a larger venue.

Hundreds have packed Moorea Banquet Centre (and will do so again this year on September 24) to celebrate the success of child artists by bidding on their work, imbibe on fantastic wine, and sample delectable hors d’oeuvres.

It’s a night not to be missed.

“Any child that wants to can participate. They start on these works of art at the beginning of our summer programs,” Foster said. “They’re creating

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FOR 12-YEAR-OLD SAAJIDAH MOHAMMED, PAINTING IS A WAY TO RELAX, EXPRESS HER EMOTIONS, AND HAVE FUN. “Some people talk to other people if they’ve had a bad day, or they write in a diary. But painting is what I like to do,” she said with a smile on her face.

It’s only the second year Mohammed has painted for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Kern County’s annual Artfest, a night of art, food, and wine; and she’s already a pro.

“When I first came here [to the Boys and Girls Club], I didn’t know anyone and painting was my way of getting to know people and I also wanted to try something new,” Mohammed explained. She didn’t have to wait long for people to get to know her.

“Everyone is so nice—the [staff] treats us like we’re their kids. I’m not just a face in a crowd...I’m an individual.”

And it’s that attention that has allowed Mohammed to come into her own as an artist. She’s only 12, but she has the attention to detail and creativity of seasoned artists triple her age.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Artfest in Bakersfield (not to mention the 45th anniversary of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Kern County), and Events Director Ricki Foster couldn’t be more pleased with the growth this event has experienced.

“In the beginning, when Artfest was still small, it was hosted at a lo-

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Create!

Saajidah Mohammed

all summer long. They’ll go through books of images and find an ‘inspiration piece’ that they’d like to work off of. Then they create tester pieces with pastels and develop them with our art instructor, Chris Borbon, until they’re ready to put them on canvas. This isn’t typical kids’ art; our executive director [Zane Smith] likes to say ‘this isn’t refrigerator art.’ And he’s right. It’s not.”

In fact, some pieces have been so favored by Boys and Girls Clubs staff that they don’t want to see them auctioned off. Most of the art work is up for grabs in the silent auction that takes place during Artfest, but there are other pieces, including a signature piece, selected for live auction. And they go fast.

“These youngsters leave an impression. Their artwork reflects their personalities—it shows their struggles and their successes.” Foster added. People want the chance to own the proof of a success story. And there are stories.

“There was a young man who was with us years ago. He painted for Artfest and was inspired to go to art school.

In fact, some of the pieces he did were included in his portfolio. He got accepted,” Foster recounted.

“For some of these kids, this is a chance for them to really express themselves. Maybe they’ve never had art supplies at home. Maybe they don’t get enough art at school. But painting for Artfest gives them that outlet...it’s encouraging for them,” she added.

There are still opportunities to help sponsor this year’s Artfest. In addition, silent and live auction items are always welcome. All the proceeds from ticket sales and sponsorships help the Boys and Girls Clubs of Kern County continue to provide an outlet for the young artists in Kern. Call Ricki Foster at (661) 325-3730 or visit bgclubsofkerncounty.org for more information. You never know, you could wind up having a painting done by a future Picasso hanging in your living room. You’ll also have FIELD MAG a beautiful reminder of RS how great it feels to support such a good cause M R UN IT Y PA in our community. n

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in Lindsay, CA

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What? That’s right... and it’s anything but a sleepy little nearby town!

t seems like we're always making excuses not to go out of town for the weekend. After all, breaking free of the hustle and bustle of city life can be hard. You've got household chores to do, paperwork to catch up on, and a new week to plan.

But what if, for one weekend, you threw aside those things and made a pact with

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Speaking of zest, an hour and a half's drive north on Highway 65 will put you in a town with just over 10,000 people, all waiting to greet you with open arms and a whole lot of oranges.

Known as Central California's Citrus Center, Lindsay is a perfect spot for a day-cation.

The town is cradled in the foothills of PHOTO BY ELLEN LEVY FINCH

The most notable event to take place in Lindsay is the Orange Blossom Festival. Every April, the fragrant smell of orange blossoms fills the air.

your family to get out of Dodge? You'd discover that there are lots of places to visit within a two-hour drive that can put a little zest back in your life.

the Sierra Nevada and surrounded by scenic farmland but it's not simply another agricultural hot spot (though it is known worldwide for olives and orange

groves)—there is history and culture in Lindsay, a 1995 All-America City winner that has been referred to as “the heartbeat of the Central Valley.”

The First Citrus

Before Captain Arthur J. Hutchinson, the man known to be the founder of Lindsay, came to the area in 1889, Julius Orton built a homestead on 160 acres and was the first to plant orange trees in the area in the early 1880s.

But Hutchinson would cement the area as a growing town when he bought 2,000 acres and formed the Lindsay Land Company. And when the Southern Pacific Railroad came through the area in 1889, development of the Lindsay townsite began under the Pacific Development Company.

The townsite was laid out by Hutchinson and the community was named for his wife, Sadie Lindsay Patton Hutchinson.

A fellow named Stockton Berry also migrated to the area about the same time as Hutchinson and farmed several thousand acres of grain, grapes, and oranges.

The area began growing at a rapid pace for 20th century standards. According to the Lindsay Chamber of Commerce website, “by 1905, approximately

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www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 117

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Friday Night Market and Street Faire showcases the best, most succulent produce from the best growers in the valley.

700 acres of oranges had been planted in the district, but only a few were in full bearing. Excursion trains from Southern California arrived every few weeks carrying people interested in settling in the Lindsay area.

This influx of people sparked the development of some 75,000 acres of land by 1910, along with packing houses to process the agricultural products.”

Incorporation of the City of Lindsay took place on February 28, 1910, with some 700 residents within the city limits.

By 1916, there were 23 blocks of paved streets and the population rose to 3,000.

Citrus is still a big industry and it helped to cement Lindsay's place in California agriculture early on.

Orange You Glad To Be In Town

We have over 200 recipes from local restaurants, caterers, and party planners on our website for you to enjoy!

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118 Bakersfield Magazine

Lindsay is a unique town that incorporates the past and the present. No matter what time of year you visit, you'll happen upon a variety of community-themed events geared toward celebrating all that's good about this quaint area of Central California, including street festivals and parades. And from May to November, every Friday night is a party.

“The Friday Night Market and Street Faire is special, with exceptional products and goods and the mellow, low-key, local feel of a small town community.”

If you're looking for something to do on Friday evenings, stop by the Farmer's Market and enjoy entertainment, a sense of community (since each Friday, nearly 6,000 area residents attend) and a selection of the best, most succulent produce from the best growers in the valley.

There are also music and art projects,

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courtesy of the Lindsay public schools. It also sports a flea market where you can find sunglasses, purses, shoes, jewelry, and more!

The event even provides free entertainment such as Brazilian dancers, mariachi, and country music. Approximately 200 stalls are occupied by food, arts and crafts, consumer goods, and produce vendors. There's also bounce houses and face painting for the kids.

Fresh local food, paired with live music, has turned downtown into an inviting place where families can kick off the weekend together. This market opens for the season in March and runs every Friday from 5:30 to 10 p.m. at Sweet Briar Plaza, on North Sweet Briar Avenue, between North Westwood Avenue and West Tulare Road.

Coming up this fall, the Lindsay Community Theater's 6th Annual Brewfest

7/20/11

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Page 1

Image Courtesy Steve Cook Fine Art

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ProPay Street Faire features food, arts and crafts, consumer goods, and produce vendors.

will have entertainment, great food, and up to 40 different kinds of beer on tap on September 24, from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Sweet Briar Plaza, in the heart of downtown Lindsay.

For more information about the Brewfest and other events sponsored by the Lindsay Community Theater please visit lindsaycommunitytheater.com.

Lindsay's beautiful downtown, rich in history, offers a delightful shopping and browsing experience.

Downtown also plays home to McDermont Field House, the premier indoor sports and entertainment destination in the Central Valley. Originally a fruitpacking house, it has been transformed into a state-of-the-art, 172,000 squarefoot venue where families can spend time together, be active, and have fun. The facility includes two arena soccer fields, a zip line, The Hippo (the world's >>

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Great Getaways

largest inflatable slide), Flowrider (an indoor surfing simulator), a skate park, two NCAA regulation basketball courts, a rock climbing wall, bounce houses (an entire soccer field full of them), a dance floor, and many other areas for activities.

For more information on events, visit www.mcdermontfieldhouse.com.

But perhaps the most notable event to take place in Lindsay is the Orange Blossom Festival. Every April, the fragrant smell of orange blossoms fills the air. As such, the town plans a massive festival for not only residents of Lindsay but for the many tourists who come to honor all things citrus. The festival originated in 1932, so 2012 marks the 80th year of this annual celebration.

Over the course of a long weekend, an Orange Blossom Queen is crowned, mul-

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tiple art receptions take place with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, not to mention a pancake breakfast at Sweet Briar Plaza.

Of course, the scene stealers are the 62 Mile Metric Century Bicycle Tour and 20 Mile Orange Bicycle Tour, both begin at the McDermont Field House; and the Orange Blossom Parade. With festivals, dances, and carnivals making up the schedule for the weekend, there won't be time to think about anything but having fun.

Even if you're not a big fan of oranges, there's always something to do in Lindsay. You and the family can spend time traversing the community, trying new things, and tasting the sweet flavors of small-town life.

For additional information on Lindsay, visit lindsay.ca.us or the Lindsay Chamber of Commerce at thelindsaychamber. com. You can also call (559) 562-4929. v 120 Bakersfield Magazine

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“Equipping children with the proper school supplies will be the first step toward a successful school year,” says Steve Peterson, program director of the Rescue Mission. “Our goal this year, with community help, is to provide back-to-school supplies for inner city children. The children receiving the school supplies are part of Height Street Baptist Church youth outreach program, and the children of the men and women of the Mission’s Residential Program.

Their families lack the ability to get the necessary supplies their children need to start school.”

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BAKERSFIELD MAGAZINE

Party

CHATTER

For more photos from these parties visit bakersfieldmagazine.net

Heather Haro & Jennifer Oveson

Casey Vontz & Michael Parugrug

Marci Wattenbarger & Susan Handy

Voices of Inspiration ~Kern’s Basque Tradition since 1945~ NEVER FROZEN, THEN BAKED, OR TRUCKED LONG DISTANCES. FIND US IN YOUR FAVORITE GROCERY STORE OR DELI TODAY!

Hoffmann Hospice hosted its annual Voices of Inspiration dinner featuring honored guest speaker and Navy Seal, Marcus Luttrell. Guests participated in a silent and live auction, were entertained by a George Bush impersonator, and enjoyed a beautiful dinner featuring President Bush’s (the real one) favorite ice cream flown in from Texas. It was an inspiring evening benefitting terminally ill patients and their families.

Cliff & Rodger Harmel

Marti Roberts & Diane Shaffer

Travis & Katie David

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Global Family Care Network’s Best of Bakersfield event was an evening of fine dining and exciting auctions with all proceeds benefitting the organization’s goal of preventing and rescuing young girls from trafficking. In the beautiful second floor ballroom of Stockdale Tower, guests enjoyed a filet mignon dinner by Valentien, live music, and bidding on one-of-a-kind auction items.

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BAKERSFIELD MAGAZINE

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Children’s Miracle Network BBQ

The intoxicating smell of delicious barbecue hung heavy over the fairgrounds as grill teams from all over the country gathered to rub, marinate, and cook in the name of charity. Bakersfield’s Biggest Baddest BBQ was a mouthwatering success with droves of people coming out to taste amazing food and support our local Children’s Medical Center, a Children’s Miracle Network hospital.

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This Arts Council of Kern fundraiser was hosted in the beautiful home of Betty and Milt Younger where honorary guest Camille Gavin was recognized for her service to the arts community. Attendees enjoyed great wine, live music, a live auction of six painted umbrellas by local artists, and an Italian buffet and pasta bar. The event raised nearly $5,000 for the Arts Council.

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Jessica Einstein & Brandon Fragoso

BMH Pavilion

Bakersfield Memorial Hospital held a wonderful gathering to announce the construction of the new Hans E. Einstein, M.D. Pavilion. Locals gathered to enjoy appetizers and live music as they awaited the groundbreaking ceremony to begin.

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Al Ayotte

Ryan & Jessica LaFebre

Joey Porter & Jerome Bettis

Scott Quashnick & Grant Campbell

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Karleigh Sivesind & Tori Youngblood

BARC Golf Tournament

Greg Youngblood, Greg Jr., & Brandon Rupchock

Now this was an event you just had to be a part of. It doesn’t get any better than a great day of golf at the Bakersfield Country Club with friends, good food, drinks, and Bakersfield’s very own Joey Porter (along with a couple of his celebrity friends). Proceeds from this tournament benefit the Bakersfield Association for Retarded Citizens and the Jasmine Nyree Day Center.

Chris Branson, Mike Smith, & Brian Kniffen

Billy Johnson, Ken Klose, & Harry Fenske

BAKERSFIELD MAGAZINE

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Mary Bynum, Linda Sullenger, & Dona Chertok

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The Pines of Rome Gala was a hit! The Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra hosted this elegant and exciting event at CSUB. Music, drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and some extraordinary giveaways, including a $10,000 trip to Italy and a custom made gold Roman coin necklace created by Houston Jewelers, kept guests on their feet. Proceeds from this event benefit the symphony.

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Brenda Oberholtzer & Liz Kinney

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Robin O’Malley & Jennifer Tudor

Gwynne Burkhart & Jeremie Chandler

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Wine Fest

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The Kern County Museum’s Wine Fest 2011 was a starry evening full of fabulous cuisine and fine wine. Wineries, restaurants, and purveyors of wine from all over the county came out to show support to the Museum and its mission. Guests strolled under a canopy of lights in the heart of Pioneer Village as they sampled wines and perused the silent auction tables.

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www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Sizzlin’ Singles 2011 129

Neptune hose co. in training outfits, 1877

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS BREWER

bakersfield’s sound

n the early days of our fair city, the fire department was comprised of three different companies.

When the Bakersfield Fire Department was officially established on May 3, 1877, the Neptune Hose Company, alongside a hook and ladder company called the “Alerts,” and an engine company called the “Eurekas” made up the fire-fighting team. The Neptunes, Alerts, and Eurekas came together to create a more effective and efficient service for the city.

The Neptune Hose Company, in all their glory, constantly ran drills and could lay 400 feet of hose in two minutes and thirty seconds. The hose men had to be fast on their feet in order to pull their cart and unload the hoses quickly and with enough length to reach the fire.

Despite the hose men’s display of speed, the hook and ladder men were all the rage in society during this time. It was reported that they would enter dances through the upstairs windows of the hall to make an impressive entrance, much to the chagrin of the other men. No doubt it was to the delight of the young ladies.

The Bakersfield Fire Department obviously experienced regular small fires during its early years, but in 1889, the “big fire” on Saturday, July 7 put these men to the test. Heroic efforts by firemen and volunteers were made to control the blaze, but, unfortunately, many buildings caught in the fire were leveled to ash.

The bustling business corridor of Chester Avenue was just a smoky memory by the next morning. This naturally prompted heated town discussions on fire safety but residents were adamant that the fire department should be supported and that the city would shoulder the cost to supply an effective department.

In a tragic twist of irony, all records of the Bakersfield Fire Department prior to 1904 were destroyed when a fire consumed the engine house on September 7 of that year.

Still, what began with one station in 1877 is now a network of 14 stations situated throughout Bakersfield. Fire has shaped and re-shaped the city of Bakersfield over the years but we always came out on top thanks to local men like ones on the crew of the Neptune Hose Company.

the story of bakersfield is all around us, you just have to look — and listen.

130 Bakersfield Magazine

Why a Castle & Cooke mortgage makes sense, no matter whose home you’re buying.

It’s simple, really. No one else delivers a higher quality mortgage experience.

Our unique processing system can take your loan from application to closing in days, rather than weeks. And our people not only care about the numbers, they care about getting you the financing package that will help you realize your vision of the future.

So you see, it doesn’t really matter whether you’re buying your home from Castle & Cooke, from another builder or from an individual.

What does matter is that we’ve helped you fulfill your dream.

Evening & weekend appointments are available.

EVELYN LEDBETTER

DAVID SOLIS

CA-DOC287425

CA-DOC305103

JULIE DAHLEEN

JENNIFER WILSON

Branch Manager 661-805-1456

Loan Officer 661-319-8416 CA-DOC305020

Loan Officer 661-889-7777

Loan Officer 661-342-3625

FREE Pre-Qualification

New Construction Resale Refinance Conventional/FHA/VA Temporary Buydowns HomePath® USDA HomePath® Renovations Loans Se habla español

Equal Housing Lender

10000 Stockdale Highway, Suite 300A • Bakersfield, CA 93311 • Castlecookemortgage.com Licensed by the Department of Corporations under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act.

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To be Kern County’s heart care leader?

Setting the standard – like being the first hospital to perform open-heart surgery in Kern County in the early 1970s.

Consistency – such as identifying heart attack symptoms twice as fast as the national average. SJCH averages four minutes as opposed to the national average of eight.

Innovation – creating an on-call Cardiac Alert Team available 24/7/365.

Being ranked top in the nation – for timely heart attack treatment (door-to-balloon time) when compared to hospitals similar in size and services. Ranking according to the American Heart Association’s Action Registry.

It takes being the Nationally Accredited Chest Pain Center at San Joaquin Community Hospital.

661-395-3000 www.sjch.us